Showing 1 - 10 of 692
Tough-talking right-winger elected Costa Rica president
AFP, Published on 02/02/2026
» SAN JOSÉ - Right-wing political scientist Laura Fernandez won Costa Rica's presidential election on Sunday by a landslide, after promising to crack down hard on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade.
Sumo diplomacy: Japan's heavyweight 'soft power' ambassadors
AFP, Published on 30/01/2026
» TOKYO - Two giants stare each other down before colliding with a dull thud. After years on the sidelines, sumo is back centrestage as part of Japan's soft power arsenal overseas.
China's Buddha artisans carve out a living from dying trade
AFP, Published on 19/01/2026
» SUZHOU, China - In a dimly lit workshop in eastern China, craftsman Zhang measured and shaped a block of wood into a foot as dozens of half-completed life-sized Buddha statues looked on silently.
'Hobbit houses' that might just save a Moldovan village
AFP, Published on 16/01/2026
» ROGOJENI — They call Rogojeni the "hobbit village", and its little half-buried houses, built to resist Moldova's cold winters and hot summers, do look like something from "The Lord of the Rings".
Leo XIV celebrates first Christmas as pope
AFP, Published on 25/12/2025
» VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV held the first Christmas mass of his pontificate on Wednesday, greeting thousands of faithful in St Peter's Square before the service in an usually informal style.
Bethlehem celebrates first festive Christmas since Gaza war
AFP, Published on 24/12/2025
» BETHLEHEM, Palestinian Territories - Scouts marched under a clear blue sky in Bethlehem on Wednesday, as the Palestinian city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza to celebrate its first festive Christmas in more than two years.
World Cup tickets set at $60 after backlash
AFP, Published on 17/12/2025
» PARIS — World Cup organisers unveiled a new cut-price ticket category on Tuesday after a backlash by fans over pricing for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran detains Nobel-prize winner in 'brutal' arrest
AFP, Published on 13/12/2025
» PARIS (FRANCE) - Iranian security forces on Friday detained the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi along with at least eight other activists in an arrest condemned as "brutal" by the Norwegian Nobel committee.
Swiss seek Unesco listing for yodelling
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» LUCERNE, Switzerland - Switzerland hopes to have yodelling recognised by the United Nations this month to help protect the ancestral sing-song tradition of the Alpine nation's herders and shepherds.
Dutch anti-blackface group declares victory
AFP, Published on 05/12/2025
» AMSTERDAM - A cherished Christmas tradition for some, profoundly insulting for others, the Dutch character “Black Pete”, a servant who helps Santa Claus distribute presents, has divided opinion in The Netherlands for decades.