Showing 1 - 10 of 56
'Artists of steel': Japanese swords forge new fanbase
AFP, Published on 11/02/2026
» MISATO, SAITAMA (JAPAN) - Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
Japan, South Korea leaders drum up viral moment with K-pop jam
AFP, Published on 14/01/2026
» TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played two K-pop songs during a post-summit drumming session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who joked he felt "a little awkward" in front of the former heavy metal band member.
Indian festival of lights Diwali joins Unesco heritage list
AFP, Published on 10/12/2025
» NEW DELHI — India's festival of lights, Diwali, was on Wednesday announced as an addition to the intangible cultural heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), sparking celebrations.
Philippines freezes $200m in assets linked to flood graft
Bloomberg News, Published on 26/11/2025
» MANILA - The Philippine government has frozen more assets allegedly linked to graft-ridden flood control projects, raising the total to 12 billion pesos ($204 million), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Wednesday.
India's divine designs meld with AI at Durga Puja festival
AFP, Published on 29/09/2025
» KOLKATA - Millions in India's eastern city of Kolkata will draw on millennia-old traditions when they celebrate the Hindu festival of Durga Puja this week with street parties and worshipping idols in elaborate pavilions.
Former sex worker records Tokyo's red-light history
AFP, Published on 14/03/2025
» TOKYO — It is late morning and steam is rising from water tanks atop the colourful but opaque-windowed "soapland" sex parlours in a historic Tokyo red-light district.
Chinese billionaire’s carmaker adds satellites in Musk territory
Bloomberg News, Published on 03/02/2024
» HONG KONG - A Chinese rocket launched a group of communications satellites produced by one of the country's largest carmakers, boosting the nation's efforts to catch up in low-Earth orbit — an area dominated by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
DR Congo's 'voodoo wrestling' is spellbinding fun
Emmet Livingstone of AFP, Published on 09/08/2023
» KINSHASA: There has been a power cut, and under moonlight in a poor quarter of DR Congo's capital, wrestler Maitresse Libondans explains how she invokes her ancestors to cast spells that rout her opponents.
‘Voodoo wrestling’ is spellbinding fun in DR Congo
AFP, Published on 02/08/2023
» KINSHASA: There has been a power cut, and under moonlight in a poor quarter of DR Congo's capital, wrestler Maitresse Libondans explains how she invokes her ancestors to cast spells that rout her opponents.
Streaming giants battle for anime supremacy
AFP, Published on 11/05/2023
» TOKYO - From R-rated sci-fi to teen biker gang adventures, streaming platforms are locked in an intensifying battle for dominance in one of the entertainment sector's hottest and most lucrative mediums: anime.