Showing 1 - 10 of 657
'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.
Trump says closing Kennedy Center arts complex for two years
AFP, Published on 02/02/2026
» WASHINGTON (UNITED STATES) - US President Donald Trump announced Sunday he is closing the Kennedy Center arts complex in Washington for two years, beginning on July 4 -- the nation's 250th anniversary -- for a thorough renovation.
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.
'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".
Trump embraces AI deepfakes in political messaging
AFP, Published on 15/01/2026
» WASHINGTON - From playing football in the Oval Office to sipping cocktails on a sun lounger in Gaza and attacking critics from a fighter jet, Donald Trump has become the first US president to deploy AI-generated imagery as a key tool of political communications.
Sparklers blamed for deadly Swiss ski resort fire
AFP, Published on 03/01/2026
» CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland - Swiss investigators were working on Saturday to identify the last victims and exact cause of the blaze that killed 40 New Year’s revellers at a packed bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana.
Hong Kong's new smoking rules just kicked in. Is everyone sticking to them?
South China Morning Post, Published on 02/01/2026
» Some smokers are still lighting up at bus stops in Hong Kong despite new rules banning them from doing so while queuing, the South China Morning Post has observed, with authorities saying they have stepped up inspections at tourist spots and ramped up promotion efforts.
Upstart gangsters shake Japan's yakuza
AFP, Published on 19/12/2025
» TOKYO - When Takanori Kuzuoka began climbing the criminal career ladder, he didn't fancy joining Japan's old-school yakuza, with their tattoos, rigid hierarchy and codes of honour.
Have Iran's authorities given up on the mandatory hijab?
AFP, Published on 18/12/2025
» PARIS — Women swaying to dance music at a disc jockey (DJ) set, strolling without headscarves through cutting-edge art exhibitions and in coffee shops showing off trendy styles that could have come from the streets of Europe.
New Yorkers expected to pick leftist Mamdani in stunning election
AFP, Published on 04/11/2025
» NEW YORK — New Yorkers are projected to elect leftist Zohran Mamdani as mayor Tuesday, opening a new front in opposition to Donald Trump and raising the specter the president will retaliate against the city where he made his name.