Showing 1 - 10 of 586
Less glamour, more content, says Wim Wenders of Berlin Film Fest
AFP, Published on 13/02/2026
» BERLIN - Berlin Film Festival jury president Wim Wenders said Thursday that this year's 76th edition of the festival would have "less glamour" but "more content" in its eclectic selection.
'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.
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.
French minister criticises Clooney's 'double standard' passport
AFP, Published on 01/01/2026
» PARIS (FRANCE) - A junior member of President Emmanuel Macron's government Wednesday criticised the French passports given to Hollywood superstar George Clooney despite him speaking poor French, saying the move suggested a "double standard".
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.
YouTube superstar MrBeast opens pop-up park in Saudi Arabia
AFP, Published on 14/11/2025
» RIYADH (SAUDI ARABIA) - MrBeast, the world's most followed YouTuber with over 450 million subscribers, opened a temporary amusement park in Riyadh on Thursday, the latest celebrity drawn to Saudi Arabia as it aspires to become a major entertainment hub.
Beyond words: '67' crowned 'Word of the Year'
AFP, Published on 30/10/2025
» WASHINGTON — A double-digit combination set the social media sphere ablaze among teens in 2025, leaving parents and teachers befuddled -- and now it has officially been crowned Dictionary.com's "Word of the Year": 67.
Autistic adults push back on 'fear-based' Trump rhetoric
AFP, Published on 24/10/2025
» NEW YORK - Composer William Barnett started his YouTube channel as an outlet for his music -- but today he also uses it to debunk the steady stream of White House rhetoric on autism while sharing his own experience living with it.