Showing 1 - 10 of 535
Paying for a selfie: Rome starts charging for Trevi Fountain
AFP, Published on 03/02/2026
» ROME - Italy's Trevi Fountain launched a new ticketing system Monday, making the famous Rome landmark the latest tourist site to charge entry in a bid to raise funds and battle overcrowding.
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.
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.
Japan demands response from Finland over beauty queen's 'slanted eyes' photos
South China Morning Post, Published on 18/12/2025
» KYODO — Japan's top government spokesman on Thursday expressed concern over images posted online of the winner of a beauty pageant and some lawmakers in Finland showing them pulling back the corners of their eyes, a gesture widely regarded as racially offensive to Asian people.
Austria to vote on headscarf ban in schools
AFP, Published on 11/12/2025
» VIENNA - Austrian lawmakers on Thursday are expected to approve a law banning headscarves in schools for girls under 14, a move rights groups and experts say is discriminatory and could deepen societal division.
Italy's luxury brands shaken by sweatshop probes
AFP, Published on 03/12/2025
» ROME - A series of investigations into exploitative work conditions within fashion subcontractors has roiled Italy's luxury industry, with the government decrying attacks on "Made in Italy".
Miss Universe owners in Mexico, Thailand hit with fraud, trafficking claims
AFP, Published on 27/11/2025
» This year’s Miss Universe contest concluded last week in Thailand with a win for Miss Mexico after a pageant replete with drama, including a public bust-up between the eventual winner and the competition host.
Miss Mexico wins Miss Universe contest after host insult drama
AFP, Published on 22/11/2025
» NONTHABURI (THAILAND) - Miss Mexico was crowned Miss Universe in Thailand on Friday, strutting to victory after several dramatic missteps before the final round, including staging a walkout when an organiser of the beauty pageant chastised her.
Global prayer for peace echoes across Bhutan
News, Jitsiree Thongnoi, Published on 11/11/2025
» Buddhist devotees from near and far have gathered in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, for the Global Peace Prayer Festival, from Nov 4-19.
Sixties screen siren Claudia Cardinale dies aged 87
AFP, Published on 24/09/2025
» PARIS - Sixties screen siren Claudia Cardinale, who died on Tuesday aged 87, entranced audiences across the globe with the sultry gaze that made her the muse of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini.