Showing 1 - 10 of 374
'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".
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.
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.
Canterbury Cathedral graffiti exhibition asks questions of God
AFP, Published on 17/10/2025
» CANTERBURY (UNITED KINGDOM) - Forget the old adage that "cleanliness is next to godliness". Graffiti -- of a sort -- is now welcomed at the spiritual home of global Anglicanism in southeast England, to the ire of US Vice President JD Vance.
Israelis mourn at Hamas massacre site
AFP, Published on 07/10/2025
» RE’IM, Israel - Two years after Hamas gunmen attacked the Nova festival in southern Israel, the desert site stands as both grave and shrine, where the living come to mourn the dead.
Indonesian child's viral fame draws tourists to boat race
AFP, Published on 24/08/2025
» PEKANBARU (INDONESIA) - Armed with colourful oars, rowers pack into long boats in western Indonesia, paddling furiously in front of race crowds swelled by the viral success of a young boy famous for his dancing at the front of the traditional vessels.
Funny old world: the week's offbeat news
AFP, Published on 22/08/2025
» PARIS - From a bear cooling down in an ice cream parlour to Japanese staff who took quality control too far. Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world.
Cockatoos can bust a move: Australian research
AFP, Published on 07/08/2025
» SYDNEY - Cockatoo birds are renowned in Australia for their raucous singing, but researchers said Thursday they also boast an impressive array of dance moves.