Showing 1 - 10 of 646
'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.
'I am sorry,' embattled UK PM tells Epstein victims
AFP, Published on 05/02/2026
» LONDON — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, battling for his political future, apologised Thursday to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing disgraced Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
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.
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.
'Severely restricted': Russia's Saint Petersburg faces cultural crackdown
AFP, Published on 18/11/2025
» SAINT PETERSBURG - Russian bookseller Lyubov Belyatskaya sighed as she lamented the "climate of widespread anxiety" that has taken hold in her native Saint Petersburg amid the war in Ukraine.
Mega church gathers in Manila to protest Philippine corruption
Bloomberg, Published on 16/11/2025
» Thousands of members of an influential religious group started gathering in Manila on Sunday for a rally to call for accountability in the Philippine government over a widening corruption scandal.
BBC says sorry to Trump, but rejects defamation claim
AFP, Published on 14/11/2025
» LONDON - The BBC said Thursday that its chairman had sent a letter to US President Donald Trump apologising for a misleading edit of one of his speeches, but rejected that it was grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
'Arrested for singing': Russia's case against teen busker stirs anger
AFP, Published on 29/10/2025
» SAINT PETERSBURG - Supporters of an 18-year-old Russian street musician arrested after performing anti-war songs in public expressed frustration at the legal case against her as she attended court on Tuesday.