Showing 1 - 10 of 1,027
'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.
Japan PM Takaichi basks in election triumph
AFP, Published on 09/02/2026
» TOKYO - Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was savouring an election triumph on Monday, with her ruling coalition projected to have won a two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house.
Cuban tourism in crisis; visitors repelled by fuel, power shortages
AFP, Published on 03/02/2026
» HAVANA - Cuba's tourism sector suffered a sharp decline in 2025, with shortages of basic goods repelling visitors even before the United States began strangling the island's fuel supply.
US confirms sweeping visa service suspensions
Reuters and AFP, Published on 15/01/2026
» WASHINGTON - The administration of US President Donald Trump is suspending processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries including Thailand, a State Department spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
Death toll from Iran approaches 2,600, rights group reports
Reuters, Published on 14/01/2026
» DUBAI/JERUSALEM — The death toll from unrest in Iran climbed to almost 2,600, a rights group said on Wednesday, as Tehran stepped up diplomatic contacts with US-allies in the region over a crisis that has drawn threats of intervention from President Donald Trump.
French museum fare hikes for non-European tourists spark outcry
AFP, Published on 13/01/2026
» PARIS — Should foreign tourists pay more for state-funded galleries than locals, or should art be accessible to all, without discrimination? France is hiking prices for non-Europeans at the Louvre this week, provoking debate about so-called "dual pricing".
New protests hit Iran as alarm grows over crackdown 'massacre'
AFP, Published on 11/01/2026
» PARIS (FRANCE) - Iranians took to the streets in new protests against the clerical authorities overnight despite an internet shutdown, as rights groups warned on Sunday that authorities were committing a "massacre" to quell the demonstrations.
Trump: US reaches deal for $2bn in Venezuelan oil
Reuters, Published on 07/01/2026
» Caracas and Washington have reached a deal to export up to $2 billion worth of Venezuelan crude oil to the United States, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, which would divert supplies from China while helping Venezuela avoid deeper oil production cuts.
Overseas scholars drawn to China's scientific clout, funding
AFP, Published on 07/01/2026
» SHANGHAI - China's government has long made efforts to tempt top scientists from abroad, but researchers say its institutions themselves are increasingly attracting talent thanks to their generous funding and growing prestige.
Australia falls silent, lights candles for Bondi Beach shooting victims
AFP, Published on 21/12/2025
» SYDNEY - Australians fell silent in flickering candlelight Sunday to honour the Bondi Beach shooting victims, marking one week since gunmen fired into crowds at a Jewish festival.