A Chinese flavor of rap music is flourishing as emerging musicians find their voices
In 2018, the censors who oversee Chinese media issued a directive to the nation’s entertainment industry: Don’t feature artists with tattoos and those who represent hip-hop or any other subculture.…
Sanctions and a hobbled economy pull the rug out from under Iran’s traditional carpet weavers
The historic Kashan bazaar in central Iran once sat on a major caravan route, its silk carpets known the world over. But for the weavers trying to sell their rugs…
Greenland women seek justice over forced contraception
Henriette Berthelsen was separated from her family at 11 and forced to wear a contraceptive coil, a trauma she buried until she and 142 other Greenlandic women sued the Danish…
For decades, Moscow has sought to silence its critics abroad
From its earliest days, the Soviet Union’s intelligence services — whether known as the Cheka or by the names of any of its successor agencies like the KGB — kept…
E-waste is overflowing landfills. At one sprawling Vietnam market, workers recycle some of it
Dam Chan Nguyen saves dead and dying computers. When he first started working two decades ago in Nhat Tao market, Ho Chi Minh City’s biggest informal recycling market, he usually…
Xi heads to Europe to defend Russia ties
Xi Jinping heads to Europe on Sunday to defend China’s “no limits” alliance with Russia, first to key Ukraine backer France, then to Serbia and Hungary, which have close ties…
What is at stake in UK local voting ahead of a looming general election
Millions of voters in England and Wales will cast their ballots on Thursday in an array of local elections that will be the last big test before a U.K. general…
Unique venues heat up sauna scene in Sweden and Finland
Deep underground in a disused iron mine and under the bluish glow of a flashlight, a small crowd emerges from a sauna, steam rising off their bodies as they plunge…
New ‘underground cathedral’ opens ahead of Paris Olympics
It has no spire, stained glass windows or nave, but the cavernous underground stormwater facility set to be inaugurated in Paris on Thursday has been compared to Notre-Dame cathedral, which…
UK researchers unveil face of 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman
A UK team of archaeologists on Thursday revealed the reconstructed face of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman, as researchers reappraise the perception of the species as brutish and unsophisticated. Named Shanidar…
Turkey police clash with May Day protesters, skirmishes in France
Turkish police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and arrested more than 200 people, as skirmishes broke out in France amid May 1 rallies that drew tens of…
An evening at Columbia University that turned stormy
As a storm broke over New York, riot police mounted a tall ladder on a reinforced truck to penetrate a building at Columbia University and clear out barricaded pro-Palestinian protesters.…
World champion Clareburt hopes China doping case won’t dominate Paris
World champion swimmer Lewis Clareburt hopes his second Olympics will be remembered for the action in the pool rather than rancour over a Chinese doping case that has dominated in…
‘Operation Madonna’: Rio readies for singer’s free mega-concert
Madonna’s long-awaited free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach has upended the neighborhood, with over a million fans expected — but for retired resident Mario Renato Borges, it’s the…
N.Ireland ‘Troubles’ families defiant as UK amnesty law kicks in
When a coroner’s inquest into the unsolved murder of Sean Brown during Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” was relaunched last year, his family hoped their long search for justice could bear fruit.…
Police arrest Columbia students, clear occupied building in campus unrest
Dozens of helmeted police flooded Columbia University’s campus in the heart of New York City on Tuesday to evict a building occupied by pro-Palestinian student protesters and detain demonstrators. Police…
US to reclassify cannabis as low-risk drug, in major shift
US President Joe Biden’s administration is set to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, an official said Tuesday — a historic shift that would bring federal policy more in…
Taiwan on alert for post-inauguration Chinese drills
Taiwan is on alert for China to carry out military exercises after the inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te this month, the island’s top security official said on Wednesday, adding China…
What is the International Criminal Court and why it has Israeli officials worried
Israeli officials sound increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for the country’s leaders more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…
Dying salmon trouble Norway’s vast fish-farm industry
They are hailed for their omega-3 fatty acids and micronutrients, but Norway’s salmon are not in the best of health themselves at the fish farms where they are bred. Almost…
Xi Is on a Mission to Drive a Wedge Between Europe and the US
Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to the European Union for the first time in five years with a clear message: Beijing offers much more of an economic opportunity for…
Tesla wins key China security clearance during Musk visit
Tesla received a key security clearance from China during owner Elon Musk’s whistlestop visit to the world’s biggest electric car market, which wrapped up on Monday. The tech billionaire arrived…
LGBTQ Iraqis fear dark days ahead after anti-gay law
When Saif Ali fled Iraq last year to escape threats and abuse over his sexual orientation, he always dreamed of someday returning. But a homecoming has become impossible after Iraq’s…
King Charles III resumes public duties as he fights cancer
King Charles III on Tuesday makes his first official public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer, after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by the progress of his treatment. The…
Hong Kong team plants seeds to safeguard legacy grains
Far from the soaring skyscrapers synonymous with Hong Kong, scientists and farmers labour in a paddy field on the city’s outskirts to revive dormant rice varieties that once sprung from…
NATO chief says Ukraine can still win war despite Russian advances
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said it was “not too late” for Ukraine to win the war, despite its outmanned and outgunned military struggling in the face of Russian…
Xi, Macron to discuss Ukraine during China leader’s visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to make a state visit to France on May 6 and 7, Paris announced on Monday, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East…
French actor Depardieu held for questioning over alleged sexual assault: source
French police on Monday detained screen legend Gerard Depardieu for questioning after two women accused him of sexual assault, a source close to the case said. The 75-year-old actor, who…
China firms go ‘underground’ on Russia payments as banks pull back
An appliance maker in southern China is finding it hard to ship its products to Russia, not because of any problems with the gadgets but because China’s big banks are…
China set to launch high-stakes mission to moon’s ‘hidden’ side
China will send a robotic spacecraft in coming days on a round trip to the moon’s far side in the first of three technically demanding missions that will pave the…
Schools closed, warnings issued as Asia swelters in extreme heatwave
South and Southeast Asia braced for more extreme heat on Sunday as authorities across the region issued health warnings and residents fled to parks and air-conditioned malls for relief. A…
New film captures Afghan women’s courage in failed peace talks with Taliban
The new documentary “The Sharp Edge of Peace” begins with a harrowing scene: Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan’s parliament and a women’s rights activist, recovering in a hospital…
‘Operation Save Rishi’ Aims to Get UK Premier Through Key Vote
Rishi Sunak said this week he’s putting UK defense spending on a “war footing.” He might as well have been talking about his own position. Allies of the British prime…
Xi tells Blinken US, China should be ‘partners, not rivals’
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday told top US diplomat Antony Blinken that the world’s two biggest economies should be “partners, not rivals”, but that there were a ‘number of…
A look at past and future cases Harvey Weinstein has faced as his New York conviction is thrown out
Harvey Weinstein’s landmark New York sexual assault conviction was thrown out by an appeals court Thursday, and most of the dozens of civil cases filed against him since he became…
What is so special about TikTok’s technology
The content recommendation algorithm that powers the online short video platform TikTok has once again come under the spotlight after the U.S. ordered its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the…
Japan anime studio draws on talent of autistic artists
Diagnosed with autism, Shoko Sakuma says she struggled working in accounting but now she is putting her childhood love of drawing to work in a special Japanese animation studio. The…
New York court overturns Harvey Weinstein sex crime conviction
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on sex crime charges, a shock reversal in one of the defining cases of the #MeToo…
The yen has a yield problem the BOJ can’t easily fix
As the yen plumbs three-decade lows and pressure grows on Japan to intervene or make monetary policy changes, traders figure there is not much Tokyo can do to reverse the…
More than just a bowl of noodles, ramen in Japan is an experience and a tourist attraction
Spicy, steaming, slurpy ramen might be everyone’s favorite Japanese food. In Tokyo, long lines circle around blocks, and waiting an hour for your ramen is normal. What awaits might be…
North Koreans in China vanish as border reopens
After fleeing famine in North Korea, Kim Cheol Ok laid low in China for decades — until a doomed run for freedom got her sent back to her repressive homeland,…
Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway
When President Joe Biden showed off his putting during a campaign stop at a public golf course in Michigan last month, the moment was captured on TikTok. Forced inside by…
Bird flu in humans? Experts see little risk
The discovery of traces of the bird flu virus in pasteurised cow milk in the United States sparked questions over whether the disease could spread to humans, but experts say…
Volkswagen revamps its approach in China in bid to overtake upstart EV makers
As auto giant Volkswagen AG races to catch up with upstart Chinese competitors, it has drivers like 26-year-old Ren Yiling in mind. She is young and wants to play video…
Trump’s foreign policy: rethink NATO, troops to Mexico, boost tariffs
Republican former President Donald Trump is planning to fundamentally alter the United States’ relationship with Europe should he win a second four-year term in office. On the campaign trail, he…
Ex-spy whose book foreshadowed Hamas attack fears for Israel’s future
His writing anticipated a Hamas attack on Israeli kibbutzim and an Iranian strike from the skies, but former Mossad spy turned thriller author Mishka Ben-David is now concerned about what…
Chinese sellers go to TikTok school to reach buyers abroad
Donning hijabs and floor-length abaya gowns over shorts and tank tops, Chinese students at an e-commerce school perform into a smartphone camera as they learn how to sell the clothes…
Chinese spying claims deepen German far right’s woes
Germany’s far-right AfD was scrambling Wednesday to contain the fallout from Chinese spying allegations, the latest in a slew of scandals to hit the anti-immigration party in a key election…
First COVID, now heat: Online schooling returns to the Philippines
Record heat in the Philippines this month has forced schools to send children home for online classes, reviving memories of COVID lockdowns and raising fears that more extreme weather in…
Blinken back in China seeking pressure but also stability
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned Wednesday to China on his second visit in a year, as the United States ramps up pressure on its rival over its support…
What happens now that US TikTok bill has been passed?
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation giving TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, about nine months to divest the U.S. assets of the short-video app, or face a nationwide ban. President…
What the US Congress passed to aid Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, along with a national security bill that could effectively ban TikTok in the United States, sending them…
As Blinken heads to China, these are the major divides he will try to bridge
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is starting three days of talks with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing this week with U.S.-China ties at a critical point over numerous…
Iran’s Israel strike coincided with crackdown on dissent at home, activists say
The same day Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it embarked on a less- noticed confrontation at home, ordering police in several cities to take to the…
Norway women bring seaweed to culinary heights in Europe
In the glacial waters of the Lofoten archipelago in Norway’s far north, Angelita Eriksen uses a knife to cut a handful of seaweed that will soon end up in a…
WADA reject cover-up charge, China labels reports ‘fake news’
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Monday rejected accusations of a cover-up during their investigation into Chinese swimmers testing positive for a prescription heart drug and said they would take…
Germany and Britain move in on suspected Chinese spies
Germany and Britain on Monday both swooped on suspected spies accused of passing on secret information to China, as concern deepens in the West over aggressive Chinese espionage. In Germany,…
UK-Rwanda migrant plan passes after parliament marathon
Controversial UK government plans for deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda cleared their final hurdle on Monday, after a marathon tussle between the upper and lower chambers of parliament lasting late…
Action plan announced as members talk about achievements and new opportunities in their relations with China
The 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (Forum Macau) kicked off officially yesterday morning with the opening ceremony. Forum…
US aid will boost Ukraine, but doubts remain over 2025 supplies
The Biden administration wants to start moving weapons and equipment into Ukraine within days of the anticipated passage this week of legislation that includes US$60 billion in military aid to…
Eighteen children killed by Israeli bombs in southern Gaza
Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight killed 22 people, including 18 children, health officials said Sunday, as the United States was on track to approve billions…
China hosts foreign naval officials amid South China Sea tensions
The Chinese Navy on Sunday kicked off a biennial meeting of top foreign naval officials in the port city of Qingdao, in a show of military diplomacy that will be…
AI a ‘fundamental change in the news ecosystem’: expert
Artificial intelligence is shaking up journalism and in the short term will cause “a fundamental change in the news ecosystem”, media expert David Caswell told AFP. A former employee at…
Trump forced to listen silently to people insulting him as he trades a cocoon of adulation for court
He seems “selfish and self-serving,” said one woman. The way he carries himself in public “leaves something to be desired,” said another. His “negative rhetoric and bias,” said another man,…
Taylor Swift, tortured poet, exorcises demons with new double album
Taylor Swift’s hotly anticipated “The Tortured Poets Department” is here along with a surprise second album — 31 tracks released Friday in which the megawatt star purges her inner turmoil…
Giving a second life to fashion’s deadstocks
At the Nona Source showroom in northern Paris, designers pick through luxurious textiles with ornate names: curly alpaca, geometrical macrame guipure, silk diamond cloque Jacquard. What makes them really exotic,…
‘Ancient Roman’ solar roof tiles power Pompeii villa
Pompeii is shining a light on mysterious rites of ancient Rome thanks to terracotta-style solar roof tiles installed on one of its most famous villas. The traditional-looking tiles have solar…
AP Explains: 4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana’s high holiday
Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states thank…
Emergency rooms refused to treat pregnant women, leaving one to miscarry in a lobby restroom
One woman miscarried in the restroom lobby of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her. Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at…
China’s drugmakers can’t sell mRNA shots but haven’t quit yet
China’s vaccine developers stuck with unused mRNA COVID shots and idle manufacturing plants are pursuing new targets for the novel messenger RNA technology, but they face a tough path, crimped…
It’s Taken 100 Scientists Two Years to Rename Airborne Viruses After Covid Mistakes
Airborne viruses will be called “pathogens that transmit through the air” under new terminology the World Health Organization hopes will end a scientific rift that hampered the early response to…
India begins voting in gigantic election as Modi seeks historic third term
India began voting on Friday in the world’s largest election as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a historic third term in office on the back of growth, welfare, his personal…
Israel reserves ‘right to protect itself’ after Iran attack: Netanyahu
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country reserved the right to protect itself after Iran’s unprecedented attack, and that it alone would decide how to do so. Iran launched…
Israelis grapple with how to celebrate Passover, a holiday about freedom, while many remain captive
Every year, Alon Gat’s mother led the family’s Passover celebration of the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago. But this year, Gat is struggling with…
Solomons’ PM contender vows to abolish China security pact
A leading contender to become the Solomon Islands’ next prime minister has vowed to rip up a security pact with China, as the Pacific nation began counting votes Thursday in…
The desert nation of UAE records its most rain ever, flooding highways and Dubai’s airport
The United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain the desert nation has ever recorded — a deluge that flooded out Dubai International Airport and disrupted…
Dozens of Russian athletes are likely to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Will Moscow let them go?
With 100 days to go until the Paris Olympics, it’s still not clear whether any athletes from Russia who are expected to qualify will actually go. The question is whether…
Kharkiv’s Gen Z strive for ‘normal life’ to spite Russia
Kristina Shapovalova stood in a crowd outside a cafe, its storefront shining a rare light amid a blackout in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Wearing trendy black-framed glasses, Shapovalova spoke…
Clark Kent lookalike turns accidental superhero in Brazil
Leonardo Muylaert was just another mild-mannered professional on vacation with his girlfriend when the 36-year-old Brazilian went viral on social media thanks to an unexpected superpower that has changed his…
China GP back after five years with contentious sprint as Zhou fulfils dream
Formula One returns to China for the first time in five years this week with a packed programme including a Saturday sprint race, but not everyone is happy with the…
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef struggles to survive
Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef is suffering one of the most severe coral bleaching events on record, leaving scientists fearful for its survival as the impact of climate change worsens.…
A storm dumps record rain across the desert nation of UAE and floods the Dubai airport
The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting travel…
Solomon Islands voters go to polls with China’s influence in focus
Solomon Islanders in shanty towns and far-flung islands voted Wednesday in an election that will decide whether their nation draws closer to China — with consequences for the entire South…
US says new sanctions on Iran coming soon
The United States said Tuesday it would soon impose new sanctions on Iran’s missile and drone program after its weekend attack on Israel, and that it expects its allies and…
Middle East on edge after Israel vows ‘response’ to Iran strikes
Israel and Iran traded threats after Tehran’s first ever direct attack on its arch foe sharply heightened Middle East tensions and as the Gaza war ground on with no truce…
‘Bad for business’: Gulf states scramble to avert wider war
Gulf states are grappling with the widening Middle East conflict as hostilities between Iran and Israel threaten their security and ambitious plans to reshape their economies. Leaders of the resource-rich…
Chinatown fearful ahead of Solomon Islands’ crunch vote
Merchants in Solomon Islands’ gritty Chinatown were preparing Tuesday for the prospect of post-election violence, fearful the district will again be targeted if the Pacific nation re-elects a pro-Beijing leader.…
Salman Rushdie recounts stabbing in new memoir ‘Knife’
“Knife”, a memoir by Salman Rushdie released on Tuesday, recounts the near-fatal stabbing at a public event in 2022 that left him blind in one eye and his journey to…
Torch and sandals: What to know about the flame-lighting ceremony in Greece for the Paris Olympics
A priestess prays to a dead sun god in front of a fallen Greek temple. If the sky is clear, a flame spurts that will burn in Paris throughout the…
Characters enter the public domain. Winnie the Pooh becomes a killer. Where is remix culture going?
The giant stuffed bear, its face a twisted smile, lumbers across the screen. Menacing music swells. Shadows mask unknown threats. Christopher Robin begs for his life. And is that a…
Israeli military vows response to Iran attack as calls for restraint mount
Israelis awaited word on how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would respond to Iran’s first-ever direct attack as international pressure for restraint grew amid fears of an escalation of the conflict…
Boeing says testing of 787 proves aircraft is safe
Boeing defended its safety practices Monday, touting aircraft testing protocols as it girds for a tough congressional hearing featuring critics of the embattled aviation giant. “Boeing is confident in the…
‘Good morning Mr Trump’: takeaways from the historic trial
Donald Trump entered the history books on Monday, becoming the first former US president to stand trial on criminal charges. Here are key takeaways from the opening day of “The…
Unpopular Sunak in ‘doom loop’ as UK PM stares at election defeat
He’s failed to meet key pledges, hit an opinion poll low, and even cramped the style of a popular Adidas shoe: Britain’s beleaguered Conservative leader Rishi Sunak appears destined to…
Booms and sirens in Israel after Iran launches over 200 missiles and drones in unprecedented attack
Booms and air raid sirens sounded across Israel early Sunday after Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in an unprecedented revenge mission that pushed the Middle…
Fewer young Americans want to study in China, something both countries are trying to fix
Stephen Garrett, a 27-year-old graduate student, always thought he would study in China, but first the country’s restrictive COVID-19 policies made it nearly impossible and now he has other concerns.…
Chinese factory shreds wedding photos for fuel
At a dusty warehouse in northern China, Liu Wei feeds photos of beaming bridal couples into an industrial shredder — turning stories of heartbreak into a source of electricity. Wedding…
Opposition win in South Korea election to deepen policy stalemate for Yoon
South Korea’s liberal opposition parties scored a landslide victory in a parliamentary election held on Wednesday, dealing a resounding blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol and his conservative party but…
Japanese astronaut to be first non-American to set foot on Moon
A lucky Japanese astronaut will become the first non-American to set foot on the Moon during one of NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions, US President Joe Biden announced Wednesday. The offer…
Biden to meet Japan’s PM Kishida amid shared concerns about China and differences on US Steel deal
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida begins a much-anticipated visit to Washington on Tuesday aiming to spotlight shared concerns about provocative Chinese military action in the Pacific and at a rare…
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