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Hit Japan anime genre offers escape, second chances
Getting hit by a truck doesn't sound like anyone's favourite fantasy, but it's an idea central to an escapist type of Japanese anime exploding in popularity.
Anime luminary Maruyama warns Japan's top spot at risk
Japan's powerhouse anime business risks being overtaken by rising Chinese competition because a tilt towards commercialism has stifled creativity, industry heavyweight Masao Maruyama has warned.
The big history of Albania's tiny Koran
The ritual is always the same. Mario Prushi carefully washes his hands and face before kissing and pressing one of the world's smallest Korans to his forehead.
Centuries-old teenage mummy unearthed in Peru
The mummy of a teenager who lived roughly 800-1,200 years ago, complete with skin fragments and tufts of hair, has been unearthed on the outskirts of the Peruvian capital Lima, the leader of the excavation team said Tuesday.
Harry Belafonte: legendary singer who lived out activism
Even at the height of his fame as a groundbreaking musician, Harry Belafonte was only interested in the money or the celebrity insofar as it could fuel his campaigns for social justice.
UK's Prince William 'settled' phone-hacking claim, filing says
Prince William has "recently settled" a phone-hacking claim against a UK newspaper group, court documents filed by his brother Prince Harry as part of his own lawsuit claimed on Tuesday.
Anchor away: Provocateur Tucker Carlson out at Fox News
Conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News' most popular show, has abruptly left the US network, it was announced Monday, days after the outlet paid a huge settlement to end a defamation case.
Trial begins into whether Ed Sheeran stole Marvin Gaye classic
Jury selection began Monday in a trial to determine whether British pop star Ed Sheeran plagiarized American music legend Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" in his 2014 hit "Thinking Out Loud."
Fox News provocateur Tucker Carlson exits in shock move
Conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson, host of Fox News' most popular show, is leaving the network, it was announced Monday, days after the outlet paid a huge settlement to end a defamation case.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson exits in shock move
Fox News star host Tucker Carlson is leaving the influential conservative TV network, it was announced Monday, in a surprise move days after the outlet was forced to pay a huge financial settlement to end a defamation case.
Writer, adviser, poet, bot: How ChatGPT could transform politics
The AI bot ChatGPT has passed exams, written poetry, and deployed in newsrooms, and now politicians are seeking it out -- but experts are warning against rapid uptake of a tool also famous for fabricating "facts".
Staying zen with 'slow design' at Milan Furniture Fair
"Slow design" was all the rage at this year's Milan Furniture Fair, featuring sustainable creations made with carefully selected and hand-crafted natural materials in sharp contrast to industrial manufacturing.
Here's the story: Jordan initiative shapes young minds
At a school in Amman, a Jordanian volunteer opened a book and asked: "Who's excited to hear a story?" -- part of an initiative to get children to find joy in reading.
CEO of NBCUniversal departs over 'inappropriate conduct'
The chief executive of NBCUniversal has left the US entertainment giant after acknowledging "an inappropriate relationship" with a colleague, parent company Comcast announced Sunday.
Four badly hurt after car hits crowd at French kite festival
Eleven people were injured, four seriously, after a car ploughed into a crowd at an international kite-flying festival in northern France on Saturday, officials said.
Twitter reinstates blue ticks for some media, celebrities
Twitter's blue ticks were reinstated on some media, celebrity, and other high profile accounts Saturday -- a move protested by many of the recipients.
'Dame Edna Everage' comedian Barry Humphries dies
Australian comedian Barry Humphries, whose "Dame Edna Everage" alter ego left audiences in stitches, died on Saturday in a Sydney hospital.
Japan's 'crying baby sumo' festival returns after pandemic
Dozens of bawling Japanese babies faced off Saturday in a traditional "crying sumo" ritual believed to bring the infants good health, which returned for the first time in four years after the pandemic.
US rideshare firm Lyft plans major staff cuts
US rideshare service Lyft on Friday sent word to employees that it plans a major staffing reduction to cut costs.
Twitter drops media tags in latest changes
Twitter has dropped "state-affiliated" and "government-funded" labels from media accounts after widespread complaints, according to a review Friday of many high-profile pages.
Artist Kentridge puts African role in WWI centre stage in Joburg
A man paces a 50-metre (yard) stage doing breathing exercises. Crew members chatter while putting together final touches to the set, as a pianist rehearses.
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch drops January 6 defamation case
Fox Corporation chief executive Lachlan Murdoch on Friday abruptly dropped a high-profile defamation case against an Australian website that accused his family and firm of fuelling the 2021 US Capitol riots.
Sweat shops: textile industry's dark side
The deadly consequences of fast fashion were spotlighted a decade ago after 1,138 people were killed when the nine-storey Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh.
A real gem: in Bahrain, only natural pearls will do
Customers at a Bahrain jewellery store study displays of pearls that are, unusually, 100 percent natural -- the result of attempts to preserve a centuries-old industry.
At a ballet in Lima shantytown, dancers - and self-esteem - soar
On a barren shantytown hill in Lima, a group of girls in white leggings gamely tiptoe around a rocky, dusty path. "And onnnne, twoooo, threee, fourrr", hums the ballet instructor whose day job is selling trash.
Chris Evans 'Ghosted' by CIA agent Ana de Armas in Apple romantic comedy
Though he is best known as a superhero, Chris Evans has taken on the sidekick part in the upcoming movie "Ghosted," playing a boyfriend unwittingly pulled into the adventures of his CIA agent girlfriend, portrayed by Ana de Armas.
The Big Sort: Twitter ticks check out
Elon Musk's long promised move to strip free blue ticks from Twitter users swung into action on Thursday, dividing the have-paids from the have-nots.
Twitter's blue ticks start vanishing
Twitter began the mass removal of its blue ticks on Thursday, as the symbol previously used to signify a verified account vanished from users including the Pope, Donald Trump and Justin Bieber.
BuzzFeed to close news operation
BuzzFeed announced Thursday that it was shutting its news division as part of cost-saving cuts, signalling the end of one of the most notable news websites of the internet era.
BuzzFeed says shutting down newsroom: CEO memo
BuzzFeed announced Thursday that it was shutting its news division, signalling the end of one of the most notable news websites of the internet era.
Schumacher family plan legal action over fake AI quotes
Michael Schumacher's family said Thursday they were planning legal action against German magazine Die Aktuelle for using an artificial intelligence programme to generate fake quotes from the seven-time Formula One champion.
Snapchat seeks path to profit without losing its way
Snapchat parent Snap on Wednesday unveiled new tactics including the increased use of artificial intelligence in its struggle to expand beyond the app's loyal user base and reach profitability.
Mexican poet Octavio Paz's legacy on display 25 years after death
A quarter century after his death, the cultural legacy of Mexican literary giant Octavio Paz is going on display at the poet's former home in Mexico City.
Frank Ocean scraps second Coachella set due to leg injury
R&B singer Frank Ocean has withdrawn from his scheduled headline slot at the second weekend of the Coachella music festival due to a leg injury, his publicist said Wednesday.
Pixar's 'Elemental' to close Cannes festival
The latest Pixar film, "Elemental", will get its world premiere as the closing film of the Cannes Film Festival next month, the organisers announced on Wednesday.
Ancient necropolis unearthed next to busy Paris train station
Just metres from a busy train station in the heart of Paris, scientists have uncovered 50 graves in an ancient necropolis which offer a rare glimpse of life in the French capital's precursor Lutetia nearly 2000 years ago.
Fox faces stain of 'disinformation engine' despite settlement
Fox News averted a potentially humiliating defamation trial after a last-minute settlement Tuesday, but it took a reputational beating that observers said was unlikely to spur the influential broadcaster to tame its "disinformation engine."
Ruben Ostlund on Cannes jury duty and next 'history-making' film
Swedish director Ruben Ostlund vowed to keep his ego in check as jury head in Cannes, and also told AFP why his next film may cause the biggest walkout in the festival's history.
'Stamp of approval': Twitter's Musk amplifies misinformation
Elon Musk promised to make Twitter the "most accurate source of information about the world," but he has repeatedly used his own account to amplify false claims from some of the most notorious disinformers on the internet, according to an AFP analysis of his online activity.