The cherry season for Tokyo starts when the official sample tree at Yasukuni Shrine opens at least five flowers. "Today, the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms was observed," the Tokyo Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Ag...

Seven-month-old Punch was abandoned by his mother and became an internet sensation after clips of him clinging to a plush orangutan toy for comfort -- and seemingly being roughhoused by fellow monkeys -- proliferated online last month. His plight ...

The movie, which is still in early development, will feature the fanged plushie monsters in a "live-action and CGI hybrid", Beijing-based Pop Mart said on Thursday. Created in 2015 by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, Labubus sparked a craze nine years...

Kuwait refinery hit A drone attack on a refinery owned by Kuwait's national oil company sparked a fire at one of the units, state media said. "Kuwait Petroleum Corporation announced that one of the operational units of the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery.....

Following the unprecedented decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations title and hand it to Morocco, Mark Owen is pleased to welcome Eurosport's Ruben Slagter. Not only is our guest troubled by the decision itself, but also the opacity o...

Nadia Massih is pleased to welcome Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director of the Beirut-based Samir Kassir Foundation. The war between Iran and Israel is unfolding in Lebanese territory. While Lebanon demonstrates notable competence in distributing humani...

AFP gives the lowdown on what to know ahead of the concert -- BTS's first since 2022 -- by the seven young men who more than anyone have turned South Korea into a global cultural powerhouse. - Full comeback - BTS broke hearts after, one by one --...

After a stunning election win in February, parliament put the incumbent back in the pilot's chair on Thursday, with the millionaire conservative tasked with tackling weak growth and other economic turbulence on the horizon. He has a taste for stree...

PSG and Liverpool will face each other in the Champions League for the second consecutive year, this time in the quarter-finals. After being defeated 1-0 by Galatasaray in the first leg, the Reds completely turned the situation around in the return ...

Now the world's biggest boy band is set for a comeback concert on Saturday after a nearly four-year hiatus for the septet to complete military service -- and while the nation went through traumatic times. "It feels like they've come back to reclaim...

The November 26 blaze at Wang Fuk Court, a high-rise apartment complex in the financial hub's Tai Po district, was the world's deadliest residential building fire since 1980. It engulfed seven of the eight residential towers in the complex, which w...

Tehran carried out attacks on Qatar's huge Ras Laffan LNG facility in retaliation for an Israeli strike Wednesday on Iran's South Pars gas field, part of the world's largest natural gas reservoir. Oil prices soared five percent and European gas jum...

Doncic, the league's leading scorer, added 10 assists and nine rebounds while 41-year-old James hit 13-of-14 shots from the floor for the visiting Lakers. "He pulled it out with big shots, big time," James said, heaping praise on Slovenian Doncic. ...

Chasing a 21st league crown, Inter were given a huge let off last weekend when closest challengers AC Milan lost at Lazio and allowed Christian Chivu's side to move eight points clear. Stuttering Inter will be put to the test by Fiorentina who are ...

"There's no shortage", but over the past few days "there has been a noticeable increase in the price of certain food products", the father of four said. The price of meat in particular has almost doubled, he added. Like most of its neighbours in ...