AFP
13876 articles published since 08 Mar 2022
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Germany's housing sector slumps into crisis
Valeriy Shevchenko felt like he made the purchase of his lifetime when he beat a queue of prospective buyers to secure a two-bedroom apartment in one of Berlin's most popular districts. My money is the fruit of my labour," said Shevchenko, who had already paid up 250,000 euros ($266,100) for the apartment he bought for half a million euros.
From K-pop to sales girls: AI goes mainstream in South Korea
Her face is a deepfake. - K-pop face - Zaein's face was created by a deep learning analysis -- an AI method that teaches computers to process complex data -- of the faces of K-pop stars over the last two decades.
Desperate eSports fans in ticket-grabbing frenzy at Asian Games
ESports tickets costing up to $137 are like gold dust at the Asian Games with desperate fans signing up multiple times through a lottery system in hope of seeing their gaming heroes live. Underlining just how popular it is, eSports is the only competition at the Games where tickets were allocated through an initial online lottery, before being opened up last week for direct purchase.
Evergrande shares sink after restructuring plan scrapped
Shares in embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande plummeted Monday, following the announcement that it would be unable to carry out a restructuring plan intended to guarantee its survival.
Asian markets struggle as traders prepare for higher rates
Asian markets were mixed Monday as investors contemplated the possibility the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates again and keep them at three-decade highs as officials struggle to contain inflation. And Asia struggled in early exchanges Monday, with Hong Kong off more than one percent while Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Singapore and Jakarta were also lower.
Hollywood writers, studios reach tentative deal to end strike
Striking writers whose industrial action has brought Hollywood to a standstill said Sunday they had reached a deal with studios that could see them go back to work. They have manned picket lines for months outside offices including Netflix and Disney, and -- after they were joined by striking actors in mid-July -- have brought the US entertainment industry to a costly standstill.
EU businesses 'questioning their position' in China: trade commissioner
European businesses in China are increasingly questioning their positions in the face of tough new security laws and a politicisation of trade, an EU commissioner warned in Beijing on Monday. Speaking in Beijing on Monday, Dombrovskis insisted China remained an attractive investment opportunity for European businesses.
'One day I said stop': models describe pressure to stay thin
Maud Le Fort won't be seen on the runways of Paris Fashion Week, which kicks off on Monday, having chosen her health over a career on the catwalk. Now in her 30s, Le Fort came to Paris when she was 18 to pursue a career in modelling and was immediately labelled a "commercial model" -- i.e. not thin enough for the top-end fashion shows.
The 'tyranny of thinness' still dominates fashion
Despite claims that the fashion industry is embracing curvier bodies, the data suggests it could be guilty of what one expert calls "fat-washing". "It's 'fat-washing'," he told AFP, comparing it to criticisms of cynical "green-washing" by which the industry is accused of making empty climate pledges.
AFP
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