Fragile but unbroken, Afghan glassblowers refuse to quit

Herat, Afghanistan — Seated in front of a searing furnace, Ghulam Sakhi Saifi teases forth sinews of molten blue glass -- the guardian of an Afghan glassblowing trade refusing to break with tradition

'Deadpool' and 'Alien' top box office charts again; 'Blink Twice' sees quiet opening

Los Angeles — In a sleepy summer weekend at the box office, holdovers reigned supreme as newcomers landed without a splash

LGBTQ+ couples, activists rally in Nepal's capital during Pride parade

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and their supporters rallied in Nepal's capital Tuesday during the annual Pride parade, the first since gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages officially in the Himalayan nation

From 'Cobra Kai' to 'Blue Beetle': Actor Xolo Maridueña's journey to first Latino superhero

Xolo Maridueña is currently starring in the sixth and final season of the hit karate series Cobra Kai, which premiered on Netflix in July

Banksy unveils new rhino art, animal-themed collection seen across London

london — Street artist Banksy on Monday unveiled a new mural of a rhinoceros that looks like it is climbing on top of a car in London — the eighth animal-themed artwork he has posted in the past week in a collection that includes elephants, a goat, a[..]

Street art pops up throughout Paris, adding Olympic color to major landmarks

PARIS — Paris is getting a colorful splash of Olympic creative spirit with nearly 30 vibrant street art pieces that have popped up on bustling metro station walls, a large billboard at the airport and in front of City Hall

COVID-hit Lyles misses out on a double; US team breaks 100-medal mark

PARIS — Sprinter Noah Lyles revealed he had COVID-19 after missing out on another gold medal for the United States at the Paris Olympics on Thursday

Vitriol about female boxer fuels concern of backlash against LGBTQ+, women athletes

PARIS — LGBTQ+ athletes, officials and observers have warned that a deluge of hateful comments misidentifying female boxer Imane Khelif in the Paris Olympics as transgender or a man could pose dangers for the LGBTQ+ community and female athletes

Marchand captures 4th Olympic swimming gold

NANTERRE, France — The party for Léon Marchand spread beyond the pool, quickly sweeping across Paris

Edna O’Brien, Irish literary giant who wrote 'The Country Girls,' dies at 93

NEW YORK — Edna O'Brien, Ireland's literary pride and outlaw who scandalized her native land with her debut novel “The Country Girls” before gaining international acclaim as a storyteller and iconoclast that found her welcomed everywhere from Dublin [..]

India's Charaideo Moidam royal burial mounds designated World Heritage Site

NEW DELHI — The Charaideo Moidam royal burial complex and shrines, built by northeast India's Ahom dynasty, has been inscribed as a new World Heritage Site, the United Nations' cultural agency said on Friday

Princess Leia bikini costume from 'Star Wars' movie set sells for $175K

HOUSTON — The gold bikini-style costume that Carrie Fisher wore as Princess Leia while making Return of the Jedi in the Star Wars franchise has sold for $175,000, according to the auction house that handled the sale

Frank Stewart photos captured culture of jazz, church and Black life in US

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Iran’s Shiite Muslims mark Ashoura with mourning, processions

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian Shiite Muslims on Tuesday commemorated Ashoura, a remembrance of the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, that gave birth to their faith

Marathon wedding hosted by India’s richest man holds country in thrall

NEW DELHI — When the son of Asia’s richest man gets married, the celebrations are expected to be lavish