TOKYO (AFP) ― The Bank of Japan on Wednesday left its key rate unchanged at between zero and 0.1 percent, and held steady on monetary policy despite concerns over the high yen and eurozone debt crisis.In its assessment of the economy, it warned Japan will “face an adverse effect from the slowdown in overseas economies and the appreciation of the yen as well as from the flooding in Thailand.”The central bank, which expects Japan to eventually return to “a moderate recovery path,” added that its p

SAINT EMILION, France (AFP) ― Residents of Saint Emilion, a hugely popular UNESCO World Heritage site in southwest France, were shocked when their mayor sold a medieval monument to pay off debts.And while the council has defended the controversial sale as a means of raising much-needed cash for the upkeep of historic sites, it has undertaken to rethink the strategy and find alternative means of funding in future.“Saint Emilion has a very rich medieval heritage but that leaves them with a lot to

The intense grief that Kim II-nam has felt every day since his father died 27 years ago led to a startling decision: He dug up the grave, cremated his father’s bones and paid $870 to have the ashes transformed into gem-like beads.Kim is not alone in his desire to keep a loved one close ― even in death. Changes in traditional South Korean beliefs about cherishing ancestors and a huge increase in cremation have led to a handful of niche businesses that cater to those who see honoring an urn filled

Antigua and Barbuda is the seventh-smallest country in the world with a population of 70,000. This country, as its name connotes, is composed of two main islands and located in the middle of the Caribbean. It is a former British colony where a British naval fortress was located in the 1700s (this fortress was featured in the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”).In 2003, this small country waged a David-and-Goliath battle against the United States by bringing a claim against Washington at the WTO di

An exhibition of 40 masterpieces by some of the greatest artists of recent times kicks off on Thursday at Opera Gallery Seoul in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. “The Masters” includes works by Claude Monet, Fernand Leger, Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Auguste Rodin, Georges Braque, Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Yves Klein, Keith Haring and Tom Wasselman. Opera Gallery is a leading gallery chain which first opened in Singapore in 1994. It has 11 branches all over the wo

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ author and Indian diplomat shares thoughts on writing, his country“Slumdog Millionaire,” the 2008 mega-hit adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s debut novel, is the ultimate feel-good movie. The film depicts how an orphan from an Indian slum with a painful past wins a fortune on a TV game show. High-flying Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup, whose 2005 debut novel “Q & A” later became the basis of the multiple Oscar-winning movie, admitted that the story may only be a fantasy. But althoug