A wander through Rabat's avenues and alleyways reveals an array of freshly painted works, in which larger-than-life fantasy creatures co-inhabit with realistic portraits and scenes of daily life. Their creators flocked from across the North African kingdom and beyond to Rabat for Jidar -- Arabic for "wall" -- a festival dedicated to street art.

Taro Kono may be the favorite with members of the Liberal Democratic Party, but factional politics mean that Fumio Kishida is likely to emerge as Japan's new prime minister, say experts.

Fumio Kishida belongs to the ruling party's establishment but is a stronger advocate for change than his predecessor Yoshihide Suga, Martin Fritz reports from Tokyo.

New Prime Minister Fumio Kishida faces many economic challenges, not least the impact of the pandemic. However, major policy changes are not expected, at least in the short term.

From an image of Hulk who suddenly leaps over your head to a painting that changes its colours, one Berlin street art exhibition offers visitors a chance to experience paintings in 3D. Called "Game Over", the exhibition inspired by video games is housed in a former casino stretching over 2,000 square metres (21,500 square feet) which is due to be torn down.

As climate change contributes to more powerful Pacific storms, a new research center wants to better understand the threats they pose and utilize the energy they generate to help Japan reach zero carbon emissions.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is seeking a mandate for his policies in the October 31 parliamentary election. Meanwhile, the opposition has vowed to close Japan's income gap.

Mount Aso volcano spews a giant column of ash thousands of metres into the sky, after the late-morning eruption in southwest Japan. The active volcano ejected hot gas and ash as high as 3,500 metres (11,500 feet), and sent stones tumbling down its grassy slopes.

A Netflix-funded anime academy in Tokyo trains the next generation of cartoon artists as global demand for the genre soars. Japan is facing a shortage of skilled animators, in part because most face years toiling in low-paying jobs to learn the ropes, meaning much of the painstaking frame-by-frame drawing work is outsourced overseas.

Waning demand and the impacts of the COVID pandemic have pushed Kashmir pottery to the brink of extinction. But some artisan families are continuing the craft in exchange for rice just to survive.

Japan is holding a parliamentary election, which is the first big test for the new prime minister. A poor showing for the ruling party could threaten a return to the country's history of revolving-door premiership.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Demorats are expected to retain enough seats to keep power, but the new administration will need to get the economy back on track while navigating regional security challenges.