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Tokyo, Japan - On board Japan's "Moon Sniper" spacecraft is a little robot with a big mission: to pop open like a Transformer toy, wiggle across the lunar surface and beam images back to Earth.

The shape-shifting SORA-Q probe -- co-developed by a major toy company -- has been compared to a friendly "Star Wars" droid and a sea turtle because of the way its metal form can navigate the dusty Moonscape.

But the gadget's chance to boldly go depends on the success of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission, with a spacecraft dubbed the "Moon Sniper" by space agency JAXA for its precision landing capabilities.

The lightweight craft is due to begin its descent from lunar orbit at midnight, with touchdown planned around 20 minutes later.

But success, which would make Japan the fifth nation to land on the Moon after the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India, is far from guaranteed.

Slightly bigger than a tennis ball and weighing as much as a large potato -- eight centimetres (three inches) across and 250 grams (half a pound) -- SORA-Q was designed by JAXA with Takara Tomy, the toy company behind the original 1984 Transformers.

Sony Group and Doshisha University in Kyoto also helped develop the device, which has a front camera on an orange panel that emerges when the its metal frame snaps open, and another on its back.

Instead of rolling on wheels, the two halves of the sphere are designed to slot out and move in tandem to propel SORA-Q along the rocky surface, a design that reduces size and weight.

"The form-shifting mechanism and ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight design have been created using the technical know-how of toy development," the probe's website reads.

It can move in two ways, allowing it to drive on inclines: "'Butterfly' driving, where both the left and right wheels move together, and 'crawl' driving, where they move separately," the site explains.

Sora means "universe" in Japanese, while "Q" refers to the words "question" and "quest", its makers say.

If the mission succeeds, the probe's cameras will take valuable images of a crater where parts of the Moon's mantle, usually hidden deep below its crust, are believed to be exposed.

Back on Earth, a toy version of the probe costs 21,190 yen ($140) and can roll around a living room to take pictures of cats and babies, according to its promotional video.

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© Agence France-Presse

Washington, United States- Earth-bound surgeons remotely controlled a small robot aboard the International Space Station over the weekend, conducting the first-ever such surgery in orbit -- albeit on rubber bands.

The experiment, deemed a "huge success" by the participants, represents a new step in the development of space surgery, which could become necessary to treat medical emergencies during multi-year manned voyages, such as to Mars.

The technology could also be used to develop remote-control surgery techniques on Earth, to serve isolated areas.

The robot, developed by Virtual Incision (VIC) and the University of Nebraska, is called spaceMIRA.

It took off for the International Space Station at the end of January, aboard a payload carried by a SpaceX rocket.

Stored inside a compact box the size of a microwave oven, the robot was installed last Thursday by NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, who has been in space since last September.

The experiment, conducted from Virtual Incision's headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska.

It lasted around two hours, with six surgeons taking a go at operating the robot, which is equipped with a camera and two arms.

"The experiment tested standard surgical techniques like grasping, manipulating and cutting tissue. The simulated tissue is made up of rubber bands," Virtual Incision said in a statement.

In a video shared by the company, one arm equipped with pincers can be seen gripping the band and stretching it, while the other arm equipped with scissors makes a cut -- mimicking a dissection.

A key difficulty is the time lag -- about 0.85 seconds -- between the operation center on Earth and the ISS.

For a control experiment, the same process will take place with the same equipment, but on Earth.

"The experiment was deemed a huge success by all surgeons and researchers, and there were little to no hiccups," Virtual Incision said in a statement, claiming it will "change the future of surgery."

NASA, which provided some financial support for the project, said that with longer space missions, "the potential need for emergency care increases, including surgical procedures from simple stitching of lacerations to more complex activities."

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© Agence France-Presse

 


Barcelona, Spain- Tech companies showcased countless connected gadgets at the world's biggest wireless telecom fair, the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Here is a selection of highlights:

 

‘World’s first’ flying car

US firm Alef Aeronautics displayed to the public for the first time the working model of what it says is the world’s first real flying car.

“It drives like a car, looks like a car and has a vertical take-off,” said the company’s president and CEO, Jim Dukhovny.

The electric-powered car has received special airworthiness certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The current prototype can transport two people a distance of up to around 110 miles (170 kilometres) and the company expects to start production of a final version at the end of 2025.

The company has already received nearly 3,000 pre-orders for the car, which sells for $300,000.

 

Robotic dog

Chinese firm Tecno Mobile showed off a robotic dog inspired by the German Shepherd which uses AI and powerful sensors to understand voice commands and perform lifelike actions such as bowing, shaking hands and climbing stairs.

The robot –- dubbed the "Dynamic 1" -- can be controlled by a smartphone apps as well, and it aims to provide the "joy of pet ownership" without the hassles.

 

Transparent laptop

Chinese manufacturer Lenovo presented a prototype of a laptop with a 17.3-inch transparent glass screen which offers "a completely borderless and see-through display experience".

Instead of a traditional keyboard, it has a touch surface where keys can be projected or you can use a special pen to draw on the screen. The company has not announced a release date for the product.

The screen's transparency can be adjusted so that not everyone who passes by can always see what you are doing.

"The transparent display existed only in futuristic movies, maybe in AR glasses. That's only in the past as we can see," said Lenovo executive director Aiguo Zheng.

 

AI-powered companion doll

With its cloth body, floral blouse and brown hair, Hyodol has all the look of a children's doll. But Hyodol -- made by a South Korean company of the same name -- is aimed at seniors.

Packed with sensors and AI-power microprocessors, it can play songs, remind seniors with a voice message to take their medicine and can notify the guardian of its user when no movement is detected for a certain period of time.

Standing 35 centimetres (14 inches) tall, the doll is designed to talk when touched by the user and in accordance with customisable time settings such as meal times.

"We are committed to empowering seniors to live independently while staying connected with their community and loved ones," the company said.

 

Impaired speech voice converter

Dutch startup Whispp demonstrated a calling app which uses AI technology to covert impaired speech due to conditions such as throat cancer, stroke or even stuttering into the user’s natural voice in real time.

Unlike other solutions for people with voice disorders which convert speech to text, the app allows the user to talk to anyone they want on their phone or laptop and maintain a natural conversation flow, while sounding like their own healthy voice.

"We are really helping people who lost their voice get their voice back," said Whispp co-founder and CEO Joris Castermans, adding he hopes the app will one day be on all smartphones "to make this a more inclusive world".

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© Agence France-Presse

 

Austin, United States- At South by Southwest -- the gargantuan Texas festival for cinema, music and tech -- artists this year embraced virtual reality as a way to better connect with humanity, not escape it.

VR and augmented reality are often associated with video gaming, or the groundbreaking hardware races underway between tech titans like Apple and Meta -- though with little in the way of mass adaptation.

But for inventor Niki Smit, VR is an avenue for humans to express their emotions and explore their mental health, including through the normally explicitly tactile experience of art therapy.

After donning the usual headgear, the user of Smit's "Soul Paint" program is invited to "paint" their virtual body, using colors and lines to explore and express their inner reality.

"When I'm stressed, I clench my teeth -- so I draw this pulsating red thing near my jaws," Smit said, demonstrating the software.

"What we've been making here is an invitation to dive into yourself, to explore yourself," he said.

In a massive hall dedicated to VR, demonstrations invited conferencegoers to watch films and test video games, faces pressed against the VR headset.

But at Smit's stand, users emerged looking visibly moved, having smeared their virtual stomachs in sickly green or their heads in gray, and dancing to free themselves from downbeat emotions.

"VR is not an extension of film. VR is not an extension of video games. We're starting to find out it is a medium about your own human body," he said.

Victor Agulhon makes VR documentaries on topics ranging from top chefs to the Kennedy assassination.

"I can't see myself working in any other medium," he said.

"For me it's really this technology, specifically, that enables unprecedented things in terms of understanding and empathy."

 

- Immersive, interactive -

 

"There's an insatiable desire by humans to use storytelling as a way to understand our experience in this world... and you want it to be more immersive with higher interactivity," said Vince Kadlubek, during a panel on the future of entertainment.

Kadlubek is one of the founders of Meow Wolf, an artist collective that now specializes in giant art installations.

From video games to immersive art, a key way to win over audiences is through giving them more interaction and control, he said.

"I don't want to just go into somebody else's world and not have the ability to build something in it, that's so confined," he said, mentioning TikTok and Minecraft as examples of platforms making strides in that area.

For Voyelle Acker, too, immersion is key.

Her studio, Small Creative, develops virtual reality experiences for small groups, in particular to "bring culture to audiences who are sometimes far removed in terms of education or geography."

"Today, we can program anything we want," she said, but "it takes human intelligence to be artistic, to find the right connections."

Creators are in high demand. French automotive giant Valeo came to the conference, known as SXSW, to encourage them to invent the future of in-car entertainment.

Executives introduced a video game for passengers, which uses sensors, cameras and radar to recreate the vehicle's environment in real time -- but for play.

"We can imagine interacting with passengers in other cars, involving them in an experience, like sharing music," said Geoffrey Bouquot, Valeo's Chief Technology Officer.

 

- 'Cosmic turtle' -

 

"What can the magical feather dress do?" asked a computer in a mini-cinema showing an endless movie called "The Golden Key."

In this work, generative artificial intelligence continuously produces images, narration and voice, but viewers influence the result by answering questions.

"The magical feather dress transcends time and space -- woven from loose plastic floating in the ocean, the cosmic turtle repurposed this for good in the world," wrote an audience member.

The innovations on display in Austin, Texas, come as the rise of content-generating AI worries many artists, who fear being replaced by machines.

But Melissa Joyner, director of "Reimagined Volume III: Young Thang," doesn't think AI would have been able to produce her VR-bound animated film, inspired by a Nigerian tale.

Generative AI can be part of the process, but it "is not going to tell you I disagree, it's not another person you respect," she said.

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© Agence France-Presse

San Francisco, United States - California, home to Silicon Valley, is eager to rein in the deployment of artificial intelligence and is looking to Europe's tough-on-big-tech approach for inspiration.

The richest state in the United States by GDP, California is a hotbed of no-holds-barred tech innovation, but lawmakers in state capital Sacramento want to give the industry laws and guardrails it has largely been spared in the internet age.

Brussels has enacted a barrage of laws on US-dominated tech and sprinted to pass the AI Act after OpenAI's Microsoft-backed ChatGPT arrived on the scene in late 2022, unleashing a global AI race.

"What we're trying to do is actually learn from the Europeans, but also work with the Europeans, and figure out how to put regulations in place on AI," said David Harris, senior policy advisor at the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy.

As they have in the past with EU laws on private data, lawmakers in California are looking to recent European legislation on AI, especially given the little hope of equivalent national legislation out of Washington.

There are at least 30 different bills proposed by California state legislators that relate to various aspects of AI, according to Harris, who said he has advised officials here and in Europe on such laws.

Proposed laws in California range from requiring AI makers to reveal what was used to train models to banning election ads containing any computer generated features.

"One of the aspects I think is really important is the question of how we deal with deepfakes or fake text created to look like a human being is sending you messages," Harris told AFP.

State assembly member Gail Pellerin is backing a bill she says would essentially ban the spreading of deceptive digital content created with generative AI in the months leading up to and the weeks following an election.

"Bad actors who are utilizing this are really hoping to create chaos in an election," Pellerin said.

 

- Law-breaking 'bad guys' -

 

Industry association NetChoice is dead set against importing aspects of European legislation on AI, or any other EU tech regulation.

"They are taking, essentially, a European approach on artificial intelligence - which is that we must ban the technology," said Carl Szabo, the general counsel of the association, which advocates for light touch regulation of tech.

"Outlawing AI won't stop (anything). It's bad because bad guys don't follow the law," Szabo argued.

"That's what makes them bad guys."

US computer software giant Adobe, like most tech giants, worked with Europe on the AI Act, according to Adobe General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer Dana Rao.

At the heart of the EU AI Act is a risk-based approach, with AI practices deemed more risky getting more scrutiny.

"We feel good about where the AI Act ended up" with its high-risk, low-risk approach, said Rao.

Already, Adobe engineers carry out "impact assessments" to rate risk before making AI products available, according to Rao.

"You want to think about nuclear safety, about cybersecurity, about when AI is making substantial decisions over human rights," Rao said.

 

- 'Watching California' -

 

In California, Rao said he expected the problem of deepfakes to be the first to fall under the authority of a new law.

Assembly Bill 602 would criminalize non-consensual deepfake pornography while Assembly Bill 730 bans the use of AI deepfakes during election campaign season.

To fight this, Adobe joined other companies to create "content credentials" that Rao equated to a "nutrition label" for digital content.

Assemblywoman Pellerin expects AI laws adopted in California to be replicated in other states.

"People are watching California," Pellerin said, with a slew of US states also working on their own AI deepfake bills.

"We're all in this together; we have to stay ahead of the folks that are trying to wreak havoc in an election," she said.

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© Agence France-Presse

Ranchi, India- India beat England by five wickets in the fourth Test  to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

The series has featured a number of debuts on both sides with new talent shining in the absence of seasoned campaigners such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Jack Leach.

AFP Sport highlights five emerging stars who look to have a bright future in Tests:

 

- Dhruv Jurel -

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jurel marked his debut in Rajkot's third Test with a first-innings 46 to give a glimpse of his promise.

Jurel then displayed nerves of steel to rescue India from trouble twice in the fourth Test in Ranchi with 90 in the first innings to guide his side from 177-7 to 307 and then a match-winning 39 not out.

The 23-year-old faced a hat-trick ball when he joined Shubman Gill at 120-5 chasing 192 but calmly blunted England's spinners to guide his side to a five-wicket triumph that showed "composure and maturity", said captain Rohit Sharma.

 

- Sarfaraz Khan -

Middle-order batsman Sarfaraz also made his debut in Rajkot and was emotional as he received his Test cap with his teary-eyed father and wife watching.

The 26-year-old immediately repaid the selectors by cracking 62 off 66 balls in the first innings before being run out.

Sarfaraz remained unbeaten on 68 off 72 balls in the second to help set up India's declaration as they won by a massive 434 runs.

 

- Akash Deep -

Fast bowler Deep made an instant impact with the new ball on debut in the fourth Test, despite shouldering the burden of replacing world number one Jasprit Bumrah who was rested.

In his second over, Deep splattered Zak Crawley's stumps with a darting in-swinger, only for it to be called a no ball as he had overstepped.

Undaunted, the 27-year-old went on to rip through the England top order with Ben Duckett caught behind and Ollie Pope trapped lbw second ball.

The sweetest moment came when he smashed Crawley's stumps for a second time, but this time the delivery was legal and he dedicated his maiden wickets to his father who died in 2015.

 

- Tom Hartley -

Doubts surrounded England's inexperienced spin attack as the series began but left-armer Hartley marked his debut in Hyderabad with nine wickets in a match-winning display.

The 24-year-old took the key wickets of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul in India's first innings.

He then spun his team to victory with figures of 7-62, including four of the top five in India's batting order, as they folded for 202 in their second innings, chasing 231 to win.

Hartley's 20 wickets in four matches are more than any other bowler -- Bumrah has 17 -- and he has also contributed 159 useful runs down the order with a best of 36.

 

- Shoaib Bashir -

Bashir, who has Pakistani heritage, missed the first Test due to a visa delay but was then thrown straight in for his debut in the second despite having played only six first class matches.

The 20-year-old justified his selection in his fourth over when he induced India captain Rohit Sharma to flick to Pope at short leg for his maiden Test victim and went on to take four wickets in the match.

The 1.93 metre (6ft 4in) tall off-spinner sat out the next but used his height to exploit the variable bounce in Ranchi for his first five-wicket haul on his way to eight in the match.

"They'll be able to leave at the end of this tour with their heads held very high," said Stokes of Hartley and Bashir.

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© Agence France-Presse

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF)  announced a "multi-year strategic partnership" with the ATP, the governing body of men's tennis, extending the kingdom's influence on international sport.

In a joint statement, the two bodies said that the partnership marked "a significant shared commitment to enhancing global tennis".

Since 2021, PIF has invested heavily in a number of major sports industries including setting up the LIV golf tour, a rival to the PGA, and purchasing English Premier League club Newcastle United.

The statement did not give details of the amount of the investment which will see PIF become the official naming partner of the ATP rankings.

PIF will also partner with ATP Tour events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing and the ATP Finals, in addition to the Next Gen ATP Finals, hosted in Jeddah until 2027.

"Our strategic partnership with PIF marks a major moment for tennis," said ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli in the joint statement.

"It's a shared commitment to propel the future of the sport. With PIF’s dedication to the next generation – fostering innovation and creating opportunities for all – the stage is set for a transformative new period of progress.”

Last year, the kingdom hosted its first ATP Tour event -- the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah -- along with exhibition matches pitting Novak Djokovic against Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka against Ons Jabeur.

 

- Anger at WTA bid -

 

In January Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 singles Grand Slams on the men's side, was named ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.

The latest investment with the ATP follows a Saudi bid to secure the WTA Finals in Riyadh, a move that drew criticism from former women's champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova while winning the support of current world No.6 Jabeur.

PIF has reshaped the world of golf by setting up the LIV golf tour as a rival to the PGA.

The first event took place in June 2022, causing a split within the sport that caused LIV-affiliated players to be excluded from the Ryder Cup, PGA tour events and consequently the world rankings.

Reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm joined the LIV tour in December in a deal reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, a framework deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF is now under discussion with a view to ending the stand-off.

It also owns four football clubs in the Saudi Pro League and has spent over $885 million (820 million euros) on some of the biggest names in football to play for its teams.

The kingdom is also set to host the 2034 football World Cup.

But Saudi Arabia has been accused by its critics of "sportswashing" by using sport to improve its international reputation after widespread criticism of its human rights and environmental record.

"Through our collaboration with ATP, PIF will be a catalyst for growth of the global tennis landscape, developing talent, fostering inclusivity and driving sustainable innovation," said PIF's Mohamed AlSayyad.

 

- Murray 'concerns' -

Former world number one Andy Murray highlighted the commitment from the new partners to "collaborate to elevate the long-term future of tennis".

After he was knocked out of the ATP Dubai tournament on Wednesday, he said: "I don't know exactly what it means by sponsoring the events. I don't know what that will look like.

"One of my concerns is obviously actually more about the investment in lower levels of the game and the grassroots of the sport. I think that's extremely important."

World number four Daniil Medvedev said investment can only be a boost for the sport.

"I think if we can make tennis bigger as a sport, more interesting for people, have more coverage, just in general more people will know tennis, who tennis players are," said the former US Open champion.

"I think it's going to be good."

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© Agence France-Presse


Milan, Italy - Ferrari unveiled their new SF-24 car  ready for the upcoming Formula One season which will be the last before Lewis Hamilton joins the Italian team from rivals Mercedes.

The team head into their 2024 campaign, which has been overshadowed by seven-time F1 champion Hamilton agreeing to join next year, trying to recover ground on all-conquering Red Bull.

And Ferrari unveiled the SF-24 to their legion of fans with a short and low-key video, adding in a statement that "a small audience of guests" were given a live viewing of the new car.

Among those present were Ferrari's Team Principal Frederic Vasseur and drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who will race together for the last time this season.

Ferrari said that "the positive feeling the drivers had in the cockpit over the final few races of last season" was the starting point for the new car, with the aim being "a car that is easy to drive and that reacts predictably".

"This year, we must start off where we left off at the end of last season, when we were consistent front runners," said Vasseur.

"The longest ever F1 season awaits us and Charles, Carlos and I all agree, we must be more clinical and effective in how we manage the races."

The new 24-race campaign kicks off in Bahrain on March 2 with Ferrari not having won a drivers championship since 2007 and a constructors since 2008.

Ferrari finished miles behind Red Bull in both the championships in 2023, with Leclerc closing the season 369 points behind champion Max Verstappen in fifth and Sainz seventh.

"I like the look of the car a lot... But of course, what really interests me is how it will perform on track, as that's all that matters," said Leclerc.

"This season the aim is to be front runners all the time and I want to give our fans plenty to cheer about."

Briton Hamilton will partner Leclerc when he joins Ferrari -- replacing Sainz whose contract is up come the end of the season -- hoping to finally claim a record-breaking eighth F1 title.

The 39-year-old won the last of his world crowns in 2020 but lost the 2021 championship in controversial fashion to Verstappen when the race director ignored the safety car rules in Abu Dhabi, effectively blocking the Briton's route to victory in both that Grand Prix and the championship.

Dutchman Verstappen has dominated F1 since, romping to the last two championships in a powerful combination of great car and driver.

Hamilton finished third last season but he didn't win a single Grand Prix for the second year in a row and ended up 341 points behind Verstappen who won 19 of 22 races.

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© Agence France-Presse

London, United Kingdom -From tweed to the iconic low-rise jeans of the early 2000s, London Fashion Week unveiled a spectrum of styles , kicking off its 40th season which has been dimmed by the UK's gloomy economy.

Some 60 designers, ranging from rising talents to renowned brands like Burberry, will show their new designs over five days, hoping to draw the interest of buyers and fashion influencers.

Irish-American designer Paul Costelloe's show, titled "Once upon a Time" -- a reference to the iconic 1984 film "Once Upon a Time in America" -- showcased wide-belted coats in ecru, anthracite and checkered tweed.

Costelloe, 78, who is bedridden with a virus, was absent from the event.

 

- Gen Z favourite -

 

In another early show, Ukrainian Masha Popova, a "Gen Z" favourite, presented a collection inspired by early 2000s so-called Y2K era.

Performed against a backdrop of techno music and in front of a crowd of influencers, it featured models in low-waisted pants, washed out denim -- and heels topped with long gaiters.

Elsewhere, Turkish designer Bora Aksu delivered a gloomier mood, aimed at finding and celebrating "the purest beauty amidst the most vivid of horrors".

Slender models wearing bodices paired with wide sleeves, lace gowns, flowing skirts, blouses and masculine jackets paraded to slow-beating music, with cream, grey, black and dark blue the predominant colours.

The designer, who was inspired by the work of sculptor Eva Hesse who fled Nazi-Germany as a child in 1938, used tones of pink and blush to retain a light, feminine energy, while making use of old stock and rejected rolls for his garments.

On Friday night, British-Nigerian Tolu Coker was given rapturous applause after her show, which featured a runway made to resemble a traditionally African street, with yellow, blue and green umbrellas, stacks of tyres and a "Give Way" street sign.

Beige, brown and black and white were the prominent colours, with the models wearing coats, heels, boots and skirts.

The packed audience snapped photographs on their cellphones when one model walked the runway wearing a multi-coloured calabash head decoration.

Another model drew applause as she paraded wearing a green jacket and beige skirt.

At the end of the show the stern-faced models huddled on the catwalk before breaking into smiles and waving their hands, drawing cheers from the audience.

Coker waved and smiled as she followed the models down the runway.

 

- Tumultuous time -

 

Despite the audience's excitement, the showcase comes at a tumultuous time for Britain's fashion industry, amid post-Brexit trade barriers and the country's inflation-fuelled cost-of-living crisis.

The situation has prompted some nascent designers to question the viability of investing in British fashion events.

Rising star Dilara Findikoglu made headlines last September after she cancelled her show days before the event for financial reasons.

The industry, which employs close to 900,000 people in the UK and contributes £21 billion ($26 billion) to the British economy, is facing "incredibly challenging times," LFW's director Caroline Rush told AFP.

But what can be garnered from 40 years, she said, "is that in the most economically challenging times, you see the most incredible creativity".

"There's almost this visceral reaction to what's happening at home," Rush added.

"I'm hoping that the creativity that we see over the next few days will be incredibly uplifting, that it will talk about the role of culture and creativity in society."

The first edition of British Fashion Week was held in 1984 in a tent set up in the parking lot of the former Commonwealth Institute in West London.

Initially overlooked, the British capital earned its rebellious reputation thanks to legends like Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano, who put the city on the fashion map. Then there was the "Cool Britannia" era in the 1990s, a cultural euphoria period when Stella McCartney or Matthew Williamson dressed supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.

Since then, London has lost some of its allure, with the departure of star designers and houses preferring Paris, such as Alexander McQueen or Victoria Beckham.

However, the BFC's NEWGEN sponsorship program, which supports young designers, has affirmed London's position as a talent incubator.

And while it remains less prestigious than Paris or Milan, London Fashion Week is celebrated for being freer, more radical, and less formulaic.

This anniversary edition also aims to highlight greater diversity and inclusivity, in terms of body shapes, ages, or skin colours of the models, as well as in the designers' collections, with identities or inspirations from the Caribbean, Iran, India, or Ethiopia.

The weekend will feature more familiar names like JW Anderson, Richard Quinn, Ahluwalia, and Simone Rocha, before Burberry's show scheduled for Monday evening.

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© Agence France-Presse

Paris, France- Ben Mendelsohn, the award-winning Australian actor, told AFP that he fell in love with Christian Dior while playing him in Apple TV's "The New Look".

Mendelsohn, 54, has become one of Hollywood's favourite character actors since his Emmy-winning turn in Netflix drama "Bloodline" and appearances in blockbusters like "Rogue One" and "Ready Player One".

But it is his starring role as France's best-known designer in "The New Look", currently playing on Apple TV, that has been closest to his heart.

"The longer I was in those shoes, the more I loved him," said Mendelsohn.

He met AFP Tuesday at the Gallerie Dior in Paris, just after putting in an appearance at the label's latest fashion week show.

"The New Look" delves into Christian Dior's traumatic origins in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War II, as well as the story Gabriele "Coco" Chanel, played by Juliette Binoche.

"I do love him more than anyone I've ever played. In terms of a hero, he's sensitive, he's anxious, so full of doubt, full of self-loathing... but he still did so many impactful things."

Mendelsohn said he was attracted to the character's complex inner demons.

"He loathed himself because his public self was not close to his private self, and he couldn't reconcile the two," he said.

Mendelsohn sat with the show's costume designers for hours to immerse himself in their work.

"We shot it all here in Paris which was such a gift," he said. "There's something about this city and this culture."

The show is all in English, and Mendelsohn took on a French accent for the role: "An Australian accent for Christian Dior is not really gonna work!"

For all his immersion, he admitted he has "only scratched the surface" of what the industry is about.

"I come from a fairly typical Australian surburban male background, not exactly understanding a lot about fashion and how it interacts with the zeitgeist," he said.

"I wouldn't say I've become a fashionista since doing this show, but I'm certainly more appreciative of the role that fashion plays."

Looking dapper in a grey Dior suit, he added: "I've got to an age where I think I'm better off wearing suits rather than just jeans and a T-shirt!"

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© Agence France-Presse

The Foreign Post is the newspaper of the International Community in the Philippines, published for foreign residents, Internationally-oriented Filipinos, and visitors to the country. It is written and edited to inform, to entertain, occasionally to educate, to provide a forum for international thinkers.

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