K-pop’s BTS comeback tour rallies South Korea’s global ‘soft power’ drive
K-pop sensations BTS ignited a wave of interest in South Korean culture that now extends from food to cosmetics.
![Librarian el-Habot, one of the last few in Chinguetti [Shola Lawal/Al Jazeera]](https://aljazeeranews.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DohaP1040442-1776727773-2-1777302627.jpeg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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Could the US oil blockade snuff out the Cuban cigar?
Since January, the Trump administration has blocked foreign oil to Cuba. Will the island’s cigars survive the crisis?
![A Havana local smokes a cigar on the Malecón - the city’s waterfront area. Both domestically and abroad, Cuban cigars are becoming an increasingly rare luxury. [Euan Wallace/ Al Jazeera]](https://aljazeeranews.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/DSC02741-1775944580.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Kafat Abdulhakem loops a bundle of thread used in making aso-oke, a handwoven fabric indigenous to the Yoruba ethnic group, in her home workshop in Iseyin, Nigeria. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Waliu Fransisco separates tangled thread used for aso-oke, a handwoven fabric indigenous to the Yoruba ethnic group. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
While many weavers in Iseyin are middle-aged men, younger artisans like Fransisco are joining the trade, introducing fresh ideas and skills. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Some collaborate with graphic artists to develop innovative designs. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
A man dips thread into a starch gel to bind and strengthen fabric while making aso-oke. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Despite increasing demand, the craft remains rooted in traditional methods. Attempts to mechanise production have been limited or unsuccessful. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
"If you use a machine to weave aso-oke, it won't come out as nice as if it was handwoven," explains Kareem Adeola while working on a yellow-and-olive piece. "People have tried it before, and it did not work. It is meant by God to be handwoven." [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Adhering to traditional weaving techniques causes physical strain and health risks from prolonged sitting, but weavers insist this painstaking process defines the fabric's authenticity. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Once worn exclusively by Nigeria's wealthy and ruling class for special occasions, aso-oke now appears in designer studios across major cities, on London and Paris runways, and transformed into shoes, bags, and purses. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
"It is no longer reserved for special occasions," notes Isiaq Yahaya, a 45-year-old mathematician. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Kareem Adeola creates aso-oke at a weaving workshop in Iseyin. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
"There is nothing wrong with your culture being worn by other people," says Ayomitide Okungbaye, the 31-year-old creative director of Lagos-based Tide Chen, who has exhibited aso-oke designs in London. "Where we start to have a problem is when there's misappropriation or people start to claim ownership." [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Designers acknowledge that aso-oke's growing international exposure has elevated it to global status but also raised concerns about cultural ownership. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
Meanwhile, adire, another Yoruba fabric produced using tie-dye techniques, already faces challenges from Chinese counterfeiting. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
People arrange finished aso-oke in a store in Iseyin. [Toyin Adedokun/AFP]
+11
US appeals court extends deadline to halt White House ballroom construction
Judges, however, raise questions about Trump arguments that completing the ballroom is necessary for national security.
EXPLAINER
How US, Israel are waging a war on Iranian culture, education
Iranian officials have told Al Jazeera the US and Israel’s attacks seek to wipe out Iranian identity.
Trump files emergency motion to continue building White House ballroom
The motion argues that a ruling suspending the construction was ‘improper’ and left national security weaknesses.
‘Permanent scar’: Iran minister on US-Israeli attacks on monuments
Iran’s cultural heritage minister tells Al Jazeera damage to 56 sites is a ‘deliberate war’ on the country’s identity.
From: NewsFeed
Al Jazeera visits Iran’s UNESCO-listed palace damaged by war
Al Jazeera visited Tehran’s UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace, which Iran says was damaged by US-Israeli strikes.
Published On 26 Mar 2026
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Israeli strike lands near Roman ruins in Lebanon
Smoke was seen rising close to Roman ruins in the Lebanese city of Tyre after an Israeli strike hit a building nearby.
Published On 24 Mar 2026
Polish court clears extradition of Russian archaeologist to Ukraine
Alexander Butyagin, an academic with Russia’s Hermitage Museum, is accused of illegal excavations in occupied Crimea.
From: NewsFeed
‘Stop all these wars now’ says Oscar winner
Oscar winner Pavel Talankin called for ‘an end to all wars’ as he received the best documentary award.
Published On 16 Mar 2026
