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Portu celebrates scoring Girona's second goal during the team's win over Barcelona on Saturday.
SOCCER
May 5, 2024

Real Madrid secures La Liga title after Girona thrashes Barcelona

A brace from substitute Portu helped surprise package Girona humble its Catalan rivals for the second time this season.
Ibuki Matsumoto competes at an event in Osaka on April 21.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
May 6, 2024

Japan’s tween skateboarders get head start on preparations for 2028 Olympics

Hikari Satake, 11, and Ibuki Matsumoto, 12, may not be household names just yet, but they are laying the groundwork for their Olympic ambitions.
Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer (left), defender Ian Maatsen (center) and forward Donyell Malen celebrate their team's victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Paris on Tuesday.
SOCCER
May 8, 2024

Borussia Dortmund overcome the odds to return to Wembley

In the June 1 Champions League final, Dortmund will face either Bayern Munich or 14-time champions Real Madrid.
Former Manchester United star David Beckham arrives at the world premier of a documentary about the team in Manchester, England, on Thursday.
SOCCER
May 10, 2024

David Beckham urges Manchester United players to show more spirit

David Beckham has urged Manchester United's players to prove they are motivated to play for the troubled club.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson (left) argues with the club's manager Pep Guardiola following a decision to substitute him during a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur in London on Tuesday.
SOCCER
May 15, 2024

Job not done, warns Guardiola, as City edge toward title

Manchester City are two points ahead of Arsenal heading to the finale of a neck-and-neck race.
United manager Erik ten Hag speaks to the fans after the team's final home game at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
May 16, 2024

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag finds silver lining amid dismal season

Erik ten Hag said he has maintained a positive outlook because he sees the potential of his players and understands the reasons behind their struggles.
Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury during their fight in Riyadh on Saturday. Usyk won to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 19, 2024

Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to become undisputed heavyweight champion

Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola poses with the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday.
SOCCER
May 21, 2024

Guardiola casts doubt over long-term Man City future

The manager has seen the team secure six top-flight titles in seven seasons.
Kim Do-hoon is set to lead South Korea in World Cup qualifiers against Singapore and China in June.
SOCCER
May 21, 2024

South Korea appoints another interim coach for World Cup qualifiers

Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked in February after his team crashed out in the semifinals of the Asian Cup.
Andre Hayato Saito’s latest short, “Amarela,” centers on a 14-year-old Japanese Brazilian girl (Melissa Uehara).
CULTURE / Film
May 21, 2024

Cannes nominee on being 'too Brazilian to be Japanese, too Japanese to be Brazilian’

Andre Hayato Saito's Palme d’Or-nominated short film, “Amarela,” is rooted in the director's own experiences with searching for a sense of belonging.
Flag-bearers Tahani Alqahtani and Husein Alireza of Saudi Arabia lead their contingent during the athletes parade at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.
OLYMPICS
May 21, 2024

Ambitious Saudis look to homegrown talent for future Olympic success

Saudi Arabia will need more than the 33 athletes it sent to the Tokyo Olympics if it wants to host the Summer Games.
Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo after a Saudi Pro League match against Al-Hilal in Riyadh on Friday
SOCCER
May 22, 2024

Ronaldo to play in sixth European Championship

Ronaldo, who has scored in every Euros since his first appearance in 2004, has netted 14 goals in the finals.
Yokohama's forward Ryo Miyaichi (front) jumps for a header with Ain's Guinean midfielder Abdoul Karim Traore (behind) during the AFC Champions League final first-leg football match at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on May 11.
SOCCER / J. League
May 24, 2024

Ryo Miyaichi focused as Marinos set sights on Asian Champions League crown

Marinos are seeking to become the fourth Japanese winner in the last seven seasons of the championship.
Al Ain celebrates after defeating Marinos in the Asian Champions League final in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday.
SOCCER
May 26, 2024

Al Ain routs Marinos to capture Asian Champions League crown

Al Ain won the Asian Champions League for the second time.
Marinos coach Harry Kewell directs his players during the second leg of the Asian Champions League final against Al Ain in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
SOCCER
May 26, 2024

Marinos coach Harry Kewell says club will use ACL final loss as motivation

"We as a club, we will lick our wounds," Kewell said. "We'll come back stronger. Especially the next time around."
Real Madrid players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday in London.
SOCCER
Jun 2, 2024

Real Madrid defies Dortmund to win 15th Champions League

Real Madrid has now won its last nine European Cup finals and has won the competition six times in the last 11 seasons.
Real Madrid fans crowd Cibeles square in Madrid on Sunday to celebrate their team's 15th Champions League trophy, a day after the side beat Borussia Dortmund in London.
SOCCER
Jun 3, 2024

Tens of thousands paint Madrid white after Real's Champions League win

Since Saturday afternoon, white jerseys could be spotted in almost every corner of the city.
New coach of Turkish club Fenerbahce Jose Mourinho (center) waves to supporters at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on Sunday.
SOCCER
Jun 3, 2024

Mourinho unveiled as new Fenerbahce manager

Mourinho, 61, has been out of a job since he was sacked by Serie A side AS Roma in January.
Kazuto Takesako will open his Prizefighter campaign against British boxer Mark Dickinson in Osaka on July 15.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Jun 3, 2024

$1 million purse on offer at revived Prizefighter event in Osaka

Eight fighters will get their first chance to punch their way to a big payday in Osaka on July 15.
Fans cheer after Japan's men's volleyball team qualified for the Paris Olympics on Oct. 7 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Volleyball
Jun 4, 2024

Japanese volleyball’s fastest growing fan base — female superfans

More than 80% of the fans at men’s domestic competitions are said to be women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
France star Kylian Mbappe during a news conference in Longeville-les-Metz on Tuesday ahead of the national team's friendly against Luxembourg.
SOCCER
Jun 5, 2024

Mbappe arrival ignites Madrid fans and press

The official announcement of the 15-time Champions League winners' latest star signing on Monday was a seismic event in Madrid.
Simone Biles, seen after winning the U.S. championship on Sunday, brought greater awareness to the subject of mental health during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
OLYMPICS
Jun 6, 2024

Olympic organizers committed to protecting athletes' mental health in Paris

Research suggests that elite athletes suffer from mental health disorders in around the same proportions as the general population, experts say.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be appearing in his 11th major tournament at Euro 2024.
SOCCER
Jun 7, 2024

Portugal putting faith in Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024

Roberto Martinez has given Cristiano Ronaldo his full backing since taking over as Portugal coach.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, attend a British-organized ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday in Ver-sur-Mer, France.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 7, 2024

U.K.'s Sunak apologizes for skipping main D-Day event

Political opponents accused Sunak of "a total dereliction of duty" by skipping a major international ceremony.
Indonesian gymnast Rifda Irfanaluthfi practices at the gymnastics training center in Jakarta on May 16.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jun 8, 2024

Indonesia's first Olympic gymnast encourages others to 'dream higher'

Rifda Irfanaluthfi's feat is even more impressive considering Indonesia does not yet have a national training center for gymnastics
People wait for the start of the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival in Tokyo last year, marking the return of the event after pandemic-era cancellations.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 9, 2024

Start circling the dates for fireworks season now

When you think of a Japanese summer, inevitably you'll think of fireworks. The displays have been a part of the culture for centuries.
South Korea's Son Heung-min (right) fights for the ball with China's Yang Zexiang during a World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday in Seoul.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 12, 2024

China keeps World Cup qualifying hopes alive despite South Korea defeat

Japan, meanwhile, cruised past Syria as it completed its dominance of Group B.
Dads in Japan tend to fall in one of two categories: "amatō," a person fond of sweets, or "karatō," a person fond of alcohol.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 14, 2024

Dads like sweets, but some like sweet words even more

Looking for a gift for Father's Day? It's said that Japanese dads fall into one of two categories: They like sweets or they like sake.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with the trophy after his club won the FA Cup over Manchester City on May 25.
SOCCER
Jun 12, 2024

Manchester United manager Ten Hag to stay at Old Trafford

The decision comes after an end-of-season review by the club's board for the 2023-24 campaign, which finished on a high with a shock FA Cup final win.
Police officers patrol on the Trocadero square in front of the Olympic rings displayed on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic games in Paris on June 7.
WORLD
Jun 13, 2024

Paris Olympics crowd scans fuel AI surveillance fears

Campaigners worry AI surveillance could become the new normal.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight