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Gold medalists Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar on the podium following the men's high jump competition, at National Stadium in Tokyo in 2021.
OLYMPICS
Apr 26, 2024

Iconic shared Olympic gold moment will not be repeated, Qatari jumper says

In 2021, Barshim embraced his old friend Tamberi at the end of the men's high jump as the judges confirmed the double gold for the Qatari and the Italian.
An image provided by I.J. Glasspool shows a microscopic view of 200-million-year-old charcoal from Greenland. By digging into the geologic record, scientists are learning how wildfires shaped — and were shaped by — climate change long ago.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 14, 2024

From ancient charcoal, hints of wildfires to come

For more than 90% of the Earth's history, the planet’s atmosphere and continents lacked the oxygen and kindling required to sustain a flame.
The Celtics' Jayson Tatum drives the ball against the Cavaliers' Evan Mobley during the third quarter in Game 5 of their playoff series in Boston on Wednesday.
BASKETBALL
May 16, 2024

Celtics finish off Cavs; Mavericks push Thunder to brink

The top-seeded Boston Celtics overpowered the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 to reach their third straight Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with New Caledonia's elected officials and local representatives at French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc's residence in Noumea, New Caledonia on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
May 23, 2024

Macron arrives in riot-hit New Caledonia for high-stakes talks

Local group warns things may take a turn for the worse if the French president does withdraw an electoral bill that protesters fear will dilute Indigenous votes.
Artificial chemical scents that come from things like perfume or fabric softener can cause discomfort or even sickness for some individuals.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 7, 2024

Scents and sensitivity: Understanding ‘smell pollution’ in Japan

In the country's crowded urban areas, it is important to be aware of how your deodorant, perfume or fabric softener can affect others.
Lee Kyoung-hyun, a popular YouTuber shaman, at her shaman parlor in Seoul on May 13
WORLD / Society
Jun 10, 2024

South Korea's young shamans revive ancient tradition with social media

Google Trends shows that searches on YouTube for "shaman" and "fortune-telling" in Korean have nearly doubled over the past five years.
A statue of Santoku Taneda stands at Hofu Station in Hofu, Yamagata Prefecture,  where the Zen monk was born in 1882.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Jun 14, 2024

The joy of Zen — Part 2: Poetry

Ryokan and Santoka lived in different times, connected by a knack for words but polar opposites when it came to the monk's life they both chose.
Ursula von der Leyen is lined up for a second term as European Commission president. Together with the EU’s new leadership, she should preserve her tough stance on China.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2024

New EU leaders must unite on China

As Ursula von der Leyen lines up for a second term as European Commission president, she should continue taking a tough stance on China together with other EU leaders.
An injured man is brought into the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, following the Israeli bombardment of a residential apartment on June 8.
WORLD
Jun 27, 2024

U.S. health workers describe dire conditions at Gaza's hospitals

A lack of supplies meant many had to make agonizing decisions on who would live and who would die.
An image of U.S. President Joe Biden is displayed as his Republican challenger, former U.S. President Donald Trump, holds a campaign event, in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 29, 2024

Fearful and doubting Biden, Democrats face an uncertain path forward

Some began to reconsider their support after his rough debate showing, but there was no agreement on how, or whether, to urge him to step off the ticket.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington in April. Both leaders face an uphill battle to stay at the helm of their respective parties and countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 10, 2024

Japan too is wrestling with a flawed leader

Questions about election prospects plague Biden in the U.S. and Kishida in Japan, with both trying to hang on to their commanding positions despite growing discontent.
Takashi Yuki (left) directs and stars in “Dito” as an aging boxer living in Manila who is reunited with his 17-year-old daughter (Momoko Tanabe, right).
CULTURE / Film
Aug 1, 2024

‘Dito’ aims for authenticity rather than originality

Takashi Yuki’s Philippines-set boxing drama can be corny and it tends to telegraph its punches, but there’s also no denying its charms.
Hakushi Hasegawa places their emotive vocals and dexterous keyboard work at the center of the music on their latest album, “Mahogakko” – reminding listeners that there’s a very human presence at the controls.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 2, 2024

Electronic wiz Hakushi Hasegawa pulls back the curtain

The musician's latest album, “Mahogakko,” strikes a delicate balance between the dazzling and the downright baffling.
Simone Biles reacts after her balance beam routine during the women's all-around final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Aug 2, 2024

Peerless Simone Biles wins second Olympic all-around title

Brazilian Rebeca Andrade earned silver for the second straight Games and defending champion Sunisa Lee of the United States finished with bronze.
Americans Simone Biles (left) and Jordan Chiles (right) bow toward Brazil's Rebeca Andrade after Andrade won gold in the floor exercise event at the Paris Olympics.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Aug 6, 2024

Brazil's Rebeca Andrade gets her moment of glory after long wait

After playing second fiddle to American superstar Simone Biles for the past week, Brazil's Rebeca Andrade finally rose to the top of the podium.
Polina Oba enjoys the food in Fukuoka, but still finds herself traveling to Tokyo often as that’s where most of the decision-makers are based. 
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 12, 2024

Polina Oba: ‘Try quick, fail quick, learn quick and you need to always pivot’

Networking is at the core of Polina Oba's GourmetPro startup. Not only is it great meeting new people but you'll never know where those connections may lead.
Yuzuki Komiya (left) competes in the first national high school sumo tournament for girls in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Saturday.
SUMO
Aug 14, 2024

Women's sumo takes big step forward with first high school championships

Athletes from all over the country took part in the historic meet, with many expressing hope that the tournament would lead to greater exposure for women’s sumo.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is being held in France in a preliminary investigation into alleged offenses including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and promotion of terrorism.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 28, 2024

Durov's Telegram: 'Weapon of war' under increased scrutiny

Both Russia and Ukraine use Telegram, known for its encryption, with Russian troops even relying on the messaging app in the battlefield.
An abandoned house in Urayama, Saitama Prefecture. Buying an <i>akiya</i>, which means empty house in Japanese, can be a rewarding experience that yields a unique space and a livable home, competitively priced. Or it could turn out to be a money pit.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 2, 2024

First lesson of Japan’s akiya gold rush: No such thing as a free house.

Renovations are usually the most expensive part of the journey and the laundry list of what needs to be done is long and tends to get longer after the process starts.
A washed-up boat on the shore of the city of Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Friday
JAPAN / Society
Sep 3, 2024

Typhoon-chaser's firsthand account of his pursuit of Shanshan

James Reynolds, who has built a career of venturing into the eye of nature's most ferocious storms, braved the elements as the cyclone bore down on Japan.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
Sep 10, 2024

U.S. House passes bill to blacklist some China biotech firms

China hawks in the U.S. House passed legislation that would blacklist Chinese biotech companies and their U.S. subsidiaries.
Before Shohei Ohtani created the 50-50 club on Thursday, just two players in MLB history had hit 50 homers and stolen 50 bases in a season, but not in the same one.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 21, 2024

Others who had 50 steals or 50 homers admire Ohtani's feat

Before Shohei Ohtani created the 50-50 club on Thursday, just two players in MLB history had hit 50 homers and stolen 50 bases in a season, but not in the same one.
An aircraft operated by Singapore Airlines takes off at Sydney Airport on Aug. 27. A trial that started last month in Asia makes it a reality to shave precious minutes off hourslong trips, depending upon what route a pilot chooses to take.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 23, 2024

How shortcuts across the skies can make flights greener: Q&A

In a trial of user-preferred routing, several airlines in Asia can take shortcuts on 38 routes to save time and fuel.
A climbing wall at a kindergarten in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture. The sport has been on the rise in Japan, mainly due to the popularity it gained from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and new climbing walls are popping all over the place.
MORE SPORTS / Sport climbing
Sep 24, 2024

People of all ages and sizes scale new heights amid climbing boom in Japan

The sport gained a boost from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and new climbing walls are popping up all over the place.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner ahead of a practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 25, 2024

Red Bull building back from Monza low point, Horner says

While McLaren believes the drivers' championship is on, the mathematical reality is that Norris still has a mountain to climb.
Digital minister Taro Kono, who is contesting the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, shows a board saying "accomplishment of reformation" during a debate in Tokyo on Sept. 14.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 25, 2024

How Taro Kono lost his mojo

Recent polls have shown the digital minister trailing behind his eight other rivals in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential race.
Yonaguni Mayor Kenichi Itokazu speaks to a Ground Self-Defense Force soldier at the town hall on Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost inhabited island in Okinawa Prefecture last  November.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 26, 2024

Deterring Taiwan conflict is top priority for Japan's ‘front-line’ mayor

The mayor believes the U.S. and Japan must do away with "strategic ambiguity" over Taiwan if they intend to keep China in check.
Ayami Sato is one of the best female players in baseball history.
BASEBALL
Oct 3, 2024

Japan great Ayami Sato helps shine light on women's baseball in new documentary

Ayami Sato has helped Japan win six straight Women's Baseball World Cup titles.
A woman struggles as she heads toward a shelter in Lakeland, Florida, on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton approaches the region.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 10, 2024

How climate change is contributing to the intensity of hurricanes

Scientists have linked high ocean temperatures to the rapid intensification of hurricanes.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman celebrates after hitting a grand slam home run in the 10th inning against the New York Yankees during game one of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 26, 2024

Dodgers' deja vu: Freddie Freeman mimics Kirk Gibson's homer heroics in Game 1 win

Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman ended the game in dramatic fashion, smacking a walk-off grand slam.

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