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Han Duck-soo, South Korea's prime minister (center), arrives at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 14, 2024

Who is Han Duck-soo, South Korea's acting president after Yoon impeachment?

In a country sharply divided by partisan rhetoric, Han has been a rare official whose varied career transcended party lines.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks with students from Okayama University about the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens decades ago, in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 14, 2024

Japan ready to team up with Trump over North Korea abduction issue

In a symposium on the issue held by the Japanese government in Tokyo, Hayashi condemned North Korea, saying, "In essence, it is an infringement of national sovereignty."
A damaged poster of Syria's ousted leader, Bashar Assad, in Aleppo on Nov. 30
WORLD / FOCUS
Dec 15, 2024

Assad's final hours in Syria: Deception, despair and flight

Hours before he fled to Moscow, Assad assured army and security chiefs that Russian support was on its way and urged ground forces to hold out.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, speaks during a rally in Seoul on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 15, 2024

South Korean opposition urges swift removal of impeached President Yoon

Yoon Suk Yeol has been suspended while South Korea's Constitutional Court deliberates, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo serving as interim leader.
Then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in August 2021. From Syria to Ukraine, Merkel and former U.S. President Barack Obama’s missteps still haunt the West.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2024

Putin’s loss in Syria exposes Western failures

The West's indecision and failed liberal internationalist policies allowed Putin to bolster Assad’s regime and secure strategic advantages in Syria.
A Hight Logistics electric BYD truck is loaded with a container at a seaport in Long Beach, California, in April 2023.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2024

Chinese firms take on EV truck challenges

Fleets of electric heavy goods vehicles from China have been growing internationally, even as Western countries target the country's EV cars with heavy sanctions.
Daizen Maeda (third from right) celebrates with his teammates during the shootout against Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday.
SOCCER
Dec 16, 2024

Daizen Maeda strikes decisive blow as Celtic wins Scottish League Cup

The start of the match was briefly delayed due to flares in the stadium, and there were reports of clashes between fans in central Glasgow earlier on Sunday.
Workers stage a warning strike at the Volkswagen factory in Zwickau, Germany, on Dec. 2.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 16, 2024

Germany is unraveling just when Europe needs it most

Germany’s economy is now 5% smaller than it would have been if the pre-pandemic growth trend had been maintained.
Policemen set up barricades in front of the South Korean Constitutional Court in Seoul on Monday as the court kicked off its first meeting of its justices to review the parliamentary impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 16, 2024

Top South Korean court begins Yoon impeachment trial

The Constitutional Court has around six months to determine whether to uphold the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) shakes hands with Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during an ASEAN summit closing ceremony to hand over the grouping's chairmanship to Kuala Lumpur at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos, in October.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 16, 2024

Lowering tensions key priority for incoming ASEAN chair Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur will reach out to key players including Japan to try and jointly tackle the critical security issues affecting Southeast Asia, Malaysian envoy says.
Houthi supporters hold a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday. A coordinated international military effort is needed to exploit Iran's weakened influence and neutralize the Houthi threat in Yemen.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2024

The next Iranian proxy to target is the Houthis

A coordinated international military effort is needed to neutralize the Houthi threat in Yemen, which disrupts global shipping and exploits Iran's weakened influence.
Indian activists angered over the jailing of a leading Hindu monk in Bangladesh try to break a police barricade during a protest in Kolkata on Nov. 28 demanding his release.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2024

Bangladesh’s descent into Islamist violence

An unstable Bangladesh mired in radical Islamism and political violence has long been India’s geopolitical nightmare
A thermal power plant at an undisclosed location in Ukraine that was damaged during a missile attack amid Russia's invasion
COMMENTARY / World / The Year Ahead
Dec 27, 2024

When Russia fights the wrong enemy

The longer the war in Ukraine continues, the weaker Russia will become, leading many to wonder when it will decide to staunch its losses.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
WORLD / Politics
Dec 17, 2024

Starmer’s China reset plans get undercut by royal access scandal

It has emerged in court documents that a Chinese man who acted as a business adviser to the Duke of York was banned from Britain on national security grounds in 2023.
Employees of Takahashi Shouten working on the trial production of sake in New Delhi on Nov. 14.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 17, 2024

Japanese sake brewery to make foray into Indian market

Takahashi Shouten, based in the city of Yame in Fukuoka Prefecture, launched a subsidiary in India in February.
A train passes over downtown Kuala Lumpur
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2024

ASEAN's second renaissance is now

The bloc’s economies, despite varying political landscapes, rank among the world’s most dynamic.
A flyer created by the Metropolitan Police Department to warn people about <i>yami baito</i>, or "dark" part-time jobs
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 17, 2024

Japan to let investigators go undercover to crack down on yami baito

Until now, undercover operations have been allowed only for drug- and gun-related criminal investigations.
Environmental activist Paul Watson waves after getting released from prison in Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2024

Japan 'regrets' release of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson

The 74-year-old Canadian-American activist was released after Copenhagen turned down Tokyo's request to bring him to Japan.
A rebel fighter stands in front of an abandoned tank in the town of Adra on the northeast outskirts of Damascus on Monday.
WORLD
Dec 18, 2024

Conflict in Syria 'has not ended,' U.N. warns

The U.N.'s special envoy for Syria has warned of "significant hostilities" already witnessed there between Turkish-backed and Kurdish fighters.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako speak with evacuated people at Wajima Junior High School in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2024

Emperor and Empress mourn flood victims in Wajima

Four people were killed in the September floods, including a 14-year-old junior high school student.
Police guard the scene early Sunday morning of a stabbing incident at a McDonald's store in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 18, 2024

What we know so far about the Kitakyushu stabbings

Authorities are analyzing surveillance and dashcam footage from the area in an effort to identify and locate the attacker.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates with the trophy after he and his teammates won the NBA Cup final over the Thunder on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Dec 18, 2024

Giannis Antetokounmpo stars as Bucks beat Thunder to win NBA Cup

Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, delivered a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists along with two steals and three blocked shots for the Bucks.
A Ukrainian tank is stationed near a sign that reads, "Pokrovsk," in the country's Donetsk region, on Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2024

Europe needs to swiftly fulfill its aid pledges to Ukraine

Europe has committed significant aid to Ukraine, but delays in delivery, especially in military support, are hindering Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinea leader James Marape address a news conference in Sydney on Dec. 12.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2024

Australia shows how smart diplomacy is done

Recent deals reflect the laser focus the Australian government is devoting to its closest neighbors and a bureaucratic reorganization that translates into action.
Toshiyuki Mimaki (center) and others lay flowers at the atomic bomb memorial in Hiroshima on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2024

Nihon Hidankyo members make Nobel visit to Hiroshima cenotaph

Toshiyuki Mimaki said that Nihon Hidankyo's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize represented "the moment when the activities of our predecessors bore fruit."
Kenichi Takito (left) and Non play literary nemeses working in close quarters in Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s lukewarm comedy, “The Hotel of My Dream.”
CULTURE / Film
Dec 19, 2024

‘The Hotel of My Dream’: A literary comedy that never really gels

Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s adaptation of Asako Yuzuki’s novel promises a festive treat, but casting and cadence prevent it from realizing its full potential.
A new — and severe — case of bird flu in the United States has raised alarms, with California declaring an emergency to ramp up its response.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 19, 2024

First severe bird flu case in U.S. sparks alarm

The new case brings the total number of infections in the United States during the current 2024 outbreak to 61.
Max Fried pitches for the Braves in San Diego on Oct. 2. The free-agent hurler signed with the Yankees this offseason.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 19, 2024

Max Fried excited to become part of Yankees' winning tradition

The 30-year-old lefty received a $20 million signing bonus as part of a deal that will pay him an average of $27.5 million per season until 2032.
The average retail gasoline price is expected to rise by over ¥5 per liter as the government has announced that it will reduce subsidies to oil wholesalers.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 19, 2024

Gasoline prices rise as Japanese government cuts subsidies

Until now the industry ministry has subsidized 60% of gasoline costs over ¥168 and under ¥185, but from Thursday the subsidy dropped to 30% for prices in that range.
Inter Milan "ultras" merchandise is displayed outside San Siro Stadium in Milan before a Champions League match on Nov. 26.
SOCCER
Dec 19, 2024

Italy combats spread of mafia among soccer fan groups across country

Ultra groups at Inter and AC Milan, two of the biggest names in Italian soccer, have allegedly been infiltrated by the mafia.

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go