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Corbin Burnes is reportedly taking his talents to Arizona as a member of a deep Diamondbacks starting rotation.
BASEBALL
Dec 28, 2024

Diamondbacks and pitcher Corbin Burnes agree to six-year, $210-million deal

The contract reportedly is for six years and $210 million, but Burnes has the right to opt out after two seasons. It would be the largest contract in Diamondbacks history.
Rohingya refugees Shamshida (left), who had to flee one of the last refuges in Myanmar for the Rohingya Muslim minority, and her sister Manwara in their tent in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Nov. 5
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 29, 2024

For the Rohingya, tormentors change but not the torment

This violence was not at the hands of the military, though. Instead, it was from a pro-democracy rebel group that was raised to fight the army.
As an adult member of the Imperial Family, Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad this year.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 29, 2024

Japanese Princess Kako turns 30

As an adult member of the Imperial Family, Princess Kako has performed various official duties at home and abroad this year.
A Japan Coast Guard vessel sails in front of Uotsuri island, one of the disputed Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by Beijing as the and Diaoyu, in the East China Sea in August 2013.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2024

Chinese government vessels seen near Senkakus for record 353 days in 2024

The record comes as Beijing continues to ramp up its activities near the tiny islets that it also claims in the East China Sea.
Shohei Ohtani waves toward the fans after a game on Sept. 19 against the Marlins in Miami in which the Dodgers' superstar had a performance for the ages, compiling six hits, including three home runs, and two stolen bases to become the first member of MLB's 50-50 club.
SPORTS
Dec 29, 2024

Sports images of 2024: Olympic drama and Shohei Ohtani's season for the ages

On the global stage of sports, Japan's Olympians and baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani showed the world what they were made of.
China's solar industry, hit hard in 2024 by overcapacity and financial losses, is expected to recover in 2025 with tighter market conditions and a 25% revenue growth forecast.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2024

Here’s the best climate news you missed this year

There are plenty of positive trends out there once you peer past the alarmist headlines.
For victims of romance scams, it’s not just about the money. The emotional scar can be harder to overcome.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 30, 2024

'For our future together': The rising threat of romance scams in Japan

The prevalence of such scams, which prey on the lonely, has led authorities to step up measures to crack down on scammers who are often not even in the country.
Members of the Wajima City Morning Market Association pose for a group photograph on the site where the market once stood.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Dec 30, 2024

In the wake of disaster, the revival of Wajima's market brings hope

Wajima's morning market on the Noto Peninsula was devastated a year ago. Now, led by women vendors and bold ideas, it is rising as a symbol of resilience.
Former President Jimmy Carter, furthest right, in a group photo with his successors at the White House in 2009. From his re-election defeat in 1980 until his death on Sunday, he was the odd man out, distant from the Republicans and Democrats who followed him.
WORLD
Dec 30, 2024

In the presidents’ club, Carter was the odd man out

Jimmy Carter’s relationship with his successors in the Oval Office, both Republicans and fellow Democrats, was generally tense because of his outspokenness.
Private detective Marcus Lentz holds his camera as he poses for photos in his office in Hanau, western Germany, on Dec. 20.
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2024

For German 'sick leave detective,' business is booming

Workers in Germany, on average, took 15.1 days of sick leave last year, up from 11.1 days in 2021.
Midori Kato has been voice acting the character Sazae Fuguta in the TV animation series "Sazae-san" since it started in 1969.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2024

Still sounding young at 85, Midori Kato is the voice of old Japan

The voice actor is the last original member of the cast of “Sazae-san,” a cartoon series that premiered in 1969 and never quite joined the modern world.
Although meat consumption has been dropping, it's not happening quickly enough to meet climate targets, something to keep in mind over the holidays.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2024

Why are my vegan friends going back to meat?

Helping people eat healthier diets with more fruit, vegetables and fiber would have enormous benefits for human well-being and the planet.
Thaleon Tremain, chief executive of Pachamama Coffee, holds a cup of coffee beans in Sacramento, California, on Feb. 27. Wholesale coffee prices are trading near a 50-year high because of shortages related to extreme weather and increased global demand.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 30, 2024

Why coffee prices are soaring (again)

The wholesale price of beans has jumped more than 30% just since the start of November.
Yasushi Dozen, chief investment officer at Kepple
BUSINESS
Jan 2, 2025

Japan's ¥10 trillion startup investment target more improbable than ever

Investors and startup supporters say Japan is still in the seed-planting phase of startup development and must address some structural issues.
An undated photo of a poster in a window promoting shows at Lincoln Center by Shen Yun, which in its 2023-2024 season performed more than 800 times on five continents, in New York. Over the past decade, the dance group Shen Yun Performing Arts has made money at a staggering rate in large part by getting followers of the Falun Gong religious movement to work for free and pay its bills.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 31, 2024

How Shen Yun tapped religious fervor to make $266 million

Shen Yun’s success flows in part from its ability to pack venues worldwide — while exploiting young, low-paid performers with little regard for their health or well-being.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to Brendan Carr, his intended pick for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as he attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, on Nov. 19.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 31, 2024

Social media companies face global tug-of-war over free speech

Trump’s return to the White House is expected to widen the free speech divide that has long existed between the United States and Europe.
Opium is harvested from poppies in Bang Laem Village, Shan State, Myanmar.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 31, 2024

Drugs, scams and sin: Myanmar’s war has made it the global crime capital

Growing opium poppies is illegal in Myanmar, but small-scale farmers see it is a relatively low-risk cash crop.
Stock market information on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Jan 1, 2025

Investors hope for U.S. stock market trifecta in 2025 after back-to-back boom years

Investors are more confident about the economy than this time a year ago, with consumers and businesses having absorbed higher interest rates.
U.S. star Ilona Maher has the largest social media following of anyone in rugby.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jan 2, 2025

World Rugby chief says U.S. star Ilona Maher will help fuel World Cup fever

The versatile American back — a breakout star at the 2024 Paris Olympics —  is the world's most popular rugby player on social media
After a dramatic 2024, where Japan saw political upheaval, a record stock market, a major quake and a plane crash and dramatic escape, 2025, with events like major anime sequels, the Osaka World Expo, rising foreign acquisitions, we should expect a transformative year.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 2, 2025

Anime, M&A and the expo: What to watch for in Japan’s 2025

No doubt 2025 has more surprises in store for Japan after an unusually intense 12 months.
A Golden Globes statue is seen in the ballroom during preparations for the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards to be held at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 3, 2025

'Emilia Perez' heads into Golden Globes as strong favorite

Awards show organizers are hoping to capitalize on a ratings bump from last year, burnishing the gala's status as a predictor of Oscars success.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake