Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Rise Kudo of Japan poses after winning silver in the women's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Rise Kudo of Japan performs en route to winning silver in the women's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Rise Kudo of Japan poses after winning silver in the women's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Rise Kudo of Japan performs en route to winning silver in the women's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano (C) of Japan celebrates after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025, alongside compatriots Yuto Totsuka (L) and Ruka Hirano, who won silver and bronze, respectively.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano (C) of Japan celebrates after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025, alongside compatriots Yuto Totsuka (L) and Ruka Hirano, who won silver and bronze, respectively.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan poses after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan poses after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan smiles after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan smiles after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan celebrates after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan celebrates after winning gold in the men's halfpipe at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Snowboarding: World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou

Ayumu Hirano of Japan performs en route to winning the men's halfpipe final at the World Cup opener in Zhangjiakou, China, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Robot wolf to scare away bears

Robot wolf to scare away bears

Yuji Ota, president of precision machining company Ohta Seiki, shows off in Naie in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 13, 2025, the Monster Wolf robot, which emits LED light and loud sounds to scare off wild animals when its infrared sensor activates. The company, based in the Hokkaido town, developed the tool amid a spate of bear attacks on humans, some fatal, across Japan this year.

Robot wolf to scare away bears

Robot wolf to scare away bears

Photo taken in Naie in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 13, 2025, shows the Monster Wolf robot, which emits LED light and loud sounds to scare off wild animals when its infrared sensor activates. Precision machining company Ohta Seiki, based in the Hokkaido town, developed the tool amid a spate of bear attacks on humans, some fatal, across Japan this year.

U.S. military parachute drill

U.S. military parachute drill

U.S. Air Force personnel conduct a parachute drill at Kadena air base in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, on Dec. 12, 2025.

U.S. military parachute drill

U.S. military parachute drill

U.S. Air Force personnel conduct a parachute drill at Kadena air base in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, on Dec. 12, 2025.

U.S. military parachute drill

U.S. military parachute drill

U.S. Air Force personnel conduct a parachute drill at Kadena air base in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, on Dec. 12, 2025.

Kanji for "bear" chosen as best to characterize 2025

Kanji for "bear" chosen as best to characterize 2025

Seihan Mori, chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "kuma," meaning bear, with a calligraphy brush during the annual kanji-of-the-year event on Dec. 12, 2025. The character was chosen to symbolize the national mood for the year due to frequent bear sightings and related incidents across Japan, as well as attention to the return of pandas - written with characters meaning "bear" and "cat" - to China.

Kanji for "bear" chosen as best to characterize 2025

Kanji for "bear" chosen as best to characterize 2025

Seihan Mori, chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "kuma," meaning bear, with a calligraphy brush during the annual kanji-of-the-year event on Dec. 12, 2025. The character was chosen to symbolize the national mood for the year due to frequent bear sightings and related incidents across Japan, as well as attention to the return of pandas - written with characters meaning "bear" and "cat" - to China.

Kanji for "bear" chosen as best to characterize 2025

Kanji for "bear" chosen as best to characterize 2025

Seihan Mori, chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "kuma," meaning bear, with a calligraphy brush during the annual kanji-of-the-year event on Dec. 12, 2025. The character was chosen to symbolize the national mood for the year due to frequent bear sightings and related incidents across Japan, as well as attention to the return of pandas - written with characters meaning "bear" and "cat" - to China.

Demon Slayer movie in China

Demon Slayer movie in China

A cosplayer takes a selfie at a movie theater screening a film based on popular Japanese manga series "Demon Slayer" in Beijing on Nov. 14, 2025.

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi in Stockholm

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi in Stockholm

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi of the University of Osaka, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, attends a banquet hosted by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf at the royal palace in Stockholm on Dec. 11, 2025, for this year's Nobel Prize winners. (Pool photo)

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi in Stockholm

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi in Stockholm

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi (2nd from L) of the University of Osaka, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, attends a banquet hosted by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf at the royal palace in Stockholm on Dec. 11, 2025, for this year's Nobel Prize winners. (Pool photo)

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi in Stockholm

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi in Stockholm

Professor Shimon Sakaguchi (C) of the University of Osaka, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, attends a banquet hosted by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf at the royal palace in Stockholm on Dec. 11, 2025, for this year's Nobel Prize winners. (Pool photo)

Japan lower house OKs 18 tril. yen extra budget

Japan lower house OKs 18 tril. yen extra budget

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (far R) bows after the House of Representatives approves an 18.3 trillion yen ($118 billion) supplemental budget for the year through March in a plenary session in Tokyo on Dec. 11, 2025.

Japan lower house OKs 18 tril. yen extra budget

Japan lower house OKs 18 tril. yen extra budget

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (far R) bows after the House of Representatives approves an 18.3 trillion yen ($118 billion) supplemental budget for the year through March in a plenary session in Tokyo on Dec. 11, 2025.

Nobel Prize winners attend banquet at royal palace

Nobel Prize winners attend banquet at royal palace

A banquet hosted by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf is held at the royal palace in Stockholm on Dec. 11, 2025, for this year's Nobel Prize winners. (Pool photo)

Japan lower house OKs 18 tril. yen extra budget

Japan lower house OKs 18 tril. yen extra budget

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi bows after the House of Representatives approves an 18.3 trillion yen ($118 billion) supplemental budget for the year through March in a plenary session in Tokyo on Dec. 11, 2025.

Tsunami advisory issued in Japan

Tsunami advisory issued in Japan

A Japan Meteorological Agency official holds a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 12, 2025, after the agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Pacific coast of northern and northeastern Japan following an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 in the Pacific Ocean off Aomori Prefecture.

Tsunami advisory issued in Japan

Tsunami advisory issued in Japan

A Japan Meteorological Agency official holds a press conference in Tokyo on Dec. 12, 2025, after the agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Pacific coast of northern and northeastern Japan following an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 in the Pacific Ocean off Aomori Prefecture.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, attends a press conference in Oslo on Dec. 11, 2025, after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of the day. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony

Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony

People hold a national flag of Venezuela during an event celebrating Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2025, as the award ceremony takes place the same day.

Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony

Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony

People take part in a parade celebrating Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2025, as the award ceremony takes place the same day.

Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony

Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony

People take part in a parade celebrating Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2025, as the award ceremony takes place the same day.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, waves to the crowd in front of the Grand Hotel in Oslo after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of Dec. 11, 2025. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, waves to the crowd in front of the Grand Hotel in Oslo after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of Dec. 11, 2025. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, attends a press conference in Oslo on Dec. 11, 2025, after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of the day. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, attends a press conference in Oslo on Dec. 11, 2025, after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of the day. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, attends a press conference in Oslo on Dec. 11, 2025, after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of the day. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, attends a press conference in Oslo on Dec. 11, 2025, after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of the day. The award ceremony took place the previous day with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, acknowledges a crowd of people from the balcony of Grand Hotel Oslo after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of Dec. 11, 2025. The award ceremony took place the previous day, with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, acknowledges a crowd of people from the balcony of Grand Hotel Oslo after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of Dec. 11, 2025. The award ceremony took place the previous day, with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Nobel Peace Prize winner Machado in Oslo

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, acknowledges a crowd of people from the balcony of Grand Hotel Oslo after arriving in the Norwegian capital in the small hours of Dec. 11, 2025. The award ceremony took place the previous day, with her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado attending on her behalf.