Features
Sukiyaki Torotama burgers stampede back to Lotteria for New Year’s luxury
As we approach the end of December, it’s natural to find yourself thinking of ways to put a finishing flourish on 2024, or to beginning with a bang in 2025. Obviously, here at SoraNews24 such ambitions are overlaid on our constant standard mentality of thinking about food, so we’re happy… Read
The darker side of the rise of women’s sports: With more visibility comes more online harassment
For Djaniele Taylor, attending WNBA games was the perfect way to rediscover a sense of community coming out of the long slog of pandemic-era lockdowns. The 38-year-old Evanston, Illinois, resident has regularly attended Chicago Sky games for the last three seasons, after she watched the team win its first championship… Read
Worried that your kids could be losing tradition after living abroad?
I am American and my husband is Dutch. Our three kids were born and raised in Switzerland until we moved to Japan last year. This creates a complex and often confusing situation when it comes to heritage and traditions. Children process and identify with all the little bits and pieces… Read
Five years on from the pandemic, long COVID keeps lives on hold
Three years ago, Andrea Vanek was studying to be an arts and crafts teacher when spells of dizziness and heart palpitations suddenly started to make it impossible for her to even take short walks. After seeing a succession of doctors she was diagnosed with long COVID and even now spends… Read
High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable
A material that’s been around since people built shelters – wood – is increasingly being proposed for low- and mid-rise buildings. Companies behind these “mass timber” projects say that wood is a lower-carbon alternative to steel or concrete and brings other benefits, such as faster construction time and lower cost… Read
Trump wants China’s help in making peace in Ukraine – he’s unlikely to get it
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has invited China’s president Xi Jinping to his inauguration on January 20 in a surprise move which appears to be part of a plan to involve Beijing in ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. Just after his recent meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, Trump posted, “There should be an immediate… Read
Scientists struggle to explain record surge in global heat
The world has been getting hotter for decades but a sudden and extraordinary surge in heat has sent the climate deeper into uncharted territory -- and scientists are still trying to figure out why. Over the past two years, temperature records have been repeatedly shattered by a streak so persistent… Read
Hong Kong Airlines begins service to Sendai
Hong Kong Airlines this week launched its inaugural flight to Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture providing travelers with convenient access to the Tohoku region just in time for the year-end holiday season. Sendai marks the airline's ninth scheduled destination in Japan, with three direct flights per week offering flexible morning departure times… Read
Why Americans in Japan must file U.S. taxes
Benjamin Franklin said that in life, nothing is more certain than “death and taxes.” For Americans living in Japan, this is twice as true. American citizens must file U.S. taxes, even if they live and work in a different country. It’s the primary reason why retiring in Japan is difficult for Americans.… Read
Snack bars out, salmon in: U.S. revamps 'healthy' food labels
The United States has redefined what qualifies as "healthy" food for the first time in 30 years, striking items like white bread from the list while welcoming nutrient-rich options such as eggs and salmon, officials said Thursday. The move comes against the backdrop of a growing domestic crisis of preventable,… Read
