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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and French President Emmanuel Macron at the AI Action Summit in Paris in February. The mood at the event was largely optimistic despite growing evidence that chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT are being used by malicious actors.
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2025

How much will we risk in the name of AI?

AI safety breaches are a very present danger. Evidence shows that leading chatbots are perpetuating Kremlin talking points, while many leaders tout optimism rather than concern.
Masataka Yuhara, secretary-general of the Friends of Lee Teng Hui Association in Japan, which has been calling for "Taiwan" to be permitted as a place of origin in family registers.
JAPAN
May 14, 2025

Japan to recognize Taiwan as place of origin in family registration system

Residents of Taiwanese descent in Japan and their support groups have welcomed the change.
New research by a U.S. climate scientists’ group reveals that extreme heat has increased the risks of preterm births and other pregnancy complications in Japan, nearly doubling the number of days that are harmfully hot for pregnant women over the past five years.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 14, 2025

Harmfully hot days for pregnant women in Japan nearly doubled over past five years

Heat stress can raise the risks of stillbirths, miscarriages, preterm births and low-weight births, as well as congenital abnormalities for the babies.
Bereaved family members observe a moment of silence on Wednesday at a memorial ceremony for a train collision that killed 42 people in the city of Koka, Shiga Prefecture.
JAPAN
May 14, 2025

34-year memorial held for victims of Shiga train collision

On May 14, 1991, an SKR train and a JR West train collided head-on in Shigaraki, now Koka, killing 42 people and injuring more than 600.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass eats California rice at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday along with Mitsuko Tsuchiya, vice president of retailer Aeon.
JAPAN
May 14, 2025

Japanese retailers turn to California rice for cheaper alternative

Major retailer Aeon announced Tuesday it will start selling the “Karoyaka” variety of California rice from June 6.
Though the protagonist of “Jinsei” (voiced by rapper Ace Cool) is an emotional blank slate, his journey throughout the film takes wild turns.
CULTURE / Film
May 15, 2025

‘Jinsei’: Ryuya Suzuki’s solo animation is a singular debut

The 30-year-old wrote, directed, animated, edited and soundtracked in isolation — creating one of the most striking films of 2025 so far.
Nostalgic-looking photos can give off an emotional vibe, one that Japanese youth refer to as "emoi."
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
May 16, 2025

Speak like you scroll: A roundup of recent Japanese slang

A lot of new Japanese slang terms have their origins in — where else? — the internet.
A Pakistan Ranger stands guard at the Pakistan-India joint check post at Wagah border, near Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2025

Pakistan and India shift to war of words after shooting stops

"Mr. Modi, if you take this route again, you will get a devastating answer,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.
Edison lost his home during the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, but these tragic circumstances led him to a new life with the Makino family in Chiba Prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 15, 2025

A new chapter for a gentle dog

After losing his home in the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, Edison got a fresh start in Chiba Prefecture with the Makino family.
Student bookbags lay in front of a school building damaged in a airstrike carried out by Myanmar's military at the Ohe Htein Twin village in Tabayin township, Sagaing Region, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 15, 2025

'Children are innocent': Myanmar families in grief after school airstrike

The airstrike in central Myanmar occurred during a purported truce and killed 20 students and two teachers, witnesses said.
From around spring 2027, people will be able to pick up over-the-counter drugs from convenience stores without pharmacists in Japan.
JAPAN
May 15, 2025

Over-the-counter drugs to be made available at convenience stores

The move will require consumers to listen to explanations from pharmacists online before purchases.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim says the struggling team needs to perform better in the future.
SOCCER
May 15, 2025

Ruben Amorim not planning to walk away from Manchester United

United is staggering to its worst top-flight season since it was relegated in 1974, with Sunday being its 17th defeat in 36 games and ninth loss at Old Trafford.
Farmers load a truck with vegetables in San Ignacio, El Salvador, in May 2020.
WORLD
May 15, 2025

World hunger monitor faces 'large gap' after U.S. aid cuts

USAID cuts have significantly affected humanitarian organizations around the world that were working on life-saving programs.
George Simion gestures while attending a presidential debate in Bucharest on May 8.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2025

MAGA goes east: Romania's presidential frontrunner rides hard-right wave

George Simion, a nationalist who campaigns to "Make Romania Great Again," opposes military aid to Ukraine and is critical of the EU's leadership.
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle holds the ball while being defended by the Warriors' Draymond Green in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday.
BASKETBALL
May 15, 2025

Timberwolves finish off Warriors to reach Western Conference finals

The victory completed a 4-1 series triumph for the Timberwolves, who return to the Western Conference finals for the second straight season.
Mount Fuji fills the skyline above a bridge connecting stores at a popular outlet shopping center in the city of Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in November 2024.
JAPAN / Society
May 15, 2025

Irresponsible climbing prompts debate over who should pay for Mount Fuji rescues

Rescue teams put themselves in grave danger, and the cost of flying a helicopter for a rescue can be up to between ¥600,000 and ¥800,000.
With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition in crisis, the opposition divided and the Democratic Party for the People gaining momentum, Japan’s upcoming Upper House election could trigger a major political realignment.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 15, 2025

Elections are fast approaching, and none of the big parties are ready

With Ishiba in place, the fear that the LDP could next lose its current majority in the Upper House in July is pervasive.
Iceland's national flag flies next to the European flag
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2025

Trump's Greenland threats spark Iceland jitters

Around 74% of Icelanders think Trump's interest in Greenland, and in the Arctic in general, pose a threat to their country, according to a recent poll.
The yen slumped more than 2% on Monday alone, nearing ¥150 to the dollar, after the U.S. and China temporarily lowered tariffs, triggering a reversal of bearish dollar bets.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 15, 2025

Rich Japanese still fear yen crash, wealth manager says

Japan's most prosperous households are still scarred by the market’s collapse in the early 1990s.
"Jinsei," which follows its protagonist over a century, probes themes of identity and societal issues with a dark comic touch. The director, however, says he created the story without knowing where it would lead.
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2025

For his first feature film, director Ryuya Suzuki created a masterpiece

With no script or crew, the animator created "Jinsei," a bold debut inspired by classics such as "Citizen Kane" and "Scarface."
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal celebrates after scoring against Espanyol during their match in Cornella de Llobregat, Spain, on Thursday.
SOCCER
May 16, 2025

Lamine Yamal scores stunning goal as Barcelona clinches La Liga crown

Only the Champions League escaped an exciting young Barca side this season.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) speaks during a news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on May 6.
SOCCER
May 16, 2025

FIFA president says international fans will be welcome at World Cup in U.S.

The world will be welcomed to the United States for the 2026 World Cup and this year's Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday, days after a meeting with officials from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.
A tricolored calico cat (left) and a tortoiseshell cat. A Japanese research team has discovered a gene that determines the fur color patterns of the two breeds of cats.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 16, 2025

Japan team finds gene that determines calico cats' color patterns

Researchers led by Kyushu University professor Hiroyuki Sasaki found that the coloring was decided by the ARHGAP36 gene on the X chromosome.
Buildings destroyed during the war in Harasta, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria.
WORLD / Politics
May 16, 2025

Trump’s pledge to lift Syrian sanctions faces a complex road

The move was seen as a highlight of Trump’s trip to the Arabian Peninsula this week, but actual implementation will be a protracted and thorny challenge.
Starting in the early 1980s, shipping nuclear waste for storage on Orchid Island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan was standard practice.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
May 16, 2025

Final nuclear plant shutdown leaves Taiwan facing energy crunch

The shutdown takes place just as power demand is projected to rise 13% by the end of the decade, largely driven by data centers and chipmakers.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addresses the FIFA Congress in Luque, Paraguay, on Thursday.
SOCCER
May 16, 2025

Gianni Infantino's late arrival for FIFA Congress triggers backlash from UEFA

The FIFA Congress opened more than two hours later than planned after Infantino's flight landed late in Paraguay.
Jhonattan Vegas, seen during the Byron Nelson tournament on May 4, leads the PGA Championship after one round.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
May 16, 2025

Jhonattan Vegas grabs first-round lead at PGA Championship

No other golfer representing Venezuela has ever been among the top 10 on the leaderboard at the end of any round of a major.
Civic Coalition presidential candidate Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski speaks during an election rally in Krakow, Poland, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 16, 2025

In Poland, a presidential election with European stakes

The country's presidential elections come at a fraught moment for Europe, analysts said ahead of the first round of voting on Sunday.
A new U.S. citizen holds a U.S. flag after a naturalization ceremony in Boston on March 11.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2025

U.S. citizenship could soon look very different

Trump's vision tilts heavily toward the wealthy and well-to-do, with special shortcuts for them and barriers to entry for the rest.
As Japan heads into summer elections, debate over the consumption tax has intensified, with opposition parties demanding cuts to ease pressure on households and the government defending the levy as essential amid rising debt and economic uncertainty.
EDITORIALS
May 16, 2025

Don’t overreact to the consumption tax debate

Economic uncertainty in combination with rising prices are squeezing the budgets of households, businesses and the government.

Longform

"Shake hands with Lima-chan," a statue that shares the name of the Peruvian capital looks in the direction of Peru, where a sister statue, "Sakura-chan," is located. Erected in Yokohama's Rinko Park in 1999, it commemorates Peruvian-Japanese friendship.
The journey of Peru’s Nikkei: Finding identity in Japan