Search - 2020

 
 
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI employee, in San Francisco on Oct. 3. Balaji helped gather and organize the enormous amounts of internet data used to train the startup’s ChatGPT chatbot.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2024

Former OpenAI researcher says the company broke copyright law

Suchi Balaji is among the first employees to leave a major AI company and speak out against the way these companies use copyrighted data to create their technologies.
General Motors CEO Mary Barrabefore an investor meeting in Spring Hill, Tennessee, on Oct. 8. Barra said that the company had fixed battery-manufacturing problems and that its electric vehicles would soon be profitable.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 24, 2024

Electric vehicles may be struggling. GM’s leader is still a believer.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra says the company is still committed to doing away with combustion engine cars in the United States by 2035.
Ramen shop Menya Taisei's owner Taisei Hikage cooks ramen at his shop in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

Japan's rising ramen prices give election voters food for thought

The problems facing ramen shop owners reflect a cost-of-living crunch that has become a top issue for voters in the general election on Sunday.
Sofia Kenin celebrates her quarterfinal win over Daria Kasatkina at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Friday.
TENNIS
Oct 25, 2024

Sofia Kenin into Pan Pacific Open semis while home favorite Sayaka Ishii withdraws

Ishii, the last Japanese player in the singles draw, pulled out of her semifinal against Diana Shnaider with an abdominal injury.
Kaori Sakamoto competes in the short program at Skate Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Friday.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Oct 26, 2024

World champion Sakamoto takes Skate Canada lead over Liu

Sakamoto, the defending Skate Canada champion, won the short program with 74.97 points, while compatriot Hana Yoshida sits in fourth.
Flames leap out of an oven where rare-earth-based chemicals are roasted for more than 20 hours, in Changshu, China.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 27, 2024

China tightens its hold on minerals needed to make computer chips

The country already produces nearly all the world’s supply of these materials. The new restrictions solidify that market dominance.
Coral growing off Indonesia's Komodo island, located in the marine rich Coral Triangle
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 27, 2024

Report details fossil fuel threat to 'Amazon of the seas'

The Coral Triangle covers waters claimed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Philippines, Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pumps his fist during the sixth inning of Los Angeles' Game 2 World Series win over the Yankees on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 27, 2024

Yamamoto dazzles for Dodgers in Game 2 win as Ohtani leaves early with injury

Yamamoto, in his first MLB season after starring for the Orix Buffaloes in the Pacific League, twirled 6⅓ innings of one-run, one-hit ball to get the win for the Dodgers.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Michelle Obama at a rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday
WORLD / Politics
Oct 27, 2024

The Obamas stump for Harris and key allies in final days of campaign

The rally marked the second major campaign event featuring Michelle Obama, while Barack Obama has already made several high-profile appearances.
Former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during a campaign rally for Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 27, 2024

Michelle Obama makes a searing appeal to men: ‘Take our lives seriously’

Michelle Obama told her audience that Trump would further damage women’s health care, while Harris has vowed to enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law.
Komeito chief Keiichi Ishii leaves the party's headquarters in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on Sunday. Ishii, who was elected party president just one month ago, failed to secure a seat in the Upper House election.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024

Komeito chief's Lower House loss raises questions about party's future

Keiichi Ishii, who was elected party leader last month and did not stand for proportional representation, fell short in his bid to win a Saitama district seat.
A lawyer heads to the Fukuoka High Court on Monday to file a lawsuit concerning "vote disparity" in the Lower House election held the previous day.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024

Lawyers file suits to nullify Lower House election results

The group have said that the poll was unconstitutional because it was carried out without correcting vote-value disparities.
Toyota Motor and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone will spend ¥500 billion together on a project to develop the traffic accident prevention technology, and aim to commercialize it in 2028.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2024

Toyota and NTT to jointly develop driver assistance technology that uses AI

The ¥500 billion project will use artificial inteligence and optical communication infrastructure, aiming to commercialize by 2028.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman celebrates with two-way player Shohei Ohtani after hitting a two run home run against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series in New York on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 29, 2024

Dodgers beat Yankees to reach brink of World Series crown

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was back in the leadoff role as designated hitter after suffering an injury on Saturday.
Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, during a press event in Paris on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Cycling
Oct 30, 2024

Tour de France 'comes home' as 2025 route unveiled

After successive starts outside France, the 2025 Grand Depart is in the northern French city of Lille.
Traffic in the Yeouido financial district of Seoul
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2024

Ex-Goldman banker-turned-billionaire takes on South Korea’s chaebol

While private equity’s involvement in South Korea's economy has grown over the last two decades, few have taken on the powerful, family-run conglomerates.
Ruben Amorim arrives for a match between his Sporting Lisbon and Nacional on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Oct 30, 2024

Manchester United target Ruben Amorim says 'nothing decided yet'

United pulled the plug on Ten Hag's two-year reign on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham left one of the world's wealthiest clubs sitting 14th in the Premier League.
Onosato pushes out Hoshoryu during the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo last month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 30, 2024

Onosato hogs spotlight, but there are big changes in latest sumo ranks

With his name writ large as ozeki on the latest banzuke, sumo’s hottest ticket took another step toward what looks like a procession to yokozuna.
Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris along with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff attend a rally on the National Mall in Washington one week before the Nov. 5 national election.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2024

The U.S. election is happening too soon

The upcoming U.S. election is unlikely to lead to national renewal or a decisive defeat of MAGA populism.
A Hello Kitty fan poses with a costumed character at the Sanrio Smile Shop on its opening day at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California. Hello Kitty marks its 50th anniversary on Nov. 1.
CULTURE
Oct 30, 2024

The 'CEO of supercute': Hello Kitty turns 50

She is the undeniable queen of kawaii culture in Japan — and her likeness continues to make billions for her creators at Sanrio.
Manchester United interim manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy hugs Amad Diallo after the team's League Cup win over Leicester City in Manchester, England on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Oct 31, 2024

Ruud Van Nistelrooy lends hand as United targets Ruben Amorim as next manager

Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a winning start as interim manager with United beating Leicester 5-2 to reach the League Cup quarterfinals.
A 15,000-pound undersea cable for transportation to Brazil, at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on June 8, 2009.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 31, 2024

U.S. agency to launch review of undersea cables and national security risks

More than 400 subsea cables form the backbone of the internet, carrying more than 99% of the world’s data traffic.
Commanders receiver Dyami Brown runs with the ball during the team's win over the Bears in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Oct 31, 2024

Commanders' win may herald outcome of race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

The Commanders earned a dramatic win over the Bears on Sunday.
People walk among piled up cars, following floods in Sedavi, Valencia, Spain, on Thursday.
WORLD
Nov 1, 2024

Spain's floods are among Europe's worst storm disasters ever

A year's worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region on Tuesday.
Various kinds of over-the-counter drugs seized by police after being illegally kept to be sold in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district and other locations
JAPAN / Society
Nov 1, 2024

Experts call for action on OTC drug abuse among youth in Japan

A number of people have experienced organ damage, including liver failure, with some cases resulting in death.
The close for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Asia’s second-biggest equities market, will be moved back to 3:30 p.m. from Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 1, 2024

High-frequency traders get an extra 30 minutes for Japan stocks

The extra half-hour is raising concerns among market participants who fear the shift will give rise to machine-driven price moves.
Chipmaker Nvidia will replace rival Intel in the 128-year-old Dow Jones Industrial Average prior to the start of trading on Nov. 8.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 2, 2024

Nvidia to replace Intel in the Dow Jones Industrial Average

The company will replace rival Intel in the 128-year-old Dow Jones Industrial Average prior to the start of trading on Nov. 8.
Akira Oishi (left) and Shinichi Okanobori have taken on the responsibility of surveying the flora and fauna of Mount Tenran and Mount Tonosu in Saitama Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Longform
Nov 2, 2024

Inside Japan's 100-year project to monitor its deteriorating biodiversity

With researchers and an army of volunteers on its side, the Monitoring Sites 1,000 project aims to bring attention to our fragile ecosystems.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during a campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday
WORLD / Politics
Nov 3, 2024

Harris and Trump nearly cross paths in final days of U.S. election campaign

The encounter was an apt illustration of how the two candidates are focusing on a handful of swing states in the final days of the campaign for president.
Koki Ikeda competes in the men’s 20 kilometer race walk at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 1.
OLYMPICS
Nov 3, 2024

Olympic medallist Koki Ikeda vows to clear name after doping suspension

The Athletics Integrity Unit said Friday that the 26-year-old, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, had been provisionally banned for suspected blood doping.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo