Here's what you can do next Japan is increasingly tightening its language requirements for those looking to live in the country. Japan is increasingly tightening its language requirements for those looking to live in the country, with the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) releasing its stricter language requirements for permanent residency applications this week. Over the course of this year, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has rolled out a raft of Japanese-language requirements across several residence statuses -- leading to a surge in demand for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), considered the gold standard in measuring fluency. The revised guidelines released by the ISA on Thursday require permanent residency applicants to demonstrate ability at B1 or above -- roughly N3 on the JLPT -- on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) starting in April next year. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. California gubernatorial candidates Xavier Becerra, left, and Steve Hilton during CNN's California Gubernatorial Debate on Wednesday in CNN's studio in Burbank. The debate was moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here .

Image caption, The hikes are part of immigration policy changes introduced to manage Japan's growing foreign population Japan has raised fees for foreigners looking to reside in the country, with the cost of permanent residency going up 20 times to 200,000 yen ($1,270; £955). Those seeking permanent residency must now also meet new income, pension and Japanese-language requirements. Long lines formed outside immigration offices earlier this week as applicants sought to beat the fee hikes, with Tokyo's main immigration bureau reporting wait times of over seven hours. The fee increases are part of a series of changes to Japan's immigration policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which aim ito manage its rapidly growing foreign population. In July, Japan implemented a five-fold increase in visa fees for all foreigners - its first visa fee hike in 50 years.

The US has spent billions building a "virtual wall" of surveillance towers along its southern border over the past 25 years, promising they will help detect and apprehend border crossers and save lives. Some were even under the watch of newly installed AI-powered towers designed to spot people automatically. Our findings reveal a humanitarian crisis more visible than previously known, and repeated failures of the virtual wall's basic security promise. Watch a conversation examining the failures of border surveillance technology and uncovering the stories of the people who die in the borderlands. The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can't it catch people before they die?

NEC's five different aromas developed through the use of artificial intelligence are displayed at the company in Tokyo. An increasing number of companies are turning to fragrance as a way to foster a sense of unity across corporate groups and promote their corporate brand strategy. By tapping into the sense of smell, which is considered an intuitive and memorable form of sensory stimulation, companies aim to establish a consistent corporate image while creating pleasant workplace environments. Fragrance is also expected to help improve work efficiency. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has selected a signature scent, dubbed "MUFG Fragrance," as part of its efforts to create a comfortable workplace and strengthen its brand strategy. The chosen scent is a refreshing fragrance reminiscent of a forest.

Trump reveals millions of dollars' worth of share deals in big tech and AI US President Donald Trump has disclosed millions of dollars' worth of stock market trades made during July, including in firms from Elon Musk's SpaceX to tech and AI giants such as Microsoft. According to official documents, between $6.5m (£4.8m) and $31m worth of stock in Microsoft was sold on behalf of Trump, while they show purchases of between $165,000 and $400,000. Across more than 1,000 trades, shares were bought and sold in AI company Nvidia and software firm Palantir, a contractor with the US defence department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the filing shows. A White House spokesperson said Trump's stock and bond portfolio is independently managed by third parties. The spokesperson told the BBC: Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold.

A campaign for Chinese self-sufficiency in artificial intelligence technology has led to intense local competition and a vicious price war, while export-oriented companies have thrived on surging global demand for infrastructure such as data centers. China's push for global supremacy in artificial intelligence technology is increasingly benefiting companies that supply the rest of the world, with investors favoring such stocks as fierce competition hurts their domestically focused peers. A Bloomberg gauge tracking 30 Chinese technology stocks with the biggest overseas revenue exposure has delivered a return of 36% this year, versus 9% for those more dependent on local sales. A separate measure of the export-oriented firms' outperformance over the other group is set for the strongest-ever reading this year. The contrasting fortunes partly result from Beijing's ambition to build its own AI ecosystem.

The US has spent billions building a "virtual wall" of surveillance towers along its southern border over the past 25 years, promising they will help detect and apprehend border crossers and save lives. Some were even under the watch of newly installed AI-powered towers designed to spot people automatically. Our findings reveal a humanitarian crisis more visible than previously known, and repeated failures of the virtual wall's basic security promise. Join MIT Technology Review editors and reporters for a conversation examining the failures of border surveillance technology and uncovering the stories of the people who die in the borderlands. The US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can't it catch people before they die?

Fake and divisive ads proliferate in Israel's first AI election Artificial intelligence-crafted distortions are saturating the Israeli information environment just weeks before the country's most consequential elections in decades. In a recent video widely circulated online, Israel's top justices and its attorney general are seen being dragged by security guards from a chaotic anti-government protest that never took place. The 33 seconds of emotionally-charged footage was originally posted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a fierce opponent of the judiciary, and triggered an immediate backlash. Critics said it incited violence, while supporters said it was justified because they accuse the leaders of Israel's legal system of a left-wing plot to stymie the government's policies. But the depicted scenes are fake -- no such protest took place and the video carries a tell-tale watermark to identify content made using artificial intelligence.

Authorities estimate that at least 10,000 people remain in the enclave of Ceuta after a record surge of 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco to Ceuta over the course of two days in late July, overwhelming local resources and creating a humanitarian crisis. UN Chief Guterres calls for ban on'killer robots' 'Licence to kill:' French protests decry police use-of-force bill Airplane makes'miracle' landing as Typhoon Dujuan hits Japan