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War or peace? Colombians choose destiny in high-stakes vote

The Japan Times

Bogota - Colombians vote Sunday in a presidential election that will determine the conflict-ridden nation's response to spiraling violence, either staying left and opting for dialogue or tacking right towards all-out war. The constitution forbids a second term for the country's first-ever leftist President Gustavo Petro, whose "total peace" strategy has failed to negotiate an end to conflict with armed groups. Despite his absence from the ballot, "the campaign revolves around Petro," said Yann Basset, political science professor at Bogota's University of Rosario. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.


Three Japanese opposition parties explore new alliance

The Japan Times

Junya Ogawa, leader of the Centrist Reform Alliance, attends a news conference on Friday in Tokyo. Moves to launch a new party have emerged among three opposition parties in Japan, sources said Sunday. The idea arose in the course of talks on the possible integration of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito into the Centrist Reform Alliance. The CRA and Komeito are keen about the new opposition party option. Some senior members of the CDP and officials of a major labor union supporting the initiative are also positive, according to sources familiar with the matter. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.


Australian researchers teach brain cells to play 'Doom' video game

The Japan Times

Australian researchers teach brain cells to play'Doom' video game Scientist Brett Kagan looks at cortical and hippocampal cells on cell culture plates as they attempt to decode morse code, at Cortical Labs' Physical Containment Level 2 laboratory in Melbourne. Melbourne - Australian researchers have trained lab-grown brain cells on a silicon computer chip to play the '90s shooter game Doom and say they are just scratching the surface of what the neurons could be capable of doing. It's the science-fiction work of biotech boffins at Cortical Labs, who researched and developed the technology that harnesses the workings of the brain's networking system. Each so-called "biological computer" contains around 200,000 living human brain cells, grown from stem cells that were harvested from blood donations. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


Experts urge Japan to use pictorial warnings on tobacco packages

The Japan Times

With Sunday marking World No Tobacco Day designated by the World Health Organization, experts urge Japan to introduce pictorial warnings about the dangers of smoking on tobacco packages. Many countries require cigarette packages to display images warning of health hazards related to smoking, such as a blackened lung. But there is no such requirement in Japan. A survey by a team at Japan's health ministry has found that warning labels featuring images are more effective in discouraging smoking than text-only warnings. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


'Totally hooked': Hong Kong targets claw machine addiction

The Japan Times

Hong Kong - Claw machine lover Neiki Lee carefully lowers the metal jaws of a crane with a joystick into a pool of prizes, only to have the small toy slip from its clutches again and again. Dozens of stores filled with claw machines have sprung up on streets and in malls across Hong Kong's finance hub in recent years, promising players a treasure trove of prizes and a sense of fulfillment. The colorfully lit machines, often seen drawing people like moths to a flame, have come under regulatory scrutiny this month, as officials raised addiction concerns over the seemingly harmless games. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.


WHO chief urges safe burials in visit to heart of Ebola outbreak

The Japan Times

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus washes his hands as he arrives at Bunia National Airport in Congo on May 30. BUNIA, Congo - The World Health Organization chief traveled on Saturday to the Congolese province hardest hit by an Ebola outbreak, urging residents to seek treatment and practice safe burials as officials scramble to contain the fatal disease. The outbreak -- the 17th in Congo and the third-largest since Ebola was discovered half a century ago -- is outpacing the global response, something WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged this week before traveling to Kinshasa on Thursday. His visit came as Brazil said on Saturday it was investigating a suspected Ebola case in Sao Paulo state involving a man who recently visited Congo. Authorities said the patient was in isolation at a specialist hospital. After meeting Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka on Friday, Tedros flew on Saturday to Bunia, capital of Ituri province, where the first cases were confirmed earlier this month.


Drone hits nuclear facility as Kyiv and Moscow trade strikes

The Japan Times

Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Saturday. Ukraine and Russia traded aerial attacks on Saturday as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held what he called a special meeting on next steps with top aides. A Ukrainian drone struck the machine room building of one of power units at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday afternoon, causing unspecified damage, Interfax reported, citing Rosatom Chief Executive Officer Alexey Likhachev. Core equipment wasn't damaged, he said. Ukraine's southern military command denied any strikes, saying its military personnel "act exclusively within the framework of international humanitarian law and are aware of the consequences of any actions against nuclear facilities." In a post on Facebook late Saturday, it added, "It is the Russian Federation that has illegally kept the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under military control since March 2022, turning a civilian nuclear facility into an element of military infrastructure."


Tech stars from the 90s reborn: Nokia, Dell, Cisco surge on AI

The Japan Times

They were all-stars of the dot-com era before fading into the background as the bubble burst and a new generation of tech darlings rose to the forefront. But Dell, Nokia and Lenovo are back with a vengeance thanks to the unrelenting artificial intelligence spending boom. A rush to build out AI infrastructure has led to soaring demand for everything from computer servers to storage components, networking gear and even legacy chips. That's resulted in a frenetic rally in stocks around the world with any sort of exposure to those areas. The latest surge has swept up iconic tech names from the 1990s, including many of the so-called "Four Horsemen" -- a group considered the equivalent of the Magnificent Seven cohort during that era. In addition to Dell, Nokia and Lenovo, high fliers from the dot-com days that have caught fire again this year include Micron Technology Inc., Intel Corp., Texas Instruments Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc.


SoftBank plans up to 75 billion investment in French AI centers

The Japan Times

SoftBank Group plans to invest as much as €75 billion ($87 billion) to build 5 gigawatts of artificial intelligence data center capacity in France, saying the country is poised to become a top European hub for AI infrastructure. The first phase comprises an initial €45 billion investment to deliver 3.1 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in the Hauts-de-France region by 2031, SoftBank said Saturday in a statement. The commitment, which SoftBank called its biggest AI infrastructure investment in Europe, reflects personal diplomacy between Emmanuel Macron and SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, who met during the French president's visit to Japan this year. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.


U.S. says capable of resuming war with Iran as deal remains elusive

The Japan Times

U.S. says capable of resuming war with Iran as deal remains elusive Washington - The United States warned Saturday that it was "more than capable" of resuming its war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons. The White House had signaled Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal, though Tehran denied there was a final agreement on ending the conflict. U.S. sources had said the deal was waiting on Trump's signoff, but he made no decision after a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.