The Japan Times - Boulevard

Featured

French prosecutors suspect Musk encouraged deepfakes row to inflate X value

French prosecutors said Saturday they had alerted US authorities to a suspicion that tech tycoon Elon Musk had encouraged the controversy over sexualised deepfakes on X to "artificially" increase the value of his company.

Peru's crowded presidential race zeroes in on organized crime

For the 35 candidates vying to be Peru's next president, the question of how to beat back organized crime could be what it takes to break out ahead of the pack.

Last news

Jury signals tech titans on hook for social media addiction

A question by jurors in a landmark social media addiction trial on Friday signaled Meta or YouTube may have to pay for letting a girl get hooked onto their platforms.

US jury finds Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders

A federal jury in California found Friday that tech tycoon Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders, driving down the company's share price as he was poised to buy it in a $44 billion deal.

IRA bomb victims drop civil court claim against Gerry Adams

Three victims of IRA bombings in England on Friday dropped their civil claim for damages against former Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, whom they had sought to hold personally responsible for orchestrating the blasts.

Mistral chief calls for European AI levy to pay creatives

Companies selling artificial intelligence models in Europe should pay a "levy" to support cultural industries, the head of French developer Mistral said Friday.

Three charged with sneaking Nvidia AI chips from US into China

Employees of a US computer company raked in billions of dollars diverting Nvidia artificial intelligence chips to China in violation of export controls, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

California to rename Cesar Chavez Day after sex abuse claims

Lawmakers in California said Thursday they will rename the Cesar Chavez Day state holiday in the wake of disturbing allegations of sexual abuse by the late labor rights icon.

Yazidi woman tells French court of rape, slavery and escape from IS

A Yazidi woman who was held as a sex slave by the Islamic State group testified Thursday before a French court, describing in stark detail the horrors she endured under jihadist captivity.

Wimbledon expansion plan gets legal boost

Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan received a major boost Thursday after a judge at London's High Court ruled the proposed development of the current site is not subject to restrictions on how the land cam be used.

Social media addiction trial jury deliberations continue

Jurors will return to court here on Thursday to continue deliberations in a civil trial accusing Meta and YouTube of harmfully hooking young internet users.

Colombia detains alleged mastermind of Ecuadoran candidate assassination

Colombian immigration authorities said Wednesday they had arrested an Ecuadoran drug trafficker linked to the 2023 murder of a popular candidate just before Ecuador's presidential election.

NY's New Museum returns contemporary to heart of Manhattan

After an $82 million expansion, New York's New Museum will bring contemporary art back to the heart of Manhattan, showcasing modern works alongside classics by Dali and Marcel Duchamp after two years closed.

Trump nominee for Homeland Security chief grilled at fiery Senate hearing

Markwayne Mullin, US President Donald Trump's pick for Homeland Security chief, distanced himself from his fired predecessor Kristi Noem as he was grilled over immigration policy at a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Eight killed during Rio police operation, including drug kingpin

At least eight people died Wednesday during a police operation against organized crime in Rio de Janeiro, including one of Brazil's most-wanted drug lords, authorities said.

Colombia detains suspect in 2023 killing of Ecuador politician

Colombian immigration authorities said Wednesday that they had arrested an Ecuadoran drug trafficker linked to the 2023 murder of a popular candidate just before Ecuador's presidential election.

US launches new era of drug war with Latin American allies

The United States and allies in Latin America and the Caribbean have ushered in a new phase of anti-drug cooperation including extraditions, shared intelligence and security plans despite criticism from international organizations.

Foreign press group slams Israeli police for breaking journalist's wrist

An international media association on Wednesday criticised an "unprovoked assault" by Israeli police on journalists in Jerusalem, which it said left a CNN producer with a fractured wrist.

EU lawmakers back ban on sexualised AI deepfakes

EU lawmakers on Wednesday approved a ban on AI systems generating sexualised deepfakes, after a global outcry over non-consensual nudes created by Elon Musk's chatbot Grok.

Seven-year term sought for Norway princess's son for alleged rapes

Prosecutors in Norway called Wednesday for the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Marius Borg Hoiby, to serve seven years and seven months in prison for offences including the alleged rape of four women.

Chinese tourists ditch Japan for third month running

Chinese visitors to Japan tumbled 45.2 percent in February from a year earlier, official data showed Wednesday, as the fallout from the countries' diplomatic spat bit for the third month running.

Chinese visitors to Japan plunge 45.2% in February

Chinese visitors to Japan tumbled 45.2 percent in February from a year earlier, official data showed Wednesday, as the fallout from the countries' diplomatic spat bit for the third month running.

Trespasser caught in viral hippo Moo Deng's Thai zoo pen

A Thai man broke into the zoo enclosure of Moo Deng, an endangered baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation, police said Wednesday, as the zoo filed a trespassing complaint.

US judge orders Trump admin to bring VOA employees back to work

A US federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to bring more than 1,000 Voice of America employees back to work and resume broadcasts by the government-funded media outlet.

Thai eSports players sentenced over SEA Games cheating scandal

A Thai court on Tuesday sentenced two eSports players to three months in detention for cheating at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last year.

Millions of Indonesians in Eid travel exodus

Tens of millions of Indonesians are travelling by motorcycle, car, plane or boat to their hometowns in an annual exodus for the Eid holiday that begins in the world's largest Muslim-majority country on Wednesday.

Alleged Bondi Beach killer's mother received death threats, court told

Accused Bondi Beach killer Naveed Akram's mother has received death threats and abuse following an antisemitic shooting that killed 15 people, his lawyer told a court on Monday.

Sweden's prisons prepare to house young teens

North of Stockholm, the Rosersberg prison is making preparations to house children as young as 13 in response to a much-criticised juvenile judicial reform expected to take effect in July.

Sao Paulo AI policing nabs criminals, and a few innocents

In the heart of Sao Paulo, a "prisonometer" keeps a live tally of people jailed due to Latin America's largest AI facial-recognition system, but its successes have been marred by mistaken arrests.

US judge halts implementation of Trump vaccine overhaul

A US judge on Monday dealt a blow to the Trump administration by blocking the government from implementing major vaccine policy changes made by health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Alleged narco trafficker makes first US court appearance

Alleged Latin American narco trafficker Sebastian Marset made his first appearance in a US court on Monday after being handed over to the US authorities.

Alleged narco trafficker Marset makes first US court appearance