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SoftBank Group will spend $3 billion a year to adopt and deploy OpenAI technology throughout its operations, while the two companies have agreed to form a joint venture to market the artificial intelligence as an enterprise solution. “This initiative will not only transform the way SoftBank Group operates but also revolutionize the way companies work in Japan and around the globe,” SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said in a statement Monday. The technology, which the company describes as an advanced enterprise AI called Cristal intelligence, will be used at all companies under the SoftBank group, including Arm, Line and PayPay, to improve productivity and drive innovation. For instance, SoftBank’s telecom arm plans to make more than 100 million workflows automated, the company said in the press release. Source link

Japanese workers are job-hopping more these days, at least according to data from one website, and this might be helping to drive up salaries. “It seems the labor market has moved into a new phase, with increased fluidity compared to the past,” said Yusuke Aoki, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab. According to Recruit Agent, which runs a job-search website, the number of people using the site to change from one full-time job to another started to increase in 2022. Its data indicates that the total was up by over 50% in the July-September quarter last year when compared with the same period in 2019. Source link

Senior security staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development have been put on leave by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump after they refused to allow representatives from billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access restricted parts of the building, people familiar with the matter have said. The security officials contended that staff with Musk’s team lacked the required clearances, making them legally obliged to deny access, the people said. “DOGE did access the building yesterday,” a senior Senate Democratic aide said, requesting anonymity to discuss the incident. “They (security personnel) were threatened with action by the federal Marshals Service,” the aide said. Following the incident, the director of USAID security, John Voorhees, and his deputy were removed from their positions and put on leave, the sources said. Source link

Mitsubishi is reviewing business plans for three Japanese offshore wind power projects following macroeconomic changes, including the depreciation of the yen, rising interest rates and tight supply chains. The business environment for offshore wind power has “significantly changed and is continuing to change worldwide” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a statement on Monday. Mitsubishi is developing the projects as part of a consortium through its subsidiary. Soaring costs in recent years have upended the investment plans of offshore wind developers globally. Denmark’s Orsted A/S recorded a $1.7 billion hit on its 2024 earnings on higher building costs, while BP merged its business with Japan’s Jera to cut exposure to the troubled sector. The Mitsubishi-led consortium won the three projects in Japan’s inaugural auction for bottom-fixed offshore wind installations in 2021. The company said on Monday that progress had been made on development activities for those projects. Resource-poor Japan is seeking to have 10 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity allocation by 2030, increasing to 30-to-45 gigawatts by 2040, as the nation aims to expand its renewable energy mix and curb emissions. Source link

CETINJE, Montenegro – Vesna Pejovic vowed to reduce gun violence in Montenegro after her daughter and two grandsons were killed in a mass shooting in the town of Cetinje in 2022. Then came news on Jan. 1 that drained what optimism she had left. A brawl in a tavern had triggered another rampage across the country’s picturesque old capital in which a gunman killed 13 people with an illegal firearm then shot himself. “We had to relive all our horrors all over again,” said Pejovic, 63, who for three years has lobbied politicians to enact stricter gun controls in the small Balkan country. Source link

Los Angeles – The 67th Grammy Awards on Sunday was a history-making evening that served as a heartfelt tribute to fire-hit Los Angeles and celebrated music’s finest with dazzling performances. It also included not-so-subtle swipes at the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Here is a look at the unforgettable moments of music’s biggest night in Los Angeles: Against stereotypes It was a historic night for Black women, including Beyonce, who finally notched a win for Album of the Year for her deeply researched, genre-spanning record “Cowboy Carter.” The win comes after years of snubs that somehow saw the 43-year-old become the artist with the most Grammys ever… who had never taken home the top prizes of best album or best record. Her win Sunday makes her the first Black woman to win top album in this century, and only the fourth ever. Doechii speaks after winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album | REUTERS Florida rapper Doechii meanwhile won for best rap album with “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” becoming only the third woman to do so. “So many Black women out there, that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it,” she said. “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud.” In the moment Immigration, diversity, health care, transgender rights: the night celebrating music’s best was punctuated with political statements. Shakira dedicated her Grammy for best Latin pop album to “all my immigrant brothers and sisters.” “In this country, you’re loved, you’re worth it, and I will always fight with you,” the Colombian singer said. Trump has vowed mass deportations of undocumented migrants in the United States. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys receives the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award | REUTERS Alicia Keys, who received a special “global impact” award, said that diversity, equity and inclusion programs — which Trump’s administration has begun dismantling — are “not a threat” but “a gift.” “When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix,” she said to applause. Best New Artist winner Chappell Roan demanded the music industry support artists in a precarious industry with little safety net. And Lady Gaga used her Grammy acceptance moment to say that “trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love, the queer community deserves to be lifted up.” For the love of LA Grammy organizers decided the gala should proceed despite the wildfires, and it became a touching tribute to the city’s resilience, the first responders and the artists who call the City of Angels home. Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis and drummer Chad Smith took the stage to present an award and offered a few a cappella bars of the Los Angeles band’s smash hit “Under the Bridge.” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sang a rendition of “California Dreamin’,” a classic from the Mamas and the Papas, while Billie Eilish donned a Dodgers cap for her performance. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, who received the Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance, sing the classic Mamas and Papas hit “California Dreamin’.” | REUTERS Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department receive a standing ovation from the packed house at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. | REUTERS Throughout the broadcast, a QR code was displayed on screen, urging viewers to donate to various wildfire relief efforts. Host Trevor Noah said that at least $7 million had been raised. And when a group of LA firefighters took the stage to present the Album of the Year prize to Beyonce, they earned a prolonged standing ovation. Pop’s new guard It was a big night for a buzzy class of pop stars who all went home with a prize: Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX snapped up one, two and three prizes, respectively. And the trio all delivered performances that matched the blockbuster years they’ve all enjoyed: Charli, for one, turned the hall into a rave with her medley of club hits “Von Dutch” and “Guess.” With a full ensemble, Chappell Roan performs her hit “Pink Pony Club” | REUTERS Charli XCX, winner of Best Dance Pop Recording, Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package, perform a medley of her hit singles “Von Dutch” and “Guess.” | REUTERS Shaboozey performs “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” the first song in music history to reach the top 10 of Billboard’s Country, Pop, Adult Pop and Rhythmic Airplay charts. | REUTERS Carpenter kept up her comically coquettish Old-Hollywood-but-make-it-slapstick act, prancing around the stage as she sang “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Roan turned the room into a trippy circus rodeo with an enormous pink pony to sing — you guessed it — “Pink Pony Club,” waving her cascading mane of red curls as she commanded the stage. And a medley featuring Best New Artist nominees Doechii, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and Raye offered an electrifying show of diverse talent. To the moon The performance-heavy night also included a moving tribute to Quincy Jones, the late icon of the music industry who connected the 20th century’s constellation of stars, working with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson. “In his 91 years, Q touched countless lives, but I have to say he changed mine forever. You probably wouldn’t even know who Will Smith was if it wasn’t for Quincy Jones,” said the actor who Jones cast in his breakout role on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo performs “Fly Me to the Moon” during a tribute to musical legend Quincy Jones | REUTERS Janelle Monae channels Michael Jackson for a Quincy Jones tribute | REUTERS Cynthia Erivo delivered a stunning rendition of Sinatra’s “Fly Me To The Moon,” while Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock led a performance of “We are the World.” Janelle Monae closed the homage with a convincing

Los Angeles – Beyonce on Sunday finally won the Grammy for the year’s best album for her culture-shaking “Cowboy Carter,” as rapper Kendrick Lamar posted a clean sweep on a night that served as a love letter to fire-ravaged Los Angeles. Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter emerged as big winners at the performance-heavy gala, while heavyweights Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish went home empty-handed. Beyonce’s win for “Cowboy Carter” now makes her the most nominated, most decorated artist at the awards show ever — as well as the first Black woman to claim the top prize in this century. The triumph was all the more relevant as the 43-year-old’s ambitious, historically rooted album elevated and showcased the work of Black artists in country music, whose rich contributions the industry has repeatedly sidelined. “I just feel very full and very honored,” she said, her husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy cheering from the crowd of A-listers at Cryptocom Arena. She dedicated the prize to Linda Martell, a pioneering Black country musician featured on the album. “I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors,” Beyonce said. The win brought Beyonce’s total Grammys on the night to three: She also won for her collaboration with Miley Cyrus, and snagged the best country album trophy. “I really was not expecting this,” she said as she accepted that prize, her voice audibly shaking. “Sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists.” “I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent,” she added. Lamar, Chappell Roan own the stage Hip-hop laureate Lamar cleaned up thanks to his smash diss track “Not Like Us,” one of a series of songs from the Los Angeles-area native that skewer rap rival Drake. He won in all five categories in which he was nominated, including Record and Song of the Year. He lost only to himself — he was twice up for two of the rap genre prizes. “Nothing more powerful than rap music,” the 37-year-old Lamar said in accepting the top song trophy. “We are the culture.” “Not Like Us” shattered streaming records, catapulted to the top of the charts and quickly became a West Coast rap anthem, beloved for its pounding bass line, rhythmic strings and exaggerated enunciation. Kendrick Lamar holds his five Grammys — Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video and Song of the Year awards — on Sunday in Los Angeles. | REUTERS In her acceptance speech for Best New Artist award Chappell Roan urged labels to provide better support for their artists. | REUTERS Lamar dedicated his best record win to his hometown, which is still reeling from the fires that razed whole neighborhoods and left thousands of people displaced. The coveted prize for Best New Artist went to Chappell Roan, capping a meteoric year for the Midwestern artist who went from struggling singer to music’s It girl seemingly overnight. But in a powerful acceptance speech, she recounted how it wasn’t always easy — she was dropped from her label during the pandemic and struggled to find work. Roan demanded that labels provide artists with a “livable wage and health care.” “Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees,” she said. “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?” ‘Anything is possible’ Doechii emerged as another big winner, becoming just the third woman to ever win the prize for best rap album. The second-ever winner, Cardi B, presented her with the prize. “Anything is possible,” Doechii said as she accepted the trophy through tears, speaking directly to Black girls and women like herself. “Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud,” she said. Sabrina Carpenter in the press room with her two Grammys for the Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album | REUTERS Doechii performs a showstopping medley of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River” | REUTERS Shakira performs a medley of her hits before winning Best Latin Pop Album | REUTERS “You are exactly who you need to be.” Sabrina Carpenter won for best pop vocal album, her second award of the night that followed a slapstick, Old Hollywood-inspired performance of her nominated hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Shakira scooped Best Latin Pop Album, before delivering a jaw-dropping performance of her classics and new work, gyrating around the room. And Charli XCX won three prizes including best dance/electronic album for her summer-defining “Brat” before a banging performance at the end of the night. ‘Love you, LA’ Sunday’s gala was an homage to the city of Los Angeles. Yet it was not a somber evening but rather one of warmth, celebrating first responders while urging donations. Host Trevor Noah said at least $7 million was raised from viewers for wildfire relief. Host Trevor Noah addresses the Grammy Awards audience on Sunday. | REUTERS Stevie Wonder sings “We Are the World” with Herbie Hancock on the piano | REUTERS Members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department receive a standing ovation from the packed house at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. | REUTERS Top LA County firefighters presented Beyonce with her big award, while students who lost their schools sang with Stevie Wonder on “We Are The World” as part of the tribute to the late music powerhouse Quincy Jones. The show opened with a supergroup including Sheryl Crow and John Legend performing Randy Newman’s track “I Love LA,” while Eilish sang her hit “Birds of a Feather” in an LA Dodgers baseball cap. “I love you LA,” she said to cheers. Source link

Authorities are still struggling to rescue a 74-year-old truck driver who has been trapped in a massive sinkhole in eastern Saitama Prefecture since Jan. 28. The biggest challenge for the operation, now in its seventh day, is that the sinkhole continues to expand, complicating the rescue efforts. “It may take more time to rescue (the individual) and restore (the roads),” Saitama Gov. Motohiro Ono said at the beginning of a task force meeting open to media on Sunday evening. Source link

Taipei, Taiwan – Taiwanese star Barbie Hsu, who was hugely popular across Asia for her leading role in the 2001 television drama “Meteor Garden,” has died from a respiratory illness, local media reported Monday. She was 48. Hsu passed away after developing pneumonia during a family trip to Japan over the Lunar New Year holiday, the younger of her two sisters was quoted as saying. “My dearest and kindest sister Barbie Hsu sadly left us due to influenza complications that led to pneumonia,” the younger Hsu said in a statement shared by her agent and reported by the semi-official Central News Agency. “I’m grateful to have been her sister in this lifetime, to take care of each other, accompany each other, I will forever be thankful to her and miss her.” Source link

Kinuko Iwamoto, former chancellor of Tokyo Women’s Medical University, was served a fresh arrest warrant Monday over fraudulent payments of consulting fees by the university, according to investigative sources. Iwamoto, 78, is suspected of committing a breach of trust, allegedly making the university fraudulently pay a total of around ¥170 million in consulting fees on multiple occasions between March 2020 and September 2021 to a 68-year-old architect in relation to the construction of a new building for what is now the university hospital’s Adachi Medical Center. The university paid the architect roughly ¥184 million in total as consulting fees, when police believe it should have paid only slightly over ¥14 million. Investigators believe that around ¥50 million out of the fraudulent payments was funneled to Iwamoto for personal use, and are investigating the flow of money in detail. On Jan. 13, the former chancellor was arrested on suspicion of breach of trust over making the university pay a total of about ¥117 million between July 2018 and February 2020 to an architect for fictitious consulting work on the construction of a new campus building. She is believed to have used these payments to funnel some ¥37 million to herself. Police believe the total amount of money the suspect gained through these fraudulent payments was about ¥87 million. Source link