Latest Updates

SoftBank leads OpenAI’s funding round amid rise of DeepSeek

April 1, 2025

PALO ALTO, U.S./TOKYO — OpenAI’s latest $40 billion funding round positions Japan’s SoftBank Group as a leading partner for the U.S.-based ChatGPT developer looking to build artificial intelligence infrastructure to compete with such new players as DeepSeek.

The investment announced Tuesday Japan time — six times the size of the ChatGPT developer’s last round in October and an all-time high for an unlisted startup — doubled its valuation to $300 billion. SoftBank is contributing three-quarters of the total.

byadmin

Published April 01, 2025

Some federal agencies launch a new 'deferred resignation' effort to encourage workers to leave their jobs

Azan Ali aims for World Champion title
Azan Ali aims for World Champion title Pakistani young squash player Azan Ali Khan has set his sights on becoming a World Champion, saying his goal demands extensive hard work for which he is ready. “Squash is my family’s game. I’m the nephew of International Champion Jahangir Khan. My father trained Hamza Khan, a world…
Indonesia’s $2.3bn fitness craze has businesses flexing financial muscles
JAKARTA — Sheila Hanifa, a 29-year-old petroleum engineer in Jakarta, began a daily fitness routine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been expanding her exercise regimen ever since. What started out as casual running in 2021 has evolved into a broader fitness lifestyle, on which Hanifa spends more than 5 million rupiah ($300) monthly —…
Visa is reinstated for BYU student from Japan who had a fishing citation and speeding tickets
A Brigham Young University student from Japan discovered that his visa was reinstated last week after it had been abruptly revoked a few weeks ago, his attorney told NBC News. Suguru Onda, a doctoral student and father of five, had received a notice from government officials that his legal status was terminated because he was…
Nayyer Ejaz criticizes men who disrespect wives by discussing past relationships
Nayyer Ejaz criticizes men who disrespect wives by discussing past relationships Ejaz expressed love, admiration, and gratitude for his wife, who was already married and had three children. He emphasized the importance of respecting a wife’s feelings and reciprocating her care. Ejaz is open about his past relationships and believes in the power of a…
Japan PM Ishiba’s approval stays low, with 51% calling for action on inflation
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s cabinet lost 2 percentage points to log an approval rating of 33% in this month’s Nikkei/TV Tokyo poll, its lowest reading yet amid historically high inflation. The cabinet’s disapproval rating climbed 1 point from March to 60%.
GOP-led House panel renews referral of Andrew Cuomo for prosecution over Covid testimony
A Republican-led congressional committee sent a letter Monday to Attorney General Pam Bondi re-upping its referral of former New York Gov. Andrew Coumo for prosecution, accusing him of lying during testimony before the panel as it was investigating the pandemic. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., had referred its accusations regarding…
Yasir Hussain shares reason for not working with Iqra Aziz on-screen
Yasir Hussain shares reason for not working with Iqra Aziz on-screen Actor and director Yasir Hussain discusses his preference for Iqra Aziz to be cast alongside actors closer to her age. He believes this approach protects Iqra’s youthful on-screen presence and allows her to continue playing strong lead roles. Despite their chemistry, Yasir’s approach supports…
Trump has made the BOJ’s job so much harder
William Pesek is an award-winning Tokyo-based journalist and author of “Japanization: What the World Can Learn from Japan’s Lost Decades.” As Donald Trump threatens to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the U.S. president is also upending monet policy decisions in far-off Tokyo.