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Meta releases standalone AI app, competing with ChatGPT

Social media behemoth Meta unveiled its first standalone AI assistant app on Tuesday, challenging ChatGPT by giving users a direct path to its generative artificial intelligence models.

BRICS members blast rise of 'trade protectionism'

China, Brazil and other members of the BRICS grouping on Tuesday slammed the "resurgence of trade protectionism" at a meeting in Rio de Janeiro dominated by US President Donald Trump's tariffs blitz.

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Draft NZ law seeks 'biological' definition of man, woman

A populist party in New Zealand's governing coalition on Tuesday proposed a law to enforce a biological definition of men and women, condemning the existing "woke ideology" of "cancerous social engineering".

Indonesia food plan risks 'world's largest' deforestation

An Indonesian soldier gives a thumbs up as he crosses a rice field on a combine harvester in remote Papua, where a government food security mega-project has raised fears of mass deforestation.

Trump helps enflame anti-LGBTQ feeling from Hungary to Romania

Hungarian Nikoletta Bogadi's life was turned upside down when one of her four children came out as gay and another one as transgender.

Trump tariffs torch chances of meeting with China's Xi

With his storm of tariffs on Chinese goods, US President Donald Trump has torched ties with Beijing and likely wrecked any hope of meeting his counterpart Xi Jinping in the near term, analysts say.

X rival Bluesky adds blue checks for trusted accounts

X rival Bluesky on Monday said it was adding blue checks to accounts that have been verified to confirm users are who they claim to be.

Latin America fondly farewells its first pontiff

The passing of Latin America's first pope sparked an upwelling of sorrow but also gratitude Monday, with everyone from Lionel Messi to disparaged migrants marking the life of a pontiff who spoke to and for the region's faithful.

US assets slump again as Trump sharpens attack on Fed chief

Gold prices hit a fresh record on Monday while the dollar tumbled further along with Wall Street equities as President Donald Trump again slammed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

US urges curb of Google's search dominance as AI looms

US government attorneys urged a federal judge Monday to make Google spin off its Chrome browser, arguing artificial intelligence is poised to ramp up the tech giant's online search dominance.

Mourning Americans contrast Trump approach to late Pope Francis

There was emotion across the United States following the death of Pope Francis, with many mourners contrasting the Argentine pontiff's gentle touch with the harshness of the current US administration.

Clerical sex abuse: Pope Francis's thorniest challenge

When Pope Francis took over in 2013, the Catholic Church was embroiled in a global scandal over child sex abuse by priests, and the institution's attempts to cover it up.

Nigerian Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti takes a look inward

Sat comfortably in a large chair at the New Afrika Shrine, his family's legendary Nigerian music venue, Femi Kuti was surrounded by history.

Kim Kardashian: From sex tape to Oval Office via TV and Instagram

Billionaire businesswoman, high priestess of social media, Oval Office invitee, effortless siren, mother of four: Kim Kardashian has mastered the 21st century like no one else.

Vance heads to India for tough talks on trade

US Vice President JD Vance begins a four-day visit to India on Monday as New Delhi looks to seal an early trade deal and stave off punishing US tariffs.

Gold hits record, dollar drops as tariff fears dampen sentiment

Gold prices hit a fresh record Monday while the dollar weakened further and stocks were mixed amid worries about Donald Trump's tariff blitz and bubbling row with the Federal Reserve.

Trump tariffs stunt US toy imports as sellers play for time

Josh Staph fears the fun-packed shelves of his toy warehouse might start looking joyless in the months ahead, with made-in-China flying discs and model gliders grounded -– like much of his product line –- by Donald Trump's tariffs.

Mogul Works Asia Expands Learning & Development Footprint, Doubling Down on Malaysia as a Regional Talent Hub

KUALA LUMPUR, MY / ACCESS Newswire / April 21, 2025 / Mogul Works Asia ("MWA"), a leading integrated marketing and talent solutions company in Southeast Asia, is proud to announce its continued expansion and strengthened partnerships with top institutions and corporations across Malaysia. With an ever-growing portfolio of learning and development initiatives, MWA remains fully committed to positioning Malaysia as a premier talent hub for the region.

Trump slams 'weak' judges as deportation row intensifies

The clash over President Donald Trump's bid to exercise unprecedented powers in deporting migrants deepened Sunday as he again bashed the judiciary, while a top Democrat warned the country was "closer and closer" to a constitutional crisis.

Tariffs could lift Boeing and Airbus plane prices even higher

Commercial plane prices, already lifted in recent years due to pandemic supply chain shocks, are poised to climb further as Boeing and Airbus are buffeted by trade tariffs.

US Supreme Court intervenes to block Trump deportations

The US Supreme Court, in a dramatic nighttime intervention Saturday, blocked President Donald Trump's unprecedented use of an obscure law to deport Venezuelan migrants without due process.

Migrant's expulsion puts Washington Salvadorans on edge

Sara Lopez hugs the wall of the mall as she hurries back to her car after a shopping trip just outside Washington.

Plan for expanded Muslim community triggers hope, fear in Texas

Threats to Muslims living in Texas are nothing new, but lately the vile phone calls to Imran Chaudhary have ramped up.

Ford 'adjusts' some exports to China due to tariffs

Citing the US-China trade conflict, Ford said Friday it has "adjusted" its exports to the country, where the US auto giant operates manufacturing jointly with local partners.

Trump goes to war with the Fed

Donald Trump's simmering discontent with the US Federal Reserve boiled over this week, with the president threatening to take the unprecedented step of ousting the head of the fiercely independent central bank.

Judge denies Sean 'Diddy' Combs push to delay trial

The federal judge in the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs for sex trafficking and other charges denied Friday the music mogul's bid to delay his trial by two months, saying he had ample time to prepare.

Three dead after deadly spring storm wreaks havoc in the Alps

Two men on their way to help with rescue efforts were found dead on Friday after a spring storm drenched parts of northern Italy and dumped more than a metre of snow in other areas across the Alps, shutting ski areas, halting transport and killing at least one other person.

Tokyo leads gains in most Asian markets on trade deal hopes

Tokyo led most Asian markets higher Friday on optimism about a Japan-US trade deal as investors keep tabs on countries' tariff talks with the White House.

China's manufacturing backbone feels Trump trade war pinch

Sky-high tariffs imposed on China by US President Donald Trump have triggered a slump in factory orders, manufacturers told AFP this week -- with some fearing business may never return.

Heartbroken Brits abandon pets as living costs bite

Staff at a London animal shelter have seen more than their fair share of abandoned pets over the years, from kittens in boxes to budgies dropped outside in the dead of night.

Mongolian LGBTQ youth fight for recognition through music, comedy

Mongolian influencer Anudari Daarya looks effortlessly glamorous and carefree in her social media posts -- but the classically trained pianist's road to acceptance as a transgender artist has been anything but easy.

India's elephant warning system tackles deadly conflict

In central India's dry forests, community trackers hunt for signs of elephants to feed into an alert system that is helping prevent some of the hundreds of fatal tramplings each year.

Japan rice prices soar as core inflation accelerates

Rice prices in Japan last month were almost twice what they were a year earlier, official data showed Friday, as core inflation accelerated in the world's number four economy.

Netflix earnings top forecasts despite economic turmoil

Netflix on Thursday reported quarterly earnings slightly better than analysts expected, saying it is staying focused on what it can control as the overall economy is roiled by US President Donald Trump's trade war.

The Japan Times - Economy (English)