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Ghosts of past spies haunt London underground tunnels

Behind a blue door in a narrow London passage lies a little-known network of tunnels deep underground, once home to British spies and a secret long-distance telephone exchange.

Apple profit climbs but sales miss expectations

Apple on Thursday reported its revenue was a whopping $124.3 billion in the year-end holiday quarter but sales growth fell shy of market expectations as the iPhone faces stiff competition, particularly in China.

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Politicians put spin on story of Poles who saved Jews: experts

The beatification of a Polish family who sheltered Jews during the Holocaust has given the government in Warsaw a chance to promote a one-sided narrative about attitudes of Poles in the war, experts have said.

SpaceX's Starship to remain grounded after explosion probe

SpaceX's Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, must remain grounded while Elon Musk's company completes dozens of corrective actions to prevent a repeat of the spectacular explosion that marred its first orbital test flight, regulators said Friday.

Virgin Galactic notches fourth spaceflight in four months

Virgin Galactic on Friday announced it had sent three paying customers on an hour-long journey to space and back, racking up its fourth successful flight in as many months.

Augmented books, Wallace and Gromit show VR future in Venice

The rapid evolution of virtual reality was on display in Venice this week, with visitors brought into the world of Wallace and Gromit and watching books come to life before their eyes.

Billion-light-year-wide 'bubble of galaxies' discovered

Astronomers have discovered the first "bubble of galaxies," an almost unimaginably huge cosmic structure thought to be a fossilised remnant from just after the Big Bang sitting in our galactic backyard.

Amateur makes 'gold find of the century' in Norway

A Norwegian out walking on doctors' advice unearthed rare 6th-century gold jewellery using a newly bought metal detector, a discovery archaeologists said on Thursday was Norway's "gold find of the century".

Tencent claims new AI chat bot skills comparable to ChatGPT

Chinese tech giant Tencent on Thursday claimed its new chatbot had some capabilities on par with top US rival ChatGPT, as the global artificial intelligence race heats up.

Japan launches 'Moon Sniper' mission

Japan's "Moon Sniper" mission blasted off Thursday as the country's space programme looks to bounce back from a string of recent mishaps.

Newly discovered comet visible in night sky this weekend

A comet called Nishimura discovered just a month ago could be visible to the naked eye this weekend, offering stargazers a once-in-a-437-year chance to observe the celestial visitor.

In Latin America, Brazilian fintech firms rule

When Brazilian sisters Daniela and Juliana Binatti quit their jobs to launch a new financial technology -- or fintech -- product, colleagues called them a pair of upstart nuts.

Tesla, Chinese brands take centre stage at Munich car show

Tesla and Chinese carmakers showed off their newest electric models at the Munich auto fair on Monday, throwing down the gauntlet to their European rivals as competition in the sector intensifies.

Invasive species a growing and costly threat, key report to find

Invasive species that destroy forests, ravage crops and cause extinctions are a major and growing threat worldwide, a landmark UN-backed assessment is poised to report.

Pre-Incan site for ancestor worship found in Peru

A team of Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists has unearthed a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in northern Peru dedicated to ancestor worship, with burial chambers, human remains and ceramic offerings.

From the Moon to the Sun: India launches next space mission

The latest mission in India's ambitious space programme blasted off Saturday on a voyage towards the centre of the solar system, a week after the country's successful unmanned Moon landing.

NASA spots new Moon crater, likely caused by crashed Russian probe

NASA has spotted a small new crater on the Moon that was likely caused by a Russian probe crash landing on the surface around two weeks ago.

Study quantifies link between greenhouse gases, polar bear survival

Polar bears have long symbolized the dangers posed by climate change, as rising temperatures melt away the Arctic sea ice which they depend upon for survival.

Baidu leads public rollout of AI chatbots in China

Tech giant Baidu launched China's first public artificial intelligence chatbot on Thursday, with ERNIE trained to censor highly sensitive topics for the ruling Communist Party such as the Tiananmen crackdown.

'It hurts my heart': Japan's Kanto massacre, 100 years on

This week Japan marks 100 years since the Great Kanto Earthquake that killed 105,000 people. Less well known is the subsequent massacre of thousands of ethnic Koreans that haunts the community to this day.

Last 'Super Blue Moon' until 2037 rises tonight

Astronomy enthusiasts are in for a treat Wednesday night: a rare "super blue Moon" that won't be seen again for more than a decade.

China and Japan's long history of strained ties

A row between China and Japan over Tokyo's decision to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant has added to decades of animosity between the two nations.

Indian rover confirms sulphur on Moon's south pole

India's Moon rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar south pole, the country's space agency said.

Japan's century of efforts to tame earthquakes

Takashi Hosoda was in a Tokyo skyscraper when the 9.0 magnitude quake struck on March 11, 2011, but the trained architect was "not particularly worried" as modern Japanese buildings are designed to protect their occupants.

Google courts businesses with ramped up cloud AI

Google on Tuesday said it was weaving artificial intelligence (AI) deeper into its cloud offerings as it vies for the business of firms keen to capitalize on the technology.

Scientists voyage to Greenland's melting sanctuary

With rugged red mountains rising on either side, a sailboat carrying scientists deftly snakes between icebergs brimming Greenland's Scoresby Fjord, as they rush to document this understudied region on the frontline of climate change.

ChatGPT turns to business as popularity wanes

OpenAI on Monday said it was launching a business version of ChatGPT as its AI bot sensation grapples with declining usership nine months after its historic debut.

AI revolution in video games has industry players treading warily

From generating story lines to coding entire games to turning ideas into animation, artificial intelligence is front and centre at Gamescom, one of the video game industry's biggest fairs.

NASA and SpaceX crew of four blast off to ISS

NASA and SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft blasted off on Saturday carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station.

India's Moon mission a model for aspiring space powers: PM Modi

India's budget Moon landing is a model for other countries aspiring to develop their own space programmes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday while praising the scientists behind the successful mission.

NASA and SpaceX re-attempt launch of four crew to ISS

NASA and SpaceX will try again on Saturday to send the next crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX postpone launch of ISS crew rotation mission

NASA and SpaceX said Thursday they have postponed the launch of a crew of four to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX to send next crew to the ISS

NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch a crew of four to the International Space Station on Friday.

Indian rover begins exploring Moon's south pole

India began exploring the Moon's surface with a rover on Thursday, a day after it became the first nation to land a craft near the largely unexplored lunar south pole.

The Japan Times - Technology (English)