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☆ This video of David Attenborough narrating a programmer's life shows Hollywood actors were right to be afraid of AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A programmer has created an AI version of David Attenborough to narrate his life. AdvertisementIf you've ever wanted acclaimed broadcaster and documentary filmmaker Sir David Attenborough to narrate your life, you're not alone — and you don't have to keep merely wishing for it anymore. He's been posting quirky experiments with AI on X — like one that uses AI to recommend how you should correct your posture. And it's made possible by combining OpenAI's GPT-4-vision — an AI model that can describe what it sees — and code from Elevens Lab, an AI voice startup. One X user wrote, "I'm going to get David Attenborough to narrate videos of my baby learning how to eat broccoli."

Persons: David Attenborough, Salma Hayek —, —, you've, Sir David Attenborough, Charlie Holtz, Holtz, Attenborough, @charliebholtz, Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy —, it's, Justine Bateman, Bateman Organizations: Service, Elevens Lab, Hollywood, Actors

☆ This humorous sign in Milwaukee's airport is peak Midwest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewEvery time I visit my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an understated, humorous sign at the end of the airport security screening makes me chuckle. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The recombobulation area at the airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee airport's in-house shop created the signs and installed them 15 years ago. When I landed at the airport during my most recent trip home in November, I posted on my Instagram story that I'd arrived.

Persons: —, Webster, Talia Lakritz, Barry Bateman, Harold Mester, Mitchell, Bateman, Mester, I'd Organizations: Service, Business, Merriam, Mitchell International, Milwaukee Locations: Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Milwaukee

BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson hurt an ankle and lost one of his top targets to a more severe injury. Jackson threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter — one of which came thanks to a fortuitous carom — and the Ravens beat Cincinnati 34-20 on Thursday night after the Bengals lost Joe Burrow to a wrist injury. Burrow left in the second quarter after throwing a touchdown pass and wasn't able to return. “That's like receiver one sometimes.”Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced after the game that Andrews' injury appears to be season-ending. Cincinnati won the division the past two years, when late-season injuries kept Jackson off the field for the Ravens.

Persons: — Lamar Jackson, Jackson, Joe Burrow, Burrow, Mark Andrews, ” Jackson, “, ”, John Harbaugh, Andrews, Zac Taylor, hasn't, Joe Mixon, Jackson's, Germaine Pratt, Nelson Agholor, Rashod Bateman, Jake Browning, Ja'Marr Chase, Browning, ” Browning, Joe, Gus Edwards bookended, Deshaun Watson, ” Harbaugh, I'd, Cam Taylor, Britt, ___ Organizations: BALTIMORE, Cincinnati Bengals, Ravens, Cincinnati, Bengals, AFC, ” Ravens, Baltimore, AFC North, Cleveland, Super, San, NEXT, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Chargers Locations: Cincinnati, Baltimore, Florida, San Francisco, New Orleans

☆ She Redecorated Her Boyfriend’s Apartment. TikTok Hated It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Soon after Emma Ganzarain moved into her boyfriend’s apartment in Oslo, the couple got to work on a redesign. They added light-colored herringbone floors, with radiant heating to combat the Norwegian chill, and taupe kitchen cabinets. When the work was just about done, Ms. Ganzarain, 26, posted some before and after photos on TikTok. “All men need a woman in their life,” she wrote in the caption. Many people have accused Ms. Ganzarain, who had about 3,000 TikTok followers at the time of the post, of ruining her boyfriend’s space, replacing its warmth and character with a more sterile look.

Persons: Emma Ganzarain, Ganzarain, ”, commenter, “, Patrick Bateman Locations: Oslo

Hollywood jumped into planning mode Thursday at the news of a tentative agreement between striking actors and the major entertainment companies. Just hours after the tentative agreement was announced, “The Marvels” star Iman Vellani was already being offered to press for interviews. The Walt Disney Co. movie, which cost over $200 million to produce, opens this weekend with showtimes starting as early as Thursday afternoon. Searchlight Pictures also started actively planning things for Michael Fassbender, who stars in Taika Waititi's “Next Goal Wins,” out next week. Brunson’s writing team had already been back in the room, but the strike’s suspension clears the way for filming.

Persons: Hollywood, what's, Iman Vellani, Michael Fassbender, ”, Timothée Chalamet, Wonka ”, Jason Momoa, publicists, Joe Biden, ” Biden, “, they’ve, Gavin Newsom, Simu Liu, “ Barbie, ” Lui, “ Bravo, ” Albert Brooks, Rob Reiner, “ Albert Brooks, Max, ” Brooks, ” Octavia Spencer, ” “ Abbott, Quinta Brunson, “ we’re, Justine Bateman, Priscilla ”, “ Ferrari, Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein, “ Maestro, Carey Mulligan, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Jeffrey Wright, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Scorsese’s, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert DeNiro, Alexander Payne’s “, Paul Giamatti, Annette Bening, Jodie Foster Organizations: Walt Disney Co, showtimes, Searchlight Pictures, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, “ SAG, SAG, HBO Locations: California, Venice

To studio executives who negotiated with the SAG-AFTRA president, the former star of "The Nanny" prolonged a strike while she relished her high-profile role. As president of the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA union, Drescher won widespread praise from performers for her tenacity in fighting for better wages and protections against the rising threat of artificial intelligence technology. Drescher framed her actions as part of a broader labor movement battling Corporate America, where, in her view, executives place Wall Street's approval and their own compensation ahead of the welfare of workers. Studio executives, who declined to criticize Drescher publicly to avoid inflaming labor talks, said the 66-year-old Drescher delivered similar unvarnished critiques to industry leaders during closed-door negotiations. "Her interest as the union president is to see all performers, from background to the top 2%, succeed in a vibrant industry for the next century and beyond."

Persons: Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Fran Fine, Drescher, Kate Bond, Jill Morgan, AFTRA, Wall, Norma Rae, Ivy Kagan Bierman, Loeb & Loeb, Shari Belafonte, Belafonte, Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, Kimberly Westbrook, Fran, Westbrook, Justine Bateman, Alex Plank, Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Ezra, She's, Plank, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SAG, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, Netflix, Broadway, CBS, Corporate America, Loeb &, NBC, Walt Disney, Amazon Studios, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, ANGELES, Queens, Ireland

Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe disdain for Congress is just one area where Americans say they are losing faith. Various polls say the negative feelings include a loss of confidence or interest in institutions such as organized religion, policing, the Supreme Court, even banking. “Trust in institutions has deteriorated substantially,” said Kay Schlozman, professor of political science at Boston College. Just 3% have a great deal of confidence in Congress, virtually unchanged from March. The polling reinforces that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say their confidence in the Supreme Court is low.

Persons: —, They’re, ”, Christopher Lauff, Joe Biden, “ We’re, Lauff, Kay Schlozman, Schlozman, Democratic Sen, Robert Menendez, Kevin McCarthy, Democrat Joe Biden —, Donald Trump, Rick Cartelli, Cartelli, Biden, “, Robert F, Kennedy, Kathleen Kersey, Brian Kemp, there’s, Ronald Reagan's, ” David Bateman, Barack Obama’s, Bateman, Trump, Chris Wray, ” Bateman Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S ., “, Boston College, Democratic, Robert Menendez of New, Republicans, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Democrat, Justice Department, AP, Kennedy Human Rights, Republican, Trust, Pentagon, Cornell University, Gallup, FBI, Trump Locations: U.S, Fargo , North Dakota, Ukraine, —, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, That’s, Rocky Hill , Connecticut, Brunswick , Georgia

☆ Hollywood's AI issues are far from settled after writers' labor deal with studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Writers Guild of America's labor deal with Hollywood studios was billed as a big win for writers, but industry experts fear the agreement's artificial intelligence guardrails won't be enough. The contract does, however, leave room for studios to train AI using preexisting material. WGA's original May proposal, which triggered the strike, would have disallowed studios from using any materials to train AI outright. Hollywood studios training AI with preexisting materials could create a whole new set of issues for writers by allowing the studios to use previous work to generate similar materials without the writer's consent or even awareness. Allowing studios to train AI with preexisting material was a "punt" down the line, and studios will inevitably "push to use AI as far as possible," said Peter Csathy, founder and chairman of media legal advisory company Creative Media.

Persons: Justine Bateman, Leslie Callif, Donaldson, Callif, Peter Csathy Organizations: Writers Guild of America, The, Hollywood, CNBC, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Beverly, Creative Media Locations: Netflix's, York, New York City, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, U.S

The legendary rock band, which has won 22 Grammys, performed for two hours inside the massive, state-of-the-art spherical venue with crystal-clear audio. Throughout the night, there were a plethora of attractive visuals — including kaleidoscope images, a burning flag and Las Vegas’ skyline, taking the more than 18,000 attendees on U2’s epic musical journey. Bono then paid homage to the late Elvis Presley, who was a Las Vegas entertainment staple. … Can you hear us?”The U2 frontman pointed into the crowd and shouted out Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Jimmy Iovine. The band closed its first Sphere concert with “Beautiful Day," which one three Grammys in 2001.

Persons: Bono, kneeled, ”, Adam Clayton, Bram van den Berg, Elvis Presley, Elvis, “, It’s, Oprah, LeBron James, Matt Damon, Andre Agassi, Ava DuVernay, Josh Duhamel, Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Oscar de la Hoya, Henrik Lundqvist, Flav, Diplo, Dakota Fanning, Orlando Bloom, Mario Lopez, ” Bono, Paul McCartney, Macca, James Dolan’s, Dolan, Jim Dolan, Shea, Dre, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Iovine, Jimmy Buffett’s, Larry Mullen Jr, Bram van den, Mullen, Berg, ” Berg Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Garden, New York Knicks, Rangers Locations: Las, Vegas, Las Vegas, Elvis, ”, Madison, Berg

☆ The most predictable impeachment investigation in American history
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —The initiation of an impeachment investigation against a president ought to be an earthshaking moment in the nation’s history. Republicans could use an impeachment investigation of the president to fuel public suspicion over Hunter Biden’s cascading controversies. But the coming impeachment investigation represents a gamble for Republicans since it could cause a backlash in moderate districts that their majority depends on. Ian Sams, a White House spokesman for oversight and investigations, blasted the impeachment investigation as “extreme politics at its worst.”But the strain of an impeachment inquiry is hardly the way the White House would have preferred to prepare for election year. If the impeachment investigation does uncover more direct involvement of Joe Biden, condemnations of McCarthy’s action may have been premature.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, –, Biden, thrall, Trump, It’s, “, Hunter, They’ll, McCarthy’s, Joe Biden’s, Ian Sams, Hunter Biden’s, David Ignatius, didn’t, Kamala Harris, Democratic Sen, Dick Durbin, Hunter Biden, Jared Kushner, Nancy Pelosi, Alexander Hamilton, impeachments, ”, it’s, Matt Gaetz, Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Trump’s, Richard Nixon, David Bateman, Clinton, ” Bateman, there’s, who’s, Chris Christie, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Biden augured, Dan Newhouse, Pelosi, Will, ” McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, White, Trump, California Republican, Mar, Republicans, Washington Post, Democratic, Representatives, ”, Clinton, Lawmakers, Cornell University, New, Washington, Senate Locations: United States, California, China, Ukraine, –, Florida, New Jersey

☆ Row with China over Fukushima release could shave 0.2% off Japan GDP, Daiwa says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A row with China over Tokyo's decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant could shave 0.2% off Japan's real gross domestic product (GDP), estimates by Daiwa Institute of Research showed on Thursday. Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last Thursday, prompting China, Japan's biggest trade partner, to impose a blanket ban on Japanese seafood products. A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsIf the row escalates and leads to a 20% drop in goods exports to China, Japan's GDP could shrink by around 6.1 trillion yen, or 1.1%, according to the estimates. ($1 = 145.8900 yen)Reporting by Leika Kihara Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Leika, Peter Graff Organizations: Daiwa Institute of Research, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture

☆ Japan has no plans to boost funds to ease reputation damage from Fukushima water release
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Japan's industry minister said on Wednesday the government had no plan to substantially boost funds aimed at helping the fishing industry hit by reputation damage from the release of treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. The government currently has two such funds worth 80 billion yen ($547 million). ($1 = 146.1700 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

☆ Japan says may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that Japan would take "necessary action (on China's aquatic product ban) under various routes including the WTO framework". Filing a WTO complaint might become an option if protesting to China through diplomatic routes is ineffective, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi said separately. Japan's National Police Agency has received 225 reports of harassment calls to date, Jiji News reported, and the government said it was seeking help from telecommunications companies to block the calls. NTT and other phone companies including KDDI (9433.T) and SoftBank Corp (9434.T) are discussing measures following the government's request. "It is extremely regrettable and concerning about the large number of harassment calls that have likely come from China," Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said during a news conference.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, Mariko Katsumura, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Simon Cameron, Moore, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, World Trade Organization, Economic, Japan's National Police Agency, Jiji News, NTT Communications, Nippon Telegraph, Telephone, NTT, SoftBank Corp, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, China, WTO

☆ Japan says harassing calls from China over Fukushima water release 'extremely regrettable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Japan said on Monday it was extremely regrettable that there were many instances of harassing phone calls from China regarding the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific. Japan started the water discharge on Thursday in a key step toward decommissioning the Fukushima plant, which suffered triple meltdowns after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 following a powerful earthquake. "A lot of harassment phone calls believed to be originating from China are occurring in Japan ... Other municipalities, hotels and restaurants have also been getting such calls since the day the water release began, domestic media said.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Hirokazu Matsuno, Masataka Okano, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Martin Pollard, Jacqueline Wong, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Pacific ., Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, China, Pacific, Pacific . Japan, Tokyo, Beijing

☆ Japan says harassment calls from China regarding Fukushima water release extremely regrettable
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Japan's top government spokesman said on Monday it was extremely regrettable that there were many instances of harassment phone calls from China regarding the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific. "A lot of harassment phone calls believed to be originating from China are occurring in Japan ... These developments are extremely regrettable and we are concerned," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference. Japan on Thursday started the water discharge, a key step in decommissioning the Fukushima plant, which suffered triple meltdowns after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 following a powerful earthquake.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Martin Pollard, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan, Thursday, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, China, Tokyo, Beijing

☆ Japan says seawater radioactivity below limits near Fukushima
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Aug. 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc FollowTOKYO, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Japan's environment ministry on Sunday said tests of seawater near the Fukushima nuclear power plant did not detect any radioactivity, days after the discharge of treated water that had been used to cool nuclear reactors. The east-Asian nation on Thursday started releasing water from the wrecked Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean, sparking protests within Japan and neighbouring countries and prompting China to ban aquatic product imports from Japan. It said the seawater "would have no adverse impact on human health and the environment". Japan's fisheries agency on Saturday said tests of fish in waters around the plant did not detect tritium.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Kaori Kaneko, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Reuters, Tokyo Electric Power Co, Tepco, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, China

☆ China's biggest salt maker urges public not to panic buy after Fukushima discharge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after it started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, seen from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan August 25, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Bateman Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 25 (Reuters) - China's biggest salt producer urged people against panic buying after Japan began discharging treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday, despite firm opposition from Beijing. "We are working overtime to produce, distribute and making all efforts to guarantee market supply," the National Salt Industry Group said in its statement. The national salt group said sea salt only accounts for 10% of the salt people consume, the rest are well and late salt, which are safe from contamination. The group said its salt supply is ample and the stock shortfall would be temporary.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Albee Zhang, Brenda Goh, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan, Salt Industry Group, International Atomic Energy Agency, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, China, Shanghai

☆ Opinion | ‘They Are Not Going to Settle for the Second-Best Trump’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Thomas B. Edsall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

DeSantis saying he’s going to start “slitting throats” reminded me of Romney’s “severely conservative.” While DeSantis’s is a dangerous escalation of violent imagery, they both sound bizarre and unnatural. At a more fundamental level, Bateman wrote:It’s not at all clear that what most Republican voters (rather than donors) want is a mainstream and party credentialed version of Trump. The problem with this approach, Ayres continued, is that “the Always Trump voters are ‘Always Trump’ for a reason — they are not going to settle for the second-best Trump if they can get the real thing.”Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster, wrote:There is no room for DeSantis or anyone else to outflank Trump on the right, where Trump has his most loyal base. Candidates can argue that Trump is insufficiently conservative on some issues, but that it not the point for Trump loyalists. Candidates can try to echo the ugliness of Trump’s rhetoric, but that too misses what really draws these voters to Trump.

Persons: Trump, Romney’s “, Bateman, It’s, Trump’s, ” David O, Sears, “, Archie Bunker, Whit Ayres, Republican pollster, DeSantis, RFK Jr, Ayres, Geoff Garin, MAGA, Frances Lee, ” Lee, ” Organizations: Yale, Harvard, Trump, Republican, Derby, Wimbledon, NPR, Ivy League, for Disease Control, Democratic, Trump loyalists, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Princeton

[1/3] Supermarket owner Takashi Nakajima, 67, prepares sashimi, or raw fish, to sell at his store, near the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, August 9, 2023. It's been a long battle to get radiation-wary customers back to the seafood from waters near the Fukushima nuclear power plant that was wrecked in the 2011 tsunami, Nakajima says. Now, with the imminent release of treated radioactive water from the plant into the Pacific, he fears a return to square one. "This can't be happening," the 67-year-old said in the backyard kitchen of his supermarket in Soma city, just 45 km (28 miles) north of the stricken power plant. The problem is, this water release will go on for at least 30 years."

Persons: Takashi Nakajima, Akiko Okamoto, It's, Nakajima, Yasutaka Shishido, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Tokyo Electric Power, Thomson Locations: Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China

☆ Japan's Kishida to meet fishermen on Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 20, 2023, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will meet fishermen as soon as Monday to seek their understanding of the government's plan to release radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific. He said his government would make every effort to ensure the safety of the water release and counter reputational damage. Releasing the water is a key step in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant and revitalising Fukushima, he added. The prime minister declined to say when it would begin.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Tom Bateman, Yuka Obayashi, William Mallard Organizations: Japan's, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tokyo Electric Power, Tepco, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, South Korea, China

An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following a strong earthquake, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan in this photo taken by Kyodo on March 17, 2022. Members of a group that tracks such levels in food and seawater, they fear Japan's plans to release treated radioactive water into the sea near the Fukushima nuclear plant could stir an anxiety among residents reminiscent of the 2011 disaster. "The people of Fukushima endured the risks for the last 12 years and have confirmed the radiation level has dropped," said Ai Kimura, director of non-profit group Mothers' Radiation Lab Fukushima, also known as Tarachine. Japan is preparing this summer to start discharging into the Pacific more than a million tons of water from the tsunami-crippled power plant, but has not yet revealed the date. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Akiko Okamoto and Tom Bateman; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ai Kimura, Kimura, what's, Kimura's, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Akiko Okamoto, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Kyodo, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Tokyo Electric Power, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, IWAKI, Fukushima, Iwaki, Pacific, China, Tarachine

☆ A lot of meetings over Zoom are private 'like therapist appointments': filmmaker Justine Bateman
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA lot of meetings over Zoom are private 'like therapist appointments': filmmaker Justine BatemanHosted by Brian Sullivan, “Last Call” is a fast-paced, entertaining business show that explores the intersection of money, culture and policy. Tune in Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC.

Persons: Justine Bateman, Brian Sullivan, “ Organizations: CNBC

[1/6] German tourist Kevin Khani and Austrian tourist Georg Riedlbaur use an automated translation window at the Seibu-Shinjuku station in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File photoTOKYO, July 31 (Reuters) - As Japan enjoys a post-pandemic resurgence in tourism from around the globe, Seibu Railway is testing out an automated translation window to help confused foreigners navigate one of Tokyo's most complex transportation hubs. Kevin Khani was among foreign travellers who got turned around in the Seibu-Shinjuku station recently and found the VoiceBiz window helpful. Across the road from the Seibu station is Shinjuku's central Japan Railway (JR) station, which is the busiest in the world, with some 3.6 million people passing through daily. Weary from a 1 a.m. flight arrival, French tourists Isabelle and Marc Rigaud used the translation window to try to find their way from the Seibu station to the JR station.

Persons: Kevin Khani, Georg Riedlbaur, Kim Kyung, Harry Potter, Ayano Yajima, Toppan, Isabelle, Marc Rigaud, Tom Bateman, Rocky Swift, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Seibu, REUTERS, Japan, Seibu Railway, Seibu Holdings, Kansai International, Japan Railway, Thomson Locations: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, United States, Europe, Seibu, Alibaba

[1/5] Kazuyuki Tanioka, the owner of Japanese cuisine Toya restaurant, prepares a sashimi dish, during an interview with Reuters, in Beijing, China July 25, 2023. China is the biggest importer of Japanese seafood. Shortly after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake damaged the Fukushima plant, it banned the import of food and agricultural products from five Japanese prefectures. The latest import restrictions were imposed this month after the United Nation's nuclear watchdog approved Japan's plans to discharge the treated water. "Our main focus is to source seafood within China or sourcing from other foreign suppliers," Tanioka said.

Persons: Tanioka, Tingshu Wang, It's, Toya, Kenji Kobayashi, Fukuoka, Duan, restaurateurs, Martin Quin Pollard, Chris Gallagher, Tom Bateman, Mariko Katsumura, Xiaoyu Yin, Justin Fung, Miral Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, United, Aomori, Aomori Chuosuisan Co, Japan, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Toya, Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Kumamoto, Japan, Aomori Chuosuisan, Hong Kong, Tokyo

☆ Silkworm sashimi, cricket curry on menu as bugs make a comeback in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Almond tofu with beetle larvae is pictured at Take-Noko cafe in Tokyo, Japan, July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, July 26 (Reuters) - On a recent vacation in Tokyo, Takumi Yamamoto opted for a special lunch of cricket curry and silkworm sashimi, washed down with a water bug cider. In particular, the water bug cider was quite refreshing and delicious, like a green apple." While some consumers think eating insects is just gross, Japan has a rich culinary history of insects as food. The delicate "sashimi" is the left-over casing of silkworms, and the cider is infused with water bug extract and topped with a whole insect, said to taste like shrimp.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Hoon, Takumi Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Entomophagy, Michiko Miura, Miura, Takeo Saito, Saito, Rocky Swift, Tom Bateman, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, United, Grasshoppers, Nippon Telegraph, Telephone, Takeo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Hoon TOKYO, Hyogo, United Nations, silkworms, Pasco

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