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20 living hostages were released by Hamas. Here's who they are.
Technology

20 living hostages were released by Hamas. Here's who they are.

Their faces stare down from every street corner in Israel on posters now sun-faded and ripped. Their stories, told by anguished family members, are almost as well-known as celebrities. They are civilians and soldiers, fathers and sons. Some were at the Nova music festival, where almost 400 people were killed and dozens kidnapped.On Monday, Hamas — which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and many other nations — released 20 hostages into the custody of the Red Cross, which then brought them to Israel as part of a new ceasefire deal that many hope will signal an end to two years of war in the devastated Gaza Strip. Under the agreement, all living hostages were to be released, as well as the bodies of the deceased.Also Monday, two hostages previously thought to be living were confirmed dead.The war was triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, when some 1,200 people were killed and 251 kidnapped.The fighting has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children, and displaced around 90% of the Gaza population of some 2 million. The United Nations and many independent experts consider the ministry's figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties in Gaza.Prior to Monday's release, there were 48 hostages held in Gaza, including the body of one soldier from a previous war. Israel had determined that at least 25 of the hostages were killed on Oct. 7, 2023, or died while in captivity. Just before the release of the first hostages under the ceasefire, Hamas informed Israel that two additional hostages were no longer alive, Tamir Nimrodi and Bipin Joshi. Israel had previously expressed "grave concern" over their status.There is only one remaining female hostage, who Israel believes was killed in captivity.Under the ceasefire agreement that took effect last Friday, the remaining hostages were to be released within 72 hours. Israel released around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, including 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge.President Trump met with some of the hostage families at the Knesset before addressing Israeli lawmakers on Monday, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said. Here is a look at the 20 hostages released Monday:Gali Berman and Ziv Berman, 28The fraternal twins were taken from their homes in kibbutz Kfar Aza, on the border with Gaza, during the Oct. 7 attack. Seventeen others were also abducted from Kfar Aza, but the Berman twins were the only hostages from the kibbutz who remained in captivity. The family had heard from hostages who returned in a previous deal that, as of February, the brothers were alive but being held separately. Liran Berman, their older brother, said it's the longest the two have ever spent apart. In Kfar Aza, the twins lived in apartments across from each other. Gali is more outgoing, while Ziv is more reserved and shy with a sharp sense of humor, their brother said.Omri Miran, 48Omri Miran was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz kibbutz. During the attack, terrorists held his family, including his two daughters, ages 2 and 6 months, hostage in the kitchen of a neighbor's house and then broadcast it on Facebook Live. Miran and the father of the other family, Tsachi Idan, were kidnapped. Idan's body was released during the last hostage exchange after he was killed in captivity. Lishay Miran Lavi, Miran's wife, said their younger daughter knew "daddy Omri" only through photos and videos, and didn't really understand what a father is. Moshe Lavi, Miran's brother who lives in New York City, told CBS News New York that Miran's sister and two young nieces survived the mental and physical torture on Oct, 7, but watched as Miran was taken away to Gaza.Matan Angrest, 22Matan Angrest, an Israeli soldier, was taken from his military tank in southern Israel. He is the oldest of four children from Kiryat Bialik, outside of Haifa. His family has been among the most vocal protesters and very critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Last Tuesday, which marked two years since the Oct. 7 attack, his mother, Anat Angrest, addressed her son at a rally. "I know you're in pain, and I can't hug you. I hear you whisper, 'Come for me, Mom,' and I can't protect you," she said.Eitan Mor, 25Eitan Mor was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival, where he helped evacuate people injured in the attack. Mor's parents helped found the Tikva Forum, a loosely organized group of hostage families. They advocated for military pressure, not an immediate ceasefire or hostage release deal, as the best chance for bringing the hostages home. That stance has put Mor's father at odds with many of the other families of hostages. The Israeli military released a photo on Monday showing Eitan Mor beaming in an embrace with his parents.Alon Ohel, 24Alon Ohel, who also has German and Serbian citizenship, was kidnapped at the Nova music festival from a mobile bomb shelter along with Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli who was killed in captivity in August 2024. A talented pianist, his family has placed pianos across Israel and several sites around the world to raise awareness of his plight. Three other hostages who had been held with Ohel for more than a year were released during the previous ceasefire, including Eli Sharabi, who said Ohel was like his adopted son. Sharabi said they were kept chained for the entire period of their captivity and subsisted on a moldy pita bread per day. Ohel has shrapnel in his eye from the attack on the bomb shelter and his family is worried he may be partially blind. Eli Sharabi, a hostage who was previously freed, told "CBS Sunday Morning" last month that he became a father figure to Ohel in their year-plus together, and when Sharabi found out he was going to be freed, Ohel was not on the list. "You imagine this moment hundreds of times," Sharabi said. "And you believe it's going to be the happiest moment ever. And because of Alon, this moment become very complicated. He had small panic attack. He started to cry and shaking. So, we took water, washed his face, hugging him. It wasn't easy."Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24Guy Gilboa-Dalal was among those abducted from the Nova music festival, while his brother, Gal, managed to escape. In the past year, Guy has appeared in two videos released by Hamas. In one video, he appears alongside his childhood friend, Evyatar David, with terrorists filming them in a van begging for their freedom and watching their fellow hostages being released nearby to the Red Cross. "The hardest thing for me is that I really went there to watch over him, watch over my baby brother, and I returned without him," Gal Dalal told CBS News in May.Elkana Bohbot, 36Elkana Bohbot was kidnapped from the Nova music festival. In the past year, Hamas has published multiple videos of Bohbot, filmed under duress, including one where he has a fake telephone conversation with his wife, Rivka; their son, Reem; his mother and his brother — pleading with them to help him get out of Gaza. His son made binoculars in kindergarten which he often used to go out and "look for his father," according to Bohbot's mother, Ruhama.Rom Braslavski, 21Rom Braslavski was working as a security guard at the Nova festival. He attempted to help festivalgoers evacuate and was wounded in both hands before being kidnapped, witnesses said. In August, the Islamic Jihad militant group released a video of a skeletal Braslavski sobbing and pleading for his life, adding that injuries to his foot prevent him from standing. Later videos of Braslavski and fellow hostage Evyatar David digging their own graves horrified Israelis, sparking some of the largest attendance in months at weekly protests. His father, Ofir, said Rom is usually a strong, happy-go-lucky kid, and that video is the first time he's seen his son cry.Nimrod Cohen, 21Nimrod Cohen was taken from a tank where he was stationed as a soldier in southern Israel. Cohen is obsessed with Rubik's cubes, his family said, and a burned Rubik's cube was found in the tank he was abducted from. This year, his mother, Viki Cohen, illustrated a Passover haggadah, the text laying out the rituals and story recited during the Passover holiday, in honor of hostages, partly because her family stopped celebrating holidays after the attack. "We don't gather as a family, because it reminds us how much he is missing," Cohen said. The only time the extended family would gather is at protests, she said. "The best thing about my son is that he's my son," his father, Yehuda Cohen, told CBS News last week. "He's a normal boy like every other boy. For me, he's special like his brother, sister. We are a normal family. We are a warm, normal family, and we want to get back to being a warm, normal family."Ariel Cunio, 28The youngest of four Cunio brothers, Ariel was kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz about a mile from Gaza with his girlfriend, Arbel Yehoud, and her brother, Dolev, a married father of four who was later killed in captivity. According to news reports, Cunio and Yehoud had returned from an extended trip to South America weeks before the attack and had just adopted a puppy. Yehoud was released during the ceasefire in January.David Cunio, 35David Cunio, brother of Ariel Cunio, was kidnapped with his wife, Sharon, and their 3-year-old twins from the Nir Oz kibbutz. Sharon's sister Danielle and her 5-year-old daughter, who were visiting, also were kidnapped. All were released in November, except for David Cunio. In July, Sharon shared a photo of the twins marking their fifth birthday, their second without their father, writing on Facebook that the girls have changed so much while he's been in captivity that "they're not the same little girls he knew."Evyatar David, 24Evyatar David was taken hostage at the Nova music festival along with his childhood friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal. In August, Hamas released a video of David, gaunt and pale, who said he was digging his own grave. The condition of the hostages in the videos horrified Israelis and led tens of thousands of protesters to take to the streets and demand a ceasefire deal, in one of the largest turnouts for the weekly hostage protests in months.Maksym Harkin, 37Maksym Harkin was abducted from Nova, which was the first festival he had ever attended, according to his family. Harkin was born in Ukraine and moved to Israel with his family, where he lived in the city of Tirat HaCarmel in the north. He has a 3-year-old daughter and was the primary provider for his mother and 11-year-old brother. Just before he was taken, his mother said he sent a final text message that said, "I love you." In July, Hamas released a video of him filmed under duress several months prior.Eitan Horn, 38Eitan Horn, originally from the city of Kfar Saba, was visiting his brother Iair at the Nir Oz kibbutz on Oct. 7. Both were kidnapped. For most of the war, the two were held with three other hostages in a filthy cell underground. In early February, terrorists filmed the emotional interaction between the brothers as they were told that Iair would be released and Eitan would stay in Gaza. Since his release, Iair Horn has campaigned for his brother and the other hostages, flying frequently to the United States and meeting with politicians.Segev Kalfon, 27Segev Kalfon was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was last seen attempting to flee terrorists along the highway. Before the attack, he worked at his family's bakery in Dimona, in southern Israel. The middle child of three, Kalfon had recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, a condition his family has highlighted in urging his release. Kalfon's family received a sign of life from him after the last ceasefire, when some of the hostages said they were held with him for months. Kalfon's family has focused on religious rituals in their fight for his release, including traveling to the grave of prominent rabbis and dedicating a Torah scroll in his honor.Bar Kupershtein, 23Bar Kupershtein was working at the Nova festival as a security guard when he was abducted. Witnesses said Kupershtein stayed at the festival to try to provide first aid to people who had been shot and injured. Kupershtein was the main financial support for his family after his father was severely injured in an accident several years ago, his aunt, Ora Rubinstein, told reporters. She said that his father worked with a physical therapist to regain the ability to speak, so he could meet with politicians to advocate for his son's release. He has told the family that he would walk again when his son came home, she said.Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25Yosef-Chaim Ohana was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a bartender. Witnesses saw him attempting to help others escape before he was kidnapped. He is the oldest of three brothers, one of whom died from an illness about 15 years ago.Avinatan Or, 32Avinatan Or was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024. On Oct. 7, Hamas released a video of the pair that has become one of the most well-known videos from that day. It showed Argamani on an all-terrain vehicle crying, "Don't kill me!" and reaching out her arms to Or, who is being marched away from her by terrorists. Or worked in tech in Tel Aviv before his abduction.Matan Zangauker, 25Matan Zangauker was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Oz along with his girlfriend, Ilana Gritzewsky. The two met while working on a medical cannabis farm there. Gritzewsky was released after 55 days and has since advocated tirelessly for his release, wearing a hat of Zangauker's she rescued from their burned home. His mother, Einav, has been a constant presence at protests, giving impassioned speeches and even being hoisted in a cage above the crowd to draw attention to the hostages' plight. Zangauker, who said she was previously a Netanyahu supporter, has emerged as one of his harshest critics.Two hostages determined to be dead on MondayBipin Joshi, 24Bipin Joshi arrived in Israel from his native Nepal a month before the attack. He was the only non-Israeli hostage believed to be alive in Gaza. He came to Israel on a student exchange to work and study agriculture at kibbutz Alumim on the Gaza border. Ten of the 17 Nepali students in the program were killed during the attack. Joshi, who was able to throw a number of live grenades out of the bomb shelter where they were hiding, was injured and kidnapped. Joshi's sister, 17-year-old Pushpa Joshi, regularly travels eight hours one way on buses to Kathmandu from her home in western Nepal to lobby to secure her brother's release. In August, his family traveled to Israel to meet with President Isaac Herzog and join families demonstrating in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square. Last week, Joshi's family released footage of him in captivity filmed under duress from around November 2023.Tamir Nimrodi, 20Tamir Nimrodi was taken from Erez, a crossing on the northern border of Gaza that had been the main route for people entering and leaving the territory. He had been serving with the Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza. Nimrodi was taken with two other soldiers by terrorists who walked them to the Gaza gate and forced them to cross. Israel confirmed the deaths of the two soldiers who were taken with Nimrodi. There had been no sign of life from Nimrodi in the two years since he was seen in footage walking into Gaza in shorts and a T-shirt without his glasses. Herut Nimrodi, his mother, said she didn't know what was worse: to think he had been killed in captivity, or that he was alive but being held in terrible conditions. "I'm scared to even imagine," she said.

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Amazon’s Letting the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Drone Combo Go for Prime Day Low to Empty the Warehouse
Technology

Amazon’s Letting the DJI Mini 3 Fly More Drone Combo Go for Prime Day Low to Empty the Warehouse

A smart way to seriously level up your aerial photography and filming game is by grabbing a solid drone camera. The DJI Mini 3 Fly More Combo with DJI RC does a great job at that, and you can get your hands on this feature-packed bundle for less right now. Amazon has dropped the price by 20%, bringing it down to $575. That’s almost $150 in savings, and you’re quite literally getting everything you need to start – three intelligent flight batteries, a dedicated controller with a built-in screen, a two-way charging hub, a shoulder bag, and more. 4K HDR Recording, Plus a Solid Battery Life This is a lightweight drone, so it’s easy to carry around in the wild. It records in 4K HDR and supports Dual Native ISO, which means excellent visuals are a given, whether you’re shooting on a bright, sunny day or in the shadows. You can shoot vertically just as well, so it’s also great if you like sharing your stuff on social media and don’t want to bother with editing or cropping. Wind resistance pushes up to 38kph (Level 5), and there’s a 3-axis mechanical gimbal to let you shoot even with the breeze. You will also be able to explore properly. This is made possible with the 10km max video transmission range that displays a live HD feed with minimal lag on the DJI RC’s built-in 5.5-inch HD screen, regardless of the distance. Then there are a bunch of handy features that make shooting less stressful. For instance, QuickShots take care of camera movements with built-in preset patterns; no need to worry about manual controls. Of course, there’s nothing more frustrating than an almost-dead battery high up in the air. Here, you’re looking at up to 114 minutes of total flight time with the three included intelligent batteries. Larger areas and longer shoots won’t really be an issue. And since you’re also getting a two-way charging hub thrown in with your purchase, it’s going to be easy to juice everything back up between flights. Those using a drone camera for the first time will appreciate features like Auto Takeoff, GPS Return to Home, and Precise Hovering. All of this makes it quite easy to get started confidently.

Zainab Falak
Amazon Is Offloading 50 Random Pokemon Cards at 50% Off, Now Selling for Mere Pennies
Technology

Amazon Is Offloading 50 Random Pokemon Cards at 50% Off, Now Selling for Mere Pennies

Getting kids started with Pokemon card collecting can get expensive fast when you’re buying individual booster packs at the store for $5 to $7 each with only 10 cards inside. Building up enough cards to actually trade with friends or organize by type requires buying multiple packs and suddenly you’ve dropped $50 without even getting any rare cards. Amazon just slashed the price on their 50-card Pokemon bundle from $10 down to just $5, which works out to 10 cents per card. This is the perfect starter pack for kids beginning their collection and (smart) parents are ordering four or five bundles at once to give their kids a substantial trading base right from the start. Random Pokemon Cards The set includes 50 cards randomly selected from all Pokemon series from the old beginning of the card game in the original 1999 base set to the new releases. The set will comprise a variety of Pokemon character cards with some old favorites like Pikachu and Charizard to new generations kids are accustomed to from existing games and television programs. The set includes Energy cards too which are required to play the game as opposed to collecting the cards. The random nature of the selection makes each package different and builds anticipation as you open the package because you never quite know what you’ll be receiving. This element of mystery replicates the booster pack buying experience at the market but you’ll be receiving five times the number of cards for the same cost. The randomness keeps kids getting Pokemon from various evolutionary levels, types, and power levels to introduce them to the depth of the Pokemon universe as opposed to receiving multiple copies of the same handful of characters. Duplicates happen within one set or across sets if you buy a bunch of sets at one time. This is actually a benefit rather than a flaw for children assembling collections, since replicas become desirable trade material. When your kid has two or three of the same card, they can trade the spares with others who need that particular Pokemon to fill out their set or construct a superior deck. Learn the value of negotiation, social interaction, and value exchange within the context of something enjoyable, not educational. Each of the Pokemon cards features the character’s hit points (HP), attacks with costs in energies along with values of damage, weaknesses, resistances, and retreat costs. The cards with energies show the single type with the Pokemon energies that the children recognize. The cards are the same size, girth and quality as cards found in booster packs that can be purchased at retailers. Buying four or five bundles makes economic sense because 50 cards is actually the beginning of a serious collection. Buying four or five bundles puts kids right out of the gate with 200 to 250 cards that instantly put together a substantial-looking collection. They can then construct dozens of finished decks with different Pokemon types, a slew of duplicates with which to trade, yet still retain a display collection of their very favorites. At $5 per pack, buying five packs still costs a grand total of $25, the same as buying five single booster packs at the store that would net you the same 50 cards anyway. For $5 rather than $10, this is the cheapest Amazon has ever sold this set at.

Kotaku Deals
Oklou, Kelly Lee Owens, AKAI SOLO, and More: This Week’s Pitchfork Selects Playlist
Technology

Oklou, Kelly Lee Owens, AKAI SOLO, and More: This Week’s Pitchfork Selects Playlist

The staff of Pitchfork listens to a lot of new music. A lot of it. On any given day our writers, editors, and contributors go through an imposing number of new releases, giving recommendations to each other and discovering new favorites along the way. Each Monday, with our Pitchfork Selects playlist, we’re sharing what our writers are playing obsessively and highlighting some of the Pitchfork staff’s favorite new music. The playlist is a grab-bag of tracks: Its only guiding principle is that these are the songs you’d gladly send to a friend. This week’s Pitchfork Selects playlist features Oklou and FKA twigs, Kelly Lee Owens, and more. Listen below and follow our playlists on Apple Music and Spotify. (Pitchfork earns a commission from purchases made through affiliate links on our site.) Pitchfork Selects: October 13, 2025 Oklou: “Viscus” [ft. FKA twigs] The Orchestra (For Now): “Deplore You / Farmers Market” PinkPantheress: “Stateside + Bladee” Kelly Lee Owens: “Ascend” Asa Moto: “MJ Complex” Dexter in the Newsagent: “I Told Ya” Shungu: “Last Time” [ft. Liv.e] AKAI SOLO: “Peace to the Heavens!” Connie: “Fuck” [ft. TisaKorean] OsamaSon: “Whats Happening”

Pitchfork
Possible Nobel leak was likely espionage, committee secretary says
Technology

Possible Nobel leak was likely espionage, committee secretary says

A potential leak that preceded the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was "highly likely" the result of espionage, the Nobel Institute told Norwegian media on Saturday.The odds of Machado winning the prize jumped from 3.75% to nearly 73% overnight, Thursday to Friday on the predictive betting platform Polymarket.However, no expert or media outlet had mentioned her as being among the favorites for the prize, which was announced just a few hours later in Oslo."Highly likely it's espionage," the director of the Nobel Institute and secretary of the Nobel committee, Kristian Berg Harpviken, told Norway's TV2 television.On Friday, the head of the Nobel committee said he didn't believe Machado's name had been leaked."I don't think there have ever been any leaks in the entire history of the prize. I can't imagine that's the case," committee chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes told the NTB news agency.Harpviken said the institute would nevertheless investigate and "where necessary, we will further tighten security".Espionage "could make it appear as if someone on the inside deliberately leaked information. That is not likely," he said."It's too certain to say for sure, but it's no secret that the Nobel Institute is subject to espionage," he added."It is obvious that the institution is of interest to actors who want to acquire information, both states and other organizations," he said, adding: "The motives can be both political and economic.""This has been going on for many decades."Harpviken did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.An extremely limited number of people know in advance the name of the laureate chosen by the five members of the Nobel Committee.In the past, unexpected names of Nobel nominees have emerged in the Norwegian media, fuelling speculation about possible leaks. But this has not been the case in recent years.Machado, an opposition leader barred from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, was awarded "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy", the committee said.A video shared on social media showed Harpviken calling Machado on Friday morning to inform her that she had been chosen for the coveted prize. He is visibly emotional while sharing the news during a phone call with Machado before it was announced to the world."Oh my God. I have no words. Thank you so much," Machado can be heard saying during the call. "I hope you understand this is a movement, this is an achievement for a whole society. I am just one person; I certainly do not deserve this. Oh my God."

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Kyoto travel alternative: The “little Kyoto” of Shuzenji【Photos】
Technology

Kyoto travel alternative: The “little Kyoto” of Shuzenji【Photos】

Sometimes great travel experiences come in little-Kyoto packages. With its cultural importance and elegant aesthetics, Kyoto is one of Japan’s most beautiful cities. However, Kyoto is currently receiving more visitors than ever, and many would say the appeal of the place is diminished when your only view of the sights is beyond a mass of tourists in the foreground. So if you’re craving some of the Kyoto atmosphere, but without the Kyoto crowds, the solution might be a visit to one of Japan’s sho-Kyoto, or “little Kyotos.” Sho-Kyoto is an unofficial term for towns or neighborhoods that have classical architecture and a traditional atmosphere. As the “little” part implies, sho-Kyoto aren’t as large in scale as Kyoto City, but that means the tourist crowds aren’t as big either, which sometimes makes for the more enjoyable visit. You can find sho-Kyoto in various parts of Japan, and we recently took a trip to one called Shuzenji in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo. ▼ It’s about three hours from Tokyo Station to Izu City’s Shuzenji Station by regular train, and about 90 minutes if you take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Mishima Station for the first part of the journey. Shuzenji is in the north part of the Izu Peninsula. The map below, which we snapped a photo of at the station, is a little confusing because it’s drawn with south at the top instead of north, since it’s oriented in the direction you’re facing while looking at it (i.e. because of where it’s placed in the station, as you look at the map you’re physically facing south). ▼ How the map would look with north at the top, and Shuzenji circled in red We ended up in Shuzenji based on the recommendation of a friend of our Japanese-language reporter Udonko’s, but arrived with no other advance information besides that it’s a sho-Kyoto worth checking out. Looking at the map, we spotted a number of onsen/hot spring baths in the town, marked with the kanji characters 温泉. The station also has maps you can take with you, with local points of interest marked on it, and which also said that we could hop on a bus for an eight-minute ride to the Shuzenji Onsen bus stop, in the main sightseeing area. ▼ Alternative, it’s about a 30-minute walk from the station to the bus stop. Once off the bus, we simply followed the flow of foot traffic, taking us through a neighborhood of charming restaurants and souvenir shops… …and, past that, a sudden treat of breathtaking forested mountain scenery… …and a striking crimson bridge. The sho-Kyoto vibes got even stronger when we noticed that this bridge is called Togetsukyo, which also just so happens to be the name of a bridge in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. ▼ Togetsukyo (渡月橋) ▼ The walk from the bus stop to Togetsukyo The bridge is here to get people over a river, but there’s also a footpath you can take that runs alongside the waterway. On the day of our visit, there was a steady drizzle, but that just added to the ambiance, with the sounds of the river mixing with the pattering of raindrops on the stone walking surface. Despite the overcast skies, it wasn’t a particularly chilly day, and the feeling was actually nice and cozy. After walking a little further, we came to another picturesque bridge, this one also coincidentally sharing a name with one in Arashiyama, Katsurabashi. ▼ From Togetsukyo to Katsurabashi But the most beautiful sight we saw on our visit came a little further on… …when we reached Chikurin no Komichi, or “the Bamboo Path.” ▼ From Katsurabashi to Chikurin no Komichi This beautiful pathway through a bamboo grove even has a circular bench in the middle, where you can sit down, tilt your head back and look up at the greenery, and bathe in the sounds of the nearby river as you rest your soles and soul. Unfortunately, our schedule this day didn’t allow us enough time to stop by Shuzenji Temple, which was founded in the ninth century and from which the neighborhood gets its name, or for a soak in one of the district’s many hot springs, which include public baths, baths for hotel guests, and even an open-air foot bath, Tokkonoyu, that flows from a spring said to have been discovered by traveling monk Kobo Daishi, a.k.a. Kukai more than 1,200 years ago. ▼ Shuzenji Temple As a “little Kyoto,” Shuzenji isn’t big enough to fill up your entire Japan trip itinerary. It is, though, a way to get a taste of traditional Japan without huge crowds (we went on a weekday afternoon, and as you can see from the photos, it wasn’t at all crowded), and it’s a doable day-trip from Tokyo or Atami, as well as conveniently positioned for an overnight stay if you’re looking to break up your trip along the Tokyo-Kyoto route that many travelers trace while in Japan. Related: Shuzenji Onsen official tourism website Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]

Casey Baseel
California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots
Technology

California becomes first state to regulate AI companion chatbots

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a landmark bill on Monday that regulates AI companion chatbots, making it the first state in the nation to require AI chatbot operators to implement safety protocols for AI companions. The law, SB 243, is designed to protect children and vulnerable users from some of the harms associated with AI companion chatbot use. It holds companies — from the big labs like Meta and OpenAI to more focused companion startups like Character AI and Replika — legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet the law’s standards. SB 243 was introduced in January by state senators Steve Padilla and Josh Becker, and gained momentum after the death of teenager Adam Raine, who died by suicide after a long series of suicidal conversations with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The legislation also responds to leaked internal documents that reportedly showed Meta’s chatbots were allowed to engage in “romantic” and “sensual” chats with children. More recently, a Colorado family has filed suit against role-playing startup Character AI after their 13-year-old daughter took her own life following a series of problematic and sexualized conversations with the company’s chatbots. “Emerging technology like chatbots and social media can inspire, educate, and connect — but without real guardrails, technology can also exploit, mislead, and endanger our kids,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability. We can continue to lead in AI and technology, but we must do it responsibly — protecting our children every step of the way. Our children’s safety is not for sale.” SB 243 will go into effect January 1, 2026, and requires companies to implement certain features such as age verification, and warnings regarding social media and companion chatbots. The law also implements stronger penalties for those who profit from illegal deepfakes, including up to $250,000 per offense. Companies must also establish protocols to address suicide and self-harm, which will be shared with the state’s Department of Public Health alongside statistics on how the service provided users with crisis center prevention notifications. Per the bill’s language, platforms must also make it clear that any interactions are artificially generated, and chatbots must not represent themselves as healthcare professionals. Companies are required to offer break reminders to minors and prevent them from viewing sexually explicit images generated by the chatbot. Some companies have already begun to implement some safeguards aimed at children. For example, OpenAI recently began rolling out parental controls, content protections, and a self-harm detection system for children using ChatGPT. Replika, which is designed for adults over the age of 18, told TechCrunch it dedicates “significant resources” to safety through content-filtering systems and guardrails that direct users to trusted crisis resources, and is committed to complying with current regulations. Character AI has said that its chatbot includes a disclaimer that all chats are AI-generated and fictionalized. A Character AI spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company “welcomes working with regulators and lawmakers as they develop regulations and legislation for this emerging space, and will comply with laws, including SB 243.” Senator Padilla told TechCrunch the bill was “a step in the right direction” towards putting guardrails in place on “an incredibly powerful technology.” “We have to move quickly to not miss windows of opportunity before they disappear,” Padilla said. “I hope that other states will see the risk. I think many do. I think this is a conversation happening all over the country, and I hope people will take action. Certainly the federal government has not, and I think we have an obligation here to protect the most vulnerable people among us.” SB 243 is the second significant AI regulation to come out of California in recent weeks. On September 29th, Governor Newsom signed SB 53 into law, establishing new transparency requirements on large AI companies. The bill mandates that large AI labs, like OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google DeepMind, be transparent about safety protocols. It also ensures whistleblower protections for employees at those companies. Other states, like Illinois, Nevada, and Utah, have passed laws to restrict or fully ban the use of AI chatbots as a substitute for licensed mental health care. TechCrunch has reached out to Meta and OpenAI for comment. This article has been updated with comments from Senator Padilla, Character AI, and Replika.

Rebecca Bellan
This Acer Aspire 15 Slim Laptop Is Now Practically Free, It’s Not Refurbished and Even Cheaper Than Entry-Level iPad
Technology

This Acer Aspire 15 Slim Laptop Is Now Practically Free, It’s Not Refurbished and Even Cheaper Than Entry-Level iPad

Amazon noticed there wasn’t much happening in October. September has Labor Day, November has Black Friday, but October was always quiet. That’s why it created its own shopping holiday: Prime Big Deal Days. The event officially ran from October 7 to 8, but even though it’s over, many of the best deals are still live. From lawnmowers and vacuums to laptops, Amazon seems in no rush to pull those discounts just yet. This Acer Aspire 15 slim laptop has a pretty affordable starting price to begin with at $350. For the sale, Amazon has chopped off 20% which saves you a whopping $70. That brings the price you pay down to just $280. So what’s this laptop working with? The Acer Aspire Go is powered by an 8-core, Intel Core 3 processor N355 with an integrated Intel graphics. It’s got 8GB of memory an 128GB of UFS storage. It’s a great little workhorse designed for browsing the internet, sending emails, and writing up Word docs. Sorry, you’ll have to go with something a little more powerful if you’re looking to play CyberPunk 2077 in ultra-high settings. Portable and User-Friendly The laptop measures in at 15.6 inches with a super narrow bezel to maximize the screen real estate while keeping the computer compact. It displays in a resolution of up to 1080p Full HD which is plenty at that size. For bouts where you’re find yourself on the laptop for multiple hours at a time, you can turn on Acer BluelightShield. This reduces the levels of blue light to help less the effects of blue light exposure. Keep your eyes from feeling strained so you can get your work finished up. As far as connectivity is concerned, you have a number of different ports along the sides of the Acer Aspire 15. Along the left, you’ll find two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and an HDMI 2.1 slot so you can display on a second monitor. On the right side, you have one more USB-A port so you can connect to wired accessories like a mouse or external SSD. The laptop has Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 support so you can utilize fast internet speeds when on a Wi-Fi 6 network. Video call with colleagues, family or friends thanks to the on-board 720p HD web camera. It can capture high-quality footage even in low light conditions, plus can reduce noise and amplify your voice using AI.

Joe Tilleli
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