Day: July 28, 2026

Trump administration bans new Chinese humanoid robots

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The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a ban on new foreign-made humanoid robot imports to the US over “unacceptable risks” to America’s national security. The move applies to advanced robots – including humanoid and four-legged machines. Many of them are made in China, which is competing with the US to develop robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also banned imports of power inverters – devices used in data centres and solar panels – which it said could also pose a risk to the US economy. The…

Fauci, in Private Diary, Reflected on Covid’s Origins and His Own Fame

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The world was just awakening to the novel coronavirus, and a full-fledged pandemic was still in the future, when Dr. Anthony S. Fauci jotted a note in his diary on Jan. 26, 2020, musing about whether the virus might have originated in an open-air “wet market,” where live animals were sold, in Wuhan, China. “Now we know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier,” Dr. Fauci, then the government’s top infectious disease expert, wrote. “Having said that, somewhere the virus jumped from animals to humans.” Those private…

US posts photo of coastguard working with Taiwan after Beijing starts patrols

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The United States has released a rare photo of the American and Taiwanese coastguards operating together at sea, as Beijing expands maritime law enforcement in waters east of the island. The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) – the de facto US embassy in Taipei – posted the undated image on social media on Tuesday, saying the two sides were coordinating on search, rescue, disaster relief and maritime law enforcement. “The United States appreciates Taiwan’s partnership in maritime security and safety, and supports Taiwan’s meaningful contributions on global issues including maritime…

Should China aim for the lead in making AI rules for the world?

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Beijing should step in to fill the global “vacuum” in rules on artificial intelligence as a Chinese AI model opens up a policy divide in the United States, according to various institutions within China. Moonshot, which was founded just three years ago, released the model’s core components on the internet, allowing anyone to download, inspect and customise for free. Kimi is an open-weight or open-source model, unlike many American closed artificial intelligence models, whose core inner workings are guarded closely by the company that developed them. AI governance has become…

Tech Stocks Tumble on Worries Over A.I. Spending and China’s Chips

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A global technology stock sell-off intensified on Tuesday, underpinned by worries over hefty bills for the build-out of artificial intelligence systems and concerns over tougher competition from China. The Nasdaq Composite index, chock-full of big technology companies, came close on Tuesday to falling into correction, Wall Street’s term of a drop of 10 percent or more from its recent peak, before rebounding and ending the day down just 0.2 percent. Still, the slide among top chipmakers remained. The American chip company Micron declined more than 8 percent on Tuesday, as…

FCC bans humanoid robots from China, citing ‘unacceptable risks’

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The Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on humanoid robots from China on Tuesday, saying that the technology poses “unacceptable risks” to the country’s national security. The move comes as the Trump administration has increasingly sought to keep Chinese technology out of the US. The FCC defines the banned robots as “advanced robotic devices”, which include humanoids and animal-like quadrupeds. “Advanced robotic devices collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots,” FCC officials…

US bans new Chinese robots, power inverters in latest tech crackdown

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The Trump administration on Tuesday announced bans on imports of new Chinese robots and power inverters, citing threats to US national security and supply chain vulnerabilities. The action would ban the import and sale of new robotic devices and power inverters but would not affect any previously bought devices. “The networked capabilities of advanced robotic systems create extensive vulnerabilities and vectors for attacks that can manipulate the data and physical operation of the advanced robotic system,” the FCC notice said. “Advanced robotic devices collect data that could be leveraged by…

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang meets US officials as scrutiny grows over China chip access

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Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is meeting US officials and lawmakers in Washington this week amid reports that its export-controlled processors have been used to train advanced Chinese artificial intelligence models. Huang met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, US outlet Axios reported, citing an anonymous source. Neither the US Commerce Department nor Nvidia confirmed that the meeting occurred, and its purpose was not disclosed. “Jensen is in DC to meet with leaders on both sides of the aisle to discuss Nvidia’s work to strengthen the country’s supply…

The Guardian view on noise pollution: keep it down | Editorial

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The roar of late-night traffic is not just annoying for those trying to sleep. It can also have profound effects on their health. A pioneering new study, published this month, has found a clear link between road noise and Parkinson’s disease. The research, which followed more than 3 million Danish participants, found a modest but consistent effect: for every 11.5dB rise in noise level, the risk of the degenerative disorder rose by 3% over the 18-year study. The study adds to the growing body of evidence that auditory nuisance is…

Why Did China Sanction 2 High-Tech Institutions in Poland?

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China has imposed sanctions on two Polish entities linked to the country’s defense and high-tech sectors. The move comes in response to the European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia. The latest EU measures targeted several companies from China and Hong Kong that are accused of supplying Moscow with technologies and components used in Russia’s war against Ukraine. One of the Polish entities placed on China’s export control list is Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST), one of Poland’s leading technical universities with recognized expertise in satellite technologies, and…