The US has surged ahead of China in the building of new gas-fired power generation, largely to feed a boom in artificial intelligence (AI) that is adding vast amounts of planet-heating emissions, a new analysis has found. For decades, China’s rapid economic growth has seen it outpace the US in the addition of new gas power generation but a recent “frenzy” in datacenter construction for AI has reversed this, said Global Energy Monitor (Gem) in its new report. The US is now building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China,…
Tag: China
China is the biggest buyer of Iran’s oil. Could US sanctions threaten those ties?
The US has unveiled an expansion of sanctions that it says will cut off Iran’s economic lifeline but stopped short of the most punishing measures, instead putting the world on notice to cease doing business with the Islamic republic. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent warned other countries would need to sever business ties with Iran or risk being forced out of the dollar-based financial system. He previously urged cooperation from China – the biggest buyer of Iranian oil for several years – although the US blockade of Iran’s ports, renewed in…
From mixed martial arts to mechanical dogs: the World Robot Conference 2026 – in pictures
More than 3,000 products were shown at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing as China showcased its rapidly growing robotics industry. The event, which ran from 19-23 August, showcased the latest advances across the robotics industry, from humanoid robots to embodied intelligence and cutting-edge components The Guardian
The Guardian view on the Tiananmen vigil convictions: Hong Kong too has been silenced. Others should speak out | Editorial
For decades, Hong Kong mourned when the mainland could not. Its huge annual Tiananmen vigil kept alive the memory of the 1989 pro-reform protests in Beijing, and of the massacre that suppressed them. Along with Macau, it was the only place in China where the anniversary could be publicly marked and the truth preserved. But the crackdown on the 2019 uprising in Hong Kong has crushed the freedoms that the region once enjoyed. That year’s vigil was the last. On Friday, two leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, which organised the commemoration,…
Women Photograph announces 2026 grant recipients – in pictures
Women Photograph, a non-profit launched in 2017 to amplify the voices of women and non-binary visual journalists, has announced three recipients of its 2026 grants. Grants of $10,000 have been awarded to Fatma Fahmy, Caroline Gutman and Yixi Tian. This year’s grants were sponsored by Leica USA The Guardian
Typhoon Narra floods cities in China’s Guangxi region – video
Days of heavy rain caused by Typhoon Narra have left China’s southern Guangxi region inundated by flood waters. Emergency workers used boats to navigate flooded city streets as 54,000 residents had to be relocated, according to the state broadcaster CCTV The Guardian
Iran vows to retaliate against countries that cooperate with fresh US sanctions
Tehran has vowed to retaliate against any country that cooperates with the US attempt to impose fresh sanctions against Iran in what the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has billed as “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”. In advance of the US announcement, the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s single biggest trading partner in the Middle East, announced it was ending all trade with Iran, a move Tehran believes was coordinated between Washington and the UAE. The US has said it will impose sanctions on any country or…
Fast-fashion giant Shein aims for $27bn valuation in Hong Kong market debut
Shein will debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange on 1 September, the fast-fashion retailer said on Monday, in a long-awaited listing that would value the group at close to $27bn. Founded in China and now headquartered in Singapore, the online retailer secured Beijing’s approval last month to make its initial public offering in Hong Kong. Its valuation has dropped by about 70% from a near $100bn private market peak four years ago, as it aims to raise up to HK$13.86bn ($1.77bn) in its Hong Kong IPO launched on Monday.…
Robots smash human track records, including Bolt’s 100m sprint — video
Humanoid robots have smashed human track records at the five-day World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Among the records broken was Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second 100m, with a robot developed by the Beijing Innovation Centre of Humanoid Robotics finishing the sprint in 9.39 seconds. A robot developed by smartphone maker Honor completed the 100m track in 9.32 seconds in a test run. Now in its second year, more than 2,000 humanoid robots are participating in the games that are intended to showcase China’s rapid progress in advanced robotics, as the technology…
Chinese robot runs 100m sprint quicker than Usain Bolt’s world record
Chinese smartphone maker Honor’s self-developed humanoid robot Lightning ran the 100m in 9.32 seconds, beating the human world record, China’s state broadcaster reported. The humanoid reached a peak speed of 14.5 meters per second during a preparatory test event for the second World Humanoid Robot Games, which begin on Saturday. This performance surpassed the 9.58sec men’s 100m world record set by Usain Bolt 17 years ago at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin. This story will update The Guardian