Top Chinese Banker Vanishes Amid Beijing Power Struggle: Report
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USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
There's just a month until TikTok could be banned – again. Here's where things stand.
President Donald Trump has one month to finalize the sale of TikTok or the short-form video platform risks going dark in the U.S. – again. For months, Trump has said negotiations for the sale of TikTok have been ongoing with China, as the platform is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. Since the platform went dark for less than 24 hours in January, Trump has extended the deadline on a ban of TikTok in the U.S. three times. And he may just conduct a fourth. In late July, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a CNBC interview that if China did not approve a U.S.-drafted deal to sell the platform's American assets, the app would go dark again, once the next ban extension expires on Sept. 17. "If that deal gets approved by the Chinese, then that deal will happen. If they don't approve it, then TikTok is going to go dark," Lutnick previously said. "And those decisions are coming very soon, so let's see what the Chinese do. They've got to approve it. The deal is over to them right now." The White House did not immediately respond for comment when contacted by USA TODAY on Aug. 15. When could TikTok go dark (again) in the US? The next deadline for TikTok to be sold by ByteDance is Sept. 17. Why is TikTok at risk of getting banned? Some government officials are concerned that TikTok poses a national security threat, believing that ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, is sharing U.S. user data with China. TikTok has repeatedly denied these claims. In January, the platform went dark for less than 24 hours under federal legislation signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2024. Trump has signed executive orders three times now that push back the deadline for when TikTok must be sold, promising that deals with China are on the horizon. The latest was in early July, when Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he was hopeful Chinese President Xi would agree to a deal to see the platform to the U.S. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Observer
22 minutes ago
- Observer
Humanoids hit the track
SAM DAVIES & MARY YANG The first World Humanoid Robot Games began on Friday in Beijing with over 500 androids alternating between jerky tumbles and glimpses of real power as they compete in events from the 100-metre hurdles to kung fu. Hundreds of robotics teams from 16 countries are going for gold at the Chinese capital's National Speed Skating Oval, built for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Events include traditional sports like athletics and basketball, as well as practical tasks such as medicine categorisation and cleaning. "I believe in the next 10 years or so robots will be basically at the same level as humans", enthusiastic 18-year-old spectator Chen Ruiyuan said. Human athletes might not be quaking in their boots just yet. At one of the first events on Friday, five-a-side football, 10 robots the size of seven-year-olds shuffled around the pitch, often getting stuck in a scrum or falling over en masse. Humanoid robots compete in the 1500m final at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing. — Reuters However, in a 1500m race, domestic champion Unitree's humanoid stomped along the track at an impressive clip, easily outpacing rivals. The fastest robot witnessed finished in 6 min 29.37 sec, a far cry from the human men's world record of 3:26.00. One mechanical racer barrelled straight into a human operator. The robot remained standing while the human was knocked flat, though did not appear to be injured. Robot competitions have been held for decades, but the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games is the first to focus specifically on robots that resemble human bodies, organisers said. The Chinese government has poured support into robotics hoping to lead the industry. Beijing has put humanoids in the 'centre of their national strategy', the International Federation of Robotics wrote in a paper. "The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology," it added. Joost Weerheim, an operator with a Dutch five-a-side robot football team, said he was impressed. "I think right now if they are not already the world leader, they are very, very quickly becoming it", he said. Domestically, authorities are working to raise awareness of the sector across society. Cui Han, accompanying her 10-year-old, said that her son's school had organised and paid for the trip to the Games. "I hope it will encourage him to learn more about these new technologies", she said. Winner of the dance event from Beijing Dance Academy and Hubei Optics Valley Dongzhi celebrates during the award ceremony at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. — AFP In March, China announced plans for a $139 billion to support technology startups, including those in robotics and AI. The country is already the world's largest market for industrial robots, official statistics show and in April Beijing held what organisers dubbed the world's first humanoid robot half-marathon. Chen, the 18-year-old, said he was about to begin studying automation at university. "Coming here can cultivate my passion for this field", he said. "My favourite is the boxing because... it requires a lot of agility and I can really see how the robots have improved from before". At the kung fu competition area, a pint-sized robot resembling one from the popular Transformer series attempted to execute a move, but fell flat on its front. It spun around on the floor as it struggled to get back up, the crowd happily cheering. — AFP
Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
Marfrig Benefits From BRF as Chicken Cushions US Cattle Squeeze
Marfrig Global Foods SA is benefiting from BRF SA as the poultry and processed-food company continues to reap profits from strong global demand, helping to weather the impact of a severe cattle shortage in the US. Marfrig's operating earnings fell less than expected in the second quarter, while BRF also beat analysts estimates. Marfrig's shares rose as much as 4% on Friday, while BRF gained as much as 5%. The results are the first since shareholders in both Brazilian companies approved Marfrig's proposal to buy the BRF shares it doesn't already own. While the deal is still pending antitrust approval, Marfrig expects it to close by September, Chief Financial Officer Tang David said in a conference with journalists on Thursday. Marfrig, which controls US beef producer National Beef Inc., is among the companies being squeezed by the worst cattle shortage in decades. Producers — including larger rivals JBS NV and Tyson Foods Inc. — are being forced to pay record-high prices for slaughter-weight animals, and they're struggling to pass those costs on to consumers. Booming demand for chicken and low bird feed costs have so far helped Marfrig cushion the impact, even as trade bans following a bird flu outbreak in May dented profits in the second quarter. 'BRF reported a better-than-expected quarter, a positive surprise despite the negative impact of Chinese and EU export restrictions on Brazilian chicken,' XP Inc. analysts including Leonardo Alencar said in a note to clients. 'The prospect of lower grain prices, coupled with solid demand, continues, with a margin surplus expected after the trade bans end.' BRF is counting on China and European nations dropping their poultry bans and resuming poultry purchases very soon, Chief Executive Officer Miguel Gularte said during an earnings call on Friday. While chicken supplies in Brazil and other producing nations are expected to grow as much as 2% in the short term, demand worldwide should keep increasing at a faster pace, according to Gularte and BRF Chief Financial Officer Fabio Mariano. Growing income in Brazil and the Middle East and Asia, as well as BRF's move to increase its added-value products portfolio, should also help push prices higher. Marfrig's earnings before items such as interest and taxes fell 11% from a year earlier to 3 billion reais in the three months ended in June. That compares with a 2.12 billion-real average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. BRF reported adjusted earnings of 2.5 billion reais, topping analyst estimates of 2.39 billion reais. 'This was an extremely challenging quarter,' Gularte told journalists on Thursday, citing the impact of the bird flu outbreak on the company's exports. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
