(opens original source in a new tab)South China Morning PostChina’s smart-vacuum giants swept up in US robot ban, hitting top options for AmericansThe fallout from Washington’s fresh import ban on foreign robots appears poised to disrupt the American living room, threatening to lock out market-dominating Chinese smart vacuums. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-produced “advanced robotic devices” to its so-called Covered List on Tuesday, blocking new models from obtaining the equipment authorisation required for US import and sale. While initial reports largely focused on humanoids and quadrupeds – with the FCC... (opens original source in a new tab)Iris Deng·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)STAT NewsSTAT+: Rising oil prices can boost the cost of some medicines. One expert says it’s time to lower reliance on fossil fuelsUnitaid found the rising price of oil could boost the cost of a widely used HIV medicine it reviewed in a detailed analysis. (opens original source in a new tab)Ed Silverman·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)STAT NewsSTAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an FDA panel nixing a Duchenne drug, FTC suing Hims & Hers, and moreAn FDA advisory panel concluded clinical data for a Capricor treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy did not provide “substantial evidence” of efficacy (opens original source in a new tab)Ed Silverman·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)IEEE SpectrumA Remote Indigenous Community Built One of Canada’s Fastest Fiber NetworksIn February 2024, a young man lay somewhere on the frozen shore of James Bay, Canada, surrounded by snow and darkness, succumbing to hypothermia. When he failed to get home on time, his frantic mother sent a Facebook message to Elizabeth Kataquapit, then chief of the indigenous community Fort Albany First Nation in northeastern Ontario. Kataquapit used Facebook to alert the community’s search-and-rescue squad, who jumped onto their snowmobiles and drove into the night. Before dawn, they returned (opens original source in a new tab)Rachel Berkowitz·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)Breaking DefenseRafael CEO eyes IPO by end of year, plans to attend French defense shows in futureIn an interview with Breaking Defense, Yoav Tourgeman acknowledged that questions remain about how exactly the Israeli defense giant would go public. (opens original source in a new tab)Aaron Mehta·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)South China Morning PostByteDance’s US$4b projected AI revenue tops China as it restructures office tool LarkByteDance has integrated its enterprise collaboration unit into other teams, a move that sharpens its focus on using artificial intelligence to serve corporate clients as annualised AI revenue of US$4 billion pushes it to the front of the pack in China, according to sources. The Beijing-based company decided to integrate the product team of office tool Lark, known as Feishu domestically, into the product team in charge of the Doubao AI chatbot, according to an internal memo seen by the South... (opens original source in a new tab)Coco Feng·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)South China Morning PostCan the West really decouple from China?Over the past 10 years, Washington, Brussels and London have made decreasing economic reliance on China a strategic goal. Western economic plans now stress supply-chain resilience, industrial sovereignty, technological leadership and national security. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted weaknesses in global supply networks. Increasing geostrategic tensions, export restrictions and technological rivalry have supported political backing for reshoring and “friendshoring” manufacturing. The objective (opens original source in a new tab)Djoomart Otorbaev·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)Breaking DefenseAddressing the ‘four tyrannies’ of the Pacific to keep logistics flowing[Sponsored] Predictive artificial intelligence and autonomy will reshape how forces are sustained across the Pacific. (opens original source in a new tab)Breaking Defense·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)The Hacker NewsMicrosoft Copilot for Word Can Copy Hidden Prompts Into New DocumentsHidden instructions in a Word document can make Microsoft 365 Copilot rewrite figures in a report, then copy the same instructions into the finished file. Håkon Måløy disclosed the technique on July 28, 144 days after reporting it to Microsoft. In his proof of concept, the internally generated file triggered the same behavior when it was used in a second Copilot drafting session. Måløy's (opens original source in a new tab)info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News)·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)STAT NewsEbola outbreak nears milestone, while a vaccine remains months awayMedicaid work rules, FTC sues Hims, and more health news from Morning Rounds (opens original source in a new tab)Theresa Gaffney and Helen Branswell·30 July 2026
(opens original source in a new tab)South China Morning PostAnt Group spin-offs pursue independent growth with strategic capital movesThe three independent spin-offs of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group are accelerating their capital-raising efforts, forging distinct financial paths after gaining operational autonomy in 2024. Ant Digital Technologies is preparing a financing round ahead of its initial public offering, according to Chinese financial news outlet STAR Market Daily, marking the latest strategic move from one of the units that it spun off. Details regarding the round’s valuation, target size, timeline or planned... (opens original source in a new tab)Howard Liu·30 July 2026
