Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming global sectors and governance, raising the fundamental question of how to govern this powerful technology in an interconnected yet fragmented world, necessitating new institutional designs.
Chinese policymakers are deeply concerned about the six-month-old US-Israel-Iran conflict's duration and its potential impact on China's economic plans. Economist Mao Zhenhua indicates that while direct impact on China may be small, Beijing will prioritize countering external upheavals and addressing internal economic challenges.
Wuxi AppTec, Asia's largest contract pharmaceutical research provider, reported H1 net income of 11.08 billion yuan, surpassing market estimates. This strong performance was driven by robust demand for weight-loss and diabetes drugs, alongside significant growth in its US business.
US mattress recycling programs have recovered 650 million pounds of materials from over 17 million discarded mattresses, addressing landfill issues and machinery damage. While 18 million mattresses are discarded annually, most end up in landfills due to limited specialized facilities, despite 80% recyclability.
Doctoral researcher Hu Qi's experience highlights the urgent demand for AI talent, with tech companies and recruiters actively seeking to secure top graduates years before they complete their degrees due to a short supply of skilled professionals.
10x Research suggests Bitcoin could confirm a bear-market bottom in August with a monthly close above $63,000, contingent on Federal Reserve policy and other market risks like miner selling and geopolitical events. Other analyses from Grayscale and K33 also point to an approaching bottom.
Il Centro di riferimento oncologico di Aviano e l'Ospedale San Martino di Genova hanno identificato la proteina Twist1 come causa di resistenza dei sarcomi agli inibitori di Mdm2. Twist1 è un potenziale biomarcatore e bersaglio terapeutico, con i risultati che necessitano di validazione clinica.
Small Bitcoin holders moved 39,600 BTC ($2.5 billion) on July 31, a rate not seen since the FTX collapse, following news that Coldcard hardware wallets generated guessable keys for five years. This prompted users to shift holdings, likely for safety, though Bitcoin's price remained stable.
New security research reveals several popular Samsung smart TV apps contain code that shares users' internet connections with strangers, potentially enabling cybercrime. Samsung is now banning and removing such apps, following a similar move by LG.
A new study by Cornell University found that honey from organically managed bee colonies in the northeastern US had pesticide levels similar to certified organic honey, suggesting current strict US organic certification rules could be revised to open a large market for struggling beekeepers.
Alibaba announced its Qwen3.8-Max AI model can operate unsupervised for days, rebuilding a research paper and outperforming most human teams in a contest, directly challenging US rival Anthropic's similar claims and intensifying the China-US AI race.
Fields Medal-winning mathematician Jacob Tsimerman, known for his work in number theory, has joined OpenAI to focus on AI safety research. Despite his previous warnings about advanced AI, Tsimerman believes direct involvement is the most effective way to mitigate potential risks and align AI with human interests.
A Russian counter-drone battalion, using the Lis interceptor drone, destroyed a rare Portuguese-made Tekever AR3 reconnaissance UAV in the Bryansk border region after a 30-minute chase. The intercepted drone, largely intact, was sent to a research institute for study.
A German-Turkish research team conducted the first survey of Mount Ararat's shrinking glacier in Turkey, using radio echo sounding and seismic surveys to map its thickness. They aim to extract an ice core to uncover information on climate change and human history, as the glacier's ice layers preserve millennia of data.
China's newest Antarctic research base, Qinling Station, opened in 2024, already sources over 60% of its energy from wind, solar, and hydrogen power, moving away from traditional diesel. China aims for 100% renewable energy at all its Antarctic stations by 2035.
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown metallic alloy, a "hiroshimaite," in beach sands from Hiroshima Bay. Formed by the 1945 atomic blast's extreme heat and rapid cooling, this finding offers insights into material behavior under extreme conditions and aids nuclear forensics.
A new study reveals a long-term shift in the tropical Pacific Ocean has amplified wildfire-prone conditions in the US Southwest by 22% while easing them in eastern Australia by 19%, based on 1984-2022 data. This pattern interacts with human-driven climate change, influencing atmospheric dryness.
A Reuters review of Chinese academic papers reveals military-linked researchers used OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and Anthropic's Claude 3 Haiku via "model distillation" to train their own AI systems for defense applications, including cyber-warfare and drone operations, despite US restrictions on advanced technology.
Researchers from UC Davis and UC Riverside identified the SDMYB gene, solving the century-old mystery of avocado trees' distinct A-type and B-type flowering cycles. This discovery provides a new DNA testing tool to accelerate breeding programs and improve orchard planning.
Coldcard users face a new wave of coordinated Bitcoin thefts, with Galaxy's Alex Thorn flagging 709 affected addresses and 448.7 BTC moved. This follows a disclosed firmware flaw causing compromised wallet seeds, with total losses now estimated over $90 million.
Ireland is reassessing its defence posture after Russian ship activity in nearby waters exposed risks to undersea cables, pipelines and other critical infrastructure. The government says security is now a greater priority, but spending and naval capacity remain limited.
Motilal Oswal Wealth Management Research Desk has recommended RR Kable and KFin Technologies as top stocks to buy for the week starting August 3, 2026, citing strong Q1FY27 performance and positive management outlook for both companies.
Hong Kong researchers at CUHK are testing a surgical procedure for Alzheimer's, pioneered in mainland China, which has shown promise in improving patients' daily functions. The procedure was banned for unregulated use in mainland China due to safety concerns, prompting CUHK's controlled trials.
A five-year study in South Africa found that 11 elephants released from captivity exhibited behavior and stress hormone levels very similar to wild elephants, proving their ability to successfully reintegrate into natural environments and regain independence.
