One went to the United States. The other went to China. It was a sign of the times. While the Swiss president was in Washington last week to lobby U.S. officials over President Donald Trump’s threatened 31% tariff on Swiss goods, the Swiss foreign minister was in Beijing, expressing his nation’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with China and upgrade a free trade agreement. As Trump’s trade war locks the world’s two largest economies on a collision course, America’s unnerved allies and partners are cozying up with China to hedge their bets. It comes as Trump’s trade push upends a decade of American foreign policy—including his own from his first term—toward rallying the rest of the world to join the United States against China. And it threatens to hand Beijing more leverage in any eventual dialogue with the U.S. administration. With Trump saying that countries are “kissing my ass” to negotiate trade deals on his terms or risk stiff import taxes, Beijing is reaching out to countries far and near. It portrays itself as a stabilizing force and a predictable trading partner, both to cushion the impact from Trump’s tariffs and to forge stronger trade ties outside of the U.S. market. “America and China are now locked in a fierce contest for global supremacy,” Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in an April 16 speech. “Both powers claim they do not wish to force countries to choose sides. But in reality, each seeks to draw others closer into their respective orbits.” The tariffs on Chinese goods are off the charts Trump has paused some of his steepest tariffs on most American partners for 90 days after global financial markets melted down. But the Republican president has raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, drawing rebukes from Beijing, which has vowed to “fight to the end.” U.S. companies are warning of higher prices, meaning Trump could face both higher inflation and empty store shelves. The magnitude of the taxes are already dramatically affecting American imports, with shipping containers set to arrive at the Port of Los Angeles down nearly 36% over the past two weeks, according to Port Optimizer, which tracks vessels. It’s lending urgency for both the U.S. and China to bolster support from alternate partners. While Trump administration officials suggest the president could ease the duty rates on Chinese goods at his discretion, there has been no indication he’s yet looking for a reduction. That, after all, could suggest his protectionist policies were hurting the American economy. “They want to make a deal obviously,” Trump told reporters Sunday, saying the U.S. had gone “cold turkey” on trade from China. “Right now, they’re not doing business with us.” The White House has framed any negotiations as being between the U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but neither leader seems willing to make the initial outreach without some kind of concession. The two countries can’t even agree publicly whether they are holding talks. Earlier this month, Xi—on his first foreign trip this year—visited Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, resulting in mutual pledges for closer economic and trade ties. In Vietnam, which faces the 46% tariff from the U.S., Beijing and Hanoi agreed to strengthen industrial and supply chain cooperation. In Malaysia and Cambodia, Xi secured similar agreements. Cambodia is faced with a 49% tariff from the U.S., and Malaysia, 24%. Then there’s Japan: Despite its long-standing enmity toward the nation that once colonized parts of it, the Chinese government has reached out to Tokyo and urged a coordinated response, according to Kyodo News. China is digging in China is ready to use the stick, too. A South Korean newspaper has reported that China is demanding South Korean businesses not to ship goods containing China’s rare earth minerals to U.S. defense companies or face likely sanctions. Earlier this month, Beijing warned that no country should reach a deal with the U.S. at China’s expense and vowed to take countermeasures in a “resolute and reciprocal manner” should such a situation arise. Hal Brands, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said China will “try to exploit Trump’s abrasive behavior to make inroads with U.S. allies and countries in the Global South.” Some scholars say Beijing is already gaining. “People lost the confidence, or even trust, for the United States, particularly for Donald Trump in the U.S. Not for China,” said Li Cheng, professor of political science at the University of Hong Kong. “So in that regard, China gains in the geopolitical landscape.” Countries have to choose, but it’s difficult China is the world’s largest exporter and the U.S. is the largest importer. Total trade for China reached a record 43.85 trillion yuan (US$6 trillion) in 2024, and the country is the biggest trading partner for most of the world, including the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and the grouping of the 10 Southeast Asian countries known as ASEAN. The U.S. is the biggest destination for China’s exports, though China is only the third-largest trading partner with the U.S., behind Mexico and Canada. Total trade for the U.S. last year was US$5.4 billion, with a record deficit of $1.2 trillion. For ASEAN countries, trade with the U.S. totaled $477 billion in 2024, including $352 billion worth of goods sold to the U.S. But China does more business with ASEAN. Countries caught between the U.S. and China are in “an impossible situation” because they need to stay economically connected both to China, “a source of a lot of their input and imports” and to the powerhouse U.S. market, said Matthew Goodman, director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “They cannot choose one or the other, because they need both,” Goodman said. In Europe, China is preparing to lift sanctions to revive a trade deal, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. Chinese state media have been calling on European leaders to join China in safeguarding the multilateralism. Back in Beijing, Xi has been receiving foreign leaders. On Thursday, he told Kenya’s president that China’s market has always kept its door open to high-quality products from Kenya and that China encourages more capable Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in Kenya, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. On Wednesday, Xi met Azerbaijan’s president. Xi criticized the trade war as undermining the rights and interests of all countries. Beijing sounds resolute On Friday, when Xi presided over a key economic meeting, Beijing’s leadership struck a positive tone but acknowledged “increasing impact from external shocks” and “urged preparing for worst-case scenarios with sufficient planning,” according to Xinhua. Wang Yiwei, a senior fellow at Beijing’s Center for China and Globalization, said China, after dealing with Trump’s first term, is prepared for his latest tariff approach. “China is prepared for the worst,” Wang said, “and it is no longer living in the fantasy of globalization.” Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, said Beijing is prepared for decoupling. “What will be the end? It’s a complete halt, meaning no more U.S exports to China, no more China exports to the United States,” he said. And, despite high costs to China’s economy, China will survive, Gao said. “For a country especially like China, with a history of 5,000 years, what kind of people have we not seen? Whatever invaders, robbers, and barbarians,” Gao said. “But at the end, they all leave. They all disappear. All get defeated.” —Didi Tang and Zeke Miller, Associated Press AP Writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.

This photo series by Marco Capitanio documents the progression of Terunobu Fujimori’s architectural work in rural Japan, showing how his buildings have aged within the changing natural landscapes of Nagano and Yamanashi. The images track Fujimori’s projects from his first work in 1991 to recent designs, highlighting his use of charred timber, copper roofs, and forms inspired by Jomon traditions. The series begins with the Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum, featuring sawara cypress wood, earth-toned mortar, and metal bird details. Another image features the Flying Mud Boat tea house, a structure suspended between posts, accessible only by ladder. Designer: Terunobu Fujimori Photographer: Marco Capitanio “Imagine meeting friends you hadn’t seen in person for 20 years. Has time treated them well? How have they changed? If they had children, do they resemble their parents?” Marco pondered over this, leading to the creation of this series. “When it comes to buildings, the experience is not much different: time leaves traces, sometimes with a heavy hand; architects may evolve their style progressively or produce radically different outputs over the decades.” In addition to researching the theoretical foundations of Terunobu Fujimori’s architecture, the Japan-based designer created a photographic series to document the evolution and endurance of Fujimori’s structures. The series aims to highlight the regional influences in his choice of materials and design, as well as to present his most recent works. Arranged in chronological order, the collection features seven buildings located in Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures, many of which are situated on the Fujimori family’s land. The series begins with the Jinchokan Moriya Historical Museum, Fujimori’s first project completed in 1991, shown surrounded by spring flowers and new greenery, capturing both architectural and seasonal change. Terunobu Fujimori was born in Nagano in 1946 and is known for drawing inspiration from the ancient Jomon culture of his region. He incorporates traditional building methods, such as using charred cedar wood (yakisugi) and adobe-like walls, into his designs in creative and modern ways. Although Fujimori is mainly recognized as an architectural historian and a university professor, he has also developed a parallel career as a practicing architect. His goal is to keep Jomon traditions alive through his unique and playful architecture. Fujimori often works with friends and students during hands-on workshops, further emphasizing his commitment to traditional craftsmanship and community involvement. He humorously refers to himself as a “neolithic daddy” of contemporary Japanese architecture, highlighting his blend of ancient techniques with modern design. Nearly twenty years after gaining international attention as the curator of the Japan Pavilion at the 2006 Venice Biennale, and over thirty-five years after completing his first building, Fujimori remains active in the field. He continues to design innovative structures and sometimes collaborates with international architects, ensuring that his work remains both relevant and rooted in regional traditions. The post Explore Japan’s Whimsical Floating Tea Houses Through Marco Capitanio’s Lens first appeared on Yanko Design.

It's confirmed: the Cybertruck is not a boat.

This little Oxo Rapid Brewer achieves the impossible: fast, delicious cold brew. But hot coffee offers mixed results.

Blowout deals on M3 Pro MacBook Pros are in effect this Tuesday, with discounts of up to $1,000 off.Save up to $1,000 for 24 hours only.Two upgraded MacBook Pro configurations are heavily reduced today only at Apple Authorized Reseller B&H. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

This spring and summer at the Neutra VDL House in Los Angeles, multidisciplinary artist Maayan Elyakim is presenting Game of Goose, a site-specific exhibition dotted with works inspired by the Austrian-born Immigré who worked at midcentury to create some of the most spatially dynamic residences in the Modernist architecture movement.

Ghost of Yotei is promising Sucker Punch’s most open-ended experience to date, and sure enough, a lot of that is going to be down to the game’s map and its size. Speaking in an interview with Famitsu, in fact, co-creative director Jason Connell spoke about the same, making big promises. As per Connell, Ghost of Yotei will tout the biggest open world map ever crafted by developer Sucker Punch, which means players can expect a more expansive experience than 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima or any of the inFamous titles. According to Connell, players will be able to hunt and track down the main antagonists – known as the Yotei Six – in any order they wish. Connell also added that the experience will be more player-driven rather than scripted. “In terms of experiencing an open world adventure, we have the most freedom and the most expansive map in the history of open world games we have created,” Connell said (translation via DeepL). “Players will be able to travel freely and still challenge the Yotei Six. The game is designed so that players can challenge the Yotei Six on their own while searching for the location of the Yotei Six and taking revenge on them, rather than being told to do so by the game side.” Sucker Punch has also revealed that players will be able to set up campsites at any spot in the entirety of the open world. Read more on that through here. Ghost of Yotei launches for the PS5 on October 2, with pre-orders going live on May 2.

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html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" The 2019 Ziva VFX customer reel. The creators of the soft tissue simulation system will receive Scientific and Technical Awards – the Oscars of the tech world – later today. The developers of soft tissue simulation system Ziva VFX and of render denoising technologies including Open Image Denoise have won Academy Scientific and Technical Awards.The award ceremony, originally scheduled for February, but postponed in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, will be presented at a ceremony in Hollywood later today. Recognition for soft-tissue simulation tech Ziva VFX Ziva VFX becomes the latest CG tool to be recognized at the Scientific and Technical Awards.The Maya muscle and tissue simulation plugin, originally released in 2016, was used in high-profile VFX projects including Dune, many recent Marvel movies, and Game of Thrones. The Academy citation praised its “artist-friendly interface” and “robust, physically accurate solver”, enabling “a broad range of studios to bring visually rich creatures to life”. The Technical Achievement Award goes to five former staff of original developer Ziva Dynamics, including R&D Lead Essex Edwards, and co-founders James Jacobs and Jernej Barbič. Jacobs, formerly Creature Supervisor at Weta Digital, had previously won a Scientific and Engineering Award for his work developing Weta’s in-house tissue simulation system. Ziva Dynamics was acquired by Unity in 2022, and Ziva VFX itself was sadly discontinued as a commercial product in 2024 following Unity’s then-ongoing series of layoffs. However, VFX firm DNEG, which used Ziva in production, acquired an exclusive license to the toolset, along with key staff including Sci-Tech Award-winner Crawford Doran. Further awards for open-source and proprietary denoising tools Further awards go to the developers of key render denoising technologies.Denoising is now widely used in VFX production pipelines based around ray tracing, in which renders are initially noisy, but resolve progressively towards a noise-free image. Stopping a render early, then using denoising software to remove the remaining noise, often results in a usable-quality image more quickly than allowing the render to resolve fully. Intel Principal Engineer Attila Áfra wins a Technical Achievement Award for his work on the open-source Open Image Denoise (OIDN) library. Originally released in 2019 for CPU denoising, and later extended to support GPU denoising, OIDN is now used in production renderers including Arnold and V-Ray. The Academy citation notes its “elegant API” and support for “diverse hardware”, leading to broad industry adoption. The award goes jointly to NVIDIA Senior Research Scientist Timo Aila, for his work developing the U-Net AI denoising architecture implemented in OIDN and NVIDIA’s own OptiX denoiser. Another Technical Achievement Award goes to Wētā FX CTO Kimball Thurston and Senior Rendering Researcher Javor Kalojanov for their work on the VFX studio’s ML Denoiser. The Academy praised its “novel training strategies [that] allow its machine learning algorithms to denoise computer-generated imagery to the most exacting standards”. Five current and former Disney staff share a Scientific and Engineering Achievement Award for their work on Disney’s own ML Denoiser, used in production at Pixar and ILM, and now integrated into RenderMan. Other awards range from audio post to burn gels for fire stunts Other 2025 Sci-Tech awards go to audio post-production tools, and to captioning and camera stabilization tech – although for once, not all are for digital, or even mechanical, technologies.Three further awards go to the developers of modern burn gels used in fire stunts, including the naked burn gel developed for the tanning bed death sequence in Final Destination 3. Read the full list of winners for 2025’s Scientific and Technical Academy Awards Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Researchers Discover a Rare, Carnivorous Caterpillar That Wears Dead Insect Parts to Fool Spiders The species, dubbed the “bone collector,” belongs to an ancient lineage of moths older than the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which is the only place it’s known to live today A "bone collector" caterpillar sits in a cobweb with a spider and its egg sac. The newly discovered moth species disguises itself as a larva by covering itself with insect parts. Daniel Rubinoff Researchers in Hawaii have discovered a rare, carnivorous caterpillar with a gruesomely unique behavior: It camouflages itself in insect remains as it trespasses into a spiderweb—then it eats the spider’s weakened or dead catch. Appropriately nicknamed the “bone collector,” the caterpillar has been described for the first time in a study published Thursday in the journal Science. “I just couldn’t believe it. The first couple of times you find that, you think it’s got to be a one-off—it’s got to be a mistake,” Daniel Rubinoff, lead study author and an entomologist at University of Hawaii at Manoa, tells Scientific American’s Gayoung Lee. “I’ve been looking at it for over a decade, and it still blows my mind.” “It’s a great piece of field work,” evolutionary biologist David Lohman from the City College of New York, who did not participate in the study, says to National Geographic’s Carolyn Wilke. A museum specimen of an adult female bone collector moth that was reared in the Rubinoff lab Daniel Rubinoff Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies or moths, which are members of the Lepidoptera insect order. While the majority of known Lepidoptera species are herbivores, a miniscule 0.1 percent of them are meat-eating, according to a statement. Specifically, the bone collector caterpillar is part of the genus Hyposmocoma, an ancient lineage of moths that only exists in Hawaii. As if that wasn’t unusual enough, in 20 years of field work, researchers have documented just 62 bone collector specimens—and they’ve only been spotted on a single mountainside on the island of Oahu. Beyond these exceptional traits, “what’s incredible about it is its behavior,” says Rubinoff to Popular Science’s Lauren Leffer. Hyposmocoma caterpillars spin silky, protective cases around themselves, which they carry before transforming into moths. While other species typically attach pieces of shells, wood and algae to the case as a camouflage, the bone collector caterpillar goes for a more eccentric look: bits of dead insects it scavenges from around its host spiderweb. These six bone collector caterpillar specimens adorned their cases with beetle wings, ant heads, fly wings and legs, spider legs and other insect body parts. Their cases—the gray material seen through the detritus—are made from caterpillar saliva and silk. Daniel Rubinoff Rubinoff tells the New York Times’ Jack Tamisiea that the “behavior was utterly unknown.” He and his colleagues identified parts from six different insect families attached to the caterpillars’ cases, including beetle abdomens, weevil heads and parts of a shed spider exoskeleton. “It’s gross at one level, but it’s also kind of adorable,” he adds to National Geographic. “They’re cruising around like, ‘Oh, this looks delicious. I’ll eat some of this and then put the rest on my back.’” Researchers observed the bone collectors closely inspecting their scavenged goods—in the lab, the caterpillars would select only insect parts to adorn their silk cases, ignoring other natural pieces that were available. Sometimes, the larvae would chew these body parts into more desirable sizes. And when two caterpillars were in proximity, they occasionally cannibalized each other. Bone collector caterpillar Watch on Living alongside a spider is not an intuitive life choice for a caterpillar, given that spiders are also carnivorous. “It’s like they’re literally living in the lion’s den,” Rubinoff tells Gizmodo’s Ed Cara. But researchers haven’t found any evidence of spiders eating the bone collectors, so something must be working for them. “Hawaii is an isolated place, and the things that have gotten here have really thrown the rulebook out in terms of the ways they’ve evolved,” he adds. However, the bone collector’s isolation and rarity makes it vulnerable to the same environmental pressures that threaten many Hawaiian insects, such as invasive species and habitat loss, according to the statement. In fact, the researchers’ analyses indicate the mysterious species is three million years older than the island of Oahu, suggesting it once inhabited other regions. “There is really a concern that we need to do better with conservation,” Rubinoff tells the Associated Press’ Adithi Ramakrishnan. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.