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You'll revel in this historic Japanese city, right out of the gate.

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Humanoid Robots Enter The Workforce. How Long Before Workers Revolt?

The emergence of the humanoid robotics industry worldwide continues to gather pace. UBS analyst Phyllis Wang noted some of the most recent developments:

1. The 2026 Beijing Humanoid Robot Half-marathon Race reflected the advancement of hardware technology;

2. We are seeing financing accelerate among some companies, including several OEMs focusing on robotics AI and key component manufacturers (such as dexterous hands). For example, TARS has completed a pre-A funding round of US $455m. Local governments, industrial funds and industry leaders are all actively deploying the robot track.

3. Data collection channels are becoming more diverse, including direct collection from implemented applications, data collection centres and robot rental. During Tesla's Q1 earnings call, management mentioned that it may unveil Optimus Gen 3 in late July or August, closer to the start of production, citing concerns over competitors copying its designs.

Earlier this year, Wang penned a note to the client outlining that shipments and deployments of humanoid robots on factory floors would gather pace this year and really ramp in 2027.

"For 2026, our base case forecast for global humanoid robot demand is 30,000 units. Regardless of total output in 2026, we expect a small proportion of robots which can complete simple tasks autonomously outside entertainment and robot training scenarios, given the gap between robot intelligence and customer needs," Wang told earlier this week.

He continued, "We flag upside risk to our 2027-28 demand forecasts if robots used in industrial settings make significant progress. While humanoid products are still evolving, several leading OEMs are planning and deploying production capacity."

"Tesla plans to build a 1m unit Optimus robot production line with production starting at end-2026. UBTECH plans a production capacity of 10,000 units this year, while Boston Dynamics (BD) plans a 30,000 unit capacity in 2028 for its Atlas robot," he added.

For the latest deployments, Japan Airlines appears to have launched a humanoid robotics pilot program to address the labor shortage in airport ground-handling operations, according to the flight news website Flight360aero.

Japan Airlines (JAL) and GMO have announced that they will begin a pilot project next month using humanoid robots to address the labor shortage in airport ground handling operations.

Read more: https://t.co/RIh7qGEnDs#groundhandling #aviation pic.twitter.com/T4t2p8m0LD

— FL360aero (@fl360aero) April 27, 2026

"This is the first initiative of its kind in Japan to address the worsening labor shortage. Initially, the experiment will test the robots moving cargo containers from trolleys to near the aircraft. The airline is considering putting the robots into practical use from 2028 onwards," the outlet said. 

As humanoid robot shipments ramp in the coming quarters, expect a steady stream of viral footage showing these robots replacing lower-skilled labor across warehouses, factories, retail, logistics, and service jobs.

The real question is: when does the backlash begin?

Just as the data center revolt erupted once folks saw their power bills soar, a robot revolt could follow once workers see humanoids moving from funny tech demo promotional videos onto factory floors.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/30/2026 - 06:55

Plane returns to gate after passenger ignores crew and enrages other travelers.

US May Deploy Hypersonic Missiles Against Iran As Centcom Set To Brief Trump On New Military Options

US Central Command has asked to send the Army’s long-delayed Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for possible use against Iran, seeking a longer-range system to hit ballistic-missile launchers deep inside the country Bloomberg reports. 

If approved, this would mark the first time the US will have deployed its hypersonic missile, which is running far behind schedule and hasn’t been declared fully operational even as Russia and China have deployed their own versions. And since Trump isn't shy when it comes demonstrating force, it is unlikely that the request will be denied. 

The military's Request for Forces submission reportedly justifies the move by saying Iran has moved its launchers out of range of the Precision Strike Missile, a weapon that can hit targets at more than 300 miles. If approved, the deployment would also send a signal to Russia and China that the US is finally able to match a capability that they’ve long since mastered. 

Dark Eagle, also known as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, or LRHW, has a reported range of more than 1,725 miles, although its exact capabilities are secret. It is designed to glide to its target at more than five times the speed of sound and can maneuver to avoid interception. The missile was designed to fight Chinese or Russian advanced air defenses. The problem is that each Lockheed Martin missile costs about $15 million, and there are no more than eight missiles, so any assault using hypersonics would be rather brief. Also, since each battery will cost about $2.7 billion, according to the Government Accountability Office, they will make attractive targets for Iran's own hypersonics. 

The US already transferred most of its supplies of the stealthy JASSM-ER cruise missile, also designed for a fight with a near-peer adversary, to the Iran fight. About 1,100 of the missiles have been fired so far in the conflict.

The US has said it has local air superiority, meaning that in some parts of Iran its aircraft can operate without facing much of a threat. But dozens of MQ-9 aircraft, plus several crewed fighters, have been downed, showing that other parts of Iran’s airspace remain dangerous.

The Bloomberg report comes as Axios rehashed an earlier report, according to which President Trump will receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper. The briefing signals that "Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations either to try to break the logjam in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war."

The report goes on to note that CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran - likely including infrastructure targets - in hopes of breaking the negotiating deadlock. The hope would be that Iran would then return to the negotiating table showing more flexibility on the nuclear issue.

Another plan expected to be shared with Trump is focused on taking over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping. Such an operation could include ground forces.

A third option that has been discussed in the past and might come up in the briefing is a special forces operation to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/30/2026 - 06:44

Oil prices surged to their highest level since the beginning of the US-Iran war early Thursday before retreating on the strength of fresh reports that President Trump could soon resume attacking the Islamic Republic.

German Chancellor Claims Relationship With Trump Is Good, Despite Comments About Iran

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times,

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on April 29 said that he is on good terms with U.S. President Donald Trump, despite Merz’s recent remarks about the Iran war and Trump’s criticism of the German chancellor.

“From my perspective, my personal relationship with the ​U.S. President remains good,” Merz told reporters.

“I simply had doubts from the ⁠start about what was begun with the war in Iran. That is ​why I have made that clear.”

On April 27, the German chancellor said that the United States had been “humiliated” by Tehran after U.S. officials agreed to travel to Pakistan for peace talks.

“The Iranians are obviously very skilled ⁠at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad ​and then leave again without any result,” Merz said during a talk to students in Marsberg, Germany.

“An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible,” he added.

Trump canceled the visit scheduled for April 25 by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan, citing a lack of progress in negotiations.

The U.S. president also criticized Merz in a Truth Social post on April 28, saying that the German chancellor “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”

Merz has said that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon.

Germany’s Economic Concerns

The German chancellor also on April 29 articulated his worries over the economic impact of the Iran war.

“In Germany and Europe we are ​suffering from the consequences, such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Merz.

“This has a direct impact on our energy supply and a huge impact on our economic performance,” ​he said, adding that Berlin and Washington were in communication with each other.

Last week, Germany’s economy ministry cut its growth forecasts ​in half for 2026, with Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche saying economic recovery will be “slowed down by external geopolitical shocks.”

Germany ‘Stepping Up’

Trump ⁠has criticized NATO allies for not sending naval support to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which carries the traffic of about a fifth of the world’s oil. The strategic waterways has remained virtually shut since early March, causing disruption to energy supplies and market insecurity.

The U.S. president earlier this month said that the defense alliance could face a “very serious examining” for not supporting the United States during the Iran war to keep the Strait open.

“I’m very disappointed in NATO,” Trump told reporters on April 12 as he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “They weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars to NATO, and they weren’t there for us.”

Since then, the Department of War (DOW) said that it was working closely with European allies, notably Berlin, to get NATO allies to step up with their defense strategies and responsibilities.

In a series of posts on X, Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby said that Germany was now “taking a leading role” in this.

“After years of disarmament, Berlin is stepping up,” Colby said. “The DOW is already working closely with European allies, especially Germany, to accelerate this transition to NATO 3.0.”

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz shake hands as they meet in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on March 3, 2026. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Colby cited Germany’s new military strategy document, quoting General Carsten Breuer, who wrote in the document’s foreword: “The Military Strategy reflects the idea that, as the largest economy in Europe ... Germany must and will assume a leading role within NATO—also at the military level.

“It represents a paradigm shift and underpins our ambition to play an active and substantial role.”

The strategy also says that Germany will take on “additional burdens,” including “targeted strategic responsibility for Europe at the conventional level.”

“This increases Germany’s strategic weight for our Allies, particularly for the United States.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/30/2026 - 06:30

On Tuesday, the duo pleaded guilty to defrauding their victims — including some of New York City’s most prominent fine art auction houses — of at least $2 million.

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Dunkin' is getting dirty.

Vance Reportedly Questions Pentagon's Rosy Assessment Of Iran War

Vice President JD Vance is reportedly questioning assessments from the Department of War about the effectiveness of the US military campaign against Iran.

According to two senior White House officials cited by The Atlantic, Vance has expressed skepticism about recent Pentagon estimates on the depletion of US munitions since the launch of Operation Epic Fury. A report released last week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found the Pentagon used roughly half of its stockpiles of advanced interceptors and standoff munitions in the first five weeks of the conflict, which we reported here. But the Pentagon has consistently downplayed and rejected such negative assessments.

via Reuters

That report found that the US military tore through nearly half its Patriot interceptor inventory while heavily draining multiple other critical missile stockpiles.

The Atlantic article presents a Vance team which carefully seeks to avoid conflict with Trump and his top cabinet officials, by backing the Pentagon's rosy picture of the war in public, while privately pushing back within internal deliberations:

Two senior administration officials told us that the vice president has queried the accuracy of the information the Pentagon has provided about the war. He has also expressed his concerns about the availability of certain missile systems in discussions with President Trump, several people familiar with the situation told us. The consequences of a dramatic drawdown in munitions reserves are potentially dire: U.S. forces would need to draw from these same stockpiles to defend Taiwan against China, South Korea against North Korea, and Europe against Russia.

Vance is concerned that the heavy use of weapons against Iran is degrading America's readiness in the scenario it had to fight wars in Europe and East Asia. Already, the US has had to transfer major anti-air defense systems from the territories of key allies in Asia to the Middle East - and there's little doubt Beijing quietly welcomes this scramble which takes pressure off and dwindles the US defense build-up related to the Taiwan situation.

There have been widespread reports that the White House is being presented with assessments which overemphasize the 'good news' related to the Iran campaign, and not vital information which would provide a more accurate picture. The Atlantic continues:

Pentagon leaders’ positive portrayals present an incomplete picture at best, people familiar with intelligence assessments told us. According to those internal estimates, Iran retains two-thirds of its air force, the bulk of its missile-launching capability, and most of its small, fast boats, which can lay mines and harass traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. At least in terms of resuming stalled maritime commerce, “those are the real threat,” one person told us.

And here is more on Vance's objections, presented in the report:

Officials and outside advisers told us that the use of key weapons—including interceptors that defend against Iranian missiles, and offensive weapons such as Tomahawk and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff missiles—has produced a serious shortage that erodes America’s ability to fight future wars, despite an effort to quickly manufacture replacements. Vance has raised concern about munitions shortages in meetings with the president and other national-security officials. 

But while Vance apparently privately disputes Hegseth’s assessments, he has not directly challenged the Pentagon. A White House official said he "asks a lot of probing questions about our strategic planning, as do all of the members of the president’s national-security team."

One additional bombshell line from The Atlantic report comes in the following:

Both Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, and General Dan Caine, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have publicly said that U.S. weapons stockpiles are robust, and portrayed the damage to Iranian forces after eight weeks of fighting as drastic. Vance’s advisers, who spoke with us on the condition of anonymity, told us that the vice president has presented his concerns as his own rather than accusing Hegseth or Caine of misleading the president.

Trump has previously admitted to reporters that Vance was "maybe less enthusiastic" about a conflict which could grow increasingly unpopular among American voters, especially as gas and food prices continue to go up amid the Hormuz Strait standoff.

Still, Vance has recently hyped the nuclear threat out of Iran, strangely floating the idea of a nuclear suicide bomber - though this left experts and analysts wondering how he imagines this would be possible. It has been compared to former National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice under Bush and her "mushroom clouds" moment related to Iraq. "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud," she had said, in an infamous moment of peak post-9/11 fearmongering.

Tyler Durden Thu, 04/30/2026 - 05:45

The legendary actress opened up about this new chapter in life and explained how her connection with Russell continues to grow stronger after 43 years together.

The legendary actress opened up about this new chapter in life and explained how her connection with Russell continues to grow stronger after 43 years together.

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