China to pit humans and humanoid robots in first-of-its kind foot race
China is organising the world’s first foot race between humanoids and humans in April, an event that could boost Beijing’s artificial intelligence goals.
The half-marathon, covering a distance of about 21km, is being held in the Beijing Economic Technological Development Area – or E-Town – in the capital’s Daxing industrial district.
E-Town has over 100 companies making robotics core components, complete machines, and relevant applications. It is responsible for about 50 per cent of the city’s production output of nearly 10bn yuan (£1.1bn), according to local authorities.
The event could see nearly 12,000 humans and humanoid robots participate with prizes offered to the top three runners.
Companies, research institutions, robotics clubs and global universities have been invited to enter humanoids in the marathon, district officials said.
The key condition is that all competing robots “must have a humanoid appearance and mechanical structure capable of bipedal walking or running movements”.
Competing robots must be between 0.5m and 2m high, with a maximum extension distance from the hip joint to the foot sole of at least 0.45 m, E-Town officials said in the statement.
Both remote-controlled and fully autonomous humanoids are qualified to compete at the event, which allows batteries for the robots to be replaced in the middle of the race.
“Moving forward, Beijing E-Town will focus on advancing cutting-edge embodied artificial intelligence technologies, industrializing high-end humanoid products, and fostering a top-tier innovation ecosystem,” district officials said.
China is eyeing to develop a complete robotics ecosystem with the industry expected to grow to nearly $54bn (£43.4) by the end of this decade, according to Xinhua state news agency.
A marathon hosted in Beijing last year also saw a humanoid run with humans, but the robot from the Chinese company Galbot appeared in the race only closer to the finish line to cheer the participants, South China Morning Post reported.
The planned event comes amid a global race to create strong artificial intelligence systems, an area in which the US and China have emerged as close competitors.
Last year, US envoys raised concerns over “the misuse of AI” by China in closed-door talks and Washington imposed measures to cut investments in China for the technology.
At least 6 killed in gas tanker explosion in Pakistan’s Multan
A truck carrying liquified petroleum gas caught fire and exploded overnight near an industrial area in central Pakistan, killing six people and injuring more than two dozen others, officials said on Monday.
The explosion in Multan, a city in the eastern Punjab province, substantially damaged nearby shops and homes, and the deaths were caused by the fire and the collapse of roofs of houses, rescue official Mohammad Bilal said.
He said firefighters had extinguished the blaze and officers are investigating to determine exactly what the gas leak in the truck and the subsequent explosion.
At least 31 others were injured in the LPG tanker truck blast, Geo News reported. A total of five people were initially thought to have been killed. However, the death toll rose to six after rescue officials recovered another body, the report said.
A minor girl and two women were among the dead, Geo News said.
Additional inputs from agencies
South Korean prosecutors indict president Yoon for insurrection
South Korean prosecutors indicted impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday on charges of leading an insurrection, with his short-lived martial law declaration on 3 December.
This follows a recommendation from anti-corruption investigators last week that Mr Yoon be formally charged. It makes Mr Yoon the first sitting president in Korea’s history to be indicted under detention.
Mr Yoon also became the first sitting president of South Korea to be arrested after being charged with insurrection, a month after he stunned the world by imposing martial law, swiftly revoked by a parliamentary vote. He was then impeached by the national assembly.
Investigators launched a pre-dawn operation on 15 December to arrest Mr Yoon – their second attempt – triggering a near three-hour standoff between the president’s supporters and more than 3,000 police officers. Later the same day, hundreds of law enforcement officers entered the presidential residence in Seoul, and arrested Mr Yoon.
On Friday, a statement from his lawyer said he was “a little uncomfortable” but “doing well”. He is detained at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of the capital.
Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity. It is punishable by life imprisonment or death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.
“The prosecution has decided to indict Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing charges of being a ringleader of insurrection,” main opposition Democratic Party spokesman Han Min Soo told a press conference. “The punishment of the ringleader of insurrection now begins finally.”
Defending his actions, Mr Yoon said at a court hearing that his martial law declaration was only meant to inform the public of the danger of an opposition-controlled national assembly. He argued that the martial law imposition ended early because he quickly withdrew troops after the assembly voted down his decree.
Mr Yoon’s indictment comes a day before his detention period was set to end. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which was investigating Mr Yoon, transferred the case to the prosecution on Thursday, since legally the agency cannot indict a president.
The prosecution team on the case said they reviewed the evidence and determined that indicting Mr Yoon was the appropriate choice.
Prosecutors were unable to investigate after a Seoul court rejected two requests to extend the president’s detention period.
If a suspect is not indicted within the detention period, they must be released, according to South Korean law.
As Mr Yoon awaits a Constitutional Court trial that will decide whether to permanently suspend his powers or return him to office, the country grapples with extreme political turmoil.
Asian capital makes public transport completely free to combat smog
In a bid to curb the soaring levels of air pollution in Bangkok, authorities in the Thai capital have made travel by public transport free for a week starting Saturday.
The travel concession allows passengers to ride buses and both elevated and underground electric trains in the capital for free.
Authorities hope this initiative will reduce the number of private cars on the road, addressing one of the key factors driving the surge in pollution.
In Bangkok, public transport services including the Skytrain, metro, light rail, and buses are free for a week starting Saturday, with the government compensating the operators.
This is the latest effort to address the soaring air pollution levels, which have already led to the closure of hundreds of schools and employees working from home.
On Friday, over 350 schools were forced to close due to air pollution levels, the highest in five years. City authorities also advised people to work from home, as the air quality index (AQI) reached 159 midweek, according to Swiss-based commercial monitoring service IQAir.
AQI of 0-33 is rated very good; 34-66 good; 67-99 fair; 100-149 poor; 150-200 very poor; and 200+ as hazardous. On Friday morning, Bangkok’s AQI was 185.
“Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has closed 352 schools across 31 districts due to air pollution,” the authority said.
The level of PM2.5 pollutants hit 108 micrograms a cubic metre, according to IQAir, on Friday.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, a 24-hour average exposure should not exceed 15 for the majority of the year.
“The government won’t be complacent and will take every possible action to quickly improve the situation,” Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra posted on X, calling PM2.5 smog a “national” issue.
Her post included several short-term measures with which the government was seeking to tackle pollution, including making public transport free, limiting construction, banning crop burning, and tightening restrictions on cars emitting high volumes of black smoke.
Thailand experiences major levels of air pollution seasonally every year, as the cold winter air combines with smoke from stubble burning, car fumes, factory emissions, and dust from construction sites. Bangkok, in particular, has seen rising levels of smog in recent years, with black smoke from cars cited as one of the major contributing factors.
On Saturday, Bangkok was rated as the world’s seventh-most-polluted city based on its air quality. It was the second-worst in Southeast Asia after Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Air pollution has been a problem in several countries in Asia, among them India.
India’s capital city, Delhi, which is home to some 33 million people, has long struggled with hazardous air. The air quality index this winter repeatedly rose above 1,000, more than 15 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Cambodia reported that air quality in Phnom Penh and three other provinces reached the “red level”, indicating high pollution. The government attributed the pollution to climate change, waste incineration, and forest fires.
Multiple monuments in Australia defaced to protest national day
Multiple historic statues were damaged in Melbourne and Canberra ahead of Australia Day celebrations on Sunday, as protests around the country showed support for Indigenous people who do not consider it a day to celebrate.
A statue of John Batman, who founded the country’s second-largest city but was also involved in the killing of Aboriginal people, was found sawed in half on Sunday morning in Melbourne.
The words “Land back” were also found spray painted on a memorial for Australian soldiers who died fighting in World War I.
In Canberra, “The colony is falling” was found graffitied on a statue of King George V.
Earlier this week, a statue of Captain James Cook in Sydney was found covered in red paint, with its hand and nose severed. The statue had been repaired after a similar incident last year.
Australia Day on 26 January is considered a day of mourning by many Indigenous Australians, as it marks the day Captain Cook’s ship landed in Sydney Cove, triggering Australia’s colonisation by the British, all without a treaty with its Indigenous inhabitants.
Melbourne city’s mayor Nick Reece called the incidents “disrespectful,” and that the council was working with Victoria Police to find the offenders.
Defacing and damaging city assets will not be tolerated in Melbourne,” he said, according to The Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Our team has responded swiftly and professionally to these attacks, and cleaning and repairs were underway within an hour of the city being notified.
“Respect is a two-way street and these acts do not help in any way the community debate on important issues.”
“Invasion day. It’s just about the survival of our people. We’re still here. We ain’t going nowhere. Like you know, you can try to assimilate all you want, but we’re still here,” Indigenous Australian Amanda Hill told Reuters.
Victoria premier Jacinta Allan condemned the “disgraceful” acts, saying: It’s disgraceful, I condemn it … I will work with any local council on supporting them to have those statues and monuments repaired and reinstated.”
“Let’s remember what Australia Day is about — it is a day of both reflection and celebration and we should find it in our hearts and in our minds to respect differences of views but not let it turn ugly.”
“[Let’s] call time enough on this division, particularly when it results in these disgraceful acts of senseless vandalism.”
According to police estimates reported by local media, at least 15,000 people were part of protests and music events in Sydney, while Melbourne’s central business district saw at least 30,000.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party government held a referendum in 2023 on Indigenous rights, that was eventually defeated, to enshrine in the constitution an Indigenous body known as the Voice to address Parliament on Indigenous issues.
Air pollution crisis finally in focus ahead of tight Delhi election
Vibha Chawla never paid much attention to air pollution. But when her elderly mother almost died of a severe coughing fit during the Diwali holidays late last year, she decided to act.
Chawla, a 50-year-old resident of Delhi’s affluent Siri Fort area, barged into a meeting where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was preparing its manifesto for the upcoming election in the capital, where she says she was one of the few voices to raise the issue of air pollution.
“I stood up and said, ‘We’re choking here and no one is talking about it.’ Some people nodded, but I could tell most just didn’t care,” she tells The Independent.
Chawla wasn’t surprised – although much of northern India remains blanketed in a toxic haze for months every year, pollution has rarely been a major issue in the country’s elections. But with Delhi going to the polls for important state assembly elections on 5 February, things are changing, and air pollution is finally finding its way into political debates and manifestos. Politicians going door-to-door to canvass votes are being forced to answer questions about the toxic air that continues to surround the city.
But the solutions they are promising, experts say, barely scratch the surface of the problem.
The city, home to some 33 million people, has long struggled with hazardous air. The air quality index this winter repeatedly rose above 1,000, more than 15 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Yet public discourse around pollution has been overshadowed by issues like water and power shortages and corruption. In recent weeks, however, faced with mounting public pressure and undeniable health impacts, politicians have been forced to talk about it.
The BJP, which rules the country and the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, has placed pollution at the centre of its Delhi campaign to take on the Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, which governs the capital. The latest opinion polls show the AAP retaining control of the capital by the narrowest of majorities, closely followed by the BJP in second.
“People are falling ill due to worsening air quality. We cannot let the AAP government go scot-free,” the BJP’s Delhi chief, Virendra Sachdeva, declared during the launch of the party’s manifesto in November.
The Congress party, once a dominant force in Delhi politics but now polling a distant third, has also seized on the issue of pollution to target the AAP. Senior party member Sandeep Dikshit addressed a press conference on Saturday where he outlined how Arvind Kejriwal’s government had failed to act.
“The issue of pollution really hit me during our door-to-door outreach. Common people, even those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, are questioning us about how their health is being impacted by polluted air and water. They know this isn’t just a seasonal problem any more,” the former parliamentarian said.
“The people are no longer willing to accept excuses. They want accountability, and they’re asking tough questions.”
Experts say the issue has come into focus because it can no longer be ignored, but all political parties have in the past been guilty of downplaying the crisis.
“Air pollution has become a political issue, mostly because people, organisations, citizens’ groups, mothers have organised. And elections are happening at a time when air quality is really bad, so it’s visible,” says Shweta Narayan, a global climate and health campaigner at the organisation Health Care Without Harm.
She points out that many politicians across party lines have made statements in parliament that attempt to deny the link between air quality and health.
“Everybody in the political arena has been dismissing the concerns about pollution,” Narayan says. “So to now promise action feels a little disingenuous, and it seems like they’re exploiting the moment for political gains.”
While Delhi’s pollution is often blamed on farmers burning crop stubble in Punjab and Haryana, it is vehicular pollution that is at the forefront of the election campaign. Vehicular emissions are the single largest contributor to the capital’s toxic air, accounting for 51.5 per cent of locally generated pollution, according to the Centre for Science and Environment.
The BJP has promised to add more electric vehicles, especially buses, and to create more walkable paths.
Dikshit, of the Congress party, accused the AAP of failing to expand public transport, which he cited as a key reason for the rising pollution.
Despite a 1998 Supreme Court directive mandating a public bus fleet of 10,000, Delhi currently has only 7,683 buses, including 1,970 electric buses, falling well short of the benchmark of 60 buses per 100,000 people.
Public transport challenges extend beyond buses. The Delhi Metro, which has a network of 351km, has not regained pre-pandemic ridership levels.
A 2024 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment shows that private vehicles, including two-wheelers, cost significantly less per kilometre than public transport, further discouraging people from switching.
“If these surplus 2 to 2.5 million people are opting for private vehicles, it’s clearly adding to Delhi’s vehicular pollution,” Dikshit says.
The AAP has defended its record, pointing to measures like the introduction of more than 1,900 electric buses to the city’s fleet. “In 2016, there were only 109 days out of 365 when Delhi’s air was clean. This year we achieved clean air for 209 days. We’ve done 70 to 80 per cent of the work, and the remaining work will be done in the third term,” state environment minister Gopal Rai said in an interview with ETV Bharat.
In the past, the AAP has installed smog-cleaning towers and proposed cloud seeding, but critics have described such measures as “Band-Aids” rather than solutions.
“Air pollution management is a highly scientific process that requires the highest level of political will. Both the central and Delhi governments have had opportunities to show results, but neither has done anything worthy of praise,” Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, tells The Independent.
Criticising the National Clean Air Programme, Khosla points out that it focuses on reducing pollution caused by larger PM10 particles instead of the more harmful PM2.5. “This approach is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound,” she says.
Delhi’s people are also frustrated by extreme pollution-control measures that go into effect every November, including fines for diesel and petrol vehicles and the closure of schools.
“Every year, the same drama happens. Schools shut down, construction is banned, and odd-even vehicle schemes are announced. But what’s actually changing?” Chawla asks.
Many of these ad hoc measures target ordinary citizens, while violations by more powerful interests go unnoticed, activists say.
Illegal construction and tree felling continue unabated, for example, even when restrictions are supposed to be in place.
Chawla recounts how construction dust aggravated her mother’s condition. “We complained to the Residents’ Welfare Association and even the police, but nothing happened. It’s like the rules only apply to the poor,” she says.
Bhavreen Kandhari, a green activist, says the government’s data on the city’s green cover is misleading. “They include shrubs and green spaces, not just trees. Meanwhile, five trees are cut every hour in Delhi with permission, and who knows how many are cut illegally?”
Kandhari accuses politicians of focusing on “optics” to show people they are doing something instead of actually addressing major violations.
It is in this context that the BJP’s campaign promises are under scrutiny. Critics note that the party governs Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which contribute significantly to pollution in Delhi through stubble burning and industrial emissions. In Punjab, where the AAP is in power, farm fires remain a persistent problem despite promises over the years to address it.
Ashwani Khurana, a Delhi businessman who has spent a fortune on air purifiers for his home and cars, does not think the election will make much of a difference when it comes to tackling the problem of pollution.
He is instead pinning his hopes on increasing awareness to bring change.
“We are quick to blame politicians, but are we doing our part? Every shopkeeper burns garbage outside their shop, adding to the pollution,” he tells The Independent.
For Chawla, however, this election feels different.
“We’re finally talking about it,” she says. “Maybe this time, they can’t ignore it any more.”
Grandfather has motorway built around his house after refusing to move
A stubborn grandfather had a motorway built around his house in China after refusing to move, despite being offered £180,000 in compensation.
Huang Ping’s two-storey home in Jinxi, China, is now surrounded by a construction site with constant dust, noisy builders and vibrating walls.
He says he now regrets not taking the Chinese government’s money and fears what living in his property will be like once the expressway opens in Spring.
“If I could turn back time, I would agree to the demolition conditions they offered. Now it feels like I lost a big bet,” he said.
Pictures show the roof of the house almost level with two lanes of the motorway, which bypass the property before coming back together.
The Jinxi County Party Committee secretary previously said Huang, who lives with his 11-year-old grandson, refused to relocate because he was dissatisfied with the government’s offer.
After a long period of fruitless negotiations, the authorities designed a bypass on both sides of Huang’s house to advance the motorway’s construction.
Residents have since flocked to the area to take photos, with people dubbing Huang the “strong nail house owner” in China. A nail house is a Chinese term for an occupied home whose owners are holding out against property development.
The properties often end up surrounded by rubble or with developers going ahead and building around them.
Owners can go to extraordinary lengths to keep their properties intact, even as skyscrapers and shopping centres rise above them or roads are planned to run through them.
In 2017, a famous Shanghai nail house that blocked traffic on a major road for nearly 14 years was demolished.
The residents had refused every offer since 2003 to move, saying the compensation was insufficient. But they finally accepted £300,000 to move.
Three people hospitalised in Sydney with suspected botulism
A Sydney woman is in intensive care, and two others are hospitalised, with suspected botulism linked to unregulated anti-wrinkle injections.
NSW Health said on Saturday that all three individuals received anti-wrinkle injections from the same person on the same day at a Sydney home approximately two weeks ago. Investigations are ongoing to determine the specific anti-wrinkle product used.
In a warning issued by NSW Health on Friday night, it said that the 51-year-old woman may have contracted the disease after receiving an anti-wrinkle injection at a private home from an individual earlier this month, within the past two weeks.
Authorities also have warned against receiving cosmetic injections from unauthorised practitioners, as botulism, though rare, can be fatal. Symptoms include muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing, and trouble breathing, which may appear up to two weeks after exposure.
“The person [the woman] presented with symptoms of botulism, which is a serious, life threatening disease… that often requires ventilation, intubation and ventilation in intensive care,” said NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty.
“We’ve also had two other patients who received injections around the same time from the same person also admitted with suspected botulism, so this is a very serious situation,” he told ABC News.
“Cosmetic injections, if used incorrectly, could result in serious harm and even death in the most serious of cases,” he was quoted as saying by Australia’s Nine News.
He said: “Botulism, although rare, can be fatal, which is why it is so important that anyone receiving cosmetic injections does so under the supervision of an appropriately registered health practitioner.
“In this particular case, investigations are continuing, but we want people to be aware of the symptoms of botulism as others could have been exposed.”