The 2025 Shanghai Science Festival, a two-week celebration of scientific innovation and technological advancement, opened on Saturday with multiple events targeting especially youngsters across the city.
The annual Festival will host nearly 2,000 events on basic and frontier topics, with shows, workshops, and forums. Fifty key laboratories and major scientific facilities will welcome public visitors.
At the opening ceremony on Saturday, some humanoid robots debuted on the red carpet alongside people, symbolizing the harmonious integration of human innovation and artificial intelligence.
The Shanghai Science Festival started in 1991 as China's first government-led and the world's second city-named science festival. It has become a crucial platform for public engagement with science and innovation activities.
Forty-eight science education bases will offer special admission rates in this year's festival.
2025 Shanghai Science Festival kicks off with focus on innovation, technology
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.
At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.
Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.
The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.
Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.
Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.
Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.
Iran swears to counterattack if attacked
