World robot carnival kicks off in China's Wuhan City

The 2025 World Robotics Carnival kicked off in Wuhan City of central China's Hubei Province on Monday, featuring nearly 100 robots including pet robots, make-up robots and robot musicians, offering visitors an opportunity to experience a technology-empowered life.

At the event, over 40 companies presented humanoid robots, robot dogs, robotic exoskeletons and robots that can serve coffee or help apply makeup.

"We have seen robots on the stage at this year's Spring Festival Gala, and [my son] was quite interested in it. This event is a great opportunity for him to see more robots. The robotic dog is quite cute and flexible, and we have seen it running around the venue. It was a very immersive experience," said He Zirong, a visitor.

The event also showcased several robots produced by companies and research institutions based in Hubei, including a bionic robot in the image of the beloved Chinese poet Qu Yuan (339-278 B.C.) from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) that is able to communicate with people, a robotic arm that is able to write calligraphy, and several others designed for healthcare, catering and transport.

"Blown away, I'm blown away, honestly. I can't believe like maybe the last five to ten years how advanced China has actually become, absolutely mind-blowing. I can't believe it. I like that robot. It can dance, it can do Tai Chi. Of course, I think maybe in the next few years we'll see like robot waiters. We got robot waiters now, but I mean like this kind of robot waiter in the restaurants maybe, even in the trains. Especially for busy people, they come home from work, they are tired. Just press the button, and the robot cooks for them. I think it's amazing,” said Jackie, a British visitor.

The event has become a platform for technological exchanges between companies. With nearly 300 upstream and downstream robotic enterprises, Hubei has already built a complete humanoid robot industry chain, with a local supply rate of core components reaching 80 percent. This has attracted many companies from other parts of the country to seek business cooperation in the province.

World robot carnival kicks off in China's Wuhan City

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela