Registration for World Humanoid Robot Games opens

The 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG), which will take place in Beijing from August 15 to 17, opened for registration on Friday.

The WHRG, the world's first multi-sport competition for humanoid robots, will be held at the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest", and the National Speed Skating Oval, dubbed the "Ice Ribbon", featuring both main and peripheral events.

The main events comprise three categories: competitive events, exhibition matches, and scenario-based events, covering a total of 19 disciplines. They will test the athletic and functional skills of robots in track and field, soccer, dance, material handling, and medical sorting.

Peripheral events such as badminton, table tennis, and basketball will emphasize entertainment and audience interaction.

The Games are open for registration to Chinese and international enterprises, universities, research institutes, innovation teams, clubs, and other organizations through the official website. Each team may enter multiple categories and use different robots for various events, but robot substitutions during events are prohibited.

The WHRG will be co-hosted by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality and China Media Group (CMG), with CMG Beijing Station serving as a co-organizer.

An Oriental darter, a globally near-threatened species, has been spotted for the first time in Hainan, south China's island province, according to the provincial bird records agency.

At Changjiang Haiwei National Wetland Park, a relatively large Oriental darter was recently spotted atop a tree canopy. The bird has a brown head and neck, with a distinctive white stripe running from its chin down the neck. The rest of its feather appeared in darker shades.

The Oriental darter, a cormorant-like waterbird with a long neck, is primarily a fish hunter found in freshwater lakes and rivers. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, it's now extremely rare in China.