Several humanoid robots have recently visited the Beijing Central Business District as part of an "energy relay" for the upcoming 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG).
The humanoid robots were tasked to collect energy by shopping for clothes, performing dances for shoppers at the China Central Mall, and dinning on a sightseeing bus to light up "energy cubes" fastened to their chests.
The energy cube is a diamond-shaped metal pendant, with a blue, multifaceted crystal embedded inside.
During the energy relay, which began at the Badaling section of the Great Wall in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing last Tuesday, the robots are supposed to carry these cubes to visit UNESCO World Heritage sites, dual-Olympic venues, and other iconic landmarks in Beijing.
Their journey will conclude on August 14 at the National Speed Skating Oval -- the main venue of the WHRG. There, the energy cubes will assemble into a "smart core" and will be lit up at the event's opening ceremony on the same day.
Initiated by China Media Group, the energy relay aims to demonstrate connectivity between human and technology, bringing cutting-edge technology to the public.
Following the 2025 World Robot Conference from August 8 to 12, the inaugural WHRG will take place from August 15 to 17 in Beijing.
As the world's first multi-sport competition for humanoid robots, the WHRG will feature main events to test the athletic and functional skills of robots in track and field, soccer, dance, handling materials, and medical sorting, as well as peripheral events like badminton, table tennis and basketball that emphasize entertainment and audience interaction.
Humanoid robots visit Beijing CBD as part of energy relay for world's first robot games
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Tuesday that if the U.S. army crosses the red line in attacking civilian targets, Iran's response "will go beyond the region."
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said: "We will not hesitate to retaliate vile aggressions against civilian facilities."
It came as tensions rose on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump made a social media post in which he threatened Iran's "whole civilization will die tonight," if they fail to meet the deadline he had set to reach a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a possible sharp escalation of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
On the same day, the IRGC announced that as part of the 99th wave of its ongoing "Operation True Promise 4," it has launched attacks on more than 30 targets across central, southern, and inland areas of Israel, covering Rishon LeZion and Petah Tikva in Central Israel, Beersheba, Dimona, and Arad in Negev region, and around ten locations in Tel Aviv.
It added that further retaliations would intensify, with Israeli industrial facilities, infrastructure and military bases all identified as potential targets.
The IRGC also said on Tuesday it had carried out strikes on U.S. bases and other targets in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as on military command centers in the occupied Palestinian territories as part of the 99th wave of its operation.
According to the statement, the operations, jointly conducted by the IRGC Navy and Aerospace Force, carried out attacks with ballistic and cruise missiles along with attack drones in response to earlier strikes on petrochemical plants and affiliated facilities in Iran's southern coastal city of Asaluyeh.
The IRGC further claimed it had launched a long-range missile attack against the U.S. Navy's Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is reportedly deployed in the Indian Ocean.
Separately, media reports said a large petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia's Jubail, which was owned by a U.S. company, was hit by medium-range missiles and drones.
Another container vessel, reportedly linked to Israel and believed to be preparing to transport military equipment from the Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates, was also said to have been struck.
Iran's IRGC vows "beyond the region" response if US hits civilian targets
