The champion robots from last year's inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games on Friday issued a global invitation for more international robotics teams to enter the event's second edition, which will be held in Beijing later this year.
The advanced humanoids appeared alongside other officials to make the invitation from the China Media Group (CMG)'s special studio in the Italian city of Milan, where the 2026 Winter Olympics will kick off later on the same day.
The robot delegation, which is comprised of some of the winning bots from the inaugural Robot Games, are not only supporting the CMG's Winter Olympics coverage on site, but also visiting landmarks, universities, and research institutes across Milan to promote exchanges and cooperation.
The first World Humanoid Robot Games were held in Beijing last August, marking a historic milestone in the advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence.
The event drew 280 teams from 16 countries, including the United States, Germany and Italy, to compete in 26 events, which included the world's first humanoid robot 100-meter sprint and a fully autonomous 5v5 robot football match.
Reigning humanoid robot champions invite more global teams to join upcoming Beijing Games
Polish citizens are feeling the squeeze of surging energy costs, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to roil the international energy market,
In Poland, rising fuel prices are gradually making their way into everyday life and the real economy. Many residents said higher energy costs are taking a heavy toll.
"I do think about this issue more and try to reduce my fuel consumption. Overall, everything happening right now is unsettling," said Pawel, a Warsaw resident.
"I really feel it. Prices have gone up a lot. We're trying to cope and can manage for now. Taxi fares haven't increased yet, but it's definitely getting harder," said Wiktor, another resident.
"Of course it has affected us. Because fuel prices have gone up, everything else is more expensive and costs more now," said Anita, another local resident.
Meanwhile, those working in the transport and service sectors said rising oil prices are directly impacting their businesses.
"The courier industry, like most taxi drivers, is soon going to face closure and be forced out of business. I used to drive international long-distance buses, and honestly, some people in that sector are also thinking about quitting," said Michal, another Warsaw resident.
Lukasz Goczek, a professor from the Department of Macroeconomics and Theory of Foreign Trade at the University of Warsaw, said the continued shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy corridor, could leave global energy prices elevated for a long time, heavily impacting the world economy.
"Iran has this huge leverage. It's got the whole world in a chokehold because 20 percent of oil that's transported in the world goes through the Strait. It obviously means that the price of energy is going to increase. We see it at the petrol stations," said Goczek.
Goczek also noted that U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran have dealt a serious blow to the international order.
"I think that's pretty much, by now, the international law. If it's not that, it's definitely very, very illegal. There wasn't any reason for war. It just straightforwardly began without any warning. So it was much of a surprise. We need the international order to have peace, to prosper, to have trade," said Goczek.
Rising energy costs squeeze Polish households, businesses
