Lebanon, Israel and the United States announced Friday in Washington that they had reached a trilateral framework agreement.
The framework agreement calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of southern Lebanon, an Israeli official said Friday.
According to the agreement, the Israeli forces will remain deployed in the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, until Hezbollah is disarmed.
The official said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will maintain its freedom of military operation throughout the "security zone" to take action at any time to eliminate any potential security threats.
The official also noted that Israel and Lebanon agreed that Israeli forces will gradually withdraw from two areas outside the "security zone", and Lebanese army forces will move in.
Shortly after the signing of the trilateral framework agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement Friday evening that the Israeli military will remain in the "security zone" in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah does not disarm.
Lebanon, Israel, US reach trilateral framework agreement
Lebanon, Israel, US reach trilateral framework agreement
Lebanon, Israel, US reach trilateral framework agreement
Held on the slopes of Mount Tai, one of China's most iconic peaks in eastern Shandong Province, a distinctive robot mountain climbing competition kicked off on Monday, turning the popular scenic area into a live proving ground for robots' extreme performance and future real-world deployment.
The inaugural China Media Group (CMG) World Robot Mount Tai Climbing Competition brought together nearly 90 teams of humanoid, quadruped, exoskeleton and other types of robots. Competitors tackled the 3.9-kilometer ancient stone path from Hongmen to Zhongtianmen -- ascending more than 3,100 steps with an elevation gain of nearly 640 meters, while morning mist and moss added extra layers of difficulty.
The competition is divided into two main categories of speed races and specialized events, with five events in total for different robot forms, including speed racing and load-carrying challenges.
The event provides a high-standard and real-world testing platform for the technological advancement and practical application of specialized mountain robots.
"For robots, this course is a natural training ground. It keeps changing in every possible way. If a robot can complete this race, it will make a huge difference to their progress," said Su Qingwei, the competition's chief referee.
At the load-carrying challenge, robots carry not only bulky cargo boxes, but also fragile eggs. Along the way, they must complete four mountain supply transport tasks.
Unlike the speed race, the load-carrying challenge is scored on the number of tasks completed, the condition of the items, and transport efficiency.
This competition provides robots with practical experience for future roles such as mountain transport and inspection -- capabilities that are currently in demand at the Mount Tai scenic area.
"During the operating season, the scenic area generates about 20,000 tons of waste every year. Most of it is carried out by hand. The climate and terrain are complex, so transport costs are high and efficiency is low. That is our biggest problem. During the competition, many companies talked with us in depth. They learned about the pain points we face in daily operations, which gives robot companies ideas and guidance for upgrading their products," said Zhao Ameng, a staffer at scenic area.
Experts noted that the event goes beyond displaying robot functions, more importantly, it pushes performance forward via real-world simulation and promotes in-depth participant exchanges for continuous refinement.
"The key value of this competition is that it uses a real-world setting as a natural testing ground for robots. The teams collect massive amounts of training data in actual tests, providing a model for smarter robots to be applied on a much larger scale," said Liu Wenqiang, Party secretary of China Center for Information Industry Development.
Mount Tai robot competition acts as proving ground for future applications
