Top World News
China’s dancing robots: how worried should we be?
Feb 18, 2026 - World 
Eye-catching martial arts performance at China gala had viewers and experts wondering what else humanoids can doDancing humanoid robots took centre stage on Monday during the annual China Media Group’s Spring Festival Gala, China’s most-watched official television broadcast. They lunged and backflipped (landing on their knees), they spun around and jumped. Not one fell over.The display was impressive, but prompted some to wonder: if robots can now dance and perform martial arts, what else can they do? Continue reading...
Excruciating tropical disease can now be transmitted in most of Europe, study finds
Feb 18, 2026 - World 
‘Shocking’ data shows the climate crisis and invasive mosquitos mean chikungunya could spread in 29 countriesAn excruciatingly painful tropical disease called chikungunya can now be transmitted by mosquitoes across most of Europe, a study has found.Higher temperatures due to the climate crisis mean infections are now possible for more than six months of the year in Spain, Greece and other southern European countries, and for two months a year in south-east England. Continuing global heating means it is only a matter of time before the disease expands further northwards, the scientists said. Continue reading...
Beats and throat singing: Sámi DJs tap into growing pride in Indigenous identity
Feb 18, 2026 - World 
Acts such as Article 3 are drawing inspiration from their culture and meeting a big appetite for Indigenous-focused club nights“We both live in maybe the most impractical place if you want to be a successful DJ,” laughs Alice Marie Jektevik, one half of Article 3, a Sámi female DJ collective. Jektevik, 36, and her collaborator, Petra Laiti, 30, reside in a rural village in the far north-east of Norway.But living in Sápmi – the region across northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia traditionally lived in by Sámi people – has proven to be central to their success, providing the inspiration for much of their work. Continue reading...
Tech billionaires fly in for Delhi AI expo as Modi jostles to lead in south
Feb 18, 2026 - World 
Google, Anthropic and OpenAI bosses to mingle with global south leaders wrestling for control over technologySilicon Valley tech billionaires will land in Delhi this week for an AI summit hosted by India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, where leaders of the global south will wrestle for control over the fast-developing technology.During the week-long AI Impact Summit, attended by thousands of tech executives, government officials and AI safety experts, tech companies valued at trillions of dollars will rub along with leaders of countries such as Kenya and Indonesia, where average wages dip well below $1,000 a month. Continue reading...
Radio Free Asia resumes broadcasts to China after Trump cuts forced near closure
Feb 18, 2026 - World 
CEO said services have restarted after termination of grants led to criticism that US was ceding ground to ChinaRadio Free Asia has resumed broadcasts to people in China, its chief executive said on Tuesday, after Trump administration cuts last year largely forced the US-funded outlet to cease operations.For years, RFA and its sister outlets, including Voice of America (VOA), had been financed with funding approved by the US Congress and overseen by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Continue reading...
