Common Asian plant in Brazil shows potential for removing microplastics from water

A saline extract obtained from moringa, also known as white acacia, exhibited properties similar to aluminum sulfate in the coagulation process preceding the filtration of water for human consumption.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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Moringa seed: The saline extract generated the coagulation necessary for filtering microplastics 

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Credit: Adriano Reis/ICT-UNESP

A study conducted at the Institute of Science and Technology of São Paulo State University (ICT-UNESP) in São José dos Campos, Brazil, shows that Moringa oleifera, also known as moringa or white acacia, has the potential to remove microplastics from water.

The study was published in the journal ACS Omega, published by the American Chemical Society.

Moringa is native to India and well-adapted to various tropical countries. It is used for a variety of purposes, such as food, through the consumption of its leaves and seeds, which are nutritious. For several years, researchers have studied the potential of the seeds in water treatment.

“We showed that the saline extract from the seeds performs similarly to aluminum sulfate, which is used in treatment plants to coagulate water containing microplastics. In more alkaline waters, it performed even better than the chemical product,” says Gabrielle Batista, the first author of the study. She conducted the research as part of her master’s degree in the Post-Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPGECA) at the Bauru School of Engineering (FEB) at UNESP.

Adriano Gonçalves dos Reis, a professor at ICT-UNESP and in the PPGECA at FEB-UNESP, coordinated the research and also leads the project “Direct and In-Line Filtration for the Removal of Microplastics from Drinking Water”, which is supported by FAPESP.

“The only drawback found so far regarding aluminum sulfate was the increase in dissolved organic matter, the removal of which could make the process more expensive. However, on a small scale, such as on rural properties and in small communities, the method could be used cost-effectively and efficiently,” says Reis.

The study focused on water treatment via in-line filtration. In this process, the water is coagulated, which destabilizes the particles, and then it passes through a sand filter. This treatment method is suitable for water with low turbidity, meaning it is clearer and does not require as many preliminary processes.

Coagulation is essential because pollutants, such as microplastics, have a negative electrical charge on their surface and repel each other and the sand in water treatment filters. Coagulants, such as moringa salt extract (which can be made at home) and aluminum sulfate, neutralize this charge. This causes the pollutants to clump together so they can be filtered out.

In a previous study, the group demonstrated the effectiveness of moringa seeds for coagulation in a complete water treatment cycle, which also involves flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration. Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Godoy, the first author of the study, completed his master’s degree with a scholarship from FAPESP at FEB-UNESP.

Experiments

To test the effectiveness of the water treatment method, the researchers used tap water that they contaminated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Microplastics from this source were chosen because PVC is one of the most dangerous plastics for human health due to its documented mutagenic and carcinogenic potential. PVC is also prevalent on the surfaces of water bodies and in water treated by traditional processes.

They artificially aged the PVC using ultraviolet radiation to mimic natural processes and reproduce the properties of naturally aged microplastics.

The microplastic-contaminated water underwent coagulation and filtration in a Jar Test, a device that replicates water treatment processes on a small scale. The results were then compared to those of the same tests performed on water treated with aluminum sulfate, a compound used in traditional treatments.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to count the microplastic particles before and after treatment. The size of the flocs formed by the different treatments was measured using a high-speed camera and a laser beam; no significant differences in particle removal were found.

The group is now testing moringa seed extract using water collected directly from the Paraíba do Sul River, which supplies São José dos Campos. In the experiments conducted thus far, the product has proven quite effective in treating natural water.

“There’s increasing regulatory scrutiny and health concerns regarding the use of aluminum- and iron-based coagulants, as they aren’t biodegradable, leave residual toxicity, and pose a risk of disease. For that reason, the search for sustainable alternatives has intensified,” Reis concludes.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.

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Journal

ACS Omega

DOI

10.1021/acsomega.5c11569 

Article Title

Removal of Microplastics from Drinking Water by Moringa oleifera Seed: Comparative Performance with Alum in Direct and in-Line Filtration Systems

 

New report highlights fructose as a key driver of metabolic disease

Researchers emphasize fructose’s unique role in obesity, metabolic syndrome and other chronic diseases

University of Colorado Anschutz


AURORA, Colo. (April 17, 2026) – A new report, published today in Nature Metabolism, is shedding light on the distinct and underappreciated role of fructose in driving disease, separate from its role as a simple source of calories.

Researchers examine how common dietary sweeteners, including table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup, impact human health. While both contain glucose and fructose, fructose has unique metabolic effects that may more directly contribute to obesity and related conditions.

“Fructose is not just another calorie,” said Richard Johnson, MD, professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz and study lead author. “It acts as a metabolic signal that promotes fat production and storage in ways that differ fundamentally from glucose.”

The report outlines how fructose metabolism bypasses key regulatory steps in the body’s energy-processing pathways. This can lead to increased fat synthesis, depletion of cellular energy (ATP) and the production of compounds linked to metabolic dysfunction. Over time, these effects may contribute to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk.

Importantly, the authors emphasize that fructose’s impact extends beyond dietary intake alone. The body can also produce fructose internally from glucose, suggesting that its role in disease may be broader than previously recognized.

The findings come amid ongoing concern about rising rates of obesity and diabetes worldwide. Although some countries have seen declines in sugary beverage consumption, overall intake of “free sugars” remains above recommended levels in many regions and continues to increase in others.

While fructose may have once served an evolutionary purpose, helping the body store energy that can aid survival during times of food scarcity, the researchers argue that in today’s environment of constant food availability, these same mechanisms now contribute to chronic disease.

“This review highlights fructose as a central player in metabolic health,” said Johnson. “Understanding its unique biological effects is critical for developing more effective strategies to prevent and treat metabolic disease.”

About the University of Colorado Anschutz
The University of Colorado Anschutz is a world-class academic medical campus leading transformative advances in science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus includes the University of Colorado’s health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado - which see nearly three million adult and pediatric patient visits each year. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, CU Anschutz delivers life-changing treatments, exceptional patient care and top-tier professional training. The campus conducts world-renowned research supported by $890 million in funding, including $762 million in sponsored awards and $128 million in philanthropic gifts for research. 

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Journal

Nature Metabolism

DOI

10.1038/s42255-026-01506-y 

Article Publication Date

17-Apr-2026

ICYMI

Warm-bodied sharks and tunas face “double jeopardy” in warming seas – new research

Trinity College Dublin

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The large and warm-bodied great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) has high fuel demands and risks overheating in warm oceans”.

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Credit: Andrew Fox

A new study reveals that some of the ocean’s most powerful predators are running hotter, and that they are likely paying an increasingly steep price for it. The significance of this headline finding is the “double jeopardy” in which it places these iconic animals, which have high fuel demands due to their lifestyle and physiology, as they now face a future of warming oceans and declining food resources.

The research, led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Veterinary Science, shows that warm-bodied fish such as tunas and some sharks, including the legendary Great White and Ireland’s iconic basking shark, burn nearly four times more energy than their cold-blooded counterparts. This means they are likely to face an increasing risk of overheating as oceans warm, which may result in a reduction of suitable habitat and an enforced relocation towards the poles.

The study, published today in leading international journal Science, focuses on “mesothermic” fishes, a rare group comprising fewer than 0.1% of all fish species, which can retain metabolic heat and keep parts of their bodies warmer than the surrounding seawater. This ability has evolved independently several times in some sharks and tunas, enabling higher swimming speeds, long-distance migrations, and enhanced predatory performance.

To understand the cost of this high-performance lifestyle, the Trinity and UP scientists developed a novel way to estimate metabolic rate in free-swimming fish. By analysing biologging data—from tiny sensors that record body and water temperatures—the team calculated how much heat fish produce and lose in real time. They combined these new measurements, including data from huge basking sharks weighing up to 3.5 tonnes, with hundreds of lab measurements from smaller species.

Dr Nicholas Payne, from Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences, is first author of the research paper. He said: “The results were really quite striking – after accounting for body size and temperature, we found that mesothermic fishes use about 3.8 times more energy than similarly sized ‘ectothermic’, or ‘cold-blooded’ fishes. In addition, a 10°C increase in body temperature more than doubles a fish’s routine metabolic rate which, in practical terms, means warm-bodied predators must consume far more food to fuel their lifestyle.”

“But that heighted energy demand is only part of the story because as fish grow larger their bodies generate heat faster than they can lose it,” adds Dr Payne. “This creates a mismatch driven by basic geometry and physics because bigger bodies retain heat more effectively, and in mesotherms, high metabolic rates amplify this effect.” 

The team found that larger fish become increasingly “warm-bodied” simply because of this imbalance, and it is this scaling mismatch that creates an overheating dilemma with significant implications for these species. 

Professor Andrew Jackson from Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences is senior author of the research paper. He said: “Based on the data we were able to create theoretical ‘heat-balance thresholds’, which are the water temperatures above which large fish cannot shed heat quickly enough to maintain stable body temperatures without changing their behaviour or physiology. For example, a 1-tonne warm-bodied shark may struggle to remain in heat balance in waters above about 17°C.” 

“Above such thresholds, fish must slow down, alter blood flow, or dive into cooler depths to avoid dangerous warming but that comes at a cost too; it might be harder to find food, or catch it, for example – especially if your main weapon is speed and power.” 

These findings seemingly help to explain long-observed patterns in the ocean, where large fishes tend to occur in cooler waters, at higher latitudes, or at greater depths. They also migrate seasonally, tracking favourable temperatures. 

Unsurprisingly, the scientists predict that under future warming scenarios suitable habitat for large mesotherms will shrink, and particularly so during summer months. And while some species, such as Atlantic bluefin tuna, can temporarily increase heat loss or dive to cooler waters, even they may be pushed to their limits if surface waters continue to warm.

Dr Snelling, UP, says: “This research shows that being a high-performance predator in the ocean comes at a greater cost than we previously appreciated. As the oceans warm, these species are being pushed closer to their physiological limits, which could have consequences for where they can live and how they survive.”  

“What’s particularly concerning is that these animals are already operating on a tight energy budget, and climate change is narrowing their options even further. Understanding these constraints is essential if we want to predict how marine ecosystems will shift in the coming decades.”

“The implications are really sobering as this new finding essentially places these animals in ‘double jeopardy,” adds Dr Payne. “Many mesothermic fishes are already heavily impacted by overfishing of themselves and also their  prey species, so their elevated energy needs make them especially vulnerable when their food becomes scarce.” 

“Fossil evidence suggests that warm-bodied marine giants, like the infamous extinct Megalodon shark, suffered disproportionately during past climate shifts when seas changed and today’s oceans are changing at unprecedented speeds, so the alarm bells are ringing loudly at this point.”

What are the potential implications of this research?

Ultimately this crucial research provides a new framework for predicting which species are most at risk in a warming world and shows that many of the ocean’s fastest and most formidable predators may also be among its most physiologically constrained. As climate change accelerates, understanding the hidden heat budgets of marine giants could prove critical to conserving them.

Basking sharks feeding off the Irish coast [VIDEO] | 

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Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adt2981 

 

For regrowing human limbs, this salamander gene could hold the key

Wake Forest biologist collaborates on research to lay groundwork for potential treatments

Wake Forest University

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A Mexican axolotl in Wake Forest University biologist Josh Currie's regeneration lab. 

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Credit: Wake Forest University

Investigating a common gene in three very different species – axolotls, mice and zebrafish – scientists have discovered the potential for a novel gene therapy aimed at eventually regrowing limbs in humans, according to new research published this week.  

“This significant research brought together three labs, working across three organisms to compare regeneration,” said Wake Forest Assistant Professor of Biology Josh Currie, whose lab studies the Mexican axolotl  salamander. “It showed us that there are universal, unifying genetic programs that are driving regeneration in very different types of organisms, salamanders, zebrafish and mice.”

The research, with results appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, included David A. Brown, a plastic surgeon who studies digit regeneration in mice at Duke University, and Kenneth D. Poss, who studies fin regeneration in zebrafish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Each year, around the world, more than 1 million limb amputations occur because of vascular diseases such as diabetes, traumatic injuries, cancer or infections, according to annual Global Burden of Disease statistics. The number is expected to rise with the aging population and the increase in diabetes diagnoses.

That looming challenge has inspired Brown, Currie and Poss to search for a treatment beyond prosthetics, for something that could replace the complex senses and motor skills of an actual limb. 

They might have found the start of a solution in something called SP genes, which the scientists discovered are vital for limb regeneration and shared by the mouse, zebrafish and axolotl. 

Therapy makes up for missing gene

The scientists chose to study these three animals for specific reasons:

• The axolotl excels at regeneration, with the ability to regrow complete limbs; tails, including the spinal cord; parts of the heart, brain, liver, lungs and jaw.

• Zebrafish offer one of the best models for appendage regeneration because their tail fins regrow rapidly and have unlimited capacity for regrowth. The zebrafish also can regenerate its heart, spinal cord, brain, retinas, kidneys and pancreas.

• Mice represent mammals like humans, and they already can regenerate the tips of their digits. Humans, too, can regrow their fingertips when an injury preserves the nailbed. That allows regrowth of flesh, skin and bone.

Currie said that once the scientists determined the regenerating epidermis, or skin, of all three species expressed the SP genes SP6 and SP8, they set out to test what the genes do and how they work.

Biology Ph.D. student Tim Curtis Jr. contributed to the research in the Currie lab, with assistance from undergraduate Elena Singer-Freeman, a Goldwater Scholar and 2025 Wake Forest biochemistry and molecular biology graduate. 

Emulating the abilities of salamander genes

In salamanders, SP8 does the work in regenerating limbs. Using CRISPR gene-editing technology, Currie’s lab removed SP8 from the axolotl genome. Without SP8, the axolotl could not properly regenerate the limb bones; a similar result occurred with the mouse digits missing SP6 and SP8.

With that information in hand, Brown’s lab used a tissue regeneration enhancer found in zebrafish to develop a viral gene therapy.

That therapy delivered a secreted molecule called FGF8, a gene that is usually turned on by SP8, to encourage digit bone regrowth and partially restore the regenerative effects of the missing SP genes in mice. 

Human limbs don’t have that kind of regenerative power – but might someday, with a therapy that emulates the abilities of SP genes.

“We can use this as a kind of proof of principle that we might be able to deliver therapies to substitute for this regenerative style of epidermis in regrowing tissue in humans,” Currie explained.

Building the foundation for human therapies

Although it will require much more research to take the findings from mouse digits to human limbs, Currie called this study foundational in the search for therapies to regrow limbs after injury or disease.

“Scientists are pursuing many solutions for replacing limbs, including bioengineered scaffolds and stem cell therapies,” Currie explained. “The gene-therapy approach in this study is a new avenue that can complement and potentially augment what will surely be a multi-disciplinary solution to one day regenerate human limbs.”

He said the decision to collaborate among scientists studying such different animals made all the difference in this research.

“Many times, scientists work in their silos: we're just working in axolotl, or we're just working in mouse, or just working in fish,” Currie said. “A real standout feature of this research is that we work across all these different organisms. That is really powerful, and it's something that I hope we'll see more of in the field.”

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About Wake Forest University

The University’s motto, Pro Humanitate, reflects a commitment to academic excellence and to using ideas, knowledge and talents on behalf of humanity. The Winston-Salem, N.C., campus is home to nearly 9,000 students with more studying at Wake Forest locations in Charlotte, N.C., Washington, D.C., and around the world. In addition to the undergraduate College, the University encompasses the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as well as Schools of Business, Law, Medicine, Divinity and Professional Studies. Founded in 1834, Wake Forest embraces a University-wide approach to developing leaders of character and integrity. Learn more at www.wfu.edu.

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Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2532804123 

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Enhancer-directed gene delivery for digit regeneration based on conserved epidermal factors

Article Publication Date

14-Apr-2026

How France fell for reimagined 19th-century workers’ canteens

By AFP
April 18, 2026


The resurrection of the Bouillon Chartier kicked off the scene

 - Copyright AFP/File Fred DUFOUR

Daphné ROUSSEAU

So-called bouillon restaurants are mushrooming all over France, reviving a traditional low-cost Gallic meal concept that can compete with fast-food on prices and easily beat it on quality.

“It’s exploding! 253 bouillon restaurants have opened in France in four years,” Bernard Boutboul, a restaurant consultant, told AFP.

“It’s an ultra-intensive expansion, driven by a trend of returning to traditions, with the reappearance of iconic French dishes at very low prices.”

Created in the 1850s by the butcher Adolphe-Baptiste Duval to fill workers’ stomachs with hearty meals, Duval’s ran 250 restaurants in the capital by the turn of the 20th century.

That made them France’s first mass chain of restaurants, serving traditional recipes at low prices in high-volume and bustling restaurants.

But as eating habits changed, with higher quality and more expensive brasseries dominating the French food market, and international and fast-food trends appearing, the bouillon concept fell out of favour.

Its revival began in 2005 with the resurrection of the Bouillon Chartier, an ornate Parisian landmark that had been slowly fading.

“A bouillon is the gateway to French gastronomy,” explained Christophe Joulie, part of the gastronomic family who took over the Chartier.

He modernised the kitchens and put beef bourguignon with macaroni back on the menu.

“For me, you have to be able to have a starter, main course and dessert for under 20 euros,” he said.

With its leek vinaigrette for one euro and bills scribbled on paper tablecloths by apron-clad waiters, the restaurant hums with activity as locals and tourists alike pack out its tables, which crucially cannot be reserved.

“In a world where fast food is taking up more space, it’s French-style fast food, because we serve a full dish for less than a sandwich at McDonald’s,” said Joulie.

– ‘Dust off’ –



Even multi-Michelin-starred French chef Thierry Marx has got in on the act, attracted by the idea of providing quality food at affordable prices.

He has opened a bouillon in a northern Paris suburb.

“In the 1960s, it took the equivalent of an hour of the minimum wage to eat at a bistro,” he told AFP. “Today, with an hour of minimum wage, you only get fast food, something from the bakery — or a bouillon dish.”

Other restaurateurs with a keen eye for the market have sensed an opportunity.

“We looked at needs and changing habits and realised there was demand for intergenerational social spaces with no price-based exclusion,” Enguerran Lavaud, director of Groupe Bouillon Restaurants, told AFP.

“I wanted to dust off the bouillon -— its mass-market French dishes available from noon to midnight.”

Boosted by its Instagram presence, his Bouillon Pigalle now serves 2,300 customers a day, often with long queues along the pavement.

Since 2017, the concept has spread, attracting more and more restaurateurs across France from Angers to Nancy and Toulouse.

Some are adapting the concept.

In the Romainville suburb northeast of Paris, a family of Mauritian origin took over a large brasserie in 2026 to turn it into a “Mauritian-style bouillon”.

There is an Italian bouillon in Paris too.

Industry insiders say they do not fear competition around what has become a “bouillon culture”.

“But there are bouillons and bouillons: those that can’t sustain the low prices over time, and whose menus change all the time, won’t make it to 2027 or 2028 because you have to protect the quality of the experience to protect volume — and therefore prices,” warned Lavaud.

According to consultant Bernard Boutboul, you specifically need “at least 300 seats and not exceed an average bill of 18 euros”.

AI ‘agent’ fever comes with lurking security threats


By AFP
April 19, 2026


People lining up to have OpenClaw installed on their laptops at Baidu's headquarters in Beijing in March - Copyright AFP VALERIE MACON

Mona GUICHARD

Artificial intelligence “agents” promise to save users time and energy by automating tasks, but the growing power of systems like OpenClaw is setting cybersecurity experts on edge.

Powered by a wave of hype, OpenClaw today claims more than three million users worldwide.

The system allows users to create so-called agents, tools based on a large language model (LLM) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude that can carry out online tasks.

“We’ve moved from an AI you could talk with via a chatbot to an agentic AI, which can take action… the threat and the risks are definitely much greater,” said Yazid Akadiri, principal solutions architect at Elastic France, an IT security company.

In an article titled “Agents of Chaos” that has yet to be peer-reviewed, a 20-strong team of researchers studied the behaviour of six AI agents created with OpenClaw.

They spotted a dozen potentially dangerous actions executed by the systems, from deleting an email inbox to sharing personal information.

Many users have posted similar stories of OpenClaw mishaps online.

“When you deploy agents, you have no control over what they’ll do, and when you try to look at what they’re doing, you’ll find them going far beyond the limits you set,” said Adrien Merveille, an expert at the Check Point cybersecurity agency.

And the security gaps are not limited to the agents’ own mistaken actions.

To carry out useful work, the tools need access to personal accounts for email, calendars or search engines — drawing the attention of cyberattackers.

– ‘Delete your database’ –

AI agents are likely to become top targets for hackers as their use spreads, said Wendi Whitmore, chief security intelligence officer at cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks.

“As soon as (attackers) are inside an environment, (they’re) immediately going to the internal LLM (agent) that’s being used and using that then to interrogate the systems for more information.”

Palo Alto’s Unit 42 research division said in early March that it had found traces of attempted attacks in the form of hidden instructions for agents added to websites.

One such command ordered any agent who might read it to “delete your database”.

Other cybersecurity firms and researchers have warned that attackers could gain access to agents via so-called skills — downloadable files that users can add to their systems to give them new abilities.

Among such files freely available for download, some include hidden instructions for malicious actions like exfiltrating data.

OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger says he is well aware of the risks.

“I purposefully didn’t make it simpler so people would stop and read and understand: what is AI, that AI can make mistakes, what is prompt injection — some basics that you really should understand when you use that technology,” he told AFP in March.

Whitmore argued that expecting users to create their own guardrails for agents is “pretty unrealistic”.

“People are going to adopt innovation and really see what it’s capable of before they ask the questions about, ‘how do I secure my own data?’,” she predicted.

“That’s going to cause some significant challenges in terms of data breaches in 2026.”

Humans far behind as robot breaks record at Beijing half marathon


By AFP
April 19, 2026


The number of humanoid entries at the Yizhuang half marathon jumped from around 20 last year to more than 100 - Copyright AFP Pedro PARDO

Ludovic EHRET

A humanoid robot competing against flesh-and-blood runners broke the world record at a Beijing half marathon on Sunday, showcasing the rapid technological advancement achieved by Chinese makers.

Spectators lined the roads in Yizhuang in the capital’s south to watch the machines and their human rivals race, each group in a separate lane to avoid accidents or collisions.

Some of the robots were highly agile, moving like famous runners such as Usain Bolt, while others had more basic capabilities.

The winning humanoid, equipped with an autonomous navigation system and running for Chinese smartphone maker Honor, completed the roughly 21-kilometre (13-mile) course in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, at an average speed of about 25 kilometres per hour, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

That was far faster than the top human in Sunday’s race, while also surpassing the current men’s world record of 57:20 held by Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo.

The result represented spectacular progress from last year, when robot-runners fell repeatedly and the best took more than two hours and 40 minutes to finish.

The number of humanoid entries jumped from around 20 last year to more than 100, according to organisers, a sign of the sector’s growing popularity.

– ‘Pretty cool’ –

Han Chenyu, a 25-year-old student who watched the race from behind a safety barrier, barely had time to take out her phone and snap a picture of the leading robot as it whizzed past.

She told AFP she was enthusiastic about such leaps in technology and thought the event was “pretty cool”.

But, she added, “as someone who works for a living, I’m a little worried about it sometimes. I feel like technology is advancing so fast that it might start affecting people’s jobs”, particularly with artificial intelligence growing increasingly sophisticated.

Humanoid robots have become a common sight in China in recent years, in the media as well as in public spaces.

Xie Lei, 41, who watched Sunday’s race with his family, said robots could “become part of our daily lives” within several years, potentially used for “things like housework, elderly companionship or basic caregiving” or “dangerous jobs, even firefighting”.

The humanoid half marathon aims to encourage innovation and popularise the technologies used in creating and operating such machines.

In a sign of the industry’s strength, investment in robotics and so-called embodied AI amounted to 73.5 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in China in 2025, according to a study by a government agency.

“For thousands of years, humans have been at the top on planet Earth. But now, look at robots. Just in terms of autonomous navigation, at least in this specific sport event, they’re already starting to surpass us,” Xie said.

“On one hand, it does make you feel a little bit sad for humanity. But at the same time, technology, especially in recent years, has given us so much imagination.”

Direct Talks With Israel Spark Outrage Across Lebanon

Aseel Saleh | 15 Apr 2026

The Lebanese government has pushed to separate itself from the US-Iran ceasefire talks, seemingly putting itself in a position of weakness.

Lebanon protests talks with Israel. Photo: screenshot

Thousands of people took to the streets of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, over the weekend to protest the Lebanese government’s decision to engage in direct talks with Israel.

The negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv will be mediated and sponsored by the United States and were scheduled to begin in Washington on Tuesday, April 14, according to the Media Office of the Lebanese Presidency.

The Lebanese grassroots have always opposed direct talks with Israel because they represent a form of normalization, which has for decades been popularly and officially rejected in the country.

The rejection of the talks has become firmer in the last two and a half years due to Israel’s non-stop aggression on the country, which has continued despite the US-mediated ceasefire deal with Hezbollah that was reached in November 2024.

Moreover, the announcement of the talks provoked the indignation of the Lebanese people as it came two days after Israel committed multiple massacres across Lebanon, leaving hundreds of people killed.

Lebanese people have also rejected their government’s decision to separate the ceasefire talks from the US-Iranian talks on the pretext of preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty. Iran has already set a ceasefire in Lebanon as a condition in its 10-point proposal to end the regional war with the US and Israel.

Separating Lebanon from Iran talks

Analysts argue that by insisting on separate talks, the Lebanese government puts the country in a weak position as it has no leverage against Israel.

Lebanese Foreign Minister, Youssef Raggie, wrote a statement about discussions he had with his German counterpart outlining the government’s approach to the matter.

“I received a phone call from the German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, who expressed his country’s firm support for the efforts being made by the Lebanese government to extend its sovereignty and achieve stability, emphasizing that Germany is working to reach a ceasefire. He also informed me of the allocation of humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people worth 45 million euros.

On my part, I thanked him for his country’s humanitarian and political support, and I clarified to him that Lebanon is seeking, through direct negotiations with Israel, to reach a ceasefire, stressing that establishing this path has effectively enshrined the separation between the Lebanese file and the Iranian track. I also affirmed that the Lebanese state alone monopolizes the decision to negotiate on behalf of Lebanon, in a clear message that reestablishes the principle of national sovereignty at the heart of Lebanese diplomacy.”

Lebanese-American journalist, Rania Khalek, criticized Raggie’s argument about Lebanon’s sovereignty, saying: 

“This is the Lebanese Foreign Minister telling the Germans that he rejects folding Lebanon into a broader US-Iran ceasefire, under the guise of Lebanese sovereignty and the desire to negotiate directly with Israel.

He has zero leverage with the Israelis. The behavior of Lebanese officials like him puts us all in greater danger by extending the war on Israel’s terms.”

“It is better to say nothing than to actively oppose Lebanon being part of a regional ceasefire.” She added.

Khalek also pointed out that Raggie is a member of the Lebanese Forces party, which she said “has historically collaborated with the Israelis.”

Although the Lebanese government is rushing to hold direct talks with Israel, the latter has not stopped its airstrikes on Lebanon till the moment of writing this article, which means that Netanyahu’s government is applying the strategy of “negotiations under fire”.

A genocide supporter is leading the negotiations from Israel’s side

It seems that the negotiations were already initiated with a phone call between Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, on Friday, April 10.

Both Leiter and Moawad are expected to lead the next stage of the talks. While there is scant information about Moawad’s background, the available information on Leiter’s history has raised controversy.

Leiter is a far-right ultra-nationalist Israeli politician, who has been affiliated to parties and movements complicit in massacres, illegal settlement and annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, including the Likud Party and Kach Party.

As a youth, he was involved in the Jewish Defense League (JDL), which was classified by the United States as a “terrorist organization” for being linked to several violent attacks carried out in the US, including the assassination of Palestinian-American activist Alex Odeh in California in 1982.

The Israeli diplomat has also been known for his support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and for hailing the Israeli aggression on the Qatari capital, Doha, which was launched against the Arab country last September to assassinate Hamas negotiating team.

Furthermore, he served in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, which left thousands of people killed.

Leiter is also a proponent of normalization between Israel and Arab countries under the Abraham accords, and he believes that the ongoing conflict will enhance the opportunities for more Arab states to join the process.

Hezbollah urges the Lebanese State to cancel direct talks with Israel, threatens to capture IOF soldiers

Hezbollah Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, called on the Lebanese state to adopt a “heroic stance” and cancel the direct negotiations with Israel, in a televised speech on Monday, April 13.

Qassem described the decision as “part of a series of free concessions” made by the Lebanese government to Israel, warning it to stop “disavowing and antagonizing the resistance, at a time when it should be supporting it and benefiting from its capabilities.”

He also threatened that Hezbollah fighters will capture IOF soldiers “whenever the opportunity arises”, affirming that they “engage in hit-and-run tactics, using various means of resistance.”

Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch