Chinese robot Tiangong clocks sub-9-second 100 metres in Beijing
Chinese robot seven-tenths of a second faster than the 9.58-second men’s world record set by Usain Bolt in 100m.
![People walk past the Huawei booth, where the Atlas 950 SuperPoD system is displayed, during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, on July 17, 2026. [Go Nakamura/Reuters]](https://aljazeeranews-mggx1uo47w.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-07-17T065124Z_993058877_RC2GFMARZ9BM_RTRMADP_3_CHINA-AI-1787272458.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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Moderna, Merck unveil mRNA-based cancer vaccine that cuts spread
Moderna’s mRNA vaccine Intismeran shows promise, reducing melanoma recurrence and spread in late-stage trials.
EXPLAINER
Why extreme heat is much more dangerous for the elderly than we realised
Human heat tolerance limits are lower than previously thought, and age is a major risk, Stanford researchers say.
EXPLAINER
Meta lawsuits: Is social media facing a global legal reckoning?
Meta battles legal challenges in the US, Europe and beyond over platform design and its impact on younger users.
From: The Bottom Line
Why are sandwiches more regulated than AI?
Futurist Max Tegmark wonders why sandwiches are more regulated than artificial intelligence in the US.
Published On 16 Aug 2026
A firefighter cuts a break along the Coast Ridge Road to help control the Timber Fire in Big Sur, California, on August 13 [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Firefighters hike up Castro Canyon while fighting the Timber Fire in Big Sur, California, on August 13. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Smoke from the Timber Fire was seen pouring out of Grimes Creek and has blanketed the nearby coastal mountains. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Since the Timber Fire started on August 8, crews have attempted to clear dry brush from its path. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
The cause of the Timber Fire is not yet known, but wildfires can erupt for a range of reasons, from human activity to lightning strikes. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Fire crews from California have been deployed not only across the state but also to fires in areas like Oregon and Washington, as the western US deals with hot, dry weather. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
The Timber Fire threatens 503 structures in the area in and around Big Sur, California, according to Cal Fire. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Roughly 1,811 personnel, 192 engines and nine helicopters have been assigned to the Timber Fire as of Saturday. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Emergency vehicles responding to the Timber Fire must navigate the steep cliffs and narrow roads of the Big Sur region. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
A bulldozer on August 13 cuts fire break near Coast Ridge Road in an attempt to stop the progression of the Timber Fire. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
While blazes like the Timber Fire burn, labour unions have warned of the stress that federal staffing and resource cuts place on firefighters. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
Climate change has also created extra risk for firefighters, as blazes grow larger and more intense. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
The Timber Fire is one of 125 new fires reported nationwide, as of Saturday, with 29,363 personnel responding across the US. [Nic Coury/AP Photo]
+9
From: NewsFeed
Are We in the Singularity?
Sam Altman just said AI has entered “the singularity.”
Published On 13 Aug 2026
EXPLAINER
Ebola outbreak caused by new ‘animal transmission’: What that means
More than 2,000 people have died after contracting the latest strain of the Ebola virus.
From: NewsFeed
Solar eclipse carves Eiffel Tower’s silhouette in Paris sky
A partial solar eclipse illuminated Paris’s sky over the city’s iconic Eiffel Tower.
Published On 13 Aug 2026
The moon completely covers the sun during a total solar eclipse as seen from Arija, Spain [Borja Suarez/Reuters]
The silhouette of the Prague Castle stands against the background of a partial solar eclipse in Prague, the Czech Republic. [Martin Divisek/EPA]
People react as they observe the total solar eclipse from the seaport of Tarragona, northeastern Spain. [Josep Lago/AFP]
The eclipse is seen behind the TV Tower in Berlin, Germany. [Hannibal Hanschke/EPA]
People look through welding shields during the solar partial eclipse in the landscape park Halde Hoheward in Herten, western Germany. [Ina Fassbender/AFP]
A farmer holding a scythe stands in a meadow before the solar eclipse in Jacobsdorf, Brandenburg, Germany. [Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance via Getty Images]
A view of the total eclipse as seen from on board the Ambassador cruise ship Ambition, off the coast of Greenland. [Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images]
People observe a partial solar eclipse using a telescope at the Chasseral peak, above Nods, northwestern Switzerland. [Fabrice Coffrini/AFP]
A view of the solar eclipse in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. [Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu via Getty Images]
People react as they observe the total solar eclipse from the sea port of Tarragona, northeastern Spain. [Josep Lago/AFP]
The eclipse is observed in Salzburg, Austria. [Cuma Kaan Elbir/Anadolu via Getty Images]
The moon fully passes over the sun's horizon during a partial solar eclipse at the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris. [Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP]
A view of the solar eclipse in Belgrade, Serbia. [Filip Stevanovic/Anadolu via Getty Images]
People watch the partial solar eclipse from the Sophienalpe recreational area in Vienna, Austria. [Leonhard Foeger/Reuters]
The moon completely covers the sun during the total solar eclipse as seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Arcos de las Salinas, near Teruel, Spain. [Christian Hartmann/Reuters]
+11
From: NewsFeed
Iceland and Spain plunged into darkness during total solar eclipse
A total solar eclipse took place in Iceland and Spain as crowds gathered to watch.
Published On 12 Aug 2026
