Manama: The Rubu’ Qarn Robotics teams achieved a remarkable accomplishment in the 10th Bahrain VEX Robotics Championship, winning first place in the secondary category and the design award. They also won first place in the intermediate category and the excellence award. According to Emirates News Agency, the Rubu’ Qarn Science and Technology Centre participated with three distinguished teams, comprising nine participants from the intermediate and secondary levels, some of whom had previously qualified during the UAE National Robotics Championship, which Rubu’ Qarn Science and Technology Centre organised during the Rubu’ Qarn Innovation Season last February.

Hangzhou: Chinese engineers are rapidly expanding the application scenarios for robots across various industries, from agriculture to elderly care. Zhejiang Sci-Tech University developed a tea-picking robot in east China’s Zhejiang Province’s Hangzhou City. The robot works amidst a picturesque tea field, showcasing its unique ability to recognize and select tea leaves precisely. Its standout feature lies in its meticulous simulation of manual tea-picking, minimizing damage to the tenderest leaves. According to Emirates News Agency, the mechanical tea-picking robot is still in the experimental phase, with a success rate of over 87 percent. Quadruped robots are also agilely running at the

Sharjah: The third annual edition of the Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC 2025) concluded on Sunday, solidifying its status as a regional epicentre for the industry, and attracting 5,600 attendees from around the world. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the conference brought together 74 luminaries, including award-winning Disney animators, gaming pioneers, and storytellers representing 18 countries from regions such as Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. According to Emirates News Agency, SAC 2025 celebrated creative excellence with a US$20,000 awards programme. Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, and Pietro Pinetti, Artistic Director of SAC,

Dartmoor: A wildfire has destroyed about 12,500 acres (50.6 square kilometers) of moorland on Dartmoor in south-west England. Emergency services received multiple calls alerting them to the blaze on Sunday, and firefighters tackled it for almost 24 hours until it was extinguished on Monday. People were asked to avoid the Merrivale and Okehampton areas while the incident was ongoing, with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service saying the fire may behave “unpredictably” with the changing weather. According to Emirates News Agency, the wildfire coincides with the United Kingdom experiencing the warmest start to May on record. A temperature of

Tobelo: A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck west of Tobelo, Indonesia, on Tuesday, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency reported. The agency said that the quake’s epicentre was located 85 kilometres from Tobelo district at a depth of 123.9 kilometres. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. According to Emirates News Agency, the earthquake’s impact and any potential aftershocks are being closely monitored by local authorities. Emergency response teams are on standby, although no immediate action has been deemed necessary at this time. The region is known for seismic activity, and residents are accustomed to taking precautionary measures.

Rio de Janeiro: The Funda§o Getulio Vargas (FGV), through its International Affairs Division (FGV DINT), in partnership with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Brazil, hosted an exclusive fireside chat with Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, at FGV’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. According to Emirates News Agency, the event, titled BRICS and Beyond: A High-Level Dialogue, brought together policymakers, diplomats, academics, leaders from both the public and private sectors, and FGV students. The discussions focused on the UAE’s role in BRICS, key opportunities arising from the growing strategic partnership between the UAE and