Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has attributed the catastrophic Beirut port explosion four years ago to gross mismanagement, during an interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired Friday.
The massive explosion ripped through Lebanon's capital on August 4, 2020, killing 218 people, injuring 7,000 and leaving 300,000 displaced. It is regarded as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, as it devastated vast areas of Beirut and causing billions of dollars in damages.
"It is true that it was one of the biggest explosions, and it devastated Beirut at different levels. I truly hope that the truth comes out regarding this, but there are many questions that have to be answered. The red light pertaining to the economic situation was on since years before I took over," Diab said.
Following the incident, the Lebanese government launched an investigation into the explosion. However, years of obstructions by top officials to dodge accountability and stall the probe have hampered hopes for justice.
"There's a lot of mismanagement that took place during those decades. Regarding the port of Beirut, this is probably part of the mismanagement. So, it's extremely unfortunate that this happened and like the family of the martyrs, I want this to be resolved, but I want the truth to be out," Diab said.
"It's obvious. It's mentioned all over the media. It was politicized. It was being used by different political parties for their own political agenda. This sort of created the division in the country," he added.
Diab was appointed prime minister in December 2019. He submitted his resignation in August 2020 in wake of the 2020 Beirut explosion and served as caretaker prime minister until a new government was formed in September 2021.
Former Lebanese PM blames mismanagement for Beirut port explosion
Tiangong Ultra, an upgraded version of the China-made "Tiangong" humanoid robot, is currently undergoing tests in preparation for a half-marathon next month in Beijing.
The race, set for April 13 in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in the capital city's southeast, will feature both robotic and human athletes competing on the same route but on separate tracks to ensure safety for all participants.
The competition is open to global robot companies, research institutes, robot clubs and universities. So far, 23 organizations have signed up for the competition.
Developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, Tiangong Ultra has a bigger size, longer legs, and a stronger hip compared to its old version. In addition, unlike Tiangong, which has two iron sheets as feet, Tiangong Ultra wears a pair of "shoes" to minimize impact on its feet and ankle joints from running, according to engineers at the center.
"Aside from upgrades to Tiangong's body and structure, we have also greatly improved its motion algorithm, strengthening its capabilities for gait planning, body coordination, and motion control," said Wei Jiaxing, director of branding and public relations at the center.
In a race between Tiangong and Tiangong Ultra, the upgraded version demonstrated larger strides, a more stable running form, and a significantly higher speed.
"Its highest speed can reach 12 kilometers per hour. Considering the stability and endurance of the Tiangong robot when running outdoors, we may slightly reduce the speed. But we are still very confident that it can complete the half marathon," Wei said.
Bolstered by strong capital investment, China' robotics industry is growing rapidly, with versatile applications becoming increasingly prominent across a wide range of fields, including industrial automation, healthcare and service industries.
According to a report on the humanoid robot industry released at the 2024 World AI Conference in Shanghai, China's humanoid robot market scale was approximately 2.76 billion yuan (about 381.28 million U.S. dollars) last year.
By 2029, it is expected to expand to 75 billion yuan (about 10.36 billion U.S. dollars), which would account for 32.7 percent of the global market.
Humanoid robot set to run Beijing half-marathon
