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Afghan Asylum Seeker Sentenced For Raping Goats And 6-Month-Old Lamb

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Afghan Asylum Seeker Sentenced For Raping Goats And 6-Month-Old Lamb

Via Remix News,

A 19-year-old Afghan man, Massoud S., was tried Monday at the Aix-en-Provence court for sexual assault against six goats, one of which died, and a 6-month-old lamb at an educational farm. He has been convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison and a ban from French territory.

Afghan migrant Massoud S. was initially charged with “serious abuse or act of cruelty against a domestic, tame, or captive animal.” He continued to deny the rapes in this case despite DNA evidence and being caught redhanded raping a goat. He even told a court psychologist that anyone who did rape the animals only did it to “not rape a woman” since “a goat could not identify him afterward.”

The sexual assaults occurred between February and April and on top of the DNA evidence, his phone location also had him pinged to the crime scene.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” he told the magistrates regarding the ample evidence against him.

Massoud S. reportedly repeatedly raped the animals, which all belonged to an animal shelter and educational farm “Un moment” in Les Pennes-Mirabeau, near Marseille.

Cassandra Sortino, the owner of the establishment, remains deeply traumatized by the mass rape of her animals by the Afghan man.

“We set up this association to do good, and the animals were in danger in our own structure. We cannot explain it morally,” she testified. “We feel like we failed.”

According to Swiss outlet 20 Minutes, “Representing herself without a lawyer, she searched in vain for an answer to her central question: why?”

The incident began in February when she noticed that there were ligature marks on some of the animals’ legs. A veterinarian discovered injuries to the animals’ genitals and traces of blood.

This was enough evidence for Sortino to install a surveillance camera, where she saw a man sneaking into her property and raping animals. She remained in contact with police, and in April, the Afghan man was finally arrested. At the moment he was apprehended, police discovered the man in the middle of the act of raping the goat, wearing latex gloves, and with his pants down.

Massoud S. claimed that he was in the barn because he missed his train on the night he was arrested to Marseille, where he lives in an asylum seeker center in the city’s 3rd arrondissement.

Massoud S. required a translator during his trial but said he felt “full of shame” when describing his strict religious upbringing. He arrived in France in November 2025 and claims he lost his family during a bombing raid in his home country.

A psychiatrist reported the man suffers from no mental disorders, however, he reportedly said while talking about the rapes: “We make a big deal out of it when they’re just animals,”

“I’m a normal person,” he said when confronted with these statements in court.

He has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for charges reclassified as “abuse leading to death.” He is also banned from French territory and must register into a database for sexual offenders.

Sortino is not done with the Afghan and plans to appeal the sentence.

“I would have liked to understand,” Sortino said.

Previous cases

Last year in Germany, a shocking case has emerged from the beautiful town of Oberneufnach in Bavaria, which involved a 52-year-old Turkish asylum seeker allegedly breaking into a stable and sexually abusing ponies.

The man, who is from a refugee shelter in the nearby town of Anhofen, was arrested after he was caught on surveillance video.

The man broke into the horse farm at 6:45 p.m. while the family was having dinner. They heard the dog barking and then looked on surveillance monitors, where they saw the man in the stable with his pants down on top of one of the animals.

The boyfriend then ran to the stables to chase down the man, but he had already fled the scene. He continued his pursuit of the suspect though and eventually caught him. Police arrived and placed the man under arrest.

In 2023, a 27-year-old suspect was arrested after he was caught on a surveillance camera raping a pony at a stable south of Hamburg. The 18-year-old pony, which is named “Carrie,” was abused by the man at 1 a.m., with footage showing the man calmly walking onto the property and starting to attack the defenseless animal.

Steffi B. released the footage to German newspaper Bild, which posted stills of the perpetrator on its web publication.

The attack happened in Birkenmoor, which is in Harburg, just a few kilometers from the Hamburg city center.

Even the petting zoo at the park has not been safe. In 2017, a Syrian migrant raped a pony there in front of children.

“My babysitter was out with our son in Görlitzer Park. They witnessed the man sexually assault the pony,” one woman told Berliner Morgenpost at the time. The babysitter took a photo of the man as he raped the pony and provided it to police. The migrant was banned from the petting zoo in response, but it is unclear if he was ever charged by police.

Read more here…

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 09:15

Trump Requests $88 Billion Supplemental Funding Package Focused On Iran War Funds, Farm Aid, And Ebola Response

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Trump Requests $88 Billion Supplemental Funding Package Focused On Iran War Funds, Farm Aid, And Ebola Response

President Donald Trump formally asked Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in supplemental appropriations – your tax dollars (for our American readers) – to cover urgent needs stemming from the U.S. military campaign against Iran, provide economic relief to American farmers, and respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

The request, sent in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, comes as the administration seeks to replenish military stocks and address operational expenses from Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military effort launched on February 28, 2026.

Breakdown of the Funding Request

According to the White House letter and reporting from multiple outlets, the package allocates funds across several priorities:

  • Department of War (Pentagon): $67.146 billion – the largest share. This includes approximately $21 billion for munitions to rebuild stockpiles, substantial funding for operations and readiness, $2.4 billion for drones, $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and autonomy, fuel costs, and $12.1 billion for classified programs.
  • American Farmers (USDA): $11.1 billion – $10 billion in temporary economic assistance for row and specialty crops in 2026, plus $1.1 billion to help Florida agricultural producers recover from winter storm damage.
  • Ebola Outbreak Response: $1.4 billion – focused on detection, contact tracing, surveillance, humanitarian assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya, plus medical evacuation and departure support for U.S. citizens.
  • Infrastructure and Other: $500 million for restoration and capital projects in Washington, D.C.; $1 billion toward modernizing Penn Station in New York City; plus smaller amounts for the Department of Energy and other items.

The administration described most of the request as addressing “urgent needs related to Operation Epic Fury” while also tackling other critical domestic and international priorities.

Background: Operation Epic Fury

Operation Epic Fury – the Israeli-US (Master-Blaster) war on Iran which has split the Republican party in exchange for no obvious benefit to Americans who are on the hook for tens of billions of dollars – saw four months of intense fighting from late February to early May 2026. The goal was to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, missile and drone production facilities, navy, air defenses, and efforts to develop or acquire nuclear weapons and related technology.

Diplomatic efforts continue, including a June 2026 memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad aimed at formally ending the conflict within a 60-day window, though disputes remain over issues such as IAEA access to damaged nuclear sites.

The Trump administration has characterized the campaign as a decisive success achieved through “peace through strength,” while critics have raised questions about costs, civilian casualties in some strikes, and broader strategic outcomes.

Political Reactions and Congressional Outlook

The supplemental faces a challenging path in Congress. It requires bipartisan support to advance in the Senate, where 60 votes are typically needed to overcome procedural hurdles.

  • Democrats have largely opposed funding what many describe as an unnecessary or illegal war and are expected to resist the package.
  • Republicans show divisions: Many support replenishing military capabilities and providing farm aid, but some express skepticism about the war’s handling and costs. Farm-state lawmakers are already signaling they may seek to increase the agricultural assistance beyond the proposed $11.1 billion.

House Republican leaders have indicated they will review the details carefully, citing Congress’s constitutional role in funding national defense. The request arrives amid broader debates over the administration’s push for a significantly larger Pentagon budget.

The package also includes regulatory updates favored by some farm-state Republicans, such as measures related to hemp-derived products and year-round sales of E15 ethanol-blended fuel. These provisions aim to support agricultural interests but have drawn opposition from other sectors.

Bundling military, humanitarian, agricultural, and infrastructure spending in one supplemental is a common legislative tactic but often draws criticism for obscuring priorities or adding unrelated items.

What Happens Next?

Congressional appropriators will now examine the request. Passage is far from guaranteed given partisan divides over the Iran conflict and competing budget priorities. The administration has urged swift action, emphasizing the need to restore military readiness and address other urgent matters.

This supplemental represents one of the largest emergency funding requests in recent years, reflecting both the scale of the military operation against Iran and the administration’s efforts to address domestic economic pressures on farmers and global health risks.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 09:00

Continuing Jobless Claims At 3-Month-Highs, Initial Claims Tumble Back To 2021 Levels

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Continuing Jobless Claims At 3-Month-Highs, Initial Claims Tumble Back To 2021 Levels

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time fell last week to 215k (after hitting four month highs last week), well below the 225k expectations and back to the same levels it was at in 2021…

New Jersey and Oregon saw the biggest WoW rise in initial jobless claims while Minnesota and Pennsylvania saw the biggest decline…

At the same time, continuing jobless claims picked up to 1.821 million Americans – the highest in 3 months…

The bottom line is that initial claims remain low by historical standards and continue to run below year-ago levels, reinforcing the more hawkish ‘labor market is resilient’ framework introduced last week.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 08:55

Services Costs Drag Fed’s Favorite Inflation Signal To 3-Year Highs, Savings Rate Holds Near Lows

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Services Costs Drag Fed’s Favorite Inflation Signal To 3-Year Highs, Savings Rate Holds Near Lows

After accelerating in March and April, The Fed’s favorite inflation indicator – Core PCE (a measure of price changes in consumer goods and services that excludes volatile food and energy costs) – was expected to rise once again in May.

And it did with the crucial inflation signal up 0.3% MoM (as expected) and up 3.4% YoY (as expected) and at the highest level since Nov 2023…

Services costs picked up again with Durable goods flat and non-durable goods inflation decelerating…

The headline PCE jumped 0.4% MoM (slightly less than the 0.5% exp) and up 4.1% YoY (as expected) – highest since April 2023…

The impact of the war is evident in crude prices and the PCE’s energy index, but arguably, this is as bad as it gets in terms of inflation…

But PCE signals that the soaring cost of semiconductors (the software and accessories component receives about 30 times the weight in PCE as it does in CPI) – has stalled…

Higher prices were met with higher spending (+0.7% MoM notional) and higher income growth (+0.7% MoM)…

While Spending has been accelerating, income growth HAD been slowing but accelerated markedly last month…

…with both private sector and government workers seeing wage growth acceleration…

Spending continues to run well ahead of inflation (real personal spending up 2.1% YoY)…

Despite an upward revision to the personal savings rate every month of 2026, May was 3.0%, still lowest since 2022

With the savings rate barely above record lows, it seems that Americans are digging into their savings to keep up with inflation. No wonder sentiment is so low…

Howver, as Goldman’s Rich Privorotsky notes, the challenge is that most inflation data now feels inherently backward looking, predating the collapse in oil back toward pre-conflict levels.

Given Warsh’s new mantra of no forward guidance we probably should have more volatility around these releases than we have seen historically.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 08:45

Another OPEC Exit? Iraq Warns It Could Abandon Oil Cartel If Quota Hike Rejected

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Another OPEC Exit? Iraq Warns It Could Abandon Oil Cartel If Quota Hike Rejected

Iraq is sending a warning shot to OPEC: raise Baghdad’s oil production quota to better reflect its capacity and fiscal needs, or risk yet another defection from the oil-producing cartel.

“The ministry currently has no intention of withdrawing from OPEC, and we remain committed to operating within the organization’s framework and mechanisms,” Oil Ministry spokesman Salim Al-Rikabi told Bloomberg via a text message.

Al-Rikabi warned, “Of course, taking into consideration that the Ministry is moving forward with increasing its production to align with its capabilities and needs, the organization should raise Iraq’s production level. Otherwise, a decision will have to be made regarding whether to remain in or withdraw from OPEC.”

Iraq’s threat to leave OPEC comes two months after the UAE formally left the oil cartel, which now comprises 11 members, including Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

The UAE ranks among the top producers in OPEC (4.05 million bpd) and left the group due to its growing capacity ambitions (targeting 5 million bpd by 2027).

We noted at the time…

On a normal, pre-disruption OPEC basis, Iraq and the UAE were huge:

A possible exodus of Iraq, on top of the UAE’s recent exit, would only further weaken OPEC’s ability to defend price floors, especially during periods of glut.

However, a separate Bloombreg report said Iraq walked back its threat to leave… 

“The reports suggesting that Iraq is considering ending its membership in OPEC do not reflect the official position of the Iraqi Government. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Government of Iraq has proposed withdrawing from the Organization,” the Oil Ministry said in a statement.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 07:45

The AI Race Will Be Won Or Lost On Power Infrastructure

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The AI Race Will Be Won Or Lost On Power Infrastructure

By Amanda Simonian, chief marketing officer at TerraFlow Energy, first published in UtilityDive

Over the past several months, moving between conversations on Capitol Hill, industry conferences, and meetings with operators, developers and policymakers, I have been struck by how often very different discussions keep circling back to the same underlying concern: power. In congressional offices, it comes up through the language of energy security, industrial policy and what it will take to keep infrastructure ahead of rising electricity demand. Across the industry, it surfaces through a more operational vocabulary: interconnection bottlenecks, volatile load growth, transmission constraints and the practical question of where the next gigawatt comes from.

Data centers in Stutsman County, N.D. 

What made those conversations interesting wasn’t simply that policymakers and operators were focused on the same issue. It was that many of the proposed answers still seemed rooted in an assumption that deserves more scrutiny. Much of today’s discussion treats AI-driven load growth primarily as a supply challenge. Demand is rising sharply, so the answer must be to build more generation.

That’s true, but only partially.

I’ve come away increasingly convinced the sector may be treating what is fundamentally an infrastructure performance challenge as though it were only a generation problem. Those aren’t the same thing, and the distinction matters. In many places, the strain emerging around rapid load growth isn’t just about whether enough electrons can be produced. It’s about whether the systems carrying, balancing and responding to that power can perform reliably as loads become denser, more dynamic and far less predictable than the grid was originally designed to support.

There are signs of that pressure showing up across the country already. Recent warnings from the PJM Interconnection around reserve margins, rising demand scenarios in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and analysis from the Electric Power Research Institute projecting major increases in data center electricity consumption all point toward a common reality: this isn’t a regional anomaly, and it isn’t a problem sitting comfortably on the horizon. It is beginning to surface now in ways that challenge longstanding planning assumptions.

That is part of why the “just build more generation” framing feels incomplete. More supply matters, but supply alone doesn’t resolve congestion at constrained nodes, instability caused by volatile load behavior, or the local system stress created when large loads concentrate faster than infrastructure can adapt. In some cases, responding to those pressures primarily through generation additions risks solving for scarcity while leaving unresolved, or even exacerbating, the performance challenges underneath.

That isn’t simply a fuel problem, but a systems problem, and systems problems tend to get harder when they’re diagnosed too narrowly.

Even actions like Executive Order 14156 and subsequent federal actions on grid infrastructure suggest growing recognition that energy systems are becoming a strategic competitiveness issue. But the more important question may not be how quickly infrastructure can be deployed, but whether the infrastructure being prioritized is designed for the character of demand now emerging. Speed matters, but architecture matters too.

If infrastructure performance is becoming a limiting factor, then planning, procurement and policy frameworks need to start valuing flexibility and operational capability alongside megawatts. Resource adequacy models should account not only for how much capacity a resource provides, but also for how effectively it responds to rapid load variability. Interconnection and permitting processes should encourage architectures that reduce stress on local infrastructure rather than simply adding demand. Utilities, regulators and large-load customers should be evaluating infrastructure based on its ability to improve system resilience, absorb volatility and support grid performance under real operating conditions.

As the character of demand changes, the metrics used to evaluate infrastructure likely need to change with it. The question is no longer only whether new resources can produce electricity. It’s whether they help the system operate more reliably as load growth accelerates. That matters because the public debate is still asking a narrower question than the moment demands. We often ask whether the U.S. can build enough electricity to support AI growth. A harder and more consequential question is whether we can build power systems capable of supporting that growth reliably. One is fundamentally about supply. The other is about whether the system itself can hold under stress.

Those are not the same challenge.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 07:20

Trump Says US “Ready To Help” After Twin Quakes Level Apartment Towers In Venezuela, USGS Warns Death Toll Could Hit 100K

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Trump Says US “Ready To Help” After Twin Quakes Level Apartment Towers In Venezuela, USGS Warns Death Toll Could Hit 100K

Summary

  • Buildings collapsed in several districts of Caracas
  • Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes 
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio Deploys First Responders 
  • Trump Says “U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help” 
  • USGS Says Quakes May Prompt “International Response” 
  • USGS Fears Death Toll Ranging Between 10k – 100k 

The twin quakes that rocked the Caracas metro area overnight may result in a death toll ranging between 10,000 and 100,000, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates.

USGS said, “Past red alerts have required a national or international response,” adding, “Estimated economic losses are 2-20% of Venezuela’s GDP.”

Even before the quakes, Venezuela was already economically devastated under the socialist Maduro regime. The sheer magnitude of the disaster will likely prompt an international response led by Washington.

“The U.S.A. stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president added, “We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good!!!”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, “America stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time, and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search-and-rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency shortly after the quakes. She said that Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas was closed on Thursday due to damage.

Rodriguez said the number of deaths so far totals 164 people and that around 1,000 people were injured.

Dramatic footage:

Latest headlines, courtesy of Bloomberg:

Devastating Earthquakes

• At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening, according to Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday 

• The earthquakes measured 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude and struck less than a minute apart on Wednesday evening, with the epicenter in Yaracuy state west of Caracas 

• Around 30 aftershocks have been recorded following the two strongest quakes, with 20 aftershocks recorded as of Wednesday evening 

• The earthquakes toppled buildings, knocked down power lines, and devastated Caracas’s main airport

Emergency Response

• Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes 

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone after the earthquakes 

Debt Restructuring Plans

• Venezuela is set to reveal a $240 billion debt pile, much higher than previously estimated market figures of $150 billion to $200 billion, as the country embarks on the biggest sovereign restructuring in history, according to unidentified people familiar with the country’s plans 

• The Rodríguez administration is seeking a restructuring agreement with creditors before the end of the year and has retained Centerview Partners bne 

Political Developments

• The Inter-American Development Bank recognized Venezuela’s Economy Vice President Calixto Ortega Sanchez as the new governor representing the country to the bank on Wednesday Bloomberg First Word 6/24

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuela was looking to strengthen cooperation with Colombia’s incoming administration 

• Delcy Rodríguez has been crisscrossing Venezuela for months in what she describes as a pilgrimage, attempting to shed the baggage of a deeply unpopular government and position herself as its standard-bearer since Nicolás Maduro’s ouster 

“Heavy Casualties” After Massive Twin Quakes Rock Venezuela, Topple Buildings; “International Response May Be Needed”

Twin earthquakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday evening, collapsing entire apartment buildings across Caracas and leaving behind scenes of widespread devastation.

The USGS said the first quake registered a magnitude of 7.1, with an epicenter near Morón, about 104 miles west of Caracas, at a depth of 8 miles. One minute later, a similarly massive magnitude 7.5 quake struck nearby, roughly 10 miles southwest of Morón, at a depth of 6 miles. Remarkably, the dual quake was followed almost immediately across the world by a 6.9 magnitude temblor in northern Japan, which rattled buildings in Tokyo.

USGS issued a red-alert mass-casualty warning due to the combination of shallow depth, heavy population exposure, vulnerable buildings, and estimated losses large enough to require an international response.

“Red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response,” USGS said, adding, “Estimated economic losses are 2-20% GDP of Venezuela.”

In the Palos Grandes neighborhood in eastern Caracas, residents tried frantically to rescue people trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings, Bloomberg reports. Terrified families remained in the streets as the capital was hit by aftershocks. Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and elsewhere sought to reach relatives, but cellphone coverage was down in swathes of the country.

The early footage emerging from the devastation is dramatic:

Local news showed significant damage to the capital’s airport, with parts of the roof collapsing and throwing up thick clouds of gray dust. 

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a national address that some houses and buildings have collapsed. He warned residents to stay outside due to the risk from aftershocks. Cabello said that states including Trujillo, Yaracuy, Carabobo, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also affected.

Authorities haven’t yet published estimates of the number of dead or injured. There were no official reports of damage to the nation’s oil infrastructure. Yet footage shows damage to one of Venezuela’s key petrochemical plants. 

How rare were tonight’s twin quakes? Well… 

The closest historical comparison to the twin quakes this evening likely dates back to the March 26, 1812, Caracas earthquake sequence, which was described as twin destructive shocks within 30 minutes. That quake led to an estimated death toll of 15,000 to 20,000, while a USGS historical summary says it may have claimed about 30,000 lives.

Quake activity elsewhere…

And Japan. 

There were no immediate reports of damage to Venezuela’s oil facilities, according to people familiar with the situation. The country’s refining hub in Paraguaná, 225 kilometers (140 miles) west of the epicenter, continued operations as usual. Work at the port of Jose complex and at the Puerto La Cruz refinery was unaffected.

The disaster will further strain the nation’s crisis-hit economy. The country is reeling from one of the world’s fastest inflation rates and rolling power outages. As such, the quake could open a window for President Trump to offer emergency aid and logistical support, potentially creating the first step toward a broader US-backed reconstruction effort in Venezuela.

*Developing…

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 07:05

Heat Dome Sends European Power Prices Soaring

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Heat Dome Sends European Power Prices Soaring

An intense heat wave continues to bake France and parts of Europe, with temperatures surging well above the 30-year average for this time of year.

Welcome to summer. 

In France, the average daily temperature reached 85.6F on Tuesday, according to Météo-France, while Pissos in southwest France hit 111.7F.

The heat dome parked over Western Europe is set to fade by the end of the week, but temperatures will remain well above the 30-year seasonal average.

French evening power prices on Tuesday soared to their highest level since the 2022 energy crisis, while German power prices hit two-year highs. In Belgium, peak-hour power prices for Wednesday evening jumped to 933.28 euros per megawatt-hour on EPEX Spot.

French grid operator RTE is preparing for possible heat-related disruptions, including de-energizing power lines.

The heat is also straining climate-friendly power grids because of low wind generation, while heat-related restrictions at French nuclear plants have created a perfect storm of tight power supply just as millions of residential and commercial buildings crank up their air conditioning.

Red heat warnings have also been issued across Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the UK through Thursday.

Bloomberg noted, “France is at the epicenter of this month’s heat wave, as a high-pressure heat dome is reinforced by atmospheric shifts linked to a developing El Niño.” 

Latest El Niño coverage:

Meanwhile, it’s quite nice in Washington, DC, right now, with average temperatures holding below 30-year averages. 

When Democrats are not ramming through radical de-growth climate bills, their climate propaganda machine goes quiet. 

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 06:55

Chinese Humanoids Take On Penalty Challenge As Messi, Ronaldo Light Up FIFA World Cup

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Chinese Humanoids Take On Penalty Challenge As Messi, Ronaldo Light Up FIFA World Cup

Authored by Jijo Malayil via Interesting Engineering,

As the World Cup fever grows around stars like Messi and Ronaldo, Shanghai hosts a unique penalty shootout featuring humanoid robots.

Humanoid robots are stepping up for a penalty shootout.Boston Dynamics/YouTube

At MWC Shanghai 2026, humanoid robots are stepping up to the spot in the Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge, testing the limits of robotics, AI, machine vision, and real-time motion control.

According to Chinese media outlets, the event showcases how embodied AI performs under pressure, highlighting next-generation autonomous technology through football-inspired challenges.

Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Hyundai Motor recently launched a football-themed campaign featuring Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robot.

Humanoid football test

On its opening day at MWC Shanghai 2026 on June 24, the spotlight quickly shifted from keynote speeches to a live demonstration of embodied AI in action: the Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge.

Held within the Mobile AI Innovation Frontiers Zone at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, the event is designed as a controlled stress test for real-time autonomous decision-making, where humanoid robots must read the goal, judge angles, and execute penalty kicks without pre-programmed sequences, external control, or resets, reported CGTN.

While official details of the participating humanoid robots remain limited, videos circulating online suggest models from Booster Robotics and Unitree Robotics taking part in the challenge.

In the penalties challenge itself, participating humanoids are evaluated on perception accuracy, balance control, motion planning, and adaptive response under game-like pressure. Each robot must independently interpret ball position and goalkeeper movement before committing to a strike, making split-second corrections based on sensor feedback.

The format escalates through semi-finals and a final scheduled for June 25, intensifying constraints to simulate high-pressure competitive conditions. By turning a universally understood sports moment – the penalty kick – into a robotics benchmark, the showcase highlights how far embodied AI has progressed toward coordinated, human-like physical intelligence in unpredictable environments.

Atlas soccer showcase

In a recent football demonstration by Boston Dynamics, an Atlas robot is shown standing before a large display screen, closely tracking player movements, body positioning, and in-game reactions across football footage. After each clip ends, Atlas moves into a practice zone where it immediately attempts to reproduce the actions it has just observed, effectively linking visual perception with physical execution in real time.

The footage highlights a series of football-inspired motions. In one sequence, the robot shifts its weight, swings a leg forward, and smoothly guides a ball across the floor with controlled contact. It then progresses through rapid training drills focused on balance, coordination, and timing. As the session continues, Atlas’s movements appear increasingly fluid, suggesting the system is being evaluated not only for strength but also for agility, reflex response, and adaptive motor control.

Some of the most notable moments show Atlas imitating human emotional reactions. After completing a drill, it raises its arms in celebration, mirroring a footballer’s goal celebration. In another instance, it drops to one knee and pauses, recreating an injury response seen in match footage it had just observed.

Hyundai Motor Company, parent of Boston Dynamics, described the demonstration as Atlas’s first exposure to football under its “School of Football” initiative. The company has also indicated potential plans to showcase Atlas and the quadruped robot Spot at the FIFA World Cup, though their exact roles remain undisclosed.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 06:30

India’s Imports Of Russian Oil Set For New Record High

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India’s Imports Of Russian Oil Set For New Record High

India is set to import a record-high volume of Russian crude in June as the Hormuz crisis and the U.S. waivers on Russia’s barrels have pushed the world’s third-largest crude importer to gorge on Moscow’s oil again, OilPrice reported.

India has imported 2.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude oil so far in June, according to preliminary vessel-tracking data from commodity analytics firm Kpler cited by Indian media.

So far this month, Russian crude has accounted for as much as 53.5% of all Indian oil imports, per the data.   

India’s full-month imports of Russian crude are set for a record-high of 2.35 million bpd in June for any month ever, Kpler has estimated. This would exceed the previous record of 2.2 million bpd from May 2023. 

Going forward, Russian crude will remain a key source of supply for India even if the U.S. does not extend the waiver for Russian crude already loaded on tankers, analysts say. Which is odd because when viewed from the other side, the picture is a mirror image: as shown in the chart below, Russian crude oil exports to India have reportedly plunged to just 555kb/d in the last week, the lowest volume in 4 years.

In other words, there is a disconnect in the data. 

In any case, last week, as it announced the memorandum of understanding with Iran, the U.S. quietly let the waiver on Russian oil sales expire without renewing it.

“India’s imports remained strong through June, supported by continued discounts and steady refinery demand,” Sumit Ritolia, manager, modelling and refining at Kpler, told Financial Express.

“Regardless of whether the US waiver is extended, we expect India’s imports of Russian crude to remain robust, even if not at record-high levels.”

India turned en masse to Russian oil in 2022, when the U.S. and the EU imposed sanctions on Moscow due to the invasion of Ukraine. Four years later, India is a major buyer of Russia’s crude, and Russia is India’s single-largest oil supplier.

As supply from the Middle East crashes, India is also buying growing volumes of crude from West African producers Nigeria and Angola, as well as from South American producers Brazil and Venezuela.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 06/25/2026 – 04:15

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