Robot waitress serves up smiles in war-torn Afghanistan

Researchers in California unveiled a bipedal robot on Wednesday that combines walking with flying to create a new type of locomotion, allowing it to jump, skateboard and walk on a slackline. The robot, named LEONARDO or LEO for short, was developed by a team at the California Institute of Technology's Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies. Researchers said LEO is the first robot to use multi-joint legs and propeller-based thrusters to enable it to balance and carry out complex movements.

Star Trek actor William Shatner and his crewmates -- Chris Boshuizen, Audrey Powers, and Glen de Vries -- train ahead of their trip to the edge of space.

The US is leading a two-day, 30-country meeting to discuss the growing threat of ransomware and other cybercrime. Russia, which has often been implicated in cyberattacks, is conspicuously absent.

India invested heavily in Afghanistan's development projects after the 2001 US invasion of the country. It is unclear what impact the Taliban's return to power will have on these projects.

Togolese women say they are pushing back against sexist cyberstalking more than ever. We also report on women construction workers who are helping to change the landscape of the Central African Republic. And Leptis Magna was once one of the most beautiful towns in the Roman Empire, but the Libyan ruins are now on UNESCO’s list of heritage sites in danger.

Despite the threat of violence, we meet those determined to protest for women's rights as the Taliban consolidates its control of the country. Also the Mexican Supreme Court rules that criminalisation of abortion is unconstitutional, paving the way for legalisation. Plus the activists in Togo who are fighting against online harassment of women. This as some 45 percent of women in West Africa are said to be victims of cyber-bullying.

Pope Francis expresses his compassion for the victims of the recent attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and England stressing that "violence begets violence."

The campaign will be the first polio inoculation drive to take place in three years. The Taliban had previously told communities that vaccines were a conspiracy against Muslims.

Moscow subway users have started buying tickets using facial recognition technology. Authorities claim queues at ticket counters will be greatly shortened with the system dubbed "Face Pay". This move, however, is already sparking controversy since facial recognition has been used in the past for repressive purposes. In this edition, we explore these technologies that are being deployed in smart cities around the world and whether this means the end of anonymity in public places.

Ugandan schoolchildren have been unable to attend school due to the government's COVID-19 safety restrictions. But luckily for some, a neighborhood mother passionate about IT and coding gives lessons off a porch.

Images of 'TRUTH Social', a social network the former US president Donald Trump says he plans to launch. It's the latest push to reclaim his online influence after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook in the wake of the violent Capitol insurrection.

Amid projections that a staggering 97 percent of Afghan households could fall below the poverty line by the middle of next year, the United Nations Development Programme has launched a $670 million trust fund to provide economic relief. Also, Evergrande makes a key debt payment and shares for Snapchat's parent company plunge as the application faces tighter privacy restrictions on iPhones.