Beijing (AFP) – At a shopping mall in Beijing, Zhang Yachun murmurs quietly to her closest confidant, a fluffy AI-powered robot whose soothing chirps remind her that she is not alone.
Young Chinese turn to AI pets for emotional relief
Yamal symbol of rising Barca aiming for Champions League progress
Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona’s last visit to face Benfica ended in a heavy thumping on the way to Champions League group stage elimination in 2021, but with young starlet Lamine Yamal propelling a team on the rise, hopes are far higher for the Catalans this time around.
Champions Cup success perfect Six Nations warm
Toulouse (France) (AFP) – France captain Antoine Dupont said Toulouse’s thrashing of Leicester in the Champions Cup was the perfect warm-up for the Six Nations.
Asian markets track Wall St and Europe rally after Trump
Hong Kong (AFP) – Most Asian markets rose Monday following a rally on Wall Street and record-breaking day in Europe, with sentiment boosted by positive talks between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that soothed worries about the incoming US leader’s second term.
Trial into stabbing spree that sparked UK far
London (AFP) – The trial of a teenager accused of killing three young girls in a stabbing spree last year that sparked the UK’s most violent riots in a decade is set to begin Monday.
No sweat, no shake as Svitolina cruises into Melbourne quarters
Melbourne (AFP) – Elina Svitolina delivered a stunning first-set comeback before overwhelming Veronika Kudermetova Monday to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, but the Ukrainian did not shake hands with her Russian opponent.
Late night tears and hugs for released Palestinian prisoners
Baytunya (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Two buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released in the Gaza ceasefire deal had to inch through a thick crowd when they at last arrived in the West Bank at 2 am Monday.
TV host issues on
Melbourne (AFP) – A leading TV presenter apologised on-air Monday to Novak Djokovic after mocking the 24-time Grand Slam winner and his Serbian fans at the Australian Open, saying it was meant to be banter.
'No matter the faith': east Ukraine marks Epiphany despite war divide
Svyatogirsk (Ukraine) (AFP) – Military medic Natalya carried a jug of water blessed by priests at the Sviatogirsk monastery in east Ukraine as she celebrated Orthodox Epiphany in a Russian-affiliated church, despite the war.
New 'oligarchy' under fire as elites descend on Davos
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) – A leading NGO warned Monday of an emerging “aristocratic oligarchy” with massive political clout and primed to profit from Donald Trump’s presidency, as global elites descend on Davos for their annual confab.
