- Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
- Pope kicks off Christmas under shadow of war
- Catholics hold muted Christmas mass in Indonesia's Sharia stronghold
- Japan's top diplomat in China to address 'challenges'
- Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires
- Demand for Japanese content booms post 'Shogun'
- As India's Bollywood shifts, stars and snappers click
- Mystery drones won't interfere with Santa's work: US tracker
- Djokovic eyes more Slam glory as Swiatek returns under doping cloud
- Australia's in-form Head confirmed fit for Boxing Day Test
- Brazilian midfielder Oscar returns to Sao Paulo
- 'Wemby' and 'Ant-Man' to make NBA Christmas debuts
- US agency focused on foreign disinformation shuts down
- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis launches holy Jubilee year
- 'Like a dream': AFP photographer's return to Syria
- Chiefs seek top seed in holiday test for playoff-bound NFL teams
- Panamanians protest 'public enemy' Trump's canal threat
- Cyclone death toll in Mayotte rises to 39
- Ecuador vice president says Noboa seeking her 'banishment'
- Leicester boss Van Nistelrooy aware of 'bigger picture' as Liverpool await
- Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
- Maresca expects Man City to be in title hunt as he downplays Chelsea's chancs
- Man Utd boss Amorim vows to stay on course despite Rashford row
- South Africa opt for all-pace attack against Pakistan
- Guardiola adamant Man City slump not all about Haaland
- Global stocks mostly higher in thin pre-Christmas trade
- Bethlehem marks sombre Christmas under shadow of war
- NASA probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun
- 11 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Indonesia considers parole for ex-terror chiefs: official
- Global stocks mostly rise in thin pre-Christmas trade
- Postecoglou says Spurs 'need to reinforce' in transfer window
- Le Pen says days of new French govt numbered
- Global stocks mostly rise after US tech rally
- Villa boss Emery set for 'very difficult' clash with Newcastle
- Investors swoop in to save German flying taxi startup
- How Finnish youth learn to spot disinformation
- South Korean opposition postpones decision to impeach acting president
- 12 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Panama leaders past and present reject Trump's threat of Canal takeover
- Hong Kong police issue fresh bounties for activists overseas
- Saving the mysterious African manatee at Cameroon hotspot
- India consider second spinner for Boxing Day Test
- London wall illuminates Covid's enduring pain at Christmas
- Poyet appointed manager at South Korea's Jeonbuk
- South Korea's opposition vows to impeach acting president
- The tsunami detection buoys safeguarding lives in Thailand
- Teen Konstas to open for Australia in Boxing Day India Test
- Asian stocks mostly up after US tech rally
- US panel could not reach consensus on US-Japan steel deal: Nippon
Cyberdog and robo-barman: Spotted at Spain tech congress
Phone makers and telecoms firms unveiled a series of gadgets and innovations at one of the industry's biggest get-togethers this week in Barcelona.
Here is a selection of the most curious objects from the Mobile World Congress.
- 5G bartender -
It shakes a mean cocktail, speaks a dozen languages and recognises its most loyal customers by their faces.
The Kime robot is a "high added value" bartender developed by Spanish "food tech" group Macco Robotics.
Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona football club, was among the robot's customers at the tech gathering this week.
The 5G-enabled humanoid robot can "work 24 hours a day", according to its manufacturer.
In these Covid-affected times, the robot has another advantage over its human competitors -- it avoids "unnecessary contact" and reduces the risks of contamination, the company says.
- Virtual disco -
No queueing around the block to get in, no security guards at the entrance -- just a virtual reality headset and a booming soundtrack.
On the stand of the South Korean operator SK Telecom, visitors had a lively taste of the metaverse,the immersive version of the internet touted as the centrepiece of the next online generation.
With joysticks in hand, the virtual clubber is plunged into a giant disco ball to dance among other avatars.
This is one of many applications in "Ifland", the operator's very own metaverse, which is designed to "maximise the user experience across various virtual spaces and avatars".
- Remote car racing -
Ever wondered what it would be like to drive a car while sitting more than 1,000 kilometres from the steering wheel?
French operator Orange is proposing it as one use of the next-generation 5G internet.
Called "Vrombr", this mobile game created by the young start-up Polyptik allows you to drive real miniature cars via a smartphone.
In the demonstration at the Mobile World Congress, the driver was in Barcelona while the vehicle raced around a track near Paris.
- Quick-charging, green battery -
Several manufacturers claimed to have developed the fastest smartphone chargers in the world.
China's Realme unveiled a 150-watt charging system for its forthcoming GT Neo 3, which will allow it to recharge its battery to 50 percent in five minutes.
Its competitor Oppo has promised a 100 percent charge in nine minutes thanks to its "Supervooc" 240-watt technology.
Meanwhile, Japanese start-up PJP Eye has unveiled a prototype of an "organic" battery using carbon made from cotton instead of the metals usually used for this type of product.
This technology "allows our batteries to have a long lifespan" and reduces their CO2 emissions, explains Inketsu Okina, the firm's director.
- Cyberdog -
Low on its legs, its body full of sensors and microphones, the cyberdog can trot close to its owner, bark, hold up its paw and even stand guard.
The robot, shown for the first time outside of China by its creator Xiaomi, is controlled via a mobile phone.
Event though its "brain" is still in an experimental phase utilising open-source programming, Xiaomi has already put 1,000 of them on sale in China -- for a cool $1,600 euros ($1,800) each.
Y.Nakamura--AMWN