- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
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