Monaco Journal - News from Monaco, Monte-Carlo and the world

Chinese internet giant Baidu unveiled the newest version of its AI chatbot ERNIE on Tuesday, claiming it rivals the capabilities of OpenAI's latest ChatGPT.

Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday and oil was subdued as Joe Biden prepared for a trip to the Middle East aimed at preventing the Israel-Hamas conflict spilling over into a regional conflagration.

Rolls-Royce, the British manufacturer of aircraft engines, said Tuesday it plans to axe up to 2,500 jobs worldwide, or about six percent of its staff, to further slash costs.

England captain Marlie Packer said Tuesday the Red Roses would be "ready" for their showdown with hosts New Zealand in a looming repeat of last year's nail-biting women's World Cup final.

Brussels police arrested a suspected gunman accused of shooting dead two Swedish football fans in what Belgium's prime minister condemned as an act of "terrorist madness".

Malaysia's Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh was voted onto the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday.

An earring pokes out from under the helmet of Israeli army reservist Amir, a self-professed leftist who is pro-peace but finds himself looking through his rifle scope at buildings inside Gaza.

China's landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has thousands of infrastructure projects in every corner of the globe, generating a staggering $2 trillion in contracts while courting international controversy.

Belgian police on Tuesday arrested a suspected gunman who shot dead two Swedish football fans in what authorities said was a "terrorist attack".

A Dutch art detective dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" has recovered another six paintings, including a portrait of William of Orange and the first depiction of a seventh-century king.

Work lights strung up along railings illuminate a dank cavern where workers are preparing to transform a former oil depot into a hot water "thermos" to heat a Swedish town.

A piece of rock with mysterious markings that lay largely unstudied for 4,000 years is now being hailed as a "treasure map" for archaeologists, who are using it to hunt for ancient sites around north-western France.

Worried, but relieved, spectators at the Belgium-Sweden Euro 2024 match left the Brussels stadium shortly before midnight after being held there for two-and-a-half hours following the killing of two Swedes in a nearby attack, with the gunman still at large.

The United States' ambassador to India believes his compatriots will come to share his joy in the "unabashed fun" of Twenty20 cricket when the format features at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

One of Berlin's top tourist attractions, the Pergamon Museum and its world-class collection of antiquities, will close this month for a top-to-bottom restoration not due to be completed before 2037.

The Israel-Hamas war is set to overshadow the Frankfurt Book Fair this week after the postponement of a Palestinian author's award ceremony sparked condemnation from top writers and the withdrawal of several Arab groups.

Apple chief Tim Cook made a surprise visit to China this week, greeting gamers in the southwestern city of Chengdu as his company faces slumping phone sales in its biggest market.

President Joe Biden will make a landmark trip to Israel in an "ironclad" show of US support, as efforts to ease a spiralling humanitarian disaster in Gaza intensify.

Dak Prescott rushed for one touchdown and threw another as the Dallas Cowboys bounced back from their thrashing against San Francisco to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17 on Monday.

US President Joe Biden will pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday following the Hamas attacks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced, as he cited progress persuading the US ally to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Tuesday to meet his "dear friend" Xi Jinping and bolster their relationship at a summit that will be overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.

The EU will seek a global phase-out of fossil fuels and for their use to reach a peak in this decade, according to the member states' common position adopted unanimously late Monday.

Following days of confusing and sometimes contradictory messaging about the EU's stance on the developing Israel-Hamas conflict, leaders of the bloc's countries on Tuesday are to try to rally around a clear statement.

Indonesian dancer Rianto moves gracefully in front of a crowd of thousands in the capital Jakarta, whipping his orange sash and in full make-up as he performs a centuries-old folk dance frowned upon by conservatives.

Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday and oil was subdued as Joe Biden prepared for a trip to the Middle East aimed at preventing the Israel-Hamas conflict spilling over into a regional conflagration.

Donald Trump was expected to attend his New York civil fraud trial when it reconvenes on Tuesday, a day after the former US president was slapped with a partial gag order in a separate criminal case.

Ten years after toasting a budding friendship with vodka and cake, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin will meet again in Beijing on Wednesday seeking to further deepen the "no-limits" partnership between their two countries.

The UN Security Council on Monday rejected a Russian resolution condeming spiralling violence in the Middle East, with delegates refusing to back a motion that did not single out Hamas for its surprise attack on Israel that left at least 1,400 people dead.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Tuesday to meet his "dear friend" Xi Jinping, bolstering their relationship at a summit that will be overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war.

US President Joe Biden will pay a solidarity visit to Israel on Wednesday following the Hamas attacks, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also announced that Israel had agreed to work on civilian aid for Gaza.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper is dreaming of an Olympic gold medal after confirmation on Monday that baseball will be included at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Australia head coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday denied a rumoured shift to Japan, pledging to stick with the struggling Wallabies following a disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign.