Ops News

Beijing (AFP) – Chinese tech giant Alibaba said Monday it will spend more than $50 billion on artificial intelligence and cloud computing over the next three years, a week after co-founder Jack Ma was seen meeting President Xi Jinping.

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Vatican thriller “Conclave” won top prize at an unpredictable Screen Actors Guild Awards gala Sunday, throwing a potential late curveball into the Oscars race just a week before the Academy Awards.

Paris (AFP) – As the lights go out to start the MotoGP season in Thailand on Saturday, the road seems clear for one of the sport’s two deposed kings to reclaim their crown – if they do not get in each other’s way.

London (AFP) – Double-defending champions Ireland maintained their Grand Slam bid by defeating a resurgent Wales, England stayed in title contention by edging Scotland and France returned to form with a rout of Italy.

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Tired of finishing second best to Manchester City, Liverpool took revenge on the English champions with a 2-0 victory at the Etihad on Sunday to strike a potentially decisive blow in the Premier League title race.

Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesia on Monday launched a new sovereign wealth fund that will aim to manage state assets worth more than $900 billion as President Prabowo Subianto looks to turbo-charge growth in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

Seoul (AFP) – Die-hard South Korean fans cheer and clap as their favourite superheroes strike poses in brightly coloured uniforms to the sounds of a soulful Japanese ballad, a nostalgic throwback to the days of VHS.

Hong Kong (AFP) – Asian markets mostly fell Monday following a dour end to last week for Wall Street fuelled by disappointing economic data, but Frankfurt and the euro rose after conservatives won Germany’s closely watched election.

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan will face more heavy snow after a two-week whiteout, the country’s weather agency said Monday, warning people to be wary of avalanches and icy roads.

Sydney (AFP) – All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke said he was “extremely apologetic” Monday after admitting to dangerous driving charges, New Zealand media reported.