Taiwan’s Chou eyes Olympic badminton gold, even without a coach

Early visitors to the Main Press Centre at the Beijing Winter Olympics have been delighted to discover that ice cream is served to them by robots. To buy the ice cream, one must go to the cashier to pay first and get a receipt with a QR code, which you then scan on the machine and the robot will automatically kick into action.

The Olympic torch relay began its second day on Thursday (February 3) atop the Great Wall, with Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan and Chinese Olympic medallists among those taking turns carrying the flame along a route shortened to three days because of COVID-19. The relay for the torch that will open the Feb. 4-20 Winter Games is much more modest than the globe-spanning relay for Beijing's 2008 Summer Games, a tour that was disrupted by protests.

China's decision to have a Uyghur athlete light the Olympic cauldron has drawn criticism from human rights groups, who saw it as cheap propaganda ploy to whitewash the oppression of the country's ethnic Uyghur minority.

Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold speaks to Eve Jackson about his new album, "Catch Me If You Can”, which showcases the Black experience across music, art and style. They also talk about his 2015 release "Sade", a love song sampling One Direction's "Story of My Life", which propelled his career to the next level, as well as his hit song "High" with Afropop star Davido and the importance of singing in his native Yoruba.

Taiwan 'most dangerous flashpoint' in US-China relations

The two small nations both neighbor larger authoritarian superpowers that frequently employ bullying tactics. Lithuania is worried about Russia; Taiwan is worried about China — and their bond has upset Beijing. DW's Joyce Lee reports from Taipei.

South Koreans expressed frustration on Wednesday (February 9) after seeing their traditional costume used in last week's Olympic opening ceremony in Beijing, but the Chinese Embassy in South Korea defended the use. A woman wearing what appeared to be a Korean hanbok dress was among those representing China's different ethnic groups during the ceremony. Some South Koreans have complained about recent Chinese assertions that various aspects of Korean culture are of Chinese origin.

At a sharp whistle from Rwandan soccer coach Egidie Kayitesi, her players change their practice drills: the team splits into pairs, some kicking the ball and others throwing it. Kayitesi, 49, coaches AS Kigali, one of Rwanda's top women's soccer teams.

In Day 12 at the Olympics, seven medals were up for grabs. A last-minute replacement helped Germany win gold in the cross-country team sprint, while Slovakia elimnated the United States in men's ice hockey.

Jamaica has a four-man bobsled team in the Olympics for the first time since 1998. Too young to witness the famous 1988 team but big fans of "Cool Runnings," this year's team wants to add to Jamaica's bobsled legacy.

Around 60 people have died and dozens more have been injured after a blast at an informal gold mine in southwestern Burkina Faso.

Global stock markets have taken a beating as investors rush for safe havens amid an escalation in geopolitical tensions over Ukraine. Russian stocks and bonds as well as the ruble are among the biggest losers.