Rail passenger slams ‘masterclass in poor service’

A drag performer who paid an “eye-watering” £589 for a return train ticket from Brighton to Wales has accused Avanti West Coast of providing “a masterclass in poor service”. The act, known as Le Gateau Chocolat, forked out the sum for a first-class open return ticket between Brighton and Bangor in north Wales, with a Christmas dinner and wine included. However, said The Guardian, the driver announced there would be no first-class service because of staff shortages. On his return journey, he was waiting at Bangor station 10.05am train to Euston, only for the train to be cancelled at 10.07am.

Hundreds of Santas run in Germany

More than 900 people dressed up as Santa Claus and took place in the 13th annual St. Nicholas Run in Germany. The largest costumed running event in Germany saw participants wear red coats and hats and bushy white beards to “brave the cold temperatures for the run”, said UPI. The runners who covered between 1.5 miles, 3 miles or 6.5 miles, were treated to mulled wine and chocolate Santas after completing their respective distances.

Robot reads the news

China’s state news agency has launched a virtual anchor designed to be able to deliver the news 24 hours a day. “Hello, you are watching English news program. I am AI news anchor in Beijing,” said the computer-generated host at the start of the broadcast. Created by a Chinese search engine company, the anchor was designed to simulate human voice, facial expressions and gestures but, said CNN, it had a “robotic voice”. There were also sceptics on social media, where one viewer wrote: “(His) voice is too stiff, and there are problems with the pauses.”