With the help of AI, the world’s most famous doll tries to fulfill a timeless dream — convincing little girls that she’s a real friend. What will happen if they believe her? James Vlahossept reports

BOLIVIA: With a vast crowd waiting and a temporary altar, Pope Francis needed a place to change before saying Mass in Bolivia — and the closest place was a Burger King.

This was the year that the Oscars got political.

The family of Alan Turing handed in a petition in favour of gay men persecuted like him for their sexuality just hours after the codebreaker’s story won an Oscar with The Imitation Game.

Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch will take on his most important leading man role this weekend when he marries fiancee Sophie Hunter.

Real secret of Bletchley were the girls who worked there, writes Hannah Stephenson.

The Theory of Everything co-stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones toasted their success separately in Los Angeles when the Bafta nominations were announced in London.

John Daly rounds up the best and most informative business, management, and financial books of the year

Millions of wills including those of Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Alan Turing, and Beatrix Potter are now available online.

Millions of wills including those of Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Alan Turing, and Beatrix Potter are now available online.

Birdman has topped the nominations for the Golden Globes, flying away with a leading seven nods, including best picture in the comedy or musical category.

Birdman squawked loudly at the Golden Globes, flying away with a leading seven nominations.

A small group of British code-breakers, including Alan Turing, try to solve the problem of the Enigma machine during World War 2.

Benedict Cumberbatch has continued his winning streak by landing the best actor prize at the Hollywood Film Awards.

The Drop (15A) stars Tom Hardy a Bob Saginowski, a bartender in a rundown oston neighbourhood. 

This week, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing in the Oscar-tipped wartime thriller The Imitation Game, a bartender becomes embroiled in a robbery in The Drop and Martin Clunes and Catherine Tate spread the Christmas cheer in Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey?!.

It turns out that if recently-engaged Benedict Cumberbatch didn't have his good looks (and legions of female fans that go with it), he could have become a voice actor.

It turns out that if recently-engaged Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t have his good looks (and legions of female fans that go with it), he could have become a voice actor.

Classy.

Benedict Cumberbatch has said he wants to continue acting well into his seventies.

Benedict Cumberbatch has refused to deny rumours he will make an appearance in 'Star Wars Episode VII'.

IMAGINE this. It’s late some foggy Tuesday evening, you’re driving home, you’ve been working late and — despite heavy caffeine intake — you know that you’re nowhere near as alert or together as you’d like to be.

SATURDAY

LITTLE FROG, by Katie Saunders (Caterpillar Books; €7.10 HB), is a touchy-feely feast for toddlers.