‘I don’t go around telling people I love the Spice Girls’: Mo Gilligan’s honest playlist
The first single I bought Rollout (My Business) by Ludacris from HMV in Lewisham Shopping Centre.I played it over and over.The first song I fell in love with I grew up listening to a lot of reggae – my dad was a Rastafarian – so Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley was always playing in the house when my mum was dishing out the chores.It’s ironic that it’s a song about redemption when you’re being told to clean the house.The song I do at karaoke You need to have a song that everyone knows, so they can help you sing along, so I’d go for Angels by Robbie Williams or Wonderwall by Oasis.
The song I know every lyric to I remember hearing Boombastic by Shaggy in a Wallace and Gromit-style Plasticine advert for Levi’s 501s in the 90s, in an advert break during The Big Breakfast, as I was getting ready to go to school.I loved the lyrics, although I didn’t know what he was talking about because I was only a kid.The song I can no longer listen to It’s not so much I’ve rinsed it, but Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond felt like it became a vibe during the last [men’s] Euros.Now when I hear it, I think: “Oh no, not this again.”The best song to play at a party Talkin da Hardest by Giggs always goes off.
As does Freed from Desire by Gala.The song I secretly like, but tell everybody I hate I don’t go around telling people I love Wannabe by the Spice Girls.But it’s an underrated banger.“So, here’s a story from A to Z / You wanna get with me, you gotta listen carefully.” A lot of people don’t realise they’re actually spitting bars.
The song that changed my life I was on a plane, just as we were descending to land, listening to Yebba’s Heartbreak by Drake and Yebba, which is an interlude on the Certified Lover Boy album, and I remember thinking: “This feels as if I’m bouncing on the clouds.” Now, I’ll listen to it any time I feel like I need to calm down.The song that gets me up in the morning I’ll wake up, have a double espresso and an oat bar and say: “Alexa, play Cosmic Girl by Jamiroquai,” and it’ll make me think like I’m driving through the mountains like in the video, rather than cleaning the kitchen.The song that makes me cry Know That You Are Loved by Cleo Sol.The song I’d like played at my funeral I’m not quite sure what sort of funeral I want.
I’ll either have Party Up (Up in Here) by DMX, because I don’t want people crying.Or I might go sad and have Stay Another Day by East 17 with some dry ice coming out of the coffin for added dramatic effect.Mo Gilligan tours the UK and US from 28 January to 13 May.
The value of the Australian dollar is high right now. So should you book that overseas trip?
In a year of extraordinary global news, and more of it bad than good, it may be surprising that the Australian dollar is proving a world beater.The Aussie has hit some impressive milestones of late: the strongest against the US dollar in nearly two years, the highest against the euro in 10 months, and approaching the strongest in decades against the yen.Ray Attrill, the head of foreign exchange strategy at National Australia Bank, says the Aussie has outperformed every other major currency in 2026.“So far this year it has been a case of there’s nothing not to like about the Australian currency,” Attrill says.It’s been good news for overseas travellers and shoppers looking to buy from overseas websites
Can’t decide on a food delivery? Just Eat launches AI chatbot to help you choose
In the beginning, collecting a takeaway was the epitome of a lazy night in. Then delivery apps saved some more energy. Now, consumers can skip even bothering to read the menu as AI takes over the job of choosing the perfect evening meal.Just Eat is introducing an AI voice assistant that lets customers discuss what they might be interested in eating, and then offers personalised recommendations.The food delivery company is launching what it calls a “personal food concierge” within Just Eat’s existing chat function on its UK app on Tuesday
At Davos, tech CEOs laid out their vision for AI’s world domination
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. This week’s edition is a team effort: my colleague Heather Stewart reports on the plans for AI’s world domination at Davos; I examine how huge investments have followed AI companies with little to their names but drama and dreams; and Nick Robins-Early spotlights how lax regulation of autonomous driving in Texas allowed Tesla to thrive.When they weren’t discussing Donald Trump, delegates at the World Economic Forum last week were being dazzled by the prospects for artificial intelligence.Up and down the main street of the Swiss Alps town, almost every shopfront was temporarily emblazoned with the neon slogan of a tech firm – or a consultancy promising to tell executives how to incorporate AI into their business. Cloudflare’s wood-panelled HQ urged delegates to “connect, protect and build together”, and Wipro’s shouted: “Dream Solve Prove Repeat
‘Wake up to the risks of AI, they are almost here,’ Anthropic boss warns
Humanity is entering a phase of artificial intelligence development that will “test who we are as a species”, the boss of the AI startup Anthropic has said, arguing that the world needs to “wake up” to the risks.Dario Amodei, a co-founder and the chief executive of the company behind the hit chatbot Claude, voiced his fears in a 19,000-word essay titled “The adolescence of technology”.Describing the arrival of highly powerful AI systems as potentially imminent, he wrote: “I believe we are entering a rite of passage, both turbulent and inevitable, which will test who we are as a species.”Amodei added: “Humanity is about to be handed almost unimaginable power, and it is deeply unclear whether our social, political, and technological systems possess the maturity to wield it.”The tech entrepreneur, whose company is reportedly worth $350bn (£255bn), said his essay was an attempt to “jolt people awake” because the world needed to “wake up” to the need for action on AI safety
Alcaraz survives early De Minaur onslaught and surges into Australian Open semis
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz is within two victories of a career grand slam after piling more major pain on home hope Alex de Minaur in a largely straightforward Australian Open quarter-final victory, secured 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in 136 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.The heavily anticipated clash delivered a sensational first set in which De Minaur looked a peer of the world No 1. However, Alcaraz took control beyond the one-hour mark, leaving the last Australian in the singles draw helpless, exasperated and pacing behind the baseline between points.De Minaur is now the third man in the Open era, after Andrey Rublev and Tommy Robredo, to lose his first seven grand slam quarter-finals. He walked off the court downtrodden, and his mood hadn’t lifted by the time he spoke to press half an hour later
Coco Gauff unhappy after racket smashing video at Australian Open goes viral
Coco Gauff has expressed her disappointment after video of her smashing her racket at the Australian Open was picked up on camera.The American was well below her usual high standards during her 6-1, 6-2 defeat by Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. Gauff had trouble with her forehand and serve throughout the match - she double-faulted five times in the first set alone – and hit 26 unforced errors to just three winners, losing in just 59 minutes. She also appeared to believe there was something wrong with her equipment as she struggled with her control, and had three of her rackets restrung in the opening set.After the match, the 21-year-old thought she had found some privacy to vent her frustration in a ramp away leading from Rod Laver Arena
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