Odd News Roundup: NFT artwork by humanoid robot sells at auction for nearly $700,000; Egyptian Messi lookalike thrills soccer-loving orphans

Seeing the excitement his presence causes at such events, the 27-year-old Egyptian painter is happy to pose as the Argentine, wearing a Barcelona shirt and joining in a game of football.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

NFT artwork by humanoid robot sells at auction for nearly $700,000

A digital artwork by humanoid robot Sophia was sold at auction on Thursday for $688,888 in the form of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), the latest sign of a frenzy in the NFT art world. NFTs, a digital signature saved on blockchain ledgers that allows anyone to verify the ownership and authenticity of items, have become the latest investment craze, with one artwork selling this month for nearly $70 million.

Egyptian Messi lookalike thrills soccer-loving orphans

They may not be meeting the real Lionel Messi, but Islam Battah's resemblance to the Barcelona footballer is so uncanny, that the children at an orphanage in the Egyptian city of Zagazig swarm around him in delight anyway. Seeing the excitement his presence causes at such events, the 27-year-old Egyptian painter is happy to pose as the Argentine, wearing a Barcelona shirt and joining in a game of football.

(With inputs from agencies.)