Odd News Roundup: France's Macron: I will not surrender my umbrella; Rescued dolphin picks Chiefs to win Super Bowl and more

The NBA superstar became involved in a row with a male spectator during the fourth quarter of their 107-99 win at the State Farm Arena - which is among a handful of venues allowing fans this season - before a woman began targeting the player.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

France's Macron: I will not surrender my umbrella

French President Emmanuel Macron was so determined to hold his own umbrella at a rain-dampened event outside the Elysee Palace on Wednesday that he shooed away aides three times when they tried to take it from him. As Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic spoke to reporters before a meeting with Macron, a female aide came out and handed the French leader a black umbrella. Macron took it and held it over his Slovakian guest.

NFL: Rescued dolphin picks Chiefs to win Super Bowl

Nicholas, a rescue bottlenose dolphin, made waves on Tuesday when he predicted the Kansas City Chiefs would win Sunday's Super Bowl, a controversial choice as the Florida resident picked against the hometown favourite Tampa Bay Buccaneers. An animal care specialist dressed as an NFL referee at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium presented Nicholas with two footballs - one with the logo of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.

German sniffer dogs detect COVID-19 with 94% accuracy

A German veterinary clinic has trained sniffer dogs to detect the novel coronavirus in human saliva samples with 94% accuracy. The dogs are conditioned to scent out the "corona odour" that comes from cells in infected people, said Esther Schalke, a vet at Germany's armed forces school for service dogs.

Robotic dog Spot learns new tricks with addition of helping hand

A dog-like robot named Spot, seen dancing in a viral video, can now not only bring your slippers, it can pick up dirty laundry, open doors and even plant flowers. U.S. robotics company Boston Dynamics on Tuesday unveiled a new version of four-legged Spot with an arm and the ability to charge itself, allowing it to work around the clock.

Missing customers, Belgian restaurateur serves mannequins

A Belgian restaurant owner near Brussels says she misses her customers so much since her restaurant was forced to close last October under coronavirus laws, she has replaced them with mannequins. Therese Mahieu began serving glasses of red wine to dummies with wigs, hats and scarves sitting at the bar this week in protest against Belgium's COVID-19 measures.

Lakers' James plays down row with spectators in win over Hawks

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said he was happy fans are back at some NBA games amid the COVID-19 pandemic despite a bizarre altercation with supporters that led to four of them being ejected from Monday's game at Atlanta Hawks. The NBA superstar became involved in a row with a male spectator during the fourth quarter of their 107-99 win at the State Farm Arena - which is among a handful of venues allowing fans this season - before a woman began targeting the player.