Many robots that attempt to seem lifelike often fall short because of what is termed the 'uncanny valley' - when a humanoid robot becomes creepier the closer to a human it looks.

Yet even in the worst-affected European Union country, Bulgaria, the head of the state gas monopoly, Dimitar Gogov, said he had no idea why no gas was coming in.

True story: a photograph from his trip to Egypt shows a group of tourists gazing at the Valley of the Kings — Ivester is staring into the garbage, counting Coke cans.