strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

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Museum Visitor Makes Bad Decision to Sit on Pricey Chair

'Van Gogh chair' on display in Italy collapses beneath the man's weight

(Newser) - A museum in Italy would like a word with a couple whose attempt at a selfie ended up damaging a delicate chair on display. As the BBC explains, the incident unfolded at the Palazzo Maffei in Verona. CCTV footage captures the moment a man sits down on a museum piece...

Excavator Takes Cops on Wild 3MPH Chase

SC police pursued slow-moving vehicle for more than an hour before it got stuck at fairgrounds

(Newser) - Police in South Carolina engaged in a not-so-hot pursuit as they chased a tractor excavator down a main highway for more than an hour at the speed an average adult walks. The chase reached speeds of 3mph early Sunday morning in North Charleston, police said, per the AP . Officers on...

Man Earns Guinness Record for Being Buried in Snow

Elias Meyer was submerged in snow wearing nothing but swim trunks for 2-plus hours

(Newser) - It's not completely clear why anyone would want to subject themselves to bodily discomfort just to earn a world record, but ... sometimes records are just waiting to be broken. That's what spurred Elias Meyer, a Swiss competitive powerlifter, to "put his cold endurance to the test,"...

Zebra's Week on the Run Comes to an End

Runaway pet safely captured in Tennessee

(Newser) - A runaway pet zebra that was on the loose for more than a week in Tennessee and became an internet sensation in the process was captured Sunday, authorities said, per the AP . Ed the Zebra was captured safely after being located in a pasture near a subdivision in the Christiana...

All Hail the Sharpening of This Giant Pencil

Annual Minneapolis tradition began when local couple's oak tree was damaged in a storm

(Newser) - Residents will gather Saturday in a scenic Minneapolis neighborhood for an annual ritual—the sharpening of a gigantic No. 2 pencil. The 20-foot-tall pencil was sculpted out of a mammoth oak tree at the home of John and Amy Higgins after the beloved tree was damaged in a storm a...

Cops in Spanish Town Ridiculed Over Photo Pick

Backlash ensues over image of older women chatting in the evening, depicted as scofflaws

(Newser) - Police in the small town of Santa Fe in Spain are trying to reel in the backlash over their latest effort to keep the streets peaceful. As the Guardian reports, the department posted an image of six older women chatting outside, engaging in an age-old tradition known as tomando el ...

This Throw to Home Had Fans Doing a Double-Take

Spectator throws baseball out of stands and onto the field, causing confusion at Braves-Giants game

(Newser) - An overexuberant fan had people seeing double during the game between the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants. A ball was thrown on the field from the stands on a sacrifice fly by the Braves in the fourth inning Friday night, leading to a brief moment of confusion with two...

Cops: Teen Going 132MPH Blames Job Interview

Connecticut 19-year-old faces a slew of charges

(Newser) - His commitment to being on time for a job interview is admirable. His execution, not so much. A state trooper in Cromwell, Connecticut, clocked a Mercedes doing 132mph on a local interstate, reports WFSB . The trooper turned on his lights and siren and started to pursue, but the driver "...

Well, Here's a Wild Elephant Raiding a Grocery Store

The big guy was apparently snacky, and helped himself to Thai store's wares

(Newser) - A hungry wild elephant caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand on Monday when he strolled in from a nearby national park and helped himself to food on the shelves. Videos showed the huge male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in front of the shop, located...

On Display: A 200-Year-Old Condom With Naughty Art

Prophylactic decorated with erotic art is at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum

(Newser) - The Netherlands' national museum has a new object on display that merges art with Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District: a nearly 200-year-old condom, emblazoned with erotic art. The Rijksmuseum said in a statement that the playful prophylactic, believed to be made around 1830 from a sheep's appendix, "...

His First Date Ended With 5 Wrecked Police Cars

Would-be beau jailed for 14 months over crash that sent 7 cops to the hospital

(Newser) - On the scale of "love at first sight" comes the tale of Mazyar Azarbonyad, who had a first date more along the lines of "high-speed cop chase ends very poorly." As the Guardian reports, the 20-year-old personal trainer was out on a first date on April 9,...

'There's a Pigeon on the Airplane and It Won't Go Away'

Delta flight out of Minneapolis delayed, twice, after 2 pigeons make their way on board

(Newser) - Pilots are constantly on the lookout for bird strikes , but for one recent flight out of Minneapolis, the birds found their way onto the plane. Per ABC News , a pigeon was discovered on Delta Air Lines Flight 2348, bound for Madison, Wisconsin, shortly after the 119 passengers had boarded at...

Costa Rica Cops Make First-Ever Capybara Seizure
Costa Rica Cops Make
a Very Unusual Find
in case you missed it
May 25, 2025 9:31 AM CDT

Costa Rica Cops Make a Very Unusual Find

Capybaras seized after car chase are not native to country

(Newser) - Costa Rican police seized five capybaras, crack cocaine, and marijuana after chasing down a fleeing vehicle on a highway along the Central American country's Pacific coast on Thursday. The large rodents are a semi-aquatic South American relative of the guinea pig and happen to be having a moment on...

News Anchor Went Into Labor, and Kept Going On Air

'If I disappear, that's what's going on,' says Albany's Olivia Jaquith

(Newser) - What to do if you're a very pregnant newscaster in labor on air? If you're CBS6 Albany co-anchor Olivia Jaquith, you stay on air. "We do have some breaking news this morning—literally," co-anchor Julia Dunn said at the top of the broadcast Wednesday morning. "...

Before the Indy 500, Wienermobiles Throw Down

All 6 Wienermobiles put on a fun—though not particularly speedy—race

(Newser) - Give the Borg-Wiener Trophy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Wienermobile affectionately known as Slaw Dog. In a down-to-the-wire race among the six iconic Wienermobiles that serve as goodwill ambassadors for Oscar Mayer, the hot dog-on-wheels representing the Southeast proved to be the big dog on Carb Day ahead of...

This Monk Just Got Jumped by Other Monks With Garden Tools

Orthodox Christian monk ambushed at Greece's Mount Athos is the latest incident in a longtime feud

(Newser) - An Orthodox Christian monk was hospitalized following a violent confrontation in northern Greece, authorities said Friday. Hospital officals said the monk is being treated in Thessaloniki for cuts and bruises to his face and upper body after being transferred from Mount Athos, located about 110 miles to the east, per...

Cops: Crewman Was Sleeping as Cargo Ship Went Aground

Police say Ukrainian national in his 30s has been charged with negligent navigation

(Newser) - Johan Helberg was sleeping when a cargo ship ran aground in his yard, barely missing his home in Byneset, Norway. Apparently, the crewman on watch who was responsible for keeping the NCL Salten on course was snoozing as well, authorities now say, per the New York Times . "His explanation...

Aussie MP Adds a 'Shoey' to His Farewell Speech

Kyle McGinn says goodbye to Parliament by drinking a beer out of his footwear

(Newser) - Film director Werner Herzog once ate his own shoe after losing a bet. Australian MP Kyle McGinn didn't go quite that far that week, but what he did do during his final speech in Parliament definitely involved a shoe, and his antics have now gone viral. News.com.au...

He Couldn't Find a 'Cane Sword,' Bought 'Cane Stun Gun' Instead

TSA at Idaho airport stops man from bringing cane he says he purchased for self-defense

(Newser) - Transportation Security Administration agents have seen people try to take some surprising items on planes. The latest: a stun gun disguised as a cane. Scanners detected a cane that had been tampered with at Idaho's Boise Airport on Tuesday before agents realized the handle could be removed. Inside was...

Books on This Reading List Are Impossible to Find

Because an AI bot made them up, as the Chicago Sun-Times admits

(Newser) - Another entry in the annals of AI gaffes: A supplement in the Chicago Sun-Times recommended a list of 15 books to read over the summer. The problem? Ten of the books by big-name authors don't actually exist in the real world, reports Ars Technica . Instead, they are figments of...

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