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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Monkey Knocks Out Entire Nation's Power

There might have been a monkey fight at a substation on Sri Lanka

(Newser) - The entire nation of Sri Lanka lost power for hours on Sunday, and authorities were quick to cast blame. "A monkey came into contact with our grid transformer, causing an imbalance in the power system," said energy minister Kumara Jayakody, per the BBC . The Ceylon Electricity Board apologized,...

These Sailors Are 'Essentially Imprisoned'

AP dives into dilemma of trapped seamen whose ships have been abandoned by their owners

(Newser) - More ships than ever are being abandoned around the world by their owners, according to the United Nations' labor and maritime organizations, leaving thousands of workers stuck on board without pay or the means to travel home to their families. Cases have doubled in the past three years, impacting more...

Doctor in Hot Water for Operating on His Cat

Italian prosecutors are looking into his actions

(Newser) - An Italian doctor saved Athena's life after performing a CAT scan and pneumothorax surgery on her at Umberto Parini hospital in Aosta. It could run him afoul of prosecutors, who are looking into the incident—because Athena is a cat. As the Guardian reports, Gianluca Fanelli's pet fell...

NY Judge Resigns After 'Astounding' Jury Duty Excuse

Richard T. Snyder said he thought everyone who appeared in court was guilty

(Newser) - An upstate New York judge has resigned after he got out of jury duty by claiming that he couldn't be impartial—because he thought everyone brought before a court is guilty. Richard T. Snyder, who'd been a justice of the Petersburgh Town Court for about a decade, left...

Commercial Flights Make It Snow in Denver
Flights Into Denver
Accidentally Made It Snow
in case you missed it
Feb 1, 2025 11:31 AM CST

Flights Into Denver Accidentally Made It Snow

Jets flew through a cloud of water droplets in cold temperatures, explains the Washington Post

(Newser) - Congratulations, passengers aboard United Flight 5528 into Denver on Saturday night, you made it snow. More precisely, your airplane did, as did other aircraft landing at Denver International Airport that evening, but the United jet fared particularly well as a weather-maker, reports the Washington Post . In the story, meteorologist Matthew...

Unique Contest Involves Bellowing Like a Stag

German competition goes back to centuries-old tradition of calling a male deer

(Newser) - German hunters tried to convince the jury at a national stag calling championship that they can imitate a bellowing red deer most realistically. The unique tradition goes back hundreds of years and was initially aimed at feigning a stag's rival during the rutting season so the deer comes out....

World's Top Golfer Laments 'Stupid' Ravioli Injury

Scottie Scheffler gashed his hand making ravioli and needed surgery

(Newser) - After sitting out the first two tournaments of the year, the top-ranked golfer in the world will compete for the first time in 2025 in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week. Why the delay for Scottie Scheffler? He badly cut his hand making ravioli on Christmas Day and needed surgery,...

Krakow's Fire-Spewing Dragon Is Running Up Big Gas Bills

Famous sculpture will have to hold its breath while it's checked to see why it's been guzzling so much lately

(Newser) - An iconic metal sculpture of a dragon that spits real fire in the Polish city of Krakow will hold its breath for a month to check why it's been devouring so much fuel lately, authorities said Wednesday. Starting this week, experts will check the gas feeds for the 19-foot...

Significant Find in Denmark: Fossilized Clump of Fish Vomit

It's 66M years old

(Newser) - Items that are determined to be "objects of exceptional natural history value" by the Danekræ committee of Denmark's Natural History Museum get bestowed with the "Danekræ" marker. As NBC News reports, that means the recently unearthed Danekræ DK-1295 is one such treasure. It's also a...

Baby Shark Mysteriously Born in Tank With No Males

'Life... uh... finds a way:' Shreveport Aquarium scratching its collective head over surprise pup

(Newser) - When a mommy shark and a daddy shark love each other very much, sometimes they decide to have a baby shark . But sometimes when a lady shark is just chillin' with her girlfriend shark, and no dude sharks in sight, the lady shark mysteriously becomes a mommy shark. As KSLA...

Guy Thanks Celine Dion on Jeopardy!, Blanks on Celine Dion

What is the power of love, anyway?

(Newser) - For reasons unknown, Drew Goins thanked Celine Dion during his introduction on Jeopardy! on Friday, reports NBC News . For reasons known, Goins then proceeded to flub a question about the very diva to whom he'd expressed his gratitude. The shout-out from the Hawaiian journalist went a little something like...

Ancient Headless Statue Found Inside Garbage Bag

31-inch marble statue was headless, sitting abandoned next to a trash can in Thessaloniki

(Newser) - A marble statue believed to be more than 2,000 years old was found abandoned in a garbage bag near the Greek city of Thessaloniki, police said Wednesday. A resident discovered the 31-inch headless statue of a woman beside a trash bin in Neoi Epivates, outside Greece's second-largest city....

3 Israeli Hostages Received 'Gift Bags' From Hamas

'Undoubtedly bizarre' packages are said to have included certificate, photos of the women in captivity

(Newser) - As more details on the Israeli hostages released by Hamas over the weekend continue to trickle out , one "undoubtedly bizarre" revelation has come to light, per CNN . The three women—Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher—were set free on Sunday under the terms of a new ceasefire,...

Tiny Village's Big Headache: a Nonexistent Aldi

Pin for market mistakenly shows up on Google Maps, sending 'thousands' to rural Welsh town

(Newser) - Even more difficult than outsiders trying to spell the name of the Welsh village of Cyffylliog: finding the mystery Aldi there that doesn't actually exist. Locals already know that the supermarket chain doesn't have a presence in the 500-person rural town, located in the county of Denbighshire. But...

Venezuelan Opposition Chief 'Violently Intercepted': Allies

But Maria Corina Machado says she's now safe after alleged abduction at Caracas protest

(Newser) - Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attended a protest Thursday in Caracas, a day ahead of the inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro for his third term, but it didn't go seamlessly: Machado's team says the 57-year-old was kidnapped during that demonstration, though she's apparently safe now. The...

Mayor Warns Locals: Don't Even Think About Getting Sick Here

Italian village of Belcastro announces joke ban on illness and injury to highlight health care issues

(Newser) - Feeling under the weather? If you're a resident of the Italian village of Belcastro, you're breaking the law—kind of. Mayor Antonio Torchia has announced that locals are "ordered to avoid contracting any illness that may require emergency medical assistance," as well as to avoid any...

Police: Drunk Detective Opens Jail Cells, Frees Inmates

As a result, 13 criminals are on the loose in Zambia

(Newser) - Thirteen prisoners are on the run in Zambia after a remarkably easy escape from jail. Police say one of their own—a detective inspector—got drunk on New Year's Eve and opened up their cells, reports CNN . Titus Phiri, "in a state of intoxication, forcibly seized cell keys"...

AI's Newest Victims: Lace-Makers
AI's Newest Victims:
Lace-Makers
Jan 5, 2025 9:30 AM CST

AI's Newest Victims: Lace-Makers

'Grifters' have started to infiltrate this crafty community

(Newser) - Lace-makers of the world, unite—against artificial intelligence-produced books that are now marring the centuries-old art. Writing for 404 Media , Samantha Cole reports on how veterans in the lace craft are "raising the alarm on AI grifting," with a plethora of phony books—many of them targeting beginners—...

Monkey Gets Hold of Home's Panic Remote, Really Likes It

South African primate hit the button over and over and over again, eventually made off with the remote

(Newser) - What do you get the monkey who has everything? For one South African primate, the answer to that appears to be a home alarm's remote control. Per UPI , the security firm Mi7 National Group received "multiple panic activations" from a home in Northdale on Thursday morning, according to...

Speedy Santa Is on the Lam in Florida

Costumed motorcyclist gets away at speeds reaching 120mph

(Newser) - The Florida Highway Patrol is asking for the public's help on Christmas Eve in tracking down a man in a distinctive red suit with white trim. But if this sounds like one of those warm-hearted Santa police posts, it's not quite that. Instead, authorities are genuinely looking for...

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