Looking for a quick dose of 10 crazy news to spice up your weekend? We’ve gathered the most bizarre, jaw‑dropping, and downright unbelievable stories that flew under most headlines this week. From priceless art hiding above a stovetop to a camel getting an unexpected medical emergency, these ten tales will leave you both amazed and amused.
10 Crazy News Highlights
An elderly Frenchwoman, who prefers to stay unnamed, recently learned that the modest artwork she’d been admiring above her hotplate for decades was actually a genuine 13th‑century masterpiece worth millions. The 90‑year‑old resident of Compiègne had planned to sell her home and move, prompting her family to call in an auctioneer to assess any valuable items inside.
Philomène Wolf, the expert who arrived, initially hesitated to visit because of a packed schedule, fearing the potential treasures might otherwise end up in the trash. Upon stepping inside, Wolf’s eye was immediately drawn to a small painting tucked between the open‑plan kitchen and living area. The work, titled “Christ Mocked,” was identified as a creation of early Renaissance master Cimabue, dating back to 1280, and valued between €4 million‑€6 million.
How the nonagenarian came to own such a rare piece remains a mystery; she believed it to be a simple Russian religious icon and could not recall its origins. Art specialists have verified its authenticity, and the painting is slated for auction next month.
9 The Walrus Offensive
During a scientific expedition to the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, a protective mother walrus launched a surprise assault on a Russian navy tugboat, the Altai. The vessel, crewed by members of the Northern Fleet and researchers from the Russian Geographical Society, was recreating historic voyages while conducting biological surveys.
After deploying a rubber landing craft to reach Cape Heller, the massive walrus, defending her calves, charged the boat. The crew managed to steer the vessel toward shore before it sank, allowing everyone to disembark safely. Neither the scientists nor the walrus suffered injuries.
8 A Mild Bout Of Hangover
Just in time for Oktoberfest, a German higher regional court in Frankfurt declared that a hangover qualifies as an illness. The ruling wasn’t intended to give people a free pass for excessive drinking; rather, it targeted a company accused of making illegal health claims about anti‑hangover products.
The court defined an illness as “even small or temporary disruptions to the normal state or normal activity of the body.” Since hangovers typically involve headaches, nausea, and fatigue, they meet this definition. Consequently, the firm can no longer market its powders as treatments or preventatives for any medical condition.
7 Prostitution In Deadwood
The historic town of Deadwood, South Dakota, is set to unveil a new museum dedicated to its century‑long history of prostitution. Scheduled to open in 2020, the museum will occupy the former Shasta Room brothel, offering visitors an inside look at the trade from the Gold Rush era through the 1980s.
Deadwood rose to fame during the late‑19th‑century Gold Rush, attracting legendary figures like Seth Bullock, Calamity Jane, and Wyatt Earp. “Wild Bill” Hickok met his end there as well. The city’s notoriety received a modern boost from the HBO series bearing its name.
Prostitution thrived in Deadwood from its founding in 1876 until 1980, with only a brief hiatus in the 1950s. The nonprofit Deadwood History Inc. aims to spotlight this facet of the town’s past, arguing it had a “huge impact” and should not be merely swept under the rug. Exhibits will feature period furnishings, clothing, artifacts, and memorabilia chronicling this enduring industry.
6 Camel Gets Sore Injury
At the Tiger Truck Stop in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, a camel named Caspar required antibiotics after a frantic woman bit his testicles while trying to free herself from beneath the animal. The truck stop keeps Caspar as a mascot, attracting curious visitors.
Florida couple Gloria and Edmond Lancaster visited the stop with their unleashed dog, tossing treats into Caspar’s enclosure. The dog entered, prompting Gloria to crawl under barbed wire to retrieve it. Before she could rise, the 272‑kilogram camel sat on top of her. In a desperate move, Gloria bit Caspar’s testicles to force the animal to stand.
A veterinarian later administered antibiotics to prevent infection. Police concluded the couple had provoked the camel by shoving and swatting at it before the incident, issuing a citation for leash violations.
5 Surprise Delivery
A middle‑aged couple from Linz, Austria, ordered a few dresses online, only to receive a massive shipment of 24,800 pink ecstasy tablets worth over half a million dollars. The 58‑year‑old woman opened two parcels: one contained the expected garments, while the other held a mountain of pills.
Initially assuming the tablets were decorative stones, the husband quickly realized they were illegal narcotics. The couple returned the package to the Linz post office, where staff, equally stunned, alerted Austrian police.
Investigators traced the shipment to a mistake: the pills were intended for Scotland. The case has now been handed to the UK’s National Crime Agency and Police Scotland for a joint investigation.
4 Newest Member Of The Sourtoe Cocktail Club
Nick Griffiths, an endurance athlete from Bolton, England, journeyed all the way to Dawson City, Yukon, Canada, to become the latest entrant in the legendary Sourtoe Cocktail Club. The club’s signature drink—typically whiskey—features a human toe floating in the glass, and the rule insists that the drinker’s lips must touch the toe.
The tradition, dating back nearly fifty years, has welcomed over 100,000 participants. The original toe has long since been replaced by donations. Griffiths, who lost three toes to frostbite during the Yukon Arctic Race, kept one as a memento and donated the other two to the Downtown Hotel’s bar.
Although the incident occurred earlier in the year, Griffiths only arrived in Dawson City this week due to recovery time. He was ceremonially inducted into the club with a shot containing his own big toe.
3 A New Kind Of Referee Attack
During a homecoming football match at Maine Maritime Academy, a referee suffered a head injury after a cannon was mistakenly loaded with a dangerous charge and fired. The academy traditionally uses a cannon loaded with a blank shotgun shell to celebrate scores, but an alumnus brought his own cannon and loaded it with black gunpowder and a wad.
The blast struck the official, who fell to the ground clutching his head. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors confirmed the injuries were non‑life‑threatening. Local authorities are investigating the incident and may pursue criminal charges.
2 The Cheddar Conundrum
Renowned French chef Marc Veyrat is taking legal action against the Michelin Guide after his celebrated Haute‑Savoie restaurant, La Maison des Bois, lost a coveted third star over allegations that he served cheddar in a cheese soufflé. Veyrat, whose establishment earned its third star last year, discovered the downgrade in the latest Michelin edition.
According to Veyrat, the guide offered no warning or clear explanation, merely suggesting that cheddar had been used. He insists he exclusively employs regional French cheeses such as Reblochon or Beaufort, and that a touch of saffron—responsible for the soufflé’s yellow hue—was mistaken for cheddar.
The chef has demanded the guide’s billing records and tasting notes to prove the inspector actually dined at his restaurant. Michelin declined, and the case is set for court in November.
1 Lunch For A Black Hole
NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has captured one of the universe’s rarest spectacles: a supermassive black hole tearing a star apart. The phenomenon, known as a tidal disruption event (TDE), occurs when a star ventures too close to a black hole’s immense gravity and is ripped into fragments.
The observed event, designated ASASSN‑19bt, took place in a galaxy 375 million light‑years away within the constellation Volans. The black hole, about six million times the mass of the Sun, devoured a star roughly the size of our own. Scientists received continuous observations every 30 minutes for nearly 80 days, providing an unprecedented view of the event’s evolution.
This marks only the second TDE captured in such detail, allowing researchers to study the black hole’s feeding process in real time and refine models of stellar disruption.