Another week has slipped into the annals of time, and it’s high time we shine a spotlight on a handful of the strangest, most unconventional headlines that might have slipped past your radar. You can click here to catch up on last Saturday’s roundup.
10 Offbeat Stories That Defy Expectation
10 You Can Leave Your Hat On
Londoners can now swing by the historic Coach & Horses, strip down to their birthday suit, and sip a pint inside a tavern that proudly holds an official nudist licence.
The establishment dates back to the early 1800s and earned a colourful reputation in the next century when it was overseen for more than six decades by Norman Balon, famously dubbed “London’s rudest landlord.” Since 2006, Alastair Choat has been at the helm, injecting a bohemian vibe into the venue. However, his lease is set to expire, and Fuller’s Brewery, the owning company, plans to usher in fresh management.
While the brewery insists the quirky atmosphere will stay intact, Choat launched a last‑ditch fundraiser: a 16‑month “nudie” calendar featuring staff and regulars. To pull it off he needed a special licence akin to those granted to adult‑entertainment venues.
Word of the calendar spread like wildfire, prompting a flood of calls asking whether the pub now welcomes patrons in the nude. Though you can’t simply stroll in and drop your trousers, Choat announced a “nude night” slated for June, giving locals a chance to test the waters.
9 The Great Cheese Caper
The city of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, has found itself under siege by a pair of audacious cheese‑stealing women. In less than a month, the duo has pulled off three daring raids on local supermarkets.
The first strike occurred on April 5, when the pair slipped into a Fortinos store and absconded with several wheels of cheese valued at hundreds of dollars. That same day they also hit Longo’s, walking out with a comparable haul.
The following day they attempted a repeat job at the same Longo’s. Staff recognized the intruders and alerted authorities, but the thieves managed to flee before police could intervene.
During the most recent incident, the women returned to Fortinos and made off with $580 worth of cheese wheels. Police estimate the total loss exceeds $1,500. Investigators suspect the stolen cheese is being sold under‑the‑table to restaurants. Despite clear surveillance photos and the fact they keep targeting the same stores, the women remain at large.
8 A Bestiary Of Viruses
One of the most eccentric art projects ever undertaken is a laptop that fetched $1.3 million at a U.S. auction. Dubbed The Persistence of Chaos, the machine was deliberately infected with six of the most infamous malware strains ever created.
The venture is a collaboration between artist Guo O Dong and cybersecurity firm Deep Instinct. Guo describes the piece as a “bestiary,” cataloguing the most dangerous digital predators. He packed all six viruses into an eleven‑year‑old laptop because, in his words, it’s far more entertaining to watch the “beasts” live.
The malware roster includes notorious threats such as ILoveYou and WannaCry—both of which have wreaked havoc on millions of computers worldwide. Special precautions were taken to ensure the laptop remains isolated from any network, preventing the viruses from spreading. The buyer will receive the device “as a piece of art or for academic purposes,” since selling malware outright would be illegal.
Some bemused security experts joke that anyone could replicate the experience by connecting an unsecured laptop to the internet for a few days, saving the million‑dollar price tag.
7 Dove From Above
A white dove swooped in front of a speeding car in the German town of Viersen, obscuring the driver’s face and sparing him a €105 fine for exceeding the 30 km/h limit.
The motorist was barreling along at 54 km/h (34 mph) in a zone where the speed limit is 30 km/h (18 mph). The speed camera captured a clear view of the license plate, but the dove’s wings flapped directly in front of the driver’s face, rendering it unidentifiable. German law requires both the vehicle and the driver to be visible for a fine to be enforceable.
Authorities mused that the bird’s timely intervention could be divine, likening the dove to a symbol of the Holy Spirit. They advised the flustered driver to take the “hint from above” and keep his speed in check.
6 Drink, Dance, And Be Merry
Rome continues to unveil its ancient secrets. After a recent discovery of a hidden chamber commissioned by Emperor Nero, archaeologists have now uncovered a massive marble head that appears to portray Dionysus, the god of wine, theatre, and fertility.
In a medieval case of recycling, the head was repurposed as construction material and embedded within a wall. The statue is thought to date from the Roman Imperial era—anywhere between the first century BC and the second century AD—while the wall it was set into belongs to a later medieval period.
The youthful, delicate features of the head have convinced researchers that it represents Dionysus, known to the Romans as Bacchus. Its eye sockets are empty, suggesting they once held jewels or glass. The sculpture is in excellent condition, and scholars hope that careful cleaning will reveal traces of its original coloration.
5 Straight Outta Newhaven
The coastal town of Newhaven, East Sussex, unveiled a memorial bench this week honoring “the Godfather of Gangsta Rap” Eazy‑E, despite the rapper having no direct ties to the locale.
The idea sprouted as a joke from local hip‑hop enthusiast Guy Stevens. Newhaven already boasts a collection of off‑beat memorials, including a sculpture of Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh—a gift from Vietnam, allegedly tied to a World I‑era ferry crossing. Stevens thought it would be amusing to place an Eazy‑E tribute beside the existing monument, but ultimately settled on a bench instead of a full‑scale statue.
The grassroots campaign proved surprisingly successful, raising over £2,000—£500 more than the target. The surplus was donated to HIV charities, reflecting the fact that Eazy‑E succumbed to AIDS in 1995.
Supporters either shared Stevens’s tongue‑in‑cheek humor or hoped the quirky addition would thrust Newhaven into the spotlight. Stevens has floated further tongue‑in‑cheek ideas, such as installing benches for 2Pac and Biggie or even renaming the town “Newcompton.”
4 A Hard‑Shelled Snack
According to a study published in Scientific Reports, primatologists have observed chimpanzees indulging in a novel delicacy: tortoises. This marks the first documented instance of primates consuming any reptile.
To breach the tough shells, the chimps smash the turtles against tree trunks—a feat that demands considerable strength, which is why adult males are the primary participants. Researchers noted three cases where two females and a juvenile were unable to crack the shells and instead handed the prey to the larger males, who succeeded and later shared the morsels with the weaker individuals.
The German research team monitored chimp behaviour at Loango National Park in Gabon, logging 38 “prey events” involving tortoises, 34 of which were successful. The most intriguing observation involved an adult male who cracked a tortoise, ate half while perched in a tree, then stashed the remainder. He returned the next day to finish the leftover portion.
Interestingly, the chimp‑tortoise interactions occurred exclusively during the dry season, despite the availability of abundant alternative foods. Scientists speculate that the dry leaves make the reptiles easier to detect as they rustle through the crunchy underbrush.
3 An Inside Job
A bizarre trial opened this week at the Oita District Court in Japan. A 44‑year‑old man faces charges of restraining and assaulting his wife after discovering she had been trolling his YouTube videos for six months.
The aspiring YouTuber had been posting travel‑guide style videos showcasing restaurants, landmarks, and sightseeing spots around Oita. His uploads quickly attracted a torrent of hostile comments—insults ranging from “idiot” to “baldy.” In March, the man uncovered that his wife was the primary source of the negative feedback, even enlisting acquaintances to amplify the harassment.
Enraged, the husband bound his wife with tape and repeatedly kicked her. He admitted to the assault and now faces up to three years in prison.
2 Gold Is A Fungus’s Best Friend
According to Nature Communications, Australian scientists have identified a new strain of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum that appears to have a peculiar fascination with gold. This organism extracts the metal from its surroundings, dissolves it, and then precipitates it, effectively coating itself in a shimmering golden layer.
While fungi are known to interact with a wide array of organic and inorganic materials, Dr Tsing Bohu described this gold‑loving relationship as something that “has to be seen to be believed.” The researchers are still uncertain why the fungus adopts this golden armor, but early observations suggest that gold‑coated specimens grow larger and spread more rapidly than their non‑gold‑bearing counterparts.
The discovery could have far‑reaching implications for the mining industry. The presence of such fungi might signal untapped gold deposits, and the organisms could potentially be harnessed to recover gold from electronic waste or serve as a biological conduit, transporting gold from deep underground to more accessible soil layers.
1 Green Me Up, Scotty
The West Virginia National Guard recently stumbled upon a puzzling mystery: a Korean War‑era tank on display in a city park had mysteriously turned a vivid lime‑green. The snafu was traced back to the local Star Trek fan club, which admitted to mistakenly using the wrong paint colour.
The M41 Walker Bulldog sits in Lotito City Park in Bluefield. The park is adjacent to Bluefield State College, home to the USS Yeager chapter of Starfleet International—the world’s largest Star Trek fan club. For nearly two decades, the group has been responsible for cleaning and repainting the tank.
When the club decided the tank needed a fresh coat, they took a sample of the historic “tank green” paint to a supplier and received 7.5 litres (2 gallons) of what they believed to be an exact match. Upon opening the cans, however, they discovered the paint was a bright lime‑green rather than the expected olive‑drab. Undeterred, they applied it anyway, assuming the colour would mellow as it dried—an assumption that proved false.
Local officials took the mishap in good humour. City Manager Dane Rideout said staff are now collaborating with the Starfleet International chapter to locate historically accurate paint and restore the tank’s traditional appearance.