Strange. True. Today.
The unusual, unexpected, bizarre, funny, fascinating, and occasionally inexplicable stories happening around the world.
Worth a Look
Stories getting attention now
Rescuers in Nepal pulled two hydropower workers alive from a tunnel nine days after catastrophic floods buried facilities along the Trishuli River. One worker was reported stable, while the other was in critical condition; a body was also discovered during the operation.
2 sources reporting
Republican candidate Thomas Ross has been charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances after prosecutors alleged he worked with a former campaign manager to frame primary opponent Louise Secker. The former manager was cooperating with the FBI and recorded a conversation with Ross, according to court documents described by the sources.
2 sources reporting
Police in Runcorn are searching for two lorries and their trailers after about 800 barrels containing more than 70,000 pints of Guinness were taken from an industrial estate. The stolen beer was valued at £115,000, while the trailers brought the estimated total loss to about £205,000.
2 sources reporting
Fresh From the Feed
Chinese short-drama actor Zhong Yufei says a production billed as his big break became a distressing experience after he was allegedly harassed by his co-star, who was also the project’s sole investor. The production’s reported premise included the investor appearing opposite him and kissing him more than 60 times.
A 23-year-old man from Szczecin has been arrested in Poland on suspicion of ordering hundreds of pizzas to random addresses across the country. Authorities allege the orders used other people’s names and caused substantial losses for several companies.
Iqbal Sheikh, a youth from Murshidabad in West Bengal, India, has reportedly spent most of the past five years in a small pond because the water cools a painful burning sensation in his skin. Hospitals and self-described healers have reportedly been unable to diagnose or cure the condition.
Taiwanese media reported that a man who used a robot vacuum to capture footage of his wife with another man was later subjected to a counter-lawsuit over recording people without their consent.
A shirt called Digital Camouflage uses an intentionally abstract Hawaiian-style pattern designed to prevent AI-powered surveillance cameras from recognizing its wearer as a person. Oddity Central described the garment as an unusually ugly take on the classic tropical shirt.
A California cat rescue group responded after a feral cat was spotted with a jar lodged over his head. The animal had taken shelter in a crawl space and was eventually trapped, taken to a veterinarian, and given the name Jarhead.
A social-media trend built around earning cheers and displaying “good vibes” has moved from online videos into public competitions across Latin America. Participants dress as fictional characters, imitate viral moves and compete for the loudest crowd reaction, while some officials have restricted the events.
Researchers say they have solved how narwhals produce a tusk that is both spiraled and unusually straight. Advanced X-ray scans found that two dental tissues twist in opposite directions, creating the distinctive structure of the males’ projecting tooth.
Researchers calculate that a black hole weighing about 40 metric tons could continue growing inside a compact star if dark matter supplies enough additional mass. The object has not been observed; the result comes from theoretical modeling published in Physical Review D.
NASA’s WB-57F research aircraft followed the path of totality above Iceland during a total solar eclipse on August 12. From 50,000 feet, cameras recorded the event above the clouds and atmospheric material that can interfere with observations from the ground.
Archaeologists excavating a Roman-era cemetery near Wrocław, Poland, uncovered a much older burial containing an adult man, a necklace made from 42 drilled animal teeth, a battle ax and two human skulls. Researchers suspect the skulls may have come from decapitated heads, but further analysis is needed.
Humanoid robots competing in Beijing set faster marks than several men’s athletics world records, including Usain Bolt’s 100-meter sprint record. The performances were achieved in robot-specific events and are not official replacements for human records.
