Our pick of the strange but true stories from around the world.
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The small Australian town of Wangaratta is being choked by fast-growing tumbleweed known locally as "hairy panic". A combination of extremely dry conditions and a local farmer who, it is alleged, "hasn't tended his fields properly", are thought to be responsible. The weed is toxic, and causes a potentially fatal condition called "yellow big head" in sheep if consumed before it dries out.
Last-minute reprieve
Nguyen Thi Hue, 42, is likely to avoid being executed for drug trafficking after getting herself pregnant while behind bars. Under Vietnamese law, any woman who is pregnant or has a child under the age of three cannot be sentenced to death. Officials believe that the woman paid a male inmate at the prison to provide her with a bag of semen and a syringe in order to impregnate herself.
Scammers reach new heights
A new variant of the Nigerian prince email scam – which offers its victims the chance to share in millions of dollars after a small up-front payment to release the funds – has surfaced in inboxes around the world. The most recent variant takes the scam to a new level, claiming that Nigerian astronaut Abacha Tunde has been stranded on a Soviet space station, Salyut 8T, since 1989 – and has millions in back-pay waiting for him, provided someone can stump up the money to bring him home.
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Why is the Trump administration talking about ‘Western civilization’?Talking Points Rubio says Europe, US bonded by religion and ancestry
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Quentin Deranque: a student’s death energizes the French far rightIN THE SPOTLIGHT Reactions to the violent killing of an ultraconservative activist offer a glimpse at the culture wars roiling France ahead of next year’s elections
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Secured vs. unsecured loans: how do they differ and which is better?the explainer They are distinguished by the level of risk and the inclusion of collateral
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Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
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Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
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China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
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Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
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Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
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Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
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US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
