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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August 16 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include football season anticipation, and Donald Trump angling for Putin's autograph
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5 hilariously cold cartoons about the Alaska summitCartoons Artists take on the Alaskan totem pole, a peace flag, and more
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Crossword: August 16, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
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How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
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One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
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What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
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Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
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Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
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'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
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The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
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Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
