Our pick of the strange but true stories from around the world.
Throw-out fails to impress in South Korea
A South Korean woman scattered more than £14,000 in cash on a pavement in central Seoul in an attempt to give the money away - but passers-by were more interested in taking photos than picking up the money, say police. The woman told officials she was giving it to strangers to stop her son and ex-husband from taking it away from her. Taking unattended money is considered a form of theft in South Korea.
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One car, two drivers – and both arrested
Police in Massachusetts have arrested two men for drink-driving in the same car. One of the friends had driven the car onto a footpath and hit a road sign. He then swopped seats with his passenger – who promptly drove into the side of a parked car. When police stopped them, the driver reversed into the front of the police cruiser. "It was kind of comical," Lieutenant Scott Englehardt told the Boston Globe. "It was the first time in my 31 years that I've seen two people get arrested for drunk driving in the same car."
Home demolished by mistake
The owners of a duplex in Rowlett, Atlanta, returned home from work on Tuesday to discover their house had been torn down by mistake. "I pull up and, sure enough, it's gone," homeowner Lindsay Diaz said. "There's nothing left." The demolition company, who has so far refused to speak to the media on the matter, had been contracted to pull down a home on the neighbouring block.
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How the online world relies on AWS cloud serversThe Explainer Chaos caused by Monday’s online outage shows that ‘when AWS sneezes, half the internet catches the flu’
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Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
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Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
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Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
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China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
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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
