Japanese craze compares babies to bread

Our pick of the strange but true stories from around the world.

Loafing babies go on display

Social media is awash with images of the latest craze to hit Japan, in which parents compare their babies' arms to a popular "pull-apart bread" sold in convenience stores in the country. In many cases, the bread bears a striking resemblance to the babies' chubby limbs. The hashtag associated with the craze translates into English as "#MyBabysGotTheBestBreadPhoto".

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Trained owl takes wrong turn at wedding

A Canadian couple's wedding-day dream of having their rings delivered to the altar by a trained owl went awry when the bird made a break for freedom. Max initially appeared to be on track, but then detoured sharply and headed for the back of the church, where he slammed into a glass window and fell to the floor. The owl is reported to be "fine – just a little bit dazed". The wedding continued without him.

Priest mistaken for KKK member

Students at Indiana University sparked panic on campus when they mistook a Dominican friar wearing a traditional habit for a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Several students used Twitter to warn fellow students that a man "dressed in white robes" and "carrying a whip" had been seen on campus. The figure in question turned out to be Father Jude McPeak, who was queuing up to buy frozen yoghurt.