New 'giant toilet' university defies China's weird buildings ban
University of Water Conservancy has an unfortunate shape – and other tall tales

Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.
Chinese building looks like 'giant loo'
The North China University of Water Conservancy and Electric Power has unveiled a new building on its campus – and it looks a lot like a giant toilet. The resemblance to a loo is reported to be "unintentional", but local officials are sceptical given the nature of the university campus. China recently banned the construction of "weird buildings" after complaints that the new headquarters for the People's Daily newspaper looked like a giant penis.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Praying woman crashes car
A 28-year-old Florida woman drove her car into the side of a house while "praying with her eyes closed". The Okaloosa County Sheriff's department said the woman failed to break at a stop sign, careered through an intersection and crashed into the side of the house. When the woman tried to reverse out of the yard, the vehicle became bogged down in sand and she was forced to call the authorities for help.
Girl uses Kung Fu on prowler
An eight-year-old San Diego girl used a martial arts move to save herself from being kidnapped from her home. Police say an intruder broke into the house and entered the girl's bedroom while she was asleep. As the girl was being carried down the stairs, she struck out at the prowler, using what she called a "cheetah paw" strike. The would-be kidnapper fled the scene, prompting an extensive police search.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army: a troubling documentary
The Week Recommends BBC2's harrowing two-part series shines a light on the abuse at the heart of the Christian group
-
The Naked Gun: 'a dumb comedy of the expert kind'
The Week Recommends Liam Neeson shows off his comedy chops in this reboot of Leslie Nielsen's crime spoof
-
King of Kings: 'excellent' book examines Iran's 1979 revolution and its global impacts
The Week Recommends Scott Anderson 'easily and elegantly' paints a picture of a century of Iran's history
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
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
-
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
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
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