Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.
Woodland clowns are no laughing matter
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Couple banned from Everest after faking climb
A husband and wife said to have been the first Indian couple to reach the summit of Mount Everest have been banned from climbing mountains in Nepal for ten years after officials determined they had faked their ascent. Police officers Dinesh and Tarakeshwari Rathod allegedly doctored images from another mountaineer's successful climb two days earlier to show them "standing" on the summit. Among the evidence reportedly against the pair are photos showing them in two different sets of gear in an environment where changing clothes is almost physically impossible.
Teen dies after 'fatal lovebite'
A 17-year-old boy from Mexico City has reportedly died in hospital after his 24-year-old girlfriend gave him a lovebite on his neck. Local officials say the boy began convulsing at the dinner table, before collapsing and being rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered the bite had formed a blood clot that had travelled to his brain and caused a fatal stroke. The boy's girlfriend is reportedly in hiding.
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Exploring ancient forests on three continentsThe Week Recommends Reconnecting with historic nature across the world
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The rise of the spymaster: a ‘tectonic shift’ in Ukraine’s politicsIn the Spotlight President Zelenskyy’s new chief of staff, former head of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, is widely viewed as a potential successor
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How oil tankers have been weaponisedThe Explainer The seizure of a Russian tanker in the Atlantic last week has drawn attention to the country’s clandestine shipping network
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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
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How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
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Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
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Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
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Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
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Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
