Tall Tales: thousands slip in Gloucestershire cheese-rolling race
The Week's round-up of the latest odd news

Dairy devils
Thousands of people headed to Gloucestershire for the annual cheese-rolling races on Monday. The event, which is known to have taken place since at least 1826, sees competitors hurl themselves down Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester, to chase a wheel of cheese, with the first to grab it named the winner.
This year the course was particularly slippery due to recent wet weather, said The Associated Press – and local rugby club members assembled at the bottom of the course to catch tumbling participants.
Caught in the act
A defendant who was appearing virtually in court over a driving while disqualified charge shocked a Michigan judge by dialling in from behind the wheel earlier this month.
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Judge Cedric Simpson was "visibly and verbally confused" when Corey Harris joined the hearing via a Zoom call, said People, as he explained that he was pulling in and parking at the time.
Simpson confirmed with Harris's lawyers both the charges and the fact that their client had been driving while attending the hearing. "I don't even know why he would do that," Simpson said.
Stink bombs
The South Korean military warned people to stay indoors this week after North Korea dumped about 260 balloons carrying bags of rubbish on eight of its neighbour's nine provinces.
Pictures shared on social media show ripped bags filled with soil, batteries and toilet paper, and South Korean news agency Yonhap said some of the bags appeared to contain faeces.
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The news comes days after North Korea had warned it would respond to the "frequent scattering of leaflets and other rubbish" at border areas between the two countries.
Julia O'Driscoll is the engagement editor. She covers UK and world news, as well as writing lifestyle and travel features. She regularly appears on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast, and hosted The Week's short-form documentary podcast, “The Overview”. Julia was previously the content and social media editor at sustainability consultancy Eco-Age, where she interviewed prominent voices in sustainable fashion and climate movements. She has a master's in liberal arts from Bristol University, and spent a year studying at Charles University in Prague.
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