Doctors say cow poo cannot stop Covid

Medics in India have warned people that smearing themselves with cow dung will not protect them from Covid. Hindus have long used the dung to clean their homes and for prayer rituals, as it has therapeutic and antiseptic properties. However, as the pandemic rages in India, medical officials said there is no scientific evidence to suggest that it can ward off coronavirus.

Bare-knuckle fighting thrives

In Russia, bare-knuckle fights have become an online hit during the Covid pandemic. A tournament began broadcasting fights in parking lots early last year, but now rents out a Moscow sports arena for bare-knuckle bouts that are viewed online by millions of fans. One fighter says the pandemic has left people with no chance to release stress. “When they see something like this, it eases the tension,” he said.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Green burial benefits oceans

A burial service is using dead bodies to create new coral reefs. The service combines a cremation urn, ash scattering, and burial at sea to provide a “meaningful, permanent environmental tribute to life”. The company says that oysters, corals, invertebrates, “can attach to the reef ball very easily” and thrive from the experience.