Barack Obama says proof of aliens would start ‘new religions’
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Barack Obama has claimed new religions could arise if proof of aliens was revealed. The former US president said “new religions would pop up” if alien life were discovered, adding: “Who knows what kind of arguments we’d get into.” However, speaking to the The Ezra Klein Show, he said that such a development would not change his worldview, explaining: “My entire politics is premised on the fact that we are these tiny organisms on this little speck floating out in space”.
Hot weather could make bees angry
Recent hot weather could lead to 20,000-strong swarms of angry bees, experts have warned. Researchers say the sizzling conditions could put the insects in a bad mood, with Beekeeper Daniel Thomas telling the Daily Star: “If you see a swarm arrive it is just like horror movie stuff.” The Met Office is forecasting temperatures as high as 28C after the highest figure recorded in the UK on Tuesday was 26.1C in Cardiff.
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.
Tomato crash leads to ‘horror film’ scenes
A 23-mile stretch of road was left looking “like a scene from a horror film” after a lorry crash spilled tomato puree across the tarmac. After the westbound carriageway of the A14 from Cambridge to Brampton was closed following the collision between two lorries, Cambridgeshire police tweeted: “What looked like the set of a horror film was actually thousands of squashed tomatoes.” An online wag remarked: “I went pasta that. Took a while for the traffic to ketchup.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
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
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users


