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.
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.
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.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Week contest: Marriage pounds
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 27, 2025
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - group chats, language lessons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Playhouse Creatures: 'dream-like' play is 'lively, funny and sharp-witted'
Anna Chancellor offers a 'glinting performance' alongside a 'strong' supporting cast
By The Week UK Published
-
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
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
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
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
The New Jersey 'UFO' drone scare
In the Spotlight Reports of mysterious low-flying aircraft provoked outlandish theories, but old-fashioned hysteria appears to have been to blame
By The Week UK Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published