Paratrooper survives after parachute fails to open
And other stories from the stranger side of life

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
A British paratrooper whose parachute failed to open correctly during an exercise in California got away with only minor injuries after a 15,000ft fall saw him crash through the roof of a house. “It’s a miracle in my estimation, really. I mean, who lands like that without a parachute and lives?” said a neighbour. The Ministry of Defence said: “The soldier received minor injuries and is recovering well.”
Super Mario game sold for record sum
A sealed, mint condition copy of Super Mario 64 has sold at auction for more than $1.5m (£1.1m), making it the most expensive video game ever sold. US auction house Heritage Auctions said the video game cartridge, first released in 1996, was in high demand for its “historical significance, rarity and condition” as there are “fewer than five copies” in such good condition. The price tag was nearly double that of the previous record-breaker, an original The Legend of Zelda cartridge which had been sold two days before at $870,000 (£744,000).
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.
Baron Cohen sues cannabis company
Sacha Baron Cohen is suing a cannabis dispensary for allegedly using his comedy character Borat on its advertising. The 49-year-old British actor has accused Solar Therapeutics of copyright infringement and false advertising. He is seeking damages of at least $9m (£6.5m), according to a lawsuit filed in the US state of Massachusetts. He alleges that the advert featured Baron Cohen as Borat, giving a thumbs up with the words “it’s nice!”
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
Why the Roman Empire is suddenly everywhere online
The Explainer It fell more than 1,500 years ago — so why is it dominating social media?
By Justin Klawans Published
-
How climate change is going to change the insurance industry
The Explainer Some regions will soon be 'uninsurable'
By Devika Rao Published
-
TV to watch in October, from 'Loki' to 'The Fall of the House of Usher'
The Explainer Celebrate spooky season with some eerie streaming shows
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
Woman reunited with egg she signed in 1951
It Wasn't All Bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 16, 2023
Daily Briefing Ripple effects seen throughout auto industry as UAW strikes, Lee expected to bring flooding and storm winds to New England, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
American rescued after 12 days in Turkish cave
It wasn't all bad Good news stories from the past seven days
By The Week Staff Published
-
What Mexico’s first female president might mean for the ‘femicide nation’
feature The Latin American country is grappling with misogynist crime amid a backdrop of progress for women in politics
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
Couple sues after ‘farting dog’ ruins flight
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Ukrainian military has ‘shown how the Russian army can be beaten’
Talking Point Recent Ukrainian frontline advances may offer hope for its counter-offensive
By The Week Staff Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Protests in Syria: could they bring down the Assad regime?
Talking Point Threat to power grows amid poverty, inflation and ‘botched’ response to earthquake
By The Week Staff Published