Man splattered as plane drops ‘fluidy’ excrement
And other stories from the stranger side of life

A man in Windsor said he was “splattered in a very unpleasant way” when human waste was dropped from a plane. Local councillor Karen Davies said she was “horrified” to hear of the incident. One of her colleagues speculated that the warm weather on the day of the sub-optimal incident meant the excrement could have “come out as a more ‘fluidy’ item”. A resident said “when an aircraft dispatches it onto people’s heads” that’s “heinous, frankly”.
Queen refuses Oldie award
The Queen has declined an award of Oldie of the Year, saying "you are only as old as you feel". The 95-year-old “politely but firmly” turned down the award, but sent the Oldie magazine a message with her “warmest best wishes,” said the BBC. “Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel,” added the message. Her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was Oldie of the Year in 2011.
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.
Gardener told to cut ‘obscene’ bush
A gardener who trimmed a 10ft hedge into a hand with an extended middle finger has been warned he faces police action if he doesn’t cute down the “obscene” bush. Richard Jenkins, 63, initially carved it 20 years ago as a joke. The naughty bush has become an online hit, attracting hundreds of visitors, with Instagram and TikTok fans who are keen to be snapped of videoed standing next to it.
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
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.
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson 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
-
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