The RSPCA said its funniest calls last year included being asked to save a trapped bird that turned out to be a plastic chair and to retrieve a snake that was merely a rubber toy. When responding to a report of a “squealing and crying” dog that was tethered to a canal boat in west London, an inspector found it to be a stuffed toy tiger tied to the bow of the boat. The animal welfare charity urged people to “stop, think and check before asking us for help”.
Asteroids could ‘sneak up’ on Earth
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.
Plastic bag fan hits the record books
A woman with a penchant for old plastic bags has collected a world record 10,000 of them. Angela Clarke, 55, from Wales, has spent 40 years keeping and collecting bags, some of which date as far back as 1954 and are classed as historical artefacts. She said that after she spoke about her passion on TV show Multi-coloured Swap Shop with Noel Edmonds, the BBC was sent hundreds of bags for her, including one from the House of Lords. Her collection is now worth thousands of pounds.
-
5 Post Office-approved cartoons about mail-in votingCartoons Artists take on reverse logic, Putin's election advice, and more
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugsTalking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
Codeword: August 24, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
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
