French forced to eat ‘mustard of the Germans’
And other stories from the stranger side of life
French diners are being forced to eat horseradish sauce, which they disparagingly nickname the “mustard of the Germans”, due to a shortage of Dijon mustard. A heatwave in Canada last year has led to a shortage of the seeds that go into Dijon mustard, the spicy variety that is highly popular in France, said The Times. The development has been “a dent to French pride”, because “most people had assumed that Dijon mustard was French through and through, with seeds from the fields of Burgundy”.
Alpacas spark Loch Ness excitement
Alpacas taking a cooling dip in Loch Ness fooled online viewers into thinking they were Nessie. When the animals escaped their sanctuary, viewers on social media were amused by the confusion. “Cue the Nessie sightings from the other side of the loch,” said one social media user. Meanwhile, a new theory holds that the Loch Ness monster may have actually been a freshwater dinosaur. The news means the existence of a Loch Ness monster is “plausible”, a British university concluded.
Brit breaks marathon record
A British woman has broken a record by running 106 marathons in 106 days. Kate Jayden achieved the world record for most consecutive days to run a marathon distance (female). On day 46, she noticed that her knee “hurt a bit”, but didn’t realise that something might be wrong. Later, an MRI scan in May revealed that she completed the challenge with a fractured knee, and she will need to undergo surgery, said Guinness World Records.
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.
For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The strangely resilient phenomenon of stowaways on planesIn The Spotlight Lapses in security are still allowing passengers to board flights without tickets or passports
-
Four Seasons Seoul: a fascinating blend of old and new in South KoreaThe Week Recommends Located right in the heart of the action, this classy hotel is the perfect base to explore the capital
-
How to make the most of chestnutsThe Week Recommends These versatile nuts have way more to offer than Nat King Cole ever let on
-
‘Lumpy skin’ protests intensify across France as farmers fight cullIN THE SPOTLIGHT A bovine outbreak coupled with ongoing governmental frustrations is causing major problems for French civil society
-
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
-
The Louvre’s security measures are in hot water after a major heistIn the Spotlight Millions of dollars in jewels were stolen from the museum
-
France’s ‘red hands’ trial highlights alleged Russian disruption operationsUNDER THE RADAR Attacks on religious and cultural institutions around France have authorities worried about Moscow’s effort to sow chaos in one of Europe’s political centers