The UK’s most commonly misspelt names revealed
And other stories from the stranger side of life

Niamh and Aaron are the names most commonly searched for on Google, a new study has found. The spelling of Niamh prompted 4,110 monthly searches in the UK alongside other variations including Neve, Nieve, Neave, Neavh or Neeve, said the Daily Mirror. Aaron, which receives 2,670 searches a month on average, also leads to confusion. The study, by the online tool Unscrambled Words, discovered that the name Rachel gives people difficulty too, with the name receiving 2,770 searches per month.
Police ‘plod behind’ fleeing man
A man wanted by police in Oregon led deputies on a slow-speed chase in a construction excavator for more than half a mile before his arrest. Jesse B. Shaw, who was wanted for stealing a car, ignored deputies’ commands to exit machinery and surrender, said the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He drove more than a mile and a half in the slow-moving excavator as deputies “plodded behind the vehicle in pursuit”, said Fox News, before eventually being arrested.
‘Meteor’ caught on camera
A suspected meteor has been caught on camera above the sky in the US. Locals in northern Utah and neighbouring Idaho reported hearing a loud “boom” on Saturday morning, and a light streaking across the sky can be seen in footage captured at the Snowbasin Resort in Utah, reported Sky News. The nine-second clip appears to show the meteor soaring over nearby peaks in the morning sun.
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.
For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter
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
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Is Prince Harry owed protection?
Talking Point The Duke of Sussex claims he has been singled out for 'unjustified and inferior treatment' over decision to withdraw round-the-clock security
By The Week UK
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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