Brits want to fart freely in public
And other stories from the stranger side of life

One in eight British people want to be able to fart in public without facing the disapproval of passers-by, according to the Daily Star. Researchers, who found that 13% of Brits resented having to hold in gas when they were out in public, also discovered that this feeling was particularly strong in Liverpool, where 22% felt it was “natural” to eject gas and it should be accepted. However, a shop boss in the city said: “I’ve never farted in front of a customer because I worry they wouldn’t want to come back to my shop.”
Chocolates from 1899 sell for £500
A tin of chocolates made during the reign of Queen Victoria in 1899 was sold for more than £500, said Metro. The Rowntree’s bars of chocolate were recently discovered in a box in an attic in Lincolnshire. Auctioneer Paul Cooper, from Eddisons, did not recommend that anyone eat the elderly bars. “I don’t think I’d be tempted to give it a go,” he said. “The experts say that chocolate actually doesn’t becomes hazardous as it ages, but they probably did not have 122-year-old bars of the stuff in mind.”
Conspiracy theories rated
The government’s flagship anti-extremism programme has suggested there are legitimate questions over the circumstances of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. In a training session for school governors, Prevent used a graphic entitled The Conspiracy Chart, which puts conspiracies in categories. Included under the title “We have questions” were the death of Diana, the statement “Epstein didn’t kill himself”, the assassination of John F Kennedy and the death of Marilyn Monroe, said The Times.
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.
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
-
Book reviews: ‘Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America’ and ‘How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998’
Feature A political ‘witch hunt’ and Helen Garner’s journal entries
By The Week US Published
-
The backlash against ChatGPT's Studio Ghibli filter
The Explainer The studio's charming style has become part of a nebulous social media trend
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US 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