Teachers ‘give higher grades to girls’
And other stories from the stranger side of life

Teachers give girls higher grades than boys because they find them to be better behaved, neater and easier to teach, according to a new study. Researchers in Italy found that the teachers helped to create and widen a “gender grade gap” by giving girls higher grades than boys even when they had “identical competence” in a subject. A 2015 study by the OECD reached the same conclusion, finding that girls’ work was being “marked up”, said The Times.
Couple find lucrative ancient coins under kitchen
A couple cashed in during home renovations when they uncovered a treasure trove of coins beneath their kitchen floor, said the Yorkshire Post. The owners of an 18th-century home in a village near Hull were relaying their kitchen floor when they found 264 rare gold coins, which later sold for £754,000 at auction. The coins, dating from 1610-1727, are believed to have belonged to a merchant family who made their fortune from trading with Baltic ports.
Fattest parrot ‘cancelled’ from contest
The world’s fattest parrot has been banned from a bird of the year contest, reported The Telegraph. As voting began in New Zealand’s Bird of the Year contest, anger was growing over a decision to ban the owl parrot, which won the contest in 2008 and 2020, and came runner-up in 2021. “Bird of the Year is so woke”, complained a fan, suggesting the kakapo had been “cancelled” and the contest had become a “participation award” for ugly birds.
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
-
Donald Trump's jumbo-sized corruption | May 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday's editorial cartoons feature artificial intelligence, Democratic attempts to reach rural voters, a tariff deal with Xi Jinping, the U.S. economy, tariffs, and habeas corpus.
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
Zack Polanski: the 'eco-populist' running for Green Party leader
In The Spotlight 'Insurgent' party deputy is making a bid to take the Greens further to the left
-
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 designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
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
-
'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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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