Lord Lucan ‘found in Australia’
And other stories from the stranger side of life

An elderly man living in Australia has been found to be an “exact match” for Lord Lucan, said The Mirror. Computer scientist Professor Hassan Ugail used an artificial intelligence algorithm to run 4,000 cross-checks of seven photos – four of Lucan and three of the mystery pensioner in Australia. The expert said the algorithm is “never wrong”. Lord Lucan disappeared in 1974 after being accused of murdering his family’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, in London.
Cobra dies after boy bites it
A cobra died after it was bitten by eight-year-old boy in India. The boy was attacked by the snake in the remote Pandarpadh village in India’s central Chhattisgarh region. The serpent wrapped itself around the boy’s arm and sank its fangs into his skin. “As the reptile didn’t budge when I tried to shake it off, I bit it hard twice,” remembered the boy. Snakebites are “exceedingly common” in India, said the Daily Mail, with a study published last week revealing that more than 85% of snakebite deaths recorded in 2019 occurred there.
Americans told not to lick psychedelic toad
Hikers in the US have been warned to “refrain from licking” psychedelic toads. Officials said the Sonoran Desert Toad secretes a potent toxin that can make people sick if they touch the frog or get the poison in their mouths. The substance is sometimes crystalised and smoked as a psychedelic substance, said the New York Times. However, writing on Facebook, the National Park service described the potential risks as “toad-ally terrifying”.
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
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocrat
Feature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?
Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlock
Feature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The 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 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