Now you can own your own ‘carpool karaoke’ unit
And other stories from the stranger side of life

Good news for those who simply cannot get enough of James Corden’s carpool karaoke: the first fully integrated karaoke car system has been unveiled. Passengers will be able to “sing into a microphone that is linked to a car’s audio system as lyrics are played on the dashboard screen”, noted The Times. The technology is a venture between Singing Machine, a US karaoke company, and Stingray, the Canadian music technology venture that provided Corden’s microphone for his viral singalongs with celebrities such as Adele.
Vaccine for bees approved in US
The US government has approved use of the first vaccine for honey bees, reported the BBC. The vaccine, designed to prevent fatalities from American foulbrood disease, could serve as a “breakthrough in protecting honey bees”, said Dalan Animal Health. As pollinators, bees play a critical role in many aspects of the ecosystem but the US has seen annual reductions in honey bee colonies since 2006, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Huge gingerbread man left behind at hotel
The hotel chain Travelodge has revealed that a pair of Japanese chin puppies and a football-themed wedding cake were among the items left behind at its sites during 2022. Other unusual items included a pair of donkeys named Daisy and Duke, keys to a power boat, an oil painting of Queen Elizabeth II, a matching pair of Segway scooters and a four-foot-tall model gingerbread man, reported UPI.
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
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
Full-body scans: more panic than panacea?
The Explainer Hailed as the 'future of medicine' by some, but not all experts are convinced
By The Week UK
-
The Last of Us, series two: 'post-apocalyptic television at its peak'
The Week Recommends Second instalment of hit show is just as 'gutsy' and 'thoughtful' as the first
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK
-
Everything you need to know about your P45
The Explainer The document from HMRC is vital when moving jobs
By Marc Shoffman, 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