Downing Street won’t rule out alien invasion
And other stories from the stranger side of life

The prime minister’s official spokesman has refused to rule out that an alien invasion of Earth has begun, reported Guido Fawkes. Asked about the mysterious objects that have recently been shot down over the US, the spokesman refused to comment on security issues, noted the outlet. Asked whether Rishi Sunak believes in aliens, the spokesman said it was “not something I’ve asked him”. Across the pond, senior US general Glen VanHerck said he would not rule out aliens as the source of the “threat”.
Outcry as Lilt is rebranded
The soft drink brand Lilt is being rebranded after 50 years. From today, - the drink – which was advertised for its “totally tropical taste” - will be known as Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, according to the Coca Cola Company. Although the manufacturer insisted that the drink’s taste and ingredients would not change, the development has proven distressing to some. “I’m not sure I want to live in a world where Lilt, the totally tropical experience, no longer exists,” wrote a fan on Twitter.
England’s dinosaurs’ brains reconstructed
The dinosaurs which roamed southern England 125m years ago inherited their brain power from their ancestors to catch the fish, according a report from the University of Southampton and Ohio University. The researchers reconstructed the brains and inner ears of two semi-aquatic dinosaurs, concluding that theropod ancestors of spinosaurs already possessed brains and sensory adaptations suited for part-time fish catching, said Sky News.
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.
-
5 unlawfully funny cartoons about the Executive vs the Judiciary
Cartoons Artists take on halting deportations, attacking judges, and more
By The Week US Published
-
What is the the Mar-a-Lago accord?
Talking Point A Maga economic blueprint proposes upending the global financial system. Could it fly?
By The Week UK Published
-
Facebook: Sarah Wynn-Williams' shocking exposé
Talking Point Former executive's tell-all memoir of life behind the scenes at Meta 'makes for damning reading'
By The Week UK 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
-
The New Jersey 'UFO' drone scare
In the Spotlight Reports of mysterious low-flying aircraft provoked outlandish theories, but old-fashioned hysteria appears to have been to blame
By The Week UK 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