Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.
Metal star 'accidentally elected to council'
Infamous Norwegian black metal star Fenriz, a drummer for Darkthrone, has reportedly been elected as a local council representative "against his will". Fenriz, whose real name is Gylve Fenriz Nagell, says he was approached and asked if he would be a "back-up candidate". He said he believed he would stand no chance of being elected, but even after running a campaign that consisted of a photo of him holding a cat, with the caption "Please don't vote for me", he was elected and will now serve a four-year stint on his local council.
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Bubble wrap blamed for campus lockdown
Police who responded to an "active shooter" call at the Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania yesterday say they believe the scare was caused by a "diligent" student who mistook the sound of someone popping bubble wrap for gunfire. Officials went from building to building after the student called emergency services, and the entire campus was locked down for more than an hour before police declared the scene safe.
One dead after bulletproof vest 'test'
Officials in Tampa, Florida, have revealed that a man has been killed by his cousin, as they were testing whether an old bulletproof vest still worked. Police say 23-year-old Joaquin Mendez was sitting with his cousin while wearing the vest, and asked Alexandro Garibaldi, 24, if he thought the vest would still work. Witnesses reported that Garibaldi said "Let's find out", before fatally shooting Mendez once in the chest.
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5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purgeCartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
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Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
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Codeword: August 23, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
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Zoos offer cockroach naming and hippo poo candlesTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
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NHS tells Scots to walk like penguinsTall Tales Walk like penguins in the snow, says NHS
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Experts discover why dogs wag their tailsTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Peruvian 'aliens' aren't really aliensTall Tales And other stories from stranger side of life
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Woman accidentally puts nan in washing machineTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Couple sues after ‘farting dog’ ruins flightfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Experts suggest the real-life Dracula was veganfeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
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Pedants forgive Waterstones over apostrophefeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
