INSIDER
Heās fast, feisty and could play Quidditch. Meet the bat that won a beauty contest
Read full article: Heās fast, feisty and could play Quidditch. Meet the bat that won a beauty contestA winged creature from Oregon has been crowned this year's winner in the annual āBat Beauty Contest.ā.
Instagram-famous squirrel named Peanut seized by New York state authorities
Read full article: Instagram-famous squirrel named Peanut seized by New York state authoritiesA New York man who turned a rescued squirrel into a social media star called Peanut is pleading with state authorities to return his beloved pet after they seized it during a raid.
A New Zealand city waves goodbye to its 'disturbing' giant hand sculpture that many came to love
Read full article: A New Zealand city waves goodbye to its 'disturbing' giant hand sculpture that many came to lovePerched on two fingers on the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, the giant sculpture of a hand has loomed over the city for five years.
Rare dime bought by Ohio farm family and hidden for decades fetches $500,000 at auction
Read full article: Rare dime bought by Ohio farm family and hidden for decades fetches $500,000 at auctionA rare dime whose whereabouts had remained a mystery since the late 1970s has sold for just over $500,000.
TimothƩe Chalamet crashes his own look-alike contest after police shut down crowded event
Read full article: TimothƩe Chalamet crashes his own look-alike contest after police shut down crowded eventActor TimothƩe Chalamet made a surprise appearance at his own look-alike contest in Lower Manhattan.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerrilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
Read full article: An abrupt goodbye to a guerrilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrantA makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky New York City fire hydrant is no more.
A New Zealand airport wants you to hug goodbye faster
Read full article: A New Zealand airport wants you to hug goodbye fasterTravelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to keep their emotional farewells brief after a new three-minute time limit was imposed on goodbye hugs in the airportās drop-off area in order to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.
Champion cleared of cheating with a metal chestnut at the World Conker Championships
Read full article: Champion cleared of cheating with a metal chestnut at the World Conker ChampionshipsA British chestnut-whacking champion has been cleared of cheating after an investigation into alleged malfeasance at the World Conker Championships.
Conkers controversy: World tournament investigates claims of cheating with steel chestnut
Read full article: Conkers controversy: World tournament investigates claims of cheating with steel chestnutThe World Conker Championships says it's investigating allegations of cheating after this yearās menās winner was found to have a steel chestnut in his pocket.
After 67 days adrift, a Russian man was rescued but his brother and nephew are dead
Read full article: After 67 days adrift, a Russian man was rescued but his brother and nephew are deadA Russian man has been rescued in the Sea of Okhotsk after surviving for two months in an inflatable boat that lost its engine, but his brother and nephew have died.
Mud, beer and cash: Annual wife-carrying championship attracts competitive couples to Maine
Read full article: Mud, beer and cash: Annual wife-carrying championship attracts competitive couples to MaineAn annual event in Maine involving mud, beer and cash has once again drawn dozens of eager competitors.
Woman pleads guilty to trying to smuggle 29 turtles across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak
Read full article: Woman pleads guilty to trying to smuggle 29 turtles across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayakA woman from China has pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles, a protected species, across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak.
New Zealand ship didnāt sink because its captain was a woman, the āappalledā defense minister says
Read full article: New Zealand ship didnāt sink because its captain was a woman, the āappalledā defense minister saysNew Zealandās Defense Minister Judith Collins has decried what she called misogynistic online comments about the woman commander of a navy ship which ran aground, caught fire and sank off the coast of Samoa on Sunday.
Former owner of water buffalo that roamed Iowa suburb for days pleads guilty
Read full article: Former owner of water buffalo that roamed Iowa suburb for days pleads guiltyThe owner of a water buffalo that ran loose in a Des Moines, Iowa, suburb for days in August has pleaded guilty for having an animal at large.
Nibi the 'diva' beaver to stay at rescue center, Massachusetts governor decides
Read full article: Nibi the 'diva' beaver to stay at rescue center, Massachusetts governor decidesThe question of whether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi can stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches was resolved when the Massachusetts governor stepped in to protect Nibi.
Spider lovers scurry to Colorado town in search of mating tarantulas and community
Read full article: Spider lovers scurry to Colorado town in search of mating tarantulas and communityItās tarantula mating season on the Colorado plains, when male spiders scurry out of their burrows in search of a mate.
Nibi the beaver's fate lands in court as rescuers try to stop her release into the wild
Read full article: Nibi the beaver's fate lands in court as rescuers try to stop her release into the wildWhether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi gets to stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches in Massachusetts has ended up in court ā and caused such an uproar that even the governor has weighed in.
Second fan files lawsuit claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 baseball
Read full article: Second fan files lawsuit claiming ownership of Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 baseballThe claim to Shohei Ohtaniās potentially lucrative 50th home run ball grew more complicated this week, with a second fan filing a lawsuit asserting he had possession of the historic baseball.
Online voting in Alaska's Fat Bear Week contest starts after an attack killed 1 contestant
Read full article: Online voting in Alaska's Fat Bear Week contest starts after an attack killed 1 contestantVoting has started in the annual Fat Bear Week contest at Alaskaās Katmai National Park and Preserve.
A lost cat's mysterious 2-month, 900-mile journey home to California
Read full article: A lost cat's mysterious 2-month, 900-mile journey home to CaliforniaA gray cat living an extraordinary life of visits to the beach and trips to the lake went on his biggest adventure alone: traveling hundreds of miles from Wyoming to California.
A bewildered seal found itself in the mouth of a humpback whale
Read full article: A bewildered seal found itself in the mouth of a humpback whaleA photograph by a naturalist captured a seemingly bewildered seal in the mouth of a humpback whale after the giant marine mammal unintentionally gulped it.
A smelly penguin wins New Zealand's hard-fought bird election
Read full article: A smelly penguin wins New Zealand's hard-fought bird electionThe hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin won New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year vote, after a fierce contest without the foreign interference and controversies that have upset the country's avian elections before.
A cat named Drifter is safe after sneaking out and getting trapped in a sewer for nearly 8 weeks
Read full article: A cat named Drifter is safe after sneaking out and getting trapped in a sewer for nearly 8 weeksA cat aptly named Drifter is safe at home after sneaking out and getting trapped in a sewer for nearly eight weeks.
Studies on pigeon-guided missiles, swimming abilities of dead fish among Ig Nobels winners
Read full article: Studies on pigeon-guided missiles, swimming abilities of dead fish among Ig Nobels winnersA study that explores the feasibility of using pigeons to guide missiles and one that looks at the swimming abilities of dead fish were among the winners of this yearās Ig Nobels, the prize for comical scientific achievement.
No neigh-sayers: Live horses join first-day veterinary students for anatomy lecture in Hungary
Read full article: No neigh-sayers: Live horses join first-day veterinary students for anatomy lecture in HungaryFirst-year veterinary students in Hungary are being joined by two full-grown horses in their lecture hall for the first anatomy lesson of their academic careers.
Pharrell as a Lego and Robbie Williams as a chimp? Music biopics get creative
Read full article: Pharrell as a Lego and Robbie Williams as a chimp? Music biopics get creativeMany of the expected conventions of music biopics are present in āPiece by Piece,ā about the producer-turned-pop star Pharrell Williams, and āBetter Man,ā about the British singer Robbie Williams.
A young golden eagle attacks a toddler in Norway, its fourth such assault on humans
Read full article: A young golden eagle attacks a toddler in Norway, its fourth such assault on humansA young golden eagle attacked a toddler in Norway in what an ornithologist says is likely the same birdās fourth such attack on humans in the past week.
Huge payout expected for a rare coin bought by Ohio farm family and hidden for decades
Read full article: Huge payout expected for a rare coin bought by Ohio farm family and hidden for decadesThree sisters from Ohio who inherited a dime kept in a bank vault for more than 40 years knew it had some value.
A man was charged with killing 81 animals in a three-hour shooting rampage
Read full article: A man was charged with killing 81 animals in a three-hour shooting rampageA man suspected of going on a three-hour shooting rampage in Northern California and killing 81 animals, including miniature horses, goats and chickens, pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty and other charges.
Half a house for half a million dollars: Home crushed by tree hits market near Los Angeles
Read full article: Half a house for half a million dollars: Home crushed by tree hits market near Los AngelesNewly listed for sale in Southern Californiaās notoriously pricey realty market: half a house for half a million dollars.
A celebrity 'Russian spy' whale spotted with harness found dead in Norwegian waters
Read full article: A celebrity 'Russian spy' whale spotted with harness found dead in Norwegian watersA white beluga whale named āHvaldimirā that was first spotted in Norway not far from Russian waters with a harness that ignited rumors he may be a Moscow spy has been found dead.
Ohio regulators: Marijuana sellers can't give out food from ice cream truck
Read full article: Ohio regulators: Marijuana sellers can't give out food from ice cream truckOhioās Division of Cannabis Control has proposed fines totaling more than $200,000 against five businesses for violating the stateās advertising rules for marijuana sellers.
German warship blasts Darth Vader anthem in heart of London. 'No deeper message,' navy says.
Read full article: German warship blasts Darth Vader anthem in heart of London. 'No deeper message,' navy says.Germanyās navy says there was "no deeper messageā in the choice to blast the famed Imperial March ā Darth Vaderās theme song in the āStar Warsā films ā from one of its warships as it cruised down the River Thames through London.
Sam Sam the Kittycat Man ran away. Thanks to a microchip, he was found close by ā 11 years later
Read full article: Sam Sam the Kittycat Man ran away. Thanks to a microchip, he was found close by ā 11 years laterA cat in South Carolina has been reunited with his owner after 11 years thanks to a microchip.
A hunterās graveyard shift: grabbing pythons in the Everglades
Read full article: A hunterās graveyard shift: grabbing pythons in the EvergladesIn the dead of night, hunters go deep into the Florida Everglades, searching for the invasive Burmese pythons that are eating up mice, rabbits and other prey.
A rarely seen deep sea fish is found in California, and scientists want to know why
Read full article: A rarely seen deep sea fish is found in California, and scientists want to know whyA rarely seen deep sea fish resembling a serpent was found floating dead on the ocean surface off the San Diego coast.
There's an apostrophe battle brewing among grammar nerds. Is it Harris' or Harris's?
Read full article: There's an apostrophe battle brewing among grammar nerds. Is it Harris' or Harris's?Whatever possessed Vice President Kamala Harris to pick Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, it probably wasnāt a desire to inflame arguments about apostrophes.
Large desert tortoise rescued from Arizona highway after escaping from ostrich ranch 3 miles away
Read full article: Large desert tortoise rescued from Arizona highway after escaping from ostrich ranch 3 miles awayState Department of Public Safety troopers recently helped rescue an escaped sulcata tortoise that was attempting to cross Interstate 10 near Picacho.
A homemade aquarium appeared in a Brooklyn tree bed. Then came the goldfish heist
Read full article: A homemade aquarium appeared in a Brooklyn tree bed. Then came the goldfish heistA makeshift aquarium established by two longtime Brooklyn residents in a sidewalk tree pit often flooded by a leaky fire hydrant has stirred controversy.
Australia and New Zealand are locked in a battle of tongue in cheek after MÄori words are removed
Read full article: Australia and New Zealand are locked in a battle of tongue in cheek after MÄori words are removedNew Zealand's prime minister is defending the removal of basic MÄori phrases meaning āhelloā and āNew Zealandā from a lunar new year invitation to an Australian official.
A 19th-century shipwreck is filled with Champagne bottles and Sweden won't allow anyone a sip
Read full article: A 19th-century shipwreck is filled with Champagne bottles and Sweden won't allow anyone a sipSwedish officials say no one will be allowed to fish out any of the nearly 100 bottles of 19th-century Champagne and mineral water nestled in a shipwreck off southern Sweden without proper authorization.
Argentina coach slams chaotic 'scandal' at Olympic soccer match vs Morocco
Read full article: Argentina coach slams chaotic 'scandal' at Olympic soccer match vs MoroccoThe head of Argentinaās soccer federation says the chaotic ending to its Olympic soccer match against Morocco āmakes no sense,ā and Argentinaās coach called the scene āa scandal.ā.
Olympic soccer gets off to violent and chaotic start as Morocco fans rush the field vs Argentina
Read full article: Olympic soccer gets off to violent and chaotic start as Morocco fans rush the field vs ArgentinaMorocco fans crashed the pitch to protest a late goal by Argentina at the opening match of the Paris Olympics menās soccer tournament.
Meet Crush, the rare orange lobster diverted from dinner plate to aquarium by Denver Broncos fans
Read full article: Meet Crush, the rare orange lobster diverted from dinner plate to aquarium by Denver Broncos fansThe Downtown Aquarium in Denver has a new resident ā a rare orange lobster that was rescued from a shipment of crustaceans delivered to a Red Lobster restaurant in Pueblo, Colorado.
These Picassos prompted a gender war at an Australian gallery. Now the curator says she painted them
Read full article: These Picassos prompted a gender war at an Australian gallery. Now the curator says she painted themAn Australian art museum curator has divulged that she was the creator of three paintings that she presented as works by Pablo Picasso -- and which prompted a gender discrimination case when she only permitted female gallery patrons to view them.
This nearly 10-foot Gatsby sub is made by a South African restaurant with a taste for the supersized
Read full article: This nearly 10-foot Gatsby sub is made by a South African restaurant with a taste for the supersizedA South African restaurant and bar has served up a sandwich that's nearly 10 feet long in the latest offering from an establishment with a taste for the supersized.
1-year-old baby found crawling by a highway after his brother was found dead, his mother was arrested
Read full article: 1-year-old baby found crawling by a highway after his brother was found dead, his mother was arrestedA Louisiana sheriff says a 1-year-old boy survived two days of sometimes stormy weather before a truck driver spotted him crawling along a roadside.
Flying objects and shrunken heads: World UFO Day feted amid surge in sightings, government denials
Read full article: Flying objects and shrunken heads: World UFO Day feted amid surge in sightings, government denialsWorld UFO Day is being celebrated amid a surge in sightings and government studies on unidentified flying objects.
āCharlotteā the stingray who was pregnant with no male companion dies at North Carolina aquarium
Read full article: āCharlotteā the stingray who was pregnant with no male companion dies at North Carolina aquariumA North Carolina aquarium announced that a stingray who became pregnant with no male companion in its tank and later diagnosed with rare reproductive disease has died.
Theodore Roosevelt's pocket watch was stolen in 1987. It's finally back at his New York home
Read full article: Theodore Roosevelt's pocket watch was stolen in 1987. It's finally back at his New York homeA silver pocket watch that belonged to President Theodore Roosevelt is back on public display at his home and national park site in New York, nearly four decades after it was stolen.
Rainforest animal called a kinkajou rescued from dusty highway rest stop in Washington state
Read full article: Rainforest animal called a kinkajou rescued from dusty highway rest stop in Washington stateA small mammal called a kinkajou was found far from its normal rainforest habitat this week: at a rest stop amid the rolling sagebrush plains of central Washington state.
Shiny monolith removed from mountains outside Las Vegas. How it got there still is a mystery
Read full article: Shiny monolith removed from mountains outside Las Vegas. How it got there still is a mysteryA strange monolith found jutting out of the rocks in a remote mountain range near Las Vegas has been taken down by authorities.
Baby moose trapped in a lake is saved by Alaska man and police as its worried mom watches
Read full article: Baby moose trapped in a lake is saved by Alaska man and police as its worried mom watchesAn Alaska man and two police officers have joined forces to rescue a baby moose that got stuck between a floatplane and a dock in a lake.
Gleaming monolith pops up in Nevada desert, the latest in a series of quickly vanishing structures
Read full article: Gleaming monolith pops up in Nevada desert, the latest in a series of quickly vanishing structuresA strange monolith has been found jutting out of a remote mountain peak near Las Vegas.
No lie: Perfectly preserved centuries-old cherries unearthed at George Washington's Mount Vernon
Read full article: No lie: Perfectly preserved centuries-old cherries unearthed at George Washington's Mount VernonDozens of bottles of centuries-old, impeccably preserved cherries and berries from the cellar of George Washington's Mount Vernon estate in northern Virginia have been discovered during an archaeological dig.
Double take: 23 sets of twins graduate from a single Massachusetts middle school
Read full article: Double take: 23 sets of twins graduate from a single Massachusetts middle schoolTwenty-three sets of twins have graduated from a Massachusetts middle school, making up about 10% of the eighth-grade class.
A Chinese military buff inadvertently bought 4 books of military secrets for under $1
Read full article: A Chinese military buff inadvertently bought 4 books of military secrets for under $1A military history buff in China appears to have made an alarming discovery after picking up four books for less than $1 at a neighborhood recycling station.
These candidates who won seats in the European Parliament this week aren't who you might expect
Read full article: These candidates who won seats in the European Parliament this week aren't who you might expectSocial media influencers and candidates in jail have won seats in the powerful European Parliament, with social media playing an outsized role in many elections.
This NYC vet makes house calls. In 'Pets and the City,' she's penned a memoir full of tails
Read full article: This NYC vet makes house calls. In 'Pets and the City,' she's penned a memoir full of tailsAs a city kid, veterinarian Amy Attas had big dreams of roaming the countryside healing animals a la the classic āAll Creatures Great and Small.ā.
They're on the edge of glory, and the edge of an art museum, as cliff divers come to Boston
Read full article: They're on the edge of glory, and the edge of an art museum, as cliff divers come to BostonCliff divingās marquee event thrilled spectators in Boston as the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series made the 100th stop in its history.
Rare 7-foot fish washed ashore on Oregon's coast garners worldwide attention
Read full article: Rare 7-foot fish washed ashore on Oregon's coast garners worldwide attentionA massive rare fish thought to only live in temperate waters in the southern hemisphere has washed up on Oregon's northern coast.
Fossil-hunting diver says he has found a large section of mastodon tusk off Florida's coast
Read full article: Fossil-hunting diver says he has found a large section of mastodon tusk off Florida's coastAt first, fossil-hunting diver Alex Lundberg thought the lengthy object on the sea floor off Floridaās Gulf Coast was a piece of wood.
Tokyo City Hall is developing a dating app to encourage marriage and childbirth
Read full article: Tokyo City Hall is developing a dating app to encourage marriage and childbirthCalled āTokyo Futari Story,ā the city hallās new site is just that: An effort to create couples, āfutari,ā in a country where it is increasingly common to be āhitori,ā or alone.
In the UK's top baseball league, crowds are small, babysitters are key and the Mets are a dynasty
Read full article: In the UK's top baseball league, crowds are small, babysitters are key and the Mets are a dynastyBaseball at the highest club level in Britain is competitive but itās a league in which babysitters are just as important as balls and strikes.