AP Oddities
Strange and offbeat news from the Associated Press.
Latest stories
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Competitors dig deep in Hungarian grave-digging contest
NYERGESUJFALU, Hungary (AP) — Like death itself, this was no joke.
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Moto Guzzi's renovated Lake Como headquarters welcomes a pilgrimage of motorcycle-bound aficionados
MANDELLO DEL LARIO, Italy (AP) — After extensive renovation by the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi, aficionados this year had fresh reasons for a pilgrimage to the lakeside spot where their beloved two-cylinder bikes are hand-built.
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Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met. Princess the boa constrictor got the part
NEW YORK (AP) — Pretty much everyone on stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York must audition — even the snake who will briefly take center stage in an upcoming adaptation of a Mozart classic.
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Yordan Alvarez is driving toward a Triple Crown, but he's happiest driving his family's RV
HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez is one of baseball’s biggest stars: the frontrunner for AL MVP with a strong chance of becoming baseball's first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012.
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British police try to track down theft of 70,000 pints worth of Guinness stout
British police are working to recover 70,000 pints of stolen Guinness. The Cheshire Constabulary said Thursday that two trailer truckloads of the beer, worth $155,000, were taken from a depot near Liverpool. The heist happened Monday night when two men hauled away the trailers containing about 80...
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Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science
Ten research teams were honored Thursday at a satirical science awards ceremony that was hosted outside the U.S. for the first time due to travel concerns.
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In Chile, injured penguins sport copper vests to help them heal
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Researchers in Chile have designed an unlikely new garment for injured penguins — snug red vests threaded with copper and zinc that they hope will help the aquatic birds heal faster.
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'Aura farming' trend inspired by video games is sweeping Latin America
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Dozens of young people gathered recently on a beach in Peru’s capital to dance, pose and show off their most creative moves — all in pursuit of one thing: aura.
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As Spain swelters, a centuries-old accessory is having a moment
MADRID (AP) — In crowded subway cars and sun-drenched plazas, an old-fashioned accessory in Spain has been everywhere thanks to the blistering summer heat.
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At 91, Dale 'Grey Beard' Sanders reclaims record as oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail
A 91-year-old man who goes by the nickname Grey Beard has reclaimed his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Dale Sanders started last Sept. 6 in West Virginia, hiked the nearly 2,200-mile trail in out-of-order sections with breaks in between, and finished Monday atop Mou...
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Hundreds show up to judge New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani look-alike contest
NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered near New York City's popular Washington Square Park Sunday to judge a Mayor Zohran Mamdani look-alike contest.
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Spinning and dipping, Minnesota fairgoers delight in the classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride as it turns 100
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — With screams and giggles, whipping ponytails and white-knuckle grips, Minnesota fairgoers are taking delight in the magic of the Tilt-A-Whirl ride as it turns 100 years old.
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The epic La Tomatina food fight drew foreigners to paint a small Spanish town red
BUÑOL, Spain (AP) — Thousands of revelers — including many lured by a Bollywood film — descended on a small Spanish town on Wednesday for the annual La Tomatina food fight, where they painted Buñol red with tons of overripe tomatoes.
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Harvard agrees to $53 million settlement over body parts stolen and sold by former morgue manager
BOSTON (AP) — Harvard Medical School says it agreed to pay $53 million to settle class action lawsuits by relatives of body donors whose remains were sold on the black market by its former morgue manager.
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Truckload of squid spills into the street in Rhode Island, creating a smelly mess in the summer heat
A tractor-trailer rollover sent a truckload of squid spilling into a Rhode Island roadway, leaving a stench as they sat in the road for hours in the summer heat. Local authorities have dubbed it the “Squidpocalypse of ’26.”
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Archaeologists unveil skeletal remains believed to be ritual offering in Peru
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Archaeologists on Tuesday unveiled the skeletal remains of an adult they believe was buried as an offering near the base of Huaca Pucllana, an ancient adobe pyramid in Peru's capital of Lima.
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How this Massachusetts sanctuary takes in hundreds of guinea pigs from across the US
SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) — Kimie Smothermon begins each day greeted by the squeals, chirps and purrs of nearly 400 guinea pigs.
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Corgis run, bark and sniff their way to glory at a growing international race
It’s not all about short-legged speed when 150 corgis gather for an international race celebrating the little dogs. There’s a costume parade, the “smartest nose,” and — of course — the loudest bark. The fifth Corgi Race Vilnius drew dogs and their owners to the Lithuanian capital’s Vingis park on...
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Nero’s Bridge emerges from Tiber River as Rome faces water crisis
Rome’s ancient Nero’s Bridge has reemerged from the Tiber River as exceptionally low water levels expose parts of the historic structure near St. Peter’s Basilica. Weeks of little to no rain have caused the Tiber’s flow to fall below 80 cubic meters per second, according to Rome’s civil protectio...
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Mini-Mozart heist blights anniversary tribute as thieves make off with 210 statuettes
SALZBURG, Austria (AP) — More than 200 gold statuettes of Austria's most famous composer disappeared from his hometown of Salzburg, officials said Wednesday, leaving a tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on his 270th birthday considerably less crowded.
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Britain's Andy Green sets another speed record, this time in a hydrogen-powered car
The only person to break the sound barrier in a car has earned another world record, this time in a show of force for hydrogen power. British driver Andy Green reached 406.320 mph in a car powered by two hydrogen internal combustion engines, setting the record for that vehicle category, according...
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Driver who broke the sound barrier attempts another land speed record in Utah
WENDOVER, Utah (AP) — The first — and only — person to break the sound barrier in a car hits the track in Utah this week with new wheels and his eye on another record.
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Count Binface, the man in a can with a plan, seeks Parliament seat in Britain's wackiest election
Count Binface, an intergalactic comedic candidate with a garbage can on his head, is at the center of the U.K.'s political universe. Known for running against prime ministers, Binface is facing a special election against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The election has been denounced as a farce af...
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Why celebrities from Zendaya to Kylie Jenner are wearing Fecal Matter
The brand name behind recent showstopping fashion moments isn’t quite as delicate as their romantic and otherworldly looks. When asked what an ethereal Zendaya was wearing for the “Odyssey” premiere in New York, her stylist Law Roach responded: “Fecal Matter.”
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Rubber ducks by the thousands splash into Chicago River for annual Special Olympics fundraiser
A deluge of 90,000 rubber ducks poured out of a truck and into the Chicago River. They they bobbed along a stretch of the skyscraper-lined river in the annual Chicago Ducky Derby that raises thousands of dollars for charity. The truck dumped the ducks Thursday from one side of a half-raised bridg...
