Oddities

The force is strong: Why ‘Star Wars’ fans say ‘May the 4th be with you’

It didn't begin a long time ago or in a galaxy far far away, but every May 4 it feels…

13 hours ago

Banksy’s ‘Broken Heart’ painting defaced on a Brooklyn wall is up for sale

NEW YORK -- When the enigmatic street artist Banksy spray-painted a heart-shaped balloon covered with a Band-Aid on the wall…

2 days ago

Speedboat that flipped midair in 200 mph crash wins race on Arizona lake

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. -- A speedboat went airborne and did a complete backward flip while racing at about 200…

5 days ago

A bear is spotted in Connecticut playing on family’s backyard slide

SIMSBURY, Conn. -- Sarah Loving had just returned home from lunch last Saturday with her husband and two young children…

1 week ago

No sweat: Humanoid robots run Chinese half-marathon alongside flesh-and-blood runners

BEIJING -- In one small step for robot-kind — thousands of them, really — humanoid robots ran alongside actual humans…

2 weeks ago

YouTuber remains in custody in India after visiting restricted island with Diet Coke

NEW DELHI -- A 24-year-old American YouTuber who was arrested after visiting an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean with…

2 weeks ago

A restaurant in Havana defies Cuba’s tech struggles with digital menus and a robot waitress

HAVANA -- For Sonia Pérez, stepping into Havana’s Doña Alicia restaurant felt like entering a movie. Even as Cuba struggles…

2 weeks ago

Spanish police arrest two people linked to cat smuggling ring based in Mallorca

MADRID -- Spanish police have arrested two people in connection with the sale of exotic felines on the internet.The authorities…

3 weeks ago

Can sandals be art? Birkenstock says yes, but a German court says no

BERLIN -- Birkenstocks: they are ubiquitous in the summer, comfy and very German, come in many colors and shapes, look…

2 months ago

Humpback whale briefly swallows kayaker in Chilean Patagonia

PUNTA ARENAS, Chile -- A humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia before quickly releasing him unharmed. The…

3 months ago