Strange News

The Rubik's Cube world championships were held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, over the weekend, drawing participants from more than 40 countries. The winner completed his cube in 5.69 seconds.

For The Rubik's Cube World Champ, 6 Seconds Is Plenty Of Time

4:14pm July 20, 2015

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Competition was fierce at the Rubik's Cube world championship in Brazil. There was a 4-year-old and a category for those who do it with their feet. The overall winner needed less than 6 seconds.

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Seagulls in Cornwall, England, have allegedly attacked people and family pets.

World News

U.K. Prime Minister Wants 'Big Conversation' About Seagull Attacks

4:31pm July 17, 2015

by Lucy Perkins

Seagulls have reportedly menaced people and animals in Cornwall, England. The public outcry has gone all the way up to 10 Downing Street.

World News

A Siberian Town Throws A Party For Pests — And Masochists

7:55am July 17, 2015

Many towns hold festivals to celebrate a famed native son or daughter, or its dominant agricultural product. In Berezniki, Russia, they celebrate mosquitoes — partly by getting bitten by them. A lot.

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World News

To: MelbourneElm22; Subject: My Dog Peed On You Today; Body: (◕︵◕)

3:09pm July 16, 2015

In Melbourne, Australia, the city assigned trees email addresses so citizens could report problems with them. Instead, people wrote thousands of love letters to their favorite trees.

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Politics & Government

Clearer Than Bureacratese: Airport Official Replies To Politician In Klingon

8:25am July 15, 2015

When a member of the Welsh National Assembly asked a nearby airport about possible UFO sightings, he got a polite response — issued in perhaps the least-diplomatic-sounding fictional language.

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You've Heard Of Hot Dogs, Here's A Hot Cat

11:25am July 14, 2015

A feline stowaway survived a 28-mile journey in the piping-hot engine compartment of a pickup truck.

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An award-winning yogurt maker was jailed for burning down a yogurt factory.

Arts
Economy

A Crime Of Passion: When The Love Of Yogurt Burned Too Bright

12:48pm July 13, 2015

by Dan Charles

Edgar Diaz poured his heart into building a yogurt company whose product won accolades. So why did he burn down his factory? The answer is a kind of love story: an ill-fated love affair with yogurt.

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National

The Furries Have Landed — And Pittsburgh Is Giving Them A Bear Hug

10:06am July 13, 2015

by Deanna Garcia

More than a thousand "furries" — fans in full-body animal suits or just fuzzy ears — paraded in the city for the annual Anthrocon. Locals embrace them, not least for the economic benefits they bring.

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An organ grinder and child in Chicago, 1891.

Music & Culture

Strange Stories Surrounding Street Pianos

4:13pm July 10, 2015

by Linton Weeks

Designed to provide pleasure, street pianos in 19th and 20th century America were also magnets for some mischief and malevolence.

World News

Scottish Village Bans Bananas For Boat Festival

2:42pm July 06, 2015

In Scotland, the village of Portsoy is reviving an old seamen's superstition by banning bananas during its annual boat festival. NPR's Lynn Neary talks to festival Chairman Roger Goodyear.

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