Tag Archives: offbeat

Washington, United States | AFP |  Retired track star Usain Bolt showed he’s still a few steps ahead when he posted an AFP picture of him outstripping his rivals at the Beijing Olympics with the cheeky caption: “social distancing”. Bolt’s post, featuring a picture by AFP photographer Nicolas Asfouri of …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | A Japanese billionaire has launched an online wanted ad for a girlfriend who will fly around the Moon with him on a SpaceX rocket. Yusaku Maezawa, who recently announced his break-up with a Japanese actress, is accepting applications from “single women aged 20 or over” who …

Beijing, China | AFP |  A cheating Chinese orienteering team was disqualified after losing its moral compass and using secret paths and markings during the Military World Games in China. The home team bagged some of the top spots in a middle-distance competition, which sees runners navigating their way across …

  Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis said Sunday he was late to his weekly Angelus prayer because he had been stuck in a Vatican elevator and had to be freed by firemen. He followed the tale of his rescue with a surprise announcement about the creation …

Cheesy listening: study says tunes change Emmental’s taste Bergdorf, Switzerland | AFP |  It may be grating for some, but hip-hop is music to the ears of Switzerland’s most famous cheese. According to research on the musical tastes of Emmental, the holey cheese changes flavour depending on the melodies played …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  Would-be cigarette smokers in the US state of Hawaii might have to wait a very long time for their first legal drag, after a lawmaker introduced a bill that would bar sales to anyone under the age of 100. The proposed law, introduced …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | A regional boss of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB has been fired after inadvertently letting a Jackie Chan sex scene slip through its tight censorship rules, local media reported on Monday. Viewers on Iran’s Kish Island were shocked when their local TV station showed the martial …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Former US president Barack Obama took on a new high-profile role as Father Christmas on Wednesday for a surprise visit to sick children in Washington. Sporting a festive Santa hat and armed with a sack of gifts, he delighted young patients at Children’s National …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Police in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara regional state have arrested a “doomsday prophet” who caused widespread panic over claims his village would be wiped out on Monday, state media reported. The state-owned Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA) reported that the prophet had told his followers …

New York, United States | AFP | For many visitors to New York, Times Square is a must-see. For one British man, it was where his romantic marriage proposal went horribly wrong — the diamond ring fell through a grate. But don’t worry, thanks to the power of the internet, …