Offbeat
Headlines that will make you smile, laugh or just scratch your head.
Escobar's escaped hippo on the run: report
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A hippopotamus that escaped from a zoo built by a Colombian drug lord has been spotted living in the wild, reports say.
Niue's Michael Jackson not dead
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A Pacific Island man who shares his name with the late Michael Jackson says his friends got a real fright when they heard the news of the King of Pop's passing.
Kingfish makes epic swim to NZ
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A fish captured and tagged by a New South Wales far south coast fisherman three years ago has been recaptured after nearly doubling in size during a 2,000km swim.
Cherry ripe: Drunk badger passes out in street
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A badger in Germany got so drunk on over-ripe cherries it staggered into the middle of a road and refused to budge, police said.
Want to earn $100k? Try casting a spell
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Fancy earning more than $100,000 a year in a stress-free job with flexible working hours and no need to wear a suit?
'Hitler tree' may face the axe in Polish town
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An oak tree planted in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday may soon face the axe if the local mayor has her way.
Finishing touches put on giant golf course
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The 'world's longest' golf course will officially open in October.
Police on the hunt for 18 stolen crocs
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Police are looking for 18 crocodiles believed to have been stolen from a crocodile farm near Darwin.
Trafalgar Square art puts public on a pedestal
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An unusual new artwork sees members of the public stand on an empty plinth in Trafalgar Square.
Son auctions nude photos of mum online
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A New Zealand teenager tried to sell some sexy photographs of his mother on an internet auction site after the pair had an argument, a local newspaper reports.
Jackson 5's first club for sale piece-by-piece
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The owner of the nightclub where Michael Jackson first performed professionally with The Jackson 5 wants to sell the building to fans of the King of Pop brick-by-brick.
Giant plastic Jacko erected in Swiss town
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Village outside Zurich erects 12-metre, four-tonne grey statue honouring Michael Jackson.
Zoo evacuated after mass chimp break-out
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A zoo in north-west England was evacuated on Sunday after about 30 chimpanzees escaped from their enclosure.
Chomping Chestnut chows 68 hot dogs
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The world record for competitive hot dog eating has been broken in the United States.
UAE finds $2.5m hash in animal feed
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Police in Abu Dhabi have seized than 700 kilograms of hashish concealed in a shipment of animal fodder.
Burglar caught snoozing on the job
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A Thai thief broke into a house but promptly fell asleep inside before stealing anything and was eventually discovered by a housemaid, police said.
Ukrainians seek to name village after Jackson
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Residents of a Ukrainian village want to rename it after the late pop singer Michael Jackson.
Air New Zealand bares all for safety
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Air New Zealand has found a novel way to keep passengers focused on its flight safety.
Pensioner batters burglar with right hook
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A British pensioner and former boxing champion beat up a knife-wielding burglar who broke into his home, leaving him battered and bruised, newspapers said.
Pocketless pants to combat airport bribery
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Nepal's anti-corruption authority has come up with a novel solution to rampant bribe-taking at the country's only international airport - the pocketless trouser.
Steak smuggler in supermarket pants bust
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Police in Wollongong, south of Sydney, say they have nabbed a man who has allegedly been stealing meat from supermarkets by putting it down the front of his pants.
'Drunk driver' fished out of backyard pool
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Two families help rescue a man after he crashes into a backyard swimming pool in Perth.
Chunky monkeys swing into shape
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A Japanese zoo has successfully put a group of fat monkeys through a dramatic weight-loss program.
Man thought huge croc was a cow
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Man who took photo of large crocodile at popular bird watching site thought it was a cow lying on the road.
Japan PM pushes Manga museum dream
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Japan's PM is determined to push ahead with plans to build a $150m comic museum.
