Indonesia to deport Australian surfer jailed for drunken rampage in conservative province
June 7, 2023 GMTMEULABOH, Indonesia (AP) — An Australia surfer who was jailed for attacking several people while drunk and naked in Indonesia’s deeply conservative Muslim province of Aceh will be deported back to his country after he agreed to apologize and pay compensation, officials said Wednesday.
Alabama governor signs legislation naming Yellowhammer Cookie as official state cookie
June 2, 2023 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama now has an official state cookie: The Yellowhammer Cookie.
Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed legislation naming the confection created by a Montgomery fourth-grader as the official state cookie.
Woman walking on California beach finds ancient mastodon tooth
June 2, 2023 GMTAPTOS, Calif. (AP) — A woman taking a Memorial Day weekend stroll on a California beach found something unusual sticking out of the sand: a tooth from an ancient mastodon.
But then the fossil vanished, and it took a media blitz and a kind-hearted jogger to find it again.
In Denmark, potatoes on key bridge cause havoc
June 1, 2023 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A 57-year-old truck driver was detained Thursday after loads of potatoes were found spilled on a key bridge linking two Danish islands, police have said. The driver was held on suspicion of causing reckless endangerment to life.
LONDON (AP) — The big cheese of extreme U.K. sports events is back.
Hundreds of spectators gathered Monday to watch dozens of reckless racers chase a 7-pound (3 kilogram) wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down the near-vertical Cooper’s Hill, near Gloucester in southwest England.
Indian official suspended after he drains reservoir to retrieve phone he dropped while taking selfie
May 28, 2023 GMTNEW DELHI (AP) — A government official in India has been suspended from his job after he ordered a water reservoir to be drained so he could retrieve his smartphone, which he had dropped while taking a selfie.
Danish masters prepped canvases with leftovers from brewing beer
May 24, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Danish painters in the 19th century may have turned to an unusual source for some of their supplies: breweries.
Researchers examined paintings from the Danish Golden Age and found traces of yeast and grains.
BERLIN (AP) — Austria's main center-left opposition party on Monday reversed the result of its weekend leadership election, announcing that a computer error originally led to the wrong candidate being declared the winner.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Eric Andre Show” is ostensibly not a series that lends itself to longevity. Its titular star, who plays a version of himself and satirizes talk shows by putting unsuspecting celebrity guests through hellish interviews, has become considerably more famous since the series first aired over a decade ago.
New York village mourns beloved swan that was killed, eaten. Police charge 3 teens, save babies
May 31, 2023 GMTThe village of Manlius in upstate New York is mourning the loss of Faye, a swan who was stolen from the town's pond over the weekend along with her four cygnets. The cygnets, or baby swans, were recovered, but officials say the mama swan was eaten.
LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. (AP) — The 24 bright green baby parrots began chirping and bobbing their heads the second anyone neared the large cages that have been their homes since hatching in March.
The Central American natives, seized from a smuggler at Miami International Airport, are being raised by the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation — a round-the-clock effort that includes five hand feedings a day in a room filled with large cages.
Felling of historic oak tree sparks outrage in Lithuania as mayor says developer should be fined
May 24, 2023 GMTVILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The felling of a healthy century-old oak without permission in downtown Vilnius has caused outrage in Lithuania, with the city's mayor seeking to impose a fine of 141,000 euros on the development company responsible.
Sustainable till death do us part, and 45 days beyond; mushroom coffin a last best wish for some
May 24, 2023 GMTDELFT, Netherlands (AP) — For those seeking to live in the most sustainable way, there now is an afterlife too.
A Dutch intrepid inventor is now “growing” coffins by putting mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, together with hemp fiber in a special mold that, in a week, turns into what could basically be compared to the looks of an unpainted Egyptian sarcophagus.
PHOENIX (AP) — They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise.
What’s more, pet tortoises can wag their tails, will plod on up to greet you and some can even recognize their own names.
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Tom Kim would do anything to save a golf stroke. Especially at a major. And he’s got the mud-caked pants and shirt to prove it.
Kim went all in — waist deep into the muck of a marshy area along Oak Hill’s Allens Creek — in a bid to retrieve his ball following an errant tee shot off No.
A man has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” federal prosecutors in North Dakota say.
LA volunteer police officer hospitalized after getting stung on face by swarm of bees
May 17, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A volunteer police officer responding to a report of a bee swarm was hospitalized after getting stung multiple times on his face and collapsing onto the street in a Los Angeles neighborhood.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Declaring a mission to liberate “Taco Tuesday” for all, Taco Bell is asking U.S. regulators to force Wyoming-based Taco John’s to abandon its longstanding claim to the trademark.
Italian police dog with fine nose for cocaine sniffs out drugs hidden in banana shipment
May 17, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — With the help of a high-leaping dog with a fine nose for cocaine, Italian police seized more than 2,700 kilos (about 3 tons) of the drug hidden in 70 tons of boxed bananas shipped from Ecuador, authorities said Tuesday.
Surfing gator seen relaxing at Alabama beach amid the waves
May 16, 2023 GMTThere are plenty of alligators in Alabama. But how many enjoy a day at the beach?
One such unlikely critter was spotted riding the waves recently on Dauphin Island, bobbing calmly near the human beachgoers sunbathing and wading.
Chicken loose on subway tracks halts service in Mexico City
May 16, 2023 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — Service was temporarily halted on a line of Mexico City’s subway system after a chicken got loose on the tracks.
Video distributed by the city’s Metro system Monday showed the electricity cut off at a station near the city’s center on Sunday.
A rare, endangered seal named Yulia basks on Tel Aviv beach
May 16, 2023 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An unexpected visitor spotted sunbathing on a beach in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv is turning heads and causing a media buzz.
But it's not American film director and Tel Aviv mainstay, Quentin Tarantino, or another Hollywood celebrity — it's Yulia, an endangered Mediterranean monk seal.
Church members hoping whoever stole truckload of organ pipes will repent, shipment can be recovered
May 16, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Members of a Tennessee church are hoping and praying that whoever stole a moving truck over the weekend will repent after finding out what's inside: old organ pipes, and lots of them.
Colorado man tries to trade places with dog to avoid DUI arrest
May 15, 2023 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Colo. (AP) — A driver, who was pulled over for speeding, tried to switch places with his dog to avoid arrest, police in Colorado said.
An officer watched him maneuvering inside the car before he got out on the passenger side on Saturday night in Springfield, a town of about 1,300 people on the state’s Eastern Plains, police said in a Facebook post Sunday.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian chef on Monday set a new global record for the longest hours nonstop cooking as she cooked for 100 hours, surpassing the current record.
Hilda Baci had been cooking since last week Thursday when she set out to beat the Guinness World Record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set in 2019 by Lata Tondon, an Indian chef.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A city in northern Michigan has a new Mother's Day memory: A 350-pound bear was in a tree for hours, watched by dozens of people, before it fell asleep and dropped onto mattresses below.
KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) — A university professor broke a record for the longest time living underwater without depressurization this weekend at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers.
Joseph Dituri’s 74th day residing in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, situated at the bottom of a 30-foot-deep lagoon in Key Largo, wasn’t much different than his previous days there since he submerged March 1.
Denmark’s mystery tremors caused by acoustic waves from unknown source, officials say
May 15, 2023 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A series of minor tremors recorded on the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm Saturday has puzzled scientists, who now say they were caused by ”acoustic pressure waves from an unknown source.”
Scabby the Rat gives bite to union protests, but is he at the tail end of his relevancy?
May 14, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — For decades, a giant, inflatable rat with beady eyes, sharp teeth and a pustule-covered belly has loomed over union protests, drawing attention to various labor disputes.
CHICAGO (AP) — Footage of a plump snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago waterway has gone viral after the man who filmed the well-fed reptile marveled at its size and nicknamed it “Chonkosaurus."
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A metallic object that punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom, was a meteorite, experts announced Thursday.
2 fishermen caught cheating at Ohio tournament sentenced to 10-day jail terms, forfeit of $100k boat
May 11, 2023 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — Two men who admitted stuffing fish with lead weights and fish fillets in an attempt to win thousands of dollars in an Ohio fishing tournament last fall were sentenced Thursday to ten-day jail terms and other penalties, including the forfeiture of a boat valued at $100,000.
Poland reverts to historic name for Russia’s Kaliningrad
May 10, 2023 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland is reverting to using its historical name for Kaliningrad, the Russian city and administrative region that sits on its border.
From now on, it will be designated on Polish maps as Krolewiec, based on the recommendation of the government commission for geographic names abroad.
Female rugby ref Joy Neville to officiate at men’s World Cup
May 10, 2023 GMTDUBLIN (AP) — A female referee has been included in the list of match officials for a men’s Rugby World Cup for the first time.
Joy Neville of Ireland was among a group of 26 match officials representing nine nations announced by World Rugby on Wednesday.
In dog show world, details obvious and subtle rule the day
May 9, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Doe-eyed dachshunds, push-faced French bulldogs and other nonsporting breeds circle the hallowed rings. A Bracco Italiano receives a jowl massage. Spaniels get blow-dried. Everyone is prepping — lovingly, meticulously — for a hoped-for big moment.
Possible meteorite crashes into New Jersey home, no injuries
May 9, 2023 GMTHOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A metallic object believed to be a meteorite punched a hole in the roof of a central New Jersey home this week, smashing into a hardwood floor and bouncing around a bedroom.
‘Freaky-looking’ fanged fishes found on Oregon beaches
May 5, 2023 GMTSeveral scaleless fish with fanged jaws and huge eyes that can be found more than a mile deep in the ocean have washed up along a roughly 200-mile (322-kilometer) stretch of Oregon coastline, and it's unclear why, scientists and experts said.
Hundreds of pounds of pasta dumped near New Jersey stream
May 5, 2023 GMTOLD BRIDGE, N.J. (AP) — Authorities in a central New Jersey town say they are no longer noodling over the mystery of how hundreds of pounds of pasta were dumped near a stream.
Germany: Man rescued from woods after sex game goes awry
May 5, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — German police say a 51-year-old man who was left tied up in the woods when a sex game went awry had a lucky escape after a cyclist and a hunter heard his screams for help.
Police said the man was discovered fully dressed but firmly bound with ropes and a pantyhose over his head atop a deer-hunting platform near the town of Bueckburg late Wednesday.
Reporter charged with prank call using S.D. governor’s cell
May 4, 2023 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A broadcast reporter has been charged with making a prank phone call using South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s personal cellphone number.
Stanley County Sheriff Brad Rathbun said Austin Goss, who has been fired from his job as the capitol bureau reporter for Dakota News Now, surrendered Thursday and was released on a personal recognizance bond.
May the Fourth be ‘I do’: Ohio city has ‘Star Wars’ weddings
May 4, 2023 GMTAKRON, Ohio (AP) — When Julia and Robert Jones discovered that a judge from the Akron Municipal Court in Ohio would be officiating “Star Wars”-themed weddings on May the Fourth, the couple felt the Force calling them to commit to the ceremony.
Galactic gobble: Star swallows planet in one big gulp
May 3, 2023 GMTCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — For the first time, scientists have caught a star in the act of swallowing a planet — not just a nibble or bite, but one big gulp.
Astronomers on Wednesday reported their observations of what appeared to be a gas giant around the size of Jupiter or bigger being eaten by its star.
Snake flips switch, stops traffic at Virginia intersection
May 3, 2023 GMTMANASSAS, Va. (AP) — A large snake brought traffic to a stop at an intersection in Prince William County, Virginia.
The snake was in an electrical panel at the intersection of Prince William Parkway and Sudley Manor Drive and caused a power outage on Monday, the Prince William County Police Department said in a statement.
Wheels in motion for next Philly Naked Bike Ride in August
May 3, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Eager for another nude bike ride through the City of Brotherly Love?
Bear gives West Virginia principal a roaring wake-up call
May 2, 2023 GMTA black bear gave a West Virginia principal quite the wake-up call when it emerged — growling and roaring — from a dumpster outside an elementary school.
Zela Elementary School principal James Marsh was surprised to discover the bear had somehow managed to get inside the dumpster over the weekend even after the school installed a lock bar.
State senator makes shirtless vote during Zoom meeting
May 2, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota state senator became a reluctant star on social media after he voted shirtless while lying in bed during what should have been a routine legislative commission meeting.
Bill would allow 14-year-olds to serve alcohol in Wisconsin
May 1, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Fourteen-year-olds in Wisconsin could serve alcohol to seated customers in bars and restaurants under a bill circulated for cosponsors Monday by a pair of Republican state lawmakers.
Pas de chat: Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette won’t be at Met Gala
May 1, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The late Karl Lagerfeld's fluffy pampered cat, Choupette, is a star in her own right — and still very much alive.
New dig likely buries hopes of unearthing Dutch WWII loot
May 1, 2023 GMTOMMEREN, Netherlands (AP) — An officially sanctioned hunt for a stash of precious jewelry looted by the Nazis during World War II and purportedly buried in a sleepy Dutch village has — like many previous searches — failed to unearth any treasure.