Interesting & funny news from around the world, Интересные и забавные новости со всего мира

Two chimpanzees escape enclosure at Taipei Zoo

Taiwan's Taipei Zoo revealed two chimpanzees were tranquilized after escaping from their enclosure and wandering into public areas.

The zoo said in a news release that its emergency response plan was triggered Thursday when male chimpanzees Hsiao Chiang, 44, and Wa Chih, 11, left their enclosure about 4:55 p.m.

Zoo visitors were ushered out of the area while zookeepers set up barricades and veterinary staff were deployed with tranquilizers.

Hsiao Chiang remained near the chimpanzee enclosure and was tranquilized at 5:28 p.m. while visiting with the female chimps.

Wa Chih visited the giraffe enclosure before scaling a tree near the lion exhibit. He was shot with a tranquilizer, but managed to remove the dart. He was successfully tranquilized with a second shot about 5:40 p.m.

The chimps were examined by a veterinarian before being moved to an indoor enclosure. The primates were not harmed and woke up about 8 p.m.

A zoo spokesperson explained the chimpanzee enclosure is secured by two sets of doors. The inner set of doors had been left improperly secured, allowing the chimpanzees to force them open. The two chimps then forced the outer doors open to go on their brief outing.

The spokesperson said procedures are being reviewed to prevent future incidents.

Man flips 10 cups in 6.63 seconds to claim world record

The Idaho man who holds the most concurrent Guinness World Records titles said it took five months of practice for him to break a record for flipping cups.

David Rush, who holds more than 200 Guinness World Records titles, said his goal to break the record for the fastest time to flip 10 cups started as a challenge between himself and his coworker, Alex.

"I applied on the spot in the truck with our business partner John driving and acting as witness to the challenge," Rush wrote online. "I thought Alex was going to try too and I thought I'd knock it out in a couple of weeks."

Rush said "reality had other plans."

"Getting 10 plastic cups to consistently land face down became a humbling lesson in probability," he said. "After a few weeks, I finally got good enough I could land about 50% of the cups I flipped. Statistically, that's not enough. If 50% land, it's expected only have 1 successful attempt at 10 in a row per 1,000."

Rush said he practiced so much in the ensuing five months that even his 3 year old started getting "decent" at flipping cups.

He made his official attempt during an assembly at his niece's school in April.

"I spent an entire period flipping until I nearly lost my mind, resetting after several agonizing near-misses, I kept grinding thousands upon thousands of flips," Rush said.

Finally, just as the bell was about to ring, he flipped 10 cups in 6.63 seconds, fast enough to beat the previous record of 7.57 seconds.

Rush said he has a message for people who think the record looks easy: "I dare you to try."

Turkish city cooks up world's largest pot of baked beans

A Turkish city earned a Guinness World Records title by cooking cook up a pot of 1,807 gallons of baked beans — approximately 15,000 cans worth.

The Kelkit Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Gümüşhane Governorship and Kelkit Municipality teamed up to whip up the massive serving of beans on Aug. 22.

Kelkit Şeker Fasulyesi, a type of baked beans, is a local specialty.

"This title is a historic achievement for Kelkit, Gümüşhane and our region. It represents international recognition of our agricultural heritage, our local product and our community's collective effort. We believe it will remain a source of pride for future generations," organizers told Guinness World Records.

The city now holds the record for the largest pot of baked beans. The previous record stood at 1,479.36 gallons.

"We are most proud of the teamwork behind the record. Farmers, culinary teams, engineers, food-safety professionals, sponsors, public institutions and volunteers all contributed to the achievement. The record belongs to the entire community," organizers said.

Adam Vinatieri kicks a field goal at 11,317 feet to set world record

Former New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri set a Guinness World Record by kicking a field goal at an altitude of 11,317 feet and 8 inches.

Vinatieri, who retired from the team in 2021, attempted the stunt Tuesday at Jungfraujoch, a Swiss Alps saddle known as the Top of Europe.

The 33-yard kick, organized by the Patriots, was timed to promote the team's upcoming game against the Detroit Lions at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

The stunt earned Vinatieri the Guinness World Records title for the highest altitude American football field goal scored.

"Snow is simply part of my time with the Patriots," Vinatieri said in a news release. "But kicking a field goal at 3,454 meters is something completely different from anything I've ever seen in the NFL.

"You feel the altitude with every breath you take, your heart rate is different, your rhythm is different, and no one can really tell you beforehand how it will affect the kick, because no one has done this before. The fact that we were able to set the record under these conditions makes me very proud. This is definitely one of the most special field goals I've ever made."

78-year-old 'Fortnite' streamer earns Guinness World Record

A gamer grandma from Scotland earned a Guinness World Record as the oldest female Fortnite streamer on Twitch at the age of 78.

Cath Bowie, who has been livestreaming her gaming sessions on the website for 9 years as grumpygran48, said she was "instantly intrigued" when she saw her grandson playing Fortnite in 2017.

"Nearly nine years later I am still playing it, still absolutely loving it and although still growing older I have never made my age a deterrent," she told Guinness World Records. "Although I have tried several other games I have never found the excitement that I get from Fortnite. I call myself a 'Fortniter' more than a gamer."

Bowie, who turned 78 on Sept. 1, is featured in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027 book.

"Being in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2027 always felt like a distant goal — something on my wish list that I never really thought I would achieve," she said. "So to have achieved this honor means a great deal."

Florida firefighter sets record as shortest woman in profession

At 4 feet, 5 inches tall, a Florida firefighter has earned a Guinness World Record for being the shortest woman in the profession.

Kelso has been a firefighter for 5 years in St. Pete Beach, Fla., after spending her 20s working in the corporate world. She said firefighter friends encouraged her to join the local fire department.

"Obviously I didn't become a firefighter thinking that this was going to unfold later down the road — I've been a firefighter for 5 years now, and this was just a joke in the firehouse," Kelso told Guinness World Records.

"One of the guys decided to look it up one day, and realized that I could in fact actually go for this award. We followed the steps, there was a big measuring process, and here we are! It's really just kind of a fun twist of fate, if you will."

Kelso said she doesn't let her height prevent her from doing her job, which entails going into burning buildings, carrying heavy equipment and enduring other extreme conditions. In fact, she said her height makes it easier for her to do some tasks, such as crawling through a window or going into a tight attic space.

"But I get the job done. A lot of the guys around here will call me 'spider monkey' because I'll climb on whatever I need to," she said.

Kelso encouraged others not to let their height prevent them from joining the service.

"Take the risk. Don't let other people define your limits. Firefighting is hard for anybody — mentally and physically. Whether you're 4 feet, 10 inches or 6 feet 3 inches. This career is not easy.

"You're going to be frustrated, probably discouraged some days, but you just have to show up and your willingness to never give up won't go unnoticed."

Vince Brasco holds the record for shortest male firefighter at 4 feet, 2 inches tall.

Escaped sheep visit new high school in Vermont

A flock of sheep escaped from their enclosure and took a field trip to a nearby high school, where a witness snapped photos.

Photos snapped by Ryan Tise and shared on social media by the Burlington School District shows several sheep wandering around Monday outside the new Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center.

"It seems EVERYONE wants to get a look at the new Burlington High School and Burlington Technical Center," the direct said on social media.

The sheep were determined to have escaped from the nearby Episcopal Diocese. The animals were rounded up by staff and returned home.

Emu escapes from Japanese zoo, leads police on 2-hour chase

Police in a Japanese city were led on a 2-hour chase by an emu that escaped from a mobile zoo and went running through a residential neighborhood.

Moriyama City police responded Wednesday morning to reports of an "ostrich" on the loose in a residential area of the Shiga Prefecture city.

The flightless bird, later identified as an emu, led police on a 2-hour chase before being safely cornered and captured at an apartment complex.

The emu was found to have escaped from the Horii Zoo. The mobile zoo said the bird, which is less than a year old, had been allowed roam near the entrance, but the means of its escape have not yet been identified.

The zoo said it is reviewing its security measures, but plans to continue keeping emus.

No injuries were reported from the large bird's time on the loose.

California duo set Lego World Map record in under 5 hours

A pair of California friends set a Guinness World Record by assembling all 11,695 pieces of the Lego World Map in 4 hours, 59 minutes and 51 seconds.

Athena Leong and Sevy Swift took on the challenge April 12 at Brick by Brick Toys in Hayward after spending a month practicing with the Lego World Map, the largest commercially available 2D Lego set.

"When I was little, Lego gave me the tools to express my imagination long before I had the skills or resources to bring my ideas to life in any other way," Leong told Guinness World Records. "When I met Sevy a year ago, we quickly bonded over our shared love of Lego, along with many other interests."

The duo managed to complete the map in 4 hours, 59 minutes and 51 seconds, besting the goal of 5 hours and 30 minutes set by Guinness World Records.

"We realized one color at a time actually speeds you up a lot because the colors are already there for you to use," Swift told the Pioneer Online news outlet. "And then getting the right order for building. At the end you want the most amount of pieces in color because then you can just slap them in all the holes."

Nearly 300 dogs attend pool party to break world record in Nevada

Nearly 300 canines descended on a Nevada water park for an event that broke Guinness World Record for the most dogs attending a dog pool party.

Doodlepalooza 2026, sponsored by We Love Doodles, gathered 296 poodle mixes and their families Sunday at the Cowabunga Canyon Vegas water park for a day of fun and swimming in the park's wave pool, splash pad and other shallow water areas.

A Guinness World Records adjudicator was on hand to confirm the event broke the record previously set by 277 dogs at a Florida park in a May event organized by Chewy.

The event, timed to coincide with National Dog Week, raised funds for Doodle Rescue USA.

"This record belongs to every dog and person who showed up for a larger purpose," Danielle Dunker of Doodle Rescue USA said in a statement provided to media outlets. "This gives hundreds of doodle families a chance to celebrate together while helping us raise awareness for the dogs who still need rescue, foster families and forever homes."

Hungry bear raids bread booth at Colorado farmers market

A hungry bear barged into a Colorado farmers market and gorged itself on fresh-baked bread before being chased off by authorities.

Witnesses captured video when the bear showed up to the Aspen Saturday Market during setup time and helped itself to baked goods from the Louis Swiss booth.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Joey Livingston said Aspen police hazed the bear while a CPW officer rushed to the scene.

The hungry bruin climbed a nearby tree and eventually left the area on its own.

Officials said extreme drought conditions have caused a record number of bear encounters this year due to a shortage of natural food sources. The animals are especially active currently as they pack on the pounds for their winter hibernation.

Professional stuntman performs 47-second handstand while on fire

A Slovenian gymnast and stunt coordinator performed a handstand for 47 seconds while on fire to break a Guinness World Record.

Filip Kržišnik, 35, attempted the title for the longest duration full body burn handstand on March 4 in Vienna, Austria.

"I didn't manage to find a better solution to get warm," Kržišnik joked to Guinness World Records.

Kržišnik, a trained gymnast and professional stunt coordinator for movies, is the first person to hold the record.

"I was happy with 45 seconds, but I would be even more fulfilled with 60 seconds," he said.

Painting bought for $30 at estate sale auctioned for $1.35 million

A long-lost painting by Chicago artist Gertrude Abercrombie was auctioned for $1.35 million after being bought for $30 at a Michigan estate sale.

"Alderman Merriam's Shells," painted by Abercrombie in 1951, became the most expensive of the artist's works when Freeman's Auctions sold it for $1.35 million.

The final price far exceeded the expected the auction price of 150,000-250,000.

Experts determined the painting had been gifted to John Reynolds, a Kalamazoo, Mich., doctor, in exchange for a medical procedure in 1952. The painting remained with the family for about 75 years before being sold to a treasure hunter at a July estate sale in Kalamazoo.

The painting depicts seashells from the collection of Chicago Alderman Robert Merriam, who represented the city's 5th Ward from 1947 to 1955.

Hungarian energy drink fan amasses world's largest can collection

A Hungary man said a single hot day in August 2008 led to his earning a Guinness World Record for his collection of 2,000 energy drink cans.

Gergő Borbély told Guinness World Records his collecting hobby started with a simple stop for a beverage in 2008.

"It was a very hot August day, and I had only been living in my dormitory for a few days. I found a small shop nearby and went in looking for something cold and carbonated, but the only suitable option in the fridge was a Hell energy drink. I had never tried an energy drink before, so I bought one. I liked it, so I started trying other energy drinks," he said.

Borbély said the energy drink landscape was very different in those days.

"Back then, the selection was much smaller than it is today, not only in brands but also in flavors. Most energy drinks basically had the classic tutti-frutti flavor, either regular or sugar-free," Borbély said.

The cans started accumulating in his room, leaving him with a decision.

"The cans simply started piling up in my dorm room. After a while, I decided to take them to recycling, but while sorting them, I changed my mind and put one of each different can back on the shelf. There were around 15 of them, they looked good together and added some color to an otherwise rather plain dorm room, so I kept them," he said.

The collection has continued to grow in the ensuing years, with Borbély bringing cans back from trips to Japan, the United States and across Europe.

Borbély's collection now numbers 2,000 different cans, including rare items like the Michael Jackson Mystery energy drinks from the 1990s.

"I also have an old Guarana energy drink made in Yugoslavia. I find that particularly interesting because the country no longer exists," he said.

Borbély now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of energy drink cans, but he isn't done collecting.

"If someone had told me in 2008 that those few cans would one day lead to a Guinness World Records title, I definitely would have laughed," he said.

Animal control wrangles guinea pig on the loose in Colorado

Animal control officers in a Colorado city came to the rescue of an unusual non-native animal on the loose: a guinea pig.

The Grand Junction Police Department shared a video to Facebook showing an officer slowly approaching the guinea pig in a grassy field and wrapping it in a towel.

The post said the capture took "a little teamwork and a lot of patience."

The origins of the apparent escaped or abandoned pet were not clear.

The guinea pig was said to be doing well in the care of staff at J & M Aquatics & Pet Center.

S.C. man buys 50 tickets for one lottery drawing, wins 50 times

A South Carolina Education Lottery player felt so confident in his Pick 4 numbers that he bought 50 identical tickets — and scored a total $250,000.

The Lowcountry man told lottery officials he had a good feeling about his Pick 4 combination, 0-5-0-0, so he bought a total 50 tickets for the Aug. 18 evening drawing from various Summerville convenience stores.

"I felt lucky," the winner said of his big gamble.

The man's numbers came up, earning him $5,000 per ticket — a total prize of $250,000.

"I probably won't play those numbers anymore," he said. "I'm not lucky enough for that to ever happen again."

Man moves malt balls with a straw to attempt world record

An Idaho man used a straw to move 51 malt balls between two bowls in one minute in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record.

David Rush, who holds more than 200 Guinness World Records titles, said he was reading recent record-breaking news when he came across the new title for the most malt ball/Maltesers moved using a straw in one minute.

British man Jack Welsh, aka JackSucksAtLife, had set the record at 32 malt balls during an April 17 appearance on Guinness World Records' What's The Record? podcast in London.

"I have a bunch of fine motor control speed records, and I know how to use a straw. So while hanging out at a house in Kansas City for a pool party night, I bought some malt balls, set the bowls exactly 30 cm [11.8 inches] apart, and got to work," Rush wrote online.

Rush said his first attempt was scrapped when he bumped the bowl — a violation of Guinness World Records' rules.

The record-breaker said the task reminded him of other records he had broken in the past.

"It immediately reminded me of moving items with toothpicks, combined with the breath control I practiced when catching ping-pong balls in my mouth," he said. "Just inhale, lock suction, transfer, drop with pressure release, and repeat as fast as humanly possible."

Rush managed to move 52 malt balls between the bowls, but reviewing video of the attempt revealed the last one was not moved in time.

He is now awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records to see if he officially took the title with 51 malt balls moved.

1,474 pounds of french fries break world record in Idaho

The Idaho Potato Commission teamed up with eatery chain Spud Daddy to cook up a serving of 1,474 pounds of fresh-cut french fries and break a Guinness World Record.

The record attempt took place Friday at Boise Potato Days, where a team of 50 spud chefs transformed 1,700 pounds of Idaho potatoes into 1,475 pounds of fries using six fryers.

"If you're going to hold the world record for the largest serving of french fries, we think it belongs in Idaho," Jamey Higham, president and CEO of IPC said in a news release. "We've always known Idaho potatoes make the best fries, so it was time to bring this title home and celebrate the growers and industry that put Idaho potatoes on the map."

The fries were served to festival attendees after the official weigh-in.

Canadian grandma holds a plank for 5 hours to break her own record

A 61-year-old fitness enthusiast broke her own world record by holding an abdominal plank for 5 hours at the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah.

DonnaJean Wilde took on the record attempt as part of the opening ceremonies of the games, which celebrate athletic achievements of people over the age of 50.

She held the plank position for 5 hours to break her own Guinness World Record, which she set at 4 hours, 30 minutes and 11 seconds in 2024.

Kyle Case, chief executive officer of the Huntsman World Senior Games, said Wilde's achievement is what the senior games are all about.

"It's recognizing where you're at right now and that you don't have to stop; you can continue to do the things that you do," Case told KSL-TV. "Here we work with sports, but there are a number of things that we can continue to do that we love as we age."

Hundreds of Spider-Man fans attempt world record at NYCC

Hundreds of Marvel fans donned Spider-Man costumes at New York Comic Con in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record.

The Thursday event, organized by toy company Jazwares in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products, attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Spider-Man.

Organizers have not yet released an official count from the event, but acknowledged the final tally was just short of the current record of 685 participants.

The current record was set by Sony Pictures Entertainment Malaysia in 2023 to celebrate the theatrical release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Mountain biker takes 12.46-foot vertical drop onto a small target

An Austrian mountain biker dropped 12.46 feet from an elevated platform to crush a small cardboard box with his back tire and set a world record in the process.

Mario Neurauter attempted the stunt at Bike Republic Sölden Festival in September 2025, and managed to set the Guinness World Record for the highest vertical drop on a bicycle on to a target (male).

Neurauter rode his bike off an elevated platform 12.46 feet over the ground and managed to land his back tire on a small red box, which he successfully crushed.

"I wasn't scared, but I knew that hitting the box would be tricky. I hadn't trained for it specifically, so I didn't know how many attempts it would take. In the end, it worked out pretty well," he told Guinness World Records.

Neurauter also attempted the Guinness World Records for the highest vertical drop on a bicycle and highest 360 vertical drop on a bicycle onto a target during the same weekend, but evidence from those attempts is still being reviewed by the record-keeping organization.

Opossum caught on fishing hook rescued from N.C. tree

Wildlife rescuers in North Carolina responded to a trail where an opossum was spotted caught in a fishing hook and dangling from a tree.

The Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center said a visitor to South Fork Trail in Lincolnton spotted the animal danging more than 10 feet above the water on Wednesday.

The rescue team arrived and determined the opossum was beyond the reach of a rescue pole.

The center's lead wildlife rehabilitator and hospital manager climbed the tree and was able to bring the marsupial down.

The opossum was taken back to the center for treatment. An X-ray revealed the fishing hook was embedded in the soft tissue beneath the opossum's tongue.

Zeekr car earns Guinness World Record for tightest gap pass while drifting

Chinese automobile company Zeekr has earned a Guinness World Record for tightest gap passed through while drifting in an electric car.

Driver Chien Jui-Yu, who was representing the company, used the Zeekr 7X car to drift sideways through a narrow gap, leaving a total clearance of 25 cm to earn the record.

The record was set at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

The result was calculated by subtracting the length of the car from the length of the gap it passed through.

Zeekr earned the Guinness World Record in celebration of the company's fifth anniversary.

"The Zeekr 7X embodies our commitment to intelligent engineering, precision and performance. This achievement demonstrates the strength of our technology and reinforces our ambition to continue redefining premium electric mobility through innovation.," Mars Chen, vice president of Zeekr said in a statement.

Rhode Island farmer's giant pumpkin weighs in at 3,156 pounds

A farmer's massive pumpkin weighed in at 3,156 pounds at a Rhode Island contest, possibly breaking a world record that's less than a month old.

Ron Wallace of Coventry, R.I., placed his sensational squash on the scale at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Warren.

The pumpkin officially weighed in at 3,156 pounds, making it the first pumpkin known to have surpassed 3,000 pounds.

If the weigh-in is approved by Guinness World Records, Wallace's pumpkin will take the record from a gargantuan gourd that weighed in at 2,856.8 pounds at the Wargrave Nursery Giant Pumpkin Weigh-off in Berkshire, England, on Oct. 3.

Wallace previously earned a world record when he became the first grower to harvest a pumpkin that surpassed 1 ton in 2012.

Giant inflatable pumpkin rolls down North Carolina road

A giant inflatable pumpkin was swept away from a North Carolina farm by the wind and went traveling down the street before being secured by an Uber driver.

Phillips Farms of Cary said in an Instagram post that the giant pumpkin, part of the décor for the business' annual Pumpkinfest event, broke loose from its tethers on Sunday and went rolling down the nearby road.

The pumpkin's adventure came to a stop thanks to the efforts of a nearby Uber driver and other helpful witnesses.

The farm said the inflatable decoration was safely returned to its place at Pumpkinfest.

Bear visits library, steals honey on Winnie-the-Pooh's 100th birthday

A California bear visited its local library on Winnie-the-Pooh's 100th birthday and helped itself to an appropriate snack: a jar of honey.

Mono County Free Libraries posted a video to social media showing the bear that wandered into the Mammoth Lakes branch about 6 a.m. Wednesday, which was the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of A.A. Milne's famous bear Winnie-the-Pooh.

"Upon entering, the bear went straight for the staff snack supply, where it helped itself to peanut butter, a selection of peach cups, a pawful of cookies and — of course — one jar of honey," the post said.

The bear perused the library shelves for a short time before leaving on its own.

"Remarkably, no damage was reported. No shelves were toppled and no books were harmed, though the honey jar has not been returned at time of publication," officials wrote.

Skateboarder reaches record-breaking speed of 94.34 mph

A skateboarder from Spain broke a Guinness World Record in Canada when he was clocked at a speed of 94.34 mph while traveling downhill in Canada.

Guinness World Records confirmed Diego Poncelet, 27, earned the record for the fastest skateboard speed downhill (standing) when he reached the staggering speed on a closed section of Route des Éboulements in Quebec's Charlevoix region.

The location chosen by Poncelet was the same spot where the previous record was set.

Poncelet said he reached a top speed of 91.27 mph on his first test run, which alone would have been enough to take the record, but he waited five more days for better weather conditions and reached a speed of 94.34 mph on Sept. 22.

"I never truly admitted to myself that my real objective was to get to 93mph — I was scared that it wouldn't be doable," Poncelet told sponsor Red Bull. "But I realized that I couldn't lie to myself — at 91.27 mph, I wasn't satisfied yet. It was only when I got that 93 mph that I was completely ecstatic."

Ohio horse's tail confirmed as the longest in the world

An Ohio horse's hair earned her a Guinness World Record when her tail was officially measured at 13 feet and 6 inches long.

Jenny, a horse owned by Mackenzie Lowe and Rachel Estes, was a gift for Lowe's 13th birthday in 2019.

"Before I got her, I was informed when she was younger, she had actually ripped her tail out. By the time I got her, her tail touched the ground but was not long," Lowe told Guinness World Records.

Jenny is an American saddlebred, a breed known for their long and flowing tails.

"We decided to let it grow since a longer tail is something looked for with this breed when showing. Over time, it kept growing and so we decided to see how long it could get and eventually to go for the world record," Lowe said.

Jenny was finally given a tail trim after her 13-foot, 6-inch tail was confirmed to have beaten the previous record of 12 feet and 6 inches, which was set in 2007.

"I know Jenny's excited about it," Lowe said. "She's looking forward to not having quite so many long tail groomings."

Scrapple sculptors create meaty masterpieces in Philadelphia

Amateur sculptors descended on a Philadelphia market to create works of art from scrapple — a breakfast mush of pork scraps and organ meat — in an annual contest.

The Reading Terminal Market hosted its third annual Scrapple Sculpting Contest on Thursday, with sculptors competing to see who could form the most appealing masterpiece out of 6 pounds of meat mush in the 90-minute time limit.

The market itself was this year's theme, and the judge's vote went to Toni Lee, who created a scrapple sculpture of market mascot Philbert the pig.

The people's vote will take place on Saturday, during the Reading Terminal Market's annual Scrapple & Apple Festival.

Both Lee and the winner of the people's vote will receive a trophy, a swag bag and a $100 Reading Terminal Market gift card.

Finnish team wins World Olive Picking Championship in Croatia

The World Olive Picking Championship in Croatia ended with a surprise when the top spot went to the team from Finland — a country without any olive trees.

The annual event on the island of Brač featured teams from 10 countries — each comprised of two men and two women — competing to see who could harvest the most olives in 45 minutes.

The competitors picked the olives by hand, and each wore a sakete, a traditional burlap apron, to store the olives before transferring them to their team's crate.

The team from Finland came out victorious, having harvested 122.1 pounds of olives in the allotted time.

"This year, we wanted to improve on our fourth-place finish last year, but winning was something we didn't even dare hope for. We don't have a single olive tree in Finland, and now we're world champions. It's unreal," Finnish team captain Petri Utriainen told the Olive Oil Times.

The Czech Republic came in second with 106.7 pounds of olives harvested, and third place went to Poland with 102.7 pounds.

The World Olive Picking Championship, which has been held annually since 2017, was organized by the Postira Tourist Board, the Postira municipal government, the Postira Agricultural Cooperative and Aldura Sport.

Exotic bird flies into Chicago airport, fights with passengers

An exotic green bird flew into a terminal at Chicago O'Hare International Airport and was filmed fighting with passengers and airline workers.

Videos captured near the Air France check-in line at the airport's Terminal 5 show the green bird, which may have been a parrot, perching on passenger's heads and luggage.

The bird can be seen becoming aggressive and pecking at anyone who attempts to touch or capture it.

Paris Elbert, an O'Hare worker who captured video of the bird's Oct. 13 visit, said the avian flew into the airport through an open door.

"A lot of people wanted to get the bird, but every time they tried to either grab the bird or be nice to the bird, the bird chose fight, not flight," Elbert told CBS Chicago.

Elbert said a janitor was finally able to capture the bird using a shirt and took it to a veterinarian to be examined and scanned for a microchip.

Record-breaking freight train hauls 696 cars in South Africa

A freight train in South Africa may have broken a world record by hauling 696 cars — making the train 4.7 miles long.

Transnet Freight Rail, the country's state freight rail operator, announced the train made the journey from Saldanha to the Northern Cape on the Iron Ore Export Line on Sunday.

The project aimed to break the Guinness World Record for the longest freight train, which was set by a 682-car, 4.6-mile-long train in Australia in 2001.

The rail operator said officials also aimed to advance technical knowledge in train design, train handling and operational performance.

"While setting a world record is a significant achievement, the real value lies in the technical knowledge and operational insights gained through this exercise. These learnings will contribute to the continued advancement of rail operations, support innovation and strengthen our freight rail capability into the future," TFR CEO Russell Baatjies said in a news release.

Evidence from the train's journey must now be reviewed by Guinness World Records for official certification.

Presumed 'space object' lands in Minnesota cornfield

Federal agencies are investigating whether a piece of metal debris found in a Minnesota cornfield fell to Earth from space.

The Stevens County Sheriff's Office shared a photo of the object to social media in a post explaining it had been found Oct. 14 in a Scott Township cornfield.

"Upon responding, deputies confirmed that a large, metallic object, approximately 11-feet in diameter, presumably a space object, was present in the cornfield," the post said.

The object was removed from the field on Thursday and federal agencies are now investigating its origins.

"There are several various agencies assisting in the determination of origin of this object," Sheriff Jason Dingman told The Minnesota Star Tribune. "We're not getting fed much information either and what info we do get is pretty cryptic. So I think somebody way up the food chain above my head knows what this thing is but they are not even telling us."

Dingman said he could not identify the federal agencies involved in the investigation while the case remains open.

Florida woman breaks world record with 639-pound hip thrust

A Florida fitness coach earned a Guinness World Record by lifting a weight of 639 pounds using only her hips.

Miami resident Lilian Zamora Alonso took on the title for the heaviest weighted hip thrust (female) at Miami Iron Gym on March 27, and five months later she learned her record had been approved.

Zamora Alonso, who has been lifting weights since she was 16 years old, said she was inspired to pursue the title after learning the previous record stood at 605 pounds, which was only 25 pounds beyond what was then her personal record.

The weightlifter said she increased her personal record to 670 pounds, but decided to go lower for her official world record attempt.

"I was a little bit scared because you gotta record everything, you gotta send everything so they can review it. So more weight would mean more time recording, maybe a few mistakes that can happen...we didn't want that to happen, so we did 639 pounds," she told WLRN Public Media.

Zamora Alonso said her current worked regimen is aimed at achieving personal goals, but she had not ruled out pursuing another world record in the future.

Escaped cow runs onto Maryland highway, blocks traffic

An escaped cow led police on a chase through a Maryland neighborhood before fleeing into the woods and making its way onto a busy highway.

The Baltimore County Police Department said on social media that the loose bovine was spotted wandering on Hambleton Court in Pikesville on Wednesday.

Tom Baum, owner of Hidden Waters Farm in Pikesville, said the cow had managed to squeeze through a head gate and escape her enclosure.

The cow ran through multiple neighboring yards before police arrived.

Officers joined the pursuit along with Baum's employees, but the cow fled into the nearby woods and made its way to Interstate 695, the Baltimore Beltway, where it was caught on camera running in the right lane and slowing traffic.

Police and another local farm owner were able to corner the cow next to the Jersey wall and rope her.

A trailer was sent to the scene to bring the cow home.

Baum said the cow was exhausted but otherwise uninjured. He said a new fence will be installed to prevent future escapes.

"The one thing about a farm that you can count on is there's always something going on. You just never know, you can't predict animals always what's going to happen next," Baum told WBAL-TV.

Escaped Pittsburgh pelicans procured after prolonged pursuit

The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium revealed two pelicans escaped from the facility and spent a day on the loose before being safely recaptured.

The zoo said its two brown pelicans, Joey and Felicity, escaped from their enclosure Saturday morning, prompting a search to be launched and a pelican hotline to be set up for local residents to call in sightings.

Officials said despite the birds having clipped wings, they were able to fly away due to favorable winds.

"We do all sorts of emergency drills, everything from fire drills to escaped animal drills. This is something that we practice on a regular basis throughout the year, and practice makes perfect," WTAE-TV quoted Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium President Jeremy Goodman as saying at a news conference on Tuesday.

The search team located Joey in the Allegheny River near Sharpsburg and was able to bring the bird back to the zoo.

Felicity was located and monitored by zookeepers for a time before also being captured safely.

Goodman said both pelicans were given fresh wing trims and officials are discussing plans to help prevent future escapes.

World's largest pop-up book on display at Los Angeles library

The Los Angeles Public Library is celebrating its centennial anniversary by playing host to an unusual tome: the world's largest pop-up book.

The book, on display at the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, was authored by artist Daniel González, with paper was engineered by Matthew Reinhart and Ann Marshall and full-scale fabrication completed by Goodnight & Co.

Luceros y Penumbras, which translates to "Starlight and Shadows," measures 15.41 feet by 20.01 feet when opened, with pop-up designs stretching up to 11 feet high.

The book requires a team of 10 people, some wielding large sticks, just to turn the pages.

Luceros y Penumbras was commissioned in honor of the library's 100th anniversary.

It has now been officially certified by Guinness World Records as the largest pop up book of all time.

San Francisco company offering $20 an hour to walk robot dogs

A San Francisco tech startup posted a job listing offering $20 to dog walkers willing to spend four to six hours walking robot dogs.

The company, Dimensional, said in the since-deleted listing in the Bay Area Jobs group on Facebook that the robot dog walkers would be required to spend at least four hours walking computer-brained canines through public areas in the city.

The listing said applicants should be comfortable "safely handling equipment weighing about 33 pounds," as walkers would be required to carry any robot dogs that broke down back to the company's address — appropriately located in the Dogpatch neighborhood.

Stash Pomichter, Dimensional's founder, said the company is working to develop an open-source operating system for robots to perform rigorous physical labor. He said initial tests found AI agents were less effective at controlling the robots than human operators, explaining the human-assisted dog walks were aimed at gathering more data.

"What we determined from our dog-walking experiment was that agents are still very bad at controlling hardware," Pomichter told The New York Times. "And humans are still needed in the loop."

The company's robot dogs were purchased from a Chinese company called Unitree for $2,000 each.

Chefs prepare world's largest fiambre salad in Guatemala

A group of Guatemalan chefs teamed up in the country's capital to prepare a massive fiambre salad that weighed in at a record-breaking 4,325.9 pounds.

The Guinness World Records attempt, organized by food company Toledo Alimentos, featured about 4,000 pounds of meat and vegetables being mixed together with dressing in Guatemala City to earn the title for the largest fiambre salad.

The 4,325.9-pound salad featured eggs, cold cuts, sausages, corn, peppers, lettuce, onions and other meats and vegetables.

The Saturday record attempt comes just before All Saints Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2, the holidays commonly associated with fiambre salad.

After being weighed and examined by a Guinness World Records adjudicator, the salad was served to the crowd at an event that also featured live music, traditional weaving demonstrations and other traditional Guatemalan cultural activities.

Collector opens trading cards while wing walking for world record

A British collector broke an unusual Guinness World Record by opening seven packs of trading cards in one minute while strapped to the wing of a plane in mid-flight.

London resident Colby Bull, founder of rare collectibles business Edition One, attempted the stunt Oct. 13 at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent, England.

Bull went 600 feet up in the air atop a 1940s Boeing Stearman biplane and, while cameras were rolling, opened seven packets of 2025-26 Topps Chrome Update Series Basketball Hobby cards in one minute, without losing any of the cards to the 120 mph winds.

The unusual activity earned Bull the Guinness World Record for the most trading card packs opened during a wing walk in one minute. The record-keeping organization officially certified the record on the day after Bull's flight.

"Everyone in this hobby knows the feeling of ripping a pack. I wanted to see what it felt like full of adrenaline," Bull told news site What's The Jam. "My heart was thumping and my hands went totally numb — I was trying my hardest to concentrate. The wind was pulling at every wrapper, and I only had sixty seconds. Seven packs felt like seventy."

Bull admitted to being a thrill-seeker, having previously completed a swim to and from Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay and crossing Lapland, Finland, in a 7-day sleigh challenge.

"People must think I'm a lunatic for standing strapped to the wing of a moving plane just opening cards for the thrill of it," he said.

Man moves ice cubes with his mouth to break Guinness World Record

The Idaho man with the most concurrent Guinness World Records titles used his mouth to move more than 2 pounds of ice cubes between two trays.

David Rush, who holds more than 200 Guinness World Records titles, said he initially thought taking on the title for the most ice moved by mouth in 30 seconds would be easy, given his previous experiences with mouth-based records such as catching marshmallows and spitting ping pong balls.

Rush said the record's rules required the ice cubes to be no more than 25 grams (.88 ounces) each, so he ended up measuring water carefully to ensure each cube was the correct weight.

He said the next obstacle was finding the correct level of coldness — too cold, and they stuck to his lips, and not cold enough, they lose weight to run-off water.

"I had to dial in the exact window: letting them temper just enough so they wouldn't glue themselves to my face, but striking before they lost mass or turned impossible to grab," Rush wrote online.

His official attempt on June 12 ended with 991 grams — 34.9 ounces — of cubes moved between the trays, more than enough to take the title.

Mystery sheep leads police on 'food pursuit' in Virginia

Police in Virginia are trying to find the owner of a mystery sheep that led officers on a "food pursuit" through a residential neighborhood.

The Manassas Park Police Department said on social media that officers were called to the area of Nancy Street in the Blooms Crossing community on Wednesday on a report of a sheep on the loose.

The sheep was detained "after a brief food pursuit that led straight into someone's backyard." Police followed the statement with running and lettuce emojis.

"No charges have been filed at this time, but we do suspect a few outstanding baaa-violations," the post said.

Police are now trying to determine where the sheep came from.

"If you're missing your four-legged fugitive, contact the Manassas Park Police Department," officials wrote.

Hawk found grounded in Virginia driveway was 'too darn fat to fly'

Animal rescuers in Virginia solved the mystery of a hawk found on the ground in a resident's driveway: the bird was "too darn fat to fly."

The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center said on social media that the adult red-shouldered hawk, identified as RSHA 26-2599, was found apparently grounded in a resident's driveway about a mile away from the center in Roanoke.

Rescuers checked the hawk for broken bones, lead toxicity, eye issues, head trauma, emaciation and bruising, but she showed no signs of injury.

Veterinarians at the center's wildlife hospital examined the bird to get to the bottom of the mystery, and determined "she was too darn fat to fly."

"We couldn't even palpate her keel due to the heavy layer of fat covering it," the post said.

The resident who found the hawk in her driveway questioned her neighbors and discovered another resident's "free-roaming chickens were disappearing at an alarming rate over the last few weeks."

Veterinarians said the hawk tipped the scales at 2 pounds — nearly an entire pound heavier than normal weight for a female of the species.

"This queen was picking off the buffet of easy prey set out before her, eating her fill, and then snoozing in the trees nearby until she was ready to eat again," officials wrote.

The hawk is now on a weight-loss diet and the center urged residents to avoid "indirectly" feeding wildlife by keeping chicken runs covered.

Dog puts clothes pins on laundry line to break world record

A Missouri dog trainer's clever canine earned a Guinness World Record for her ability to manipulate clothes pins with her mouth.

Java, a 5-year-old black Labrador belonging to Lisa Rickards, 46, earned the record for the most clothes pegs put on a washing line by a dog in one minute.

Rickards and Java took on the challenge March 21 in Kansas City and the dexterous dog managed to put eight clothes pins on the line in the allotted time.

Rickards said Java first came into her life as a trainee service dog for Canine Companions.

"For the first 18 months of Java's life, my job was to raise and socialize her with the goal of preparing her to become a service dog," Rickards told Guinness World Records. "She went on to advanced training, but ultimately she was determined not to be a good fit for the program. I was then incredibly fortunate to be able to adopt her back as my pet."

The duo ended up pivoting their training to canine sports and tricks.

"I joke that Java is fully caffeinated and absolutely lives up to her name. She has an enormous amount of enthusiasm for life and, more importantly, she genuinely loves learning. She is especially good at what I think of as 'social learning' — watching another dog or person do something and then figuring out how to do it herself," Rickards said.

Connecticut animal control officers round up loose emu

Officials in a Connecticut town are trying to track down the owner of an emu rounded up by animal control in a resident's backyard.

The Town of Thompson said on social media that animal control officers responded Wednesday to a report of an emu on the loose in the area of Thompson Hill Road, near the Pasay Road intersection.

The officers arrived to find the large Australian bird running down Thompson Hill Road and they pursued the avian as it made its way to a resident's backyard.

The emu was secured and officials are now trying to identify the bird's owner so it can be returned home.

"Please contact us so we can get this large bird back to its home! It is safe, comfortable and being well cared for," the post said.

Rubik's cube enthusiast sprints to Guinness World Records title

A British runner combined his skills at sprinting and puzzle solving to finish four Rubik's cubes while running a mile in just over 5 minutes.

George Scholey made his attempt Oct. 12 and earned the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to complete a puzzle cube mile when he completed four cubes and his run with a time of 5 minutes and 9.25 seconds.

Scholey previously earned titles including the most rotating puzzle cubes solved on a skateboard, 500;

the most rotating puzzle cubes solved in 24 hours, 6,931; and the most rotating puzzle cubes solved while running a marathon, 520.

The marathon record has since been broken by Spanish runner Toti Moragas Pardell, who finished 561 cubes during his run.

Scholey's latest record required him to solve a cube, run one lap on a track, and repeat until he reached four cubes and a full mile.

Hundreds gather to attempt to 'move The Bean' in Chicago

Hundreds of people gathered in Chicago's Millennium Park to push the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, better known as The Bean.

Flyers posted around the city and online declared "we need to move The Bean 7 inches to the left," with the "first push" scheduled for 12:47 p.m. on Sunday.

The event, which was also promoted on a Partiful page, called back to the tongue-in-cheek theory of a man trapped inside the sculpture, which was previously the subject of its own protests in 2025 and a recently-released YouTube mockumentary.

"There is a man trapped inside the bean," an organizer wrote on the Partiful page. "New research shows that there might be latch door under the right side of The Bean. If we move The Bean about seven inches to the left we might be able to access that door and give the man inside The Bean a pickle and other resources."

Taylor Bennett, a Chicago promoter and entertainer, shared video from Sunday's event, where he declared victory for the cause.

"Alright, we're gonna call that at least one inch, someone said it moved," he said. "I don't know if we got it the full seven inches, but I will say that compared to the last time I was here, it looks like it was moved slightly."

Bennett later clarified the sculpture had not moved at all.

Saniyah Whaley, a School of the Art Institute of Chicago freshman, was in attendance at the event and estimated there were about 250 people pushing The Bean.

"In the back of everyone's minds, we knew it wasn't really gonna move," Whaley told Block Club Chicago. "I think these events are just for people to build stronger connections in community."

Cloud Gate, created by artist Anish Kapoor, was installed in 2004.

Rare orange-yellow fish found in New York harbor

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said a fish caught in New York with an unusual yellow-orange color was hatched with a biological condition.

Officials said the fish, a native burbot, was caught during a routine Aquatic Invasive Species Survey in Oswego Harbor, and biologists immediately noticed the aquatic animal's unusual color.

The USFWS said the fish "would make even the brightest fall foliage look pale in comparison."

Biologists explained the fish has the biological condition xanthochromism, which suppresses normal pigmentation and results in a saturated yellow-orange coloration.

"Xanthochromism is considerably less common in wild fish than albinism or melanism, making this an especially unusual capture," officials wrote.

The USFWS said the fish's species also came as a surprise.

"The finding is notable because burbot populations in the lake are extremely low, and the species typically inhabit deeper, cooler waters than those found within the harbor. It represents the first documented detection of a burbot during a fisheries survey in Oswego Harbor, although a few angler catches have been reported," the service said.

Viral video shows two horses boarding Detroit city bus

The Detroit Department of Transportation said it is investigating a viral video showing two horses briefly boarding a city bus.

Ellessia Drew captured video Saturday when she spotted two horses being led onto a DDOT bus stopped near 7 Mile and Strasburg Street.

The video shows two men leading the horses onto the bus and leading them back off through the rear door.

Jordan Williams, co-founder of Urban City Cowboys, said he and his horses were leaving a fundraising event on Saturday when he spotted the bus and asked the driver for permission to walk the horses through for a video.

Williams said it wasn't the first time he has taken horses onto a city bus.

"We've been on the Jefferson, we've been on the Chalmers, we've been on the Conners and now on the 7 Mile," Williams told WXYZ-TV. "So we did, we walked on, and I must tell you the buses are a lot smaller than they used to be, or I may have been a little bigger."

DDOT officials confirmed they are aware of the video and an investigation is underway.

"DDOT is aware of a recent incident where two horses were allowed to walk through a bus as it was pulled over at a bus stop. We are taking appropriate steps to address this incident as it is not consistent with DDOT policy and potentially creates an unsafe and uncomfortable ride for our passengers," DDOT said in a statement.

Williams said he hopes officials will look at the incident with good humor.

"I hope DDOT looks at it like a joke like everyone else, and hopefully they come out to a rodeo," he said.

California artist paddles over 26 miles in a mushroom boat

A California artist became a maritime mycologist when he took a 26.37-mile journey in a kayak made from a giant mushroom.

Sam Shoemaker, a Los Angeles-based artist and fungi enthusiast, completed the solo voyage in August 2025, traveling from Catalina Island to Cabrillo Beach on the mainland in a 12-foot kayak made entirely from the mycelium of Ganoderma polychromum.

The 12-hour journey earned Shoemaker the Guinness World Record for the longest solo journey by a fungal mycelium boat.

Shoemaker has spent more than a decade cultivating and working with dozens of fungal species, transforming them into sculptures and art installations. His research also explores the potential of fungi as sustainable alternatives to plastics and other nonrenewable materials used in construction.

The artist built his first 15-foot mushroom kayak in 2024. He later developed a new design with his cousin Laza, using a fiberglass mold, biodegradable textiles and plant-based materials to encourage the mycelium to grow into a boat shape.

The 107-pound vessel took seven weeks to grow and another three months of preparation and testing. Shoemaker sealed it with layers of shellac and beeswax to improve its durability while keeping the entire craft biodegradable.