Buzz
Staying up-to-date with global news can be challenging. That's why we're here with weekly lists highlighting significant events you might have missed. If you missed last week’s edition, click here.
This week is packed with intriguing stories. From a love affair that ignited sparks to a four-year-old taking the family car for a spin. An island wants to stop time, scientists taught seals to sing, and the notorious Italian ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ are finally captured.
10. Politically Paws-itive
A Pakistani politician accidentally broadcasted a press conference where he unknowingly wore pink kitty ears and whiskers, all due to a staff member mistakenly activating the 'cat filter.'
Shaukat Yousafzai, a regional minister from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party, participated in a Q&A with journalists last Friday, streamed live on social media. Initially, it seemed like an ordinary event. But viewers quickly noticed that the minister and several other officials were sporting cat ears and whiskers.
The PTI swiftly removed the online video minutes after the press conference concluded, attributing the incident to 'human error.' Yousafzai played down the situation, suggesting we shouldn’t take things too seriously. Meanwhile, he tried to shift focus to the other officials, claiming he wasn’t the only one affected by the 'cat filter.'
9. The Dragon Overcomes The Mountain
‘The Mountain’ has been dethroned after last weekend's World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competition. Hafthor Bjornsson, who is widely recognized for his role as Gregor Clegane in Game of Thrones, took third place as Latvian-American Martins 'The Dragon' Licis became the new strongest man in the world.
The 2019 WSM competition was held in Bradenton, Florida. Bjornsson aimed for back-to-back championships after his first win last year in Manila, Philippines. Unfortunately, he sustained a torn plantar fascia on day one of the competition, which hampered his speed and mobility. Despite this, his third-place finish marked his eighth consecutive top-three result.
The final day of the contest took place on Anna Maria Island, where 28-year-old Licis completed the notorious Atlas stones challenge in under 28 seconds, earning his first podium finish and securing the title of world’s strongest man.
8. Taking Down Bonnie and Clyde
A pair of fraudsters known as the 'Italian Bonnie and Clyde' were arrested in Thailand after years on the run, following a coordinated effort by Interpol and the Royal Thai Police.
Francesco Galdelli and his wife, Vanya Goffi, gained notoriety when they were accused of using George Clooney’s name and likeness to launch a fraudulent fashion brand. In 2010, the actor testified in Italy, confirming that the couple had forged his signature and impersonated him. This was just one of many scams they ran, including selling counterfeit Rolex watches and sending customers packets of salt instead.
The pair was convicted in 2014, but they fled to Thailand. Galdelli was captured shortly after but escaped the following day by bribing prison guards. They managed to evade authorities until last Saturday, when they were apprehended in a luxury villa in Pattaya, a Thai resort city.
7. The Chocolate Urge
On Wednesday morning, a four-year-old from Blaine, Minnesota, craving some candy, grabbed the keys to his great-grandfather’s SUV and set off for the nearest convenience store for a quick joyride.
Sebastian Swenson may struggle to see over the steering wheel, but that didn’t stop him from climbing into his great-grandfather’s Hyundai Santa Fe and driving 2.4 kilometers (1.5 mi) to satisfy his sweet tooth.
Witnesses reported the vehicle swerving erratically, reaching speeds of up to 24 kilometers per hour (15 mph). Police were on the scene as soon as the car stopped. The SUV had struck several mailboxes and a tree, with the bumper left behind in a neighbor’s yard, but fortunately, no one was injured.
Blaine Police Captain Mark Boerboom mentioned he had never encountered a child so young who managed to drive a car. Sebastian’s family vowed to keep the car keys out of reach from now on to prevent any future incidents with their spirited youngster.
6. Semper Ad Meliora
A long-standing Finnish weekly Latin broadcast aired its final edition last Friday after three decades on the air.
Yle, short for Yleisradio Oy (General Radio), is Finland’s national public broadcaster, founded in 1926. Beyond the country’s borders, Yle is most recognized for Nuntii Latini, a five-minute weekly news segment in Latin. It debuted on September 1, 1989, conceived by journalist Hannu Taanila and Latin professor Tuomo Pekkanen. A surprise success, the rise of the Internet attracted a global audience of new Latin enthusiasts.
The creators of Nuntii Latini first revealed their plans to end the show in late 2017, citing the abundance of other Latin-based media online. However, thousands of calls and a public campaign to save the program led them to delay the shutdown until last week.
5. An Australian Avian Romance Gone Wild
A recent power outage in Australia was caused by two kookaburras engaging in courtship on a power line, creating sparks... literally.
Last week, around 1,000 homes in the suburbs of Perth experienced a power outage. Western Power stated that the cause was an ‘amorous avian adventure’ involving two of Australia’s most famous birds, known for their distinctive calls.
An eyewitness reported seeing the birds perched on a pole when, suddenly, sparks began flying, followed by two loud bangs and flashes of light. Electricians believe the female kookaburra spread her wings, which made contact with two power lines. This turned the birds into conductors, bridging the separated lines and triggering an automatic emergency shutdown. Unfortunately, the kookaburras did not survive their passionate encounter.
4. The Land That Forgot Time
The small Norwegian island of Sommaroy (also known as Sommaroya) has officially petitioned its government to establish itself as the world’s first time-free zone.
Located north of the Arctic Circle, this quaint fishing village is home to just over 300 residents. The locals argue that traditional timekeeping is of little importance to them, and declaring the island’s time-free status would simply formalize a practice that has been part of their way of life for generations.
Currently, Sommaroy is experiencing a 69-day stretch of continuous daylight, with the Sun not setting again until July 26. In contrast, the island also goes through an extended polar night from November to January when the Sun doesn’t rise at all. The locals have adapted to these unusual conditions and often work outside of typical hours. Kjell Ove Hveding, a resident, mentions that people mow their lawns and children play football during what we would consider ‘the middle of the night.’
3. Seals Sing Star Wars
Seals have long been known to produce sounds that resemble human speech. Researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland sought to explore the extent of their vocal abilities and trained grey seals to sing notes from songs like ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and the iconic theme from Star Wars.
Vincent Janik, one of the lead researchers, explains that seals “use the same neural and anatomical structures as humans to produce [these] sounds.” Over time, he and his team worked with three seals from birth, teaching them how to modify formants and produce new vocalizations. The process started with the seals copying their own sounds, and then their pitches were adjusted to create melodies. Eventually, they were able to mimic human vowel sounds as well.
The university’s standout student is a seal named Zola, who quickly became skilled at copying melodies. Her repertoire includes portions of the Star Wars theme and a ten-note sequence from ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’
2. A Small Yet Notorious Piece of History
A revolver, which has been dubbed “the most iconic weapon in the history of art,” was sold at a Paris auction for €162,500 ($182,000) to a private collector. This is the gun believed to have been used by Vincent Van Gogh in his tragic self-inflicted shooting.
The firearm is a 7-millimeter Lefaucheux revolver, heavily rusted from being buried in the earth for 75 years. This aging works in its favor, as it fits the timeline for the gun Van Gogh borrowed from the innkeeper where he stayed in 1890. The artist took it into a nearby field to shoot himself, though he didn’t die immediately. Instead, he managed to walk back to the inn and passed away from his wounds 36 hours later.
The revolver remained in the field until a farmer discovered it in 1965. He handed it over to the inn’s previous owners. While even the auction house, Auction Art, admits the exact provenance cannot be confirmed, the details seem to align: the revolver’s caliber matches the bullet recovered from Van Gogh’s body, and the gun had been in the field since around 1890. The Van Gogh Institute condemned the sale, stating that there is no definitive proof that the painter used this weapon to end his life.
This, of course, assumes that he did indeed take his own life. Recent controversy has emerged, suggesting that Van Gogh may have been shot by local boys.
1. Caught Red-Handed
Music annotation service Genius claims to have uncovered a secret message that proves Google has been stealing lyrics from its site and publishing them directly on its search pages.
If you’re looking for the lyrics to a song, Genius is one of the go-to sites. Alternatively, you could type the song’s name followed by ‘lyrics’ into Google, and it will show them directly on the search results page. However, while Genius employs its own transcribers and collaborates with record labels to ensure the accuracy of its lyrics, the company is accusing Google of simply taking them without permission, thus cutting Genius out of the traffic.
The issue first surfaced in 2016 when a Genius employee noticed that Google’s lyrics for the hip-hop track “Panda” by Desiigner — known for its difficult-to-understand vocals — matched exactly what Genius had published. Genius had obtained the lyrics directly from the rapper, while most other sources had used inaccurate versions.
But how could they prove that the lyrics were taken from their website? After all, if both versions were accurate, they would be the same. Genius transcribers began switching between straight and curly apostrophes, using them as dots and dashes. When converted to Morse code, the symbols spelled out the phrase ‘red handed.’ Genius claims they’ve discovered over 100 instances of songs on Google that contain their ‘secret message.’
In response, the Internet giant stated that it sources its lyrics from a third-party company called LyricFind and assured that it will now properly cite the original sources.
