Wait What?

Unusual true stories, mixed with strange human behavior and some surprising discoveries. It’s a nice mix of oddities this week.

Asia

Indonesia

An inspection of a prison near Jakarta uncovered an apartment-style compound with luxury amenities allegedly used by inmates. Five prison officials were suspended following the discovery.

Japan

A Tokyo competition organised by bedding company Koala offered a prize of 2 million yen to the best sleeper. The event drew attention to Japan’s widespread sleep deprivation and long working hours.

India

A man whose iPhone was stolen in Dehradun on September 12 received an unexpected development this week: someone, apparently, used the stolen phone to contact his sister, asking for its passcode. Police said the messages could help identify the suspect.

Thailand

Thailand’s queen completed her first solo flight in a Gripen fighter jet. The unusual royal aviation milestone was reported on October 9.

Europe

Great Britain

A 99-year-old British woman has broken the world record as the oldest person to crowd surf. After retiring at 83, she began creating social media content with her grandson before taking on the unusual challenge of being carried above a crowd.

Europe

Germany

After his mother’s death, a Munich doctor became convinced that a forensic specialist had wronged him. He commissioned a fabricated scientific book to support accusations of plagiarism against the specialist. Carbon dating exposed the deception, and the doctor eventually admitted commissioning the book and agreed to pay €210,000 in damages.

Italy

Researchers have identified Bolotana, Sardinia, as a possible new longevity hotspot. Their findings suggest that 13% of women who reach 70 in the village go on to celebrate their 100th birthday, an unusually high proportion even for an island already famous for its centenarians.

Portugal

São João Hospital in Portugal has introduced arrangements allowing patients to receive visits from their own animals. The hospital reports no infections associated with the visits so far, challenging the assumption that pets must always be excluded from hospital wards.

Great Britain

A man dressed as Batman chased a handbag thief through Norwich, assisted by friends dressed as Poison Ivy and Mister Fantastic. Police helped stop the suspect, but the handbag had been thrown onto a high wall surrounding Norwich Cathedral. Batman climbed up, retrieved it and returned it to its owner.

Artists competing at Nailympia London created elaborate nail designs inspired by folklore, forests and steampunk. The contest featured miniature sculptural scenes built directly onto fingernails.

Denmark

Nearly 600 competitors from 30 countries assembled at Denmark’s Spøttrup Castle for the International Medieval Combat Federation World Championship. Wearing historical armour, competitors fought in full-contact contests using blunted weapons.

North America

United States

A group of skydivers preparing for a jump witnessed a small aircraft crash into a Michigan cornfield. They arranged to jump near the wreckage, where one of them, a former paramedic, treated an injured passenger until emergency crews arrived. All four people aboard the crashed aircraft survived.

An Alaska woman relied on Google’s AI-generated answer to determine when snipe-hunting season opened. After discovering the actual season began more than a month later, she voluntarily reported herself to wildlife authorities. The investigating officer reproduced the incorrect AI answer, but the woman still received a $150 fine.

A man in Rosenberg, Texas, reportedly drove his car through the doors of a closed Kroger supermarket because he urgently needed to use the restroom. Police said nobody was injured.

South America

Argentina — A television complaint becomes a football protest

A customer whose defective television reportedly wasn’t replaced returned to a Buenos Aires-area supermarket with supporters of the Central Ballester football club. They brought drums, banners and chants demanding a replacement. The store eventually exchanged the television.

Chile

An October 7 investigation revealed how Chilean funeral businesses are converting luxury sports cars into hearses, including Maserati Ghiblis and a Chevrolet Camaro. Some have been used in elaborate funerals for organized-crime figures.

Brazil

A capuchin monkey entered several homes in Salvador on October 5, injuring five people and breaking a bathroom’s glass shower enclosure. Authorities said it may have consumed alcohol, medicines and other substances found inside the homes. A five-day-old baby was unharmed.