And Finally

Hikers in the French Alps have been warned they face fines of up to €750 (around £640) if they pick protected flowers on their walks. Thousands of génépi sprigs and edelweiss flowers were seized by French police during a week-long operation earlier this month, with 20 hikers

A pair of American tourists were left stranded at the top of the Eiffel Tower overnight after drinking too much. The men had tickets to visit the tower on Sunday evening but were found to still be there on Monday morning when staff arrived to open one of the world's most popular tourist attractions.

Hollywood blockbuster Barbie has been banned in Algeria for allegedly promoting homosexuality. The film — which has generated more than $1 billion at the box office worldwide — has been screened in Algerian cinemas for the past three weeks.

A Sicilian restaurant has come under fire after charging diners €20 (around £17) to slice a birthday cake brought from home. The disgruntled group had already spent €124 (around £106) on pizza before asking a waiter to slice their cake.

A winery which boasted of its "unique process" has been forced to surrender thousands of bottles of wine illegally fermented in the ocean. California-based Ocean Fathoms offered bottles "adorned with barnacles, coral, sea shells and ornate hard shelled tubes formed by annelida sea worms" after under

A school district in Florida is limiting pupils' exposure to Shakespeare in response to the state's controversial "don't say gay" law. Hillsborough County's public high schools will now only permit students to read specific excerpts of Shakespeare that do not include suggestive or sexual content.

A car collecting 360-degree imagery for Google Street View led police on a 100mph chase before crashing into a small stream of water. Police in Middletown, Indiana say the car, complete with Google livery and mounted cameras, was seen driving past a high school at more than 100mph, well in excess of

Litter-picking volunteers unexpectedly discovered a package containing a kilogram of cocaine worth up to £100,000 while cleaning a Cornwall beach. The wrapped package was found by volunteer beach cleaners taking part in an event organised by the 2 Minute Foundation last weekend.

A notorious Italian mobster has been apprehended after being spotted in a photo of celebrating S.S.C. Napoli football fans in Greece. Vincenzo La Porta, 60, fled Italy 11 years ago and was sentenced in absentia to 14 years' imprisonment in connection with organised crime, tax evasion and fraud offen

A fast food restaurant manager has been charged after allegedly inventing a fake employee and pocketing their wages for nearly a year. Linda Johnson, 35, a manager at a Wendy's restaurant in Los Angeles, is accused of creating a "ghost employee" named William Bright and clocking him in and out 128 t

A police force that boasted of having seized a large volume of chocolate and sweets from men who were "acting suspiciously" has been widely mocked on social media. Lewisham Central Policing Team tweeted photos of a large haul of chocolate bars — including popular brands such as Galaxy and Aero

A real estate agent has incurred a hefty fine of $20,000 (around £12,000) for drinking milk directly from the container while showcasing a house for sale. During a viewing in 2022, the Canadian real estate agent, Mike Rose, became parched and opted to quench his thirst with milk from the selle

A wedding has been officiated by ChatGPT in the absence of a priest in what may be a world-first. Colorado couple Reece Wiench and Deyton Truitt were expecting to have to cancel their wedding after the priest was unable to attend.

DNA testing to identify dog owners who don't pick up their pets' business is to be rolled out in a French town. Béziers, a town of around 75,000 people in southern France, announced the measure after complaints about the amount of dog mess on the town streets.

A Californian family that made millions by recycling cans and bottles now faces numerous felony charges which could lead to substantial prison sentences. State prosecutors filed a felony complaint this month charging eight family members in Riverside County with defrauding the state. They allegedly