And Finally

A reader spotted this sign in St Andrews in Scotland and wonders if the tree surgeons are former police officers.

A prominent journalist has been suspended by a US magazine after he was allegedly spotted masturbating in a Zoom meeting, unaware that his camera was on. Jeffrey Toobin, one of the best-known legal commentators in the US, was supposed to be representing the country's courts in a New Yorker election

A school pupil who appeared to have been kidnapped at gunpoint during a Zoom class was only playing a prank, police have said. High school students across the US have been faking their kidnappings as part of a new "Zoomnapping" trend which has gone viral on social media.

A senior Brazilian politician was found with cash stuffed in his underpants when police raided his house in connection with the alleged theft of Covid-19 funds. Senator Chico Rodrigues, an ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, resigned as the government's deputy leader in the senate after the embarrassi

Westminster taps will run dry tomorrow after parliamentary authorities ordered a ban on alcohol sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said there would be no alcohol served in any of the House of Commons bars or restaurants for the "foreseeable future".

Scottish comic book writer Mark Millar, whose Kick-Ass series spawned two Hollywood movies, has finally fought off years-long litigation based on outlandish allegations of plagiarism. American writer Michael Bennett claimed that Mr Millar plagiarised large elements of his own virtually-unknown serie

Belgium has said it will invoke a 350-year-old treaty allowing for Flemish fishermen to fish in British waters if a post-Brexit fishing deal cannot be struck. The charter, which was rediscovered in Belgian archives in the 1960s, was issued by King Charles II in 1666 as thanks to the city of Bruges f

A leading member of the parody Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is facing up to six years in prison for alleged illegal political activities. Mikhail Iosilevich, the Russian head of the fake religion whose followers call themselves "Pastafarians", is accused of links to a banned Russian opposi

A pregnant woman who went into labour minutes into her bar exam managed to complete the crucial test despite giving birth halfway through. Illinois woman Brianna Hill was originally due to sit the test much earlier in her pregnancy in July, but it was moved to October due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A police crackdown on speeding cyclists has been met with widespread derision on social media. Officers in Toronto posted photos on social media of them using radar guns to track the speed of cyclists on bike paths.

Vatican money intended for the rescue of Catholic hostages was allegedly misused to buy luxury handbags and clothing. An investigation into Vatican finances has concluded that €500,000 paid to a company owned by Cecilia Marogna was spent on clothes and accessories from Prada and Yves Saint Laur

A gynaecologist who worked at a Dutch hospital fathered at least 17 children using his own sperm and without telling the parents, it has emerged. Jan Wildschut, who has since died, worked at Isala Hospital in the city of Zwolle between 1981 and 1993.

A former library employee has been accused of stealing at least $1.3 million in printer toner over a period of 12 years. A report alleges that Randall Whited, a former employee of Austin Public Library in Texas, fraudulently bought and stole toner, then sold it online.

A prisoner who complained of intolerable pain was found to have four phones lodged in his rectum. The man, imprisoned in the Indian city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, who had been jailed in a case of an 'unnatural offence', was rushed to hospital, where the discovery was made.

A solicitor in his 40s has lost a legal battle against his wealthy parents' decision to stop financially supporting him. The unnamed man, a 41-year-old who holds a Master's degree and is qualified to practice as a solicitor, has been unemployed since 2011.