We take a look at the stranger news stories from around the world, as people, places, animals, things come to grips with Covid-19
What’s in a Name?
The world is having a pretty bad start to the new decade. From airlines that are grounded, to waiters who have no diners to be unpleasant to them, to people who decided to have a career in travel blogging, every business is suffering. Think about Corona beer. Or regard the Austrian village of Sankt Corona am Wechsel, whose town mascot is an anthropomorphic ant, in traditional wear, named, you guessed it, Corona. Indeed, the only way it could have been more ironic is if the mascot had been a bat, but we won’t even go there. And speaking of not going there, the good townsfolk of Sankt Corona am Wechsel, whose livelihood depends heavily on tourism, are worried that no one’s going to want to visit their town, once the various lockdowns are lifted. Other attractions in the village also named after the Catholic saint (Corona) include the summer sledding and mountain biking businesses.
Having a Ball
With major sports tournaments postponed around the world and the Olympics likely to join the chopping block as well, sporting as well as gambling enthusiasts have been suffering greatly, with the former unable to watch their favourite players and the latter unable to bet on them. Enter Marble Racing. The brainchild of Dutch brothers Jelle and Dion Bakker, who run YouTube channel Jelle’s Marble Run. It all started with a 2016 video showing a literal race between marbles, on a path carved into a sandy beach. Today, the JMR channel has over 600,000 subscribers and a cumulative 53 million views. And the views are racing up as those confined indoors find their way to the marble races. Indeed, the brothers created the annual Marble League, a tradition that consists of 16 events where 16 marble teams compete against each other. Given that the Olympics have been cancelled, the world may have just found its new summer sporting event.
Purr-fectly Furious
If you thought staying indoors is getting on your nerves, regard your poor pets that are used to being lord and master of the house in your absence. While dogs might be happy to have their owners around all the time, the people owned by cats aren’t always assured of the same response. A short clip, which was shared on the social media website TikTok, showing a cat throwing a literal hiss-y fit has gone viral. “Our cat does not like the fact that we’re all home, quarantined. She’s like, ‘Why are you in my house?’” the person recording the short clip says, as the cat bares her teeth at the camera.