MiamiHerald.com: Weird News

Crane accident cuts power to one-third of Vietnam

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:54 EDT

One mistake by a clumsy crane operator caused a 10-hour blackout over about a third of Vietnam, exposing the fragility of the nation's power grid.

Council members abstain from vote on abstaining

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:14 EDT

Three members of a Michigan city council have abstained from voting on a measure that would have prevented them from abstaining on future votes.

Fugitive in LA attempted-murder case held in Colo.

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:24 EDT

A man wanted for 13 years on attempted murder charges in Los Angeles was captured in Colorado after someone called police to report he was urinating on a wall outside a KFC restaurant.

For Philadelphia bicyclist, a cat is his co-pilot

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:54 EDT

For bicyclist Rudi Saldia, you could say a cat is his co-pilot.

Surgeons remove tiger's basketball-sized hairball

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:34 EDT

It's not unusual for a cat to get a hairball, but a 400-pound tiger needed help from veterinary surgeons in Florida when he couldn't hack up a basketball-size hairball by himself.

Thailand urged to explore edible insect market

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:29 EDT

Researchers say Thailand is showing the world how to respond to the global food crisis: by raising bugs for eating.

Ferris wheel ride world record broken in Chicago

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:01 EDT

A manager of Chicago's Navy Pier rode the tourist spot's Ferris wheel for more than two days - 384 times, up and around - bringing the world record for the longest ride to the birthplace of the amusement park favorite.

Greek beach evacuated after artillery discovery

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:46 EDT

A surprise shell has caused a big stir at a popular Athens beach.

Birth of anteater has Conn. zoo staff puzzled

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:53 EDT

An anteater has given birth at a Connecticut conservation center, prompting officials there to wonder how the mother conceived.

Funeral home has bicycle hearse for 1 last ride

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:07 EDT

An Oregon funeral home in Eugene offers natural burials where the ride to the person's final resting place is on the back of a three-wheeled bicycle.

Aussie minister sorry he 'liked' exposed teen pic

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:22 EDT

An Australian politician says he has learned a valuable lesson in social networking after he "liked" a Facebook photo without realizing that it showed a teenage prankster exposing himself.

Alaska man runs onto frozen lake to avoid jail

Fri, 17 May 2013 01:33 EDT

Anchorage police say a young man who didn't want to return to jail ran out onto the uncertain ice of an Alaska lake to escape officers armed with an arrest warrant.

Wash. state woman spots stolen car in drive-thru

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:32 EDT

A Washington woman whose car was stolen from her apartment complex saw the stolen SUV hours later - in the drive-thru of the McDonald's restaurant where she works.

Fleeing Ore. man pleads to be pulled from river

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:16 EDT

Authorities in Eastern Oregon say a fleeing man tried to use a backstroke to get across the Columbia River but, exhausted, said he couldn't swim and pleaded with officers to retrieve him. They did.

Coin tossing breaks tie in Philippine mayoral race

Thu, 16 May 2013 01:12 EDT

What do you do when two candidates running for mayor in the Philippines get exactly the same number of votes? You get them to toss a coin.

NH city sues parking meter 'Robin Hood' group

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:43 EDT

The city of Keene, N.H., has sued a group that feeds change into parking meters that are about to expire, saying members are harassing enforcement officers.

Deer smashes Pa. bus windshield, takes short ride

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:51 EDT

A deer has taken a ride on a western Pennsylvania bus.

Stinky corpse flower blooms again at Ohio State

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:12 EDT

A large rainforest plant known as a corpse flower because of its awful smell has bloomed again at an Ohio State University greenhouse, and there's more excitement because another corpse flower there is expected to open soon, a spokeswoman said.

Conn. chef set to feast on cicadas during invasion

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:22 EDT

Connecticut chef Bun Lai is already known for his Mexican grasshopper dish and his fried rice with meal worms and crickets. But he might soon also be recognized as the cicada chef.

Wisconsin boy gets handwritten response from Biden

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:31 EDT

It might not be unusual for schoolchildren to write to the president or vice president. But one Wisconsin boy got an unexpectedly personal response.