Here's your weekly digest of the craziest stories from around the world.
1) Is your body double out there?
Ciara Murphy and Cordelia Roberts were both studying in Germany when they bumped into each other.
They were repeatedly (separately) asked if they had come to the country along with a sister, which cause much confusin because that was not the case.
Finally, exasperated, they decided to take a selfie together and realised just how similar they were. A bathroom selfie of the near-identical strangers went viral when they finally posted it on Facebook.
Later, they were tracked down by Twin Strangers, which pairs people up with doppelgängers.
2) Wait…a selfie with the deceased?
A Russian social media community is offering cash prizes for the best selfies taken with the dead, describing the pictures as a ‘kind of art’.
The group offers between $15-$76 (Rs 975-Rs 5,000) for the best shot and encourages those submitting images to be smiling in the picture because the deceased ‘has gone to a better place’.
The group's founder Alfred Polyakov claims that the competition is doing families a favour by offering them cash.
Right.
3) Lenin turns to Darth Vader in Ukraine!
The force is with them in Odessa, Ukraine, apparently.
A statue of communist leader Vladimir Lenin has been transformed into a monument to ‘Star Wars’ icon Darth Vader by sculptor Alexander Milov.
This is a result of a ‘de-Communisation’ law passed by the Ukrainian parliament in April 2015, calling for the removal of Communist symbols such as monuments or place names.
May the Bolshevic be with you.
4) This creepy picture of a 'person's shadow' on fence
What does it take to cast a shadow? A source of light, a person and an opaque surface, right?
But this image appears to show a person's shadow projected onto a wall and fence. See carefully, and you will notice there is no one around to cast that shadow.
Obviously, this viral photograph has been dubbed ‘creepy’.
The picture was shared on Reddit, and has since gone viral, amassing 1.3 million views.
5) New York artist founds his nation in the middle of the desert
Zaq Landsberg has been running his ‘sovereign nation’ in Utah for the past decade, and is now getting serious about putting it on the map.
‘Zaqistan’ has a yellow-and-red flag, official-looking passports, and a border patrol gate guarded by a giant robot sentry for the realm.
The unofficial motto for Zaqistan is: “Something from nothing.” You will need a assport to enter Zaqistan, which will be stamped upon arrival and when you leave. You can purchase one online for $40 (Rs 2,600).
Just one thing: Zaqistan is a 4-acre plot of land.
6) This 'tasteless' 9/11 cake
An Austrian baker has sparked outrage after he created a cake depicting the 9/11 terror attacks on the WorldTradeCenter to criticis his own nation's coalition government.
"Sometimes, you have to present an exaggerated view of the situation if you really want to make a point," he told the media. But critics have slammed him for being "offensive" and "unbelievable”.
Kienbauer defended his controversial cake by saying that he just wanted to make people think about the political situation in Austria.
7) Naked burglar crawls into bed, learns victim has a gun
Dean Defeudis, 32, broke into a Portland home around 3 a.m. on Thursday, gathered items of value and then stripped naked, climbed into bed with a man and woman and then kissed the man.
But he wound up fleeing down the street after the male victim woke up and chased him with a gun, firing three shots, said the police.
Defeudis was not injured in the incident. The male victim, who was also unhurt, was not expected to face charges in the incident.
8) Dog named Trigger shoots owner in the foot
A bizarre hunting accident has left a dog owner with a shot wound in their foot – ironically, the gun was fired by a pet dog called Trigger!
Allie Carter, 25, was wounded during a waterfowl hunt on Saturday morning in northern Indiana when she left her 12-gauge shotgun on the ground without the safety catch on.
Carter was released from a local hospital with minor foot injuries, authorities said.
9) This chicken restaurant's Twitter account is really run by a chicken
A chicken restaurant has trained a hen to run their Twitter account.
No, really.
Australian fast food chain Chicken Treat has given over their social media passwords to Betty, who composes tweets with her beak when birdfeed is sprinkled over the keyboard.
While she doesn't actually speak English, she does write her own tweets.
10) Pastor sells 'Holy Pens' that make students pass their exams
Who needs book learning when you got Jesus?
Pastor Sham Hungwe of House of Grace International Church sold pens to his congregation last week, but these were no ordinary writing utensils.
He allegedly told his congregation that those who are sitting for exams only needed faith and the anointed pen to pass, saying, “It is anointed and I declare passes when your children sit for exams; when you sit for your exams.”
The pens were being sold for different amounts ranging between Rs 65-Rs 1,300, depending on what congregants could afford.
