Diehard

There are sports fans, and then there are sports fans. Andy Milne, a 62-year-old retired teacher, is set to follow the 2026 World Cup around North America, The Associated Press reported on March 27, just as soon as he sells his second home to do so. Milne currently lives in Thailand and rents out a home in northern England, which he plans to put on the market for the equivalent of $465,000 to fund his World Cup dreams. “I definitely want to see the whole tournament. I am going to the U.S. on June 3 and will be there for seven weeks,” he said. “So it will cost quite a lot of money.” [AP, 3/27/26]

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

KFC isn’t just about chicken anymore. The fast-food chain is partnering with BYD, China’s electric vehicle company, to place car chargers at its locations across the country, CNBC reported on April 9. The ultra-fast (9-minute) chargers will provide just enough time for drivers to fill up on finger-lickin’ chicken and all the fixins. BYD will facilitate the visits with onboard ordering and location displays. KFC is, according to an industry report, China’s leading fast-food chain, with 13,000 outlets in 2,500 cities.
[CNBC, 4/9/2026]

Unclear on the Concept

KABC-TV reported on April 6 that a man at an Orange County, California, gas station sat in his car and refused to leave until he was given $55 in gas. When Irvine Police Department officers arrived, he told them, “I sincerely believe that money as a unit of payment is not real.” Police tried to reason with him, but eventually he was placed in handcuffs and taken away. [KABC, 4/6/2026]

Bright Idea

University of British Columbia engineering students have a tradition of placing Volkswagen Beetle shells in unusual locations, The Associated Press reported on April 6. This year’s prank involved a Beetle shell precariously perched on a rock face above a highway in Squamish, B.C. Authorities have asked people to avoid the area as they figure out how to secure the old car and lower it to safety. Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford called the area a “sacred place” among the Squamish Nation and said what “may have felt like an innocent prank” has affected hikers and climbers, too. “This is an area that deserves respect, and that wasn’t the case here,” he said. Officials said the VW would be removed within the week. [AP, 4/6/2026]

The Passing Parade

On March 31 at Tokyo’s DisneySea amusement park, Rapunzel’s Forest took on the look of Hitchcock’s The Birds, the New York Post reported. As an animatronic Rapunzel leaned out of her tower window, singing merrily, two black ravens started pecking at her head and ripping out strands of hair. Of course, being animatronic, Rapunzel had no idea about the birds ravaging her signature feature, and she continued singing and smiling to onlookers. One commenter said, “I thought the birds were animatronic, too!” Rapunzel was removed from her perch temporarily for repairs.
[NY Post, 4/2/2026]

Fine Point of the Law

Who knew? In Kentucky (and probably elsewhere), it is illegal to operate a non-motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The Smoking Gun reported that on March 26, a police officer in Bowling Green noticed a man atop a horse around 6 p.m. Jorge Hernandez, 48, was reportedly “partially slumped over” as his horse galloped through a neighborhood; the officer conducted a traffic stop when the duo moved onto the sidewalk. The arrest report said Hernandez smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech; a bag from the liquor store was tied to the saddle. He was taken into custody but was released to federal agents pursuant to an immigration warrant. No word on the horse’s fate.
[The Smoking Gun, 3/31/2026]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.