WEIRD WORLD

TICKED OFF: Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has said the social media’s “blue tick” verification process is “broken” after it verified the organiser of a far-right rally. The tech firm has been criticised after Jason Kessler – organiser of the Unite the Right rally which sparked violent scenes in the US town of Charlottesville in August - tweeted to confirm he had been verified by the platform. Twitter’s official support account has now said its verification system has been “paused” following the backlash over the incident.

TRANSATLANTIC TOY: A toy pirate ship that sailed from Scotland to Scandinavia has been relaunched off Africa for more adventures, with the help of a Norwegian tall ship. The Playmobil boat travelled to Denmark, Sweden and Norway after being launched by Ollie Ferguson, eight, and his brother, Harry, five, from Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, at the end of May. The boat, named Adventure, has now been dropped into the Atlantic around 100 miles off the coast of Mauritania by the Christian Radich, a Norwegian full-rigged ship, to continue its global travels.

HOLY ROLLER: A Polish priest who has faced criticism for driving a Porsche has said he is selling the luxury car and giving the proceeds to the poor. According to a report by TVN, the Rev Wieslaw Maciaszek, parish priest in Kasina Wielka, a village in southern Poland, had caused a scandal in his community for driving a car valued at 400,000 zlotys (£94,430). He issued a written statement announcing he would sell it and said: “If anyone feels offended, I am very sorry.” He also read the apology out during a Mass. TVN reported that while some parishioners were scandalised, others came to his defence.