SIDELINES...

NON HOMING PIGEONS

Over 100 homing pigeons caused problems in Florida after the crate carrying them fell off a truck, setting them free. Rather than flying off and heading home though, the birds sat tight and refused to leave the road so the authorities had to close Interstate 95 for three hours while they were rounded up by hand. Metro, 2 July 2021.

SLEEP THIEF

In China, a man identified only as Huang took advantage of an ex-girlfriend’s illness by offering to come round and prepare food for her. Having given her food and medicine that made her drowsy, Huang pressed her finger to her phone to unlock it and lifted her eyelids to activate her Alipay app by facial recognition. He then changed her password and transferred the equivalent of $24,000 (£17,582) to his own account. When the woman recovered and noticed the bank transfers, Huang was arrested, earning himself a hefty fine and three and a half years in prison. huffpost.com, 17 Dec 2021.

BIG MOUTH STRIKES AGAIN

Minnesota teenager Isaac Johnson, 16, regained his place in Guinness World Records when his gape was measured at 4in (10.16cm). Johnson previously held the record with a 3.67in (9.32cm) gape in 2019, but lost it to a Pennsylvania teenager shortly after. “I guess it just grew over time as I grew. Maybe doing it, opening my mouth, stretches it out. Maybe that helped, too. I’m very lucky to just have a naturally big mouth,” he said. [UPI] 15 Dec 2021.