NEWS OF THE WEIRD

Names in the news

A newly elected local councilman in Ompundja, Namibia, is assuring constituents that he has no plans for world domination, despite his unfortunate name: Uunona Adolf Hitler. The 54year-old, who prefers to be called Mr. Uunona, told a German news website that his father named him without an understanding of the Nazi leader, Sky News reported. Namibia is a former German colony, so many streets, places and people have German names. “It was a perfectly normal name for me when I was a kid,” Uunona said.

Cliches come to life

After a heated argument with his wife in late November, a 48-year-old unnamed man from Como, Italy, stepped outside to walk it off and kept on walking until he was stopped a week later by police officers patrolling after curfew in Gimarra, more than 260 miles away, Oddity Central reported. The man said he had walked the entire way, without using any other modes of transportation and relied on the kindness of strangers for food and drink. “I’m fine. I’m just a little tired,” he said. His wife, who had reported him missing, picked him up the next day, but had to pay a fine of almost $500 for his violation of the curfew.

Turnabout is fair play

An unnamed hunter near the Czech Republic village of Horni Plana contacted police in late November after a deer startled by the man’s dogs charged him, snagging his .22-caliber rif le on its antlers before running into the woods, United Press International reported. The gun was unloaded, and police said another hunter saw the stag more than a half-mile away with the rif le still hanging from its antlers.

News that sounds like a fairy tale

Police in Kansas City, Kan., responded to a call on Nov. 27 from a man who said he returned home around 4 p.m. that day to find a stranger in his house. The unnamed suspect was wearing the victim’s clothing, had made a sandwich and cooked and ate ramen noodles, and when police arrived, was fast asleep in the victim’s bed, Fox4 reported. The man was arrested and booked into the Wyandotte County Jail.

Least competent criminal

Daniel M. Rizza, 20, of Mckeesport, Pa., driving a gray Audi SUV, ran out of gas on Nov. 27 and called state police to ask for help, but when he was told a trooper would be responding, he abruptly said he’d changed his mind and hung up, according to court documents. WTAJ reported the trooper responding to the call learned en route that a gray Audi had been reported stolen nearby earlier in the day, and after a check of the SUV’S make, model, identification number and registration, he arrested Rizza, who was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property.

Awesome!

An unnamed North Korean man in his late 20s told officials his training as a gymnast enabled him to jump almost 10 feet high over a fence on Nov. 3 to escape into South Korea, National Public Radio reported. After crossing the fence, the man evaded capture for about 14 hours before being detained by South Korean soldiers, whom he told he wanted to defect. Skeptical officials made him jump the same height again twice to help prove his story. Amazingly, he successfully avoided land mines and sensors around the border.

’Tis the season

An animal rescue worker in Adelaide, Australia, thought she was being pranked when Amanda Mccormick called on Dec. 2 to report she had discovered a koala in her Christmas tree. The little marsupial didn’t come with the tree; it wandered in the house and found a cozy new home among the ornaments, 9News reported. The female koala was safely removed to its more natural habitat. “Koalas are very curious creatures, and if the opportunity presents itself, they will investigate,” the rescue team said.

Socially distanced visitors to Tokyo’s Sunshine Aquarium were delighted to see Santa Claus, complete with a mask and f lippers and holding a Christmas wreath, gliding among banana fish and a stingray in a huge tank on Dec. 4, according to Reuters. The swimming Santa, who also used a bazookalike feeder to shoot treats to the fish, is a 20-year tradition at the aquarium. “I know it’s difficult to hold events like these because of the coronavirus situation,” said visitor Ayami Kobayashi, 35, “but I’m grateful they still held the event.”

News of the Weird is compiled by editors at Andrews Mcmeel. Send items with subject line “Weird News” to weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com.