AN EXTREMELY rare "rat king" omen which is said to indicate an impending plague has been discovered.

Brits have revealed their most bizarre fears with buttons, balloons - and the colour yellow making the list. Researchers polled 2,000 adults to reveal the nation's eclectic mix of phobias, with trypophobia - the fear of small holes - and nlaiguphobia - the fear of tin openers - both featuring.

A CROCODILE ATTACK in Australia shocked locals after the 60-year-old survivor explained he managed to escape the beast using only a pocket knife.

MOUNT SINAI, Moses' holy mountain, might not be in Egypt according to American Bible researchers who claim the real one is in Saudi Arabia.

A DOG which has been dubbed ‘Dognaldo' invaded a Premier League football match and stole the show with his impressive skills.

A HORRIFIED woman discovered a human finger inside a burger she was eating.

LONDON is home to many famous landmarks and locations that have a haunted reputation, but the story of Bruce Castle's ghost that is said to make an eerie visit each November certainly gives visitors chills.

Eating breakfast in the shower, sipping tea on the toilet and even taking video calls from the bath are among the weird and wonderful things Brits get up to in the bathroom, according to research. A study of 2,000 adults found 42 percent often escape to the bathroom for a bit of peace and quiet away from the rest of their household.

In 2018, Osceola County police officers arrested a after he tried to burn sex offenders to death.
By his own admission, Jorge Porto-Sierra -- who was 50 years old when he committed the crime -- traveled to the Friendly Village Inn & Motel on Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee to "barbecue all the child molesters on fire and kill them."
Hundreds of registered sex offenders live in Kissimmee, many of them in the Friendly Village Inn & Motel, as previously reported.Jorge Porto-Sierra
So, what did Jorge Porto-Sierra do exactly?
The Florida man drove to the Friendly Village Inn & Motel and, according to witnesses, jumped out of his car and began screaming at a man who was standing outside of his room.
Per , Porto-Sierra then broke one of the motel's windows and started pouring gasoline inside, screaming "I’m going to kill you, child molester!"
The man and his roommate managed to escape through the back windows. But that was only the beginning of the Florida man's rampage.What Did Jorge Porto-Sierra Do?
Porto-Sierra then went back to the parking lot and attacked two individuals who were sitting in their car. After that, he rammed his Ford Focus into their vehicle, and poured gasoline into it through an open window.
Just as Porto-Sierra was preparing to set the car on fire, police arrived on the scene. He was quickly surrounded and told to surrender.
The Florida man waived his Miranda rights, and told police the following.
"They raped kids, they are child molesters that all live here and deserve to die."What Happened Next?
Police later established that two of the four people Porto-Sierra tried to burn alive actually were convicted sex offenders. He was charged with four counts of attempted murder and placed in custody at the Osceola County Jail without bond.
Osceola County is a known haven for sex offenders, because "it isn’t within any restricted range of schools, playgrounds, and churches," per All That's Interesting.
The publication also noted that "there is actually a history of registered sex offenders living at the Friendly Village Inn & Motel."Florida Man
The phrase "Florida man" is often associated with shocking news headlines.
recently compiled an extensive list of some of the most bizarre Florida man stories.
Headlines such as "Florida man chews off another man’s face," "Florida man in dog costume filmed himself having sex with Siberian husky," "Florida man tries to evade arrest by cartwheeling away from cops," and "Florida man arrested for trying to get alligator drunk" all made the Post's list.
Last month, as reported, a Florida man stole an alligator, and then repeatedly beat it to "teach it a lesson."

In director Spike Jonze's 2013 movie Her, the main protagonist Theodore Twombly, who is portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with a Siri-like virtual assistant.
Critics classify the film as science fiction, but people around the world are actually falling in love with virtual assistants, gadgets, computer programs, even robots -- and they are called digisexuals.
What was once taboo is now socially acceptable, so digisexuals have gradually become more comfortable with sharing their stories with the public.
So, how can one be a digisexual and what is ?Digisexuality
In a way, anyone who uses technology in a relationship is a digisexual, according to Neil McArthur, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Manitoba.
"Digisexuality is just anytime you're using technology in sex or relationships, whether it's through Snapchat or Skype, or meeting people online through Tinder or Bumble. Everybody's more or less a digisexual in this first wave sense," McArthur, who co-wrote the book The Rise of Digisexuality, told .
"What distinguishes 'digisexuals' as a sexual identity is that they find their connection to their technology to be very close to those sorts of connections that we would make with human partners," McArthur noted.Digisexuals
In 2019, school administrator Akihiko Kondo strolled down the aisle in Tokyo, Japan. Around 40 people were in attendance in what looked just like any other wedding. But Kondo wasn't marrying a woman: he was marrying a hologram.
As reported, Kondo married Hatsune Miku, a virtual character that is popular in Japan.
Kondo, who works as a school administrator, considers himself an oppressed sexual minority and insists that his marriage with Migu is a result of true love, and not a stunt.Other Examples
Other digisexuals have shared their stories with the public.
"I’m really and only attracted by the robots," a French woman told the media in 2016, revealing that she is engaged to a 3-D-printed robot she designed.
"My only two relationships with men have confirmed my love orientation, because I dislike really physical contact with human flesh," the woman said.
Similarly, in 2017, Chinese artificial intelligence engineer Zheng Jiajia married Yingying, a robot he built himself.
Spanish roboticist Sergi Santos, meanwhile, owns a sex robot he uses when his wife is "not in the mood."What Does The Future Hold?
Platforms like and apps like Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years, but what does the future hold when it comes to digisexuality?
According to Bryony Cole, the founder of Future of Sex, the term "digisexual" will lose all meaning in the future.
"Subsequent generations will have never known a distinction between their online and offline lives. They may grow up with sex education chatbots, make love to the universe in their own V.R.-created world... this will be as normal as the sex education we had in schools using VHS tapes," Cole told the NYT.

While we hold our hygiene in high regard today, that doesn't mean our ancestors didn't feel the same. While they had the same ambition, that doesn't mean they had the same convenience we have. In fact, they went to some -- and even disgusting -- distances to keep clean with some wild products, a few which can be seen below.Chamber Pots
When nature would call in the past, people used to keep something called a chamber pot under their beds, according to . They would do their business into the pot and empty it at a later date.Groom of the King's Close Stool
One assistant provided to kings was something called the "Groom of the King's Close Stool." The responsibility would carry around hygienic products to assist the in defecating, which includes wiping their backside. Meanwhile, peasants at the time were forced to resort to leaves to clean their business.Leeches
A common cure in the past was bloodletting. This meant that someone with an illness such as a cold would have a leech placed on them in order to solve their issue, with the only alternative being a knife. While not the all-encompassing cure it once was, leeches are still used today, as reported by .Moss Tampons
Tampons in medieval times were quite different than they are today. Due to inaccessibility, women were forced to make do with what was available, which means that tampons at the time were made of old cloth wrapped around absorbant moss.Urine
A common face wash for women used to be urine, due to its antiseptic abilities. While it sounds disgusting, urine is still recommended as a cure for acne.

A British man with a love of singer said he was a bit tipsy as he watched her television concert on Christmas Eve and made a life changing decision to change his name to hers.
As the reported, the former Thomas Dodd said he has always listened to Dion when he needs cheering up, and while watching the holiday concert decided to pay $122 to have his name legally changed to . But he was a bit too deep into champagne and said he later forgot about doing it. A few days later, he came home from work to find an envelope with legal documentation about his new moniker.
"I wasn't aware I had done it until I found that envelope in my post," he explained."Initially, I had to sit down as I couldn't believe it — so I then checked my bank which confirmed it all."Dion said there was paperwork for him to sign to make the name-change official. Now sober, he said it wasn't a difficult call at all.
"Once it sunk in, I signed it straightaway as I bloody love her!" he said.
He was so proud of the change that he took to Twitter to share pictures of the legal paperwork needed to make it official. The tweet captured some viral attention, with many leaving comments amused with his determination in following through on what was initially a drunken whim.

The strange decision has attracted the former Dodd some international attention, with the British man saying that he has gotten messages from fans of the Canadian singer across the globe asking to send them video messages.
He appeared satisfied, saying he is a big fan of the singer and that her music has helped him through a difficult time. It hasn't been the easiest year for the real Dion either, as she was one of the earlier celebrities to go through a COVID-19 scare after falling ill in March but ultimately .
While he may not regret the change, Dion admits that it might make things a bit awkward when he introduces himself to people in the future.
"I've just moved into a small village and haven't spoken to many people," he said."It'll cause quite a stir when I tell them my new name."The New York Post noted that it reached out to the real Celine Dion for a comment on the super fan who now shares a name with her, but her representatives had yet to respond.

A former Israeli general is claiming that both the and Israel have been in contact with aliens for years.
Haim Eshed, who served as the head of the Israeli space security program for 30 years and is currently a professor, made the comments in an interview with the Tel Aviv-based newspaper Yediot Aharonot. Parts of the interview has since been translated and reprinted in outlets such as .
In the discussion, Eshed claimed that communication between extraterrestrial creatures started when aliens reached out to converse with Earth-based scientists about understanding the "fabric of the universe." The 87-year-old added that the aliens have even created their own "Galactic Federation."
In addition, the retired general said that aliens are not only communicating with human scientists, but working with them. He claimed that the Galactic Federation and the U.S. have even built an underground base on Mars where representatives from both entities are currently working.
Eshed also noted that President Trump knows of his nation's relationship with the extraterrestrial beings and was even "on the verge" of making an announcement to the public addressing its existence. However, the Galactic Federation was allegedly worried that the disclosure would cause mass hysteria across the globe and asked that Trump maintain their top secret status. The aliens reportedly believed that humankind needs to "evolve and reach a stage where [humans] will... understand what space and spaceships are."
Over the past couple of years, both the United States and Israel have ramped up their extraterrestrial exploration programs. President Trump created a new combatant section in the Department of Defense called the U.S. Space Command. In addition, he resurrected the National Space Council and made the creation of lunar colonies to help Martian development a top priority for NASA, per the .
Meanwhile, Israel planned to land a spacecraft on the moon in 2019, though the mission ended unsuccessfully. The Middle Eastern nation is launching a second attempt later this week.
When asked about why he was making the comments today, the former Israeli official claimed that he believed the planet was finally developing a different mentality about the possibility of life beyond Earth.
"If I had come up with what I'm saying today five years ago, I would have been hospitalized," he explained to Yediot. "Today, they're already talking differently. I have nothing to lose. I've received my degrees and awards; I am respected in universities abroad, where the trend is also changing."
Meanwhile, a former head of a secret U.S. agency made headlines earlier this summer when he stated that there was "beyond reasonable doubt" that unidentified flying objects (UFOs) exist, per .

The mother of a college student who died after choking during a charity pancake eating contest has reportedly reached a settlement with the school where the tragic incident took place.
Caitlin Nelson was taking part in the charity event at Sacred Heart University in 2017 when she began to choke while eating. As the reported, two nursing students saw her begin to choke and immediately administered aid, and police and paramedics later joined in treating the college student. But Nelson did not recover, suffering severe brain damage due to a lack of oxygen and eventually dying after being taken to a nearby hospital and later transferred to another in New York City.
The young woman's mother, Roseanne Nelson, had filed a wrongful death suit against the the following year claiming that the event was too dangerous to have taken place. She reportedly reached a settlement this week. Her lawyer confirmed that the lawsuit had now been dropped but did not give details about what damages may have been included, the Independent reported.
As the report added, the mother claimed that the school should have been aware of the dangers of having students eat the thick pancakes so quickly, and she also said they failed to have proper medical personnel on hand. The event had been organized by a sorority to benefit Prevent Child Abuse America, the outlet added.
Nelson fell ill as she struggled to eat so quickly, the suit claimed, and soon collapsed.
"When the buzzer rang, Caitlin did what nearly all amateurs do: she stuffed pancakes in her mouth much faster than she could swallow," the suit stated, via ."Moments later, Caitlin started to shake uncontrollably and then collapsed."Sacred Heart had filed its own lawsuit against the food service provider, claiming it was responsible and seeking for it to pay out the damages, but the university dropped it when the settlement was reached.
As the CT Post reported, the 20-year-old was remembered as a kind and loving person, and a playground was dedicated in her honor in her hometown.
"She was a selfless, loving, wise, and warm-hearted woman. She saw life as an opportunity to assist those in need," her sister, Anne Nelson, said at the park's dedication."Caitlin treated each and every person with respect, never failing to put a smile on someone's face."

Caitlin Nelson had already been in the spotlight during her youth, as her father was a New York City Port Authority police officer who died on 9/11.

Dancing like Michael Jackson requires that certain something. 300lbs and flippers aren't features that I'd usually think would qualify, but there's always a first time.
We're not sure where this footage was shot, but it is without doubt the best video you'll see of a walrus dancing like Michael Jackson this week.

A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly returning dozens of used enemas to a Jacksonville CVS. The scam is one he had pulled off many times over an extended period of time.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Department launched an investigation after they were tipped off that a man had repeatedly been returning multiple saline laxative enemas to the same CVS. According to a release from the Sheriff's Department the suspect had been returning six pack containers of enemas for more than three months. Employees had been re-shelving the products not realizing they had been used.
In early June an employee, Dustin McDonald found it strange that the suspect was bringing back the same item more than once. He decided to do an internal investigations. The Smoking Gun reported that when he opened a few boxes of enemas they were all filled with fluid and that the box had been re-glued to look like it had never been opened.
He looked further and found that all the boxes on the shelf were in exactly the same state, having been opened and re-glued shut. McDonald didn't call the cops at that point, until he saw the suspect in the store again trying to return the same item and then he called the cops.
The Sheriff's Department sent the bottles to the crime lab and found that they had all been opened and fecal matter was detected on all of them.
CVS is contacting anyone they know purchased enemas from the store to return them immediately and in encouraging anyone with information to please come forward.

A viral farm sign says sex, noises and odors are inevitable when you live next to one, and if you don't like it, you ought to move away.
We're guessing that the owner of said farm regularly gets complaints about his/her animals making noises, smelling bad and having sex outdoors for everyone to see. It inspired the farmer to make this unique farm sign, warning of sex, noises and odors, and advising anyone who has a problem with it to move away.
The tell-it-like-it-is sign warns of the uniquer conditions when living next to a farm and says that unless you can "tolerate noise, odors and outdoor sex, DON'T BUY PROPERTY NEXT TO A FARM."
A photo of the sign was by user 0Fucs2Give (something tells us the sign really resonated with that handle's operator) in just under 20 hours.
A few comments on the thread show that people complaining about farms they live next to is actually . City slickers relocating to quieter, pastoral settings often call the cops over the smell of manure and even petition to shut down farms in the name of property value.
"I work for a city Parks department. People buy houses next to parks then complain about people walking through the park next to their house along the fence. Or buy the property that backs to a park and is closes to a swing set then complain kids on swings can see in their yard. People are not smart," wrote one user.
One Redditor joked "Cow sex is hilarious, I don't see how that is a negative selling point for anyone." We might have to agree, there.
What do you think of the farm sign warning of sex, noises and odors? Sound off!

A couple were so completely love-struck when they posed for their engagement photo that there was something they just didn't notice, until the photo hit the popular social media forum reddit and started to go viral.
While it is unknown who the romantic couple are, or where they are situated, The Mirror Online notes that it is apparent that they were enjoying a good meal at a restaurant when the boyfriend , proposing to the love of his life.
They theorize the man had been rehearsing the proposal scenario for months and apparently got it right, because she did say "yes."
As they were in a restaurant at the time, the newly-engaged pair then chose to use the nearest tools they had to create the perfect engagement photo. They took a whole load of rice and created each others' initials, separated by a huge and romantic heart.
His initials are AN and hers are AL, so you might already see where this is going. Being in a love-struck state as they were, they just didn't notice or think of the consequences and posted the engagement photo online.
A redditor found the rather amusing image on Imgur and since then the engagement photo has gone viral, with several thousand reddit users sharing it around.
A redditor called Bluebeagle theorized as to what might have occurred."Lets do my initials first, then yours"
"No way, that spells out Alan...."
"Fine, we can do your's first."Another redditor by the name of ch33s3man suggested, "Maybe they intentionally did it because they have a sense of humor."
Whatever the actual series of events involved, they will now definitely need a sense of humor as the resulting engagement photo certainly came out very funny and rather unfortunate, as can be seen below.

What's wrong with this picture?
— Ian Croll (@Iancroll1) In similar, equally unfortunate news, Inquisitr recently reported the story of the guy who proposed to his girl in a car, at the drive-thru, by putting an in a chicken sandwich. Needless to say that proposal went horribly wrong.
Then there was the story of a Dutch man who hired a huge crane to make a , which went smashingly wrong.
Last, but definitely not least, there was a that went horribly wrong when the future groom accidentally dropped the ring during freefall.
It all goes to show that marriage proposals should always be carefully planned to avoid something going horribly awry, especially when taking an engagement photo on what should be one of the most important days of your life.
[Image: CC by 2.0 ]

In a letter to his former master, freed Jourdan Anderson tells his master exactly what the score is. I am glad to hear that things like this happened back then.
The letter in its entirety:
Dayton, Ohio,
August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee
Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can. I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house. I suppose they never heard about your going to Colonel Martin's to kill the Union soldier that was left by his company in their stable. Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again, and see Miss Mary and Miss Martha and Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this. I would have gone back to see you all when I was working in the Nashville Hospital, but one of the neighbors told me that Henry intended to shoot me if he ever got a chance.
I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy,—the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. They go to Sunday school, and Mandy and me attend church regularly. We are kindly treated. Sometimes we overhear others saying, "Them colored people were slaves" down in Tennessee. The children feel hurt when they hear such remarks; but I tell them it was no disgrace in Tennessee to belong to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys would have been proud, as I used to be, to call you master. Now if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again.
As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville. Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to. Please send the money by Adams's Express, in care of V. Winters, Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future. We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense. Here I draw my wages every Saturday night; but in Tennessee there was never any pay-day for the negroes any more than for the horses and cows. Surely there will be a day of reckoning for those who defraud the laborer of his hire.
In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. You know how it was with poor Matilda and Catherine. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education, and have them form virtuous habits.
Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.
From your old servant,
Jourdon Anderson.

Ever since the novel coronavirus reached Cuba, a tall cardboard box with arms and legs can be seen tottering around a Havana suburb, popping into the bakery or butchers, or browsing the newspaper stand.