In terrifying seconds, a bison charges campers at Yellowstone

World Santa Congress brings Christmas cheer to the height of summer

AALBORG, Denmark (AP) — While Europe's still in the throes of summer heat, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Danish city of Aalborg.

Joey Chestnut eats 66 hot dogs to again claim Mustard Belt at Nathan's Famous contest

Crowds gathered in the sweltering heat Saturday to celebrate the United States' 250th birthday by watching famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut defend his world hot dog eating championship in Coney Island, where he downed 66 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Miki Sudo defended her title as we

Puppy love as dog walker turns his pack of 13 into Argentina jersey-clad World Cup followers

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Thirteen Argentina followers are roaming the streets of Buenos Aires proudly sporting their team's jersey — but they're not on two legs, they're on all fours, letting out the occasional bark.

People race through Madrid in high heels during Pride, in photos

MADRID (AP) — Participants wearing shoes with heels of at least 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) compete in an annual high heel race during Madrid’s Pride week on Thursday, July 2.

Australian officials ask fans to respect the privacy of Neil, a 1-ton seal who respects nothing

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Like plenty of local boys before him, Neil has come home to the stretch of Australian coast where he was born. Unlike most of them, he trails fame, fans and property damage in his wake. He is also a 1,000 kg (2,200 pound) elephant seal.

Rare copy of Declaration of Independence found by UK National Archives in papers of captured US ship

LONDON (AP) — Michael Scurr has been volunteering at Britain’s National Archives for the last 11 years, spending his Thursday mornings painstakingly cataloging documents for the benefit of future researchers.

Climber couple arrested after scaling Empire State Building antenna for apparent marriage proposal

NEW YORK (AP) — A daredevil couple scaled the Empire State Building's antenna Wednesday and unfurled a banner about “the power of love” and peace, apparently as part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal — soon followed by their arrest.

Sightings of humpback whales surge in Rio de Janeiro, fueling demand for whale-watching trips

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Sightings of humpback whales off Rio de Janeiro’s coast are surging as they recover from decimation due to commercial whaling, prompting an acceleration in the demand for whale-watching excursions to spot the huge marine creatures during their annual migration.

Heat forces yodelers at annual Swiss festival to sing in fountains

Yodelers at a festival in Basel, Switzerland, turned city fountains into rehearsal spaces during Europe’s June heat wave. From Friday to Sunday, singers and alphorn players performed throughout the city. Spontaneous yodeling echoed through restaurants, surprising diners who later joined in. Aroun.

A rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica is found tucked away in a drawer

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have stumbled on a rare dinosaur fossil from Antarctica, tucked away for decades in a drawer.

Gracie the Giraffe, who went missing after wandering off a Texas ranch, is finally found

Gracie the Giraffe, who went missing for about two weeks in Texas after wandering off a remote private ranch, was finally found Friday — and the open range appeared to have agreed with her.

Will Red Grooms' whimsical, wonderful Tennessee Fox Trot Carousel ride again?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For a few years at the turn of this century, Nashville was home to a remarkable carousel.

A giraffe named Gracie escaped in Texas. No one can seem to find her

A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas, and the search for her has become a tall order.

Merlín the duck takes a trip to the stadium, but FIFA rules keep him out of Mexico match

MEXICO CITY (AP) — One of the biggest folk heroes of this World Cup, Merlín the duck arrived outside Mexico City's stadium on Wednesday to great fanfare — but was ultimately told he could not remain for Mexico's match against the Czech Republic.

Strange real estate: 7-story picnic basket is on the market

The Longaberger basket company is selling its seven-story picnic basket for someone looking for a unique real estate opportunity.

Loudest man yells equal to a jet engine

An Australian town crier sets a world record for the loudest yell, like jet engine loud

Guinness crowns Canberra town crier as the world's loudest person at 122.4 decibels

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Joseph McGrail-Bateup, an Australian professional air conditioner cleaner and honorary town crier, has been recognized as the world’s loudest person.

$75 caviar-topped tots. A day's pay worth of beer. Here's the World Cup menu — and prices

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — World Cup tickets are expensive. Flights to North America are expensive. Hotel rooms in many places are expensive.

Merlin the duck steals the spotlight at President Sheinbaum's news briefing

Merlín the duck, Mexico’s unofficial World Cup mascot, stole the spotlight at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s news briefing. Wearing a green jersey, Merlín didn’t take questions Monday, but his owner, Carla Gómez, did. Gómez, a street vendor, introduced her family as representatives of Mexic

Rescue dog Osito steals hearts at the World Cup, one bike ride at a time

MEXICO CITY (AP) — As World Cup fever sweeps Mexico City, one of the tournament’s biggest fan favorites isn’t a player, coach or official mascot. Joining Merlin the duck in the pantheon of heart-stealers is Osito, an 8-year-old rescue poodle mix who's become an unlikely sensation after arrivin

Triangle couple postpones wedding to attend Stanley Cup Parade

A Triangle couple is postponing their wedding by five hours to make sure they can attend the Stanley Cup Parade.

An ancient oak tree said to have sheltered legendary Robin Hood has died

LONDON (AP) — A massive ancient oak tree linked to the legend of Robin Hood may have been loved to death.

Brazilian soccer fans at the World Cup heed warning not to dress Rocky statue in team gear

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brazil fans who went the distance up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps to pose with the Rocky statue left the fictional fighter just as they found him.

Creative and colorful hats steal the show at the Royal Ascot horse races in England, in photos

ASCOT, Britain (AP) — Extravagant, elaborate and sometimes gravity-defying hats take center stage each summer at Royal Ascot, the five-day horse racing festival held at Ascot Racecourse in southern England, a venue founded by Queen Anne in 1711.

A month-old pony moves to a 4th-floor apartment in Croatia. Neighbors don't mind

ROVINJ, Croatia (AP) — A month-old pony named Mile is the newest resident of an apartment building in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rovinj.

Meet Merlin the duck, a Mexico City streetside regular turned World Cup mascot

Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored for Mexico, but Merlin the duck stole the show. The 2-year-old duck dressed in Mexico’s national colors became an internet sensation during Mexico’s World Cup-opening victory over South Africa. Images of Merlin parading through Mexico City wen

New UFO files describe spinning discs, glowing orbs and one object shaped like a potato

WASHINGTON (AP) — One was a rotating disc that sent out beams of light. Another was a shining red orb of a hue the observer had never seen before. Then there was the one compared to a potato, and also a bean, but with a coat of shimmering, fish-like scales.

Knicks in 6: NY man’s high school yearbook prediction 6 years ago goes viral

A New York man has gone viral for a prediction he made in his high school yearbook six years ago that the New York Knicks would win an NBA title in 2026. Evan Pfeufer chose to have “Knicks in 6. 2026 NBA Finals” written next to his portrait in the 2020 Smithtown High School West yearbook. The pr

Join the beaver hunt: Toronto neighborhood offers unique World Cup-themed scavenger hunt

TORONTO (AP) — Berczy Park is home to a much-loved fountain featuring canine sculptures that shoot water out of their mouths. But now, there's a new dog in town.

With jumpsuits, wigs and dance moves, these young boys and teens keep Elvis' legacy alive

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Nearly 50 years after Elvis Presley 's death, a gaggle of exuberant young boys and teens shook up his hometown, intent on keeping the king's legacy alive for a new generation.

Wrestling matches provide an action-packed story time at US libraries, in photos

“Lucha Libro,” a high-energy, action-packed story time is bringing live wrestling matches to libraries across the U.S. to promote literacy. Founded in 2024, “Lucha Libro” plays off the name of the popular Mexican-inspired sport of Lucha Libre. Libro means book in Spanish. Over 40 events are

Australian cockroach kingpin caught with 100,000 illegal insects in record bug bust

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — More than 100,000 live cockroaches illegal to keep in Australia were confiscated from a single breeder in the country’s largest-ever seizure of exotic invertebrates, officials said Friday.

What it's like to go inside New York City's dank, dangerous, bug-filled sewers

NEW YORK (AP) — It wasn’t the rats. Or the smells. Or the germs.

Buffalo named Donald Trump for his golden locks is a sensation at a Bangladesh zoo

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — With his shock of golden hair and trim 700-kilogram (1,500-pound) build, Donald Trump has been drawing crowds from across Bangladesh since he arrived at the national zoo last week.

Radio scans find no alien tech from the latest interstellar comet

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The group leading the charge in the search for extraterrestrial life has given the all clear: An interstellar comet looks to be completely natural and free of any alien tech.

Videos showing groups of people entering NYC sewers at night baffle residents and investigators

NEW YORK (AP) — Mole people? Crocodile catchers? Mario brothers? A series of bizarre sightings of people popping in and out of New York City’s vast subterranean sewer system has the city wondering what exactly is going on, with police now probing the underground mystery.

Rare albino buffalo named after Donald Trump for its golden locks draws crowds at Bangladesh zoo

Steampunk festival creates an unlikely capital for Victorian style and sci-fi oddity in New Zealand

ŌAMARU, New Zealand (AP) — The woman in the pink frock coat announced herself as steam curled from a strange brass contraption on her back.

Photos show airship captains and Victorian inventors flocking to a New Zealand steampunk festival

ŌAMARU, New Zealand (AP) — The small, rural town of Ōamaru, New Zealand, has become an unlikely world capital for the retro futuristic genre of steampunk.

Altar-ed plans: US midfielder gets 1-day leave from World Cup training for his own wedding

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — American midfielder Brenden Aaronson had a good excuse to miss the U.S. World Cup team's training session Friday — he was getting married.

What to know about Manhattanhenge, NYC's sunset spectacle

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City residents and visitors look up at the sky to experience a phenomenon twice a year known as Manhattanhenge.

Bryce Harper bristles at blowback from toothbrushing technique. Just a squeeze, from tube to tongue

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper bristled at the blowback from his toothbrushing technique that he displayed over a sink inside a San Diego hotel bathroom.

Pigeons may be navigating with their liver, study suggests

NEW YORK (AP) — A surprising gut feeling may help pigeons find their way home.

Florida man breaks into store with chainsaw, steals $12K worth of Pokémon cards

A West Palm Beach man allegedly broke into a Lake Park store to steal Pokémon cards — using a chainsaw.

Gotta go: Home player Arthur Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

PARIS (AP) — Home player Arthur Gea ran off the court for an emergency bathroom break early in the first set of his French Open debut on Sunday.

A round of a-paws for ‘La Perra,’ winner of the Palm Dog award at Cannes

CANNES, France (AP) — A round of a-paws for “La Perra,” winner of this year’s Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival. The Chilean movie took the top canine prize Friday, a day before the festival's official awards ceremony.

Tractors, ATVs and golf carts, oh my: Michigan seniors arrive at school in style on Tractor Day

CARLETON, Mich. (AP) — Chase Harvell rolled into the Airport High School parking lot Friday in southeastern Michigan one final time before next week’s graduation.

Joey Chestnut to defend hot dog eating title while on probation after pleading guilty to battery

Competitive eater Joey Chestnut is on probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge. The reigning champion and 17-time winner of Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest will still compete in the July 4 spectacle. The competitive eating sensation was accused of slapp.

Holy deception: Rome's 'sexy priest' calendar star never set foot in a seminary

A calendar featuring close-ups of young, handsome priests has been a popular Rome souvenir for two decades. However, many of those photographed aren't actually priests. A now 39-year-old flight attendant has been the cover model for most of the last 23 editions. He was just 17 when he posed for t...

Lettuce introduce you to the live frog found in this grocery store salad bag

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — When Australian farmer Rhys Smoker announced he’d found a live frog in a bag of lettuce, his housemates didn’t believe him.