Former nurse says NHS made her ‘fart against her will’
And other stories from the stranger side of life
A former nurse has sued the NHS, claiming that she was subject to hypnosis “experiments” at work which made her “fart against her will”. Xandra Samson, who worked at Ealing Hospital in London before being sacked in December 2019, told a tribunal she was the target of a little-known hypnotic practice called the “ideomotor phenomenon”, which allegedly forces people into unconscious behaviours. She lost the case.
Britain’s UFO hotspot is revealed
Yorkshire is the UK’s centre of UFO reports, with over 200 encounters being logged there over the past two decades. The most recent sighting came in June in Leeds, when two thin, black and curved elongated triangles were seen flying above and then stopping in mid-air. Nationally, between March and April 2020 the county racked up 192 UFO reports, a 200% increase on the year before.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
50p coin could be worth £60
An old 50p coin that is rarer and harder to find than the collectable Kew Gardens design could be worth up to £60. Released between 1992 and 1993, the EC 50p features a birds-eye view of a conference table with 12 chairs around it for each of the ministers, with the UK at the top of the table. Only 109,000 of the coins were minted - around half of that of the Kew Gardens coin, which has sold for as much as £100.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Who actually needs life insurance?
The Explainer If you have kids or are worried about passing on debt, the added security may be worth it
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Sexual wellness trends to know, from products and therapies to retreats and hotels
The Week Recommends Talking about pleasure and sexual health is becoming less taboo
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Is the AI bubble deflating?
Today's Big Question Growing skepticism and high costs prompt reconsideration
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Zoos offer cockroach naming and hippo poo candles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
NHS tells Scots to walk like penguins
Tall Tales Walk like penguins in the snow, says NHS
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Experts discover why dogs wag their tails
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Peruvian 'aliens' aren't really aliens
Tall Tales And other stories from stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman accidentally puts nan in washing machine
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Dutch people put pancakes on their heads today
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Fly found in man's colon
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Judi Dench accidentally video called co-star from bath
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published