Gurning is in their blood!

Claire Lister, winner of the women’s prize eight years in a row. Pics/metro.co

Most people outgrow pulling ridiculous faces sometime between their first pimple and prom, but not the gurners at the World Gurning Championships in Egremont, Cumbria. Here, face contortion isn't just child's play - it's a serious sport, and these competitors are the Michelangelos of mugging.

Kendal Lister, 10, is carrying on her mum Claire's tradition

Take Tommy Mattinson, for instance, who just clinched his 19th men's title. Gurning runs in his blood; his dad was a champ too, and Tommy's not stopping until he hits 30 wins. Meanwhile, Claire Lister is the queen of the women's competition, winning her eighth consecutive title this year, while her daughter Kendal gurned her way to victory in the junior category.

Tommy Mattinson, winner of the men's prize, 2024

It's a family affair, folks! What seems to have been a part of the Egremont Crab Fair since 1267, gurning is scored by how much you can distort your face. Forget anti-aging creams and botox, this is transformation, at its weirdest and best!

30
No of wins Mattinson wants to reach

Panda or not?

Visitors demand money back after pandas turn out to be Chow Chow dogs in China zoo

Visitors at a zoo in China became suspicious of the pandas when they suddenly began barking. At first, the zoo claimed that it was hosting a rare and exotic breed of panda dogs. But as it turns out, the zoo admitted to dyeing two Chow Chows, a breed of dogs known for their thick coats and lion-like manes. Interestingly, last year a zoo in China got in trouble when people thought the sun bears there were just humans in costumes.

Proof is in the penny

A rare proof penny - coins meant for collection and not circulation - from 1952 is being bid for £200,000 on the Internet. Proof pennies are the highest quality of coins minted and require a lengthy process of production. This particular coin was unknown to the general public until 1997, making it even more special.

Man blames sons for robberies

A 34-year-old Australian man places the blame on his two sons, aged 15 and 17, for orchestrating seven robberies and claims he was merely a getaway driver, convinced by his sons to be an accomplice. However, evidence proved otherwise and after a change of heart, the man admitted guilt.

This Japanese rice is going to cost you

Produced by Japan's Toyo Rice Corporation, Kinmemai Premium is hand-picked from five varieties of Japanese rice, aged for six months using a rice-buffing technology that was developed over 17 years. The product holds a Guinness World Record for the world's most expensive rice ($109 per kilogram).

Going as Ozempic for Halloween?

Yandy, a popular lingerie company, might have just dropped the ultimate costume for Halloween. Inspired by the weight-loss drug craze, their "Sooo Snatched Costume" is a cheeky nod to Ozempic injections. Yandy, known for its quirky costumes, have launched this skimpy, syringe-inspired two-piece, complete with a pillbox hat, that lets revellers embrace the anti-flab fad. With Ozempic dominating 2024's headlines, this satirical get-up is bound to steal the spotlight.

In the bear's cave!

Influencer Stefan Jankovich may win the award for the scariest stunt of the year after sitting inside a bear's cave, waiting for the beast to return. As the bear approached, Jankovich stayed eerily calm, even as it sniffed his head. Fans questioned his sanity, with one asking, "How are you not dead?" The video has certainly garnered millions of views.