A flying saucer photographed in Chile, a teenager arrested for flinging a pork chop at her own mother, and an ominous update to the Doomsday Clock were among the weird and wondrous stories to cross our desk this past week.
Fantastic pictures of possible paranormal phenomena made headlines on two occasions this past week. First, in Chile, a witness snapped several photos of what appeared to be a flying saucer that multiple people observed zipping through the sky before vanishing into thin air. Interestingly, in one of the remarkably clear images, the UFO is obscured by a sizeable reflection of the sun, suggesting that the mysterious object was metallic. Later in the week, the caretakers for a notoriously haunted theater in England shared an astonishing photo of what appeared to be a ghost child standing in the backstage area of the spooky site.
Photo: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
What has become something of a terrifying annual tradition occurred this past week when the infamous Doomsday Clock, a symbolic assessment of catastrophic threats facing humanity, was updated for 2026, and its metaphorical hands were moved a worrisome four seconds closer to midnight. The scientists and experts responsible for the evaluation, announced each January since 1947, explained that the new setting was based on what they see as a breakdown in global cooperation in favor of increased nationalism, leading to the exacerbation of the risks endangering our planet. The group once again called on the 'powers that be' to take a proactive approach towards nuclear proliferation, climate change, and other pressing issues before it is too late.
Photo: Getty Images
By far the weirdest story of the week came by way of Florida, where a one-sided food fight landed a teenager behind bars. The strange case began when 18-year-old Farrah Kernan got into an argument with her mother. Though the fight began as a verbal altercation, it soon turned physical when the young woman flung a pork chop, which had presumably been prepared for dinner, at her mother and then slapped her in the face. Police responding to the fight dutifully noted in their report that "food residue" was found on the victim's shoulder, and the entire wild scene was filmed by a witness who was at the home during the incident, leading to Kernan's arrest for domestic battery.
For more strange and unusual stories from the past week, check out the Coast to Coast AM website.