Odd News Roundup: Dutch buy delivery uniforms, borrow dogs to dodge curfew; Indian PM Modi's home state changes name of fruit and more

Latin America's biggest country, home to the world's second deadliest outbreak after the United States, recorded 43,859 divorces in the final six months of last year, up 15% compared with the same period in 2019, and the highest total since record-keeping began in 2007, the college said Police discover first cannabis farm in London financial district The first cannabis farm has been found in London's historic financial district, where office buildings have been emptied because of lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19, British police said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

A lotus, not a Chinese dragon: Indian PM Modi's home state changes name of fruit

The government in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat has decided to change the name of dragon fruit as it feels the original name is associated with China, drawing derision from the country's opposition on Wednesday. India and China are currently locked in a military standoff along their contested Himalayan border, with New Delhi responding to the deaths of 20 of its troops in June by banning Chinese-made apps and curbing imports.

Dutch buy delivery uniforms, borrow dogs to dodge curfew

Fears of being cooped up during a curfew have led the Dutch to resort to creative ways to dodge the rules, with people signing up for borrow-a-dog services and ordering the uniforms of home delivery companies. From Saturday, a nightly curfew to try and curb the pandemic starting at 21:00 (20:00 GMT) and running until 04:30 will be imposed, the first nationwide curfew since World War Two.

Love in the time of COVID-19? 'No thanks' say Brazil's divorcing couples

Brazil recorded a record number of divorces during the second half of 2020, the national college of notaries said on Thursday, as married couples grew sick of one another after long periods of time cooped up at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Latin America's biggest country, home to the world's second deadliest outbreak after the United States, recorded 43,859 divorces in the final six months of last year, up 15% compared with the same period in 2019, and the highest total since record-keeping began in 2007, the college said Police discover first cannabis farm in London financial district

The first cannabis farm has been found in London's historic financial district, where office buildings have been emptied because of lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19, British police said on Wednesday. The City of London Police said 826 cannabis plants were found in a building near the Bank of England. The police said there were reports of a "strong smell of cannabis", which led to the raid.

Newport keeper King sets world record with goal from 96 metres out

When Newport County goalkeeper Tom King took a goal kick in a League Two game at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday, little did he know he would be writing his name into the Guinness World Records book for the longest goal ever scored. At 0-0 in the 12th minute, King placed the ball inside his six-yard box and launched it so far upfield that it bounced a few yards outside the opposition box before the wind picked it up and over the helpless Joshua Griffiths in Cheltenham's goal. King toppled from throne by gender-neutral card deck

Indy Mellink, a Dutch card fan, was explaining a game to her cousins last summer when she asked herself: why should a king be worth more than a queen? The 23-year-old forensic psychology graduate, encouraged by her father, decided it was time to break with the centuries-old tradition of sexual inequality in playing card decks that rank men above women.

Bernie Sanders, bundled up at Biden inauguration, goes viral in a meme

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, wrapped up in a winter coat and mittens at the presidential inauguration, is now a fashion icon for looking like he was running an errand at the historic event. Amid a sea of designer coats, the 79-year-old senator made a sartorial statement on Wednesday by showing up in a jacket by snowboarding equipment company Burton and home-made wool mittens, carrying a large brown envelope.