Odd News Roundup: German restaurant bears out pandemic with furry customers; Don't worry kids, COVID won't stop Father Christmas and more

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

German restaurant bears out pandemic with furry customers

The owner of a Frankfurt restaurant is staging a protest against the coronavirus lockdown in Germany by filling his tables with a hundred stuffed toy pandas, in a play on the word "pandemic". German officials are expected on Wednesday to agree to extend until Dec. 20 a "lockdown light" they imposed on Nov. 2 that means bars, restaurants and entertainment venues must stay closed, while shops and schools can remain open.

Space oddity? Monolith in Utah desert mystifies helicopter crew

They were on a mission to count sheep when they found something they had not counted on. As a Utah helicopter crew buzzed over the southeastern part of the state looking for bighorn sheep last week, sitting beneath them in the middle of the desert was a bright shiny monolith, the stuff of sci-fi sagas.

Cambodian villagers trust magic scarecrows to ward off coronavirus

Cambodian villager Ek Chan has avoided the novel coronavirus so far without masks or social distancing but rather the scarecrows she has made to keep the deadly virus at bay. Ek Chan's two scarecrows, known locally as "Ting Mong", guard the gate of her house in Kandal province near the capital Phnom Penh, giving her peace of mind.

UK PM Johnson: Don't worry kids, COVID won't stop Father Christmas

The COVID-19 pandemic won't stop Father Christmas delivering presents, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a letter published on Wednesday, citing medical experts who said there was no health risk to children if rules were followed. Johnson gave the reassurance to an 8 year-old child named Monti, who had written to him asking if Father Christmas would be able to deliver gifts this year.

Tired of sniggers, Austrian village tweaks its name to Fugging

The Austrian village of Fucking is changing its name, the mayor of the municipality where it is located said on Thursday, after residents apparently grew tired of the sniggers it prompted in the English-speaking world and of visitors stealing its signs. The village, part of the municipality of Tarsdorf, north of Salzburg and near the German border, has long been a figure of fun in English-speaking media, which have gleefully reported local exasperation at signs being removed.

(With inputs from agencies.)