Odd News Roundup: Istanbul stray dogs get own starring roles in new film; NFT digital artwork by humanoid robot Sophia up for auction and more

The industrial designer has loved Lego for as long as he can remember, but started collecting it seriously a few years ago on an overseas study trip to Detroit, amazed by the range of sets available in the United States. A once-every-17 year hatch of periodic cicadas is set to occur across parts of the eastern United States - and it is expected to be big.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

Lego collector recreates Vietnam street scenes in miniature

In a room crammed from ceiling to floor with boxes, cabinets and drawers of Lego bricks, Hoang Dang intently builds a bright blue, yellow and red fishing boat with a Vietnamese flag and eyes at its prow. The industrial designer has loved Lego for as long as he can remember, but started collecting it seriously a few years ago on an overseas study trip to Detroit, amazed by the range of sets available in the United States.

Got a shot? Get a doughnut! Krispy Kreme gives away treat to vaccinated

Known for their perfectly glazed sugary treats, people now have another reason to appreciate doughnut chain Krispy Kreme. Starting Monday, anyone who shows a valid COVID-19 vaccination card at a Krispy Kreme store in the United States will receive a free glazed doughnut.

NFT digital artwork by humanoid robot Sophia up for auction

Robot artist Sophia, whose first artwork goes up for auction on Wednesday, says she draws inspiration for her work from people and is open to future creative partnerships with humans. A digital artwork by the Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics humanoid, in the form of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), is to be auctioned in the first sale of such pieces created jointly with artificial intelligence (AI).

Istanbul stray dogs get own starring roles in new film

Zeytin likes to walk through the streets of Istanbul at night, Nazar easily befriends strangers, while Kartal lives on a construction site in the bustling Turkish city. The trio are the focus of new documentary "Stray" which depicts daily life in Istanbul through the eyes of three dogs that roam its streets, searching for food, wandering along the Bosphorus and stumbling upon a women's rights march.

Surfing pet goat coolly rides the waves at California beach

As cheering children and men frantically paddle their inflatable surfboard through the frothy Pacific waves onto the beach, one passenger placidly sits in the bow taking it all in - a large, white goat. California surfer Dana McGregor has always loved the thrill of catching a wave, but it wasn't until he took his pet goat surfing with him one day that he truly found his calling.

'A loud month, for sure': U.S. awaits huge, 17-year cicada hatch

For millions of Americans, this May will be an extra noisy month. A once-every-17 year hatch of periodic cicadas is set to occur across parts of the eastern United States - and it is expected to be big. The hatch of the cicadas, called Brood X, will take place once the warming spring soil reaches a certain temperature. Billions of cicada nymphs, which have been living off tree roots for 17 years, will crawl out of the ground, shed their skin, and start feeding and looking for mates.

(With inputs from agencies.)