Odd News Roundup: Sneakers give art a run for its money at first-of-a-kind Sotheby's auction

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

Lithuanian couple defends world wife-carrying championship title

A Lithuanian couple won the World Wife-Carrying Championship for a second time in a row in the Finnish town of Sonkajarvi on Saturday, triumphing in a contest where men complete an obstacle course with their wives slung over their shoulders. Each year, the championship draws thousands of visitors to the town of only about 4,000 inhabitants in central Finland. Saturday's competition was the 24th year it has been held.

'Best day ever!' Internet pokes fun at Mexico's finance minister grim-faced job acceptance

Mexico's Arturo Herrera looks grim in a viral video in which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador names him finance minister, a job Herrera's predecessor left in a huff at a time when Latin America's second-largest economy is signaling weakness. With Herrera at his side, Lopez Obrador for nearly six minutes plays down former Finance Minister Carlos Urzua's fiery and unexpected resignation letter accusing the government of formulating an economic policy without sufficient foundation.

Sneakers give art a run for its money at first-of-a-kind Sotheby's auction

Move over Monet. Nike is hot on your heels. Sotheby's in New York announced on Thursday its first-ever auction dedicated to sneakers, underlining their fast-growing status as collectibles able to command tens of thousands of dollars. Later alligator: Chicago wants scaly resident out of the local lagoon

An alligator has taken up residence in a Chicago lagoon, surprising locals after a winter of polar temperatures in the third-largest U.S. city. Police confirmed the reptile had been spotted on Tuesday in Humboldt Park Lagoon, on Chicago's west side. It was still eluding capture on Wednesday despite pledges from local officials to trap it.

(With inputs from agencies.)