Odd News Roundup: Athletics-Scottish runner gets 12 month ban for using vehicle in ultra-marathon; Puking bird wins New Zealand bird competition after John Oliver campaign and more

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs. Athletics-Scottish runner gets 12 month ban for using vehicle in ultra-marathon Long distance runner Joasia Zakrzewski was banned for 12 months by a UK athletics disciplinary body on Wednesday for riding a car during a 50-mile race in April and accepting third place.

Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

Athletics-Scottish runner gets 12 month ban for using vehicle in ultra-marathon

Long distance runner Joasia Zakrzewski was banned for 12 months by a UK athletics disciplinary body on Wednesday for riding a car during a 50-mile race in April and accepting third place. Data from the tracking system at the GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool showed that Zakrzewski, who represented Scotland in the marathon at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, used a car for a 4km stretch of the race.

Puking bird wins New Zealand bird competition after John Oliver campaign

The puteketeke, a bird that pukes, grunts, growls and has bizarre mating rituals, won New Zealand's bird of the century title in a competition where American-British comedian John Oliver's involvement has ruffled some local feathers. The Bird of the Year competition - billed Bird of the Century in 2023 to celebrate environmental organisation Forest & Bird's centenary - is an annual event where people vote on their favourite New Zealand bird.

Dogs don kimonos, receive blessings in place of children in aging Japan

A traditional ceremony for children is catching on among pet owners in Japan, where dogs and cats are receiving ever more attention amid the nation's plummeting birth rates. Natsuki Aoki took her two Chihuahuas on a plane ride to Tokyo from the western city of Hiroshima so her fur babies could get a special blessing.