From a Peruvian mayor with a controversial name to a homeless man who deliberately insulted his country’s president to get a bed for the night, the world has once again delivered a collection of unusual and amusing stories.

Here is a look at some of the week’s most offbeat news from around the globe.

A night in jail, please

A homeless 66-year-old man in Turkey found an unusual way to secure a bed for the night – by insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The man, who had twice failed to get himself arrested, finally succeeded after criticising the Turkish leader in a park in the Mediterranean resort of Alanya.

“I have nowhere to stay. I sleep in rubbish dumps. That is why I did it,” he reportedly told a court.

Insulting the president is a criminal offence in Turkey, punishable by up to four years in prison. Thousands of people, including journalists, teenagers and a former Miss Turkey, have faced charges over the offence.

Hitler wins in Peru

A man named Simeon Flores Hitler Mussolini has been elected mayor of Queropalca, a mountainous district in Peru, despite bearing two names associated with some of history’s most notorious dictators.

The 45-year-old stood for the left-wing Ahora Nacion party in the Huanuco region, proving that his name did not stand in the way of political success.

He is not the first Peruvian politician with the name Hitler to win an election. Doctor Hitler Alba Sanchez became mayor of Yungar in 2018 and famously described himself as “the good Hitler”.

Underwater hockey: A breathless sport

Underwater hockey is hoping to make a splash on the Olympic stage, but the sport still has an unusual reputation.

Sometimes described as “voluntary drowning”, the demanding game requires players to hold their breath while using short sticks to manoeuvre a puck along the bottom of a swimming pool.

The sport is so physically exhausting that its Asian tournament in Hong Kong was dubbed “physical hell”.

Despite the challenges, Malaysian player Hui Chin Teoh told AFP that the experience creates a unique team spirit.

Japan-based player Leo Lines said he enjoys the rush after matches, joking that it could be linked to oxygen depletion.

Wrong Portland, wrong campaign

A US Republican campaign committee reportedly spent $25 000 on an attack advertisement targeting a Democratic Senate candidate – but aired it in the wrong state.

The advert appeared in Portland, Oregon, instead of Portland, Maine, some 5 177km away.

Troy Jackson, the Democratic candidate targeted by the campaign, did not miss the opportunity to criticise his opponents.

“They are so out of touch with Maine, they apparently can’t find it on a map,” he said.

Falcons or the “Bird Reich”?

The Atlanta Falcons American football team sparked an online storm after unveiling a new logo that drew comparisons with Nazi imagery.

The design prompted social media users to joke about the team preparing to invade Poland, while another rated it “a nein out of 10” – a play on the German word for “no”.

Others dubbed the design the “Bird Reich” and joked that the team’s next away matches would be in Dunkirk, Normandy or Stalingrad.

The logo’s reception proved that even a sports team’s branding can become an unexpected talking point.

ALSO READ: Funny old world: the week’s offbeat news.