From Turkey’s president gifting world leaders with handguns to fans purchasing rubbish from Taylor Swift’s wedding, here are this week’s strangest stories from across the globe.

Swift fans snap up wedding trash

Taylor Swift fans proved they will buy anything connected to their idol after paying $25 for cigarette butts, water bottle tops and even a pregnancy test discarded near her New York wedding venue.

The pop star married NFL player Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in a ceremony that drew global attention. Artist Justin Gignac collected rubbish from the streets surrounding the venue and began selling the items online as “sculptures”.

Everything, including a single left AirPod, sold out within 24 hours.

“A lot of Swifties want a tangential piece of the wedding,” Gignac told AFP. He said he might list more items for sale.

Japanese woman’s lips allegedly sewn shut

Police in Japan arrested a woman on suspicion of assault after her flatmate’s lips were allegedly sewn together.

The victim (42) escaped from a house in Koga city and rushed to a shop holding a note that read: “Please help me.”

She told authorities her flatmate was angry with her. Police later arrested Masae Sakurai (49) on suspicion of assault. Officers confirmed the victim’s lips were sealed “with a needle and thread” but released few other details.

Erdogan gifts NATO leaders handguns

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented NATO leaders with Turkish-made pistols after their Ankara summit, complete with live ammunition for the six-shooters, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The unusual diplomatic gifts came as Turkish authorities arrested 4 412 people in security operations around the summit, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.

While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney brought Erdogan maple syrup, other NATO leaders departed with firearms.

Farage faces bin-headed opponent

Nigel Farage could lose his British parliamentary seat to a man wearing a bin on his head after major parties said they would not contest his by-election.

The Reform UK party leader stepped down to trigger the vote after facing questions about not disclosing a £5 million (about R107.6 million) donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire.

His move may have backfired. With mainstream parties sitting out the contest, Farage currently faces only joke candidate Count Binface, who describes himself as an “intergalactic space warrior”, in the battle to represent Clacton.

The by-election will take place in just over a month.

“If Farage wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him,” finance minister Rachel Reeves said on X.

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