India’s 80th Independence Day was celebrated across the New York tri-state area with parades and special events. A Guinness World Record was set in New Jersey, while Indian-origin New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined the Queens parade. Three UAE-based Indians also featured in a skydiving record

From Harry Potter fans forcing a £430-million power cable route to be changed to protect Dobby’s unofficial grave, to a 500-kg wedding cake and a fake NASA gravity shutdown claim, these bizarre stories offer a mix of internet hoaxes, unusual creations and curious discoveries