THE WEEK May 25: Olympic torch fail

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Olympic torch fail

A small misstep for the Olympic torch on its way to London: As a 23-year-old Paralympic badminton star relayed the torch, the flame went out. Organizers rushed to get a new torch as onlookers saw what ended up being a pretty awkward scene. Olympic officials said there are many reasons the flame can go out, and this is not the first time it has happened.

A man, a zebra and a parrot

A man in the US was arrested for drunk driving when he left the bar with his pet zebra and parrot in the passenger seat. Who brings jungle animals in the car? Hasn't he ever seen The Hangover?

It's not nap time

Emergency response isn't always as immediate as it should be. A woman found that out this week when she dialed 9-1-1 (the emergency phone number in the US) because her husband was having trouble breathing. While one operator on the line was giving her rescue instructions, the other can be heard snoring loudly on the phone. Luckily, the man was saved when an ambulance arrived at the house. Falling asleep at inappropriate times can be funny when it's not an emergency situation.

A hero to the world

Unfortunately, The Week has some bad news to report. The inventor of the television remote control, Eugene Polley, passed away this week at the age of 96. Polley is the man who allowed each of us to be lazy, sit back on our couches and surf endless channels of TV without ever having to stand up. Thank you, Mr. Polley. You truly changed the world.

This wacky world

Beijing officials passed a new law that requires stalls in the city's public bathrooms to have no more than two flies each. Where's my fly swatter?

A fast food restaurant in the US served a burger that had a surprise for the customer: a human finger. Apparently an employee had an accident earlier that day.

A man in the US passed away while getting a lap dance from a stripper. At least his final moments were enjoyable.

Officials from a state in India have announced that it is now OK to kill people who are seen hunting tigers. Look who's being hunted now!

A man in the US was arrested after he turned a water gun into a real, working shotgun. The scary thing is he was able to do it for only $30. There are some real crazy people out there.