Swiss evacuate livestock by hoof and helicopter because of landslide risk over Alpine village

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities added livestock to the list of evacuees along with about 300 people moved out of a village threatened by a possible landslide from an Alpine mountainside overhead. One puzzled bovine got a lift down by helicopter. Mayor Matthias Bellwald of Blatten used a news conference Wednesday to praise the community “solidarity” in the quick evacuations since Saturday in his village in the Lötschental valley in the southern Valais canton (state). Jonas Jeitziner, a crisis center spokesman, said 190 sheep, 26 cows and about 20 rabbits were evacuated, including “Loni” — an injured cow ferried out by helicopter on Tuesday.

Loose pet kangaroo keeps police hopping — again — in Colorado

A pet kangaroo was on the loose in Colorado. Irwin got out in Durango on Monday, prompting a call to police. Officers followed the animal into a backyard. Durango police Cmdr. Nick Stasi says he's not sure how Irwin got out. And at first police weren't sure how to catch him. An officer with animal-handling experience got the job done by creeping close to the young kangaroo near a house and nabbing him before he could bolt. Irwin also got loose last fall. But he was so young back then he simply hopped into a bag resembling a kangaroo mother's pouch.

Tigers, jaguars and elephants are the latest to flee cartel violence in Mexico's Sinaloa

CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — A pack of veterinarians clamber over hefty metal crates of animals they load one-by-one onto a fleet of semi-trucks. Tigers, monkeys, jaguars, elephants and lions are the latest to flee a wave of cartel violence eclipsing the northern Mexican city of Culiacan. For years, exotic pets of cartel members and circus animals have been living in a small animal refuge on the outskirts of Sinaloa’s capital. But rival Sinaloa cartel factions started a bloody power struggle last year. The stretching violence has transformed life in the region, leaving the leaders of the Ostok Sanctuary reeling from armed attacks, constant death threats and a cutoff from essential supplies needed to keep their 700 animals alive.

Hot dog: Oscar Mayer's Weinermobile fleet set to race during Indy 500's Carb Day festivities

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oscar Mayer’s iconic Wienermobile fleet will be “hot dogging” it later this week at the inaugural "Wienie 500.” The six vehicles will be starting their engines Friday at 2 p.m. as part of the Indianapolis 500's Carb Day festivities. It's the first time in a decade all six Wienermobiles will be at the same location — and it's the first time they’ll ever race. Each vehicle will represent regional hot dog favorites for six American regions. The race will be streamed on the FOX Sports app with highlights being shown during Sunday's pre-race show.

Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is forced into a draw in a showdown against ‘the world’

BERLIN (AP) — Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was forced into a draw Monday by more than 143,000 people worldwide playing against him in a single, record-setting game. The online match was billed as “Magnus Carlsen vs. The World” and began April 4 on Chess.com. It was the first-ever online freestyle game to feature a world champion. The mega-match ended after Team World checked Carlsen’s king a third time. It was a stunning outcome after Chess.com had predicted Carlsen would win by a wide margin. In the Chess.com chat, players appeared split on whether to force the draw or to keep playing against Carlsen.

Man who tried to sell $6.4m gold toilet stolen from English country house is spared jail

LONDON (AP) — A man who tried to help a burglar cash in from the theft of a gold toilet was spared prison on Monday after a British judge said he had been taken advantage of by the thieves. Frederick Doe, 37, also known as Frederick Sines, was given a suspended sentence Monday at Oxford Crown Court for his role in helping to sell the 18-carat gold fully functioning toilet stolen in 2019 from Blenheim Palace. Two men convicted of stealing the work of art face sentencing later. The toilet, which was never recovered and is believed to have been cut up and sold, was part of a satirical art installation by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Sailing from Oregon to Hawaii after quitting his job turns a man with a cat into social media star

HONOLULU (AP) — A 29-year-old former tire shop manager who quit his job and cashed in his retirement savings to buy a sailboat has become a social media sensation as he sails from Oregon to Hawaii with his cat, Phoenix. Oliver Widger says he decided to chase his sailing dream after being diagnosed with a neck issue that could ultimately paralyze him. His posts about stunning sunsets and  harrowing rudder failures as he crosses the Pacific Ocean have attracted more than 1 million followers on TikTok and Instagram. He tells The Associated Press that he is harnessing the power of social media to fund his round-the-world trip.

Harvard thought it had a cheap copy of the Magna Carta. It turned out to be extremely rare

BOSTON (AP) — Harvard University for decades assumed it had a cheap copy of the Magna Carta in its collection, a stained and faded document it had purchased for less than $30. But two researchers have concluded it has something much more valuable — a rare version from 1300 issued by Britain’s King Edward I. The original Magna Carta established in 1215 the principle that the king is subject to law, and it has formed the basis of constitutions globally. There are four copies of the original and, until now, there were believed to be only six copies of the 1300 version. Harvard's copy of the Magna Carta is worth millions of dollars, but Harvard has no plans to sell it.