Amid a global pandemic, deadly clashes, political disputes and other bleak news, light-hearted stories are as necessary as ever. Here is a pick of the week's best funny, silly and quirky news from around the world.

A night in the fruit and veg aisle

"Win the staycation of your dreams!" said the tweet. Would it be at a French chateau? A luxurious five-star hotel? A glamorous celebrity residence?

None of the above. Rather, the "swanky" location on offer was one most people would associate with canned goods, Super Saver deals and the weekly shop.

Supermarket chain Lidl announced last week it was transforming one of its branches into a fancy hotel for one night only. The lucky winner would get to "enjoy an incredible Lidl BBQ experience, a wine tasting session, a private movie night and what we'll bet is the most relaxing beauty treatments you've experienced in the aisle of any supermarket," Lidl Ireland said in a video advertising the contest, along with images of the staycation venue, complete with a barbecue area, a large movie screen, a canopy bed and muted lighting.

The German supermarket chain boasted in a statement that the location comes with "stunning views of the fruit and veg aisle" and is "just a short walk from the cereal aisle."

Calling it "the staycation that you certainly weren't expecting this year," it advertised the offer as an opportunity to finally "live out your life-long dream of spending the night in a Lidl."

Reactions online were greatly amused, with several people saying they had already signed up. 

And the contest is still open! Lidl did not say when the winner would be decided.

Missing: big yellow ball of fire

French police in the Vosges region put out a missing "person" alert this week that was somewhat different from the ones usually seen. The "individual" was described as being 4.6 billion years old, round, yellow and over 696,000 kilometers wide.

"We are desperately seeking the sun," the gendarmerie tweeted. "If you see it, do not look it in the eyes but call (the national weather service) MétéoFrance."

Netizens joined in the fun by asking how much reward money was being offered, while others claimed to have taken the sun hostage in another region of France.

France has been hit by heavy rain and storms over the past few weeks. Several regions were even placed on storm alert. The timing couldn't have been worse, as terraces of cafes and restaurants were reopening this week after a long COVID-19 lockdown and people were looking forward to enjoying the beginning of summer outdoors.

The gendarmerie's humorous post helped lighten the mood however, garnering thousands of likes.

Long live chicken brains

Zombies would no doubt approve: an Australian who has just become the country's oldest ever man has shared his secret to longevity, and it's chicken brains.

Dexter Kruger, a retired cattle rancher, turned 111 and 124 days on Monday, surpassing Australia's previous record holder in longevity.

When asked what has led him to live such a long and healthy life, he had a simple answer. "Chicken brains," Kruger told Australia's ABC. "You know, chickens have a head. And in there, there's a brain. And they are delicious little things."

Apparently, he consumes the delicacy on a weekly basis. "There's only one little bite," he said.

Whether it's due to the chicken brains or not, the manager of the nursing home where Kruger stays has described him as "probably one of the sharpest residents here" despite his age, and highlighted his "amazing" memory.

Definitely no bird-brain there!

Don't forget the mistress!

An Italian man's mistress was able to claim an insurance payout after he was killed in a car accident. But not to worry, his wife got a payout as well!

The 39-year-old man was married with one child at the time of his accident last year. But according to Italian media reports, he was also in a stable relationship with another woman, spending three days of the week with her, and four with his family.

The mistress's lawyer said he was thus able to convince the insurance company that she also deserved compensation following his death, AFP reported.

His client was even the one who identified the man's body after the accident, as his wife was out of town.

The exact amounts of money paid out to both women were not revealed but it was reported they were "considerable sums."

Read more:

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world – May 14, 2021

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world – April 30, 2021