Amid a global pandemic, humanitarian crises, wars, disasters and other bleak news, lighthearted stories are as necessary as ever. Here is a pick of the week's best funny, silly, strange and quirky news from around the world.

Chasing the cheese

Cheese Rolling is back! After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quaint tradition will return this weekend in the western English village of Brockworth.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, it involves a hill, a wheel of cheese and dozens of enthusiasts hurtling down the steep grassy slope with little regard for life or limb.

The tradition dates back to at least 1826 and thousands congregate every year to take in the spectacle near Gloucester, a region known for its cheese, Reuters reports. 

But it is not for the faint-hearted. With a gradient of 50 percent in places, the race is a daring feat and not a few participants have injured themselves in the past, running – or more often, falling – down the slope in pursuit of the 4kg round of cheese, which can reach a speed of 120 km/h. 

The first person to reach the bottom wins the race and "catchers" are even on hand to stop those carried away by their momentum.

A first aid team also stands at the ready to mend bruises and scratches.

The winner's trophy is an obvious one: a big hunk of cheese.

Heartbreak Chapel

Las Vegas is famous for two things: casinos and wedding chapels. And the latter often comes with an Elvis Presley impersonator. That might now be a thing of the past.

Authentic Brands Group, the company controlling the name and image of "The King," has sent cease-and-desist letters to a number of wedding chapels around the city, saying it will halt unauthorised use of the legendary singer's "name, likeness, voice image, and other elements of Elvis Presley's persona in advertisements, merchandise and otherwise."

This has left wedding chapels, some of which are small family-run businesses, "all shook up."

"That's our bread and butter. I don't get it. We were just hitting our stride again through COVID, then this happens," Kayla Colllins, who runs the LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and the Little Chapel of Hearts, told AP. 

Local tourism officials have warned the move could destroy a big chunk of the city's wedding industry, which brings in about $2 billion per year.

Fans hoping to take in an Elvis-themed show however can breathe easy: live performances are protected under Nevada law so impersonators will be able to keep shaking their hips on stage.

"Outhorse" your email

Picture the scene: you've booked a quiet and relaxing holiday, and all of a sudden, you're assailed by a flood of work emails.

Iceland has a solution for you: outsource, or rather "outhorse," your emails!

In a new video, the country promises "a revolutionary service where Icelandic horses write out-of-office replies so you can relax."

Of course, hooves make it difficult to use a normal-sized keyboard, so a giant one was built on which the horses can type their messages.

"They are trained in corporate buzzwords, your boss will never know the difference," the video promises.

Examples of pithy and hard-hitting outhorsed replies include "8io : l : ; l : oiiþ::" and "wFwhxsqjnzgmsrqaaaaaaaaaaaa."

You probably already guessed it: this is all part of Iceland's latest tourism promotion campaign. But the idea was to encourage people to really unwind on holiday.

"When visitors travel to Iceland we want them to fully experience everything our nation has to offer, from breathtaking surroundings to endless landscapes and friendly faces," said Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland.

Over 8,000 people have reportedly already signed up for the service. So prepare for some original out-of-office replies this summer.

A few shavings of mustard

When it comes to condiments, you usually grate parmesan over your pasta, and pour ketchup over your fries. But one French company is rethinking this.

OCNI, a small food company in the south of France, has come up with ketchup and mustard bottles that can be grated over your food. That's right: the condiment is not in the bottle, it IS the bottle.

The effect is created by using agar-agar, a gelatin-like substance extracted from seaweed that melts when heated but solidifies when cold, according to OCNI co-founder Tristan Cano.

The company – whose name is a pun on the French word for UFO (ovni) and can be translated as "unidentified edible objects" – is no stranger to innovation: it previously created condiments in the form of pencils that could be "sharpened" to create shavings over a dish.

All the ingredients that go into its gratable bottles are naturally sourced and organic, OCNI insists.

And even Michelin star chefs have become fans. "It's something I really enjoyed putting on the plate," said Sébastien Rath, who runs a local restaurant and has used shavings from the mustard bottle in one of his dishes.

For now, available condiment flavors include smoked paprika and rosemary ketchup, and curry mustard. But OCNI already has ideas for more.

Read more: 

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world - May 27, 2022

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world - May 20, 2022