<p>Sure, rising fuel prices have become a global curse, but <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/russia-strikes-ukrainian-cities-as-peace-talks-delayed-amid-middle-east-war-23620285" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Russian warlocks</a> and clairvoyants seem to have taken it quite literally. They are preying on desperate motorists with promises to cut the fuel consumption of their vehicle using witchcraft (for a fee).&nbsp;</p>
<p><img title="PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-b_e.jpg" alt="PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL</em></strong></p>
<p>Global conflict and the resulting sky-high fuel prices have left Russians helpless as they wait at gas stations for hours to refuel their vehicles. Some snake oil peddlers have slithered their way into the mess by going on social media and promoting various unusual services, such as lowering a <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/russia-ready-to-continue-uninterrupted-fuel-shipments-to-india-says-russian-president-vladimir-putin-23606428" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">vehicle&rsquo;s fuel consumption</a>, and changing standard fuel to the premium version using the occult. &nbsp;They claim that increased fuel consumption is due to a negative energy, hex, or foreign object left behind in the car, and the only way to tackle it is through rituals. One can expect to pay as much as $210 (R20,200) to get the &ldquo;curse&rdquo; lifted from their car fuel tanks. Some also claim to turn AI-92 gasoline into the more expensive AI-100. Experts have rubbished the claims; fuel usage or composition can&rsquo;t be changed by rituals.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Rs 20K</strong><br />Amount they charge for each ritual</p>
<h2>Doctor, I need a prescription for cola!</h2>
<p><img title="PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-c_e.jpg" alt="PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL</em></strong></p>
<p>If you have heard someone saying that soda is bad for you, then hit them with this article. As per a case study published in the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/russia-ready-to-continue-uninterrupted-fuel-shipments-to-india-says-russian-president-vladimir-putin-23606428" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">New England Journal of Medicine</a>, Diet Coke saved the life of a 63-year-old woman in Massachusetts, US.&nbsp;</p>
<p>She had a large blockage in her stomach caused by the GLP-1 medication she was taking to combat type two diabetes. These agonists cause delays in gastric emptying, leading to the formation of a lump of undigested material called a bezoar.<br />&nbsp;<br />Surgery would have been risky and expensive, Instead, a team of doctors prescribed 1.5 litres of <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/article/is-diet-soda-bad-for-you-indian-doctors-tell-you-everything-you-need-to-know-23631958" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Diet Coke to be consumed daily,</a> which miraculously dissolved the bezoar.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Drone-acharya vs mosquitoes</h2>
<p><img title="Drone-acharya vs mosquitoes" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-e_e.jpg" alt="Drone-acharya vs mosquitoes" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Tornyol, an American startup backed by Y Combinator, has been working on micro-drones capable of doing the one task humans can&rsquo;t do with two hands &mdash; shooting down mosquitoes, that too mid-air. This AI-powered drone could potentially hunt and shoot mosquitoes in urban spaces, doing away with the need for chemicals or other hazardous methods of population control.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Wood or fish?</h2>
<p>Hardest thing in the world? A piece of fish. A staple of Japanese cuisine, katsuobushi is a type of tuna that is processed for months until it becomes as hard as wood and looks like coloured glass when polished. Using fermentation and maturation, this piece of skipjack tuna ends up becoming very dry and shines like a jewel (a cheap alternative to diamond rings).&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Hide your cabbages</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-f_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Looks can be deceiving, and the Cabbage Tree Moth is proof. At 70 mm from end to end, and 15 mm in diameter, it&rsquo;s one of the most intimidating-looking caterpillars. But it&rsquo;s harmless; its spikes are squishy. While it can do some serious damage to cabbage crops, but it is still more prey than predator &mdash; the people of tropical Africa consume the critter for its nutritional value and size.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Can&rsquo;t send this back</h2>
<p><img title="Can&rsquo;t send this back" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-d_e.jpg" alt="Can&rsquo;t send this back" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Saiwan Bakehous, a famous bakery in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/mid-day-opinion-the-poor-misunderstood-indian-tourist-23634115" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Pattaya</a>, Thailand, has gone viral for its newest baked dish. The patisserie has now included a risky-looking hair croissant to their shelves. Although it looks quite unappetising, the baked good has now become the talk of the town, similar to its inspiration in the same store &mdash; hairy cakes. The weird topping is made up of hair-like fat choy, a black edible algae commonly used in Asian cuisine. The Internet has now even started comparing it to pubic hair, starting another outrage which attracted even visitors to the store.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Broken and manly</h2>
<p><img title="Broken and manly" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-g_e.jpg" alt="Broken and manly" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Who knew masculinity would take this turn? Russian men are now breaking apart and smashing their expensive iPhones to make themselves look &ldquo;manlier&rdquo;. <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/tiktok-website-accessible-in-india-after-five-years-of-being-banned-social-media-users-spark-speculation-of-its-return-23590711" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">TikTok </a>has been flooded with clips where men are physically abusing their smartphones with no apparent cause (except sheer dullness). Moreover, it&rsquo;s now been discovered that a new trend has caused these men to smash, scratch, and pierce the back of their iPhones to make them look more beat-up. Captions include, &ldquo;When he has a real man&rsquo;s broken iPhone 11, not a gay 17 Pro.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Blue our mind</h2>
<p><img title="Pic/Azim Khan Ronnie" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Mad-ninteen-july-h_e.jpg" alt="Pic/Azim Khan Ronnie" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>From a selection of more than 1500 entries, Azim Khan Ronnie of <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/news/world-news/article/situation-tense-in-bangladesh-after-renewed-protests-23608564" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Bangladesh </a>has been chosen as the winner of the second annual International Aerial Photographer of the Year competition, for his absolutely brilliant and outstanding portfolio. The winning photo is an aerial view of a rowing team drifting through the serene and calm blue waters of Lake Zurich in Switzerland. <strong>Pic/Azim Khan Ronnie</strong></p>

Russian psychics are reportedly charging motorists for "witchcraft" services that claim to reduce fuel consumption amid rising fuel prices.

Russian psychics promise to reduce fuel use with witchcraft

Eight killed as Ukrainian drone attacks hit Russia, over 60 injured

As fuel prices remain high, some Russian psychics and self-proclaimed clairvoyants are reportedly offering paid "witchcraft" services that claim to reduce a vehicle's fuel consumption. The unusual trend has drawn attention for targeting motorists hoping to save money on rising fuel costs.

Russian psychics offer 'witchcraft' to help motorists cut fuel consumption

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