Is laughter the best medicine? 2024 had more than its fair share of weird and hilarious news stories reflecting the preoccupations of the modern world.
Review of the year: funniest moments
Ridiculous realities: Amid war, climate disaster and political strife, 2024 also saw a man eating a £5m banana, a woman divorce herself and a robot which caused its own ruin. Glossary
Byron - Lord Byron was an English poet (1788 - 1824) known for both beautiful short lyrics and entertaining epic poems.
Asylum seeker - A person who has left their country due to danger and is seeking refuge elsewhere.
Cryptocurrency - A digital currency in which transactions are verified and records maintained by a decentralised system using cryptography, rather than by a centralised authority.
AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think.
Epidemic - A widespread disease or infection.