Would Putin really release lions into Russia’s streets?

Russia's president discovers ancient pottery, goes spearfishing, and visits a coronavirus hospital.

After President Vladimir Putin admitted he wouldn't mind resetting his constitutional term limit, a new meme was born.

In this week's Odder News: Putin's smartphone habits, Russian homophones make a headache for the police, and a coronavirus serenade.

“I noticed that there are places here, shall we say, for contemplation.” said a Duma deputy, referring to… the bathroom. He continued: “And when important issues are being discussed, they should broadcast it there.”

The threat of coronavirus is not funny, but advertisements for tongue-in-cheek “remedies” are catching on among entrepreneurial Russians.

“We wanted to draw attention to the problem: a lack of medical masks in pharmacies, the lack of information on the coronavirus. We were not trying to scare our compatriots or laugh at a hot topic. We just set up a social experiment.”

– One of two men fined for their video pranking the coronavirus

A Russian comedian made a joke and then decided he needed to flee the country to avoid arrest.

“We creatively solve any problems: from opening a bottle to paying taxes.”

– Russian musician Sergei Shnurov, on the Russian people.

A panda in the Moscow zoo destroyed a pine tree. It was anything but an accident.

All I want for Christmas is to smell like Putin. (Unboxing a mysterious Putin-esque cologne.)

A camel in southern Russia, out for a jog, caused severe rail delays.