Merlin the duck is World Cup’s unofficial mascot

A two-year-old duck named Merlin became an unexpected internet sensation. Dressed in a Mexican national team jersey and socks, the duck went viral after being spotted among fans celebrating in Mexico City.

Merlin is already well-known in the city, where he accompanies his owner, Carla Gómez, as she sells drinks from a cart in the historic centre. A gift for her son Cristian, the duck has become a local attraction and a favourite photo companion.

Following his viral fame, Merlin and Gómez met FIFA representatives to film promotional content. The duck and his owner were even invited to the National Palace, where he even waddled onto the stage at Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.

Word wizards battle in Thailand

Hundreds of competitive Scrabble players from 30 countries gathered in Bangkok for the four-day Causeway Challenge, one of the world’s biggest Scrabble tournaments, featuring a top prize of $10,000.

Among the participants was 86-year-old Malaysian player Tan Jin Chor, who has spent decades travelling the world to compete and says his love for the game remains strong despite rarely winning. Tournament organiser Michael Tang described Scrabble as a game of memory, strategy, mathematics and luck rather than simply English vocabulary.

The competition was won by Australian player David Eldar, who credited both skill and luck for his victory.

World’s largest remote-controlled paper plane

A team of high school students from Shenzhen Zhili Middle School in China set a Guinness World Record by creating the world’s largest remote-controlled paper plane.

Led by 16-year-old Zhu Junjie, the group spent nearly six months designing and building the aircraft, which has a wingspan of 6.06 metres and a fuselage length of 5.06 metres. The giant plane successfully flew for about 15 minutes before landing safely.

The students overcame major engineering challenges by using a lightweight KT board reinforced with carbon-fibre strips and refining the design through multiple prototypes.

The project was inspired by the team’s earlier success in a national aircraft design competition, and they hope their achievement will encourage scientific and technological innovation among young people.

World’s thinnest chocolate

Japanese confectioner MATTE has created what is believed to be the world’s thinnest chocolate, a dessert called Corteccia made from a chocolate sheet just 0.03 millimetres thick.

Launched in Tokyo in 2024, the dessert is produced using a custom-built machine developed over 18 months. Inspired by Italian layered chocolates, the ultra-thin sheet is rolled into a shape resembling tree bark, which gives the treat its name. Created to provide an instant melt-in-the-mouth experience, Corteccia has gained widespread attention online. Despite attempts to copy it, the dessert remains difficult to replicate because of the unique machinery used to make it.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 11th, 2026