2012's Top 5 craziest world news stories

This combination of two undated handout photos made available by the Centro de estudios Borjanos shows the 20th century Ecce Homo-style fresco of Christ before (left) and after (right) an elderly amateur artist Celia Gimenez, 80, took it upon herself to restore it in the church of the northern Spanish agricultural town of Borja. The incident made international news, turning the artist into a celebrity and the church into a popular tourist spot.

/ Centro de estudios Borjanos

While 2012 was a year tarnished by war and tragedy, there were also a host of somewhat less gloomy, and almost entirely unpredictable stories. For a serious look at international affairs over the past 12 months, please see our Top 10 moments in world news.

In the meantime, in the following pages, we highlight the five best examples of "what the heck?" moments from abroad.

Farewell to 2012!