April Fools' Day in 2019: 7 stories that look like pranks but aren't

April Fools' Day comes once every year. It is here again and there are stories bamboozling the world wide web. So here is a round-up of seven (7) bizarre stories that are - apparently - true:

1. A towering, gold-dusted Wagyu burger measuring 15cm tall, 25cm wide and weighing around 3kg is to be served at a hotel restaurant in Tokyo. The Grand Hyatt Tokyo will add the 'Golden Giant Burger' to the menu in honor of Japan's new emperor, charging customers approximately £700 for the feast.

2. A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine's presidential elections, according to exit polls. They say Volodymyr Zelenskiy - who played the president on TV - received 30.4% of the vote, with current leader Petro Poroshenko second on 17.8%.

3. Mosquito bites can be avoided by listening to electronic music - specifically dubstep, even more specifically by US artist Skrillex, according to a new study. Sound is "crucial for reproduction, survival, and population maintenance of many animals," says a team of international scientists, who subjected adult mosquitoes to the music to see if it would repel them.

4. Fish slime could help the development of new antibiotics, researchers say. Seventeen species of fish caught off the southern Californian coast were swabbed by researchers at Oregon State University who believe that new antibiotics might be found in the layer of mucus that coats their scales.

5. Armed police stepped in to help arrest a man on suspicion of being drunk while driving a horse and trap in Cardiff. South Wales Police tweeted: "Having to rein ourselves in now, don't want to saddle you with unnecessary puns!!" The 29-year-old was not charged with an offence.

6. The US military is recruiting sea creatures to help track enemy activity. Scientists want to employ their sensory abilities to pick up signals that might be missed by conventional technology. For example, it is thought the "booms" made by territorial fish known as goliath groupers could provide information about approaching drones or submarines.

7. A singing nun is to compete in the Italian version of the television show Strictly Come Dancing. Sister Cristina Scuccia, who lives in a convent in Milan, shot to fame after she won Italy's 'The Voice' in 2014. She has since released two albums and a video of Madonna's 1984 hit 'Like a Virgin'.

Researched and Complied by Erwin Orion and Emma Thelwell