To mark the start of the holiday season and the twelve days of Christmas, we present 12 of our best and ‘pun-niest’ "And finally" news stories from the Monday Briefing in 2022.

1. Officials in British Columbia announced that they had identified the root cause of an incident earlier in the month that caused a significant internet outage in the Canadian province. A beaver had gnawed its way through an aspen tree that had then fallen on an adjacent fibre-optic cable – logging off
2. Swiss researchers have been investigating whether playing music to cheese while it is ageing improves its flavour. They found that the wheel of Emmental exposed to the music of American hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest developed the best texture, taste and appearance – Straight Outta Comté

3. A survey by staffing firm ManpowerGroup found that employers are having such a difficult time filling roles that in addition to increased pay and benefits, some 9% of employers worldwide are eliminating drug screenings or tests in a bid to fill vacancies – high employment.

4. Police in Texas apprehended a “reckless driver” who turned out to be a dog after crashing into two cars in a supermarket parking lot – a real collie-sion!

5. An American man accused of involvement in an identity theft scheme that allegedly stole $150,000 in pandemic-support loans was apprehended after a year on the run when the investigator on the case spotted the suspect by chance while on holiday at Disney World, Florida. The suspect was wrestled to the ground outside Animal Kingdom and is now in custody awaiting trial – The Lion Sting

6. The iPhone 14’s new Crash Detection feature, which alerts the police if it detects a car crash, keeps calling 911 when users ride a roller-coaster – a screamsaver
7. Extra-large marshmallows are zero-rated for VAT while normal marshmallows continue to be liable for VAT – rocky road for tax advisers
8. Researchers in France and Australia published a study last week showing that bees can distinguish between odd and even numbers, the only known animal other than humans who have been found to do so. The ability is more impressive given that bees have around 960,000 neurons compared to humans’ 86bn – un-bee-lievable intellect
9. A 'cryogenically frozen' model of Sylvester Stallone, a prop from the movie Demolition Man, has reappeared in an antique shop in Australia on sale for AUD6,000 – Frosty Balboa
10. The Japanese government has launched a contest to identify ways to boost alcohol consumption among young adults. Drinking has declined in recent years, in part due to demographic changes, and the fall in tax revenue is undermining the public finances – for the ‘sake’ of the economy
11. During the England win against Germany in the women’s Euro 2022 final, a cat in Bristol surprised its owners as it strolled through the door nine months after she went missing – not the only thing to come home
12. Makers of Parmigiano Reggiano are embedding tiny trackers in the rinds of their cheese in a bid to combat fraud. The trackers are food safe and smaller than a grain of salt. It is hoped that increased traceability will hobble the huge black market in the cheese – grate idea

The Monday Briefing is taking a break until Monday, 9 January. In the meantime, the Deloitte Economics team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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