Viral

A DHL cargo plane made a terrifying landing at Costa Rica's largest airport  ... sliding off the runway and splitting in half.

Check out the dramatic video of the incident as the plane tries to land at San Jose International Airport, on Thursday. The fire department says, the DHL plane had to return, shortly after taking off for Guatemala City, after a failure in the hydraulic system was detected. But, as you can see that landing didn't go according to plan.

The Boeing 757 ended up skidding off the runway, making a turn and breaking in two ... causing a huge dark cloud of smoke and the entire airport to shutdown -- impacting hundreds of flights and over 8,000 passengers.

Luckily, the pilot and co-pilot were the only crew members onboard and were helped off the plane without serious injury.

F1 stars Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris will have an extra McLaren sitting around at the Australian Grand Prix this week -- a life-size LEGO replica ... and it's made with more than 288,000 bricks!!

The toy giant revealed the awesome project at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit ... showing a life-size plastic version of the orange McLaren F1 car, which reportedly took 1893 hours to complete, according to IGN.

LEGO Masters Australia judge Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught led the charge on assembling the car ... and get this -- it actually includes real mechanical features!!

The replica has moving pistons for its engine, a locking differential, and steering activated from the cockpit.

The car is totally detailed -- it even has all the sponsorship logos!!

While the LEGO car won't be able to speed around like the real thing, drivers are still able to actually SIT in the car ... which Ricciardo did in a video posted by F1 this week.

Seems Lando and Daniel loved the LEGO car ... smiling from ear-to-ear as they checked it out.

Australia has seen its share of weird creatures on its beaches recently, and this close encounter is making locals scratch their heads.

This alien-like creature washed up on the shores of Bondi Beach Tuesday ...discovered by local Drew Lambert. It was lying in a pile of seaweed, with lips resembling a human's.

Drew says he assumed it was some odd form of a shark, but now he isn't so sure ... people online have speculated what it could be, with several speculating it might be a type of ray, but as one person commented, "it's missing like, everything."

A supervisor at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium dismissed the alien theories, saying it's gotta be a coffin ray, which is missing fins and a tail.

Of course, this isn't the first Aussie beach with mystery mammals or whatever ... as we reported, another creature was found over the weekend at Maroochydore Beach.

Olivia Rodrigo has one more very cool thing in common with her idol, Taylor Swift -- the teenager's the proud owner of a banged-up Grammy! Hey, it's hard to hold 3 of 'em at once.

The 19-year old performed her hit "Drivers License" during the 64th Grammy Awards ... and then went on to snag 3 golden trophies, and that's where her troubles started.

After the show, Olivia was posing for some pics with her 3 Grammys when one slipped out of her hands and broke in half. The look on her face at the moment of impact was priceless.

It's kinda funny, fans quickly pointed out how similar the moment was to Taylors at the 2010 Grammys. She'd won 4 that night and one went boom during press pics.

The photos and their reactions are pretty damn similar -- and it's no secret Olivia's looked up to Taylor, who's supported Olivia's rising career.

Olivia ended up taking home Grammys for Best Pop Solo Performance for "Drivers License," Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for "Sour."

If alien life is out there in this great, big universe, we're doing our best to reach it with a new message -- and this time, it's got some algebra attached. Just in case they're big on math.

NASA is partnering with some of the country's top scientific minds in hopes of broadcasting a new radio message via a high-tech telescope -- very similar to what we did in 1974 from a telescope in Puerto Rico (then called the "Arecibo").

Not to get all math-y on ya, but that message to the stars only included binary code, plus some images of our Solar System and DNA sequences. This time, we're calling it the Beacon in the Galaxy message -- and we're kicking things up a notch by transmitting math equations.

There will be other graphical information communicating some basic principles and features of our world ... including cosmic landmarks that could help aliens find Earth in the Milky Way.

Sounds neat, of course, especially if some E.T.s actually pick up our signal and respond -- but this sort of reaching out actually spurred a warning from the late, great Stephen Hawking ... who once said we should refrain from chatting, and to do more listening instead.

The reason -- he said not all potential alien life might come in peace, and if they're able to receive what we send, they can presumably come down here and do major damage with way more advanced tech than we have.

The Grammys are underway and their MC, Trevor Noah, was on a roll in avoiding just about every controversy in the biz in his opening remarks ... except Will Smith, of course.

The ceremony kicked off Sunday in Vegas with a performance by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak -- after which, things went indoors at the MGM Grand Garden Arena ... where TN popped up again and start delving into his monologue seamlessly.

He intro'd all the big names who were in the building -- going through a list that included the likes of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and more -- and said the night was going to be a smooth ride where they'd be singing, dancing and giving out awards.

Then came the dig ... "We're gonna be keeping people's names out of our mouths." That, he said, would help keep the night chill ... and the audience laughed it up as a result.

No name-dropping here, but it's obvious what Trevor was referring to ... that is, Will telling Chris Rock to keep Jada Pinkett's name out of his mouth during last weekend's Oscars ceremony -- this after smacking him across the face on stage, live on television.

It's interesting that Trevor went there -- albeit, lightly and not nearly as brutal as he could've been -- because the dude was seen embracing Will at an afterparty last week ... following a long chat they shared.

Seems like he struck a good balance between addressing it and sparing Will further humiliation. Dude's been getting both criticized and ridiculed in the wake of the hit.

A hot air balloon ride turned into an utter nightmare and damn near a fatal experience for a group of folks who went down from the sky ... and held on for dear life.

Check out this insane video of a young man, Nicholas McCall, is up in a balloon with others out in Perris, CA, where everything seems to be swell from within their basket. He pans around and you can see they're above some a residential area with fields/open land nearby.

Sadly, things take a turn for the worse. His caption reads, "My hot air balloon experience was going great until the winds picked up." The clip then cuts to a freaky scene.

It shows the basket hurtling down toward the ground at a high rate of speed, at which point it makes contact and starts to be dragged across the earth -- with what sounds to be the guide screaming at everyone to hang on and to remain inside at all costs.

You can hear some whimpers from the other passengers, and amazingly ... this dude was able to continue recording, even capturing some different angles of the crash.

It was bedlam on the streets of Chapel Hill Saturday night, after the Tar Heels snagged a spot in the NCAA men's basketball National Championship game.

10 people, and maybe more, were hurt after the game ... 4 were injured badly enough to require hospitalization.

Chapel Hill cops planned for a big celebration -- shutting down streets in advance -- but it got out of hand as it turned into a wild block party. There were around 40,000 fans who were reveling in the Tar Heels 81-77 win over Duke in the Final Four.

It got real when some fans started bonfires in the streets.

So, now the real dead ... North Carolina faces off with the Kansas Jayhawks Monday for the brass ring. Ya gotta wonder who Chapel Hill cops will be routing for!

Drew Barrymore, brace yourself, because a dude from down under may have validated what you saw years ago!!!

A guy named Alex Tan was strolling on an Australian beach when he came upon something weird ... something "you see when people claim that they found aliens."

Whatever it is ... it's dead.

Tan thought it might be a possum ... or an extraterrestrial. So far no one has stepped forward to crack the mystery. It really doesn't look like anything we've seen before, so who knows?

He posted his find, and people were quick to respond. Maybe the best comment, "Experts say it tastes like chicken."

Khloe Kardashian is butt hurt over claims she enhanced her posterior ... actually, she seems more amused than hurt.

Khloe decided to respond to folks who dissected one of her Insta posts and concluded she had butt implants. The photo shows Khloe in hot pink pants during a workout. Some users were quick to conclude there was visual evidence she had implants.

One user commented, "omg u can see her implants when stretching. A 2nd layer of her bum on top of her bum."

Khloe decided to address the bum who wrote ... "lol silly goose. It's the seam design of the leggings. that's so funny ha! You guys just want to believe anything bad😂"

St. Peter's star Doug Edert is striking while the iron's hot -- the NCAA tournament hero is cashing in on his new fame by charging $100 for personalized vids on Cameo!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 22-year-old Peacocks hooper is raking in the dough on the video platform ... and so far, he's getting great reviews.

In fact, 17 reviews have been left on Edert's page ... and they're all 5 stars!!

The price tag is pretty interesting -- especially considering North Carolina star Armando Bacot charges 60 bucks.

But, it shouldn't be too shocking -- Edert became a fan-favorite during St. Peter's Cinderella run in the tourney ... as he helped knock off 2-seed Kentucky in the first round with 20 points.

The Peacocks ended up making it all the way to the Elite 8 before being booted by UNC.

During their epic run, Edert also made the best of his spotlight by securing deals with Buffalo Wild Wings and Barstool Sports.

Shout-out to the NCAA's new NIL rules ... 'cause now athletes can finally get what they deserve.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are feeling unlimited love from their fans ... folks are flocking to the ceremony for the band's Hollywood Walk of Fame star and the scene looks insane!!!

RHCP is being honored as we speak on Hollywood Blvd ... and it's causing such a ruckus the city decided to shut down the famous street to traffic.

Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith are a huge draw ... there's a huge throng of RHCP people crowding around the new star, plus a ton of cameras and a heavy police presence.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce looks like it's busting out all the tricks for this ceremony ... hiring the USC marching band and song girls to provide entertainment to those milling around on the streets.

Celebs in attendance include Woody Harrelson, George Clinton and Bob Forrest.

The Chilli Peppers are still huge in Los Angeles ... the band formed here way back in the 1980s ... and they're still super relevant. Flea is a fixture at Lakers games and other L.A. sporting events, and RHCP is about to release its 12th studio album, "Unlimited Love."

Will Smith's slap has at least one comedy club on its toes and ready to defend its talent at all costs -- going so far as to post a very clear sign ... no slapping allowed, period!

Dani Zoldan -- who owns Stand Up NY in the Big Apple -- tells TMZ ... management decided to tape up a message in their storefront window that directly addresses the Chris Rock moment, as a way to discourage would-be copycats who might now feel emboldened.

The poster is in a bit of a meme format, with the snapshot of Chris getting slapped crossed out with a big "NO" sign streaked across the front, and a shot of Will crying right next to it.

Their message, "Comedians play a critical role in our society, especially during times of chaos and uncertainty. They make us laugh, bring perspective and remind us there are different ways of seeing our reality." More importantly, they add ... "Comics must be protected."

Then comes a warning from Stand Up NY ... "Heckling and physical abuse of comics is prohibited, and patrons will be immediately removed from the showroom." Their crying WS photo has a description -- saying that'll be you if you get a little slaphappy on the premises.

Zoldan emphatically disavows Will's actions, reaffirming his establishment's note -- that comedians are here to entertain us and make us laugh ... and that they deserve respect.

As for other big-time comedy clubs ... they seem to be keeping an eye on things -- but not necessarily enacting any policy changes in response to the Will-Chris smack. That includes the Comedy Cellar in NYC, Carolines on Broadway and even the Laugh Factory here in L.A.

Facebook teaming up with a major Republican consulting firm to turn public opinion against their fiercest rival reeks of desperation ... so says Taylor Lorenz.

The Washington Post columnist joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to break down her bombshell report on the ways in which Mark Zuckerberg's FB and Meta are playing dirty in their war with TikTok.

Taylor says Facebook looks incredibly weak for paying operatives at Targeted Victory -- a GOP consulting firm -- to carry out a calculated smear campaign to damage TikTok's standing in America and drive teens over to their social media platforms.

As for the Republican role in all this, Taylor says Targeted Victory is trying to drum up anti-Chinese sentiments and link TikTok to the Chinese government because the app is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.

But, she says there's no evidence TikTok is in bed with Communist China ... despite claims by former President Donald Trump and others in the GOP.

Facebook is determined to beat out its biggest rival, TikTok ... going so far as to hire a major political consulting firm to smear its competitor with an elaborate nationwide campaign.

Facebook's parent company, Meta, is paying Targeted Victory -- a GOP consulting firm -- to turn Americans against TikTok and ultimately steer young users back to FB ... according to the Washington Post.

In an internal email obtained by WaPo, one of the firm's directors says Targeted Victory needs to "get the message out that while Meta is the current punching bag, TikTok is the real threat, especially as a foreign-owned app that is #1 in sharing data that young teens are using."

The firm's tactics include targeting TikTok through op-eds and letters to the editor in regional news outlets, recruiting politicians, political reporters and public relations firms to help turn the public against TikTok and planting negative stories about the Chinese-owned app.

You might have seen some of the negative press ... like stories about the so-called "slap a teacher" TikTok challenge, which actually started on Facebook.

Targeted Victory is a huge digital consulting firm within GOP circles ... receiving $237 million in Republican campaign spending during the 2020 election cycle. It's unclear how much Meta is paying the firm.

The teenager who fell to his death in an Orlando amusement park was wearing a safety harness that was still locked after the tragedy ... according to Florida officials.

The new detail comes from an accident report that claims 14-year-old Tyre Sampson came out of his seat when "magnets engaged" during the free-fall ride's rapid descent. Here's the puzzling part ... Florida officials say Tyre was wearing his safety harness and it "was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped."

The report, first obtained by People, says Tyre died from "multiple injuries and trauma."

As we previously reported, the terrifying incident happened last week when the Missouri teen fell from the "Orlando Free-Fall" ride, which stands 430 ft. tall.

The ride, which just opened in December, reportedly plummets at 75 mph.

Tyre's family has reportedly raised concerns he was too big for the ride ... or so they believe after checking the ride's safety manual.