The seven stories you missed this week: Terror, Sharks, Pumpkins and more
It's been a busy week in the news what with the UN General Assembly and now the G-20 in Pittsburgh, so we wanted to give you a quick little round up of some stories you might have missed this week.
Three terror arrests - Surely you heard that a suspect was arrested and indicted on charges of planning to blow up bombs in the US. But did you hear that there were two other terror arrests this week? That's right! One in Texas and one in Illinois. Both suspects believed that they had filled a car with powerful explosives and tried to detonate them remotely via cell phones, but the FBI had duped them with fake explosives. More from ABC News.
Uighurs and sharks - It was a big week for the island nation of Palau, as FP Passport reports. They have agreed to take in six Gitmo detainees, all Uighurs. And they delcared the world's first shark sanctuary in their territorial waters. More from FP Passport.
Daring art heist - A daylight raid on a Brussels museum netted a portrait by painter Rene Magritte. The thieves rang the doorbell, put a gun to the head of the concierge, and walked away with the painting. It's estimated to be worth 3 million euros. More from The Guardian.
FDA bans flavored cigarettes - In an attempt to discourage younger customers from picking up smoking, the FDA has banned all flavored cigarettes. Strawberry, chocolate and clove cigarettes were all seen as a gateway for younger smokers to begin the habit. More from the New York Times.
Related: We blogged this week about the success of smoking bans.
Pumpkin crop crisis - New England's pumpkin farmers may have disappointing news for Halloween. Apparently the heavy rains of June and July swamped pumpkin patches and will mean that many pumpkins won't be orange enough to send to stores in time for the holiday. Read more at Yahoo News.
New fighting breaks out in Sudan - The Sudanese army has reportedly begun skirmishing with rebel groups again in the Darfur region. The Sudan Liberation Army said that nearly two dozen civilians were killed in the clashes. Read more at BBC News.
Related: A video introduction to the SLA
Germany's going to the polls - Though no huge shake-ups are expected, Germany is holding elections this weekend. The big question is whether Chancellor Angela Merkel will be able to gain more power for her CDU party, or if they will need to continue ruling a 'grand coalition' government. Read more at Der Spiegel
Other posts from this week:
- Get pricked in Paris – France’s tattoo art festival
- Floods drench the South; I swear we were talking Southeastern drought just a year ago
- Leader of Philippines rebel movement captured – Setback for MILF rebels
- Red dust storm swallows Sydney – Video
- The tunnel-dwellers of Las Vegas
- Honduras stand-off drags on
Three terror arrests - Surely you heard that a suspect was arrested and indicted on charges of planning to blow up bombs in the US. But did you hear that there were two other terror arrests this week? That's right! One in Texas and one in Illinois. Both suspects believed that they had filled a car with powerful explosives and tried to detonate them remotely via cell phones, but the FBI had duped them with fake explosives. More from ABC News.
Uighurs and sharks - It was a big week for the island nation of Palau, as FP Passport reports. They have agreed to take in six Gitmo detainees, all Uighurs. And they delcared the world's first shark sanctuary in their territorial waters. More from FP Passport.
Daring art heist - A daylight raid on a Brussels museum netted a portrait by painter Rene Magritte. The thieves rang the doorbell, put a gun to the head of the concierge, and walked away with the painting. It's estimated to be worth 3 million euros. More from The Guardian.
FDA bans flavored cigarettes - In an attempt to discourage younger customers from picking up smoking, the FDA has banned all flavored cigarettes. Strawberry, chocolate and clove cigarettes were all seen as a gateway for younger smokers to begin the habit. More from the New York Times.
Related: We blogged this week about the success of smoking bans.
Pumpkin crop crisis - New England's pumpkin farmers may have disappointing news for Halloween. Apparently the heavy rains of June and July swamped pumpkin patches and will mean that many pumpkins won't be orange enough to send to stores in time for the holiday. Read more at Yahoo News.
New fighting breaks out in Sudan - The Sudanese army has reportedly begun skirmishing with rebel groups again in the Darfur region. The Sudan Liberation Army said that nearly two dozen civilians were killed in the clashes. Read more at BBC News.
Related: A video introduction to the SLA
Germany's going to the polls - Though no huge shake-ups are expected, Germany is holding elections this weekend. The big question is whether Chancellor Angela Merkel will be able to gain more power for her CDU party, or if they will need to continue ruling a 'grand coalition' government. Read more at Der Spiegel
Other posts from this week:
- Get pricked in Paris – France’s tattoo art festival
- Floods drench the South; I swear we were talking Southeastern drought just a year ago
- Leader of Philippines rebel movement captured – Setback for MILF rebels
- Red dust storm swallows Sydney – Video
- The tunnel-dwellers of Las Vegas
- Honduras stand-off drags on
