Keeping up with the news is a juggling act, so we’ve compiled the 10 mind blowing stories that defined this week (3/9/18). From tariffs to terror, from elections to eradication of disease, the world didn’t slow down for a breath.

10 The Trump Trade Wars Finally Arrived

10 mind blowing Overview

After the 2016 US election, the global community feared President Trump would unleash a trade war on China. The idea faded through 2017, only to roar back last Friday when the president announced massive tariffs on imported steel. The twist? The targets weren’t China this time, but Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.

Canada and the EU sit atop the list of US steel exporters, followed by Brazil, South Korea, Japan, and Mexico – China barely cracks the top ten. All of these nations are nominal US allies, a fact that hasn’t escaped foreign eyes. Mexico, Brazil, and Japan have threatened retaliation, but the biggest showdown may be with the EU, which has already drafted a hit list of 100 American products for counter‑tariffs. Farming, a traditionally Trump‑friendly sector, could be hit hard by any EU response.

Republicans are sounding the alarm, with Paul Ryan warning that the tariffs could erase any gains from the tax plan.

9 Populist Parties Dominated Italy’s Elections

It’s official: the political mainstream is dead in Italy. On Sunday voters went to the polls expecting a drubbing for the ruling Democratic Party (PD). Instead, the PD was annihilated. The centre‑right coalition, Forza Italia, fell to third place. Victory was handed to two anti‑immigrant populist forces – Five Star, which claimed the most seats overall, and the League, now heading the largest party bloc.

The precise direction Italy will take remains murky. Both parties share anti‑EU and anti‑immigrant stances but differ wildly otherwise. Five Star is a left‑leaning, vaguely anarchist movement strong in the south, while the League is a right‑wing force dominant in the north. A coalition between them could alienate their bases. Reports suggest Five Star may be eyeing a left‑wing alliance with the loathed PD, a move that could further complicate any northern partnership.

8 A Potential Assassination Attempt Shook Britain

Was it an attempted hit? On Sunday, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia collapsed on a bench in the picturesque town of Salisbury. Both were rushed to hospital in critical condition after being poisoned by an unknown substance later identified as a nerve agent. An emergency responder also fell ill. Suspicion now points squarely at the Kremlin.

Skripal, a former British spy who spied on Russia, was released in 2010 as part of a spy swap and has lived in Salisbury ever since. The incident mirrors the 2006 Litvinenko case, where a Russian‑sponsored polonium poisoning took place in London. The fear is that the Kremlin is becoming increasingly brazen in targeting dissidents abroad.

It’s worth noting that this case isn’t airtight. Unlike Litvinenko, Skripal never entered politics and survived six years in a Russian prison where killing him would have been easier. Some analysts suggest organized crime may be involved rather than a direct Kremlin operation.

7 North Korea Said It Was Willing To Suspend Nuclear Tests

This could be the good news we’ve all been waiting for. On Monday, Kim Jong Un met South Korean officials for the first time in his reign, a sign of thawing ties that began with a joint team at the winter Olympics. Both sides announced a joint summit slated for April – a meeting that hasn’t happened in nearly a decade.

The headline, however, was Kim’s indication that North Korea was prepared to suspend nuclear tests in exchange for peace talks with the United States.

We’ve seen similar overtures in the 1990s and early 2000s, but those talks ultimately fizzled. With leadership changes across the region, there’s cautious optimism that President Moon, Donald Trump, and even a plump Kim might finally achieve what their predecessors could not.

6 Rhode Island Proposed A Troubling Internet Porn Law

Well, here’s a law that seems ripe for abuse. At the end of last week, Democratic state senators in Rhode Island introduced a bill that would force Internet service providers to block all pornography and “patently offensive material” or face a $500 fine. Any citizen who wants to access pornography would be required to pay the state $20.

While the proposal sounds minor, it signals a worrying cultural shift. The bill equates watching pornography with human trafficking, earmarking the $20 fees for an anti‑human‑trafficking council, and creates a database to store the names of those who pay. In effect, it attempts to shame people into accepting a narrow moral viewpoint.

The bill may stumble over First Amendment challenges, but its very introduction is unsettling.

5 The Way Was Paved For Serbia’s EU Accession

“Accession is not a dream, but a reality.” Those were the words Jean‑Claude Juncker spoke at a Balkans summit last week, hinting at one of the biggest post‑Brexit shifts in European politics. After early‑year talks, Juncker announced EU leaders are preparing to vote on a 2025 deadline for expanding the Union into the Balkans, with concrete steps now being taken to bring Serbia into the bloc.

This development is huge for the region and has been backed by action in Belgrade. On March 1, Serbia’s National Assembly formally adopted a framework to align local laws with EU regulations. With its booming economy, the former pariah state may soon become a full EU member, a win for a Union eager to move beyond Brexit.

Challenges remain. Brussels insists Belgrade must normalize relations with Kosovo before accession, a demand many Serbs find hard to swallow.

4 Honduras Arrested A Powerful Executive For An Activist’s Murder

Honduras is not a good place to be an activist. Over the past decade, more than 100 land‑ and indigenous‑rights supporters have been murdered, and police often turn a blind eye. This week, that may have finally changed. On Saturday, Honduran police arrested Roberto David Castillo, the executive president of energy company Desa, charging him with ordering the 2016 murder of activist Berta Caceres.

Caceres led protests against a new dam Desa was building when she was shot dead in her home. Her killing ignited massive backlash. Investigations suggested security services, construction workers, and Desa employees had all threatened her, and a 2017 report indicated the Honduran state itself may have been involved. Someone finally had to take the fall.

Castillo’s arrest marks the highest‑profile detention in the Caceres case to date, sending a warning that impunity for wealthy killers in Honduras may be waning.

3 Sri Lanka Declared A State Of Emergency

The last time Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency was during its brutal 26‑year civil war against Tamil separatists, which claimed between 90,000 and 140,000 lives. This Tuesday, the island entered lockdown again for the first time in nearly a decade after anti‑Muslim riots erupted in Kandy. The government extended a state of emergency across the whole nation.

Sri Lanka, like Myanmar, has seen a rise in Buddhist nationalism, which recently spilled over into violence against the Muslim minority. While the Tamil Hindu community wasn’t involved in this flare‑up, President Sirisena imposed the emergency to prevent the riots from igniting broader ethnic conflict.

2 Terrorism Returned To Burkina Faso

In January 2016, gunmen stormed a restaurant and hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, killing 30. Last Friday, the terror struck again, this time with a car bomb detonated at the city’s military headquarters followed by an assault on the French embassy. Eight people died and 80 were wounded.

The attack was remarkable for its audacity. Ouagadougou’s military base is heavily guarded, and the French embassy is usually one of the safest spots in the country. The attackers managed to get close, a glaring security failure. Luck was on the city’s side: the bomb was meant to hit a regional anti‑terrorism meeting, which had been moved at the last minute, sparing many more lives.

Some good may yet emerge. French President Emmanuel Macron has been urging former colonies to step up against Islamic extremism, and this attack could serve as a wake‑up call for Burkina Faso and its neighbours.

1 Australia Was Tipped To Become The First Country To Eradicate Cervical Cancer

Let’s end on some good news for once. On Tuesday, the International Papillomavirus Society announced that Australia’s free cervical cancer vaccine program has exceeded expectations. It’s now believed that Australia will become the first nation on Earth to completely eradicate cervical cancer.

Over 99 % of cervical cancer cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease. In 2007, Australia began offering a free vaccine to all girls aged 12‑13, later expanding it to boys as well. When the program started, roughly one in five (22.7 %) Australian women carried HPV. By 2015, that figure had plummeted to just 1.1 %.

With additional screening tests announced at the end of 2017, Australia is on track to eliminate cervical cancer within the next ten to twenty years. If the rest of the world follows suit, we’ll have a truly cause for celebration.

Now that the weekend has rolled around, you’ve got a little breathing room to unwind and skim through the week’s headlines. If you’re after the heavy‑weight news, click here – but if you crave something quirky and out‑of‑the‑ordinary, keep scrolling for a splash of the strange and spectacular.

10 Offbeat Stories #10: Oldest Dandruff In The World Found On Dinosaurs

Even though these giants vanished tens of millions of years ago, paleontologists are still unearthing fresh clues about their lives. A fresh paper in Nature Communications reveals the earliest known example of dandruff, discovered on a 125‑million‑year‑old microraptor.

Scientists uncovered remarkably intact flakes of fossilized skin that look almost identical to the dandruff we see on modern birds today. Follow‑up analyses also spotted similar skin particles on two other feathered dinosaurs – beipiaosaurus and sinornithosaurus – as well as on an early crow‑sized bird called confuciusornis, all sourced from northeastern China.

The research argues that feathered dinosaurs evolved dandruff to cope with a brand‑new adaptation: feathers. Unlike today’s reptiles, which shed their outer layer in one massive cast‑off, these dinosaurs apparently shed tiny bits, mirroring how birds lose their skin.

One striking difference emerges, though. The ancient dandruff cells were packed with keratin‑filled corneocytes, whereas modern bird dandruff is rich in fatty cells that help dissipate heat during flight. Lead author Dr. Maria McNamara suggests this points to a transitional metabolism – a midway point between cold‑blooded reptilian and warm‑blooded avian physiology.

9 Offbeat Stories #9: Pair Of Melons Sold For $29,000

An auction in Hokkaido shattered records when two Yubari melons fetched a staggering 3.2 million yen (about $29,300).

The winning bidder, Shinya Noda – president of Hokuyu Pack, a fruit‑packaging firm – deliberately aimed for a headline‑making bid to celebrate his company’s 30th anniversary. He plans to showcase the prized melons through the end of the month, after which they’ll be sliced into bite‑size pieces and handed out as complimentary gifts.

These melons are a hybrid cantaloupe variety cultivated exclusively in the tiny city of Yubari. While they typically command prices around $100, the auction‑top tier specimens are the very first harvested of the season. That “first‑of‑the‑crop” status turns them into status symbols, reflecting both personal success and the health of Japan’s economy.

The previous high‑price record was set in 2016, when another pair of Yubari melons sold for three million yen.

8 Offbeat Stories #8: The Mysterious Wolf‑Dog Of Montana

Montana wildlife officials are scratching their heads over a puzzling, wolf‑like creature that a farmer dispatched on his ranch. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) released a statement identifying the animal simply as a “young, non‑lactating female” belonging to the dog family, and sent tissue samples to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for DNA analysis.

The farmer shot the animal on May 16 as it approached his livestock. Initial images show a creature that resembles a wolf at first glance, but experts note several oddities: an unusually large ear set, undersized legs and paws, short canine teeth, and overly long claws.

Since the photos went viral, speculation has run rampant. Some fans dream up mythic beasts like werewolves or chupacabras, while others wonder if a surviving dire wolf is at play. More grounded theories suggest a new wolf breed or a hybrid between dog, coyote, and wolf.

7 Offbeat Stories #7: Scientists Design Real Flux Capacitor

Anyone who grew up watching Back to the Future knows Doc Brown’s iconic flux capacitor. Now, a team of Australian and Swiss physicists has sketched out a genuine version – though it won’t be sending anyone back to date their mothers.

The proposed device is a next‑generation electronic circulator that can dictate the direction of microwave signals. Their design, detailed in Physical Review Letters, would be built from a superconductor and feature one of two circuit layouts, one of which sports a three‑pointed‑star pattern echoing the movie’s famous look.

Professor Jared Cole of RMIT University described it as “quantum ‘tubes’ of magnetic flux that move around a central capacitor via quantum tunnelling, allowing them to overcome classically insurmountable barriers.”

While the gadget won’t enable time travel, it does create a phenomenon called broken time‑reversal symmetry, meaning signals travel only one way around the loop. Future applications could boost Wi‑Fi and radar performance, and it may become a key component in emerging quantum computers.

6 Offbeat Stories #6: Cockroach Milk Is The New Superfood

Fitness trends can get pretty out there, but the latest contender might make even the most adventurous cringe: cockroach milk. Researchers at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore say the liquid produced by the Pacific beetle cockroach could become the next superfood.

The study, now gaining traction two years after its initial release, reveals the milk‑like secretion is packed with protein‑rich crystals that deliver roughly three times the energy per gram of conventional dairy milk. Only the viviparous cockroach Diploptera punctata – which gives birth to live young – produces this substance.

Although the team is enthusiastic about the nutritional potential, they’re not yet urging anyone to gulp it down. Safety for human consumption remains unproven, and practical hurdles such as large‑scale extraction and overcoming the “cockroach milk” stigma still loom.

5 Offbeat Stories #5: Flippy The Robot Is Back To Making Burgers

After a rocky debut, the burger‑flipping automaton Flippy has made a comeback at CaliBurger in Pasadena, California.

Engineered by Miso Robotics, Flippy was touted as a potential replacement for short‑order humans who often quit quickly due to the heat. With a price tag of $100,000, the robot promised consistent output and no break times.

The robot’s first public run in March generated buzz, but it lasted only a day before being pulled. While Flippy could churn out 200 burgers an hour, it struggled to place finished patties on trays and occasionally missed its target. Meanwhile, human coworkers, who handled patty preparation and assembly, weren’t trained to sync with the robot’s pace.

After a few months of troubleshooting, Flippy has returned to the grill. Operations are smoother now, and CaliBurger announced plans to roll out 50 more Flippys across its locations by 2019.

4 Offbeat Stories #4: How Climate Change Affects Zombie Ants

A fresh study in the journal Evolution examines how ancient climate shifts have rewired the behavior of the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps, the notorious culprit behind “zombie ants.”

In South America, infected ants climb trees and clamp onto leaves before dying, allowing the fungus to sprout from their heads and release spores onto the forest floor. In Japan, where leaves fall off in winter, the fungus forces its hosts to climb higher and latch onto twigs, even wrapping their limbs for extra grip.

Researchers also observed that in North America’s South Carolina, the fungus’s life cycle varies with climate: tropical strains mature in one to two months, while temperate ones can take up to a year, syncing with ant hibernation patterns.

3 Offbeat Stories #3: Snoop Dogg Mixes Largest Gin And Juice Ever

For nearly a quarter‑century, Snoop Dogg has championed “Gin and Juice.” After his set at BottleRock Napa Valley, he cemented his love for the cocktail by mixing the world’s biggest batch.

Guinness World Records officials verified the concoction—over 500 liters (132 gal)—as a new record. Joined by fellow rapper Warren G and Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio, Snoop poured 180 bottles of gin, 154 bottles of apricot brandy, and 38 jugs of orange juice, topping it off with a giant straw, a parasol the size of an umbrella, and a sword‑mounted garnish of melon and pineapple.

2 Offbeat Stories #2: Cheese‑Rolling Champ Claims Record

The annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese‑Rolling and Wake in Gloucestershire saw another record broken when 30‑year‑old Chris Anderson claimed the most cheeses ever won – 22 wheels over a 14‑year span.

For newcomers, the competition involves chasing a 3.6‑kg (8‑lb) double Gloucester wheel down a steep hill; the first to reach the bottom claims the cheese. What began as a local pastime now draws thousands, though it remains semi‑official due to its notorious injury rate.

This year’s hill was slick and muddy after heavy rain, making it even harder to stay upright. Anderson, a soldier with the 1 Rifles infantry regiment, has paid the price: a broken ankle, bruised kidneys, a concussion, and a torn left calf in the very race that secured his record.

He declared himself “happy” with the achievement, though he didn’t say whether he’ll retire from the perilous sport.

1 Offbeat Stories #1: Will Sex On Mars Lead To New Species?

Eventually, humanity will set foot on another planet, and Mars is the front‑runner. That prospect brings a host of challenges, especially when it comes to reproduction beyond Earth.

A new paper in the journal Futures tackles the biological and social hurdles of human breeding on the Red Planet. Prolonged spaceflight already saps bone density, muscle mass, vision, and even reshapes the brain, leaving open the question of whether a fetus or newborn could survive in microgravity.

The authors suggest that gene editing might become essential to give Martian offspring a fighting chance, but this raises a provocative idea: as generations adapt genetically to Mars, they could diverge enough from Earth‑born humans to be considered a separate species.

Welcome to our roundup of the 10 offbeat stories you might have missed this week – a quirky collection that mixes the absurd with the astonishing. From sky‑falling poop to ancient footprints, we’ve got the weird and wonderful all in one place.

Explore These 10 Offbeat Stories

10. Falling Poo Over Canada

The city of Kelowna in British Columbia is grappling with an oddball dilemma – fecal matter literally raining from the heavens.

The saga began on May 9 when Susan Allen and her son were halted at a red light, only to be drenched by a brown, foul‑smelling liquid that splashed onto their car. With the sunroof open, both were pelted, prompting an emergency stop at the nearest car wash for a thorough rinse.

Allen kept silent for weeks, embarrassed by the incident, but eventually went public after suspecting the authorities were giving her the run‑around.

Kelowna Airport officials confirmed they logged a complaint but found no aircraft overhead at the time. Allen, however, insists she saw a plane shortly before the goo began falling.

Since then, more witnesses have stepped forward, and Transport Canada has opened an official probe. Experts suggest the phenomenon may be “blue ice,” where leaked sewage freezes on an aircraft’s exterior at high altitude, later melting and dropping as it descends.

9. The Mother Of All Lizards Found In The Alps

Scientists have unveiled a fossil dubbed the “mother of all lizards,” identified as Megachirella wachtleri, dating back 240 million years – a full 75 million years older than previously known lizard fossils.

The remains were initially discovered two decades ago in the Italian Alps by amateur fossil hunters and first described in 2003. Only now have high‑resolution micro‑CT scans confirmed its placement within Squamata, the vast order that includes lizards, snakes, and worm lizards.

While the age aligns with genetic estimates that squamates emerged around 250 million years ago, the fossil record had lagged until this breakthrough. Co‑author Michael Caldwell likened the find to a “Rosetta Stone” for decoding reptile evolution.

8. Killer On The Dance Floor

An off‑duty FBI agent attempted to showcase his killer dance moves at a Denver bar, only to unintentionally discharge his firearm after a backflip, striking a patron’s leg.

During the performance, the agent’s gun slipped from its holster onto the floor. Though it didn’t fire immediately, his rush to retrieve it resulted in an accidental trigger pull, captured on video.

The injured party suffered a leg wound but is expected to recover fully. Denver police interviewed the agent, who remains unidentified pending further investigation into possible intoxication and potential charges.

7. What Is The Most Disgusting Thing In The World?

Disgust isn’t just a feeling; it’s an evolutionary safeguard that steers us away from disease‑laden threats. A study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine examined this “parasite‑stress theory,” linking our revulsion to pathogen avoidance.

Surveying over 2,500 participants with 74 gross scenarios – from toilet floaters to men scratching crotches on trains – researchers found that infected, pus‑filled wounds topped the disgust hierarchy.

The scenarios clustered into six domains: rotting food, lesions, animal vectors, risky sexual practices, atypical appearance, and poor hygiene. Each domain correlates with potential infection, underscoring disgust as a built‑in pathogen detection system.

6. Picasso Painting Reveals Hidden Painting

Infrared imaging has peeled back layers of a 1902 Picasso work, uncovering a newspaper page and an unseen subsidiary painting beneath the surface.

The piece, *Mother and Child by the Sea*, resides at Japan’s Pola Museum of Art. Researchers led by John Delaney digitally stripped away the top layers, revealing a woman beside a glass of absinthe, spoon in hand.

While Picasso’s reuse of canvases isn’t novel, the discovery of a January 18, 1902 edition of *Le Journal* beneath the paint adds intrigue, suggesting he may have concealed earlier works with newspaper, hinting at deeper hidden layers.

5. Asteroid Reaches Earth

Early Saturday, astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson spotted an asteroid on a collision trajectory with Earth. With mere hours before impact, the world braced for a potential catastrophe.

Fortunately, the rock – dubbed 2018 LA – measured just 2 meters across. It burned up over Botswana, producing a brilliant fireball that disintegrated before touching ground, offering a spectacular sky show instead of doom.

NASA’s Paul Chodas noted this marked only the third discovery of an Earth‑impacting asteroid and the second instance where impact was predicted in advance.

4. How To Wear A 13‑Ton Hat

The iconic moai statues of Easter Island feature massive stone caps called pukao, each weighing roughly 13 tons. Though their purpose remains debated, recent research sheds light on how these colossal hats were hoisted onto the heads of statues up to 10 meters tall.

Archaeologists observed wear marks suggesting the cylinders were rolled from quarries, but lifting them required ingenuity. Anthropologist Sean Hixon proposes that each pukao’s bottom indentation matches the moai’s crown, allowing a lever‑and‑tilt method rather than sliding.

Evidence of stone‑and‑soil ramps near some statues supports this theory, indicating a team of about 15 workers could have maneuvered the 13‑ton caps into place.

3. The Pickle Lawsuit

In Texas, farming duo Anita and Jim McHaney are challenging the state’s narrow definition of “pickle,” which legally applies only to cucumbers, threatening their ability to sell pickled beets and okra under the Cottage Food Law.

The law, designed to let small‑scale producers sell homemade foods without full commercial regulation, lists pickles explicitly as cucumbers. This excludes other pickled vegetables, exposing sellers to fines up to $25,000.

Represented pro bono, the McHaneys seek a broader definition to protect their livelihood and ensure the law reflects the diverse reality of pickling.

2. Achilles Predicts The World Cup

Meet Achilles, a deaf white cat residing at Russia’s Hermitage Museum, who has earned a reputation as a World Cup oracle after correctly guessing three of four matches at last year’s Confederations Cup.

His method? Selecting the winning nation’s flag‑marked bowl of food. The one draw he missed was unavoidable, as his binary choice system can’t predict ties.

Achilles aims to outshine his predecessor, Paul the Octopus, who boasted an 85.7 % success rate during the 2010 World Cup.

1. Scientists Discover Oldest Footprints Ever

A Chinese paleontological team exploring the Three Gorges along the Yangtze uncovered what may be the planet’s oldest known footprints, preserved in limestone dating between 551 and 541 million years old.

These tiny imprints, mere 1–2 mm in length and spaced 4 mm apart, likely belong to a bilaterian creature with paired appendages, possibly an early arthropod or annelid ancestor.

Accompanying burrows suggest the same organism made both marks, though a slight offset at the junction leaves some uncertainty. If linked, the behavior could align with the ichnogenus Lamonte trevallis.

10 Mind Blowing Highlights of the Week

Staying on top of the news can feel impossible. So impossible, in fact, that we’ve taken it upon ourselves to spare you the effort by gathering the most significant, unusual, and downright 10 mind blowing stories of the week.

1. The Historic Trump-Kim Summit Finally Happened

Wow. This marks the second time in just three years that a U.S. president has engineered a landmark diplomatic pivot. After Obama reopened ties with Cuba in 2015, President Trump now shook hands with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Singapore, pulling the reclusive regime out of isolation after more than six decades.

The achievement is even more astonishing when you recall where things stood a half‑year earlier. Back in January 2018, tensions were so high that a false alarm from Hawaii’s missile‑warning system could have sparked a nationwide panic. Getting to this point required a flurry of behind‑the‑scenes negotiations in Washington and Pyongyang, helped along by Trump’s unconventional style.

But the real work is just beginning. While Trump and Kim pledged denuclearization, the promise means little until their teams hammer out a legally binding treaty. Over to the State Department to turn rhetoric into reality.

2. Macedonia Finally Agreed To Change Its Name (Or Did It?)

While the world was snapping selfies with Kim Jong Un against Singapore’s skyline, another historic shift unfolded half a world away. On Monday, Macedonia and Greece settled a 27‑year‑old naming dispute that had long blocked the Balkan nation’s EU and UN aspirations.

The crux of the issue: “Macedonia” also designates a historic region in northern Greece. When the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia declared independence and took that name, Greece objected, leveraging the dispute to stall the country’s international integration.

Now, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced the nation will adopt the title Republic of North Macedonia. Yet the journey isn’t over—Skopje plans a referendum later this year, and the Macedonian president has already hinted he may refuse to sign off on the change, setting up potential roadblocks.

3. Germany Uncovered A Dramatic Bioterrorism Plot

Ricin, the lethal toxin that gained pop‑culture fame from Breaking Bad, nearly made headlines for a far darker reason. On Tuesday, German police raided a Cologne residence belonging to a Tunisian national, uncovering a sizable ricin stockpile intended for a bioterror attack.

The suspect, identified as Sief Allah H., was already on investigators’ radar for alleged ISIS sympathies. A deep‑dive into his online activity revealed an order for 1,000 Ricinus seeds, which he was extracting into ricin. By the time authorities intervened, he had amassed enough toxin to cause fatalities, though no concrete attack plans were found.

Had he succeeded, he would have joined a minuscule group of bioterror perpetrators. Historically, only the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States and a 1985 Oregon cult’s salmonella poisoning stand out as comparable incidents.

4. California Paved The Way For A Referendum On Splitting Into Three States

The last time a U.S. state fractured into new entities was during the Civil War, when Virginia split into Virginia and West Virginia. Fast‑forward to 2018, and a new proposal could see California carve itself into three separate states without a single shot fired.

Billionaire venture capitalist Tim Drake finally gathered enough signatures to land his Cal‑3 initiative on the November 2018 ballot. If voters approve, the Golden State would be divided into: California (the six coastal counties around Los Angeles), Northern California (the San Francisco and Sacramento region), and Southern California (the remainder of the state).

Drake’s idea isn’t brand‑new; a 2014 attempt to create six new states fell short due to signature irregularities. This trimmed‑down version now faces the ballot, yet it still confronts a steep hurdle: any new state requires both local approval and consent from Congress, and California Democrats are unlikely to sacrifice their reliable 55 electoral votes.

5. The UN Called For An Investigation Into India And Pakistan’s Conduct In Kashmir

Kashmir remains one of the world’s most contested territories, sandwiched between India and Pakistan since the 1947 Partition. The region’s volatile mix of militant attacks and heavy‑handed crackdowns has made it a flashpoint for human‑rights concerns.

This week, the United Nations demanded a formal inquiry into both countries’ actions. In stark language, UN human‑rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al‑Hussein accused Pakistan of misusing anti‑terror laws to strip locals of their rights, while condemning India for the lethal suppression of peaceful demonstrators.

The call is likely to inflame passions on both sides, as each government defends its security‑focused policies as necessary to combat militancy and safeguard territorial claims.

6. Mass Protests Brought Down Georgia’s Government

Following a four‑week wave of massive street protests that first toppled Armenia’s president, Georgia saw its own political upheaval. After weeks of fragmented demonstrations—ranging from police clashes with clubbers to outrage over a teenage murder—the pressure culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, triggering the entire cabinet’s exit.

Unlike Armenia’s velvet revolution, Georgia’s ruling coalition remains intact and will soon nominate a new prime minister and cabinet. Meanwhile, authorities have begun arresting protest leaders and activists, likely aiming to prevent a full‑blown overthrow of the government.

The protests, though initially diverse, coalesced into a single, angry chorus demanding accountability and change, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s recent political landscape.

7. Italy And The EU Got Into A Massive Spat Over Migrants

Italy’s uneasy coalition of the Five Star Movement and the right‑wing League, united only by a shared disdain for migrants and the EU, escalated its confrontation with Europe this week.

On Sunday, the Italian government shut its ports to a rescue vessel carrying 600 migrants, a move widely interpreted as a calculated provocation aimed at forcing the EU to revisit its migration framework. Both the BBC and France 24 highlighted the action as a stark challenge to European solidarity.

Italy has long pressed for reform, arguing that the current system forces migrants to stay in the first EU country they reach—often against their wishes—while the nation itself struggles to fund adequate refugee facilities. By refusing the ship, Rome hopes to pressure Brussels into overhauling the broken policy.

8. Nicaragua Tilted Toward Civil War

What began on April 18 as a protest against pension reforms has spiraled into a nation‑wide uprising against President Daniel Ortega’s regime. After months of intermittent unrest, a nationwide strike ignited at midnight this week, paralyzing Nicaragua.

Lawlessness now grips the streets, with a rising death toll and masked paramilitary groups targeting demonstrators. Cities like Masaya have seen authorities abandon their posts, leaving armed anti‑Ortega rebels in control. Ortega, mirroring Venezuela’s Maduro, refuses to step down or acknowledge the protests, while his security forces continue lethal crackdowns.

With 148 demonstrators already killed and the country teetering on the brink, the prospect of a full‑scale civil war looms larger than ever.

9. The Biggest Battle Of The Yemeni Civil War Began

The Yemeni civil war, already deemed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis—surpassing even Syria—has taken a terrifying new turn. Iran‑backed Houthi rebels, who have been fighting Saudi‑led coalition forces since 2015, now face a fresh offensive.

This Wednesday, Emirati troops from the coalition entered the rebel‑held port city of Hudaydah (also spelled Hodeida). Analysts fear fierce fighting could sever the lifeline of food and medical aid flowing into Houthi‑controlled areas, potentially crushing all humanitarian relief routes.

If the battle devolves into a protracted siege, aid agencies warn that up to 250,000 civilians could perish from starvation, disease, and lack of medical care—an unimaginable escalation in an already dire conflict.

10. The Grenfell Anniversary Brought More Bad News For Survivors

Exactly one year after the horrific June 14, 2017 blaze that gutted London’s Grenfell Tower and claimed 72 lives, the anniversary has resurfaced fresh grievances for those still coping with the tragedy.

The North Kensington Law Center released a damning report revealing that the council tasked with rehousing survivors has, in many cases, failed to provide adequate accommodation and, at times, even exacerbated their hardships. While the council pledged to rehouse all victims within a year, only 83 of the 203 households have secured permanent homes, 52 enjoy temporary housing, and 68 remain without any suitable placement.

The report alleges that many survivors were offered substandard or distant homes, and the council then labeled them as “choosy,” adding psychological strain to an already traumatized community. The hope now is that the coming year finally brings meaningful closure for those still suffering.

If you missed the whirlwind of events this week, fear not – we’ve compiled the highlights for you. Dive into the most important headlines, but this roundup zeroes in on the uncanny side of the news. Here are 10 offbeat stories you probably didn’t catch.

10 offbeat stories: A Quick Rundown

10. The Muggy Moon Mystery

It has been mentioned before that NASA doesn’t have the most diligent people in the world when it comes to preserving their old tapes. Just recently, researchers were able to uncover hundreds of archival tapes which they used to solve a mystery that has been puzzling scientists for over 30 years.

During the Apollo 15 and 17 missions from 1971 and 1972, respectively, astronauts installed probes on the Moon to measure its subsurface temperature. The goal was to determine how much heat moves from the centre to the surface and establish if the celestial body had a hot core. Over the years, a different head‑scratcher puzzled NASA: the Moon was warming up slightly, but nobody knew why.

The experiment ended in 1977. For some reason, NASA only archived tapes from 1971 to 1974. The rest were presumed lost.

In 2010, a team led by Seiichi Nagihara from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, tracked them down and found 440 tapes covering 1975–77 stored on the shelves of the Washington National Records Center in Suitland, Maryland. After years of extracting and analysing the data, they figured out that human interference was to blame for the warmer temperatures.

The act of landing and moving around was enough to disturb the surface of the Moon and expose the darker soil underneath. This absorbed more heat from the Sun, which was enough to increase the temperature of the regions measured by 1–2 degrees Celsius (1.8–3.6 °F).

9. Skinny‑Dipping World Record Set In Ireland

Over 2,500 naked women gathered at Magheramore Beach in Wicklow, Ireland, and went for a swim to set a new official Guinness World Record for the largest skinny‑dip event in history.

The event was organised by Dee Featherstone to support a pediatric cancer charity called Aoibheann’s Pink Tie. This was the sixth year in a row that the swim took place. The first year was just Featherstone herself and 60 friends and family members looking to support her after a cancer diagnosis. This year, 2,505 women braved the cold waters for five minutes to officially claim the Guinness record.

They shattered the previous record of 786 set in Perth, Australia, in 2015. However, the Aussies are already planning a swim in February 2019 to take back what was theirs.

8. Charlie Chaplin, Meme Machine

Charlie Chaplin has a new title to add to his list of accolades: “inventor of memes.” A still from his 1922 film Pay Day is making the rounds online due to its strong resemblance to the “distracted boyfriend” meme.

The modern image shows a man walking with his significant other while looking back at a beautiful woman passing them in the opposite direction. Text is usually added to convey the feeling of wanting something off‑limits while ignoring what you already have. The Chaplin scene plays out pretty much the same, although the still was mirrored to better resemble the modern meme.

The “distracted boyfriend” image was identified as a stock photo originally posted under the description “Disloyal man with his girlfriend looking at another girl.” It started being used as a meme at the beginning of 2017, but there is no evidence to suggest that either the original photographer or the meme creators purposely tried to imitate the scene in Pay Day.

A similar story came out a few months ago. People found striking similarities between a modern meme known as “What you think you look like vs. What you actually look like” and an illustration from a 1921 issue of a magazine called Judge.

7. Honeybees Can Count To Zero

A study by a team of scientists from Australia and France recently published in Science touts honeybees as the first insects that have proven the ability to understand the concept of zero. Besides showing that they distinguish “nothing” from “something,” the bees also placed zero at the low end of a positive numerical sequence.

For the experiment, researchers lured honeybees to a screen with white cards displaying between two and five dark shapes. Using sweet water as a reward, some insects were trained to head for cards with low numerical values while others went for cards that displayed more items. This part was inspired by a previous study which showed that honeybees can count up to four.

After a day of training, researchers introduced new cards that were blank. The bees were able to recognise that these should be placed at the lowest end of the scale, and they did it consistently. Moreover, the insects got better as the blanks were used alongside cards with more and more shapes on them.

The next step for researchers is to use trained and naïve bees together to see if this ability is innate or can be imparted through training.

6. The Captain Returns

A former US Air Force officer who mysteriously vanished 35 years ago was found living under a fake name in California.

Captain William Howard Hughes Jr. was last seen in New Mexico in July 1983 after withdrawing close to $30,000 from his bank account. The Air Force opened an investigation, but after failing to locate him, officially declared Hughes a deserter in December the same year.

At the time of his disappearance, Hughes was a high‑ranking officer with “Top Secret/Single Scope Background Investigation” clearance. In the midst of the Cold War, a commonly held belief was that the captain had either been abducted or had defected to the USSR.

Some intelligence reports of the time even linked Hughes to possible instances of sabotage of American and French rocket launches, including the Challenger space shuttle. One officer said in an interview that Hughes was “worth his weight in gold to the Russians.” As it turned out, the evanesced officer hadn’t defected and wasn’t kidnapped. He had just changed his name to Barry O’Beirne and moved to Daly City, California. He confessed to his true identity while being investigated by the US Department of State. According to Hughes, he disappeared because he was depressed about being in the Air Force.

5. Daredevil Raccoon In Action

If you ever wondered what a mash‑up superhero of Spider‑Man and Rocket Raccoon would be like, you’re in luck. Such a daredevil was spotted earlier this week in St. Paul, Minnesota. The raccoon spent the better part of Tuesday scaling the walls of a 23‑story building before finally making it to the roof safely in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

The animal was initially spotted sitting on a ledge near the ground floor. Building employees fashioned a couple of planks into a makeshift board and tried to get the raccoon to climb down. However, the critter started scaling the walls. It spent most of the day going up and down the side of the building, occasionally stopping on ledges for naps.

Local media livestreamed almost the entire event. More and more people gathered at the base of the building to root for the “trash panda” who became known as MPRraccoon after the Minnesota Public Radio building across the street.

The animal reached the roof at around 3:00 AM. Despite this, it was another five hours before it was brought down safely. Not wanting to scare the raccoon into climbing down the side of the building again, Wildlife Management officers set a trap and patiently waited for the critter to be lured in by appetising cat food.

4. An AI’s Best Friend Is His Mother

Scientists at MIT created the first psychopath artificial intelligence. They named it Norman in honour of Alfred Hitchcock’s infamous character from Psycho.

Norman was exposed to the dark corners of the Internet—specifically, a subreddit dedicated to violence and death. Scientists used image captioning to train the AI to generate and learn from text descriptions of images. Afterward, he was administered a standard Rorschach test and his results were compared to those of a standard AI.

In an inkblot where the other artificial intelligence saw “a person . . . holding an umbrella in the air,” Norman saw “a man . . . shot to death in front of his screaming wife.” In another where the AI described a “black‑and‑white photo of a baseball glove,” Norman reported a “man murdered by machine gun in broad daylight.” And so on.

The Psycho AI was first launched on April 1 as a joke. Since then, MIT researchers have asserted that Norman makes a good case study showing how easily AI can be corrupted by biased data introduced to its learning algorithm. At the moment, people can actually take part in the study by taking the same inkblot test. Their answers will be fed to Norman to see if it is possible to fix an AI gone rogue.

3. The Mysterious Identity Of The King

An exceedingly rare archaeological find is simultaneously exciting and puzzling scholars. It is the statue of a king’s head in excellent condition from the ninth century BC. However, nobody is sure who the king was or what kingdom he ruled.

The 5‑centimetre (2 in) statue was discovered in Israel at a site called Abel Beth Maacah near the country’s border with Lebanon. It is made out of faience, which was a common material used 3,000 years ago in Egypt and the Near East for figurines. Even so, the head is well‑preserved except for a chunk missing from its beard and is of exquisite quality compared to other figurative art from the Iron Age.

The big question is: What person is depicted by the statue? Scholars believe that he is a biblical Near Eastern monarch. In the ninth century BC, the city of Abel Beth Maacah was situated between three regional powers: the Israelite Kingdom, the Aramean Kingdom and the city of Tyre. The Old Testament mentions it on a list of cities conquered by the Aramean king Ben Hadad. Is that the person depicted by the statue? It could be, but it could also be King Ithobaal I of Tyre or one of the kings of Israel. The debate is still ongoing, but the excavation team is hoping to find more clues at the same dig site.

2. Back From The Dead

A woman in Tokyo received quite a surprise when her husband who had been “dead” for a year showed up on her doorstep.

The man went missing in June 2017 from the capital’s Katsushika Ward. A body found three days later matching his description was turned over to his wife. She and two other relatives positively identified her husband. The family then cremated the body. Earlier this month, though, the woman alerted authorities that her husband had come back safe and sound this May. So far, police have refused to give any details surrounding the man’s disappearance.

Authorities concluded that the body belonged to another man of similar height and age who disappeared around the same time. They apologised for the mistake, specifying that the deceased is usually returned to his family after a simple visual inspection if the death is deemed unrelated to crime. However, this doesn’t really explain how three relatives of the “resurrected” husband misidentified his body.

1. A Supermassive Appetite

For the first time ever, scientists have announced that they observed a supermassive black hole feasting on a star and “burping” out a jet of material at one‑fourth the speed of light. The study, recently published in Science, is the culmination of over a decade of data gathered from telescopes around the world.

The black hole is located in Arp 299, a pair of colliding galaxies nearly 150 million light‑years away. It boasts the mass of 20 million Suns while its “lunch” was a star roughly two to six times as massive as our solar companion.

We first discovered the phenomenon in 2005 when it was observed by a team at the University of Turku in Finland. It was soon confirmed by astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia in Spain who were searching the same area. Initially, everyone thought they were seeing a supernova. Subsequent infrared observations showed that the source was too bright to be a nova. Scientists concluded that they were dealing with a tidal disruption event (TDE).

A TDE occurs when an ill‑fated star gets too close to a supermassive black hole. Ripped in two, half of the star is added to the disk of debris surrounding the black hole while the other half is flung into the dark desolation of space. TDEs are rarely detected events, although some scientists speculate that they actually occur quite often. This is the first time that we were able to directly observe the essential stages of a TDE, including the eruption of particles at the end.

The weekend is upon us, and it’s the perfect moment to round up the ten offbeat stories that managed to dodge the main headlines over the past seven days. If you’ve already caught up on the big news, keep scrolling for the quirky, surprising, and downright odd tales that might have slipped past you.

Why These 10 Offbeat Stories Matter

10. Stephen Hawking Tribute Sent Into Black Hole

On June 15, the world gathered to honor Professor Stephen Hawking with a memorial service that saw his ashes laid to rest beside Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton at Westminster Abbey. In a fittingly cosmic gesture, the European Space Agency (ESA) chose to celebrate the legendary physicist by beaming a musical homage straight into a black hole.

The six‑minute composition was penned by Greek maestro Vangelis, and it even incorporates Hawking’s own synthesized voice delivering a hopeful message of peace. This ethereal track was transmitted from ESA’s ground station in Spain toward the binary‑system black hole known as 1A 0620‑00, which partners with an orange dwarf star.

Traveling at light speed, the tribute will take roughly 3,500 years to reach its destination, where it will be forever frozen beyond the event horizon. The entire endeavor serves as a poetic reminder of Hawking’s groundbreaking work on black‑hole radiation, echoing his legacy across the ages.

9. Michael Jackson’s Former Elephant Escapes Zoo

Back in the 1990s, a bull elephant named Ali called Michael Jackson’s flamboyant Neverland Ranch home. After the pop star’s estate transferred Ali to Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida in 1997, the gentle giant lived a relatively quiet life—until a recent mishap gave him a brief taste of freedom.

A gate was inadvertently left ajar, allowing Ali to stroll out of his enclosure and wander into the courtyard behind the elephant‑and‑giraffe barn. Zoo keepers quickly intervened, coaxing him back with treats, and the former star‑pet was safely returned to his pen within twenty minutes, never having ventured far enough to meet any unsuspecting visitors.

8. New Record On A Penny Farthing

Scottish endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont, already famed for circumnavigating the globe on a bike, recently turned his attention to the eccentric world of penny‑farthing racing. He set out to shatter a 127‑year‑old British record for the longest distance covered in a single hour on the classic high‑wheel bicycle.

The penny‑farthing, with its oversized front wheel and tiny rear wheel, remains an iconic symbol of cycling’s early days. Beaumont chose Herne Hill Velodrome—the very venue where the original record was established in 1891—to attempt his feat.

He managed to pedal 35.3 km (21.9 mi) in sixty minutes, eclipsing the century‑old British mark but falling just 265 m (870 ft) short of the world record set by American William Rowe in 1886. Beaumont described the experience as “one of the most off‑the‑wall challenges” he’d ever undertaken, leaving fans to wonder if he’ll return to chase the global benchmark.

7. AI Takes On Humans In Debates

When IBM’s Deep Blue toppled chess legend Garry Kasparov in 1997, the world witnessed the dawn of machine‑versus‑human competition. Fast forward to today, and IBM’s latest brainchild—Project Debater—has stepped into the arena of formal debate, squaring off against seasoned human opponents.

The AI faced champion debaters Noa Ovadia on publicly funded space exploration and Dan Zafrir on telemedicine. Armed with a colossal database of millions of articles, Project Debater crafted opening statements, rebuttals, and summaries without prior knowledge of the topics, mirroring the structure of professional debate contests.

Judges noted that the machine’s delivery lagged behind its human counterparts, often repeating arguments in different phrasing or stumbling mid‑sentence. Nonetheless, audiences found the AI surprisingly persuasive in its second round, highlighting both the promise and the current limitations of artificial‑intelligence oratory.

6. World Cup Rocks Mexico

The 2018 World Cup delivered a seismic surprise when Mexico toppled perennial powerhouse Germany in the opening match. The lone goal, scored by Hirving Lozano, sent Mexican fans into a frenzy so intense that sensors registered two tremors in Mexico City, initially attributed to fans jumping in celebration.

The Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Investigations (IIGEA) announced that these tremors were “artificial” earthquakes caused by the exuberant crowd. However, the National Seismological Service (SSN) quickly contested this claim, noting that the recorded quakes occurred an hour before the goal and another half‑hour afterward, aligning with typical regional seismic activity rather than fan‑induced vibrations.

The SSN concluded that the false alarm likely stemmed from a researcher at the IIGEA station jumping in excitement, inadvertently triggering the instruments. The episode underscores how passion for sport can sometimes echo—quite literally—through the earth’s crust.

5. Napoleon’s Hat Sold At Auction

June 18 marked the 203rd anniversary of the Napoleonic Wars’ conclusion at Waterloo, prompting De Baecque auction house to spotlight a piece of history: a bicorn hat worn by Napoleon himself during the fateful battle. The iconic headgear, traditionally worn sideways for maximum recognizability, fetched a staggering sum.

Napoleon owned roughly 120 such hats, rotating twelve at any given time, yet only nineteen survive today, most residing in museums. This particular specimen, though weathered and expected to sell for under $50 000, attracted intense bidder interest.

In the end, the hat commanded over $405 000, purchased by an anonymous French collector of historical memorabilia. By comparison, a similar, better‑preserved hat from Monaco’s royal collection sold in 2014 for $2.4 million to a South Korean buyer.

4. The Tools Of The Iceman

Even after 5,300 years, Ötzi the Iceman continues to shed light on ancient craftsmanship. Researchers from Florence’s Department of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape meticulously examined every implement Ötzi carried at the moment he fell to an arrow, aiming to trace each tool’s life from raw material to eventual abandonment.

The inventory included a dagger, two arrowheads, an end‑scraper, a borer, a flake, and an antler retoucher. Analyses revealed that the stone sources spanned the Trentino region, sometimes tens of kilometres apart, reflecting Ötzi’s itinerant lifestyle and the blend of Northern Italian and Swiss Horgen cultural influences evident in the tool designs.

Most implements showed heavy wear and repeated sharpening, indicating they were nearing the end of their functional lifespan. Ötzi, skilled but not a master knapper, displayed moderate proficiency in maintaining his gear, and wear patterns confirmed he was right‑handed.

3. Everybody Poops: Sloth Edition

Imagine a creature that endures a childbirth‑like ordeal each time it relieves itself, all while risking its life. That’s the reality for sloths, whose painfully slow metabolism means a single meal can take up to a month to digest, prompting them to defecate only once a week.

Although sloths spend most of their existence suspended in trees, they must descend to the forest floor to poop, exposing them to predators during this vulnerable ritual. Once on solid ground, the sloth performs a delicate “poop dance,” excavating a shallow pit before the strenuous act, which can force it to expel up to a third of its body weight.

Biologist Rebecca Cliffe observed the sloth’s stomach visibly shrinking as it pushes out the waste, followed by a second dance to cover the hole and retreat back to the canopy. The purpose of this elaborate process remains debated: a 2014 hypothesis suggested a symbiotic relationship with sloth moths, while Cliffe proposes the act may serve as a sexual signal, announcing a willing partner aloft.

2. The Columbus Letter Mystery

A covert drama unfolded within the Vatican walls when the Apostolic Library uncovered a centuries‑old letter penned by Christopher Columbus. Initially, officials believed the document in their possession was authentic, only to discover in 2011 that it was a sophisticated forgery.

The genuine 1493 missive, addressed to King Ferdinand of Spain and detailing Columbus’s first impressions of the Caribbean, had survived in roughly 80 copies worldwide. The Vatican’s copy, printed in Rome and bequeathed in 1921, was the target of the deception.

After a seven‑year investigation, U.S. Homeland Security located the original letter, which had been bought in good faith by a New York dealer for $875 000 in 2004. The forgery’s creator remains unknown, and the Vatican continues to probe the swap, hoping to trace the letter’s initial sale and uncover the impostor.

1. Scientists Discover ‘Naked’ Primeval Life Form

A fresh study released by the Royal Society introduces a newly identified Cambrian creature that may illuminate the origins of the enigmatic extinct family Chancelloriidae. These organisms, which vanished over half a billion years ago, have long puzzled paleontologists regarding their proper placement on the tree of life.

Researchers from Leicester, Oxford, and Yunnan universities unearthed a fossil they named Allonnia nuda, describing it as “naked” because its remains can blend seamlessly into surrounding rock. Its tube‑shaped body, adorned with modest spines and reaching up to 50 cm (20 in), hints at affinities with modern sponges.

The discovery bolsters arguments that chancelloriids belong to the sponge lineage, a view championed by co‑author Dr Tom Harvey, while also suggesting that many similar specimens may be hidden within existing fossil collections, awaiting recognition.

Get ready for a whirlwind tour of ten offbeat stories that slipped under the radar this past week. From botched art restorations to extraterrestrial discoveries, these quirky headlines prove that reality can be stranger than fiction. Buckle up and enjoy the ride as we count down the most unusual news you might have missed.

10. New Coat Of Paint For Old Coat Of Arms

Spanish churches have learned the hard way that art restoration is best left to professionals. Back in 2012, a well‑meaning but woefully untrained parishioner attempted to touch‑up a 1930 fresco in the tiny town of Borja. The original depicted Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns, yet the amateur’s version turned the sacred figure into a comically distorted “Monkey Christ” that quickly went viral.

Fast forward to Estella, where a 500‑year‑old wooden statue of St. George suffered a similar fate. An arts‑and‑crafts school, rather than seasoned conservators, gave the knight a bright pink visage and garish armor, sparking outrage among locals. Officials complained they were never consulted, and the parish priest insisted he only asked for a simple cleaning. Mayor Koldo Leoz has now called in true experts to attempt a rescue of the 16th‑century masterpiece.

Despite the fiasco, the “Monkey Christ” fresco turned into an unexpected tourist magnet for Borja, demonstrating that even a botched restoration can have a silver lining.

9. Happy Galactic Tick Day!

June 26 marked the celebration of Galactic Tick Day, a quirky observance that commemorates the passage of a centi‑arcsecond of a galactic year. A galactic year – the time our Sun needs to orbit the Milky Way’s center – spans roughly 225 million Earth years. To make the concept more digestible, astronomers invented the “galactic tick,” equal to one‑hundredth of an arcsecond of that colossal journey, or about 0.0000077 galactic years, which translates to 633.7 Earth days.

The inaugural Galactic Tick Day is traced back to the day Hans Lippershey filed the first telescope patent on October 2, 1608. Since then, 236 galactic ticks have elapsed, but this is only the second time the holiday has been officially observed. Enthusiasts use the occasion to celebrate humanity’s growing grasp of our galaxy’s motion and to salute the telescope that made such knowledge possible.

8. Hello Kitty Has A Bullet Train

Japan’s rail network just got an extra dose of cuteness: a brand‑new bullet train decked out in Hello Kitty’s signature pink and white palette. The exterior immediately catches the eye, and the interior continues the theme, with chairs, floors, doors, and windows all emblazoned with the iconic feline’s branding.

The first carriage functions as a moving gift shop, offering regional snacks and merchandise, while another carriage has swapped seats for a photo‑op spot beside a gigantic Hello Kitty doll dressed in a uniform. West Japan Railway hopes the partnership will boost tourism, and the train began service on July 1, shuttling passengers between Osaka and Fukuoka. If the novelty proves popular, the Hello Kitty train may extend its run or be reassigned to a different route.

7. The Most Ambitious Game Of Tag In The World

Tag may be a childhood pastime, but some adults take it to extraordinary lengths. Georgina Wilkinson, a North Carolina native, trekked over 6,400 km (4,000 mi) to Scotland to tag a fellow player in an international game that began back in 2014 during a trip to China.

Having been “it,” Georgina seized the chance to surprise Drew McEwan at his niece’s christening at Loch Lomond. With help from Drew’s siblings, she arrived at the ceremony, disguised as a gardener, and waited for the perfect moment. When the photographer—who was in on the prank—asked Drew to tell the gardener to step out of the shot, Georgina pounced, tagging him before sprinting back to the airport for her return flight.

6. Gay Swans Versus Austrians

A same‑sex swan pair in Austria turned aggressive protectors of their nest, launching violent attacks on humans near Grundlsee lake. While it’s well‑known that nesting animals become more belligerent, these swans took the hostility to a new level, even diving under swimmers to keep them underwater.

After a series of assaults that resulted in several hospital visits, Mayor Franz Steinegger called in wildlife expert Alexander Groder to relocate the birds. The investigation revealed that both swans were male and that they weren’t guarding eggs or cygnets—but a bright‑colored plastic cup they had adopted as their treasure.

Now housed in a special pond in Tyrol, the pair’s unusual relationship may have fueled their extreme behavior, according to Groder, who suspects one male was strongly suppressed by the other.

5. What Is ‘Oumuamua?

The 2017 discovery of ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object to zip through our solar system, sparked a flurry of speculation. Initially labeled a comet, then re‑classified as an asteroid due to its lack of a visible tail, some even floated the tantalizing idea of an alien spacecraft because of its odd, cigar‑shaped trajectory.

Recent work by European Space Agency scientists now leans back toward calling it a comet. A study published in Nature argues that subtle, non‑gravitational acceleration observed in its path is best explained by outgassing—tiny releases of water vapor, dust, and gases that are too faint for our instruments to detect directly.

While the debate continues, the outgassing hypothesis offers a natural explanation, but the object’s mysterious nature ensures it will remain a topic of lively discussion.

4. Google Maps Spots Giant Penis

Google Maps recently highlighted a bizarre landmark in Marcus Hill, a rural suburb of Greater Geelong, Australia: a massive phallic shape etched into a dry lake bed. The drawing, dubbed “Betoota Lake” on the platform, was shared widely on the Facebook group Take the Piss Geelong, which celebrates oddities in the area.

Locals had known about the feature for months, but its creator remains anonymous. The etching quickly attracted curious visitors who left five‑star reviews, prompting Google to later remove the landmark tag. Nevertheless, the strange artwork is still visible on the map; simply search for Marcus Hill and locate the circular lake bed off Shell Road to see the curious imprint.

3. The New Ruler Of Asgardia

The pioneering space nation Asgardia has officially installed its first head of state: founder and benefactor Dr Igor Ashurbeyli, a Russian entrepreneur who first unveiled the concept in 2016.

After establishing a parliament, adopting a constitution, and launching its inaugural satellite Asgardia‑1, Ashurbeyli held a ceremony at Vienna’s Hofburg Palace. In front of diplomats, scientists, and legal experts, he proclaimed himself the nation’s leader, outlining ambitions to gain United Nations membership.

Future plans include creating a national bank, a currency, and a foreign‑affairs ministry. While citizenship currently requires only a sign‑up, Ashurbeyli hinted that future applicants might need to pass IQ tests to ensure a “bright and capable” citizenry. With over 200,000 sign‑ups, the vision is for residents to live on orbital stations, and eventually on a lunar base, within the next 25 years.

2. Europe’s Oldest Cockatoo

Researchers from Finland and Australia have identified the oldest known European illustration of a cockatoo, found in a 13th‑century falconry manuscript once owned by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.

The book, titled De Arte Venandi cum Avibus (The Art of Hunting with Birds), dates between 1241 and 1248 and features over 900 bird depictions. Among them is a bird that appears to be either a triton or a yellow‑crested cockatoo, suggesting origins in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, or the Indonesian archipelago.

This finding pushes the earliest European cockatoo depiction back 250 years beyond the previous record—a 1496 painting by Andrea Mantegna. The Latin caption notes the bird was a gift to Frederick II from an Ayyubid sultan, indicating a medieval trade route that carried exotic fauna from the far‑east through Cairo to Sicily.

1. Organic Molecules Found On Enceladus

Following recent news of organic compounds detected on Mars, scientists have now reported similar findings on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The icy world, long considered a prime candidate for extraterrestrial life, harbors a subsurface ocean and hydrothermal vents.

During a fly‑by, the now‑defunct Cassini probe sampled material ejected from Enceladus’s geysers, analyzing it with a mass spectrometer and the Cosmic Dust Analyzer. The instruments uncovered complex organic molecules larger than any previously recorded, surprising researchers who had not anticipated such richness.

While these organics alone do not prove life, their presence—combined with Enceladus’s liquid water and energy sources—strengthens the moon’s reputation as a compelling venue for the search for alien biology.

Keeping up with the news is hard. So hard, in fact, that we’ve decided to save you the hassle by rounding up the most significant, unusual, or just plain old mind-blowing stories each week. This week brings you a fresh batch of 10 mind blowing moments that will leave you stunned.

10. The UK Government Teetered Toward Toppling

In just three short months, the UK government and the EU are due to vote on the final transition deal that will come into force once the UK leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019. Unfortunately for Theresa May, there needs to be something concrete to vote on.

This week, after two years of promising everything to everyone, May finally got her cabinet to hammer out the UK’s official Brexit position. Predictably, the compromise nearly exploded the government.

May’s white paper removes the UK from the EU single market and customs union, but it would keep the country so closely aligned that it’d be nearly the same as staying in. Pro-Brexit MPs were aghast, saying it amounted to “Brexit in name only.” Remain MPs were equally appalled, saying it amounted to throwing away all the benefits of EU membership while keeping all the negatives.

It may all be academic anyway. In the wake of the agreement, two of May’s top ministers resigned, leaving the government flailing. There’s now every chance that her premiership will completely collapse when her plan finally goes to a vote.

9. Japan Finally Executed The Cult Leader Behind The Tokyo Sarin Attack

On March 20, 1995, Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo, under the direction of blind yoga guru Shoko Asahara, released sarin on the Tokyo subway during rush hour, killing 12 (later rising to 13) and injuring nearly 6,000. This followed a 1994 sarin attack the group carried out in the city of Matsumoto (which killed eight and injured over 500) plus a string of assassinations using chemical and biological weapons that claimed at least 12 lives.

The subsequent trials of Aum’s leadership lasted 20 years, finally concluding in January 2018. A few weeks ago, this column reported that Japan was preparing to execute those convicted. Last Friday, Tokyo finally did it. In the morning, news suddenly broke that Asahara had been hanged. As the hours passed, six more Aum members were hanged in turn. Japan’s deadliest terror group is now officially dead.

The executions close the book on a disturbing period in Japan’s history, but the effects of the attack will linger long in the country’s psyche.

8. The Novichok Attack On Britain Claimed Its First Life

While we’re on the gruesome subject of nerve gas, this week also marked possibly the first time that a British civilian on British soil was killed by a WMD. On June 30, Dawn Sturgess and her partner were poisoned by Soviet nerve agent Novichok while in Amesbury. Sturgess finally died on Monday. Her death could have international repercussions.

Amesbury is close to Salisbury, the British city where Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were both nearly assassinated with Novichok in March. (The attack also nearly killed a policeman.) The UK government has pointed the finger of blame at the Kremlin, which previously killed a Russian dissident in London using polonium. Moscow denies any involvement.

The working theory is that Sturgess accidentally picked up a container still contaminated with Novichok from the assassination attempt. Her death has now been ruled a murder, putting London and Moscow on a likely collision course.

7. Germany’s Biggest Neo-Nazi Terror Trial Finally Ended

Between 2000 and 2007, a tiny neo-Nazi cell called National Socialist Underground (NSU) embarked on a racist killing spree across Germany. Eight ethnic Turks, one ethnic Greek, and a female German police officer were gunned down at random by Uwe Bohnhardt, Uwe Mundlos, and Beate Zschape, who also bombed a Cologne street in 2004. Only Zschape was ever apprehended. As the police finally closed in, Mundlos and Bohnhardt committed suicide.

This week, the sprawling trial of Zschape finally concluded. The neo-Nazi terrorist was given a life sentence, with accomplices also convicted. However, the verdict opened serious fissures in German society, leading to large protests in several major cities.

The trial uncovered evidence that the German intelligence services and the media had deliberately overlooked the extreme right nature of the killings, preferring instead to paint them as the work of “migrant drug gangs.” These failures allowed NSU to operate unchecked for years.

6. Croatia’s Soccer Fairy Tale Took Them To Their First Final

You may have noticed a little thing called the World Cup going on the last couple of weeks. You may have also noticed that it’s been one of the least predictable World Cups in living memory.

Germany was knocked out in the group stages for the first time in . . . well, ever. Russia made it all the way to the quarter finals on a wave of hope. England, a team last seen on the world stage getting a drubbing from tiny Iceland, reached their first semifinal in 28 years.

But the real feel-good story of the FIFA World Cup has been Croatia. As a country that’s smaller than West Virginia and has a population below that of, say, the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area, Croatia’s team should have been knocked out ages ago. Instead, they sailed past England on Wednesday night to become only the 13th country to ever make it to the finals. In doing so, they picked up legions of international fans.

Now all eyes are on Croatia to see if they can beat mighty France on Sunday and make soccer history.

5. Thailand’s Divers Pulled Off A Stunning, Impossible Rescue

It was a once-in-a-lifetime rescue. On June 23, a young Thai soccer team and their coach went missing in a deep cave complex after the passageways flooded. Initially considered dead, they were finally discovered alive but cut off from the world by more than 1.6 kilometers (1 mi) of pitch-black water. Getting all of them back alive appeared to be extremely unlikely.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened. This week, Thai Navy Seals plus expert divers from Australia and Britain succeeded in bringing all 12 boys and their coach to safety. Given that this involved bringing them through passageways almost too narrow to swim through in total darkness, this was nothing short of a miracle.

The story was greeted with jubilation across the world as proof that life isn’t always cruel and awful. Yet there was still a hint of tragedy. One of the rescue divers, Saman Kunont, died trying to get oxygen to the boys. For his sacrifice, he was hailed as a hero.

4. El Salvador’s President Was Ordered To Testify Over A Kidnapping Charge

On November 28, 1979, South African diplomat Archibald Gardner Dunn was grabbed outside his embassy in the El Salvadoran capital by members of the left-wing rebel group Popular Liberation Forces (FPL). Dunn was held captive for a year before being executed—after a ransom demand of $2 million had already been paid.

At the time, the second-in-command of FPL was Sanchez Ceren. In 2014, Ceren was elected president of El Salvador, the first former rebel to take the post. This week, the country’s Supreme Court ordered him to testify in a civil case brought by Dunn’s family, raising the specter of the president being found liable for kidnapping, extortion, and murder.

It’s currently unclear if Ceren will make it to the witness stand. Despite the court ruling, his government has refused to comply, saying that he wasn’t yet a leader in FPL at the time of Dunn’s kidnapping.

3. Czech Republic’s Communist Party Got Its First Taste Of Power Since The Revolution

It was a gamble that triggered waves of protests across the country. Having failed to put together a government since his election nine months ago, the populist leader of the ANO party (ano means “yes” in Czech), Andrej Babis, finally turned to the Communist Party for support.

In exchange for having some of their policies adopted, the Communists sided with Babis’ center-left coalition in a confidence vote Wednesday night. Although the Communists will remain outside the government proper, it marked the first time that they’ve had any real power in the Czech Republic since 1989’s Velvet Revolution.

Czech Republic’s history under communism is an unenviable one. The party seized power over Czechoslovakia in a 1948 coup, ushering in an age of repression. In 1968, after new leader Alexander Dubcek tried to ease controls on censorship, the Warsaw Pact countries invaded. Ordinary Czechs really, really do not have good memories of communism.

And now the party is wielding power again, albeit from the sidelines. With Babis himself also under investigation for embezzling millions of euros, the new Czech government is already shaping up to be a hugely unpopular one.

2. Japan Was Rocked By Deadly Floods

Even in a country that’s no stranger to natural disasters, the floods that hit western Japan over the weekend were still shocking. The worst rains in decades washed over Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures, submerging whole villages under water. By the middle of this week, it was clear that a genuine disaster was unfolding. At the time of this writing, 200 have been confirmed dead and the number is expected to rise.

The spread of disaster was so bad that millions had to be evacuated from their homes. The UN has now offered to help with the cleanup.

The floods coincided with other disturbing news coming out of Japan. On Wednesday, former nurse Ayumi Kuboki was arrested in Yokohama on suspicion of poisoning patients in 2016 by injecting their intravenous drips with detergent. She is thought to have killed between 20 and 48 patients this way. If found guilty, it would make her Japan’s worst serial killer in 70 years.

1. President Trump Unveiled His New Supreme Court Pick

It was a common refrain in the 2016 election when both candidates were deeply unpopular with parts of their bases: “You’re not voting for Clinton or Trump. You’re voting for the Supreme Court.”

Well, it turns out that those voices were even more right than they knew. Having already made Neil Gorsuch a Supreme Court justice at the very start of his presidency, Trump nominated his second pick this week after the retirement of Anthony Kennedy. Step forward, Brett Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh is the justice religious conservatives were hoping for. He has an excellent pedigree with right-wing causes and previously served in the George W. Bush White House. If confirmed, he is expected to tilt the court to the right for the foreseeable future. (Kennedy was a conservative who was considered a swing vote on social issues.)

However, that “if” is an important one. The GOP has had some trouble with Senate defections on major votes of late, such as those for health care and tax reform, and it’s possible that moderates or wild card rebels could yet upset Kavanaugh’s nomination. Then again, this could be the one major vote that Senate Republicans are happy to pull together on.

Staying on top of the news cycle can feel like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle. That’s why we’ve bundled the most jaw‑dropping, headline‑grabbing, and outright astonishing stories of the past seven days into one tidy, 10‑item roundup. Get ready for a 10 mind blowing tour through tragedy, intrigue, and even a splash of extraterrestrial possibility.

10 mind blowing Highlights From The Past Week

1. Pakistan’s Election Descended Into Violence And Scandal

Everyone was braced for it, but the violence that erupted during Pakistan’s general election was still shocking. The polls opened under the shadow of a suicide bombing that killed a candidate for former cricketer Imran Khan’s PTI party. As voting progressed, a spate of shootings and bomb attacks claimed another 33 lives. Yet the most contentious twist came when the ruling PML‑N alleged that the military had rigged the vote. The military’s history of coups fuels the claim, but the accusation also serves to deflect criticism from a party that currently trails PTI. In a terse press conference, PML‑N vowed not to step down, while every other party, aside from PTI, echoed allegations of interference. If a “soft coup” truly took place, Pakistan would miss its second civilian transfer of power. Nonetheless, it appears that Khan will become prime minister, with plans to reshape the nation into an “Islamic welfare state,” a change that will reverberate for years.

2. A Laos Dam Collapse Killed Scores

At the time of writing, the true death toll from the Laos hydroelectric dam failure remains uncertain. The night‑time collapse unleashed a torrent that razed entire villages and sent floodwaters spilling across the border into Cambodia. Official figures list 27 confirmed dead, but with hundreds missing, experts fear the final count could be ten times higher. About 3,000 people remain trapped awaiting rescue, while roughly 6,000 families have been displaced in Laos alone, with additional displacement in Cambodia. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith warned it could be the worst natural disaster Laos has faced in decades. Yet “natural” may be a misnomer; warnings about the dam’s integrity were issued beforehand, yet no decisive action was taken.

3. Colombia’s Ex‑President Stepped Down To Face Bribery Charges

In a country long plagued by impunity for the elite, former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe’s resignation from the Senate marked a historic moment. He stepped down to confront corruption and witness‑tampering charges, making this the first instance a Colombian court has compelled a former head of state to testify. The accusations stem largely from Uribe’s own actions: long‑standing suspicions of financing right‑wing death squads, coupled with a 2012 attempt by lawmaker Iván Cepeda to launch an investigation, which Uribe countered by demanding an inquiry into Cepeda. While the Supreme Court dismissed the charges against Cepeda, it uncovered evidence that Uribe had bribed witnesses, prompting a formal case. With the Senate seat vacated, the matter now moves to the Public Prosecution Service, a body critics argue Uribe could more easily influence. Though his resignation is a setback, Uribe remains a powerful anti‑peace‑deal voice, and his exit diminishes the likelihood of overturning the historic peace accord.

4. A Bizarre Scandal Threatened To Bring Down Emmanuel Macron’s Presidency

Emmanuel Macron, usually adept at staying ahead of the curve, found himself mired in one of the most puzzling scandals of his tenure. On May 1, footage emerged of his personal bodyguard, Alexandre Benalla, masquerading as a police officer to assault two rock‑throwing protesters. The government initially issued a slap‑on‑the‑wrist, but the video’s public release ignited fury over the perceived leniency. Macron’s reaction was eerily silent for five days—a stark contrast to his reputation for constant communication. Investigations later revealed Benalla’s inflated €10,000 monthly salary, a dedicated government car equipped with a siren, and a personal key to Macron’s residence. Though Benalla was ultimately dismissed, the scandal has been likened to France’s Watergate, prompting a no‑confidence vote that is unlikely to unseat Macron, yet could tarnish his reputation.

5. A Secret Recording Embarrassed The White House

Forget Stormy Daniels; the most scandalous White House drama this week centers on Karen McDougal. A 2016 secret recording aired on CNN, capturing a conversation between Donald Trump and his then‑lawyer Michael Cohen about hush‑money payments to McDougal, who threatened to publish a kiss‑and‑tell in the National Enquirer. While the tape confirms an affair, it offers no proof that Trump broke the law by authorizing the payments. The real bombshell lies in the tape’s source: Cohen himself. After falling out of favor following the Stormy Daniels affair, Cohen appears to be turning on his former client, armed with recordings that could make Trump’s life miserable. He has also enlisted Lanny Davis, a prominent Democratic attorney known for taking on Republican figures, suggesting the tape may be just the opening salvo in a broader legal offensive.

6. Hackers Stole Data On A Quarter Of Singapore’s Population

The sheer scale of the breach made headlines: a cyber‑attack on Singapore’s largest health provider resulted in the theft of personal data for 1.5 million patients—over a quarter of the nation’s residents. While most victims lost only basic identifiers, a further 160,000 had prescription details compromised. The breach’s political dimension added a chilling layer: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself was among those targeted, alongside several cabinet ministers. Lee suggested the attack was likely backed by a nation‑state seeking embarrassing or blackmail‑worthy material. With nations increasingly flexing cyber muscles, pinpointing the perpetrator remains a daunting challenge.

7. We May Have Discovered Liquid Water On Mars

This week, an Italian research team unveiled a paper that could rewrite our understanding of the Red Planet. They reported the detection of an underground lake of liquid water beneath Mars’s south pole—potentially a permanent, briny reservoir rather than the seasonal or frozen ice previously observed. A stable water source is a cornerstone for life as we know it, making this discovery perhaps the most promising clue for extraterrestrial biology. However, accessing the lake poses a formidable obstacle: it lies roughly 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) beneath the surface, presenting a steep engineering challenge for any future mission.

8. We Heard The Shocking Details Of MGM’s Plan To Sue The Vegas Shooting Victims

For years, this lawsuit will serve as a case study in how the legal system can appear hopelessly skewed. At a Monday press conference, MGM Resorts International disclosed its intent to sue survivors of the Las Vegas mass shooting, a move that would force victims to relive their trauma in court. Rather than seeking compensation, MGM aims to avoid paying damages to roughly 850 injured individuals by arguing the attack was an act of terrorism, thereby invoking a post‑9/11 federal exemption. Authorities, however, have consistently classified the shooter Stephen Paddock’s act as non‑terrorist. Critics argue the lawsuit paints MGM as the corporate villain in a Hollywood‑style narrative, while also thrusting survivors back into the painful details of the tragedy.

9. A Mass Shooting Caused Grief (And Mystery) In Toronto

On a Sunday night, Faisal Hussain walked onto Toronto’s bustling Danforth Avenue brandishing a firearm, opening fire that claimed the lives of a teenage girl and a child, while wounding 13 others before ending his own life. The tragedy left a cloud of unanswered questions. Unlike many mass shootings that appear motiveless, Hussain’s case is baffling, with possible links to Islamic extremism (though police ruled out terrorism), peripheral involvement in gang culture (yet the act seemed too random for gang warfare), and a history of mental illness that, according to doctors, did not reach a level typically associated with such massacres. The mosaic of potential motives may never be fully assembled, but the loss of two innocent lives remains stark and heartbreaking.

10. A Devastating Wildfire Killed Scores In Greece

One of Greece’s deadliest blazes erupted on a Monday afternoon in the village of Mati, on the outskirts of Athens. Fueled by parched conditions, the fire rapidly transformed into a raging inferno, scorching coastline, countryside, and several districts of the capital. At the time of reporting, more than 80 deaths were confirmed, with an additional 40 individuals still missing. Among the victims were tourists and children, including a heartbreaking sight of 26 charred bodies clinging together on a cliff’s edge, presumed to be a family. Remarkably, the fire’s proximity to the sea allowed many to flee by diving into the ocean, potentially saving countless lives. Authorities have opened an investigation into potential arson, noting Greece’s history of wildfires sparked by illegal forest clearing for development—raising the unsettling possibility that a single reckless act may have caused the carnage.

Keeping up with the news is hard, so we’ve gathered the 10 mind blowing stories that defined this week, saving you the scramble and delivering the most significant, unusual, and downright astonishing headlines.

10 Mind Blowing Overview

10. Zimbabwe’s Elections Ended In A Brutal Crackdown

It was meant to be the moment that Zimbabwe finally stepped out from Robert Mugabe’s long shadow. On Monday, Zimbabweans went to the polls in the first elections in 16 years to feature international observers.

At first, things seemed to be progressing well. The African Union declared the elections mostly free and fair despite some clear media bias. As the results came in, both the ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition MDC claimed victory but also said that they’d abide by the final count. Sadly, that last part was just wishful thinking.

On Wednesday, Mugabe’s old party, Zanu-PF, were announced as the winners. Immediately, Harare exploded into violence. Opposition protesters flooded the streets, claiming the poll was rigged. The army responded the only way that the army in Zimbabwe ever does at election time: It opened fire. The resulting skirmishes devastated the city center and killed three people.

It wasn’t meant to be this way. The 2018 elections were meant to be the moment that Zimbabwe turned over a new leaf and opened itself up to the outside world. But with the government now vowing to crack down harder, it looks like, sadly, Zimbabwe’s revolutionary dream was only ever that: a dream.

9. A Plan To Release A 3-D Printable Gun Caused Chaos

At the last minute on Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the website DEFCAD.org from going back online. Or at least, the judge tried to. DEFCAD had actually gone live a few hours before it was meant to, resulting in a flurry of panicked headlines. The reason for this? DEFCAD is a website for downloading and 3-D printing your own guns.

If you’re thinking “this is an old story,” you’re right. DEFCAD first went live in 2013. It was taken down after the State Department threatened to prosecute for breaking US firearms export laws, but DEFCAD responded by suing, saying the printing blueprints were protected by the First Amendment. The Trump administration settled with the site in June, allowing it to return online. Until the judge blocked it.

There are fears that DEFCAD will allow criminals to print untraceable firearms or those that can bypass metal detectors. At the moment, printed guns are notoriously unreliable, but that may not be the case in five years. Essentially, the court battle we’re about to see is a fight about what the First and Second Amendments mean in the digital age. The outcome will have far‑reaching consequences.

8. The Swedish Crown Jewels Were Stolen In Broad Daylight

If you think all great heists involve Danny Ocean levels of planning and subterfuge, think again. This week, two men pulled off one of the biggest robberies in Swedish history, stealing some of the crown jewels.

Their plan was almost hilariously simple. They walked into a cathedral where the jewels were being displayed, smashed the glass, grabbed the jewels, and rode to the nearest lake on bikes before jumping on jet skis and jetting off into infamy.

The jewels dated from around 1611 and included an orb used at King Karl IX’s funeral. They were as priceless as crown jewels tend to be, which is what makes the ease with which they were stolen so bizarre. There are Walmarts that are harder to steal from than that.

Still, the Swedish police remained oddly upbeat about the whole thing. As the jewels are so distinctive, they’ll be impossible to sell.

7. We Experienced The Longest Lunar Eclipse Of The Century (But Not In America)

For fans of incredible natural phenomena, there was only one story worth caring about in the last seven days. The longest lunar eclipse (aka a “blood Moon”) of the 21st century took place on the night of July 27. It lasted an incredible 1 hour and 45 minutes, during which time the Moon turned an evil red and Mars became brightly visible in the sky. It was like looking upon a scene from the Apocalypse . . . or at least it was if you didn’t live in North America.

The map of the eclipse’s route was like a gigantic middle finger to North America. Nearly every single country on Earth got to witness the blood Moon, with the exception of some Pacific island states, the US, Mexico, Cuba, and Canada.

It’s not all bad news, though. The next total solar eclipse to hit North America is already less than six months away, and that one will hit everywhere but Australia. Until then, North American nature lovers can take some solace from the fact that the skies in the UK and parts of Northern Europe completely clouded over prior to the eclipse.

6. India Stripped Four Million Of Their Citizenship

Assam is a troubled state in India that borders Bangladesh. During the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence, millions of refugees flooded the place, often lacking basic identification. In 1985, an agreement was signed, allowing those who arrived prior to the war’s start to stay in Assam permanently. Those who arrived as refugees would have to go.

However, the law was never really enforced and Assam has long been a hub for illegal immigration. When Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party came to power, that all changed. An Indian citizenship list was compiled for Assam to decide who could stay and who should be deported. This week, a draft of that list was published. Over four million residents of Assam were missing. The assumption is that they will now be deported.

Aside from effectively declaring four million people illegals, the list was controversial because of perceived anti‑Muslim bias. Modi himself said that Hindus who fled Bangladesh after the war started should be allowed to remain, while Muslims would have to leave. This is a big problem for Assam, a tinderbox state with a reputation for ethnic violence. Only six years ago, race riots killed 80 people.

5. Germany Freed Its Only Suspect In A Neo-Nazi Bombing

In July 2000, a bomb exploded at a Dusseldorf station, targeting Jewish immigrants. Twelve people were injured, and a pregnant woman caught in the blast lost her unborn child. It was one of Germany’s most infamous neo‑Nazi bombings, thanks to a 17‑year investigation that turned up nothing.

It was only last year that anyone was charged. A suspect known as Ralf S was arrested after a former prisoner came forward, saying Ralf had boasted to him about carrying out the bombing when they shared a cell in 2014.

This week, though, the trial of Ralf S collapsed. Although he was recorded claiming responsibility for the attack, too many witnesses backed out at the last moment. Unable to tell if his boasts were genuine or just the work of an egomaniac, the court freed him.

The failure of the case is particularly pertinent in the wake of the recent NSU terrorism trial. In that case—which involved the murder of nine immigrants and a policewoman—German intelligence repeatedly failed to spot warning signs of right‑wing terrorism. With another neo‑Nazi attack now unsolved, questions are already being raised about the country’s ability to deal with homegrown extremism.

4. A US House Race Transformed Into A Bizarre Argument Over Bigfoot Erotica

File this one under “weird but (unfortunately) true.”

In Virginia, a heated race is currently on for the 5th Congressional District’s House of Representatives seat. This week, that already hot race got one heck of a lot steamier in the worst way possible. Over the weekend, Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn publicly accused her Republican rival, Denver Riggleman, of being “a devotee of Bigfoot erotica.”

Politicians making up outlandish claims about their rivals is nothing new. There’s a great old story about Lyndon Johnson spreading rumors that one of his opponents liked his hogs just a little too much. What’s different is that Cockburn apparently had some evidence to back up her claim. Riggleman’s Instagram feed included a picture he’d posted of his own head photoshopped onto the body of a Bigfoot with an enormous wang.

While Riggleman really is a Bigfoot fan, he strenuously denies Cockburn’s allegations. Still, the whole thing is something of a sad indictment of the state of US politics. In some countries, candidates argue about issues. In Virginia, they argue about Bigfoot porn.

3. North Korea Finally Returned 55 US War Dead

It was perhaps the biggest PR win yet that President Trump has had from his successful summit with Kim Jong Un in June. Last Friday, North Korea announced that it would be returning the remains of 55 dead US servicemen from the 1950–53 Korean War. On Wednesday, a formal handing‑over ceremony took place and the bodies were repatriated.

Impressive as the ceremony was, it was still marred by the usual bouts of weirdness you get with any story involving the DPRK. In this case, it was Pyongyang’s bizarre decision to only return one dog tag alongside the 55 bodies. At least the bodies are likely to belong to Americans. In 2011, North Korea handed over the remains of what it said was a British pilot . . . only for doctors to discover that the bones belonged to a dead animal.

Hopefully, this is another step on the long road toward a nuclear‑free Korea, but who can say for sure? Just before the return ceremony, US intelligence indicated that North Korea might be restarting its ICBM program.

2. Armenia Arrested Its Former President

This year has been a whirlwind one for the tiny Caucasus nation of Armenia. In spring, a one‑man protest against a presidential power grab ballooned into peaceful mass demonstrations which may have involved a third of the entire population. The president resigned, the government collapsed, and anti‑corruption protest leader Nikol Pashinyan was swept into power, all without a single shot being fired.

Now, the effects of Armenia’s velvet revolution are being felt. This week, security services arrested former president Robert Kocharian for orchestrating a crackdown in 2008 that killed 10 people. He is now the third high‑ranking member of the previous government to be arrested for the crackdown, indicating that Pashinyan is serious about ending Armenia’s culture of impunity for the rich and powerful.

As with everything in the former Soviet Union, though, the success of this drive depends on Moscow. Russia’s foreign minister has already condemned the arrests, calling them politically motivated. With Pashinyan having sworn to maintain good relations with the Kremlin, it may be that he’s forced to backtrack on these latest moves.

1. Paul Manafort’s Trial Began

One of the interesting things about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation is that he was empowered to prosecute any crimes he uncovered, even ones unrelated to the Russia investigation. And while the Russia investigation itself has yet to bear fruit, Mueller has uncovered a slew of unrelated crimes.

The biggest of these likely involves Paul Manafort, a one‑time Trump adviser who is now charged with money laundering, witness tampering, tax evasion, and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

This week, Manafort’s first trial finally began in Virginia. It’s expected to last three weeks, after which Manafort will face another trial on different charges in the District of Columbia. (Usually, trials in separate jurisdictions are rolled into one, but the Sixth Amendment allows a defendant to demand a trial in each area where he is accused of committing crimes. Manafort evidently invoked this right.)

The two trials will be watched closely for evidence of how Mueller’s team intends to go after its targets in later cases. Many are also wondering whether President Trump may pardon his erstwhile adviser, if needed. Sources say that Manafort is banking on the White House freeing him if he’s convicted. Since Trump has yet to signal a decision either way on the matter, this all remains simply guesswork.