Syria begins destroying their chemical weapons
On Oct. 6 it was reported that the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons, including missile warheads, aerial bombs, and mixing and filling equipment, began. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is overseeing the destruction and they plan to visit nearly 50 sites to verify the weapons are successfully destroyed.
Italy declares a national day of mourning after shipwreck
On Oct. 3 at least 111 people died after a ship carrying up to 500 African migrants capsized off the coast of the Italian island Lampedusa. The death toll may rise, however, since about 200 people aren’t accounted for. The engine of the boat stopped as they neared Lampedusa, and some of the refugees onboard set fire to clothing and a blanket, trying to attract the attention of passing ships. The coast guard was eventually alerted, but the fire at some point got out on control. Survivors were taken to an Italian reception center. Divers continue to look through the wreck for survivors, but rough waters are causing a delay.
Car chase in Washington DC leaves one dead
On Oct. 3 a woman started a high speed car chase in Washington DC. The woman attempted to breech a White House checkpoint and was challenged by a secret service officer. When the women refused to cooperate a chase ensued and the police were forced to fatally shoot her to stop the chase. There was a one year-old child in the back seat who was unharmed. Multiple shots were fired and government buildings on Capitol Hill were placed on lockdown
FBI catches creator of Silk Road
On Oct. 1 the FBI caught Ross William Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, an e-commerce website that has been called “The most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today.” The website had been mainly used to sell various illegal drugs. Ulbricht, who is alleged to be the Dread Pirate Roberts, was arrested in a San Francisco public library and charged with narcotics trafficking, computer hacking, and money laundering. The website has been replaced with an FBI notice. Silk Road had done $1.2 billion worth of business between Feb. 2011 and July 2013. The Dread Pirate Roberts had ordered a murder of another Silk Road user who had attempted to blackmail him, however the FBI has found no evidence that supports a murder ever took place.
Deadly hornet attack in China
41 people are dead after a deadly hornet attack on Oct. 2 in central China. The majority of the victims were in Ankang, but some others were in other cities in the southern Shaanxi province. More than 1,600 people were injured, 37 of them are in critical condition. Ankang’s fire department has removed more than 300 hornet’s nests since July in an attempt to address the problem. The hornets are typically an annual problem, but they have been much worse this year, possibly due to the increase in temperature. It’s suspected that the hornets are the giant Asian hornets, which can grow to be up to five centimeters long.
Bomb scare at airport in Jacksonville, Florida
On Oct. 2 everyone in the Jacksonville International Airport was evacuated after a bomb scare. Zeljiko Causevic was charged with falsely reporting planting a bomb and one count of manufacturing, possessing and selling or delivering a fake bomb. Some flights were diverted and passengers who were on planes that had already landed were transported to nearby hotels.
Security forces and protestors turn violent in Egypt
On Oct. 6 demonstrators and security forces in Cairo, Egypt turn violent, leaving 51 people dead and over 260 injured. The Muslim Brotherhood protesters were marching through various neighborhoods in Cairo and armed military personal began clearing the streets of the protesters. Tear gas was fired and the security forced beat some of the detained protesters.
