Compiled and researched by ROBIN BRAVENDER

The Observer staff knows that you’re busy, and as much as you’d like to, you don’t get a chance to read the paper and watch the news everyday. So we’re bringing you a weekly synopsis of the important stuff: national and international headlines that are too big to miss and the funny stuff that seems too weird to be true (we promise it is).

National Headlines

Former NASA astronaut faces attempted murder charges

Lisa Marie Nowak, former astronaut, was charged with the attempted murder of Capt. Colleen Shipman of the Air Force, whom she allegedly saw as a rival for the affections of fellow astronaut William A. Oefelein. According to the New York Times, Nowak traveled 900 miles from Florida to Texas, brandishing a compressed air pistol and a variety of other weapons when she assaulted Shipman in a parking lot. To read more, go to The New York Times.

Senate Republicans halt Iraq war debate

Senate Democrats were unsuccessful in their attempt Monday to open a discussion about passing a resolution opposing President Bush’s strategy to deploy more troops to Iraq. According to the New York Times, 49 senators voted to open debate on the topic, 11 short of the number needed to proceed. To read more, go to The New York Times.

Giuliani added to list of 2008 presidential candidates

Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani tossed his hat into the ring of presidential candidates Monday when he submitted a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. According to The Washington Post, Giuliani leads the field of Republican presidential candidates. To read more, go to The Washington Post

Top International News

Five U.S. helicopters shot down in Iraq in less than a month

Another U.S. helicopter was shot down in Iraq on Friday, making it the fifth chopper to be downed since Jan. 20, CNN reported. Concerns were raised at a Senate hearing Tuesday that insurgents are getting better at shooting down helicopters. To read more, go to CNN.

29 dead in Indonesian flood

Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, experienced the worst flooding it has seen in years, killing 29 and displacing more than a third of a million people, according to the BBC. Officials fear the spread of illnesses in the region. To read more, go to the BBC.

China expands economic influence in Africa

China has increased economic ties with several African countries in recent months, including Zambia and Sudan, according to the BBC. During a 12-day tour of Africa last week, Chinese President Hu Jintao brokered economic deals with Sudan and announced an investment of $800 million in Zambia’s mining, manufacturing and farming sectors. To read more, go to the BBC.
Strange Occurrences

Bear in Washington campground prefers local beer to Busch

A black bear in a campground 80 miles northeast of Seattle was found sleeping in after it drank 36 cans of campers’ beer. According to a BBC article, the bear drank one can of Busch beer, but opted instead for 36 cans of Rainier, a local brew. To read more, go to the BBC.

New York teens — getting their kicks in new (and strange) ways

The latest trouble-making fad among Long Island, N.Y., teens is recording footage of themselves chucking their bodies into unsuspecting victims’ fences, according to the New York Times. According to the article, they call it fence-plowing, or fence-plopping. One couple’s fence has apparently been “plopped” three times in recent months. To read more, go to The New York Times.

Chewbacca impersonator accused of head-butting L.A. tour guide

Street performer Frederick Evan Young was arrested on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles on Friday after allegedly head-butting a tour guide who chastised his treatment of two Japanese tourists, according to the Los Angeles Times. According to the article, Superman and other impersonators witnessed the incident outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. To read more, go to The Los Angeles Times.

Malaysian baby-switch discovered 30 years later

A Malaysian family figured out they had been given the wrong child by a hospital when they ran into their biological son by chance 30 years later, according to the BBC. The son was working in a shopping center when his siblings recognized him. To read more, go to the BBC.

Essential oils can cause breast growth in males

According to a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, products containing tea tree and lavender oils have been found to induce breast growth in young boys, according to the BBC. To read more, go to the BBC.

News revisited — this week’s news in years past

Feb. 14 (1929) - The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurred in Chicago, where seven of Al Capone’s rivals were murdered.
Feb. 15 (1898) - The U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, influencing the U.S. government’s decision to enter the Spanish-American War.
Feb. 16 (1942) - Kim Jong Il, the North Korean leader, was born.
Feb. 17 (2000) - Microsoft released Windows 2000.
Feb. 18 (1965) - Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom.
Feb. 19 (1878) - Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the phonograph.
Feb. 20 (1872) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in New York City.