This week the world's largest economy narrowly avoided a debt default, a deposed Arab leader went on trial, a bloody crackdown in Syria shocked the world and a teenage girl went through a 10-hour ordeal with a suspected bomb strapped to her. Here's what you clicked on this week.
On Wednesday afternoon news trickled in of an incident in the wealthy Sydney suburb of Mosman. Police had been called to a house where a teenager was found alone 'near a device'. Details were scant. Later it emerged that an 18-year-old had what was believed to be a bomb attached to her.
Explosives experts and police spent around 10 hour trying to defuse the 'bomb' in a very delicate, and no doubt extremely stressful, operation. It was later discovered that the device wasn't a bomb. The story made worldwide headlines. Attention then shifted to the perpetrator and a 'manhunt' got underway for the attacker, or attackers. Police believe it may have been an attempt at extortion.
US DEBT CEILING
Another big story this week was the US debt ceiling. The US Senate finally agreed on a plan to raise the debt ceiling at the 11th hour, thus avoiding a globally-damaging debt default.
But the wrangling in the days leading up to the agreement caused a lot of nervousness, especially when the Senate initially rejected the House of Representatives' Republican-backed debt plan.
ASYLUM SEEKER ISSUES
At home, asylum seekers were again in the spotlight as the federal government prepared to implement its controversial 'Malaysia solution' by sending the first batch of asylum-seekers to Malaysia. Among that first group are a number of unaccompanied children.
For some perspective on asylum-seekers and boat arrivals, readers turned to our feature Asylum seekers: where Australia stands.
BOATS, TANKS AND THE UNIVERSE
This week a Canadian yachtsman was rescued after getting into serious strife in the Southern Ocean when his yacht nearly sank. The Australian Maritime Rescue Authority responded to his distress call and he was picked up by a cargo ship. The solo sailor was impressed at the quick response from rescue authorities, but his ordeal sparked debate over the level of seamanship and responsibility of sailors.
From wayward boats, to wayward tanks. The mayor of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, certainly got his message across about cars parked illegally in cycle lanes – by crushing a Mercedes with a tank. Sweet revenge for cyclists!
Science stories always capture the imagination and questions about 'life, the universe and everything' don't come much bigger than this: Why is the universe just right for us? It's the Goldilocks paradox, of course!
Still with space, and the latest news from NASA is that it will send three LEGO figurines on its mission to Jupiter -- representing two Roman gods and Galileo Galilei. Is it to present a friendly face should the mission encounter any extra-terrestrial life forms? No, it's all about promoting children's interest in space programs.
And of course the on-going saga about alleged LulzSec hacker 'Topiary' continues to intrigue. Hackers belonging to the LulzSec and Anomymous collectives have launched a campaign to free Jake Davis, arrested on suspicion of being a key LulzSec figure.
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