Vancouver
Washed-up feet explained: The mystery of the disembodied feet that have sporadically washed ashore on the Pacific coast over the past five years has been solved. The nine sneaker-clad feet found on shorelines in British Columbia and Washington state since 2007 are the remains of people who committed suicide by jumping from bridges over Canada’s Fraser River, the British Columbia coroner’s office said last week. Because the remains were only feet and no other body parts, some people speculated that they were ghoulish calling cards of some serial killer. But the coroner had a simpler explanation: Fish eat the bodies of suicide victims, but they can’t get at feet that are protected by polymer-based shoes. “It’s very explainable,” said coroner Stephen Fonseca, who solved the mystery. “I think there are a lot more cases out there.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rio de Janeiro
In the big leagues: Brazil has edged out Britain to become the world’s sixth-largest economy, according to economic data released this week. Thanks largely to high global food and oil prices, Brazil’s economy grew three times as fast as Britain’s last year and is now worth some $2.47 trillion, compared with Britain’s $2.42 trillion. “It is not important to be the world’s sixth-biggest economy, but to be among the most dynamic economies, and with sustainable growth,” said Finance Minister Guido Mantega. Brazil still trails the U.S., China, Japan, Germany, and France.
-
Peter Mandelson called Epstein his 'best pal' in birthday noteSpeed Read The UK's ambassador to Washington described the late convicted paedophile as an 'intelligent, sharp-witted man'
-
A Spinal Tap reunion, Thomas Pynchon by way of Paul Thomas Anderson and a harrowing Stephen King adaptation in September moviesthe week recommends This month's new releases include 'Spinal Tap II,' 'One Battle After Another' and 'The Long Walk'
-
'Vampire energy' could be causing your electric bill to riseUnder the Radar Wasted energy could account for up to 10% of home use
-
The news at a glance...Internationalfeature International
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International