Most of us remember where we were when the twin towers fell. The ninth anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington were commemorated last weekend amid an alarming rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in America. Chris McGreal's fine writing about how that has manifested itself in a Tennessee town made for a meaningful front page. Inside, we report on how plans by a Florida pastor to burn the Qur'an were put on hold, and what the reaction has been outside the US.
In environmental news, BP says it missed the warning signs hours before the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. It's an alarming yet cautionary tale accompanied by a compelling photo spread courtesy of the Weekly's production duo.
In international news, the murder rate in South Africa is on the decline, falling nearly 9%. It was nice to have a bit of good news to put on our Africa page. From Latin America, Fidel Castro appears to do a double U-turn on state control in Cuba. In Australia, Green party members fret about becoming China's coal mine. And in Canada, lack of proper mapping is making it tough for ships in the summer to navigate the Northwest Passage. It's a tricky bit of sea, that historically elusive passage.
Comment finds Gary Younge dwelling on Barack Obama's failures as the reactionary right position for mid-term elections in November. We bring you George Monbiot, who says he was wrong on veganism. We also feature Charlie Brooker, who finds online distractions overwhelming in his battle to bash out a column.
Science looks at two rival daredevils who are battling to be the first to fall to earth from 37,000 metres. Culture visits the Venice Biennale, from see-through constructions to ethereal cloud walks, it's an architect's fantasy world. And our books pages showcase more fine writing, this time the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley on former British prime minister Tony Blair's new book.
My favourite story this week looked at the World Giving Index and found a third of us had given money to charity, a fifth of us had volunteered and almost half of the world's population had helped a stranger. Those are the stories that keep me going from week to week.
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Fact of the week: More than 230,000 Japanese people listed as 100 years old can not be located, a government survey shows.
Quote of the week: "These men are trapped in their office ... that's what psychologists are reinforcing – this is a long shift, a very long shift, but still a shift." – Dr. Andre Llarena on the 33 miners trapped in Chile
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