The Night Note: 8/13/09

News you need to know

The following stories are brought to you by the fine folks on the News4 assignment desk.

THE BUDDHA REHAB
Fifteen-year-old Wanchai Nuantasiri is one of more than a dozen drug addicts kneeling in a row, vomiting violently into the gutter.
Monks in dark brown robes stand behind the sick, rubbing their backs encouragingly, while onlookers dance and clap cheerfully to an incessant drum beat.  This bizarre scene, set amid spectacular golden Buddhas and rocky mountains in the heart of Thailand, has been a daily ritual at Thamkrabok Monastery since 1959, when its monks and nuns first helped opium users beat their addictions. (Breitbart.com)

TIME TO UPDATE YOUR GPS SPEED TRAP SOFTWARE
Police are adding to their arsenal to fight speeders in the Washington region.  They are mobile "speed boxes" that show drivers how fast they are driving on a particular street. Police in Frederick are already using two of them, and a third will hit the roads soon.   Not only will it display your speed, but also record data for police about traffic volume and speed at various times of the day. Police can then use that information to determine a good time to do some targeted enforcement and actually ticket speeders. (WTOP)

YARR!  THEY'VE STOLEN ME SECRET CARGO
The missing ship feared hijacked by pirates in European waters two weeks ago may be carrying a secret cargo, it was claimed today.The Arctic Sea and its 15-strong Russian crew were last heard from on 29 July, when they radioed British coastguards. A day later their position was tracked to northern France but the vessel has since disappeared, and some experts said it may have been hijacked by pirates in the Baltic Sea. Others have speculated that the 4,000-tonne vessel's disappearance may be linked to a dispute with the owners. (The Guardian)

MY NAME IS JOHN PAUL ARNOLD AND I AM ROBBING THIS BANK
A 34-year-old man is in custody after authorities say he gave a teller his account number and showed her his picture ID before robbing an Anchorage bank. The FBI says Jarell Paul Arnold of Anchorage is being held on federal bank robbery charges. The FBI alleges Arnold walked into an Alaska USA Federal Credit Union branch Friday and inquired about the balance on his account, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The teller asked for his name, account number and ID, the paper said. (MSNBC)

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