25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
It is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, on Sunday 9th November. The wall stood for more than 28 years dividing West Berlin, controlled by Allied forces, from East Berlin, controlled by Soviet Russia, until 9th November, 1989, a monumental day in history. Throughout the weekend, thousands of illuminated balloons will be lit, tracing the former course of the wall for 15km and forming a ‘temporary wall’. This is one of the many celebratory events that will take place over the weekend.
Resignation of Fiona Woolf as Chair of Government’s Child Abuse Inquiry
At the expense of major embarrassment for the government, the second chair of the government’s child abuse inquiry, Fiona Woolf has resigned. The reason for Woolf’s resignation is as a result of her links to Westminster’s political establishment. It emerged that Woolf was a friend and neighbour of the former home secretary Leon Brittan. Woolf’s resignation has occurred only months after Lady Butler Sloss’ resignation from the position in July this year. Butler-Sloss’s resignation was due to her late brother Michael Havers, who was Attorney General in the 1980s, and his crucial years under scrutiny in the inquiry. Woolf warned that finding a new chair with no connections will be a challenge: “It is really going to be hard to find someone with no connections. A hermit?”
Virgin Galactic Space Crash
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crashed during its fourth rocket-powered test flight, tragically killing the co-pilot, Michael Alsbury, and seriously injuring the pilot, Peter Siebold. The catastrophe will delay the development of Virgin Galactic and space tourism. It has been suggested that there may also be more governmental supervision of Virgin and other firms that decide to embark on space tourism. About 700 people reserved a seat with Virgin Galactic at a cost of $250,000 a head.
It is believed that space tourism itself will survive. John Spencer, president and founder of the Space Tourism Society, equated space tourists to people who are willing to climb Mount Everest, which has allegedly claimed the lives of nearly 250 people since the first recorded try in 1921, emphasising that the life-changing experience of it overrides any discomfort they might feel, and ultimate risk.
Christian Bakery Owner who refused to make cake in support of gay marriage may now face legal action
In Belfast, a Christian bakery owner refused to make a cake with a slogan in support of gay marriage. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland took on the case on behalf of the customer, who was a gay rights activist. The cake was for an ex-mayor’s anti-homophobia event. The General Manager of the bakery received a letter from the commission which claimed that his action breached legislation and that if the bakery did not offer compensation within seven days it would face litigation. Northern Ireland’s mayor opined, “businesses should not be able to pick and choose who they serve”.
Parkinson’s Disease Medication Breakthrough
Swedish scientists have discovered that stem cells can be used to heal the damage in the brain caused by Parkinson’s disease, claiming their study on rats indicated a “huge breakthrough” towards developing effective treatments. As of yet, Parkinson’s can be alleviated through medication and brain stimulation, but there is no cure for the disease. Parkinson’s UK said that further research needs to take place before beginning human trials.
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