1.Cameron Insists UK Will Not Pay £1.7bn EU Demand – Prime Minister David Cameron refuses to pay the £1.7 billion bill to the EU on December 1st, as it is ‘totally unacceptable’. However, Commission President Borroso argues that the bill was what should have been accepted and was agreed by all state members. Cameron’s emotive and angry speech made in Kent could be good press for him, yet critics argue that he has not refused to pay at a later date, and been ambiguous on what actions he will take to prevent a recurrence of such an event.
2. Ebola Fear Rises – Fears about the deadly Ebola virus are still growing, after many people were exposed to a 2-year old girl in Mali, who later died as a result of Ebola. She had recently arrived from Guinea, one of the worst affected areas, and had contact with many relatives, friends, strangers and hospital staff whilst travelling over 1000km by public transport. Forty-three people, including 10 hospital staff have been quarantined and are receiving treatment, resulting in rigorous checks of people entering Mali, to help prevent the spread of the virus.
3. Washington State School Shooting – On the 24th September, four students were shot at Marysville Pilchuck High School, near Seattle. This horrific event was carried out by a male student of the school, who was shot by police on scene. All four victims were shot in the head, resulting in one death, with the other three in critical condition. Local police dealt with the situation, yet no names have been issued yet.
4. ‘Dead’ Heart Transplant – Surgeons in Australia claim to have successfully transplanted the first heart that had stopped beating. Doctors at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney revived and then transplanted hearts that had stopped beating for 20 minutes. The hearts were taken from brain-dead donors whose hearts were still functioning, kept on ice for up to 4 hours, then revived and transplanted. Michelle Gribilas, 57, was the first to receive a donor heart two months ago, as she suffered from congenital heart failure, and there have been 2 more successful operations since. This could mark a new step in science.
5. S Club 7 Reunite for Children in Need – Possibly the best news for 90s kids this week is the reformation of S Club 7. After forming in 1998 they achieved four successful albums and eleven hit singles before splitting in 2003. All seven members have agreed to perform for ‘Children in Need’ on 14th November. They have not implied whether this reformation will be more permanent (fingers crossed!) or simply a one-off, but hopefully they will raise money for a great charity as well as bringing back some old memories.
Image Credits: Reuters, BBC