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This week, the United States is hit with anthrax panic and political backlash over ‘Star Wars’ (and no, not the movie franchise), while a transatlantic criminal case snowballs against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. In Chile, trapped underground miners finally celebrate their freedom, while in London, former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet faces a sudden arrest on murder charges. From stormy financial markets to a genuinely stormy landscape across southern England, explore all these stories and more in this week’s gallery.
14 October 1986 – Reagan faces congressional backlash over Star Wars
President Ronald Reagan returns from a diplomatic summit in Iceland to face intense domestic criticism over his controversial space defence programme. Leading members of Congress demand the American leader clarify his stance on an ambitious military project popularly known as “Star Wars”, designed to intercept incoming nuclear weapons.
16 October 1987 – The Great Storm of 1987
Severe hurricane force winds tear across southern England to cause the worst storm damage in three centuries. The four hours of unprecedented “devastation” result in at least thirteen fatalities across the country. Front page reports describe how the intense overnight gales fundamentally altered the physical landscape in England.
16 October 1989 – Global markets brace for severe losses after Friday crash
Global investors brace for another major financial shock as memories of the Black Monday crash loom over the markets. Central bankers from the Group of Seven refuse to cut world interest rates despite the mounting threat of a widespread economic panic. The front page captures anxious dealers monitoring the Tel Aviv exchange as the only global trading floor open during the tense weekend.
18 October 1998 – General Pinochet arrested for murder in London
Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet is arrested at a London hospital facing international charges of murder. Two Spanish judges demand his immediate extradition to Madrid to stand trial for alleged human rights atrocities committed during his lengthy regime. Following a complex legal battle lasting sixteen months, the British government releases him from house arrest and allows his return to Chile on medical grounds.
18 October 2001 – Anthrax panic grows as Senate staff test positive
Global fears of a biological attack escalate as 34 United States Senate staff members test positive for anthrax exposure. Front page coverage reports that the Governor of New York was also targeted as Britain places its own authorities on high alert. These bioterrorism attacks ultimately killed five people while severely disrupting the American postal system.
15 October 2001 – Bush rejects Taliban offer to surrender bin Laden
United States President George W Bush firmly rejects a conditional offer from the Taliban to surrender Osama bin Laden. The Afghan regime proposed transferring the militant leader to a neutral third country in exchange for a halt to American military strikes. Following this diplomatic dismissal, coalition forces immediately commence their second week of intense aerial bombing across the nation.
14 October 2002 – Bali nightclub bombings leave 187 people dead
A terrorist bombing at popular nightclubs in Bali leaves at least 187 people dead and nearly 300 others severely injured. The front page describes the horrific event as a “slaughter in paradise” with several British citizens confirmed among the international casualties. Early security investigations immediately link the coordinated explosions to the al Qaeda terrorist network.
14 October 2005 – Harold Pinter condemns Iraq War
The Independent publishes a fierce condemnation of the Iraq War written by newly announced Nobel Prize laureate Harold Pinter. The British playwright leverages his literary honour to publicly denounce the ongoing military occupation in the Middle East. He directly accuses the allied governments of falsely delivering “torture and misery in the name of freedom”.
14 October 2010 – Trapped Chilean miners finally emerge to safety
A massive international rescue operation successfully extracts every trapped worker from a collapsed underground copper mine in Chile. The men spent more than two months confined deep underground following a catastrophic structural collapse. Rescue crews utilised a specially designed capsule to individually hoist every single worker to safety during a highly tense operation broadcast around the world.
13 October 2017 – Weinstein investigation crosses the Atlantic
British and American law enforcement agencies officially open concurrent investigations into severe allegations of sexual abuse against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The Independent highlights the global nature of the crisis as prominent actresses like Kate Beckinsale publicly share how rejecting his advances actively damaged their careers.
