This week in the news we have witnessed the death of a world-renowned theoretical physicist, as well as the death of a young WikiLeaks hacker, the Russia-UK spy story has developed and some severe weather announcements.
Stephen Hawking, the world’s most famous theoretical physicist since the publishing of his book “A Brief History of Time”, which sold 10 million copies, died on March 14th at the age of 76.
The scientist had a rare motor neurone disease that impaired his movement and speech. He was not expected to outlive his 20s. Using a specially designed chair he could communicate and move himself, enabling him to continue his research and lectures. Some compare him to Mozart since one impairment gave him a different advantage.
Adrian Lamo, once a hacker for the WikiLeaks, died on 17th March, at the age of 37 from Aspergers Syndrome. He was famous as the homeless hacker who contributed to breaking into large corporations like the New York Times, Yahoo! and Microsoft from abandoned buildings and public transport.
For the past two weeks the UK and Russia have been on edge about Sergei and Yulia Skripal’s poisoning in Salisbury with a Russian nerve agent.
More recently, another Russian exile and critic of Putin has been found dead in his home by his daughter this Monday, March 12th. Investigators say the cause of death is ‘compression to the neck’.
The PM said that the UK will expel 23 Russian diplomats, due to the country being unresponsive as to how the nerve agent got onto the island. In an answer, Russia has threatened to do the same.
A severe snow warning has been released for Wales and South-west England as a new “mini Beast from the East” heads towards Britain this weekend. Some homes in Norfolk have been evacuated due to fears of another flooding like in 2013. No such fears for Scotland, but still – very low temperatures to come.