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From sweeping peace initiatives to the Soviet Union’s final death knell, a busy week for Mikhail Gorbachev. In Washington, political drama unfolded as Bill Clinton resisted calls to resign amid the impeachment crisis, while Al Gore accepted the presidency after a historic Supreme Court battle. Elsewhere, Aleppo faces bombing, unrest breaks out in Brixton, and BP’s “biggest environmental crime” makes headlines. Uncover a week marked by political turmoil and public unrest – all captured on these front pages between 8 and 14 December.
8 December 1988 – Gorbachev’s Peace Initiative
In a “dramatic” announcement at the United Nations, Mikhail Gorbachev committed to cutting the Soviet military by 500,000 troops and called for a complete ceasefire in Afghanistan. Although the proposals receive “quiet applause” from the United States, diplomats from both East and West see the proposals as a major shift in the Cold War balance.
13 December 1988 – Clapham Junction rail tragedy
A crowded commuter train collides with the rear of another train at Clapham Junction, killing 35 and injuring about 500. Investigators later traced the accident to faulty signaling caused by poor wiring practices, leading to a public inquiry which exposed systemic maintenance failures within British Rail.
9 December 1991 – The Soviet Union is declared dead
The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belavezha Accords, declaring the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place. The agreement signals the formal end of the USSR after months of political crisis and a failed August coup, leaving Mikhail Gorbachev with no state to lead.
December 14, 1998 – Clinton refuses to resign
President Bill Clinton is insisting he will not resign as he faces a full House vote on impeachment. Speaking at the start of a key trip to Israel and the West Bank, he rejected calls to admit lying under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Clinton said at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as political pressure mounted in Washington.
14 December 1995 – Brixton riot
Unrest broke out in Brixton following the death in police custody of 26-year-old Wayne Douglas. Clashes lasted for five hours across the area. Independent Exactly a decade after the 1981 riots, there were reports of renewed tensions between authorities and residents.
December 14, 2000 – Bush elected President
Al Gore abandoned his long and legal battle for the presidency after the U.S. Supreme Court halted the recount in Florida, clearing the way for George W. Bush to take office. Accepting the decision, Gore told the nation, “I completely disagree with the court’s decision,” ending an extraordinary election impasse.
December 11, 2006 – Death of Pinochet
General Augusto Pinochet dies at 91, taking his crimes to his grave, according to reports IndependentChile’s former dictator once faced extradition from Britain to Spain on charges of torture, murder and human rights abuses, before the Home Secretary intervened on health grounds, In the years that followed, Chilean courts continued to pursue charges, but Pinochet died without a trial, leaving hundreds of cases unresolved,
10 December 2007 – BP and the ‘biggest climate crime’
BP faced criticism for investing in a massive tar sands project in the Canadian wilderness, labeling it “the greatest environmental crime in history”. Independent Concerns over deforestation, carbon emissions and water pollution were highlighted. Despite opposition, BP moves forward with the venture and expands its stake in Alberta’s tar sands in the coming years.
14 December 2012 – Litvinenko revealed as MI6 spy
Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian intelligence officer who was poisoned to death in a London hotel, was working with MI6, a British investigation has confirmed. The revelation adds a new layer to the diplomatic fallout surrounding his 2006 death, intensifying scrutiny of Russia’s alleged involvement.
14 December 2016 – Aleppo offensive
As pro-Assad forces advance into eastern Aleppo, the UN issues an urgent plea for access to trapped civilians and warns of atrocities amid the city’s fall. Independent Reports emerge in the final days of a humanitarian crisis, as thousands of people seek to escape areas devastated by months of siege and bombardment.
