Lockerbie repercussions continue – as the World Wide Web makes its debut

This week in 1989 saw the Lockerbie bombing continue to dominate headlines. The Transport Secretary, Mr Paul Channon, was at the centre of a furious political row as new revelations and crucial questions over bomb warnings issued before the Lockerbie disaster remained unanswered.

Also in UK politics, and three appeal judges upheld an historic ruling that a man could be tried for raping his wife while they were still living together. The result was that husbands had lost the immunity they had had for almost 200 years, because women were no longer to be regarded as having surrendered themselves through marriage.

In Russia, and thousands of people marched through the streets of central Moscow in a startling challenge to the Soviet leadership, proclaiming their support for the maverick Boris Yeltsin and condemning official moves against him.

Japan’s scientific whaling institute was also on the defence this week in 1989 after saying that the world should mind its own business and stop bullying the country over its policy of killing whales for scientific research.

Japan was facing international pressure as the opposition claimed that their hunts were just an excuse to slaughter whales for meat.

The whale meat harvested from the scientific expeditions was being sold at restaurants for about £6.60 a pound.

In technology news, and Tim Berners-Lee was on course to change the world forever after a proposal document from him went on to become the blueprint for the World Wide Web.