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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Tizane Navea-Rogers

This Week in History: From a Mafia murder to touchdown on Mars

Retrospective: a week of turning points that shaped the world - (The Independent)

This week sees a dramatic reshaping of the global order, marked by Mikhail Gorbachev’s radical Soviet reforms and the swift political rise of Boris Yeltsin. Meanwhile, the demand for justice takes centre stage across the globe – from the devastating assassination of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone and the legislative aftermath of the Dunblane massacre, to the long-awaited capture of the “Butcher of Bosnia”. Rounding this week's news, classified memos and financial audits expose long-held secrets, while Nasa’s Phoenix probe pushes the very boundaries of human discovery on the surface of Mars.

27 May 1988 – Gorbachev outlines historic political overhaul

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