10 news stories you might have missed as Scotland dominates the media

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/18/ten-news-stories-missed-scotland-independence

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Scottish independence has, inevitably, swept all other stories off the agenda this week. As the result of the referendum looms, here’s a quick guide to both the very big and very small stories you may have missed to get you back up to speed …

1. Goldfish

It’s been a good week for goldfish, with vets in Australia announcing they had successfully removed a brain tumour from a goldfish in a “fiddly” and “high risk” operation. Pond water was pumped through the fish’s gills throughout the 45-minute procedure, which cost £125.

This followed reports that a woman had complained that a production of Richard III, starring Martin Freeman, was putting goldfish in grave danger. The woman told the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) that the goldfish was “pushed up against the sides of the tank” during a scene in which the Duke of Clarence is drowned. Director Jamie Lloyd insisted that none of the eight fish, which perform in the play on a rotating basis, had been harmed, but agreed to stop using them.

2. Ukraine conflict

While the Scots have been pondering the merits of independence, rebels in the east of Ukraine have been granted self-rule, and fighters have been granted an amnesty by the Ukrainian parliament.

The EU and Ukraine also voted to ratify an agreement deepening their political and economic ties – despite this being the issue which originally sparked the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. To placate Russia, however, they have agreed to postpone implementation until 2016.

3. Great white shark

It’s a silly season perennial – almost without fail, every August a man-eating shark is spotted off the UK coast. The only difference this year is that the great white shark, said to have been seen off the coast of Cornwall, has appeared in September instead. Fisherman Nigel Hodge took a picture of the 14ft-long beast, spotted 20 miles off Falmouth, but experts say it is likely to be a juvenile basking shark – so not so deadly after all.

4. Kashmir floods

After the worst floods in a century left more than 500 people dead in Kashmir last week, emergency workers fear there could be a public health crisis. Much of the area is still under water, and the bodies of livestock are floating around – leading to worries that there could be an outbreak of cholera or another waterborne disease. The slow response to the disaster has also led to fury among local residents in both the Indian and Pakistan administered sides of the territory. In Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar, more than 75,000 people are still in partially submerged homes, and tens of thousands are homeless.

5. Mercury music prize

Scotland has drowned out the chorus of angry complaints that usually accompany the announcement of the Mercury shortlist – although this muted response might also be because this year’s list focuses on less well-known acts, with the exception of Damon Albarn and Bombay Bicycle Club. Instead, the big news this year was that poet Kate Tempest has been given a nod; and she was also added to the Poetry Book Society’s Next Generation of Poet’s 2014 list this month.

6. Israel /Palestine

Palestinian children returned to school on Sunday for the first time after the 50 day war this year, in which 2,100 Palestinians were killed. The start of the school year was delayed for two weeks because of damage to 232 schools and the destruction of 26, according to the Gazan education ministry.

Meanwhile, in Israel, 43 veterans of one of the country’s most secret military intelligence units announced they would refuse to serve in operations involving the occupied Palestinian territories. The veterans claimed there was widespread surveillance of innocent residents, which was being used for “political persecution” and to create divisions in Palestinian society.

7. Unhygienic sportsmen

Rugby players might be playing a clean game on the pitch, but in the changing rooms it’s a different story. An investigation at a Midlands rugby club found boils, abscesses and carbuncles were being passed from player to player, via the PVL-MSSA bug, which can also lead to life-threatening illness. When Public Health England questioned players they found that 20% of them shared towels, 10% shared razors, 5% shared clothing, - while others shared cold baths.

8. The Mediterranean

On Monday it was reported that 500 migrants were believed to have drowned after people-traffickers deliberately rammed the boat in which they were travelling. Two Palestinian survivors of the sinking said the boat carrying the migrants had been travelling from Egypt to Malta when it was struck. The men said people-smugglers, who had been travelling in a separate boat, had ordered the migrants to switch to a less seaworthy vessel. When they refused, a fight ensued and the traffickers smashed the boat, drowning hundreds of migrants – including up to a 100 children.

9. Megadroughts

According to a terrifying report, due to be released this week, the world could be about to see a series of decades-long “megadroughts”. Cornell University’s Dr Toby Ault says these water shortages, which last 35 years or more, could become considerably more frequent as global warming leads to higher temperatures and a reduction in rainfall. .

10. Vogue

The magazine finally discovered that not all women are size zero this week, with an article proclaiming “We’re officially in the era of the big booty”. Using examples such as Iggy Azalea, Jennifer Lopez and even Miley Cyrus, the magazine said, “For years … a large butt was not something one aspired to, rather something one tried to tame”. Critics threw their hands up in despair about what to laugh at first: calling a body type a trend, ignoring the history of beauty standards in black and Latino communities, focusing mainly on white celebrities, or just being really out of touch. In the end they chose all of the above, and roundly ridiculed the magazine on Twitter.