The popularity of shark fin soup in Southeast Asia may be contributing to the decline of reef sharks in Australia 's Great Barrier Reef , a marine scientist has found. “We can see that the populations are severely depleted already,” says Dr Sean Connolly, “but we also have projections that say those declines are ongoing and quite rapid.” Aside from extinction worries, there are also moral worries associated with fishing for fin. Whilst the shark's fin is very popular the rest of the meat is not, meaning sharks are often thrown back into the sea alive after having their fins removed. Unable to move, the sharks suffocate.

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic plans to start launching tourists into space from Scotland within the next five years. VisitScotland backed the plans which would see RAF Lossiemouth become a launchpad for tourists to experience weightlessness outside the earth's atmosphere. However, with flights costing roughly £120,000, it is doubtful a regular schedule will be adopted for a while.