Presidential frontrunner says in TV interview that country is ‘at war’
Jair Bolsonaro, the frontrunner to become Brazil’s next president, said on Sunday that, if elected, he intends to use the armed forces for routine street patrols, describing the country as “at war”.
The far-right lawmaker and former army captain said in an interview with Band TV he would discuss the idea with his proposed defence minister and state governments, which are responsible for public safety.
Continue reading...Two-week trial opens with accusation Murdoch-owned Nationwide News sought to ‘smash and destroy’ Rush’s reputation
Geoffrey Rush and the woman at the centre of a defamation trial between the actor and Sydney newspaper the Daily Telegraph exchanged familiar and “affectionate” emails with one another after the alleged inappropriate behaviour at the centre of a defamation trial had occurred.
On the opening day of Rush’s two-week defamation trial against the Daily Telegraph on Monday, his barrister, Bruce McClintock SC, told the court the actor denied all the allegations made against him, and accused the newspaper of deliberately seeking to “smash and destroy” Rush’s reputation.
Continue reading...Beijing now proudly parades ‘humane management and care’ at internment camps, after denying their existence for months
China’s state broadcaster CCTV last week offered a look inside Xinjiang’s controversial internment camps.
In the 15-minute segment journalists visit the Hotan City Vocational Skills Education and Training Centre where they teach students Mandarin, China’s various legal codes, and job-relevant skills, according to a city official, reciting almost verbatim a description previously given in Chinese state media.
Continue reading...Authorities say heart, as well as parts of liver and kidneys of David Humphries were taken to establish cause of death
Egyptian authorities have denied reports of alleged organ theft after the body of a British tourist who died suddenly while on holiday was returned home without some organs.
David Humphries, 62, died in the seaside resort of Hurghada on the shores of the Red Sea on 18 September.
Continue reading...Charities tackling hunger could save Britain £500m a year if they had capacity, finds report
The collection and redistribution of edible food by the UK’s largest charity tackling hunger – and that would otherwise go to waste – saves the UK economy some £51m every year, according to an independent report published on Monday.
If FareShare and other charities in the sector were able to scale up their capacity in order to handle half of the surplus food available in the UK supply chain, the value back to the state could be as much as £500m per year, it claims.
Continue reading...Letter from MPs, journalists and employees demands action on Dame Laura Cox’s recommendations
MPs, parliamentary staff and journalists have added to pressure on the House of Commons commission to enact the key recommendations of a recent report on bullying and harassment in parliament.
In an open letter, 80 signatories urged the immediate implementation of the proposals in the independent report by Dame Laura Cox, which highlighted a widespread culture of bullying and harassment at Westminster and suggested officials, including the Speaker, John Bercow, should consider standing down.
Continue reading...Global death toll from antimicrobial-resistant infections expected to rise to 10m a year by 2050
Tackling antimicrobial resistance needs to become a top-five policy priority for the government in order to help prevent the virtual loss of modern medicine, MPs have said.
A report by the health and social care committee said it wants to see “tangible progress” over the next six months to “reverse the worrying exodus” from research into antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Continue reading...Hospital patients face worsening A&E performance and a pressurised workforce
There are “clear warning signs” that the coming winter could be even tougher than the last for NHS trusts, staff and patients, a report has warned.
They include pressures across all hospital activity, higher levels of staff vacancies and a more tired and pressured workforce, according to the body which represents trusts. It voiced concern over the “weaker state” of social care, even when accounting for the recent announcement of £240m extra funding, and “more fragile” primary care.
Continue reading...Analysis confirms that some fixed tariffs, which escape the cap, are not very competitive
Around a third of dual fuel energy tariffs will leave customers paying more than the government’s price cap when it takes effect at the end of the year.
While ministers have promised that the cap will protect 11m households on poor-value default tariffs, the measure does not apply to fixed tariffs which are usually thought to be more competitive.
Continue reading...Ministers move to address concerns over growing number of first-class degrees
The government has announced plans to crack down on grade inflation in universities amid fears that the growing number of first-class degrees being awarded to students is undermining their value.
More than a quarter of graduates (26%) were awarded a first-class degree last year, up from 18% in 2012-13, according to data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
Continue reading...Thinktank promotes measures to help chancellor increase NHS spending and reverse planned cuts to services
Philip Hammond could make progress towards ending austerity in his budget on 29 October despite opposition from backbench Tory MPs to tax rises and extra borrowing, according to a leading tax and benefits thinktank.
The Resolution Foundation said a freeze on income tax and inheritance tax thresholds before the end of the parliament would raise billions of pounds for public services. Cutting a string of tax reliefs for employers would also improve the chancellor’s war chest as he seeks to pay for increased NHS spending and reverse planned cuts to services.
Continue reading...Michael Gove unveils consultation on move to cut pollution and protect oceans
Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds will be banned by October 2020 at the latest under government plans to cut pollution, Michael Gove is to announce.
Launching a consultation on the proposals on Monday, the environment secretary will cite the success of the 5p charge on single-use plastic bags, which led to an 86% drop in their use at major supermarkets.
Continue reading...Lord Hogan-Howe says there is clear evidence to warrant review of prohibition
The former Metropolitan police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe has urged the government to review the evidence that justifies the ongoing criminalisation of cannabis use after a host of leading clinical bodies called for changes.
Lord Hogan-Howe, who has always supported tough laws on cannabis, said that if he was home secretary he would hold an “urgent commission of experts to look at the evidence about what’s happening about cannabis in North America”.
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