Thursday, April 24

Day: June 3, 2017

Tories U-turn on plan to build more socially rented council housing
3Jun By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Tories U-turn on plan to build more socially rented council housing

    The Conservatives have U-turned on a flagship pledge to build “a new generation” of social housing announced in their manifesto just weeks ago. Theresa May personally promised her policy would deliver a constant supply of new homes for social rent, but her housing minister has now admitted planned homes would be let at up to double normal social rent rate. The embarrassing admission represents the second about-turn on a Conservative manifesto pledge, after the damaging furore around the dementia tax. Tory officials played down the reversal, but Labour claimed it showed one of the Prime Minister’s key pledges to help low-income families had fallen apart, while the Chartered Institute of Housing branded it very disappointing. In mid-May the Conservatives announced they would...
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If Trump actually wanted to renegotiate the Paris agreement: he just shot himself in the foot
3Jun By Sumon AdminNo Comments
America, ENGLISH

If Trump actually wanted to renegotiate the Paris agreement: he just shot himself in the foot

    US president Donald Trump just announced he will withdraw the country from the international Paris agreement on climate change. He says he wants a better deal for the US, and that the country will begin renegotiating the terms of the agreement immediately after exiting it. We will see if we can make a deal that’s fair. And if we can, that’s great. If we can’t, that’s fair, Trump said at a press conference today (June 1). The statement is a stark example of the president’s zero-sum thinking, and it’s wholly inaccurate. The reality is the US did not have to withdraw from the Paris agreement to renegotiate how it will participate. In fact, once it with withdraws, it legally cannot renegotiate the terms of its participation. It also cannot withdraw immediately. There is no leg...
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German music festival suspended due to terrorist threat
3Jun By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, Europe

German music festival suspended due to terrorist threat

    Police in Germany have evacuated the Rock Am Ring music festival after receiving a terror threat. The major event was cleared out on Friday evening after police in the nearby city of Koblenz said they had received information about a "concrete threat". "Due to a terrorist threat the police have advised us to interrupt the festival,” organisers said on the festival website. Around 90,000 music fans were expected to attend the annual three-day event by the end of the weekend. The German band Rammstein was the Friday night headliner, but hadn't yet started playing. Festival organisers say they hope to be able to go ahead with the programme Saturday. Festival-goers were told to move to the camping area after being told of the evacuation. Authorities took the precautionary meas...
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Six uncomfortable moments for Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn
3Jun By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Six uncomfortable moments for Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn

    There were questions about Mrs May's dementia tax U-turn, the Government's cruel fitness-to-work tests for disabled people and school funding. Meanwhile Mr Corbyn was grilled over his views on Trident nuclear missiles and the IRA. Here we've taken a look at the most uncomfortable moments at each of the two leaders during the 90-minute Q&A session at the University of York... When Theresa May was skewered by a disabled woman over fitness to work tests An audience member - who is partially sighted, has mental health issues and spent 18 months on an NHS waiting list for counselling - blasted the Prime Minister. She said: "It's so important. The NHS is an absolute shambles for mental health at the moment. I applied for NHS counselling about, I think, at the end of 2015. My...
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For the first time in history: Ireland is going to get an Indian origin first gay Prime Minister
3Jun By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, Europe

For the first time in history: Ireland is going to get an Indian origin first gay Prime Minister

    Leo Varadkar is the new leader of Fine Gael and on course to become Ireland’s first gay Taoiseach. The Social Protection Minister got the support of 51 TDs, senators and MEP to get over the line despite losing the popular vote. Simon Coveney has won 65pc of the membership of the Fine Gael party in a major blow to Mr Varadkar. Massive cheers greeted Mr Varadkar as he arrived at the count centre in the Mansion House shortly before the result was declared. Irish Independent Counting underway at the National count centre for the Fine Gael leadeship election Pic:Mark Condren In total 10,842 of the party’s 21,000 member voted, with 7,051 siding with the Cork candidate. Some 3,772 voted for Mr Varadkar. There were 19 spoiled votes. Mr Varadkar won the votes of 123 councillors, ag...
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Tough measures to combat electoral fraud
3Jun By Sumon AdminNo Comments
ENGLISH, London

Tough measures to combat electoral fraud

Measures put in place by Tower Hamlets Council to combat electoral fraud for the UK Parliamentary General Election have been recommended nationally as good practice by elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission (EC). Will Tuckley, Acting Returning Officer for Tower Hamlets said: "We work closely with the police and the Electoral Commission to monitor elections and this has resulted in a significant reduction in allegations of fraud since 2014, and only a handful in the last three elections (GLA, EU referendum and Whitechapel by-election). "Some of the measures brought in by the council such as "exclusion zones" outside polling stations have now been recommended nationally as good practice." When residents go to the polls to elect Members of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow; and Popla...
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