From 3h ago Starmer claims ‘vast majority’ of his Labour leadership pledges still stand In his Today interview Keir Starmer said he was no longer committed to the promise to abolish tuition fees that he made when standing for the Labour leadership because “we are in a different economic situation”. But he claimed the “vast majority” of the promises he made in that contest, most famously set out in a list of 10 pledges, still applied. He told Today’s Justin Webb: We are in a different economic situation. You and…
Tag: Health
Air pollution spikes linked to irregular heartbeats, study finds
Spikes in air pollution increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, a large study has found. The research, based on nearly 200,000 hospital admissions in China, found a significant increase in risk of arrhythmias in the first few hours after an increase in air pollution levels. Heart arrhythmias can increase the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death. “We found that acute exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with increased risk of symptomatic arrhythmia,” said Dr Renjie Chen of Fudan University in Shanghai. “The risks occurred during the first…
Australia news live: total fire bans in parts of Victoria, NSW and SA amid autumn heat blast
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"6414e8df8f089504f3596e3a","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Early voting centres have opened this morning across NSW ahead of the state election’s official polling day next Saturday. ","elementId":"23dbfb3a-0756-4d69-bff3-97da39f2c947"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement","html":" Early voting is open for the 2023 NSW State election. To view the eligibility criteria, and early voting centre locations and opening times visit: https://t.co/oaFDmOvgb2 pic.twitter.com/u4JiQTKlqK — NSW Electoral Commission (@NSWElectoralCom) March 17, 2023 ","url":"https://twitter.com/NSWElectoralCom/status/1636849897096765442?s=20","id":"1636849897096765442","hasMedia":false,"role":"inline","isThirdPartyTracking":false,"source":"Twitter","elementId":"e55ec751-6f7d-4691-b644-4f8a7abf1b4e"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" AAP reports that NSW electoral commissioner John Schmidt expects the early voting centres will see strong demand in the run-up to the day of reckoning on 25 March. ","elementId":"f7cafb73-4c34-432f-83fc-0f79489e7254"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The state…
New data links Covid-19’s origins to raccoon dogs at Wuhan market
Newly released genetic data gathered from a live food market in Wuhan has linked Covid-19 with raccoon dogs, adding weight to the theory that infected animals sold at the site started the coronavirus pandemic, researchers involved in the work say. Swabs collected from stalls at the Huanan seafood market in the two months after it was shut down on 1 January 2020 were previously found to contain both Covid and human DNA. When the findings were published last year, Chinese researchers stated that the samples contained no animal DNA. That…
Rishi Sunak unveils £5bn extra defence spending ahead of US Aukus summit – UK politics live
From 3h ago Rishi Sunak unveils £5bn extra defence spending ahead of Aukus summit in US Good morning. Rishi Sunak is in San Diego, California, where today he will meet Joe Biden, the US president, and Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, for an Aukus meeting. Aukus is the Australia/US/UK security pact, primarily focused on providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarine capacity. It was set up when Boris Johnson was prime minister, and now provides him with the material for one of his most over-used jokes. The meeting will coincide with…
Australia news live: Wong urges China not to arm Russia; Clare O’Neil slams ‘politicisation of national security’
<gu-island name="KeyEventsCarousel" deferuntil="visible" props="{"keyEvents":[{"id":"64009b5b8f08aa11751d2978","elements":[{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has urged China not to supply weapons to Russia, after she met with her Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in India yesterday. She said she also raised trade issues, human rights and consular cases. ","elementId":"0f6779ff-29dd-440a-8332-cc87b5fea360"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":" Wong’s meeting was with Qin Gang, who has been serving as China’s foreign minister since late 2022. Wong previously held talks with then-minister Wang Yi in Beijing in December, following earlier meetings on the sidelines of last year’s G20 and UN…
Six lifestyle choices to slow memory decline named in 10-year study
A combination of healthy lifestyle choices such as eating well, regularly exercising, playing cards and socialising at least twice a week may help slow the rate of memory decline and reduce the risk of dementia, a decade-long study suggests. Memory is a fundamental function of daily life that continuously declines as people age, impairing quality of life and productivity, and increasing the risk of dementia. Evidence from previous research has been insufficient to evaluate the effect of healthy lifestyle on memory trajectory, but now a study suggests that combining multiple…
Australia news live: Chinese envoy warns against allowing differences to ‘hijack’ ties, severe storms for Queensland
From 51m ago Chinese envoy warns against allowing differences to ‘hijack’ ties Daniel Hurst China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has warned against allowing differences between the two countries to “hijack” the overall relationship. Addressing the media at the Chinese embassy in Canberra, he said 2022 had been an “extraordinary” year for the relationship between China and Australia. The change of government had provided an opportunity for a reset, he said. Xiao said both sides considered the relationship to be a comprehensive strategic partnership. Differences and disputes remained, he said,…
Australia live news update: fifth child airlifted to hospital with irukandji jellyfish sting; Albanese and Dutton trade insults over Indigenous voice
From 4h ago Fifth child stung by irukandji on K’gari in a fortnight A primary school-age girl has become the fifth child airlifted to hospital from K’gari with suspected irukandji jellyfish stings in the past fortnight, AAP reports. The girl was swimming in the ocean near a popular creek at K’gari – also known as Fraser Island – when she was stung on her lower back and leg. Her parents used vinegar and water on the stings before the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter landed on a beach on the western…
Australian health minister suggests pre-flight China tests designed to make Beijing share more data on Covid outbreak
Australia’s health minister says he wants pre-flight Covid testing for travellers from China to be “temporary”, suggesting the requirement could be lifted if Beijing shares more information about its outbreak. Mark Butler suggested on Thursday – the first day of the new testing regime – that the measure was put in place as part of an international push for China to provide real-time data on the genomic sequencing of Covid cases. The Australian government’s response drew criticism from the Coalition opposition for departing from health advice, while China’s warning of…