18 February 2016
Week in Brief: UK
ROYAL NAVY: The UK has increased its allocation of Royal Navy ships to Nato over fears of Russian expansion or aggression. The vessels include a frigate, a destroyer and minesweepers. They will be deployed in the Baltic, the North Sea, the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
UKIP: The Times has revealed that UKIP knowingly allowed about 14 of its candidates to stand in elections who had violent pasts. Many others were said to have expressed homophobic, Islamophobic, racist or sexist views. UKIP said that it had received thousands of applications and a decision to allow applicants to stand was made by the then head of candidates, Mr. David Soutter.
COMPUTERISED CARS: It is predicted that all cars on UK roads could be computer controlled by 2050. The US authorities have said that, in the event of an accident, the computer which controls the car should be considered as the driver.
THE MET: Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the head of the Metropolitan police, has been given a one-year extension to his contract which was due to come to an end in September.
DOCTORS: No agreement has been reached in the dispute between junior doctors and the Government. It appears that Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, will impose new contracts with the new terms.
THE INDEPENDENT: The Independent newspaper will close next month with the loss of 100 editorial jobs. It is thought the paper has been killed by what has been called the digital revolution. See comment ‘Bye Bye Indie’.
LASER ATTACKS: Pilots have demanded that laser-pointing devices be banned after a Virgin Airways jet returned to Heathrow because the co-pilot had been temporarily blinded by a laser light directed at the plane from the ground. Such attacks or incidents are becoming increasingly common, hence the demand for a ban from BALPA (the British Airlines Pilots Association).
PAEDOPHILE: There has been outrage in the Labour party after a paedophile and former Chairman of the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) was found to have joined the party. Tom O’Carroll has been jailed twice for sexually related offences, one of which was for distributing indecent images of children. There is a campaign within the party to have him expelled.
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