Briefs

A coalition of anti-nuclear organisations is launching a campaign to get governments and investors to stop funding the development of nuclear weapons. Alyn Ware, global co-ordinator of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, told a news conference yesterday that the global nuclear weapons budget is estimated at US$100 billion ($156.8b) annually, over half spent by the United States. He said the campaign, Count the Nuclear Weapons Money, is aimed at curtailing a dangerous nuclear arms race by cutting off the budgets and investments that fund the weapons. Ware said the campaign wants the money used to tackle climate change, poverty and inequality. He said “the nuclear weapons industry is powerful and wealthy” but the campaign can take back the power by supporting legislative efforts to cut budgets and stop investments.

Morales declares himself winner Evo Morales, Bolivia’s socialist President and the first indigenous Bolivian to lead the country, yesterday declared himself victor of last weekend’s election without a final vote tally, stirring more anger among foes who have protested for days claiming fraud in the vote count. The US, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia, who all have right-leaning governments, called for Bolivia to hold a runoff between Morales and his top challenger. Authorities said voting would have to be held again in five spots in the Amazonian Beni region because of voting irregularities. They said the revotes to be held on November 3 wouldn’t change the outcome, but the development still threatened to delay a final, official tally. With 99.92 per cent of votes counted, Morales had

47.07 per cent to 36.51 per cent for former President Carlos Mesa, who finished second in the nine-candidate field. That kept Morales just over the

10 percentage point lead over his nearest rival needed to avoid a second-round ballot in December.

Destruction of Palestinian homes Israeli authorities have demolished at least 140 Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem this year, a rights group said yesterday, the highest annual number since it began keeping records in 2004. The demolition of homes built without permits comes amid a major increase in Jewish settlement activity both in east Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank since US President Donald Trump took office. The Israeli rights group B’Tselem said 238 Palestinians have lost their homes this year, including 127 minors. The second highest number of demolitions on record was in 2016, when 92 homes were demolished. Israeli officials did not respond to requests for comment. Israel occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war, lands the Palestinians want for their future state. Israel annexed east Jerusalem that year in a move not recognised internationally and considers the entire city its capital.

Report: Thief’s hand amputated

A semi-official Iranian news agency is reporting that authorities have amputated the hand of a convicted thief in a prison in the country’s north. Fars news agency reports that one hand of an unidentified convict was cut off in a prison in Sari city, 200km northeast of Tehran. The report said the convict committed 28 robberies. Iran uses a strict interpretation of Islamic law but the cutting off the hands of thieves, however, has been rare in the recent years.