Daily News Roundup

July 11, 2019

Image: Getty

Thursday, JULY 11

A man, 61, has been mauled to death and his wife seriously injured by his son’s dog in a Melbourne backyard.

The dog was still attacking the man when police arrived at the Mill Park home and were forced to fire a number of shots to try to distract the animal and stop the attack.

Police went to the property in response to a triple-0 call about 6.40pm. The man, who police said was on crutches, died at the scene and his 58-year-old wife was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker said it was believed that the dog,  believed to be an American Staffordshire terrier, had started attacking the man inside the house and his wife had removed him from the house to try to protect him from the animal.

He said the dog belonged to the dead man’s son and had been at the house for some time.

Police were not aware of anyone expressing concern about the dog’s behaviour prior to the attack, he said.

“It’s an older dog — it’s quite familiar with most of the members of the family and my understanding is it’s completely out of character for the dog,” Senior Sergeant Parker said.

“It’s just an out of the blue attack.

“They’ve got no idea what’s actually started it off.”

The dog was removed by rangers and police said its owners had consented to it being destroyed.

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Schools in Wales will soon let boys wear skirts and girls wear pants in a gender neutral uniform shake-up.

From September 1, parents will no longer be encouraged to buy items that are gender specific — meaning they or their child can pick any available item, reports UK newspaper The Sun.

The new guidance from the Welsh government provides advice for governing bodies and teachers on issues relating to school uniform rules.

It follows a sea-change in views regarding uniforms, as female students were banned from wearing skirts at a school in West Yorkshire last week.

Another school in East Sussex also banned skirts last year after pupils questioned why its uniform was different for all the genders.

The change in Wales comes after a consultation last autumn after the summer heatwave in which some parents claimed uniform policies were too strict.

During the consultation, respondents backed the introduction of gender-neutral uniforms.

One wrote: “This should include the choice for all children as to whether they wear trousers or skirts, regardless of their gender assignment or sexuality.”

Another said: “The practicality of having a uniform policy that prescribes only gender neutral garments would be difficult to fulfil. However having a policy that allows children to wear any garments that form a part of the uniform policy should be allowed and encouraged.”

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Britain’s ambassador to Washington has quit after days of stinging criticism from Donald Trump, leading to accusations that Boris Johnson, the favourite to be the next British prime minister, had “thrown him under the bus”.

Memos from Sir Kim Darroch in which he described the Trump administration as inept were leaked to a British Sunday newspaper, infuriating the US president, who launched a Twitter attack on both the envoy and outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May.

As the spat between the two allies intensified, Trump said he would no longer deal with the “very stupid” Darroch and called May “foolish” over her handling of Brexit.

The initial American response to Darroch’s resignation took the long view.

“The United States and the United Kingdom share a bond that is bigger than any individual, and we look forward to continuing that partnership,” a US State Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Johnson, who could become prime minister later this month if grassroots Conservatives elect him as party leader, refused to back Darroch in a televised leadership debate on Tuesday night.

Darroch said his position had become untenable.

He had watched the debate, a diplomatic source told Reuters. Another source familiar with the envoy’s thinking said the former London mayor’s comments “were a factor” in Darroch’s decision to resign.

Junior Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan condemned Johnson’s silence.

“He (Johnson) has basically thrown this fantastic diplomat under the bus to serve his own personal interests,” Duncan said.

“His sort of disregard for Sir Kim Darroch and his refusal to back him was, in my view, pretty contemptible.”

In confidential memos dating from 2017 to the present, Darroch, 65, had said reports of in-fighting in the White House were “mostly true”.

“We don’t really believe this Administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction-riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept,” Darroch wrote in one cable.

It led to a scathing tirade from the US president.

“The wacky Ambassador that the UK foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy,” he tweeted, describing Darroch as a “pompous fool”.

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