The fifth plenum comes against a backdrop of years of purges that have had some analysts wondering if the issue is corruption or a lack of loyalty When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, he pledged to stamp out corruption all through the ranks of the Communist party. More than a decade later, the pace of investigations has not slowed. Last year, China’s disciplinary authorities opened investigations into more than 1 million people, including more than 100 officials at or above ministerial or provincial level. As Chinese Communist party (CCP) officials prepare for an important meeting this week discipline – and party loyalty – is high on the agenda. For those who try to read the tea leaves of elite Chinese politics, concern about the apparent lack of discipline is dominating CCP discussions. Continue reading...
Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown in the spotlight as China prepares for meeting of top leaders

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Brazil runoff live updates: Flávio Bolsonaro calls for election results to be ‘annulled’ after historic loss to Lula
Leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated the far-right senator and was elected president of Brazil for a fourth non-consecutive term Full report: Lula wins fourth term as Brazil’s president over Flávio Bolsonaro Live second round results The local electoral court ordered the immediate restoration of 100% of the bus fleet and ordered the arrest of the municipal transport secretary, Pablo Souza, on suspicion of an electoral offence and disobeying court orders. The arrest warrant could not be carried out, however, because he is in Paris on what the city government described as an “official mission”, and is not expected to return to Brazil until Monday. Late in the afternoon, Flávio Bolsonaro also filed requests for voting to be extended by two hours in cities in the states of São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina, but because of heavy rain that he said had prevented voters from t

Helen Haines’s first words after alleged attack were about safety of staff and gratitude to bystanders, MP reveals
Allegra Spender calls Indi MP ‘force for change’ as politicians pay tribute in parliament Follow our Australian politics live blog for latest updates Get our daily political email , free app or daily news podcast Helen Haines’s first words after an alleged attack last week were to ask about the safety of her staff and express gratitude to bystanders and doctors. Allegra Spender, the MP for Wentworth, told parliament on Monday that Haines’s husband, Phil Haines, had revealed the Indi MP expressed gratitude to bystanders who came to her rescue outside her Wangaratta electorate office. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...

Australia politics live: Haines’s first words after waking were of concern for staff and bystanders; parliament hears emotional tributes to MP
Follow live updates Get our daily political email , free app or daily news podcast Steggall calls for civility and respect Independent MP Zali Steggall has called for more respect in times of disagreement, telling ABC that leadership and words matter. We absolutely need to make sure there is more civility and respect. Social media is a platform where they can send abuse and threats through direct messages, call my electorate office, or send pretty revolting stuff It’s just quite shocking how disconnected from manners and reality sometimes people get when they launch into their diatribes and make threats. There’s been a lot of money and a lot of effort and a lot of thought going into security here at Parliament House. I think the vulnerability is actually when we’re out doing our job in the community, and that’s probably where we need to put the focus. Continue reading...

Elation across Serbia after veteran ruler Vučić concedes to student-led protest movement
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Netanyahu rival Eisenkot holds final rally before Israeli election
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Unreasonable and unfair: damning investigation criticises Labor’s algorithm-based tool for aged care
Report from commonwealth ombudsman finds ‘technological black box’ ignores transparency recommendations from robodebt royal commission Follow our Australian politics live blog for latest updates Get our daily political email , free app or daily news podcast An algorithm used by the federal government to assess the level of care older Australians are entitled to is unreasonable, unfair and lacks human oversight, according to a damning investigation by the commonwealth ombudsman. The investigation also found transparency recommendations from the robodebt royal commission have been ignored. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...