Brazilian police demanding better conditions and more pay went on strike on Wednesday, just 37 days before the country hosts the World Cup, and threatened to do so again during the soccer extravaganza.
Federal police walked off the job in several cities that are to host World Cup games, and in Rio de Janeiro — which is to stage seven matches, including the July 13 final — they held a peaceful protest just as Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari unveiled his World Cup squad.
In Brasilia — another city staging games — striking police surrounded their headquarters and prevented colleagues from entering, Globo’s G1 news portal reported.
They also went on strike in several provincial cities including Fortaleza, Natal and Porto Alegre — all World Cup hosts.
“This is a 24-hour strike which has been well supported,” federal police union leader Andre Vax de Mello told reporters.
“We have provided a minimum service for the public, notably at airports, but we are going to stop during the World Cup if the government does not provide a satisfactory response,” he said.
“Salaries have been on the slide,” de Mello added, saying that of the 13,000 federal police employed countrywide “250 per year leave and take exams to gain entry to other, better-paid public bodies.”
SALARIES
The police are paid between 7,500 and 12,800 reais (US$3,200 and US$5,800) a month before tax and social security contributions.
At Terezina, capital of the northeastern state of Piaui, strikers also gathered outside their headquarters with their eyes masked in symbolic protest at what they say is the authorities’ inability to improve their conditions, G1 reported.
Last month, troops were forced to patrol the streets of Salvador de Bahia after a wave of looting and murder erupted amid a police strike in the World Cup host city.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was