OIP is pleased to announce the launch of a new page on its website dedicated to the work of the Chief FOIA Officer (CFO) Council. Recently established by the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, the CFO Council is composed of all agency CFOs, plus the Deputy Director for Management from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and is co-chaired by the Directors of OIP and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Council will meet regularly to develop recommendations for increasing FOIA compliance and efficiency, disseminating information about agency experiences and best practices, and working on initiatives that will increase transparency. Agencies and the public can access resources related to the work of the Council, including agendas and meeting minutes from past meetings as well as details on future meetings, on this dedicated page.
As highlighted on FOIA Post,last month the CFO Council held its inaugural meeting on July 22, 2016 in an event held at the White House. A recording of that event, as well as the meeting minutes and presentation materials, is available on this new page. During this meeting, OIP Director Melanie Pustay introduced the first item for the Council’s consideration — implementing a “release to one, release to all” presumption for FOIA responses. To assist in the implementation of this new presumption, OIP asked agency CFOs to answer specific questions about how such a policy might work at their agency. The memorandum and questionnaire from OIP’s Director to all agency CFOs seeking this feedback is also available on this new page. If you would like to submit your own feedback on the “release to one, release to all” presumption, please email ReleaseToAll@usdoj.gov with your thoughts.
Please be sure to continue checking FOIA Post and the new CFO Council Page for further updates on the Council’s work and details about upcoming meetings.
UPDATE: This post has been updated with details regarding the livestream of this event.
The next meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council will be held on Thursday, September 15, 2016. At this meeting, OIP will brief the Council on the feedback received from agencies on the “Release to One is a Release to All” presumption and will provide journalists an opportunity to share their views on the presumption. The meeting will be held at:
Second Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting GSA Central Office – Auditorium 1800 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20405 September 15, 2016 – 10am to 12pm
This meeting will be open to the public, and time will be provided for members of the public to address the Council. If you would like to address the Council at the meeting, either as a journalist or a member of the public, please request this in your registration email. Written comments pertaining to the “Release to All” presumption policy may be submitted to ReleaseToAll@usdoj.gov. While the “release to one is a release to all” presumption is the first topic being considered by the Council, the Director of OIP will also provide an update on the consolidated FOIA portal in anticipation of further engagement with the Council on that topic.
For security purposes registration for this meeting is required. Please email DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov with the subject line “CFO Council Meeting – Public” by 5:00 PM on September 7, 2016. This meeting will also be livestreamed at https://meet.gsa.gov/foiacfomeetingsept2016/. To view this livestream, please visit the URL and select “Enter as a Guest;” you will be prompted to provide your name and then select “Enter Room.”
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the appointment of a former career Justice Department prosecutor and former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur to serve as special counsel to conduct the investigation of matters that were the subject of the initial investigation by U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. related to the possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or other records discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Wilmington, Delaware, private residence of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a proposed consent decree with Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Centers (BDP) and American Vision Partners (AVP), to resolve its lawsuit alleging that the eye care practices violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The lawsuit alleged that BDP and AVP refused to operate on certain patients who needed assistance transferring from their wheelchairs for surgery and required other such patients to pay for third-party medical transport and transfer assistance. Medical providers routinely offer this type of assistance to patients who need help transferring from a wheelchair to an examination or surgical table for surgery and exams.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act requires health care providers to offer equal access to their services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Patients with disabilities must not be denied crucial medical services or forced to pay surcharges because they need transfer assistance. The Justice Department is fully committed to protecting the civil rights of individuals with disabilities to get the medical care they need.”
“This agreement reflects an important step in obtaining equal access to health care services for Arizonans with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with the Civil Rights Division to ensure that all Arizonans are afforded equal opportunity to access health care services in our state.”
Under the decree, BDP and AVP will end their policies of denying surgery and prohibiting staff from providing transfer assistance to people with mobility disabilities. BDP operates eye care facilities throughout Arizona, and AVP, one of the largest eye care practice management organizations in the country, partners with eye care providers in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas, including BDP, Southwestern Eye Center, M & M Eye Institute, Retinol Consultants of Arizona, Abrams Eye Institute, Southwest Eye Institute, Aiello Eye Institute, Havasu Eye Center, Visage Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery and Moretsky Cassidy Vision Correction. These eye care providers will also train staff on the new policy requirements and on safe transfer techniques, and pay $950,000 to patients and prospective patients who were harmed by its policies and a civil penalty of $50,000.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint.
The final design of the Passing of the Crown coin, mark-ing King Frederik X succeeding Queen Margrethe II, was revealed as as Danmarks Nationalbank presented the coin to the new monarch.
The Passing of the Crown Coin is a 20-kroner coin, which will be introduced into general circulation via stores and banks in early November 2024.
The previous time a Passing of the Crown Coin was issued was in 1972, when Queen Margrethe II became monarch following the death of her father King Frederik IX.
Denmark has a long tradition of issuing commemorative coins to celebrate special events in the royal family, such as anniversaries.
The design of the new Passing of the Crown Coin follows the tradition of previous issuances, as one side features a portrait of King Frederik X in a right-facing profile, while the reverse features Queen Margrethe II, also in a right-facing profile. Both portraits were created by sculptor Eva Hjorth. The coin was designed by Danmarks Nationalbank’s Head of Design, Jeanette Skov Jensen.
A total of one million Passing of the Crown Coins have been produced. Most of them will enter circulation as regular coins, but some will be made available to the public as collectors’ versions. These will be available to purchase via coin and stamp dealer nordfrim.dk on 1 No-vember 2024. However, It will be possible to pre-order the coin beginning today.
The Passing of the Crown Coin will circulate alongside existing coins, which remains legal tender.
Regular circulation coins featuring King Frederik X are expected to be released during the second half of 2025. More information about this will be available on Dan-marks Nationalbank’s website in 2025. These coins will also be circulated alongside coins that are currently in circulation.
You can see the Passing of the Crown Coin and read more about it at nationalbanken.dk.
Press enquiries can be directed to Press and Communica-tions Officer Peter Levring on +45 2620 1809.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland provided welcoming remarks during the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Grantee Convening in St. Louis, Missouri.
The conference marks the inaugural convening of communities funded under the department’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, a first-of-its-kind federal grant program tailored to support community-driven safety solutions and reduce gun violence.
The Justice Department invested $100 million to support community violence interventions that are working to expand the role of community partners as a complement to law enforcement. The grants, funded in part by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, include support for 47 sites nationwide to implement community-driven efforts that rely on cross-sector partnerships and trusted messengers to interrupt violence, expand opportunity, and save lives. The conference will host approximately 400 invited attendees, including representatives from grantee sites and training and technical assistance provider organizations.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland provided welcoming remarks during the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Grantee Convening in St. Louis, Missouri.
The conference marks the inaugural convening of communities funded under the department’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, a first-of-its-kind federal grant program tailored to support community-driven safety solutions and reduce gun violence.
The Justice Department invested $100 million to support community violence interventions that are working to expand the role of community partners as a complement to law enforcement. The grants, funded in part by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, include support for 47 sites nationwide to implement community-driven efforts that rely on cross-sector partnerships and trusted messengers to interrupt violence, expand opportunity, and save lives. The conference will host approximately 400 invited attendees, including representatives from grantee sites and training and technical assistance provider organizations.
Despite an announcement that brought hope for positive developments—for instance, following Geneva peace talks—no significant amount of humanitarian relief has reached people in Zamzam camp and the nearby, war-stricken city of El Fasher since the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee concluded that famine conditions were prevalent in the area on August 1 this year. Most supply roads are controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have made it all but impossible to bring therapeutic food, medicines, and essential supplies into the camp since the intensification of fighting around El Fasher last May.
There’s no more time to waste if thousands of preventable deaths are to be avoided. Among the more than 29,000 children under five years old screened last week during a vaccination campaign in Zamzam camp, 10 percent suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition, while 34.8 percent suffer from global acute malnutrition, which will evolve into a more severe form of malnutrition if not treated effectively and in a timely fashion.
“The malnutrition rates found during the screening are massive and likely some of the worst in the world currently,” said Claudine Mayer, MSF emergency medical manager. “It’s even more terrifying as we know from experience that the results are often underestimated in the area when we use only the mid-upper arm circumference criteria like we did here, instead of combining it with measuring weight and height.”
An MSF mass screening carried out in March 2024 revealed an 8.2 percent rate of severe acute malnutrition and a 29.4 percent rate of global acute malnutrition, which was already twice as high as the 15 percent alert threshold set by the World Health Organization.
Supply blockages and soaring prices exacerbate threat
The only food available is from pre-existing stocks, which is not sufficient for people living in the area, and food prices are at least three times as high as in the rest of Darfur. Fuel prices are soaring as well, making it very difficult to pump water and run clinics that rely on generators for electricity. Our staff on site report that for many, it’s impossible to obtain more than one meal per day.
“In such a dire situation, we should be scaling up our response,” said Mayer. “Instead, running critically low on supplies, we are reaching breaking point and were recently forced to reduce our activity to focus solely on children in the most severe conditions. This means we had to suspend treatment for 2,700 children with less severe forms of malnutrition, and to put an end to consultations provided to adults and children over five years old, who represented thousands of consultations every month.”
Zamzam camp is estimated to host between 300,000 and 500,000 people, many of them displaced many times over, who are trying to flee the war that has been devastating Sudan since last year. In El Fasher, where many of the displaced used to live, only one hospital remains partially functioning after the others were damaged or destroyed in the conflict.
“Due to unconscionable blockages on supplies, we feel like we are leaving behind an increasing number of patients who already have very few options for getting lifesaving medical care,” said Lacharité. “If the roads are not an option for getting massive quantities of urgent supplies into the camp, the United Nations should look at every available option. Delaying these supplies means causing more deaths—thousands of them, among the most vulnerable.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
How ACE provided the consultants with a platform for growth, the ability to showcase quality work and access to new customers they wouldn’t otherwise have met.
Technical and business consultancy Daintta was founded on the values of transparency, fairness and daring with a mission to put staff and customers first.
Starting with just three staff in 2020, it now has over 60 engineers and technical and business consultants as well as horizon scanning and innovation specialists. The company prides itself on having a diverse workforce as well as creating an environment that enables people to bring the best of themselves to work and thrive.
Daintta has been a member of the Vivace community since late 2020 and its core expertise areas are:
digital intelligence, bringing disparate datasets together through capabilities such as data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to enable greater insights
cybersecurity and data privacy, helping companies become more resilient and
networks and communication, helping organisations embrace new and emerging technologies
Navigating complexity
One thing that links much of Daintta’s work inside and outside the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) is complex project delivery says Abu Sayed, the company’s chief client officer.
He said: “Most of the work we do doesn’t have a clear-cut solution, and so what we’re doing is helping customers navigate through the complexity and untangle some of that.
“We’re the company that enables change that truly matters, it’s kind of our tagline, and we do that by helping clients leverage the opportunities uncertainty produces. Ultimately, most of our work is helping clients strengthen their ability to deliver their mission.
“We work really well with ACE because ACE is all about working alongside the customer, embracing innovation and willing to be daring.”
Daintta’s first commission with ACE was supporting a workshop, and the company has since gone from “strength to strength”. Today its plays an active role in pulling together collaborative rainbow teams of suppliers to respond to client problems. Daintta enjoys working with both new and established ACE community members and is comfortable either leading or supporting commissions, ensuring that the team’s expertise as well as knowledge of ACE best practice is shared.
Significant pieces of work for ACE include helping develop a business case for the UK Telecoms Lab, providing telco subject matter experts as part of a rainbow team. This was successful in helping secure funding, and Daintta stayed on to work directly with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology to help build the lab and transition it to operational. Today, Daintta continues to provide experts to develop this capability.
Another project involved creating a data strategy for a law enforcement body, including discovery to understand what data existed, where it was stored and how it could be used. A visual ‘data landscape’ was then created to help understand how available data could be used to help answer investigative questions.
A third piece of work was around understanding the requirements for a secure development environment for law enforcement, for use cases involving technologies such as machine learning, AI and graphing technologies as well as unstructured data, and then creating a prototype intelligence search capability.
Sayed said: “ACE has undoubtedly provided us with a platform for growth. It has given us an opportunity to demonstrate the quality of our work and the expertise of our people. And it has provided us with access to customers that we would not have otherwise come into contact with, accelerating our growth by 12 to 15 months.
“It’s also unique – no other government framework has the kind of sense of community that ACE has fostered, because people are competing for work but collaborating a lot more than they are competing. That allows the best ideas to come forward and really make a difference to the customer.”
Responding to reports that eight people have died during an attempted crossing of the Channel, Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, said:
“This is yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who’ve died.
“These perilous crossings are seemingly becoming more and more dangerous, suggesting smugglers are taking greater chances with people’s lives as they try to evade detection efforts by the UK and French authorities.
“The Government’s ‘smash the gangs’ slogan and its security-heavy approach is contributing to the death toll because the refusal to establish safe asylum routes means these flimsy vessels controlled by people smugglers are the only real option for desperate people fleeing persecution.
“Until UK ministers and their counterparts in France start sharing responsibility over the need for safe routes, we should expect this weekend’s tragedy to keep repeating itself time and time again.”
Angolan authorities must immediately release four activists wrongfully detained for one year whose health has drastically deteriorated behind bars, Amnesty International said.
Police arrested the four activists on 16 September 2023 in Luanda ahead of a planned protest in solidarity with motorcycle taxi drivers. Since then, Amnesty International has documented significant declines in their health amid a pattern of authorities deliberately denying them medical care at multiple different prisons, including urgent surgery, which amounts to torture and other ill-treatment.
“One year in prison simply for peacefully protesting is a travesty of justice. Angolan authorities must release these activists now, especially given their worsening medical conditions,” said Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa.
Angolan authorities must release these activists now, especially given their worsening medical conditions.
Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International Deputy Director for East and South Africa
“Deliberately denying medical care to people in prison is torture. The denial of health care to prisoners also has potentially fatal consequences and may violate the right to life. Not another day should go by with them behind bars or without receiving the medical care they urgently need,” said Vongai Chikwanda.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Thousands of young people could have £2,200 sitting unclaimed in their Child Trust Fund account.
Young people urged to claim their Child Trust Fund
£2,200 on average waiting in unclaimed accounts
More than 670,000 18-22 year olds yet to claim their Child Trust Fund are reminded to cash in their stash as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reveals the average savings pot is worth £2,212.
Child Trust Funds are long term, tax-free savings accounts which were set up, with the government depositing £250, for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. Young people can take control of their Child Trust Fund at 16 and withdraw funds when they turn 18 and the account matures.
The savings are not held by government but are held in banks, building societies or other saving providers. The money stays in the account until it’s withdrawn or re-invested.
If teenagers or their parents and guardians already know who their Child Trust Fund provider is, they can contact them directly. If they do not know where their account is, they can use the online tool on GOV.UK to find out their Child Trust Fund provider. Young people will need their National Insurance number – which can be found easily using the HMRC app – and their date of birth to access the information.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Second Permanent Secretary and Deputy Chief Executive, said:
Thousands of Child Trust Fund accounts are sitting unclaimed – we want to reunite young people with their money and we’re making the process as simple as possible.
You don’t need to pay anyone to find your Child Trust Fund for you, locate yours today by searching ‘find your Child Trust Fund’ on GOV.UK.
Third-party agents are advertising their services offering to search for Child Trust Funds and agents will always charge – with one charging up to £350 or 25% of the value of the savings account.
Using an agent can significantly reduce the amount received, is likely to take longer and customers still need to supply them with the same information they need to do the search themselves.
Gavin Oldham, The Share Foundation, said:
If you are 18-21 years old, the government would have put money aside for you shortly after birth. This investment would have grown quite a bit and it’s in your name. The Share Foundation has linked over 65,000 young people to their Child Trust Fund accounts. It’s easy and free to find out where your money is. Go to findCTF.sharefound.org or GOV.UK to locate it today.
In the last year more than 450,000 customers, with just their National Insurance number and date of birth, used the free GOV.UK tool to locate their Child Trust Fund.
More information on Child Trust Funds and how to access your savings can be found on GOV.UK.
Further Information
Latest figures for Child Trust Funds included in the Annual Savings Statistics were released on 19 September 2024 and include figures up to April 2024.
After eight deaths in the Channel this weekend, and ahead of Starmer’s meeting on asylum with Italian Premier Georgia Meloni,Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, Steve Valdez-Symonds said:
“There should be no question of the UK doing deals to offload its responsibilities onto other countries – not Albania, Rwanda or anywhere else.
“After the Conservative government’s shameful attempt at this, the last thing needed is yet another government pursuing schemes to avoid fulfilling the UK’s comparatively modest refugee obligations rather than showing some leadership and taking responsibility.
“The Government should be trying to restore the UK’s battered reputation on refugee issues by repairing an asylum system that’s been deliberately sabotaged by successive home secretaries stretching back years.
“We need safe asylum routes to help end the exploitative practices of people smugglers, and we need a fair and efficient system for processing people’s asylum claims however they arrive.”
Agenda for Change pay offer accepted by trade unions.
Almost 170,000 nurses and healthcare workers in Scotland will receive a 5.5% salary increase this year, ensuring they have the best reward package in the UK.
Unions representing NHS Agenda for Change staff – which includes nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals, porters and others – unanimously agreed to an investment of more than £448 million for improved pay conditions.
The pay rise, backdated to 1 April 2024, will come into effect from next month.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said:
“I am pleased that trade unions have unanimously agreed to accept this pay offer, which ensures that nurses and healthcare staff in Scotland, who are part of Agenda for Change, will have the best reward package in the UK.
“I want to express my thanks again to Scotland’s hardworking healthcare staff for the care they provide to patients, day in, day out. They are the very backbone of the NHS and we are committed to ensuring they feel supported and valued.”
BACKGROUND
A total of £448 million has been invested in Agenda for Change pay in 2024-25. This equates to an uplift of 5.5% for all staff.
Examples of increases for 2024-25:
experienced porters (band 2) will receive £1,395
experienced healthcare support workers (band 4) will receive £1,651
experienced staff nurses (band 5) will receive £2,072
experienced paramedics (band 6) will receive £2,535.
After receiving a letter from the Ministry of Justice of Russia, MSF had to close our operations in the country.
This comes after 32 years of working in Russia.
MSF would like to work in Russia again should the necessary conditions be provided by authorities.
Moscow / Amsterdam – Thirty-two years after starting work in Russia, Médecins Sans Frontières/ (MSF) had to close our operations in the country. In August this year, we received a letter from the Ministry of Justice of Russia, with the decision to withdraw the affiliate office of the non-profit association ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’ (Netherlands) in Russia from the register of affiliate and representative offices of foreign NGOs.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have to close our activities in Russia,” says Yashovardhan, head of MSF programmes in the country. “Our organisation’s work is guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality, and medical ethics. We provide assistance based on the needs.”
MSF had been present in Russia since 1992. For more than 30 years, we successfully implemented dozens of programmes, ranging from assistance to the homeless to emergency response to the collaborative work with the Ministry of Health on innovative tuberculosis treatment. We worked in various regions of the country, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Kemerovo region, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, and – more recently – in the Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions, as well as in the south of Russia in Belgorod and Rostov-on-Don.
A significant part of the history of MSF in Russia and the region was linked to the implementation of advanced approaches to the treatment of tuberculosis. MSF has collaborated with the medical academic community of Russia and other countries in the eastern Europe and central Asia to extend effective, innovative treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis to patients in penitentiary and civil sectors across the region.
In 2004-2017, we worked in close partnership with the Chechen Ministry of Health, providing technical and advisory support to the local health authorities in the treatment of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis in the Chechen Republic. The programme covered different aspects of tuberculosis diagnostics, treatment, laboratory services and health education, as well as adherence counselling and psychosocial support for patients and their families. In 2014, MSF supported the Ministry of Health in introducing new treatment regimens for patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis which yielded impressive results giving hope to patients who previously had no treatment options left.
In 2021, MSF and local health authorities of the Arkhangelsk region in the north of Russia started successful implementation of a nine-month all-oral course of treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis. We enrolled 173 patients on this treatment regimen. And later, in 2023, we started enrolling patients on an even shorter, six months-long, all-oral treatment course that was recommended by the World Health Organization in the updated treatment guidelines in late 2022.
In Arkhangelsk, and starting from 2024 in Ivanovo, MSF was providing expertise and technical assistance to health authorities with a special emphasis on implementing new treatment regimens and enhancing patients’ adherence and integrating person-centred care. To date, 41 patients in the Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions started treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis within this joint programme. The aim of the collaboration was to contribute to the evidence base for more effective, meaning less toxic and person-centred, treatment with a view to scale up these scientifically proven treatment protocols in Russia.
In Moscow and St. Petersburg since 2020, MSF partnered with two community-based NGOs to support access to general healthcare, as well as testing and treatment for infectious diseases, for people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups, such as migrants, who otherwise struggle to obtain medical assistance. Over 14,000 medical consultations were supported for patients from these vulnerable groups.
Since the escalation of the armed conflict in Ukraine in 2022, many people have sought safety in Russia, and MSF, in partnership with local NGOs in the Belgorod and Rostov regions in the south of Russia, started providing assistance to those who crossed into Russia from Ukraine and later – with the development of the situation – internally displaced people. Since the start of our response in 2022, more than 52,000 refugees and displaced people were provided with humanitarian aid and more than 15,400 received free medical, mental health and psychosocial support.
As part of this partnership, we were also planning to respond to the humanitarian and medical needs of the internally displaced people in the Kursk region. MSF continues to stand in solidarity with people impacted by this conflict and remain steadfast in our commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, irrespective of what side of the front line they are on, should the necessary conditions for our work be provided by relevant authorities.
“We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our colleagues in Russia for their hard work and commitment to humanitarian values we hold high as an organisation,” says Norman Sitali, MSF operations manager responsible for programmes in Russia. “We are very sad to conclude our programmes in the country as many people in need of medical and humanitarian assistance will now be left without the support we could have provided to them. MSF would like to still work in Russia again, if and when possible”.
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Two more Plymouth schools are trialling traffic restrictions during morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up times.
Cann Bridge and Tor Bridge Primary are the latest to introduce ‘Safer School Streets’, where roads are closed to school-run and through traffic during these peak times.
The measures – which aim to improve safety for all road users, make it easier for families to walk, cycle or scoot to school, tackle inconsiderate parking and create a healthier street environment with cleaner air – are widely welcomed by parents and local residents.
Cann Bridge and Tor Bridge Primary, which sit alongside each other in Estover, are the fourth and fifth schools in the city to trial the restrictions on a longer-term basis, with Stuart Road Primary being the first, followed by St Paul’s RC Primary and Compton CofE Primary.
Councillor John Stephens, the Council’s walking and cycling champion, said: “We’re really pleased to be working alongside Sustrans to help another two schools implement Safer School Streets measures. They have proven really popular at the other three trial locations and help to encourage families to either leave the car at home or at least make part of their journey in more active ways.
“This has so many benefits – not just for pupils, parents, staff and nearby residents but for the wider community as a whole. As well as reducing congestion and improving air quality around the school gates, they help to tackle some of the inconsiderate and irresponsible parking experienced by neighbours, making journeys safer and healthier for everyone.”
The trial began yesterday (Monday). Every weekday during term-time the entrance to Eden Valley Gardens is being closed with temporary barriers during morning and afternoon school run times (8am to 9am and then 2.15pm to 3.30pm.
Volunteers and members of staff are stewarding the closure and access is being maintained for local residents and businesses, parents and children with disabilities, the emergency services, deliveries and other service vehicles.
Shane Baker, Headteacher at Cann Bridge School, said: “We are grateful to our parents and staff for their support in making the Safer School Street initiative a reality. This program is crucial for ensuring the safety of all children, promoting active travel, and creating a cleaner, healthier environment at our school gates.
“Even in the short time spent outside this morning, it was evident that reducing vehicles on our road will significantly improve air quality. Together, we are building a safer community for everyone.”
The arrangements have been agreed for up to 18 months under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, advertised in the local press and on street. Signs have also been placed on street to advise road users of the closure times.
Families are being encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to school or, if they really need to drive, to ‘park and stride’ from Asda, who are supporting the scheme.
After receiving a letter from the Ministry of Justice of Russia, MSF-Netherlands had to close our operations in the country.
This comes after 32 years of working in Russia.
MSF would like to work in Russia again should the necessary conditions be provided by authorities.
Moscow / Amsterdam – Thirty-two years after starting work in Russia, Médecins Sans Frontières/ (MSF) had to close our operations in the country. In August this year, we received a letter from the Ministry of Justice of Russia, with the decision to withdraw the affiliate office of the non-profit association ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’ (Netherlands) in Russia from the register of affiliate and representative offices of foreign NGOs.
“It is with a heavy heart that we have to close our activities in Russia,” says Yashovardhan, head of MSF programmes in the country. “Our organisation’s work is guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality, and medical ethics. We provide assistance based on the needs.”
MSF had been present in Russia since 1992. For more than 30 years, we successfully implemented dozens of programmes, ranging from assistance to the homeless to emergency response to the collaborative work with the Ministry of Health on innovative tuberculosis treatment. We worked in various regions of the country, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Kemerovo region, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, and – more recently – in the Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions, as well as in the south of Russia in Belgorod and Rostov-on-Don.
A significant part of the history of MSF in Russia and the region was linked to the implementation of advanced approaches to the treatment of tuberculosis. MSF has collaborated with the medical academic community of Russia and other countries in the eastern Europe and central Asia to extend effective, innovative treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis to patients in penitentiary and civil sectors across the region.
In 2004-2017, we worked in close partnership with the Chechen Ministry of Health, providing technical and advisory support to the local health authorities in the treatment of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis in the Chechen Republic. The programme covered different aspects of tuberculosis diagnostics, treatment, laboratory services and health education, as well as adherence counselling and psychosocial support for patients and their families. In 2014, MSF supported the Ministry of Health in introducing new treatment regimens for patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis which yielded impressive results giving hope to patients who previously had no treatment options left.
In 2021, MSF and local health authorities of the Arkhangelsk region in the north of Russia started successful implementation of a nine-month all-oral course of treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis. We enrolled 173 patients on this treatment regimen. And later, in 2023, we started enrolling patients on an even shorter, six months-long, all-oral treatment course that was recommended by the World Health Organization in the updated treatment guidelines in late 2022.
In Arkhangelsk, and starting from 2024 in Ivanovo, MSF was providing expertise and technical assistance to health authorities with a special emphasis on implementing new treatment regimens and enhancing patients’ adherence and integrating person-centred care. To date, 41 patients in the Arkhangelsk and Ivanovo regions started treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis within this joint programme. The aim of the collaboration was to contribute to the evidence base for more effective, meaning less toxic and person-centred, treatment with a view to scale up these scientifically proven treatment protocols in Russia.
In Moscow and St. Petersburg since 2020, MSF partnered with two community-based NGOs to support access to general healthcare, as well as testing and treatment for infectious diseases, for people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups, such as migrants, who otherwise struggle to obtain medical assistance. Over 14,000 medical consultations were supported for patients from these vulnerable groups.
Since the escalation of the armed conflict in Ukraine in 2022, many people have sought safety in Russia, and MSF, in partnership with local NGOs in the Belgorod and Rostov regions in the south of Russia, started providing assistance to those who crossed into Russia from Ukraine and later – with the development of the situation – internally displaced people. Since the start of our response in 2022, more than 52,000 refugees and displaced people were provided with humanitarian aid and more than 15,400 received free medical, mental health and psychosocial support.
As part of this partnership, we were also planning to respond to the humanitarian and medical needs of the internally displaced people in the Kursk region. MSF continues to stand in solidarity with people impacted by this conflict and remain steadfast in our commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, irrespective of what side of the front line they are on, should the necessary conditions for our work be provided by relevant authorities.
“We would like to take the opportunity to thank all our colleagues in Russia for their hard work and commitment to humanitarian values we hold high as an organisation,” says Norman Sitali, MSF operations manager responsible for programmes in Russia. “We are very sad to conclude our programmes in the country as many people in need of medical and humanitarian assistance will now be left without the support we could have provided to them. MSF would like to still work in Russia again, if and when possible”.
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The situation in Koukou Angarana, Sila province, Chad, and the surrounding area, remains critical after devastating floods on 9 August. The floods displaced thousands of people, destroyed homes and left health centres unable to function. The likelihood of another major flood is decreasing, but the needs left from 9 August are not.
Urgent needs not being met
Forced from their homes because of the floodwaters, people have now set up sites where food, water and sanitation services, shelter reinforcement, and access to healthcare, are their urgent needs.
“The living conditions of displaced people in Koukou are extremely difficult,” says Julie Melichar, project coordinator. “They are exposed to risks of epidemics given the lack of drinking water, people living on top of one another in the camps, and the absence of health facilities.”
People are living in makeshift shelters. There are very few blankets, including for young children and pregnant women. The tarpaulins used for tents are insufficient and often in poor condition. With repeated rains and storms, the lack of physical protection promotes the development of diseases like acute respiratory infections and malaria.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has set up a health post where we provide basic healthcare. Between 14 August and 9 September, we carried out 1,850 health consultations. Over 340 people had acute respiratory tract infections, 265 tested positive for malaria, and more than 220 were treated for diarrhoea. Our team also provided antenatal consultations to 232 pregnant women.
340
34
people treated for respiratory tract infection
265
265
people tested positive for malaria
232
232
pregnant women provided consultations
Access to clean drinking water is almost non-existent in Koukou. The quality of the water at the few functional sources needs to be assessed, and the quantity available does not cover the number of people in the displacement sites.
“Water sources were contaminated during floods by a mixture of sewage and waste, including faeces,” says Melichar. “Water is not always available, pushing people to use water from wadis [rivers]. Although MSF is cleaning water wells, they are at risk of being contaminated again in the event of further rains or flooding. The situation remains precarious and requires an effective water, sanitation and hygiene response to reduce the risk of communicable disease outbreaks.”
Food and international response lacking
Food is another concern. The floods destroyed much of the food supply and made essential activities, like collecting firewood and working in the fields, impossible. Many fields of sorghum, groundnuts and millet have been destroyed or are no longer suitable for cultivation. Food prices have also skyrocketed- so what little is available is unaffordable.
MSF teams have heard from people that hunger is their immediate concern. The number of people affected means they require huge support. Yet, one month after the floods, many have received nothing as an adequate response from international organisations has not materialised.
“An immediate food distribution would significantly help many people here,” says Melichar. “This would be a crucial, and much needed, first step, but despite these floods happening a month ago there has been very little in terms of international response. People can’t wait much longer.”
Makeshift shelters on one of the sites for displaced people, La Colline, on the bank of the Wadi Bahr Azoum river, Chad, September 2024.Julie Melichar/MSF
Concerns for people outside Koukou
The government announced, as of 3 September 2024, that a total of nearly 1.5 million people are affected by floods countrywide, with nearly 260,000 hectares of fields destroyed in 115 departments out of the 120 in the country.
With roads being largely impassable due to flooding, information about affected villages on both sides of the Wadi Bahr Azoum [river] in Sila province is beginning to trickle in. They describe many flooded villages, destroyed fields, and people who have been displaced multiple times. Reaching these people is a logistical challenge and a rapid response from other organisations is essential to meet the most urgent needs of people, in particular to provide medical care.
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The Government has reopened a scheme to help Islanders buy their first home.
First Step, a scheme to help aspiring homeowners onto the property ladder, was launched by the Minister for Housing, Deputy Sam Mézec, in February this year, and reopened for a second round of applications in June. It has so far resulted in 51 applicants being offered equity loans.
First Step is delivered in partnership with Andium Homes and uses £10m of Government funding to help eligible Islanders access a contribution of up to 40% towards the purchase of an open-market property.
Applicants have four weeks to apply, with the deadline for applications on 20 October 2024. Applicants must:
hold Entitled status
not own any property in Jersey or overseas
be registered on the Assisted Purchase Pathway
be able to provide a 5% deposit towards the purchase
be able to access the maximum lending available to them from one of the scheme’s partnering mortgage lenders
not be under offer on another assisted purchase scheme.
Islanders not already registered should apply to the Assisted Purchase Pathway before applying for First Step. Applications will be means-tested against the financial criteria.
It is anticipated that up to 60 households will benefit from the initial £10 million investment. An additional £2 million has been earmarked for the scheme in the proposed Budget for next year, subject to States Assembly approval.
The Minister for Housing, Deputy Sam Mézec, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to reopen First Step for a third time this year. This scheme has made a real difference to Islanders who would have otherwise been unable to own their first home. I am hopeful that we will be able to reopen First Step in 2025 to help even more Islanders into home ownership. In the meantime, I would like to thank our Government officials and the team at Andium Homes for their valuable work this year.”
Andium Homes’ Policy & Stakeholder Engagement Lead, Dominique Caunce, said: “We were delighted with the interest shown in the first and second tranches of the scheme, where the funding available enabled us to make loan offers to 51 first-time buyers. Feedback from previous applicants has been really positive, particularly around the website and application process, and we would encourage all those unsuccessful in the initial tranches to reapply.”
Islanders wishing to join the Assisted Purchase Pathway, or those wanting to update their details, can do so via First Step (andiumhomes.je)
In July the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a historic advisory opinion concluding that Israel’s decades long occupation and annexation of Palestinian territory is unlawful because it violates some of the most fundamental tenets of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and denies Palestinians their human rights.
The ICJ opinion also concludes that all states have an “obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” and “not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” Meanwhile, the virtually unconditional transfer and sale of weapons, parts, and ammunition by governments where there is clear risk of use in harming civilians and violating international law has continued.
As the UN General Assembly prepares to vote on a resolution this week that would seek to bring the occupation to an end, the undersigned organizations call on all governments, including the UN Security Council and its members, to adhere to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, including through the halting the transfer and sale of weapons, parts and ammunition.
Humanitarian, development and human rights organizations, many of us with decades of experience working throughout the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, delivering lifesaving assistance and other services, have witnessed first-hand the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s occupation, and its devastating impact on the Palestinian population, including the well-being of children.
This includes but is not limited to:
● the use of weapons, by Israeli forces and settlers in attacks, including in apparent violations of international law, resulting in the killing and permanent disabilities of Palestinian civilians, including children, and instances of gender based violence;
● the arbitrary detention and systematic prosecution of Palestinians, including children, in Israeli military courts, often held in horrific conditions;
● the forced displacement of Palestinians through demolitions of Palestinian homes and property, Israeli settlement expansion, Israeli settler violence, and so-called “evacuation” orders amid Israeli bombardment in Gaza;
● a discriminatory permit regime that denies freedom of movement to Palestinians, depriving them of basic services, including vital medical assistance.
These practices have taken place without accountability for decades, but the intensification over the last 11 months has led to a staggering humanitarian catastrophe for Palestinians throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, fuelled by the virtually unconditional supply of weapons, parts, and ammunition.
More than 40,000 people in Gaza have been killed, and tens of thousands face life-altering injuries and potentially irreversible mental harm, including as a result of apparent violations of IHL. Meanwhile, the situation in the West Bank is deteriorating at a rapid pace, with large-scale Israeli military ground incursions and airstrikes killing and injuring people almost every day this year. The violence and restrictions under Israeli occupation have rendered the mandates of humanitarian, human rights, and development organizations almost impossible to fulfill.
Humanitarian support provided by Member States is regularly obstructed and destroyed by Israeli authorities. Assistance that humanitarian organizations have managed to provide has been insufficient to address the needs and does not address the root causes of the humanitarian consequences created by Israel’s decades-long occupation that the international community has allowed to continue for too long.
Failure to adhere to the ICJ’s advisory opinion will send a message that states can be selective in their application of international law. It is imperative that states reinforce and show their commitment to international institutions and the international order that has been in place for nearly 80 years. The time for empty statements has passed. All Member States must act decisively to adhere to the ICJ Advisory Opinion before more lives are irreparably destroyed.
Undersigned:
1. ActionAid
2. American Friends Service Committee
3. Amnesty International
4. BePax
5. CCFD-Terre Solidaire
6. Center for Peace Education (Miriam College, Philippines)
7. Christian Aid
8. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
9. DanChurchAid 10.Danish Refugee Council
11. Finn Church Aid
12.Franciscans International
13.Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) (Secretariat)
14.Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Tunisian authorities have stepped up their clampdown on the rights to freedom of expression and association ahead of the presidential elections on 6 October 2024, said Amnesty International, escalating their harassment of political opponents, restricting the work of journalists, human rights defenders and NGOS and taking steps to further undermine judicial independence.
In the latest escalation at least 97 members of opposition group Ennahda were arrested between 12 and 13 September. Those detained were denied access to their lawyers for 48 hours and were brought before the anti-terrorism brigade for questioning. They are being investigated for conspiracy charges and other charges under the counter-terrorism law.
Authorities have continued to arbitrarily detain opposition politicians and human rights defenders, sideline presidential candidates and disregard administrative court decisions to reinstate presidential candidates, while the criminal justice system has been weaponized to silence peaceful dissent.
“Tunisian authorities are waging a clear pre-election assault on the pillars of human rights and the rule of law, failing to uphold the country’s international human rights obligations and undermining the fundamental principles of justice and fairness. They must end this egregious backslide on human rights and ensure respect for the rights of everyone in the country before, during and after the forthcoming elections,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“As a first step, Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release those detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights, including Ennahda party members and imprisoned human rights defenders. They must allow media and civil society organizations to freely carry out their legitimate activities without fear of reprisal and end all interference in the judiciary.”
The Indian authorities must stop using restrictive travel bans and arbitrary detentions under the country’s stringent anti-terror laws to intimidate critical dissenting voices from speaking out on Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International said today ahead of the first state elections in the last ten years.
The authorities’ escalating repression of human rights after India revoked the special autonomous status of the region has resulted in arbitrary detentions, passports being revoked, the creation of opaque ‘no flying lists’, the denial of entry into India and arbitrary cancellations of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status and affected those with Indian and non-Indian citizenship speaking out against the repression.
“The Indian authorities are using arbitrary restrictions and punitive actions to create a climate of fear in Jammu and Kashmir. Anyone daring to speak out – whether to criticize the government or to stand up for human rights – faces a clampdown on their rights to freedom of expression and association and are unable to move freely within and outside the country,” said Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India.
“The Indian authorities must end their campaign of harassment and intimidation against dissenting voices. The people of Jammu and Kashmir must be able to exercise their right to fully participate in the decision-making about their future in the run up to, during and after elections.”
The people of Jammu and Kashmir must be able to exercise their right to fully participate in the decision-making about their future in the run up to, during and after elections.
Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India
Since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019, which scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special semi-autonomous status, and since Amnesty International issued its last briefing on the human rights situation in the region, we have verified the cases of at least five individuals, including journalists, political leaders and activists, who have been prevented from travelling abroad or travelling into India, despite having the requisite travel documents, in violation of their right to freedom of movement. The Indian authorities have imposed the bans without any written explanation, court order or proper notification within the legal time frame which indicate a form of retaliation against their legitimate human rights work around Jammu and Kashmir.
The government also continues to misuse the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows authorities to arbitrarily detain people for up to two years without charge or trial, and the UnlawfulActivities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to carry out arbitrary detentions. This has led to self-censorship of independent voices, and the Indian authorities’ near total control over information from Jammu and Kashmir.
As winter approaches there will be a change to operating hours for Household Recycling Centres across the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, effective from Tuesday, 1 October.
The annual seasonal change in opening hours for all nine recycling facilities in the borough will continue until March 31.
The winter opening hours (October 1 – March 31) are:
Residents and businesses are encouraged to download the ABC Council App, which offers information on the operating hours of Household Recycling Centres and provides useful recycling tips. The app can be downloaded through the App Store and Google Play Store.
The title comes in recognition of Liverpool’s impressive commitment to innovation and smart regulation to rapidly decarbonise the live music and TV/Film production sectors – both vital parts of the city’s economy – following several years of developmental work by ACT 1.5, an artist-led research and action effort, and climate scientists from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
To mark the launch of this initiative, the following key events and plans were also announced today:
A three-night live music series at Liverpool Arena from 28 – 30 November in collaboration with Massive Attack, ACT 1.5 and SJM concerts, to showcase innovations in sustainability and the smart design of live music events.
A headline industry event, called Expedition 1, on (29 November) and public event (30 November) in the adjacent ACC Liverpool which will test and showcase eight cross-sectoral pilot projects for rapid decarbonisation across live music, TV and film productions scheduled in 2025, and then invite the public into multiple climate action workshops, live audience podcasts, and performances.
The implementation of three initial plans for galvanising decarbonization in the cultural sector: a pioneering integrated public transport and ticketing program (TAG Network); electrification with 100% renewable energy of all key live event and filming locations in the city centre; and a new Paris 1.5-degree compatible sustainability standard that major events will need to meet in order to be granted a land use agreement for an event to proceed.
This work builds upon the groundbreaking project commissioned by the band Massive Attack and developed over the past four years, culminating in a climate action accelerator event entitled ACT 1.5 in Bristol (UK) in late August.
The band worked in collaboration with the Tyndall Centre, AGF, and super low-carbon providers to produce what is anticipated to have been the lowest greenhouse gas emissions show of its size ever staged.
As an ’Accelerator City’ Liverpool, which has just announced huge plans for the future of its music sector, will expand on this use of policy, technology, infrastructure, and transport practices to pilot and then embed decarbonisation methods into the fabric of the city, extending the scope of this work to include national film and television institutions; establishing cross-sectoral solutions with clean, green providers and sustainability-focused event & onscreen producers.
The world-leading Accelerator City programme is supported by Ecotricity and is comprised of a partnership network of private, public sector, and UN organisations including BBC, BAFTA Albert, BFI, Earth Percent, Equity, BECTU, The European Space Agency, A Greener Future, Association of Independent Festivals, UN Climate Change, UNESCO, ZENOBE Energy, and numerous transport, food and local service providers.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, said: “I commend the city of Liverpool on its ambitious plans to dramatically speed up decarbonisation in this vital sector. Cities and towns are absolutely essential in picking up the pace and scale of climate action – and the cultural sector plays a vital role in unlocking innovation and promoting sustainable behaviours. I applaud Liverpool’s initiative and look forward to identifying other ‘Accelerator Cities’ in the future.”
UK Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy MP, said: “I am proud and delighted that Liverpool – as famous for its cultural exports as it is for its maritime history – will be the UN’s first Accelerator City for climate change action.
“I would especially like to congratulate the artists, scientists, providers and the city council who have made huge efforts and driven innovative solutions to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and are having their work recognised in this way. Dynamic projects like these are completely in line with our mission for the UK to become global leaders in this action once again, and with our efforts to boost clean, green, highly skilled jobs at home to drive economic growth and achieve clean power by 2030.”
Robert Del Naja, (3D – Massive Attack), said: “Our recent Bristol show demonstrated beyond question that major live music events can be Paris 1.5 compatible, and that audiences will embrace change enthusiastically. The vast scope of work in Liverpool and UN recognition means we can now concentrate more dynamic pilots and experiments to rapidly phase out fossil fuels. This idea and this insistence are not going back in any box. We’re delighted to see artists like Coldplay testing elements like localised ticket pre-sales and 100% renewable energy as recommended in the Tyndall Centre Paris 1.5 decarbonisation road map and encourage other artists to do so freely. The talking stage is over, it’s time to act.”
Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: ‘Liverpool has redefined the transformative power of culture over the past 25 years by blending imagination and innovation with a passion to deliver amazing results – be it staging the best-ever Eurovision to playing a leading role in the UK’s recovery from Covid. Now we’re ready to apply all of our best efforts to tackling the biggest challenge humanity faces and we are deeply honoured the UN has recognised our commitment to decarbonise our cultural sector and appointed Liverpool as the World’s First “Accelerator City” for Climate Action.
“What is so fantastic about this status, is not just the plans we have to help decarbonise music, events and filming, but also the way that this project will educate and motivate audiences through something they really care about – music and entertainment. Liverpool is a city that has always strived to innovate and inspire, and this award recognises that on a global scale.“
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Liverpool has always been a city of firsts but being named the world’s first ‘Accelerator City’ is huge for our region, and another example of how we’re leading the charge on climate action. We’re not just talking about change; we’re making it happen. By bringing innovation to the sectors that define us—like music, film and TV —we’re showing the world how culture can drive real, meaningful climate action. Together, we’re proving that the Liverpool City Region isn’t just making headlines; it’s helping to write the playbook for building a fairer, greener future a reality for everyone.”
Matt Scarff, Managing Director BAFTA Albert, said: “The screen industries are uniquely placed to help drive forward the vital progress and innovation needed to protect the future of our planet. BAFTA albert is proud to support this brilliant UN initiative and support the city of Liverpool as we work to make it a hub of sustainable creativity for generations to come.”
Professor Carly McLachlan, Director of Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, said: “This city level action to transform live music and film and TV production is really exciting in its ambition and the critical combination of collaboration and regulation. We need to move fast on decarbonisation and that means innovation and new ways of working, but crucially it also means sharing learning, getting the right infrastructure in place and ratcheting up minimum standards. Liverpool’s global recognition as such a culturally rich city make it a brilliant location to demonstrate to the world how things can be done differently.”
Dale Vince OBE, Founder of Ecotricity, said: “Big congrats to Liverpool, leading the way by adopting Act 1.5 across the city. We’ve been working with Massive Attack on the music side and with partners in film and tv production to show that it’s possible for the live event sector to operate this way – that’s important not just for the sake of its own … footprint but because of the platform it has – we can reach huge amounts of people this way and show them there is another way to live. I love the scale and the ambition.”
Responding to reports that Lesotho Defence Forces (LDF) soldiers tortured at least four people and killed at least two others during the ongoing Operation Hard Fist to confiscate illegal firearms from gang members, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Khanyo Farise, said:
“These incidents are the latest in a series of grave allegations about the conduct of LDF soldiers. Torturing and unlawfully killing people can never be justified, even in the context of a crackdown on gangs.
“Lesotho’s authorities must urgently investigate all incidents of torture and unlawful killings by the army, bring to justice anyone suspected to be responsible in fair trials and adequately compensate the victims and their families.
These incidents are the latest in a series of grave allegations about the conduct of LDF soldiers.
Khanyo Farise, Amnesty International Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa
“Lesotho’s Prime Minister must publicly condemn cases of torture, arbitrary detention and unlawful killings by the army and affirm his commitment to ending alleged army abuses.”
Prisoner of conscience Ilham Tohti handed life sentence 10 years ago
Governments urged to step up diplomatic efforts to secure his freedom
Tohti’s daughter says Chinese authorities have tried to silence her activism
Amnesty launches petition calling on Chinese government to release Tohti
The international community must take concrete steps to help secure the release of the Uyghur academic Ilham Tohti, Amnesty International said ahead of the 10-year-anniversary of his conviction on baseless charges of “separatism”.
Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment on 23 September 2014 after an unfair trial. He was targeted by the Chinese government after peacefully advocating for dialogue and conciliation between the Uyghur ethnic group and China’s majority Han population.
“When Ilham Tohti promoted cooperation and peaceful coexistence between China’s Uyghur and Han communities, the Chinese government responded with repression and imprisonment. His decade-long incarceration is a further shameful stain on China’s troubled human rights record,” said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“This unhappy anniversary not only reminds us of Beijing’s inhumanity. It also highlights the failure of other governments to secure Ilham Tohti’s release. The shocking milestone of his 10th year behind bars underlines the need for the international community to do more.”
The charges against Ilham Tohti stemmed from his writings and teachings on systemic discrimination and oppression faced by Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China (Xinjiang).
It is an outrage that the persecution of Uyghurs including Ilham Tohti continues unabated, and with impunity.
Agnes Callamard
While critical of Chinese government policies in Xinjiang, Ilham Tohti consistently opposed violence and separatism and worked to build bridges between ethnic communities in accordance with Chinese laws.
He was awarded the Sakharov Prize – the European Parliament’s top human rights prize – in 2019.
“The bestowal of awards recognizes and affirms Ilham Tothi’s leading human rights contribution, as well as his own human rights plight. Yet what he needs most is freedom, and to achieve that he deserves unswerving public advocacy from the international community, calling for his release. That means world leaders directly demanding action from their Chinese counterparts – at every high-level meeting, every UN conference, every time,” Agnes Callamard said.
“It is the compassionate stance of Ilham Tohti that makes his imprisonment particularly heinous, and that compels the global community to do more to defend his rights. Ilham Tohti is a prisoner of conscience, and his freedom would be a crucial step in advancing human rights and justice in China.”
“Being an activist it’s a serious thing in Angola, it’s about life and death”
16 September marks one year since Tanaice Neutro has been arbitrarily detained. We met with his wife, Teresa Cuanga, who describes what an entire year, without her husband has been like.
Teresa thought it was the end of a nightmare she never wanted to have again. What she didn’t know was that her happiness wouldn’t last long, as her husband Tanaice would be sent back to prison in less than three months after his release.
Teresa Cuanga with her and Tanaice’s baby
On the morning of 16 September 2023, Tanaice Neutro told his wife he was about to join a demonstration in solidarity with the motorbike taxi drivers who were facing restrictions on their activities in some areas of Luanda, Angola’s capital.
Hours before the demonstration was due to take place, Tanaice and other activists were surprised by the police, who without a warrant took all those present to the Criminal Investigation Services-SIC and that day, Tanaice and other activists never went home again.
“That morning, I said, love, don’t go to the demonstration, you know there are always police there. He said he couldn’t cancel. He had already given his word to his friends. He told me nothing would happen, that I shouldn’t worry” said Teresa, who tells us in detail what happened on 16 September 2023 and introduces us to the profile of the man who could make history for serving a total of four years in prison solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of assembly.
On 19 September 2023, Tanaice Neutro and other 3 activists were tried and convicted. The public prosecutor initially accused them of “outrage and injury to the President of the Republic”. Amid various inconsistencies and lack of evidence, the charge was changed to ‘disobedience and resisting orders.’ Witness reports and videos circulated showed that at the time of their arrest, the activists were lying on the ground, not resisting.
Without any evidence, the court convicted and sentenced Tanaice and the other three activists (AGPT) to two years and five months in prison. Their lawyers submitted both an appeal and complaint against the decision, but both were rejected by the court.
This is not the first time Tanaice Neutro has been arbitrarily detained. We wanted to understand from Teresa, who is the man who is dedicating his life to fight for the right to protest in Angola, even though he knows the risks associated.
Teresa begins by telling us how she met Tanaice and her activism.
“Tanaice’s mother, my mother-in-law, was a good friend of mine. In 2015, she introduced me to her son and from there began a beautiful friendship that ended with our traditional and civil wedding. Tanaice is a kind person, he likes listening to Certanejo (a Brazilian musical rhythm), his favourite artist is Teixeirinha and his favourite song is by Teixeirinha and Mary Teresinha.”.
“He wasn’t an activist when I first met him. He loves listening to music, composing and singing kuduro (Angolan musical style), at first he sang about common themes that didn’t give the Angolan government any headaches, until in 2021, when he released a song entitled ‘2022 vais gostar’(2022 you will like), which went viral in Angola.”
‘(…)Since 1975 they have been [allegedly] stealing the wealth of a humble people
Many Angolans have died because of speaking the truth
This tip is for ‘me’ to be afraid of being shot and starved to death.
But since I’m already frustrated, they can kill me if speaking out is a crime (…)’
“Tanaice’s dream is to one day own his own home, have a job and be able to see his children study and graduate. He also dreams of seeing a different Angola without suffering. He thinks a lot about people and would like to be able to help people more. He didn’t go to university, but if he ever had the chance, he would study law.”
Since he was arrested in January 2022 and again in September 2023, Tanaice has gone on several hunger strikes, and his health situation is sensitive due to him not receiving adequate medical treatment in prison. “And now, how is he doing?” We asked.
“I can say that he is recovering from his last hunger strike in February this year 2024. When I go to visit him, he just wants to know how his children are and if his stereo is still playing. He doesn’t regret going out to the protest that day and sometimes asks how the campaign for his freedom is going.”
We also wanted to find out what Teresa thinks of Tanaice’s arbitrary detention and what it’s been like raising her four children on her own.
“I miss Tanaice. It’s hard looking after the children on my own. They always ask when their father will be back and I say soon, but sometimes they hear news about their father on the radio. They know that their father is in jail and they know the reasons why. They used to see their father when he recorded videos here at home.”
“It hurts a lot. Everything has stopped. Tanaice has committed no crime by criticizing President Joao Lourenço. If we have freedom of expression, then we must speak out. We can’t see things that aren’t right and not speak out. If we don’t hold our leaders accountable, who will? There will always be someone who must speak out”.
‘(…) Demonstration is the right of a citizen who is unhappy,
But it seems that Agostinho Neto didn’t explain this to the leaders (…)
(…) Whenever an activist complains about a fair cause, they can’t arrest him or kill him
We want the police to release the activist, the brother activist who is in prison (…)
(…) If you don’t want the people to complain, President, do your job well.
Don’t look down on me João Lourenço, listen to my advice
First give Angolans the 500,000 jobs you promised.
Then bring down the price of meat before the end of the year
Also build schools and hospitals so the population will be happy
Stop threatening with a gun everyone who’s a protester(…)”
“At first, I didn’t understand anything about activism until my husband was arrested. That’s when I realized that being an activist it’s a serious thing in Angola, it’s about life and death because you speak out against powerful people who can move heaven and earth to hunt you down. I’m afraid of losing my husband. I’m afraid that because of his activism, something will happen to me or the children.”
“Since all this began, the hardest days are when I have to visit my husband in jail because I leave the baby at home for an almost two-hour journey. On the way to jail I often ask myself if I deserve to go through so much suffering and injustice, but I keep going. At night, I miss him more and wonder what he’s doing, how he woke up that day and if he’s eaten, especially on days when I can’t take food to the jail.”
The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is routinely being violated in Angola. Like Tanaice, every year there are several documented cases of injustice committed against people who decide to take to the streets and protest for their rights or those of their communities. Stand up for Tanaice and three other activists who are detained solely the peaceful exercise of their human rights. Call for the immediate release of Tanaice and the three other activists. Sign this petition and share it on your networks using the hashtag #FreeTanaice #FreeAGPT #Freethefive.
Responding to the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution today demanding that Israel end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) within 12 months, in compliance with the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) July advisory opinion, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:
“Today’s resolution makes crystal-clear that Israel’s 57-year occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in flagrant violation of international law, cannot be allowed to continue any longer.
“Israel must comply with the resolution immediately by withdrawing its forces from the West Bank, including illegally annexed East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, occupied since 1967. Israel must also remove all settlers from the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and reverse its annexation, both in law and in practice.
“This resolution vindicates long-standing calls from the Palestinian people and many countries around the world, by pursuing the implementation of the ICJ’s historic advisory opinion which confirmed Israel has a legal obligation to end its unlawful occupation of the OPT and its systemic discrimination against the occupied Palestinian population.
Today’s resolution makes crystal-clear that Israel’s 57-year occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in flagrant violation of international law, cannot be allowed to continue any longer.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
“For decades Israel’s unlawful occupation has brought injustice, bloodshed and suffering to Palestinians on a mass scale. Over the past 11 months the systematic human rights violations that are a hallmark of Israel’s brutal occupation and system of apartheid have drastically intensified.
“Israel’s unprecedented onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza is exacting a deplorable toll on the civilian population, causing deaths, injuries, mass destruction of critical infrastructure, decimation of cities and successive waves of forced displacement. It has rendered Gaza virtually unlivable and plunged the Strip into one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation stemming from Israel’s 17-year-long illegal blockade of Gaza. In the meantime, Israel has intensified its oppressive campaign against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, through lethal military operations accompanied by extensive damage of civilian infrastructure, unlawful killings, escalation in arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, while settler violence is spiking with impunity and displacing Palestinians.
“Implementing the UNGA’s resolution is key to restoring faith in international law. This is a critical juncture for the international community. States, including allies of Israel, must ensure Israel complies with the resolution and puts an end to its persistent disregard for international law, human rights and the historic injustices against Palestinians.
“Pending an end to Israel’s occupation, third states must immediately stop all forms of aid or assistance that help maintain the unlawful occupation, including halting arms transfers to Israel and ceasing all trade with illegal settlements.
“They must also support the establishment of the mechanisms indicated in the resolution namely, to record all damages caused by Israel’s military occupation and the one to address Israel’s violations of the Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. These mechanisms must be designed and effectively resourced to hold perpetrators accountable, deliver justice to victims and put an end to Israel’s system of apartheid against all Palestinians whose rights it controls.”
Background
The UNGA resolution passed with 124 votes in favour, 43 abstentions and 14 against including the US and Israel. The resolution put forward by the State of Palestine was based on a July advisory opinion by the ICJ that said Israel’s continued presence in the OPT is illegal and that settlements should be removed as rapidly as possible.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Myanmar. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.
Location:
Geneva
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
Thank you Deputy High Commissioner for your update. And we thank the High Commissioner for his report.
The humanitarian and human rights crisis in Myanmar continues to deepen. In August, more than 42,000 people were displaced, and the Myanmar military conducted more airstrikes than in any other month since the coup, targeting villages, schools and hospitals. At the same time, the military continues to obstruct aid, preventing vital supplies from reaching those in need.
We call on the Myanmar military, and all other actors, to allow safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to vulnerable communities. This is crucial as people suffer from the impacts of flooding, growing food insecurity and shortages of health and sanitation supplies. The UK will provide more than £40 million in assistance this financial year. We encourage other Member States to also consider what more they can do.
20,000 people remain arbitrarily detained, including journalists, healthcare workers and political prisoners. The IIMM (Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar) has found credible reports of widespread torture and deaths in detention, including physical abuse and sexual and gender-based violence of the most horrific kind, including against children. The military must release all those arbitrarily detained. We also call on Myanmar to comply with the UN Convention against Torture and respect the rights of detainees.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Find out how students can check their payments or track the progress of their application and estimated review date.
The start of the academic year is one of the busiest times at SLC. First term Maintenance Loan payments have been sent to students starting their studies throughout September and these will continue throughout the Autumn.
SLC phone lines may be busy at times and that’s why students are reminded of their self-service options in their online accounts. Whether they are shortly receiving their first payment or going through the application process, they can get the information they need quickly by logging in to their account.
Getting Paid
Students who need to check when they will be paid can check their payment schedule and status by signing in to their online account.
It’s easy to check the payment status, just follow these steps:
Select the application for the payments to be checked.
Under the heading ‘Manage your student finance’, select ‘View your payments’.
Checking the application status
For those students who are still in the application process, or have yet to apply for their finance, there is some useful information available in their online account.
Checking online will show:
The progress of the application
If there’s anything else that is needed
The next estimated review date of the application
If there’s no estimated review date
If there’s no estimated review date showing, students can check the current timescales page instead. The page is updated weekly and provides a guideline of when the application will be reviewed.