All posts tagged: suspension

South Sudan removes new taxes that triggered UN aid suspension

South Sudan removes new taxes that triggered UN aid suspension

Published by skeptic

JUNA, South Sudan —  Following an appeal from the United Nations, South Sudan removed recently imposed taxes and fees that had triggered suspension of U.N. food airdrops. Thousands of people in the country depend on aid from the outside. The U.N. earlier this week urged South Sudanese authorities to remove the new taxes, introduced in February. The measures applied to charges for electronic cargo tracking, security escort fees and fuel. In its announcement Friday, the government said it was keeping charges on services rendered by firms contracted by the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. “These companies are profiting … (and) are subjected to applicable tax,” Finance Minister Awow Daniel Chuang said. There was no immediate comment from the U.N. on when the airdrops could resume. Earlier, the U.N. Humanitarian Affairs Agency said the pausing of airdrops had deprived 60,000 people who live in areas inaccessible by road of desperately needed food in March, and that their number is expected to rise to 135,000 by the end of May. The U.N. said the new measures …

Homerton Fertility Clinic has its suspension extended by regulator

Homerton Fertility Clinic has its suspension extended by regulator

Published by skeptic

HFEA chief executive Peter Thompson said: “The Committee decided that the Homerton Fertility Clinic’s licence should remain suspended until August, while investigations continue. “The clinic remains under enhanced regulatory oversight and the HFEA will not lift the suspension of the clinic’s licence until we are certain that patients can be treated safely. “Serious incidents in fertility clinics in the UK are rare, but each one is distressing for those patients involved, which is why we take them very seriously. The HFEA investigates what clinics do in response to incidents to make sure that everything is done to understand what went wrong and, crucially, to take steps to ensure it does not happen again. “The UK model of fertility clinic regulation is internationally regarded. By having special laws, setting best practice through our Code of Practice, and sharing learning on incidents the HFEA promotes safe practice to minimise the risk of incidents.” Source link

Saracens face fresh blow after Vunipola arrest with Itoje set for suspension | Saracens

Saracens face fresh blow after Vunipola arrest with Itoje set for suspension | Saracens

Published by skeptic

Saracens’ woes have been compounded after Billy Vunipola’s arrest in Mallorca with Maro Itoje facing the prospect of a suspension that could rule him out for the club’s end-of-season run-in. Only 24 hours after news of Vunipola’s arrest emerged, Itoje was cited for a dangerous tackle during Saracens’ 15-12 victory over Bath last Friday. Itoje was on Tuesday night due to appear at a disciplinary hearing with an announcement expected on Wednesday morning. Vunipola, meanwhile, is due to face the music on Wednesday as he makes his first appearance at the club since he was tasered and arrested at a nightclub in Mallorca on a team bonding trip over the weekend. The No 8 paid a fine of €240 (£205) after his arrest on suspicion of a crime of disobedience and assaulting a police officer following an express trial in Palma before flying back to Stansted on Monday. He was also handed a four-month suspended prison sentence. It is understood the players had a day off on Tuesday, but Vunipola is expected back at the …

Le Monde condemns its suspension in Burkina Faso

Le Monde condemns its suspension in Burkina Faso

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Following the publication of an article on unprecedented abuses by Burkina Faso’s army against civilians, Le Monde was once again suspended by the country’s authorities, along with six other international media. Le Monde condems in the strongest terms the announcement of its suspension in Burkina Faso on Sunday, April 28, and that of six other international media including Ouest-France, TV5Monde, Deutsche Welle and The Guardian. This decision by Burkina Faso’s Higher Council for Communication (CSC), which has not been officially communicated to Le Monde, is a further attack on the right of access to information in the country, which has been steadily shrinking since Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a coup d’état in September 2022. The regulatory authority accused Le Monde and the other media targeted by this measure of “disinformation likely to discredit the Burkinabe army,” following the coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch. Le Monde condemns these accusations and asserts that it has worked with the utmost seriousness and independence. Precedent in December 2023 In an article entitled “In …

Columbia University Israel-Hamas war protesters face suspension

Columbia University Israel-Hamas war protesters face suspension

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NEW YORK —  Colleges around the U.S. implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday, with more arrests being made at the University of Texas and an ultimatum from Columbia University for students to sign a form and leave the encampment by the afternoon or face suspension. Protesters who returned to the University of Texas at Austin on Monday were quickly greeted by dozens of law enforcement officers, many in riot gear. Six protesters were quickly arrested and others were taken into custody one by one. Officers used pepper spray after a group of protesters blocked the path of a police van carrying demonstrators who had been arrested. The crowd backed away but continued to block the exit from campus. Officers then used two flash bang explosives to clear a path so the van could leave. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on social media reposted video of troopers arriving on the 50,000-student campus. “No encampments will be allowed. Instead, arrests are being made,” Abbott posted. Just last week, hundreds of …

Try the world’s highest bungee cord jump off this 430-meter suspension bridge

Try the world’s highest bungee cord jump off this 430-meter suspension bridge

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Walking on the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge (CREDIT: Reuters) For those who have successfully overcome their fears and can’t afford the $25 Million to go into space, China has your next best thrill. Straddled between two cliffs in China’s Hunan province, is one the world’s newest wonders and greatest thrill rides. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge is a 430-meter glass-bottomed suspension bridge and offers the world’s highest bungee jump from a footbridge. From the jump height of 260 meters, visitors can take a leap and experience a stomach-churning way to take in the stunning views of the surrounding Wulingyuan wilderness, a UNSECO World Heritage site. Famous for its quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks extending high into the sky, the area has become a popular international tourist attraction. It’s deep ravines and gorges provide the ideal location for the bungee jumping operation. The bungee jump is operated by the BungyChina team and Zhangjiajie Retallick Outdoor Sports Co.,Ltd. The latter company was founded by Beau Retallick, who also created BungyJapan, and is a bungee veteran …

Doctors condemn suspension of retired GP over UK climate protests | Environmental activism

Doctors condemn suspension of retired GP over UK climate protests | Environmental activism

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Doctors groups are calling for urgent consideration of the rules for medical professionals who take peaceful direct action on the climate crisis, which they say is the “greatest threat to global health”, after a GP was suspended from the register for non-violent protest. Dr Sarah Benn, a GP from Birmingham, was taken off the medical register for five months on Tuesday by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), the disciplinary arm of the General Medical Council (GMC), over her climate protests. The tribunal said Benn’s fitness to practise as a doctor had been impaired by reason of misconduct. Benn, who is retired, has taken part in a number of peaceful protests since 2019. She received conditional discharges after being convicted for taking part in peaceful protests, including two offences of obstructing a highway. In 2022 she was jailed for 32 days for breaching a civil injunction at Kingsbury oil terminal as part of a Just Stop Oil campaign. Doctors groups were united in condemning the suspension from the medical register. The Doctors’ Association said: “Not …

Germany to restart cooperation with UNRWA after suspension over alleged terror ties – POLITICO

Germany to restart cooperation with UNRWA after suspension over alleged terror ties – POLITICO

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Germany and 15 other U.N. member countries suspended $450 million worth of funding after Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees of participating in the Oct. 7 terror attack, the report said. Of those implicated, 10 saw their contracts terminated by the UNRWA while two were confirmed dead, according to the U.N. The funding cuts came as the humanitarian situation in Gaza grew increasingly dire. Israel’s military operation there has killed more than 34,000 people and left the territory on the brink of famine. Following the release of the report Monday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said, without providing evidence, that Hamas’ penetration of the U.N. agency runs so deep that “it is impossible to say where UNRWA ends and Hamas begins.” UNRWA — which was created in 1949 and operates in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria — has been playing a crucial role in supporting vulnerable Palestinian refugees in accessing vital services such as primary and vocational education, primary health care, relief and social services. Source link

Michael Matheson faces suspension as MSP after £11,000 iPad data bill claim | Scottish National party (SNP)

Michael Matheson faces suspension as MSP after £11,000 iPad data bill claim | Scottish National party (SNP)

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The former Scottish health secretary Michael Matheson faces being suspended from Holyrood after wrongly claiming nearly £11,000 in expenses for an iPad roaming bill run up on holiday. An official inquiry by the Scottish parliament found Matheson breached two parts of its code of conduct by failing to abide by parliamentary policies and by making “improper use” of its expenses. The inquiry’s findings, which upheld three complaints against Matheson, will be studied by Holyrood’s standards committee, which has the power to suspend him as an MSP and to withdraw his privileges. Matheson quit as health secretary in February after weeks of controversy over his claim that his £10,935 mobile data bill, incurred during a holiday in Morocco, was a legitimate parliamentary expense. He claimed the full sum on expenses. After days of controversy over the size of his claim, it emerged in November that his sons had used his parliamentary iPad as a hotspot to watch a football match on 2 January; £8,666 in data charges were incurred that day. Matheson took four days to …

Lee Anderson Joins Reform After Conservative Party Suspension

Lee Anderson Joins Reform After Conservative Party Suspension

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Lee Anderson was suspended from the Conservative party in February. (Alamy) 2 min read43 min Lee Anderson has announced he is joining the Reform party after he was suspended from the Conservative party last month for suggesting London mayor Sadiq Khan was being controlled by “Islamists”. The former vice chairman of the Conservative party and current MP for Ashfield was suspended from the party in February after he suggested that “Islamists” had “got control” of both Khan and of capital.  “I don’t actually believe that these Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is that they’ve got control of Khan, they’ve got control of London,” Anderson told GB News during an interview.  “He’s actually given our capital city away to his mates… If you let Labour in through the back door, expect more of this, expect our cities to be taken over by these lunatics.” Following furious backlash and allegations of Islamophobia, with Tory MPs complaining to Number 10 en masse over Anderson’s remarks, Anderson refused to apologise …