The BA pilot who was hauled out of his cockpit by police and found to be four times over the limit of alcohol for flying has been jailed for nine months.
Julian Monaghan, 49, was due to be the third pilot on the BA Boeing 777 8.00pm flight from Gatwick to Mauritius on January 8 but was arrested after a flight technician became concerned that he could smell alcohol on his breath. In 2015 and 2017 pilots over the limit were jailed for similar periods. Continue reading
A major fire, origin unknown, damaged the five-star 12-storey Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge, London earlier this month with 120 firefighters and 20 engines involved. The hotel was safely evacuated and no-one was hurt. The hotel had just completed a £185million refurbishment.
In 2009 a major blaze swept through the uncompleted 44-storey Bejing Television Cultural Center, due to house the new 241-room, 5 star Mandarin Oriental Hotel. More than 600 firefighters attended and one died at the scene from smoke inhalation, with seven others injured. The cause was a massive firework display staged on the last day of the Chinese New Year.
Figures for 2017 released by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) indicate that the USA has hosted the most events, and the highest number of delegates, while figures for cities indicate that Barcelona hosted the most meetings, and received the most delegates. Tables for the top ten countries and cities follow. Continue reading
The Charities and Association event, Chase 25, takes place on Thursday July 5 at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London on Thursday July 5.
Registration is free to all those from the non-profit sector and is from 08.15. The day comprises a programme of free seminars and presentations under the themes of innovation, culture, digital and leadership and concludes with a networking garden party from 17.15 to 21.00
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This takes place on July 4-5 at the Victoria Warehouse, Manchester.
The seminar programme promises that visitors attending can meet the future of events, today.
Those who loved the 1969 film starring Maggie Smith in the Brodie title role, Celia Johnson as her sceptical headmistress, Robert Stephens as the randy art master, Gordon Jackson as the dependable music teacher and Pamela Franklin as the precocious schoolgirl nemesis who betrays her will enjoy the latest theatrical incarnation of the Muriel Spark novel. Continue reading
In 1966 this genial French anti-war comedy-drama starring a younger-looking 32 year old Alan Bates and featuring the beautiful 24 year-old Genevieve Bujold was launched without much critical or commercial success, but has since achieved cult status as a film that makes its serious points amusingly. Continue reading
Some small charities in the sector admit that they are unsure whether or not they are compliant with the new GDPR standards (General Data Protection Regulations) which came into force at 12:01 am on Friday May 25.
These require organisations to ensure that they have consent to directly contact those who are not currently dealing with them, such as potential customers, subscribers or donors. They also give these groups the right to know what data is held on them and what use it is put to, as well as the right to be able to easily unsubscribe from contact lists, a right that also applies to customers.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been at pains to reassure organisations that the Draconian fines quoted in some media of up to 20 million euros, or 4% of turnover, whichever is the greater, apply to persistent lawbreakers, rather than those who seek advice from ICO on how to comply, and then act on it.
The new regulations have seen lots of organisations seeking permission to carry on emailing, and given lots of victims the chance to not respond and thus conveniently unsubscribe, actions that an email from the Labour Party claimed would “ruin Jeremy Corbyn’s birthday”.
Investigations are taking place at the Royal National Institute for Blind People’s (RNIB) Pears Centre for Specialist Learning near Coventry following a number of “serious incidents” reported by the charity. One recent allegation was of a “sexual nature” and was followed by the resignation of the charity’s chief executive, Sally Harvey, who joined eight months ago.
The Pears Centre is a residential facility for young people who are blind or partially sighted, as well as some who have learning difficulties or disabilities.
The Charity Commission is concerned that the incidents there may indicate that there has been a failure on the part of the RNIB to “comply with regulations designed to safeguard and protect vulnerable children” Ofsted have rated the centre “inadequate” and have threatened to withdraw its registration.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is set to get new powers to hold directors of nuisance call companies personally liable for payment of fines. Currently fines are imposed on the company, which the directors can simply wind up, leaving the ICO unable to collect the fine, and then commence trading under another name, all perfectly legally.
One serial exponent, closing down two nuisance call companies and thus avoiding nearly £2million in fines was Gregg Rudd, whose success has helped firm up the conviction of the authorities that something had to be done.
Last year, according to Ofcom 3.9 billion nuisance phone calls and texts were made, equating to 7,420 per minute, mostly associated with bogus personal injury and insurance claims, payment protection insurance and pensions.
It is not known if those who run charities that make nuisance calls, or employ someone else to do so, will also be held personally liable.