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Anne Eden, Chief Executive, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: "We very much welcome the audit and are pleased that it did not find any safeguarding situation where children or vulnerable adults have been at risk in our hospitals. |
"The recommendations made by the safeguarding boards are extremely useful and will help us to further strengthen the framework we have in place. |
"We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and have already started addressing many of the recommendations, including the introduction of a comprehensive training strategy." |
Charles Owen-Conway, Independent Chair of the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Adults Board said: "We have been encouraged by the positive response of the hospitals to the findings contained in the report and their willingness to build on the satisfactory levels of safeguarding across the various sites." |
Four years ago, Oakland was home to its own fleet of rattling luxury cars — mostly Oldsmobiles and Buicks — all characterized by their bright candy paint, 22-inch rims, and screeching exhaust pipes (caused by suction tips). These so-called "scrapers" became icons of a regional rap scene. Unfortunately, they were unatta... |
THE BATTLE for next year's electricity prices is over, and Slovak households will profit from the peace. Although the country's power distribution companies originally asked the market regulator to authorize an electricity rate hike, prices in 2007 will not change after all. |
However, the victory for residential clients may come at the expense of commercial customers, and was only achieved after Prime Minister Robert Fico gave up a claim on dividends from Slovakia's stake in the energy SE utility until 2010. |
Based on a recent agreement between the shareholders of dominant power producer Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) - the Slovak Economy Ministry and the Italian firm Enel - SE will sell 5.4 terrawatthours of electricity to power distribution companies for a sub-market price. This volume of energy represents the country's entire... |
Slovakia's left-leaning government, led by PM Robert Fico, has been trying to prevent residential energy price increases for the last several months in line with its pre-election promises. |
"The office's approved price regulations mean a zero increase in prices for electricity from 2006 to 2007," said Miroslav Ľupták, the spokesman of the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (ÚRSO). |
However, some of the three power distributors - Západoslovenská Energetika (ZSE), Stredoslovenská Energetika (SSE), and Východoslovenská Energetika (VSE) - have already announced that some companies will be receiving a higher electricity bill next year. |
The retail price of residential electricity is made up of a basic or wholesale electricity price and distribution fees. The basic electricity price (silová elektrina) is the price SE charges distribution companies, and is set by auction. This makes up about 40 percent of the final price; the rest is distribution fees c... |
In September, the distributors proposed to ÚRSO to the final electricity price for households be increased by about 13 percent. |
ZSE spokesman Ján Orlovský told The Slovak Spectator that the increase had been based largely on a price hike by SE. |
"The distribution companies asked for an increase in distribution fees of only 1.7 percent, equivalent to the core inflation rate, and demanded that the 18 to 20 percent increase in the purchase price of basic electricity be factored into the final price for households," he said. "It was proposed that the final price b... |
In the weeks that followed, everyone was looking for someone to blame for the proposed increase in prices. |
The ÚRSO was accused of kowtowing to the energy companies. The power distributors were criticized for charging exorbitant distribution fees, and SE was blamed for charging too much for basic electricity. |
At the end of November, however, the cabinet finally reached an agreement with SE on the price of basic electricity. |
According to Enel, the market increased next year's basic electricity price by about 0.30 crowns (21 percent) to Sk1.7 for 1 kilowatthour. Based on the new deal, SE will sell basic electricity intended for households to the distributors for slightly over Sk1.5 for 1 kilowatthour. |
Keeping residential electricity prices the same next year will cut Sk400 million from SE's revenues next year, SE Director Fulvio Conti told journalists. "These are extra costs that we are taking upon ourselves," he said. |
According to Conti, Enel made a concession to the cabinet by agreeing to cap prices, which it regarded as "an expression of good will". In return, it expects the government to give up its plan to ask to receive dividends from SE until 2010, which would leave around Sk20 billion in the company. |
Although the privatization contract signed with Enel by the former Dzurinda government called for the state to reinvest its dividends in the company until 2010, Fico had called such steps "energy treason", and planned to ask that the agreement be changed. |
"Fico will not ask for the dividends because he understands that without them, SE would not be able to invest in its further development," Conti said. |
The distribution companies are also content with the solution. "This agreement among all parts of the distribution chain created space for both a return on capital investments [to Enel] and the further development of distribution companies," Orlovský said. |
However, Orlovský admitted that some corporate customers could see their electricity prices rise, although he did not related this to the residential price freeze. |
Prices for corporate customers will depend on their electricity supplier and the tariff under which the firms purchase their electricity. "Those entrepreneurs and organisations that were buying electricity primarily at the low tariff that the SE stopped offering in 2007 will be the main ones who will feel the increase,... |
The ÚRSO has yet to decide on the final price of electricity for companies. |
Fico greeted the decision of the ÚRSO with apparent satisfaction. "We have applied pressure and, along with the Economy Minister, we will continue to pressure monopolies and the ÚRSO to take into account the financial situation of our citizens, the huge profits reaped by monopolies, the development of the price of crud... |
ÚRSO Director Karol Dvorák told a news conference on December 4 that electricity prices would probably have gone up by about four percent from next year if the government had not held talks with SE, the national electrical network operator Slovenská Elektrizačná Prenosová Sústava, and regional power distributors. |
"I see it as a result of the government's agreement with the firms concerned, and not as a result of government pressure," Dvorák said. He added that the regulatory body does not have the power to negotiate with these companies on its own. |
"These negotiations were beyond the ÚRSO's competence, since basic electricity prices are not subject to regulation anywhere in the world," Dvorák said. |
Based on the ÚRSO's recent decision, ZSE will keep electricity prices on hold for next year. |
SSE will lower the prices of standard electricity supplies and accumulation heating, which will affect about 80 percent of its customers. "The average price for these customers will go down by about three percent," Dvorák said. However, SSE will increase electricity prices for direct heating by about 9.5 percent, which... |
VSE will reduce the fixed flat monthly rate for all tariffs from next year. The average price for standard household electricity should thus go down by 0.5 percent. "The final average price for residential electricity from VSE in 2007 will remain the same as this year," the ÚRSO stated. |
Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek did not hide the fact that if parliament had managed to use accelerated legislative proceedings to approve a further amendment to the Act on the Regulation of Network Industries, electricity prices might have been cut even more. |
The most serious objection to the proposed amendment regarded the fact that it would have allowed the Economy Ministry to interfere with the ÚRSO and threaten its independence in regulating prices. |
The Economy Ministry claims the amendment is necessary because the current prices of electricity, gas, and water on the Slovak energy market are too high for end-users. |
Economy Ministry spokesman Branislav Zvara said the amendment would also permit a return to regulated electricity prices for corporations, which at the moment are set by the market alone. |
The legislation is currently waiting to be addressed by parliament under the normal rules of debate. |
If CRISPR therapies pan out, the possibilities are vast. |
Over the course of The Motley Fool's 26-year history, one of its guiding principles has been to look for the positive side of the story. The best stocks, services, and stories have produced some of the best returns for investors. Those innovators don't always pay off fast, but that's OK -- when you buy and hold for the... |
By definition, that means that his picks this time may carry more risk than some of his prior recommendations. For every biotech breakthrough that makes it to market, there are many promising candidates that don't pan out. Still, three years from now, the Motley Fool co-founder expects that on the whole, this basket of... |
Recommendation No. 3: Editas Medicine (NASDAQ:EDIT), an early-stage gene-editing company focused on CRISPR technology. If it works, CRISPR will allow medical professionals to snip out patients' faulty DNA and replace it with healthy DNA. There's also the possibility of this type of technology being used to improve even... |
David Gardner: Stock No. 3. From a $120 billion company to a $9 billion company, now let's go to a sub-$2 billion company, Editas Medicine, ticker EDIT. Editas Medicine is capitalized at $1.2 billion as I tape this podcast on Tuesday, April 2nd, what I like to call the day after April Fool's Day each year. Editas has b... |
Two things that I like about Editas Medicine. The first is, this is an early-stage leader in an important new technology. Please read about it. I know some of you know this better than I do, but it's called CRISPR. If you don't know what CRISPR is, just google it. You can read more about it on Editas' website, for exam... |
But CRISPR is its own technology. Again, read more about it. You're going to see that if it works, it has the potential to really, again, effectively get there and edit just that one gene that needs to be taken out in order to cure you of this or make you better at that. By including "make you better at that," I open u... |
It might not even work, by the way. CRISPR is still more the stuff of test tubes and laboratories than for-profit cash flow dynamics. But if the promise comes true, we are going to unleash on this earth, in the age of miracles, new possibilities in addition to new cures. People are going to have mixed feelings about th... |
My prediction is that this technology will be used for good. It will be used for augmentation beyond just curing. And that will lead to a better world, in fact, one that sounds a little bit like The Motley Fool's purpose to me -- a smarter, happier, and a richer world. We shall see. Whether or not Editas Medicine even ... |
A second thing that I like about this, and I'm going to talk about this in the context of our five-stock sampler, a second thing I like about Editas is, it's our flyer stock. Out of these five, this is the one that's a really small market cap that has a really big dream. In my experience, these don't pay off the majori... |
Well, what's one thing to watch for when you're thinking about Editas Medicine, if you're considering adding it to your portfolio and following the company? CRISPR. Keep an eye on that technology. If this is the first time that you're hearing that phrase, you should know it's an acronym. I can't actually produce for yo... |
A LONGRIDGE policeman who helped to disarm a violent male armed with two knives at a caravan park in the town has been recognised for his bravery. |
PC Paul Meades' received a chief constable's commendation for 'outstanding bravery' from Lancashire's top cop, Steve Finnigan, at the force's recent 'Celebrating Excellence Awards'. |
Together with another officer who was also commended for his bravery, PC Meades was called to the Beacon Fell View Caravan Park on July 15, 2007 after a call from an informant stating a man was being violent and making threats. |
The officers found the man standing outside a caravan armed with a knife in one hand and a mobile phone in the other. |
After ignoring requests to put the knife down, the man started to walk towards the open door of a caravan nearby, at which point - after spraying the man with PAVA, the officers rushed towards the man who was still holding the knife and tackled him to the floor. |
The man violently resisted the officers and during the struggle the officers became aware of a second knife which had been hidden by the man's mobile phone and he was eventually restrained with handcuffs to both his wrists and ankles. |
Police believe the incident could have had grave consequences and a police spokesman said: "The rapid intervention of officers prevented this incident escallating out of control. Their brave and selfless actions ensured that no members of the public were harmed by this violent and dangerous man". |
PC Meades joined the Longridge beat over two years ago after moving from Blackburn where he had worked as both a response and community beat officer. Originally from Greater Manchester, he spent 18 months with the Metropolitan Police before joining Lancashire Police. |
PC Meades received his commendation during a ceremony at Blackpool's DeVere Hotel which was sponsored by Organisation Development and Research Ltd and which saw 180 officers and staff from across the county receiving commendations or other internal or external awards for 'outstanding performance, dedication, bravery an... |
“While the most focus seems to be on undocumented immigrants, we have a large, educated immigrant workforce in Charlotte doing highly skilled jobs that benefit the economy,” Latorre said. |
One of the 27 strategies is the creation of an official Charlotte ID that could be used as identification for social or legal needs, such as reporting a crime to police. It would be voluntary, not mandatory. |
A coalition has already been created to promote the ID plan, and members of that group are expected to address the council Monday. The plan will be presented to the council at its 5 p.m. dinner meeting, and the public can weigh in at the regular 6:30 meeting. |
The ID card is controversial because it also will be available to Charlotte residents who may not be in the country legally. The card would not be recognized by North Carolina or local law enforcement as a driver’s license. |
Charlotte’s Latin American Coalition has taken a lead in trying to broaden support for the ID. However, organizers say election-year politics could slow things down in coming months. |
“Our message to the City Council will be that we can’t wait. We can’t kick the can down the road,” said Lacey Williams of the Latin American Coalition. |
The municipal ID coalition began meeting weeks ago, including a March 11 gathering of representatives from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Episcopal Church, Action NC, the Homeless Services Network of Charlotte and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont. |
Experts say benefits of the ID could include the potential to bring more immigrants into cultural venues – such as museums, concert halls and theaters – which are considering free memberships and other perks for municipal ID holders. |
The IDs also could benefit hospital and emergency room staffs, as well as educational programs for kids too young to have a driver’s license, say advocates. |
“It’s essential that we demonstrate how the 27 proposed strategies provide a comprehensive framework for maximizing immigrants’ economic and civic contributions,” Zimmern said. |
Cities around the country, including New York, have introduced such IDs, with strong support of their arts communities. |
Like Zimmern, arts leaders elsewhere have seen the value of tapping into immigrants who can use their municipal ID cards to get discounts or free memberships. In some cities, advocates are also working to make the cards useable for accessing public transportation and even as debit cards. |
Plans remain vague on what shape a Charlotte ID card would take, but immigrant advocates hope that it could be accepted by local police and CMS to identify immigrant parents who want to volunteer in schools. |
Among the things to be worked out in the future is a cost for the ID program and who will supply the money. |
BOSTON — The city of Boston alternated between anger and apology on Tuesday as it dealt with revelations that Adam Jones, the star center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles, had reported being the subject of racial abuse at Monday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. |
Hours after hearing that Jones, who is African-American, had told reporters that he had been the target of racial epithets and that a bag of peanuts had been thrown at him, John Henry, the principal owner of the Red Sox, met with Jones to apologize personally and express his outrage at the events. |
Sam Kennedy, the Red Sox president, was also part of the meeting, and he said that Henry thanked Jones for speaking up and promised to beef up security in the wake of the episode. |
Kennedy said that during their conversation, Jones, one of the more respected and outspoken players in baseball, said that such behavior comes with the territory and that Henry cut him off. |
Jones, in turn, said he appreciated the swift response from the Red Sox, who first reached out to him Tuesday morning to arrange a face-to-face meeting with him, Henry, Kennedy and Buck Showalter, the Orioles’ manager. Henry and Kennedy first met with Red Sox players to discuss the matter and heard from some of them th... |
Boston has a tortured history of race relations. The Red Sox were the last pre-expansion major league team to integrate, doing so only when Pumpsie Green made his debut for the team in 1959, 12 years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. |
Over the ensuing decades, the city has sometimes been viewed skeptically by African-American athletes, at least a few of whom have expressed reservations about playing for Boston teams. And while Boston has had its share of great African-American athletes — from Bill Russell to Jim Rice to Paul Pierce — Russell himself... |
For Boston, a city known for its many universities, the issue has been vexing, even befuddling. The current Red Sox team, which won the American League East last season and is favored to do so again, is propelled in no small part by two African-American outfielders — Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. |
Betts called on Boston fans to cheer for Jones in Tuesday’s game, and when Jones came to the plate for his first at-bat he received a sustained ovation. Boston’s starting pitcher, Chris Sale, even stepped off the pitcher’s rubber to allow the ovation to build. |
The moment was a noticeable departure from the tension that surrounded the series even before Jones reported being the target of abuse. On Monday 34 people were ejected from the stadium, about three times more than during a typical game. |
The tension stemmed from an April series between the two teams in Baltimore in which Manny Machado of the Orioles slid hard into Boston’s Dustin Pedroia, injuring him, and Boston retaliated by throwing a pitch behind Machado’s head. The Orioles seemingly retaliated for that on Monday when Dylan Bundy hit Betts in the l... |
Despite his gesture toward Jones, Sale added to the ill feelings by throwing a fastball behind Machado’s legs on Tuesday. That led Machado, who later homered off Sale in a contest won by the Red Sox, 5-2, to launch into a profanity-laced tirade against the entire Red Sox team after the game. |
Jones, meanwhile, said Tuesday’s ovation was “much appreciated,” and said he felt a majority of Boston fans supported him for speaking out. |
The outfield bleachers on Tuesday — where many fans were relatively close to Jones for much of the game — were populated with many families, and there was no noticeable abuse directed toward Jones, although one fan expressed dismay when Jones did not toss him a ball. |
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old Jones, who made his major league debut in 2006, said he did not have enough fingers and toes to count how many times he had heard racial taunts in Boston over the years. |
The Monday episode prompted another African-American player — the veteran Yankees pitcher C. C. Sabathia — to relate his own unhappy experiences at Fenway. |
Before the Yankees played on Tuesday night, Sabathia told reporters that Fenway was the only stadium where he has heard the ugly racial epithets that Jones said he had heard. Sabathia said that he has spoken to other African-American players who share the same experiences. |
Reggie Jackson, the longtime slugger who played 122 games as an opponent at Fenway from 1967 to 1987, said he was heartbroken to hear what had happened to Jones. |
Some Boston fans who were at the game Monday night said they had not heard any abuse, and some hosts on local sports radio shows questioned whether Jones was telling the truth, remarks that clearly bothered him. |
Wallace Matthews contributed reporting from New York. |
Seeing Noah Syndergaard’s Injury Coming at 100 M.P.H. |
Jim Murdock was never off his bike. That would be asking too much. |
Besides, the 76-year old likes riding too much, and there's also the fact it keeps him healthy in body and mind. His wife, Glenna, also agrees he needs to ride somewhat to counter his other hobby — eating — basically grazing throughout the day. |
His rides for exercise were good enough for him, plus the occasional road race or ride with a group out of Fort Collins. He also had his yearly trips to Fredericksburg, Texas (they started back in 2006) with a group of up to 30 men who own a collection of national records that he's been competing with through the years... |
Some of them are even older than him, and while there isn't a trophy to be won, there's still the edge they all carry when they climb aboard their bikes. |
"The first time down there, I didn't know what to expect from that group of guys," Murdock said. "When we were riding, I thought it would be kind of leisurely, and a little bit of hard riding. Then these old guys go off in front, then we chase them down and somebody else does it. Then when we get to the hill, we race u... |
Racing is something Jim has been good at for quite some time. He's won a number of medals at the world and national level on the road and on the track, doing so in every advancing age group from 50 on up through his career. |
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