Freedom of Information in the UK: Opportunity and Threat

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair described it as his worst mistake in government. ‘You naïve, foolish, irresponsible nincompoop’ he wrote in his autobiography Open Secrets in 2010. Blair had come full circle on his views, having championed freedom of information in opposition and introduced it on taking office, the former PM derided the decision, slamming journalists’ use and lashing its impact on the decision making ability of government. And therein lies the eternal tension: freedom of information, defended by open government campaigners, journalists and NGOs, is arguably the most hated piece of legislation on the statute books by those who work in Whitehall. FOI proponents laud it as a sunshine law, shining light on the dark recesses of closed government, levelling the playing field between citizen and the state. Those opposed argue it does more harm than good, damaging the processes of government, denting the ability of officials to offer frank advice to ministers, and reducing all decisions to newspaper exclusives about internal doomsday warnings that were ignored, or rows about spending on toilet paper and chocolate biscuit expenses. FOI is, in essence, intensely political. An Independent Commission on Freedom of Information set up to examine if the legislation by the UK government following the 2015 General Election may be about to recommend wholescale changes that opponents say are much needed, but campaigners say would destroy the Act and its laudable accountability and transparency principles

The Independent Commission on Freedom of Information shows that there is no going back to the “dark ages” of government opacity

Freedom of Information, since its inception by the previous Labour government, has proven popular with the public and press, but troublesome for the politicians who have to navigate a new and transparent world. Here, Tom Felle, welcomes the findings of the the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information, arguing that its conclusions clearly support the continuation of the law and the notion that there is no going back

Data journalism may be helping to solidify the divide between those who can afford to be in engaged in the political process and the rest

Many have welcomed the increased role of data journalism, praising its capacity to shed light on the cold hard facts which were often at the mercy of ideology and conjecture. But what role doesit play in fostering (or discouraging) citizen engagement? Tom Felle argues that it may in fact help to solidify the emerging gap between those who are already interested and engaged with political and public life, and those who are not

Papier peint e propaganda politica: l’esempio di villa Gradenigo a Carbonera con le imprese dell’Armée d’Italie

Papiers peints (wallpapers) produced in the wake of the French Revolution and the formation of the Napoleonic Empire include representations of contemporary events. For the first time, historic events known to the general public are pasted over interior walls and those who buy them reveal, at least implicitly, their cultural and political leanings. The article focuses on four papiers peints from the 19th-century Parisian firm Dufour & Leroy. They are found in the villa Gradenigo at Carbonera (near Treviso) and depict crucial episodes in the history of the Armée d’Italie: the Passage of the Alps, the Entrance into Milan and two scenes from the Entrance into Rome. It is a unique and hitherto unparalleled find within a private interior, not only in Italy. It speaks to the taste of a particular patron, connected to the Gradenigo family. They are not the ancient patrician family from Rio Marin, but another Venetian family with the same name, who were awarded a title of nobility in the 19th century

Alien Registration Card- Felle, Elsa (Blue Hill, Hancock County)

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Media Merger between Celtic Media Newspapers Ltd (CMNL) and Independent News and Media Holdings (Ireland) Ltd - Submission to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

This submission to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is intended to assist the media merger examination process being conducted by the BAI pursuant to Section 28E of the Competition Authority 2002. It addresses the proposed acquisition of CMNL Ltd (Celtic Media Newspapers) by Independent News and Media Holdings Ireland Ltd – chiefly addressing whether the acquisition is contrary to the public interest. It addresses some of the points in detail, in some cases collectively, and offers recommendations that the BAI may find useful in coming to a determination. It recommends allowing the merger with a number of conditions

Evidence submitted to the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information

The government set up the Independent Commission on Freedom of Information on 17 July 2015 to review the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Commission held a public call for evidence and has reviewed the Act as it has developed in the 10 years since it came into force. After receiving the Commission’s final report, the government published a written ministerial statement to respond to the Commission’s recommendations. They agreed with the weight of evidence (including our submission) that FOI should not be curtailed

Analisis Pandangan Gereja Terhadap Praktik Perbudakan dalam Tradisi Suku Sumba

Setiap perkumpulan dalam tatanan masyarakat memiliki norma adat istiadat yang diwariskan oleh para leluhur, baik itu secara lisan maupun tulisan. Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara yang mewarisi tradisi-tradisi dari para leluhur maka dari itu Indonesia dikenal dengan negara yang kaya akan budaya. Salah satu tradisi yang diwariskan adalah praktik perbudakan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pandangan gereja mengenai praktik perbudakan dan bagaimana gereja mengatasi praktik perbudakan kepada jemaat dan masyarakat. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini metode penelitian fenomenologi dengan teknik pengumpulan data sebagai berikut: Pertama, studi kepustakaan. Kedua, observasi langsung. Ketiga, wawancara kepada beberapa orang yang menjadi orang kunci dan yang mempunyai pengaruh di daerah tersebut. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa agar praktik perbudakan bisa diminimalisirkan di daerah-daerah yang memberlakukan praktik ini agar gereja dan pemerintah bisa bekerja sama untuk menangani masalah utama yang menyebabkan praktik ini terus ada. Kata-kata Kunci: Gereja, Praktik, Perbudakan, Budaya, dan Sumba

Evidence that acid solutions induce plant cell elongation by acidifying the cytosol and stimulating the proton pump

AbstractAcetic acid (3 mM, pH 4.5) stimulated elongation growth of maizecoleoptiles at a much higher rate than citric acid at the same pH and concentration. The effect of these solutions on cytosolic pH and membrane potential of maize rhizodermis cells was measured with microelectrodes. Citric acid caused a decrease in cytosolic pH and a slow membrane hyperpolarization. Acetic acid induced a larger and more rapid cytosolic acidification and membrane hyperpolarization. Hence, the degree of growth stimulation by the acids was positively correlated with the extent of their cytosolic acidification and stimulation of the proton pump. We suggest the acids induce growth by acidifying the cytosol and stimulating the proton pump rather than via direct acidification of the cell wall.Acid-induced growthCell wall acidificationCytosolic acidificationIndoleacetic acidMembrane potentialZea may

Hiltrud Merten: Die frühchristlichen Inschriften aus St. Maximin bei Trier. Mit einem Anhang der paganen Steindenkmäler. Ausgrabungen des Rheinischen Landesmuseums Trier 1978–1990. Trier: Selbstverlag des Museums am Dom Trier 2018 (Kataloge und Schriften des Muse-ums am Dom Trier 8). 328 p., 306 ill. € 39.00. ISBN: 978-3-945277-05-8. Distribuzione commerciale: Regensburg: Schnell & Steiner 2020. ISBN: 978-3-7954-3577-6.

Recensione volume di H. Merten con edizione scientifica dei reperti epigrafici cristiani di Trie