6
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 29 July 2022
kilkennyobserver.ie
News
Russian gold exports targeted in sanctions update EU countries have targeted Russian gold exports and froze assets at Russia’s largest bank in an update to the sanctions imposed to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. “The main goal is to align with G7 partners, reinforce the implementation and close the loopholes where necessary,” the Czech Government,
which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, tweeted. The EU has so far approved six packages of sanctions on Russia. The last one passed in June imposed a ban on most Russian oil imports. As she proposed the measures to member states last week, EU commission president Ursula von der
Leyen said the measures would help enforce earlier sanctions more effectively and extend them until January 2023. “Moscow must continue to pay a high price for its aggression,” she added. The embargo on gold imports fulfils a decision agreed by the world’s most industrialised
nations at a G7 meeting in late June in which EU-members Germany, France and Italy took part. The sanctions will also freeze the assets of Russian bank Sberbank and add several personalities and entities to its blacklist. The measures also unblock assets at Russian banks linked
to trade in food and fertiliser in an effort to respond to Moscow allegations that the sanctions are causing a food crisis. This was a “commitment that sanctions won’t endanger the food and energy security around the world,” the Czech government said. Crucial shipments across the
Black Sea have been blocked both by Russian warships and mines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault. The food shortages have raised the risk of famine for tens of millions of people in poorer nations, particularly in Africa, where leaders have complained to the EU about the banking sanctions.
Bill sought that would update the rape laws The Minister for Justice will seek Cabinet approval for a Bill to strengthen the law on consent, knowledge and belief in rape cases. The bill would change the current situation where a man is not guilty of rape if he believed that he had the consent of a woman. Under the new proposals, the accused’s defence that he believed she was consenting has to be objectively reasonable. This means juries should have regard to the steps the accused took to check whether the woman is consenting, as well as the accused’s decision-making capacity at that time. The bill would also include the provision that self-induced intoxication would not be a defence to a charge of rape in relation to an accused’s capacity to understand if he did have consent. The Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking Bill progresses policy commitments made by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee in her key plans entitled Supporting a Victim’s Journey and Zero Tolerance; the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Under current law, the accused’s own subjectively honest but mistaken belief that the woman was consenting is a defence to rape. The Bill would also provide for anonymity for victims and the accused in all trials for sexual offences and not just in rape trials. This was a recommendation of the O’Malley Review of Protections for Vulnerable Witnesses
in the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences conducted by an expert working group, led by Professor Tom O’Malley. Meanwhile, there can be a chilling effect on victims if a person in a “position of standing” engages in coercive control, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid Sarah Benson has said. Describing legislation surrounding coercive control as a “game changer”, she said victims of abuse who come forward show “extraordinary strength”. Ms Benson was speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland after a Garda who tortured and terrorised a woman ill with cancer was sentenced to three-and-a-quarteryears in prison. Paul Moody, who was stationed at Irishtown Garda Station in Dublin, pleaded guilty to a charge of coercive control of the woman. The 42-year-old beat, kicked, punched and choked the woman over a two-and-a-half-year period, as well as sending her over 31,000 threatening, abusive, degrading and demeaning texts and phone communications. Ms Benson said all coercive control cases going through the courts are significant as they are based on recent legislation. She said: “Coercive control is not about a single incident. It is about a pattern of behaviour. “It is about a persistent and multifaceted way of targeting somebody to wear them down and in many instances it does not have to include physical or sexual abuse, although it can,” said Ms Benson.
Anne Sofie von Otter for Arts Festival Mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter is one of the most acclaimed singers of her generation, a multi-award-winning performer and recording artist who over the course of four decades has been a luminous presence on the world’s major stages, performing leading operatic roles and shining in concert and recital. Her repertoire embraces everything from arias to contemporary pop songs, and her thirst for collaboration led her to Brooklyn Rider,
the adventurous string quartet with whom she has performed songs by everyone from Caroline Shaw to Björk. Now, the Arts Festival is thrilled to welcome von Otter and Brooklyn Rider to Kilkenny with an unmissable new project. Songs of Love and Death pairs Schubert with brand-new works by Rufus Wainwright, whose modern-day operatic torch songs are the perfect complement to Schubert’s exquisite lieder of love, death and despair.
This year’s programme includes: Rufus Wainwright: Trois Valses Anglaises, arr. Rob Moose (Irish Premiere) Franz Schubert: String Quartet no. 14, Death and the Maiden, D 531 Franz Schubert: from Winterreise, D 911, arr. Osvaldo Golijov ‘Der Tod und das Mädchen’ ‘Der Wegweiser’ ‘Die Nebensonnen’ ‘Einsamkeit’ Rufus Wainwright: Three Songs for Lulu, arr. Rob Moose For full festival events see https://www.kilkennyarts.ie/programme
Have your say in nursing’s future strategy The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) is inviting the people of Kilkenny to participate in an open consultation process which will inform the organisation’s new strategy. NMBI is in the process of developing its next strategy which will run from 2023 to 2025. An independent, statutory organisation, NMBI is the regulatory body for nursing and midwifery in Ireland and works with nurses, midwives and educators to protect the public by promoting excellence and progression within the professions.
For the coming six weeks, anyone who has an interest in nursing and midwifery or in healthcare in general can have their say in shaping NMBI’s next strategic plan. A survey is available for people to complete at https://forms. office.com/r/JE2Z9qajUD. The closing date for submitting your feedback is 5.00pm on Wednesday, 7 September 2022. The first phase of the consultation has already been completed and involved engagements with a wide range of key representative groups from the sector. The
process examined how NMBI can further enhance patient and service user safety through regulation, how registrants can be best supported and what policy areas should be prioritised. This second phass sees the consultation process open to a wider group of voices, soliciting opinions from registrants, patients and service users, as well as stakeholder groups and the general public on the direction that NMBI should be taking for the coming years. NMBI CEO Sheila McClelland said: “Nursing and midwifery
plays such a vital role in our society and that’s why we want to ensure our next strategy can maintain the high standards of care our professions are renowned for. “We are open to opinions and feedback and want to have as wide a consultation process as possible. We are calling on registrants, patients and service users, as well as stakeholder groups and the general public to let us know what you think and inform the future strategy of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.”
