Latest news with #CherieBlair
Spectator
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
We still need Jane Austen's icy wisdom
I managed to sit through most of Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius the other night. I endured luvvies and minor academics and even Cherie Blair, all wide-eyed at the brilliance of their heroine. She was inevitably presented as edgy and funny and brave and ground-breaking and mould-breaking and ball-breaking and oozing girl power. Equally predictably, no one mentioned the key to her writing's power, to her authorial authority: her moral intensity. It's the truth about her that's universally unacknowledged. It is hard to talk about – we don't like moralists nowadays, do we? We don't like the idea that the creation of literature might have a moral or even a religious dimension – yuk! But it must be talked about. For her comedy and acuity of observation is not random, scattergun, unfocused. It has a logic.
Times
09-05-2025
- Times
Prince Harry's Africa charity acknowledges ‘human rights abuses'
Cherie Blair has said that she hoped her firm's investigation into a charity linked to the Duke of Sussex would 'contribute positively to ongoing human rights efforts' in one of Africa's oldest national parks. The comment came as her firm, Omnia Strategy LLP, concluded its investigation into African Parks in the Republic of Congo, following accusations of human rights abuses against the indigenous population including rape and torture. While the full report has not been made public, African Parks, of which Prince Harry is a board member, has now acknowledged that 'human rights abuses have occurred'. In a six-page statement, African Parks said: 'We deeply regret the pain and suffering that these caused to these victims. Omnia's process also highlighted several failures of our systems
New York Post
09-05-2025
- New York Post
Charity linked to Prince Harry admits to human rights abuse after damning investigation
A charity with ties to Prince Harry has owned up to multiple human rights abuses carried out by its park rangers. African Parks — a non-profit conservation organization that had the Duke of Sussex as its president from 2017 until 2023 — admitted to several violations that took place in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. A damning investigation published earlier this year exposed myriad of abuses against indigenous people in the Republic of the Congo — including rape and torture. Advertisement 5 Prince Harry served as president of African Parks from 2017 to 2023. Getty Images Following an in-depth review, London-based law firm Omnia Strategy LLP, helmed by Cherie Blair, has released a statement about the shocking findings. The law firm described its probe as 'thorough and proportionate without attempting to be exhaustive.' Advertisement The charity, for its part, formally acknowledged the findings — saying that 'in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred.' 'The board of African Parks has reviewed Omnia's advice and endorsed the management plan and timeframes to implement the recommendations resulting from this process,' the charity, which boasts Harry as one of its board members, said in a statement. 'African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims.' 5 African Parks admitted to several violations that took place in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Advertisement 'Omnia's process also highlighted several failures of our systems and processes that were insufficient for the level of responsibility given to us, particularly in the early years,' the organization added, fessing up to to systemic failures. The organization said it has significantly strengthened its safeguarding protocols over the past five years across all its sites, including Odzala-Kokoua National Park. Among the reforms is the appointment of an anthropologist tasked with ensuring the Baka communities receive more effective support. Despite admitting to the findings, African Parks has withheld the full review from the public, raising questions about transparency. Advertisement 5 The organization now boasts the Duke of Sussex, 40, as one of its board members. WireImage It's understood that the Invictus Games founder, 40, has been closely briefed on the review's findings. The Post has reached out to Harry's reps for comment. The development follows earlier concerns raised by Survival International — a charity advocating for Indigenous rights — over the treatment of Baka communities. Caroline Pearce, who heads up the group, criticized African Parks' decision to refrain from publishing the review's full findings. 'We still don't know the details of what they found, because African Parks has refused to allow the findings to be made public,' Pearce said in a statement. 5 Prince Harry pictured with the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, in 2022. paulkagame/Instagram 'The root of the problem is that African Parks continues to cling to a racist and colonial model of conservation, which kicks out the indigenous people whose land it is, while outsiders take control.' Advertisement 'As long as this is the case, the Baka will continue to face abuses and the destruction of their livelihoods,' she added. The duke has faced a turbulent year in his philanthropic work, with his other charity, Sentebale, also coming under scrutiny in a separate damning investigation in recent weeks. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters In March, it emerged that Harry had sensationally quit as patron of the African charity he kick-started in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, in 2006. Advertisement The 'Spare' author said he was devastated and 'in shock' to have stepped down from Sentebale, the organization that he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. Days later, Sentebale chairwoman Chandauka raised alarming allegations and accused the charity's board of 'harassment,' 'bullying' and 'misogynoir.' 5 It's understood that the Invictus Games founder has been closely briefed on the review's findings. Getty Images Advertisement The trustee, who became leader of the organization in 2023, also claimed Harry had tried to use the charity as 'an extension of the Sussex PR machine' to support his wife's public image. As a result, the organization — which was set up to help AIDS patients in Africa — is now being investigated by the Charity Commission.
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Telegraph
Charity linked to Prince Harry admits to human rights abuses
A charity linked to Prince Harry has admitted multiple human rights abuses carried out by its park rangers. The Duke of Sussex was president of African Parks from 2017 until 2023, when he was made a member of the board of directors. An investigation published by the Mail on Sunday in January last year alleged guards working for the non-profit in the Republic of the Congo subjected indigenous people to a range of abuses, including rape and torture. The charity has admitted human rights abuses did take place, following a review by Omnia Strategy, a London-based law firm headed by Cherie Blair. Part of a lengthy statement, released by the charity, read: 'The board of African Parks has reviewed Omnia's advice and endorsed the management plan and timeframes to implement the recommendations resulting from this process. 'African Parks acknowledges that, in some incidents, human rights abuses have occurred, and we deeply regret the pain and suffering that these have caused to the victims. 'Omnia's process also highlighted several failures of our systems and processes that were insufficient for the level of responsibility given to us, particularly in the early years of our management of Odzala [a national park in the Congo].' The full findings have not been made public by the charity. The Telegraph understands the Duke of Sussex has been closely involved in understanding the findings and implementing any necessary change.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
African Parks: Charity linked to Prince Harry admits human rights abuses in Congo-Brazzaville
A major conservation charity linked to Prince Harry has admitted that human rights abuses were committed by its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville, following an independent review into allegations made by members of the Baka community against African Parks a report published last year by the British newspaper the Mail on Sunday, community members accused African Parks rangers of beating, waterboarding and raping locals to stop them from accessing their ancestral forests, which are now in a conservation despite commissioning an independent review into the actions of its rangers in Congo-Brazzaville, African Parks has not made the findings of the review public. Instead, it has published a statement acknowledging that human rights abuses occurred in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, which it manages. It has excluded details of the abuse. The review, carried out by Omnia Strategy LLP, a London-based law firm headed by Cherie Blair, was handed directly to African Parks. In a statement, Omnia said it has been carrying out an independent investigation into the alleged abuse in Odzala-Kokoua since December statement did not include its findings and recommendations, which it said had been sent directly to African Parks. The BBC reached out to both Omnia and barristers from Doughty Street Chambers, which was involved in the investigation, to request their findings, but they declined to comment beyond their published BBC has also requested comment from Prince Parks said it had improved its safeguarding processes in the past five years both in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park and institutionally. Additional measures it has put in place include appointing an anthropologist to ensure the Baka communities are better supported, working with local human rights NGOs to support the local community and it will carry out an independent human rights impact charity Survival International, which lobbies for the rights of indigenous people, and raised the issue of the abuse of the Baka people with Prince Harry, criticised African Park's decision not to make the findings of the investigation public. Survival told the BBC "African Parks has committed to more reports, more staff and more guidelines – but such approaches have not prevented horrific abuses and violations of international human rights law in the decade or more that African Parks has known of these atrocities, and there is no reason to believe they will do so now".When the allegation were first made public last year, Survival said that African Parks had known about the alleged abuse of the Baka people since 2013. At the time, African Parks said it had reached out to Survival to find out more, but that the latter had refused to cooperate. Survival said it wished to protect its sources in the local community for fear of Parks, which is headquartered in Johannesburg, is arguably one of Africa's largest conservation charities. It manages 23 protected areas in 13 African countries, and is backed by powerful Harry sits on its board and has been involved with the charity since 2016. In 2023, after serving six years as president, he was made a member of the Board of Directors, the governing body of the its website, African Parks lists a number of high-profile donors including the European Union, Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune, and Howard Buffett, son of Warren Buffet. In its 2023 annual report, the charity said its funders provided it with more than $500,000 (£375,000) per year. Why leaving his own charity in Lesotho will matter so much to Prince HarryHarry's emotional avalanche hits the Royal FamilySlicing veggies, baking cakes - will Meghan's rebrand work? Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
