Latest news with #JoshuaRoberts
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Kebabs made of wrong meat land firms in court
Kebabs made of the wrong meat have landed two businesses in court. Takeaway Naafiah Grill in Burnley was serving unsuspecting customers lamb and chicken kebabs that contained mostly beef. In a separate case, Lancaster-based Eat Indian supplied a farm shop in Preston with lamb and chicken kebabs that were found to contain beef. Both firms' bosses blamed suppliers for the errors, but the companies were fined under the Food Safety Act at magistrates courts in Lancashire. Joshua Roberts, from Lancashire County Council, said the firms had a "blatant disregard for public safety". 'Shocking' Waleed Raza, 34, and 39-year-old Fazila Wadia, from Naafiah Burnley Ltd, admitted the offences at Blackburn Magistrates' Court and were fined £4,500 and ordered to pay £953 each in costs. Fuzail Patel, 35, of Eat Indian, admitted the offences at Lancaster Crown Court and was fined more than £4,500. The offences were brought under section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990 which states that selling food that is not what the customer expected in terms of its type, ingredients, or quality is illegal. Patel had previously been told to meet food labelling requirements but failed to address the issues. In court, he said he had received the pre-made kebabs from a food producer, then added his own branded labels. But he failed to make his own checks on the content of the products. Raza and Wadia had been advised by Trading Standards following a failed sample from their now-dissolved company. They too blamed their meat supplier for a mix up over the meat they supplied, but were unable to provide any records or checks. Lancashire County Council environment cabinet member Roberts said: "Inaccurate meat kebab products have become a national issue for Trading Standards, which has conducted extensive sampling in recent years to address the problem. "Consumers often do not know what meat they are eating and, shockingly, those making these products often don't know either." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Related internet links Lancashire County Council
Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
US State Department draws criticism for shutting office that brings home deceased diplomats
The seal of the United States Department of State is shown in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts WASHINGTON - Among the scores of offices the U.S. State Department eliminated last week in its dramatic revamp, the shuttering of one little-known office has raised particular alarm among U.S. diplomats. The small team at the Department's Office of Casualty Assistance, which supports U.S. diplomats and their families abroad in the event of death or serious injury, received termination notices last Friday along with more than 1,350 Department employees. The firings came as a surprise, sources familiar with their situation said. When the notices arrived by email on Friday, the team was working on repatriating the remains of a senior U.S. official who died in a car crash in Mexico last week. The U.S. Consulate in Monterrey said in a Facebook statement that Brian Matthew Faughnan, a member of its mission, died in a car accident in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila on July 9. Kirk Leash, the team leader at OCA, informed other U.S. officials at the U.S. mission in Mexico and his counterparts in different government agencies who were working on Faughnan's case that Leash was just removed from his job, and that he was no longer able to help, according to two sources familiar with the exchange. The elimination of the office was part of a major overhaul of the State Department by President Donald Trump, who aims to reshape the U.S. diplomatic corps to ensure it faithfully implements his "America First" policies. It is also part of an unprecedented push by the Republican president to shrink the federal government, which he says was misspending American taxpayers' money. The State Department said the agency continues to be "fully equipped" with casualty evacuations if there are employee deaths overseas. "There has been no interruption in our capabilities to carry out this mission," said a senior State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. TAKING CARE OF DIPLOMATS The State Department revamp drew intense criticism from Democratic senators, former diplomats and secretaries of state for what they said was the arbitrary way it was carried out. Critics said it involved the firing of experienced, specialized employees in far-flung parts of the world, and that such skilled staffers are difficult to replace quickly. A State Department memo to employees last week, seen by Reuters, said the moves were made in a "carefully tailored" way. But the shuttering of the bureau made some question that statement. "I don't think any sitting president or any secretary of state would not want their people, their personnel - the most valuable asset of their agency - to be taken care of," said Edith Bartley, who is a spokesperson for the families of the Americans killed in the 1998 al-Qaeda attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. "You want to know that your country does all that it can to take care of you, your remains and your family in the aftermath. That's critical. That is America First," Bartley said. Bartley lost her father, who was a career diplomat, and brother in the 1998 attacks, which killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. OCA was established a year later, thanks in large part to her advocacy. The office is typically supported by volunteers from the Department's Human Resources bureau who can be mobilized on short notice following a mass casualty event. The teams were called upon after the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of four Americans including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens. "OCA is in touch with the deceased employee's family within hours after the death, and provides support services as long as they are needed - for weeks, months, and in some cases, years," an undated article in the Department's magazine said, referring to the work of the office. A senior State Department official said on Wednesday that the agency transferred the functions of the OCA to the Office of Employee Relations. But that office has a much wider remit, supporting the agency's workforce, and lacks the specific knowledge and expertise in navigating the complicated procedures of repatriating a deceased diplomat, sources familiar with the matter said. "That function is being folded into another office," Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for Management and Resources, said on Wednesday, in response to a question about the closure of the office by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen at a hearing. Shaheen also asked Rigas to get back to her on how the department was handling the repatriation of the body of Faughnan, the U.S. official who died in Mexico. "I don't think the family thinks that that's a good firing," Shaheen said. Reuters was unable to reach Faughnan's family. REUTERS
The Standard
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Standard
Fed minutes show little support for interest rate cut later this month
The Federal Reserve building is seen in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
US helped Americans leave Israel with flights over weekend
The seal of the United States Department of State is seen in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts WASHINGTON - The United States helped around 170 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their immediate family members leave Israel on Saturday and Sunday, a U.S. State Department official said on Monday. The assisted departures from Israel come as tensions have risen in the Middle East, after U.S. President Donald Trump joined Israel's air war against Tehran by dropping massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear production sites on Sunday morning. Since then, Iran has repeatedly threatened to retaliate. Iran's military said it carried out a missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. airbase in Qatar on Monday after explosions were heard across the Qatari capital following Tehran's threat to retaliate for U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear sites. The State Department official said that on Sunday three flights departed Israel with approximately 100 U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members. The assisted departure flights began on Saturday, when the official said the State Department organized two flights that departed from Tel Aviv to Athens with approximately 70 U.S. citizens, their accompanying immediate family members, and lawful permanent residents. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
GMA Network
22-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Global carriers bypass Middle East; US airlines face heightened risks after Iran strikes
An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight approaches for landing in Washington DC, March 13, 2019. Safe Airspace said the US attacks on Iran may increase risks to US operators in the Middle East. REUTERS/ Joshua Roberts/ File photo An organization that monitors flight risks warned on Sunday that US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites could heighten the threat to American operators in the region, as airlines continued to avoid large parts of the Middle East due to ongoing missile exchanges. But following a barrage of early morning Iranian missiles, Israel has reopened its airspace for six hours on Sunday to bring back those stranded abroad since the conflict with Iran began on June 13. Safe Airspace, a membership-based website run by OPSGROUP, said the US attacks on Iran may increase risks to US operators in the region. "While there have been no specific threats made against civil aviation, Iran has previously warned it would retaliate by attacking US military interests in the Middle East—either directly or via proxies such as Hezbollah," Safe Airspace said. Meanwhile, flight tracking website FlightRadar24, said airlines maintained flight diversions around the region. "Following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, commercial traffic in the region is operating as it has since new airspace restrictions were put into place last week," it said on social media platform X. Its website showed airlines were not flying in the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Israel. They have chosen other routings such as north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, even if these result in higher fuel and crew costs and longer flight times. Missile and drone barrages in an expanding number of conflict zones globally represent a high risk to airline traffic. Since Israel launched strikes on Iran on June 13, carriers have suspended flights to destinations in the affected countries, though there have been some evacuation flights from neighboring nations and some bringing stranded Israelis home. In the days before the US strikes, American Airlines suspended flights to Qatar and United Airlines did the same with flights to Dubai. Safe Airspace said it was possible airspace risks could now extend to countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. "We continue to advise a high degree of caution at this time," it said. Rescue and evacuation flights Israel's carriers, El Al Israel Airlines, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa, said earlier on Sunday they had suspended rescue flights that allowed people to return to Israel until further notice. El Al said it would also extend its cancellation of scheduled flights through Friday and Israir said it had halted the sale of tickets for all flights through July 7. A spokesperson for Israel's airports authority said the country's main airport, Ben Gurion near Tel Aviv, was expected to reopen for rescue flight landings on Sunday between 1100 and 1700 GMT. Flag carrier El Al, along with Arkia, Air Haifa and Israir said they would operate at least 10 flights on Sunday starting at 1100 GMT. Tens of thousands of Israelis and others who had booked tickets to Israel are stuck abroad. At the same time, nearly 40,000 tourists in Israel are looking to leave the country, some of whom are going via Jordan's borders to Amman and Aqaba and others via Egypt and by boat to Cyprus. "In accordance with security directives, we are working to bring Israelis home as quickly as possible," Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev said in a statement. Japan's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had evacuated 21 people, including 16 Japanese nationals, from Iran overland to Azerbaijan. It said it was the second such evacuation since Thursday and that it would conduct further evacuations if necessary. New Zealand's government said on Sunday it would send a Hercules military transport plane to the Middle East on standby to evacuate New Zealanders from the region. It said in a statement that government personnel and a C-130J Hercules aircraft would leave Auckland on Monday. The plane would take some days to reach the region, it said. The government was also in talks with commercial airlines to assess how they may be able to assist, it added. — Reuters
