NHS staff in England to get 5 per cent pay rise after health unions back deal

2 May 2023,

NHS workers marching in London yesterday. Picture: Alamy 

By Asher McShane

@ashermcs

NHS staff in England are to get a 5% pay rise after health unions backed the deal.

Health unions representing the majority of NHS workers have recommended that a revised pay offer made by the Government should be implemented - with the government saying staff will receive the increased pay from this summer, possibly as early as next month.

The pay deal, first proposed in March, was signed off today at a meeting between the government and the 14 health unions representing all NHS staff - despite opposition from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite.

Health and Social Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’m pleased the NHS Staff Council has voted to accept our pay offer, demonstrating that a majority of NHS staff agree this is a fair and reasonable deal.

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“It is now my intention to implement this for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract and where some unions may choose to remain in dispute, we hope their members – many of whom voted to accept this offer – will recognise this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.  

"We will continue to engage constructively with unions on workforce changes to ensure the NHS is the best place to work for staff, patients and taxpayers."

Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, has confirmed she hopes to have an increased pay in nurse's pay packets in June. Speaking following the agreement on Tuesday, she said that the "majority" had agreed to implement the pay offer "as soon as possible".

She also confirmed Steve Barclay is "moving to implement" the pay increase.

The Royal College of Nursing and two other unions are still threatening more strikes.

The RCN needs to carry out another ballot of its members before more strikes can be held. Its six-month mandate expired on Monday when its latest walkout ended.

A separate pay dispute with junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) is also ongoing.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, urged ministers to release the money for NHS staff as soon as possible and to ensure that local NHS leaders do not have to cover the increased cost from their existing budgets.

Majority of NHS unions accept pay offer - now what?
Tuesday 2 May 2023

Health Steve Barclay and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be glad to have agreed new pay for NHS staff, but the RCN's Pat Cullen says they should expect further nurse strikes.

Credit: PA

By Lewis Denison, ITV News Westminster Producer

A majority of health unions have accepted the government's latest pay offer, bringing an end to the threat of strikes by most NHS workers this year.

It means the revised pay offer, which includes a lump sum for 2022-23 and 5% for 2023-24, should be implemented, according to a joint statement from members of the NHS Staff Council.

But two major unions are still holding out for a better deal. The Royal College of Nursing says it could stage further walkouts up to Christmas if ministers do not present something better.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’m pleased the NHS Staff Council has voted to accept our pay offer, demonstrating that a majority of NHS staff agree this is a fair and reasonable deal."

Due to the complex nature in which NHS pay is agreed, this situation of some unions accepting the same offer others have rejected leaves behind a confusing picture.

Here we explain all you need to know about the NHS pay agreement and what it means for patients going forward.

What is the government's pay offer to NHS workers?

Ministers have made an improved offer to NHS workers in England, other than doctors and dentists, after months of NHS strikes which have caused thousands of appointments to be cancelled.

The new offer includes:

A one-off, non-consolidated payment of between £1,250 and £2,000 for last year

A 5% rise in basic pay for next year (2023-24)

This comes on top of the £1,400 rise in basic pay they have already received for the 2022-23 financial year.

Which unions have accepted the offer and which have rejected it?

The latest pay offer, which the government says is the final offer, was the result of negotiations between Health Secretary Steve Barclay and the UK's 12 major NHS unions.

All those unions recommended their members should accept the offer, except Unite which left said it was unable to do so because it does not believe the lump sum for last year represents a pay rise.

Most of the 14 health unions part of the NHS Staff Council voted to accept the offer, including major groups GMB and Unison, the largest health service union.

But Unite members (52%) rejected the offer, with a turnout of 55%, as did the Royal College of Nursing.

The RCN rejected the offer with a majority of 54% and a turnout of 61%. The Society of Radiographers also rejected it.

Benjamin Moore Announces Its 2023 Color of the Year
Story by Kelly Allen • 9h ago

I SPENT MY EARLY YEARS AS A MULTILITH PRINTER





raspberry blush benjamin moore color of the year 2023© Benjamin Moore

Over the last several years, muted colors have encouraged serenity in our homes. Last year, it was all about green, fostering a connection with nature. Now, House Beautiful can exclusively reveal, Benjamin Moore is looking to a bolder, more courageous future with its Color of the Year for 2023: Raspberry Blush (2008-30). The saturated red-orange is basically the best color in a really good sunset, and it’ll inspire you to break free from your color comfort zone.

“It's a really charismatic color and doesn't sit quietly on the wall,” says Andrea Magno, color marketing and development director at Benjamin Moore. “It's about awakening our senses and getting people to engage with a vivacious color.”

Notably, Raspberry Blush marks a pull toward warmer hues. “We've had colors that are on the cooler side of the color wheel for a number of years, and now we're really starting to see a shift to the warmer colors,” Magno says.

chair with raspberry blush on the wall© Benjamin Moore

Playing with Raspberry Blush can mean blanketing your walls with it—like as a modern take on the red dining room of the past—or incorporating it in a smaller way through a painted piece of furniture. No matter how much surface area you allot for the color, it’ll bring high energy into any space.

Raspberry Blush also sets the stage for Benjamin Moore's color trends palette for 2023. The eight-color palette features an eclectic mix of colors with nostalgic references to periods like the '80s and '90s as well as deeply saturated hues found in the wild. “A lot of times people talk about (and we've done it, too) looking at nature as a point of inspiration,” Magno explains. “But for this year, instead of looking at more organic, vegetal colors, we were looking at the standout colors—the fiery colors of a sunset, tropical flowers, the depths of the Mediterranean.”



color trends palette benjamin moore 2023 color of the year© Benjamin Moore

To celebrate Raspberry Blush, Benjamin Moore tapped the electro-funk duo Chromeo to bring the color's personality to life through a new song fittingly called “Raspberry Blush.” You can also find eight playlists dedicated to each color in the palette on Spotify for an immersive visual and audible experience—perfect for putting on the loudspeaker as you give your home a paint refresh!

 

Pantone’s 2023 Color of the Year Is an Unsuspecting Traveler’s Dream — Here's Where You Can See It Around the World

Viva Magenta is Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year, and you can see it in real life, from the Netherlands to Vietnam.

By 

Alessandra Amodio

 

 

Published on January 14, 2023

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Pantone is just like us, in the sense that they, too, are setting their intentions for the year — one filled with strength and energy. The Color of the Year for 2023 is Viva Magenta, which the company describes as powerful and empowering. “Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration... [It] revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint.” A year surrounded by joy and self-expression sounds like a year well spent to us.

FROM LEFT: NANTONOV/GETTY IMAGES, COURTESY OF PANTONE; BACKGROUND: MANAN VATSYAYANA/GETTY IMAGES

Luckily, you can spot this shade throughout your travels, too. From opulent hotels in Dubai to salt pans off the coast of Portugal, here’s where you can find the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year around the world.

Netherlands

JACOBH/GETTY IMAGES

Some of the most beautiful and famous flowers can be found at Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe. Keukenhof is one of the largest flower gardens in the world, home to more than seven million blooms. It's located in Lisse, covering 32 hectares, and can be reached in about 30 minutes from The Hague, Haarlem, Leiden, and Amsterdam. Travel to the Netherlands in mid-April to see the tulips at their best. Tulip season runs from the end of March until mid-May, but the flowers are usually at their peak halfway through April. The pink tulip is a symbol for caring and good wishes, perfect for leading us into the new year. 

Santorini, Greece

ALEKSANDARGEORGIEV/GETTY IMAGES

The flight from Amsterdam to Santorini is less than four hours, meaning you can go from walking the rows of multicolored tulips to seeing blooming bougainvillea climbing the traditional white and blue houses around the Greek island in no time. Bougainvillea is one of Greece's most beloved flowers, and they bloom between early spring and late autumn. And nothing makes a magenta flower pop like having the Aegean Sea as your backdrop.

Hanoi, Vietnam

NHAC NGUYEN/GETTY IMAGES

Quang Phu Cau, on the outskirts of Hanoi, is known as one of the “incense villages.” Ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations — called Tet in Vietnam — you'll find hundreds of bright-pink incense sticks fanned out like bouquets along the streets and courtyards. The holiday's full name is Tet Nguyen Dan, which means “feast of the first morning.” At midnight on Jan. 31, or the last day of the old year (giao thua), families burn the pink-colored incense to invite deities and ancestors to gather. When the incense burning ends, everyone comes together to eat and wish each other a happy new year. The best time to visit and experience this cultural event is January, right before the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1. 

Iceland 

ELENA PUEYO/GETTY IMAGES

Some of the best places to see the northern lights include the Nordic countries of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, all of which lie within or near the Arctic Circle. Iceland tends to be the least frigid of the bunch, making it slightly easier to stand the cold temperatures and experience the light show in the skies. September through March is the peak season for northern lights viewing, due to the longer nights, and pink auroras are far rarer than green ones. Just make sure to stock up on coffee and be on the lookout as they can appear any time between dusk and dawn. 

Cape Town, South Africa

FIVEPOINTSIX/GETTY IMAGES

The brightly colored neighborhood of Bo-Kaap, which translates to “above the Cape,” is located at the foot of Signal Hill in Cape Town. Today, the area — formerly known as the Malay Quarter — is the city's oldest surviving residential neighborhood, as well as a historical hub of Cape Malay culture. It's filled with houses and mosques dating back to the 1700s, including the Auwal Mosque, which was built in 1794. Bo-Kaap is also home to the largest grouping of pre-1850 architecture in South Africa. Originally, the houses in this neighborhood were leased to the southeast Asian slaves. While on lease, they were required to be painted white. When this rule was lifted and homes were able to be purchased, they were all painted in vibrant colors as a symbol for joy and freedom.

Mysore, India 

JOHN HARPER/GETTY IMAGES

There may be no better place to experience a diverse array of vivid colors than an Indian spice market. Namely, the famous Devaraja Market in Mysore, India, sells everything from bright flowers to fresh fruits to cones of colorful kumkum powder. Kumkum powder is used for religious and social markings in India, as well as thrown in the air during Holi. The colorful powder can be created with a number of local ingredients for a variety of shades, but the natural kumkum is made with turmeric treated with slaked lime to create the classic deep red color. 

Cusco, Peru

JOAO BENAVIDES/GETTY IMAGES

Rainbow Mountain, originally known as Vinicunca, can be found in the Andes mountains of Peru. Although an attraction like this feels like it should have always been a part of history, it wasn't until 2015, when the snow covering melted away, revealing the naturally colored mountain underneath. The rainbow-like appearance was formed by mineral sediments from the area, creating the layered hues of gold, lavender, red, and turquoise. Rainbow Mountain falls around 62 miles from Cusco’s city center, and given that it stands more than 16,000 feet above sea level, it’s recommended you spend a few days in the region getting acclimatizing to the high altitude before attempting a hike. The best weather for a memorable trek comes between March and November, with the bluest skies from June to August.

Ria Formosa Natural Park, Portugal 

DONWOGDO/GETTY IMAGES

A few times a year, what seems like magically, the salt pans in Portugal’s Ria Formosa Natural Park turn from their standard ocean blue-green color to a pink hue befitting Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year without any human interference. This natural phenomenon is actually created by an algae that exists in salt lakes. It’s the substances made from this specific algae, paired with the high salt content found in these pans, that yields this unique shade. Even better, flamingos love the algae found here and can often be spotted in and around the salty waters from November to March. 

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai

COURTESY OF BURJ AL ARAB JUMEIRAH

While we love being surrounded by Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year in nature, we also love experiencing the shade in the lap of luxury. Built on a human-made island in Dubai’s Arabian Gulf, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah fits every definition of the word luxury — and the opulent, 8,396-square-foot Royal Suite on the 25th floor takes the cake. The two-floor suite features a marble staircase and elevator, as well as a sitting room, banquet hall, dining room, study, and primary bedroom where everything from the sheets on the rotating canopy bed to the floor-to-ceiling walls are covered in the jewel tone. While the bathroom isn’t painted in Viva Magenta, the stand-alone marble tub still gets an honorable mention in our book.

Cranberry Highway, Wisconsin

KLBAHR/GETTY IMAGES

Wisconsin may be known for its cheese, but it's also home to miles of cranberry marshes. In fact, the state produces about 60 percent of the country’s cranberries and more than 50 percent of the world’s share. Visitors here will find the Cranberry Highway, which stretches for 50 miles along century-old marshes. The cranberry harvest season happens in fall, specifically from late September to late October, meaning it's the perfect time to admire the cranberry-magenta hues, as well as partake in vine pickings, tastings and samplings, tours, and museum visits. In some places like Wetherby Cranberry Co. in the town of Warrens, you can even don your own pair of waders and get right in.

Havana, Cuba

MABOHH/GETTY IMAGES

Havana can easily be identified as one of the most colorful cities in the world. Varying shades of blue, purple, red, and pink line the streets, from vintage cars to old architecture, making this city a prime spot for seeing the Color of the Year. That said, getting to Cuba requires some planning — you need a tourist card (or visa), travel insurance, and a self-certification under one of 12 travel categories of authorized travel to Cuba.

Top candidate for Thai PM gives birth two weeks before elections

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, announces the birth of a son on Instagram.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is hoping to lead her Pheu Thai Party to victory in the May 14 general election 

[File: Jack Taylor/AFP]

Published On 1 May 2023

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a leading candidate to become Thailand’s next prime minister, has given birth to a boy just two weeks before election day.

Paetongtarn, who leads the opposition Pheu Thai Party, announced the birth of Phrithasin Suksawat on Instagram with a photo from the hospital.

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“Thanks for all the support,” the 36-year-old wrote to her more than half a million followers. “Wait for mum to recover first, then she will meet the press.”

The newborn is Paetongtarn’s second child. The photo showed him wrapped in a pale yellow blanket with his father’s arm around him.

Paetongtarn has been voters’ first or second choice for prime minister since campaigning began. She has been trading places in polls with Pita Limjaroenrat of the progressive Move Forward Party.

Recent surveys have given the opposition parties big leads heading into the May 14 general election, which could spell trouble for Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who first rose to power as army chief after he ousted the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Paetongtarn’s aunt.

Paetongtarn’s father and Yingluck’s brother, former telecommunications tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, was himself toppled as prime minister in a 2006 military coup. Both Thaksin and Yingluck live in self-imposed exile to avoid prison convictions their allies said were designed to prevent their political comebacks.

Prayuth, who became a civilian prime minister after the 2019 elections, trailed in fourth place in a mid-April poll for favourite prime ministerial candidate with 13.72 percent support.

However, Prayuth may have help from the 250-seat Senate, whose appointed members were approved by the military junta Prayuth led for five years.

The Senate also votes for prime minister, so it is possible that the leader of the biggest party in the 500-seat elected lower house could be denied the top job if the Senate votes with minority parties.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA, REUTERS

 

Dalai Lama, An Ageless Enigma

Controversy aside, the Dalai Lama has played a key role to keep the Tibetan question on the global stage for 63 years. Now all eyes are on as to who will succeed him.

FAKE DALI LAMA'S CREATED BY CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

Despite the recent controversy, to his followers, the Dalai Lama remains the most prominent symbol of Tibetan resistance, notes Seema Guha. Getty Images

Seema Guha

UPDATED: 30 APR 2023 

The recent controversy over the Dalai Lama has given China an opportunity to hit back at the Tibetan spiritual leader. Chinese have also reignited their past propaganda against the theocratic government he headed in Lhasa. Though there was no official reaction from Beijing, the video clip of the Dalai Lama asking a young boy to suck his tongue generated a lot of heat on the internet and was flooded by pro-Chinese voices in the social media.

The Dalai Lama was attacked for purported inappropriate behaviour, but several Chinese users also brought up the Communist Party line about the Dalai Lama’s treatment of Tibetans as serfs. Official Chinese documentaries on Tibet show Lhasa’s erstwhile rulers as tyrants who punished wrongdoers by throwing them into dungeons filled with poisonous scorpions and snakes attached to the Potala Palace complex, the residence and seat of administration in Lhasa.

Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950. Resentment across the country led to the Tibetan uprising of 1959. This was swiftly and brutally crushed by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), forcing the Dalai Lama to flee to India. China claims that it freed the people of Tibet from the tyranny of the Lamas. Tibetans think otherwise and continue to revere the Dalai Lama, who now lives in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. This old propaganda of freeing Tibetans from slavery was echoed in the social media after the current controversy surfaced.

The Dalai Lama has since apologised. While many non-Tibetans have criticised the action of the spiritual leader and have raised the larger question of godmen as sexual predators of unsuspecting children, the majority of Tibetans have stoutly defended their spiritual leader. The controversy is unlikely to make a dent on his image among his followers in Tibet or elsewhere.

To his followers, the Dalai Lama remains the most prominent symbol of Tibetan resistance. His presence calls into question Chinese legitimacy over Tibet and exposes China to accusations of human rights violations. The legitimacy of China’s hold over Tibet would perhaps not have become an international concern without the Dalai Lama relentlessly flagging it around the world. Little wonder then that China regards him as an enemy, and an agent of the United States and the Western world. The strong emotion he evokes is a measure of China’s insecurity over the Dalai Lama.

Not that the spiritual leader has been able to deliver much on the ground. The Dalai Lama, an astute politician, has changed his stand on full independence for Tibet that he had advocated from 1961 to 1974. Now he talks of the “middle path”, by which he means that Tibet remains with China, but with freedom for Tibetans to practice their religion and way of life. China, however, is in no mood to grant even this limited concession. So, is the Dalai Lama finally just a toothless tiger? Not so, say experts.

“The Dalai Lama has played an important role in keeping the Tibetan question on the global stage. Yes, there has been little tangible accomplishment, especially on the broader agenda of securing Tibet's cultural autonomy in China,” says historian Srinath Raghavan. Now with his advancing age ―he is 87-years― the focus is on what happens after him.

“He knows that his succession will be an important moment. Not just that the next Dalai Lama has big shoes to fill, but even procedurally. Beijing will try, as they did with Panchen Lama, to announce their own Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has sought to confound them by saying that his successor could be found outside Tibet, could be a non-Tibetan, or a woman. So, this is going to be a tricky moment not only for the Tibetan community, but also for China and India,” says Raghavan.

China’s move

China is already making preparations to install its own official Dalai Lama. But the official stamp will, in no way, make the next man acceptable to the people of Tibet or thousands of Tibetans who owe their allegiance to him.

India is unlikely to jump in the fray, but will wait and see how the situation pans out in the future. New Delhi is closely watching developments. There are also whispers about a Mongolian monk being a contender with the blessings of the Dalai Lama. But nobody is certain if this is just a rumour or there is more to it than meets the eye.

“If anyone has kept the Tibet question alive for 63 years, it is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. That too from exile outside Tibet. That’s why the Chinese Communists hate him, but they also respect his achievement and this is a big deal,” says Gautam Bambawale, India’s former ambassador to China. 

“It is a big deal because the Tibet issue is still open in international politics. How the situation changes hence forward, let’s wait and see. India will not ‘use’ the Dalai Lama, but we shall work with him for our national interests. It will be a cooperative relationship. Hence, the 14th Dalai Lama has stellar achievements given the cards he was dealt,” says the former envoy, who tracks China closely.

If the Tibet question is still open, as Bambawale says, the next Lama to take on the mantle will have a tough job in tackling the competing pulls and pressures of international diplomacy. As China is seen as a major threat to US hegemony, the Americans could also muddy the waters to embarrass the Chinese. But there are those who believe that the rest of the world is wary of playing the Tibet card and would rather not antagonise an economic giant like China.

“There was a time when foreign powers opposed to China would score political points by welcoming the Lama to their countries despite protests from Beijing. However, as China is now much more powerful than it was in the past, there is a reluctance to use the Dalai Lama politically. In the last couple of years, there has been a greater thrust on his religious teachings and while he continues to address the international community, it is more as a spiritual leader,” says Alka Acharya, a professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Azerbaijani Media Say New Law, Arrests Are Obstacles to Journalism

April 30, 2023 
Aziza Goyushzade
Parvana Bayramova

Gulmira Aslanova, pictured in Baku, Azerbaijan, doesn't believe that the trial of her husband, journalist Polad Aslanov, was conducted fairly. A lawyer for the journalist has filed a case on it with the European Court of Human Rights. (VOA)

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN —

Ten-year-old Fatima is counting the days until her father, Azerbaijani journalist Polad Aslanov, is released from prison.

Aslanov, the chief editor of the independent news websites Xeberman and Press-az, has been detained since his arrest in 2019. One year later, a court convicted him of treason and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.

The Supreme Court later reduced the sentence to 13 years, but his detention weighs heavily on the family.

His wife, Gulmira Aslanova, told VOA she hoped he might be released soon as part of an amnesty.

"As his wife and [on behalf of the] family, my demand is his freedom. My husband is innocent," Gulmira Aslanova told VOA. "I hope that this year my husband will attain his rightful freedom with a pardon and will be reunited with his young child."

Aslanova doesn't believe that her husband's trial was conducted fairly. A lawyer for the journalist has filed a case on it with the European Court of Human Rights.

Aslanov is one of several journalists and bloggers facing legal action. Data from December 2022 by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists showed two imprisoned in Azerbaijan for their journalism.

A more recent list of political prisoners, released on April 20 by two monitoring groups, shows that of the 182 political detainees they have documented as in custody, six are journalists or bloggers.

But arrests are not the only challenge for the country's media, experts say.

Rufat Safarov, executive director of the human rights organization Defense Line, said the country has many obstacles to freedom of speech and expression.

"In practice, forcing citizens to change their opinions and beliefs is widespread," Safarov told VOA. As a result of this, several journalists and bloggers "have been isolated from the society."

Some are in prison, others have trials pending.

Another obstacle is the media legislation, signed into law by President Ilham Aliyev in January 2022.

SEE ALSO:

New Media Law Casts Shadow Over Azeri Media

The law’s regulations will further stifle the freedom of speech in the country, experts say. Independent journalists in Azerbaijan are protesting the law and calling for its repeal, saying it obstructs their ability to work and gives the government too much control over the media.

As part of the regulations, journalists must sign on to a registry. Without that accreditation, they are prevented from accessing officials or news briefings.

Safarov believes the law could pave way to more journalists and bloggers being detained if additional amendments are made to the law.

A joint opinion from the Council of Europe bodies, the Venice Commission and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law said that "in the context of an already extremely confined space for independent journalism and media in Azerbaijan," the new law will have a "chilling effect."

"It is quite clear that some of the new provisions of the new media law do not comply with European standards of media freedom and journalistic freedom," said Mogens Jensen, general rapporteur on media freedom and safety of journalists of PACE, or the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Gulmira Aslanova, whose husband, journalist Polad Aslanov, is serving 13 years in prison, holds a sign saying, "Don’t torture. Free," during a protest she held in front of the presidential administration building in Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8, 2022. (VOA)

Jensen said that they want Azerbaijan to revise the law using recommendations from the Venice Commission.

The U.S. State Department report on human rights in Azerbaijan noted that with the new law, the government has imposed further restrictions on journalists and "continued to routinely arrest independent journalists, especially those critical of government officials or investigating corruption."

Azerbaijan's government contends that it respects freedom of expression and the press, and that it is making sincere efforts to uphold these freedoms.

"As you know, censorship has been banned in the country for almost 30 years. There are numerous media institutions operating. We have always encouraged the activity of both internal and foreign institutions for more effective provision of media freedom," Bahruz Maharramov, a member of the Azeri parliament, told VOA.

He said that in the eyes of Western institutions, only media outlets that share the same Western values are considered independent.

"For some reason, media organizations that take a radical stance against the government are generally labeled as free, while media structures that are neutral or positive towards the current administration are branded as dependent media," he said.

In Aslanov's case, the journalist's wife told VOA she hoped that he would soon be freed and that their family life would return to normal.

"I can't imagine my family without Polad. He is my friend, my work and life partner. Soon I want to see my husband free next to me and doing his work."

Since his arrest, one of the two news websites that Aslanov ran had to close. Content is rarely posted to the other site, Aslanova said.

This story originated in VOA's Azeri Service.