Media update

BBC news - Info watchdog 'needs more staff'
"The freedom of information watchdog wants more resources to cope with the backlog of complaints about government bodies failing to reveal their files."

BBC news - Lab not guilty of animal cruelty
"Animal cruelty allegations against an East Lothian lab have been thrown out following a Home Office investigation."

The Mirror - 'VACCINE LINK' TO 18 DEAD TOTS
"EIGHTEEN babies in the last four years have died after being vaccinated. But it is feared there could have been up to 40 deaths and 8,000 cases of serious reaction to jabs. Two tots died of unknown causes, one was a cot death and a fourth developed meningitis after MMR vaccinations in 2001-2004. There were six fatalities following meningitis C vaccinations in 2001-2003. The deaths of seven other babies were linked to combined vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. Another baby died after a polio jab. The fatalities emerged in a secret government report seen under the Freedom of Information Act."

Press Gazette - Kate Moss turns FoI Act on police and Sun reporter
"Supermodel Kate Moss has successfully demanded to see the transcript of an interview between Sun crime editor Mike Sullivan and Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur."

International
Justice Initiative- ALBANIAN SECRECY BILL THREATENS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
"The Open Society Justice Initiative and an Albanian rights group today released a letter to Speaker of the Albanian Assembly Jozefina Topalli, seeking to stop passage of a new bill that would undermine Albania’s fledgling freedom of information laws."

Germany - Freedom of information: Federal Foreign Office uses hefty fees as
deterrent