Leaders from coastal nations and small island developing states from the Commonwealth will surf a wave of optimism this week at a major United Nations summit which aims to deliver on a global promise to conserve and sustainably manage the seas.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland leads a delegation from the Commonwealth Secretariat, which is working with its member states – who represent a third of the world’s population and much of its ocean space – to champion a new sustainable approach to growth centred around the blue economy.

Secretary-General Scotland said: “This conference presents an historic opportunity to deal with the great magnitude of threats to the ocean including climate change, overexploitation and competition for resources. At stake is a new settlement for the seas which will deliver a positive and enduring legacy for generations to come.”

Between 5 and 9 June 2017, the high-level Ocean Conference brings together governments, international and financial institutions, civil society, academics, scientists and representatives from the private sector. The conference in New York aims to be “the game changer that will reverse the decline in the health of our ocean for people, planet and prosperity”.

The government of Fiji, a Commonwealth member state, is co-chair of the conference alongside the government of Sweden. “We in the Commonwealth family are bursting with pride and offer our wholehearted support,” the Secretary-General said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister of Fiji J.V. Bainimarama will join the Commonwealth Secretary-General at a ‘A Blue Commonwealth’, a high-level roundtable hosted jointly by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the government of Seychelles, represented by Vice President Vincent Meriton.

The Commonwealth Secretariat helps coastal and small island member countries to claim national maritime territory, sustainably manage the marine environment and realise its economic potential. Forty-five of our 52 members are ocean states and 24 are small island developing states.

The roundtable on Tuesday will examine the role of the Commonwealth in supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14, in maximising innovation and economic opportunities in the development of blue economies. The side event will also look at ways to ensure fairness, equity and women’s empowerment and how to mobilise partnerships and support.

Prime Minister of Grenada Keith Mitchell will join Vice President Vincent Meriton and ministers from Bangladesh, Barbados, Cyprus and Tonga, plus speakers from UNCTAD and the Commonwealth Foundation for the roundtable. Speakers will discuss their experience of blue economy successes and hurdles and explore how individual country needs can be best aided.

During the roundtable, Secretary-General Scotland will discuss the proposed development of a ‘Blue Charter’, a set of guiding principles for sustainable, fair and equitable ocean economic development based on the Charter of the Commonwealth.

The Secretary-General will also participate in two panel discussions organised in partnership with UNCTAD on the trade in fisheries and innovative Pacific approaches to the oceans economy.

During the conference, initial findings will also be presented from A Sustainable Future for Small States: Pacific 2050, a forthcoming report from the Commonwealth Secretariat.

In short, yes!

Michael Cook, Romans Lettings Director explains: “It is a landlord’s responsibility to ensure that a carbon monoxide detector is fitted in any room within their rental accommodation which contains an appliance which burns solid fuel. Whilst gas and oil boilers do not fall within this category, it is still best practice to install alarms.”

Landlords who fail to comply with these regulations could face a fine of up to £5,000. As part of our landlord services, Romans Lettings Agents ensure we are fully up-to-date on all changes to legislation and will advise landlords on the laws with which they must comply.

It is a landlord’s responsibility to ensure alarms are fitted on the first day of the tenancy, thereafter it becomes the responsibility of the tenants to regularly check they are in full working order. It is also the responsibility of the landlord to replace the alarms every 5-7 years in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Michael continues: “ARLA now suggests that there are over 160 pieces of legislation landlords have to comply with. Many find this to be overwhelming and seek the support of a professional agent to help keep meticulous records and to stay up-to-date with ever-changing legislation.”

It is important that landlords maintain a legal record of the carbon monoxide checks on the day the tenancy begins showing that the alarms are in full working order. Keeping this record can help protect landlords against any unfounded claims and help them to avoid a costly fine. Romans’ landlords benefit from our detailed inventory and check-in services and through our online landlord accounts can access all of their important documents and records at the click of a button.

Things are hotting up as the opening of BBC Gardeners’ World Live, at Birmingham’s NEC, gets ever nearer.

The Show is at the centre of the 50th anniversary of BBC 2’s Gardeners’ World so it’s going to be a Golden Jubilee summer garden party!

With wall-to-wall garden inspiration, top experts, unbeatable shopping and magic moments around every corner, a taster of what’s so special this year include; Stepping back in time at The Nostalgia Garden (Paul Stone, plants supplied by St Andrews Healthcare), a village scene set in the ‘60s complete with garden centre overflowing with the plants of the decade, and the prices to match! Stroll by a babbling brook, spot the vintage `1967 Mini Austin and Nuffield Tractor famously constructed in Birmingham and the plants named after Gardeners’ World presenters!

You can then journey through five decades of glorious gardening, from the crazy paving of the ‘70s to naturalistic planting of the ‘00s, at The Anniversary Garden: A Brief History of Modern Gardens (Prof David Stevens and Peter Dowle). The Beautiful Borders are also all themed around 50 years of Gardeners’ World.

Returning to their roots, Barnsdale Gardens and Birmingham City Council recreate their acclaimed exhibits from RHS Chelsea Flower Show, plant for plant, in the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Floral Marquee.

More floral tributes to the anniversary include a three-tier birthday cake made of Peonies (Primrose Hall Nursery) and a garden party scene of British cut flowers and table set for the Gardeners’ World presenters (Flowers from the Farm), plus the spectacular Jubilee Bedding Display (Allensmore Nurseries). From the most recent presenters of BBC Two’s Gardeners’ World to some of the most famous faces from the past, the nation’s best-loved gardeners take to the stage, including: Monty Don, Carol Klein, Joe Swift, Adam Frost, Nick Bailey, Flo Headlam and Frances Tophill from the current line-up. Plus Alan Titchmarsh, Toby Buckland and Peter Seabrook from series of old.

Marking this extra special year, the BBC team will film the Show highlights for a one-hour anniversary programme.

As part of this, the winning Golden Jubilee Plant will be unveiled to much delight, with visitors able to explore a fantastic display of all 10 Golden Jubilee Plant varieties in the Changing Face of Gardening feature, which also includes a look back at the revolution in Grow Your Own, the emergence of container gardening and the changing attitudes towards wildlife since the ‘60s.

Topping off the anniversary antics the Show will be packed with entertainment including live music, vintage tea tent, Spiced Beetroot birthday cake created exclusively by TV presenter and BBC's ‘The Great British Bake Off’ winner, Nadiya Hussain, Michelin masters Tom Kerridge and Michel Roux Jr taking to the stage, queen of baking Mary Berry back by popular demand, firm Show favourite James Martin, the fantastic Two Greedy Italians, Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo,  plus family fun including face painting, making bird feeders, creating Father’s Day cards and craft sessions, picnics, street food, Pimm’s and fizz!

BBC Gardeners’ World Live takes place June 15-18.

A Qatar Airways Cargo Airbus A330 freighter touched down at London’s Heathrow Airport yesterday, marking the start of freighter services to the carrier’s second airport in London.

Qatar Airways Cargo currently operates freighters to London’s Stansted Airport and also transports cargo on passenger flights to and from Birmingham, Edinburgh, London Heathrow and Manchester. With the new freighter service, the carrier’s total cargo capacity out of the United Kingdom increases to more than 1,500 tonnes each week. The new freighter service departs weekly from Doha on Saturdays and returns via Basel.

Mr. Ulrich Ogiermann, Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, said: “The commencement of the freighter services to London Heathrow marks our sixth new freighter destination for 2017 and boosts our current belly-hold capacity available on 72 passenger flights to the United Kingdom every week. We are expanding our network globally, offering customers direct access to major trade markets such as the United Kingdom via our state-of-the-art fully-automated hub in Doha.”

The cargo carrier offers air freight services to the principal industries in the United Kingdom, including electronics and telecoms, vehicles and auto parts, engineering, information technology, pharmaceuticals, biotech and health, and perishables, providing speed of delivery, flexibility and security for high-value products. Customers globally will benefit from more capacity to transport their cargo to London.

Qatar Airways Cargo recently commenced five new freighter destinations to the Americas and Asia: Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Quito, Miami and Phnom Penh, while also increasing frequencies to Brussels, Basel and Hong Kong in response to growing air freight demand in these regions. The cargo carrier has seen a 21 per cent increase in tonnage from 2015 to 2016, despite the air cargo industry remaining competitive due to an underperforming economy.

In February this year, Qatar Airways Cargo was awarded the highly-acclaimed ‘Global Cargo Airline of the Year’ award at the Air Cargo Africa event, recognising its continuous growth and emphasis on delivering the highest level of service within the air cargo industry. The carrier has made significant investments in fleet, network, and its hub and products, as part of its strategy and commitment to improve and enhance its product offering for the benefit of customers globally.

The Kings Heath Street Food Market returns to Kings Heath Village Square on Saturday June 10, in collaboration with award winning circus school CircusMASH.

This month sees the third 2017 event, which returned in April this year, and offers another great selection of street food traders, music, seating and quirky outdoor bar.

The food line-up includes... returning trader Libertine Burger, juicy burgers made with grass fed beef... Bare Bones Pizza, a Midlands based pizza favourite whose menu options include vegan and gluten free options... and Uncle Samwich, a brand new trader offering dishes inspired by cities across America. Additional food traders are being announced daily.

Since arriving in Birmingham five years ago, CircusMASH has become hugely popular with adults and children alike. Their latest show, Manöken, is described as “exploring identity in the unidentifiable” and welcomes you to “place yourself in displacement and lose your senses.” CircusMASH will perform five separate shows during this event.

Kings Heath Street Food Market, sponsored by Birmingham Brewing Company, is open from 11am to 5pm and CircusMASH take to the square from 1pm. There will also be a handful of children’s rides and activities available on the day.

Trading Standards officers in Wolverhampton will be out and about throughout Child Safety Week (5-11 June, 2017) to warn parents and carers about some of the hidden dangers lurking in the home.

Members of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Trading Standards team will be at various locations in Wolverhampton from Monday to Friday, sharing information and top tips on all aspects of child safety and handing out action packs to parents and carers.

Children will be able to get their hands on their own activity packs, as well as meeting Trading Standards Ted and taking away a sticker, fridge magnet and balloon to remember him by.

Among the issues the team will be highlighting are the risks posed by looped blind and window cords, which can lead to strangulation, and the danger presented by button cell batteries found in toys, musical books, key fobs and other small electronic devices which, if swallowed, can get stuck in the throat or cause severe burns and even death.

They will also identify other products found in the home which pose a risk to young children, and highlight some of the simple steps parents and carers should take to keep family members safe.

The Trading Standards team will be at Wolverhampton's Central Library on Monday 5 June, Waitrose on Penn Road on Tuesday 6 June, Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre, Wednesfield, on Wednesday 7 June and at the Crafty Kids Café, Springhill Lane, Penn on Thursday and Friday 8 and 9 June. They will be at each location from 9.30am, and will also be calling into WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams on Wednesday 14 June.

Run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, Child Safety Week takes place from Monday 5 June to Sunday 11 June and seeks to raise awareness of the risks of child accidents and how they can be prevented.

The theme of this year's campaign is Safe Children: Sharing is Caring, with the Child Accident Prevention Trust asking families, communities and professionals to share their experience and knowledge of keeping children safe – not just about the horrors of accidents, but also the practical, simple things they do to prevent them.