The leading Russian opposition politician was a constant threat to Putin’s policy of supreme leader and directorate
For all that goes on in Russia today, Putin and his KGB collaborators literally control everything
Anyone who is opposed to his extreme and harsh measures of dictatorship will be removed
Either quietly or publically, it makes no difference to him
The killing of a main opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who had to be removed, because his political views were in total contrast to Putin’s
Boris Nemtsov was shot a day before an opposition rally was to be held
Boris Nemtsov was an economic reformer, a kind and honest man, but a fierce critic of Putin’s handling of the Ukraine situation
Boris Nemtsov feared Putin would have him killed and that is exactly what has happened
All of Putin’s opponents have met with their deaths
Putin cannot stand any opposition to his dictatorial ways and the Russian people always live in fear
They are surrounded by the spy network which encloses them
Nobody dare speak out in case they are removed, either imprisoned or killed. Such is the state that Russians have always lived in
This is where brother spies on sisters, mothers on their children and next door neighbours, all live under this fear daily
Such is the invisible grip that the state has on its citizens, so nobody can fall out of line least they be reported
It did not matter when Stalin ruled over them in the time of Hitler or when we had the cold war
Even up to present day the Russian people live in fear
They have to accept the propaganda fed to them by the state controlled media
The people are naive of the outside world and are forced to believe what the state tells them
They have no freedom to speak out
They have never known democracy, only the change over from one dictator to another
The Communist rule is an iron tight one and all those who live under this regime must bow down to its dictates – none are exempt
Russia will never change while it continues to have dictators for their leaders
That is why so many of their neighbouring countries wish to free themselves from this corrupt system and remain that way
All of Russian’s neighbouring countries, who have found independence, fear Russia will invade them again
They dread the thought of them being placed under this iron fist regime
The West needs to wake up and unite together in a stronger way and to see the enemy that they are being confronted with
Russia will retaliate
Putin might be fearful of reprisals, but he does have a pumped up ego that the West will not touch him
No matter how much provocation he administers
Sanctions and a closing down of economic measures will see this Russian bear screaming, but Putin will never surrender
He is too arrogant for that
In time, when the squeeze really bites hard, will he ask for certain negotiations to take place?
He knows his enemies and will seek to strike once again when he becomes stronger
The lesson here is that one cannot ever allow this to happen!
The callous disregard for culture and heritage is par for the course with the Islamic State
Their blatant destruction of statues in Iraq and other archaeological sites is outrageous
It shows they have no appreciation of other cultures – only their own
They are nothing more than culturally devoid barbarians and have no place in society and this world
As world outrage continues to grow against IS, they will soon find they are more alienated then they were before
New improved strategies are now in place to bring an end to their rule
Covert activities of the highest nature are already in operation even though IS appears to be winning the war to overthrow Governments
This is proving to be false
More fighters are being killed over and above those who are being recruited
The policies and the tide of disapproval is now changing and where IS was gaining quite frantically, they will find themselves boxed in
There are several corners of conflict with no exit strategy in sight as their escape routes are now being blocked
A whole arm or division of their military has collapsed. Another replacement is on the way
This is to try to assist in their build-up of much needed reserves, but they are being pushed back and what’s more important – held!
This will undermine their confidence and strategy and the long painful start to demolish their sect is being noticed
IS themselves have seen the start of their decline as too many of their forces are scattered over too wide an area
The world is now beating a path to their door and they are gaining!
The report into sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital stated that ten complaints at a time were given to staff
One of these complaints of abuse was made to a nurse, a ward sister and a hospital manager
Nine reports were made to a nurse alone with one more reaching a manager
Around 63 people were abused by Jimmy Savile at the hospital. His victims included patients, staff and visitors
One of his victims was as young as eight years old and no one was there to protect them
To name and shame the people, who were in charge at the time and did nothing, is not enough
These victims have suffered grave travesty of injustice
Their lives have been destroyed due to a culture that existed at that time
Celebrity status, as in Jimmy Saville’s case together with money, means more than decency, right thinking and action
Compensation by the NHS trust to these victims is not enough. Their lives have been ruined for all time
Counselling for as long as it takes for these victims to feel they can cope with life should be the main criterion in getting them better
All of these victims feel betrayed by a system which is flawed
Sexual predators hoodwink people by their duel personality and the manipulative holds they have on people
They are psychologically sick and dangerous and should never be put in a position where vulnerable people are situated
This means schools and institutions of care and hospitals
Lessons need to be learnt throughout society and to drastically play down the celebrity culture
Too many perpetrators are in the field of entertainment and use their celebrity status to great effect
They show one face to their adoring public, while behind the scenes their darker perverse behaviour comes out
We, as a society, need to realise that abuse in this way can no longer be tolerated
The culture of sexual harassment has been tolerated by too many
There were no safeguards in place to protect the innocent and vulnerable
Females in the work place have suffered sexual harassment for years & the establishment turned a blind eye in acceptance of this practice
Until we as a society start to educate respect for all people & to abide by these rights, perpetrators on many levels will get away with it
This education starts at primary level and should continue this education right throughout a person’s schooling
Bullying is prevalent in all schools, even though schools advocate a zero tolerance
It still goes on and that means every school in this entire country, yet little is done to sort it out
The likes of Jimmy Saville started young and so education must start young to guard everybody as to what is out there
We must protect our society at long last!
Amnesty International has urged the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to give up their power of veto…
…in cases where atrocities are being committed
Their annual report shows the global response to an array of catastrophes in 2014 had been shameful
It is the richer countries who are guilty of taking an abhorrent stance by not sheltering more refugees
Amnesty International pointed out that 2014 had been a catastrophic year for victims of conflict and violence
World leaders needed to act immediately to confront the changing nature of armed conflict
Amnesty International stated that the UN Security Council had “miserably failed” to protect civilians
The Security Council must surrender their veto on issues relating to mass killing and genocide
Had this been in place, then Russia would have been prevented from blocking UN action being put in place against the violence in Syria
President Bashar al-Assad would have been referred to the International Criminal Court
Then the process of getting badly needed humanitarian aid to the thousands affected by the war would have been distributed
The Security Council must now act to stop mass atrocities and crimes against humanity otherwise give up their position in the world
What is the point of having a Security Council, who do nothing and allow atrocities like Syria and Palestine to continue?
Their noncompliance in not acting in the right and proper way makes their position untenable
Another organisation that has credibility should be formed, who are prepared to have the teeth to do something about these mass atrocities
Syria has four million civilians displaced by the war and thousands of migrants are left to die in the Mediterranean
2014 is one of the worst years for refugee crises in history
The Security Council, through not taking the right action, have blood on their hands
There is a total lack of outrage about their performance
The war in Syria could have saved many civilians had the right action been taken
They simply do not care and so the continuing brutality of wars carries on
It is the people who continue to die needlessly, because nobody will take the responsibly to act
They use instead their own political interests over and above what is morally right
It is obvious the Security Council do not have a conscience, as someone would have made a public statement
As nothing was forthcoming, it shows how the Council has let humanity down
Something they should consider!
Until a Security Council can be free to act independently and not be controlled by other parties, nothing will ever get sorted out
This organisation is a disgrace to Mankind!
The head of the United Nations climate change panel (IPCC) Rajendra Pachauri has stepped down over sexual harassment allegations
Indian police are investigating a complaint from a 29 year old woman working in his office in Delhi
The harassment includes unwanted emails as well as text and phone messages. Dr Pachauri denies all the allegations
Dr Pachauri has chaired the IPCC since 2002 and was in his second term of office, which was due to end this October
In a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Dr Pachauri said he was unable to provide strong leadership and therefore must resign
The IPCC chair is one of the most gruelling and controversial jobs on the international stage
The chair spends much of his life in mid-air flitting between capitals…
…whilst suffering relentless attacks from campaigners challenging climate science
After Dr Pachauri did his own scientific research he too realised that climate change is a real thing
It deserves more action from political leaders
He was supported by developing countries, who appreciated his willingness to prod main perpetrators on climate change
He was always outspoken
Whatever the result of this investigation, the IPCC have lost a good advocate
His voice resonated with so many that he will be sorely missed
In this day and age and especially where the public persona is always on show…
…one has to remain squeaky clean to maintain credibility within the public office
The office itself demands that, as one is in service to others
The IPCC will emerge stronger from this incident and will not be tarnished by the scandal
The Grand Imam of Egypt’s top Islamic Institution has called for a radical reform of their religious teaching
This is to tackle the spread of Islamic extremism
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb of Cairo’s al-Azhar University said that the historical misreading of the Koran…
…has led to intolerant interpretations of Islam
He was speaking at an anti-terror conference. He called for unity among Muslims
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that a pan-Arab military force is needed to combat terrorism
The needs for a unified force was “growing and becoming more pressing every day”
It is high time and long overdue that major Muslim clerics around the world come together as one voice to speak out
There are flaws within its own teachings of the Koran and the many misinterpretations continually go on
There are debates among Muslims themselves, who have their own version of the Koran
They become misled and often confused as to what to believe
Other faiths, such as Catholicism, Buddhism and Hindu etc., are all taught the same versions of their religion with one creed and one mass
It is high time top Muslim Clerics came together to sort out their own Koran
They must stipulate one way, not multi aspects, where misinterpretation leads to fanatical behaviour
The entire world is suffering the backlash of these misinterpretations & the Muslim Clerics have been silent in their attitude towards this
The world hears very loudly the voices of radical Muslims, who summon up fellow Muslims to fight their cause
The same cannot be said of other clerics, who should be equally vocal against this form of extremism
It is as if they have almost turned a blind eye to these events
King Abdullah of Jordan found he was being invaded by Islamic extremists many years ago
He and his military forces removed these extremists from his land to keep his citizens safe from their destructive ways
These Islamic extremists have been around for decades, yet nothing on a united front has been forthcoming
It has been the case of too little too late
Until Muslim countries unite together as a whole to combat extremists, then mass slaughter for all is the result
It is high time the Muslim world put their own teachings in order and sorted out those who take God’s name in vain
The three girls missing from their homes and are reported to have travelled to Turkey, will bring much distress to their families
The girls have been influenced, not necessarily radicalised by a Glasgow Muslim called Aqsa Mahmood
She is 20 and went to Syria to become a jihadi bride
The girls aged 16 and 15 years old are naïve, but not necessarily innocent of their decisions to travel to Syria to join IS
The pain and suffering now being inflicted on their families is beyond belief
Young people have high emotions
They see daily on the television the atrocities that occur around the world and feel compelled to act in some way
They have no idea of the mental, emotional and physical scars they will encounter
These three girls have never lived in a war torn country before, having enjoyed living in a stable country as Great Britain
The culture shock from a safe haven to a war torn country will see them out of their depth
None of them are psychologically equipped to endure the horrors of what they will see
To sacrifice their lives for a cause which is doomed, will not give them the salvation or the satisfaction they seek
Their roles either as slaves or jihadist brides will damage their delicate natures
Nothing but glory for the cause is their only argument
They can do nothing to change the course of IS’s strategy nor the violence that IS inflicts on others
These girls will have the stains of blood of the victims on their hands and it will change them forever
Up to now they have not yet entered into Syria, but they are on the verge, at the door of entering of which there is no recovery
To be wilful against one’s parents is one thing, to put oneself in mortal danger is quite another
Their fates are now in the hands of a Higher Power of which their emotions will not be considered
IS militants are hard and aggressive, they have no room for love or compassion in their hearts
That is a sign of weakness and cannot be allowed according to their creed
IS’s ideology of a loving state, which values life and all that is sacred according to God and its texts, is not accepted in their ideology
God is love in bountiful ways and compassion and forgiveness high on the lists of its teachings
Unless one adheres to these principles none can say they are a follower of God!
It is high time that retailer Benetton contributes to an international compensation fund for the victims of a collapsed factory
The factory that collapsed in Bangladesh resulted in 1,138 people losing their lives
The nine storey factory collapsed in Dhaka on the 23rd April 2013 after warnings from workers and local journalist that it was unsafe
Their pleas were ignored
The decision for compensation has occurred due to pressure from campaigners
They accused the company of dragging its feet over providing financial aid
Benetton together with Walmart, Primark and Matalan were the fashion brands linked to the Rana Plaza complex
More than one million people have signed a petition on the campaigning website Avaaz
They are urging the company to pay into the Rana Plaza Trust Fund
If Benetton does not pay they will face embarrassing protests during the Milan fashion week
Benetton is now working with a globally recognised third party to establish how much they should pay
The company is UN’s International Labour Organisation
So far they have raised $21m, but still need $9m to meet compensation commitments
Benetton and the other fashion houses should do what is morally right and compensate with compassion – something they have not done
It is obvious that Benetton’s policy is profit over decent working conditions for factory workers
They are paid a pittance to supply their goods
It is an absolute outrage that factory workers are thought so little of that their working conditions are not even vetted
Compensation from these companies is nothing
What is important, are the lost lives of all these families, who have been torn apart due to the greed of these companies
No amount of compensation can eradicate their pain & suffering & the very idea that Benetton can still be dragging their feet is deplorable
It takes pressure from people to push through the moral picture before Benetton is prepared to do anything about it
Shame on you Benetton. Who really in their right mind would want to do business with a company like yours?
Britain & the EU have been accused of a catastrophic misreading of the mood in the Kremlin in the run-up to the crisis in Ukraine
The House of Lords’ European Union Committee claimed Europe “sleepwalked” into the crisis
The EU had not realised the depths of Russian hostility regarding the Ukraine
The Lords Committee’s report said Britain had not been active or visible enough in dealing with the situation
For too long now EU’s relationship with Moscow had been based on the “optimistic premise” that…
…Russia was on a trajectory to becoming a democratic country
How naïve can Britain be and for that matter the Foreign Office
You just have to look at Putin to understand his character and how he operates in his own country and how he deals with his people
Mr Putin is the ex-KGB chief. They torture people who are against them
The Russian people do not have rights. They have no freedom of speech
They are under the powerful observation of the KGB and everything that the Russian people do is monitored
Russians cannot speak out openly or against the state of Putin. They would automatically be imprisoned
Any subversion is strongly opposed and dealt with harshly
Mr Putin has groups of youths under his employ to upset situations that are not to his liking
It is very similar to the Hitler Youth at the time of the rise of Adolf Hitler
These situations are normal in Russia and the people have no choice as the regime is too powerful against any form of criticism
Putin does not want democracy, he wants to be the dictator and rule Russian with an iron fist
Another Stalin, he wants to be greater than Stalin
He will do everything in his power to achieve a greater Russia, not for the people but for him alone
With this kind of bullying mind-set, how can the West then treat him with a softly, softly approach
They have to be out of their minds
European trade has helped Russia prosper from its oil and gas supplies
This has left the West dependant on Russia and this has been their greatest mistake
Now they cannot afford to be bullish against Putin for fear he could and would cut off their supplies
One must never underestimate the enemy of old
It is Vladimir Putin, who has played a canny game
The foolish West and Europe have fallen into the trap and now he is showing his true colours and the EU don’t like it
Putin’s background, as a Soviet spy, means there can be little surprise…
…at the blatant resurgence of an aggressive surveillance state in Russia
The collapse of the Soviet Union had filled Putin with horror and rage
That is why when he came to power in 2000 he transformed Russia into a giant spy state
In 2006 the GB hit squad murdered the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium 210 in his tea
Now Whitehall are deeply concerned about the number of Russian spies, formal and informal, who are based in London
To say that the EU Committee have been “sleepwalking” through the Ukrainian crisis is now extremely relevant
One must know one’s enemy and one cannot afford to take one’s eye off this aggression
Ukraine is continually being destabilised, because Putin does not want Kiev to become westernised
He will do everything in his power to avoid this happening
Peter Oborne was the chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph. He has recently resigned
His statement that the Telegraph lacks coverage into the HSBC tax scandal is a fraud on its readers
The paper had deliberately suppressed stories about the banking giant including last week’s revelation on its Swiss subsidiary
The Daily Telegraph is the most important conservative-leaning newspaper in Britain
Its traditional distinction between advertising and its editorial departments have now collapsed
The Telegraph’s coverage of HSBC put the interests of this major international bank over its duty to report the news
This is the fraud on its readers
The paper’s owners actively discouraged stories critical of HSBC since 2013, when the bank suspended its advertising
The Telegraph was following its investigation into accounts held with HSBC in Jersey
A former Telegraph executive said that HSBC was the advertiser you literally cannot afford to offend
For three years the Telegraph investigation team received a tipoff about accounts held by the bank in Jersey
This investigation was similar to the Panorama investigation into the Swiss arm of the bank
HSBC then suspended its advertising. Winning back the HSBC advertising account had become urgent priority
It was eventually restored after twelve months
The Telegraph readers are intelligent, sensible and well-informed people. They buy the paper because they feel they are able to trust it
If advertising priorities are allowed to determine editorial judgements, how can readers continue to feel they have any trust?
It is thanks to the likes of Peter Oborne, whose conscience is a measure of the decency of this man
He cannot stand idly by and see good investigative journalism being destroyed because of money
The Daily Telegraph had always had a brilliant reputation with its journalists and its readers, who have a high regard for its journalism
We have to thank the Guardian newspaper, who won’t be bought
They stick their neck out to get to the truth and are respected by their colleagues in the industry
Something the Telegraph needs to consider again!
Swiss police are now searching the offices of the Geneva subsidiary of HSBC bank into what looks like money laundering
Prosecutors have also said they are investigating HSBC for any money laundering
The bank’s chief executive said last week that the bank had closed down accounts of clients, who did not meet their high standards
If it was not for the whistle-blower none of these revelations would have come to light
This police raid comes after a week of allegations, which first emerged that HSBC’s private bank helped wealthy clients evade tax
How can anyone in their right minds ever trust banks? They are only there to serve themselves
It is always profits before decency and honesty which comes first, transparency is not even on their radar
Repercussions to HSBC will be far-reaching even though they have put in a full page advert in several papers apologising for their conduct
It really is too little too late, nobody will believe them
They have been caught hands down and so they deserve the loss of revenue which now faces them
The banks naively think that because they were able to get away with wrongdoing for many years they are unstoppable, a law unto themselves
A prominent Afghan female politician died on Sunday following a bomb attack
Angiza Shinwari was a provincial councillor in Afghanistan
She was the voice of hundreds of thousands of women, who are living with no voice heard and no opinions stated
She was badly injured by the bomb, which was attached to her car and then exploded. Her driver and four others were all killed
She sustained severe injuries when she lost both of her legs. The gross amounts of blood lost made it impossible for her to survive
Angiza Shinwari campaigned for women’s rights, human rights and justice
She spoke out against ‘opium brides’, where impoverished poppy farmers sold off their female relatives to settle their debts
Angiza Shinwari was also active on social media and this is where friends and followers have been posting their tributes
Female politicians, professionals and activists are regularly targeted in Afghanistan
Until the culture of decrying women their rights in Afghanistan starts to change, women will only be regarded as chattels
They are no higher in status then an animal
The men of Afghanistan are afraid to lose their rights over women, who are their slaves
Everything that is possible for women to have in the way of equality, rights and a voice is denied to them
They are nothing and they must remain in their place by the decree of the culture under which they are shackled
The culture refuses to bend
Even though we are in the 21st century we might as well be in the dark ages for Afghanistan refuses to move on
How can the international world allow for this to continue while so many suffer under the servitude of man?
The brutal murders of 21 Egyptian Christians have again outraged people around the world
These beheadings show no sign of abating & although air strikes do hold IS back for a while their system of fighting re-emerges elsewhere
There needs to be a more constructive and decisive plan of action
More countries that surround the perimeters of IS need to bring in greater forces on the ground to combat this military action
What is being done is not enough to silence IS’s objective
That is to sweep great sways of land to increase their might for their caliphate
Their ideology is wrong and very base and narrow. All they care about is their strategy and their way of thinking and working
Credible Muslim clerics need to stand up and openly denounce IS’s ideology, which is wrong
Therefore in the eyes of God cannot succeed or be a worthwhile cause
It is high time that high ranking Muslim clerics, who are respected throughout the Muslim world, came together
They must quash IS’s ideology from its grass roots
These Muslim clerics need to put their necks on the line to do their responsible bit for the entire Muslim world
Until this happens in a constructive way more innocent people will lose their lives
IS is not an easy pushover. They are an organised and brutal force, so an equally organised force needs to meet them head-on
Respected Muslim clerics can no longer afford to sit on their hands and do nothing
The world needs to see they are actively involved and openly vocal, that IS is no longer acceptable
IS has to answer to God, not as martyrs to their state of ideology, but to stand before God as brutal murders of Mankind
Ukraine’s ceasefire will not hold as the objective by Vladimir Putin is to exert his authority on the area
He cares little for peace talks only what is on his agenda
He wants to reach out and control more opposition territory, to expand and procure his Russian borders
Ceasefires are there to allow him to regroup and strategize his position from where he sits and sees strategically his best next move
Further sanctions will hurt his people, but not him, as he has already invested well enough to withstand years of financial oppression
He still has the people behind him and there are no comparable persons, who are able to overthrow his regime and mandate
All his opposition are either in jail or have been quietly removed
Such is his strength and determination to be the supreme leader of all Russia
This madman is not going anywhere. He feels superior to all other dictators
He is the only one he feels who can be in a commanding position and rule the world
Increasing his domain is his prime objective and no amount of talking will dissuade him from doing it
NATO and the West have their work cut out for them. They cannot underestimate the sheer will and determination of this man
He wishes to be better than Stalin in every way
To be feared is his prime objective then the West won’t be so flippant where he is concerned
At this time the rat is playing with the mouse
President Zuma is still determined to advance on his own personal spending regardless of his people’s failing situations
South Africa’s parliament saw clashes from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) against the ruling ANC
Mr Julius Malema demanded answers from President Zuma over the spending scandal
President Zuma wants a further state funded multi-million dollar upgrade to his private residence
The outbursts by Mr Malema and his MP’s in parliament over President Zuma’s spending scandal…
…prompted the speaker to get police in to remove them – something that should never have happened
As a result of the eviction, the largest democratic party, the Democratic Alliance, walked out in support of those MP’s
Mr Malema feels his outbursts are about defending democracy
EEF MP’s accuse President Zuma of benefitting unduly from taxpayers money for further upgrades on his private residence
This is a disgrace and a scandal
Last year an independent inquiry found President Zuma had unduly benefitted from these expenses…
…to his swimming pool and cattle enclosure to a cost of $23 million
All this was done despite criticism of the upgrades and where South Africa’s economy is stagnant
Mr Malema has demanded President Zuma pays back the money to the taxpayers
Until decency and moral behaviour is set as an example and adhered to nothing in South Africa will get better
The late Nelson Mandela did not sacrifice his life away for some greedy callous and self-opinionated person…
…should benefit over the people of South Africa
Nelson Mandela wanted justice and freedom from depravation and not for abuse on his people
It is up to the people of South Africa to demonstrate their disgust at President Zuma blatant disregard for them
The retrial of the two Al-Jazeera journalists is about to begin
They were convicted last year of spreading false news to help a terrorist group
Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were imprisoned together with their colleague Peter Greste, who has just been released
It was the appeals court that had ordered this retrial, because the original court’s verdict had no evidence to justify imprisonment
Mr Greste was released last week under a law allowing the deportation of foreign nationals to their home countries
He was and still remains innocent of the crime he was accused of
This makes their justice system a mockery in the eyes of the Law and of International Law
The journalists were jailed simply for reporting the news, all of which is out in the open
It can be verified that their reporting remains unbiased. Egypt has nothing to fear but fear itself
The Court of Cassation has now ruled on 1st January that the proper legal procedures were not followed in this case
The Judge in the Court of Cassation said prosecutors failed to present conclusive evidence that the defendants helped the Brotherhood…
…or even promoted them
It’s time that Egyptian courts started acting according to the Law & not continue to remain a kangaroo court for the entire world to abhor
Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed should be released from prison
Mr Fahmy should keep his Egyptian nationality as a token of consideration for being wrongly imprisoned for crimes he never committed
At the end of the day the world stands behind the innocent!
Dominique Strauss-Kahn denies charges of pimping, he has told the court in northern France
He has stated prosecutors had greatly exaggerated the frequency of his licentious evenings
Mr Strauss-Kahn has a reputation of being a bully and a liar
He only cares for his own skin and what he feels he is entitled to get away with
Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s life style is now catching up with him in a big way
Four years ago in a New York hotel, a maid accused him of sexual assault and rape. All this he denied
The maid would not be intimidated by this powerful man and sought to get justice for herself against his appalling behaviour
She took out a civil court action against him and won
It was settled out of court for a figure of $1,440,000. She also was awarded an out of court settlement from a newspaper
While Miss Nafissatou Diallo has more money than she needs, she would have preferred to stay as a chamber maid
She wishes nothing had happened to her
Powerful men like Mr Strauss-Kahn feel they can bully and intimidate those whose lives he feels are beneath him
In this recent trial, Mr Strauss-Kahn is accused of supplying sex workers for a prostitution ring based at a hotel in Lille
Again he denies that they were prostitutes
Evidence of an ex-prostitute describes how she was paid to go to these parties and was specifically chosen for Mr Kahn
His treatment of her was unpleasant and the way she was dressed up for the party it clearly stated that she was a prostitute
Nobody else would go to a party dressed in the way she was
Mr Kahn’s antics have lost him his job as the IMF boss, his marriage and his dream of becoming a French president
Until these powerful men are brought down there can be no decency in this world
They continue to ride roughshod over those who, in their opinion, are of no count
Fortunately the legal system is above these antics and if found guilty he could face ten years in jail and be fined €1.5m
Australian adventurer and charity fund raiser Huw Kingston faces more milestones in his bid to circumnavigate the Mediterranean
All this is done by human power
Just now Huw Kingston is in Tunisia where he is training to row from there to Turkey
The distance is some 1,200 miles where he will pass by Malta and Cyprus. It is estimated it will take him 50 days to complete the task
He will try to reach there on the 25th April
Turkey celebrates Anzac Centenary when the Australians and New Zealand Army Corps landed at Gallipoli in 1915
The money that Mr Kingston will raise for his efforts is for ‘Save the Children Fund’
It is a very worthwhile charity that helps all children around the world
Mr Kingston was born in the UK, but is a resident of Australia
This amazing man has paddled the Corinth Canal and trekked through the European Alps which included an ascent of Mont Blanc
He has crossed the straits of Gibraltar and cycled 1,500 km under two weeks through Algeria
On his journey to Turkey he will be joined by a fellow adventurer, a Slovenian by the name of Marin Medek, who will share the rowing
It is to be expected that there will be harsh condition on the Mediterranean Sea
The bravery and determination of Huw Kingston to prove against the odds what people are prepared to do to raise funds for worthwhile causes
Huw Kingston is an inspiration to us all. His many wonderful escapades will be remembered for all time with appreciation and thanks
He is a role model that this world needs right now
There is good out there amongst all the darkness of ignorance, greed and hatred. A beacon of light for all to see!
Thanks to a whistle-blower, who leaked the truth on HSBC’s practice to provide their clients with the means to evade paying tax!
Millions of pounds have been deposited in HSBC’s private bank in Switzerland and this was notified by the whistle-blower in 2007
Panorama has seen thousands of these accounts from this private bank
The bankers helped clients to evade tax and helped tax dodgers stay ahead of the law
HSBC having been found out says it is fundamentally changed
The bank now faces criminal investigations in the US, France, Belgium and Argentina
It also says it is co-operating with the relevant authorities
HSBC, which is based in the UK where no action is being taken against it, raises cause for alarm
One wonders when there is absolute proof that this has been going on for years
Then whose pockets is the bank lining to avoid UK investigation?
The bank says it has put compliance and tax transparency ahead of profits
Panorama has spoken to a whistle-blower, who says there are still problems with tax dodging
That person stated that HSBC did not keep its promise to change and this was pointed out to them
The result being that that person lost their job. She has since won a tribunal hearing for unfair dismissal
Verbally HSBC are doing all the right things, but they are not putting them into practice, because it suits them not to!
Documents stolen in 2007 by a computer expert working for HSBC in Geneva contain details of more than 100,000 clients
All from around the world were hiding their cash from tax authorities
The French authorities that assessed the stolen data concluded in 2013 that 99.8% of its citizens on that list were evading tax
HM Revenue and Customs were given their leaked documents and have identified 1,100 people who had not paid their tax
Some five years have gone by and, although £135 million in tax has been recovered, there are still large amounts outstanding
HMRC have certainly not been tough enough in securing monies for the British taxpayer
Thousands of pages of this data was obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde
Now, in a joint investigation, the documents have been passed to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
Also they were passed to the Guardian newspaper, Panorama and more than 50 media outlets around the world
They will be the ones who will be able to get to the truth and root out this crime of tax avoidance
It is banks like HSBC, who continually break the law, that need to be closed down
Normal citizens, who bank with HSBC, are not dealt with in the same way. They are often denied loans to help them with their businesses
It is only the rich who evade tax, while HSBC get their rich payoff
Double standards and greed is the policy of these big banks
While they continue to get away with it, because nobody stops them, they feel they can and do act with impunity!
A woman with a rare disease has been spontaneously cured in an event that doctors say is impossible
The woman who was in her 50’s had been plagued by warts and infections as part of the WHIM syndrome
This is caused by a defective immune system
US doctors say a fluke DNA mutation reported in the cell, effectively cured her in her 30’s
The odds of this happening are highly improbable
Those who suffer from WHIM syndrome have a defect in a single section of their DNA
They are still able to make cells to form their immune system, but they get stuck in their bone marrow where they are produced
This leaves patients incredibly vulnerable to infection, which then leads to warts and an increase risk of cancer
The woman sought out a team of researchers in the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to get her daughters tested
This is because she had passed down her condition to her two daughters
The doctor in charge could not believe that she said her warts had disappeared 20 years ago
The research team tried to find out the reason for this miracle
The cure was tracked back to a mutation in a single cell in her bone marrow – an event called “chromosomal shattering”
This is where a part of her DNA was rearranged and it led to 163 genes being taken out together with the mutated cell
Research continues into finding out at what role the other 163 genes that were affected by the mutation had
All this “chromosomal shattering” took part in a stem cell that manufactures immune cells
The cell was able to take over the bone marrow
It became the starting point for a new immune system that was able to get into the blood stream
This could not have happened in a muscle cell as it would not have made any difference to her
The fact it took place in the stem cell made all the difference, because it manufactures the immune cells
The woman no longer has warts, is no longer susceptible to infections and no longer has blood abnormalities
This now gives excellent insight into the syndrome
It goes to show that miracles, no matter how small, can have life changing effects in a very big way!
Women in the media face a hard time. Many women journalists in the front line are often harassed by men, who think they know better
They believe that by undermining women by their constant level of bickering and abuse they can bring these women journalist down
More safeguards are being put into place to secure women journalists from these online threats, which they face almost every day
A senior official from the European security body, the OSCE, has warned that this is already happening
The messages are abusive, violent and are often sexual
Online abuse against women journalists is a global phenomenon and growing
The online bullying is done by cowards, who are inept at facing people with their comments and should be seen as pathetic human beings
They cannot face up to what they consider is their right, but in fact is a blatant disregard for human respect
Female journalists are targeted mostly on their reporting of crime, politics and sensitive issues
The time has come for harassment of this kind to be investigated
The perpetrators must be exposed for who they are. This will be the first step into dealing with them
A name and shame scenario is required
The law will start to bring in a form of punishment to highlight this, because it will not be accepted in today’s world
Hundreds of children, forced to work in “inhuman conditions”, have now been rescued from factories in southern India
At least 350 children were removed during raids on leather tanning and plastic workshops in Hyderabad
The children are forced to work 12 hours a day with no respite
They are kept in unhygienic and unventilated dark rooms and monitored by the employers using video cameras
Any child that stopped working was beaten
India now has laws aimed at fighting child labour and it is illegal to employ a child under the age of 14 years old
This is due to the work of Kailash Satyarthi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in 2014
He has long campaigned against child labour and he has rescued children from servitude
India still has millions of child workers and a census in 2011 put the figure at about 4.35 million
Mr Kailash Satyarthi says the figures are as high as 60 million
One child goes missing every 8 minutes and nearly half are never found
A labour welfare official said raids on factories to check for child workers are now being carried out twice a month
India is taking effective measures to eradicate the Mafia behind bringing children from other states to work in these hazardous industries
The Human Rights of the child in India are absolutely appalling
The Government should be made responsible for their blatant acts of negligence
What can any child do? They are often kidnapped and forced to work
The West abolished the slave trade, but it obviously did not get as far as India
India has the population and man power. Do they have the will to eradicate slavery in their country?
All civilised countries have evolved to this state of being long ago
It is about time that India followed suit, if they wish to be thought of as serious in world affairs
The Serious Fraud Office has opened up a formal criminal investigation into accounting errors at Tesco
There is a £263 million overstatement of its first-half year profits, which has led to eight senior staff being suspended
When the SFO launches a full criminal investigation against a company or individual…
…it has to be satisfied that there are grounds of serious fraud or bribery
This has now happened and the SFO are looking into Tesco’s accounting practices
The 95 year old group has dominated the British high street for years
It is now battling a severe slowdown of trading, which has led to profit warnings
Tesco’s new chief executive, who is only seven weeks in the job, says he cannot provide a full year profit forecast
He does not know how much it would cost to rebuild the company
He is trying to stabilise the giant retailer, which some analysts say it’s now too destabilised to invest in
The Financial Regulator has the power to prosecute people who deliberately or recklessly mislead statements to the Stock Exchange
It was a whistle-blower who had alerted a senior lawyer over optimistic accounting of payments from suppliers and business costs
Tesco has admitted to overstating its profits by over £250 million
Tesco’s shares have now fallen every day and have already lost a fifth of their value
Many suppliers have been hit with unexpected additional charges for Tesco’s shortfall
They have had to suffer long-term delays with receiving their own payments – some have nearly gone out of business
One supplier, who had waited nearly a year to be paid, had to put the situation into the hands of a solicitor
Even with the solicitor’s letters Tesco still did not pay up
It was only when the solicitor threatened to bring Tesco’s down under the law that Tesco immediately paid up
Tesco wants the general public to believe this oversight in their accounting has only just happened
In fact it has been going on for years
Thanks must be given to the whistle-blowers, who are the saviours of the public
Tesco has been known for its ruthless handling of public land and development for its own ends
Often they put small shopkeepers out of business
Tesco’s only thought is for their own profits and greed no matter what the cost to others
This has been shown to be the case over many years
Now finally Spiritual Law has come into position and their ruthless behaviour is coming to bite them hard
There will be no mercy shown to this group as they did not show any mercy to those whose livelihoods they destroyed
China had the foresight to see that and so Tesco was refused permission to open up a store in that country – China looks after its own!
The Financial Conduct Authority has handed out this year in fines of £307 million. It has the teeth to do it and to hurt Tesco
Let this be a lesson to Tesco in future. They cannot expect to ride roughshod over everybody and still get away with it
The head of the UN inquiry into potential war crimes committed during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict has resigned
Pressure by Israel on Professor Schabas that he is biased against Israel, because of work he did for the Palestine Liberation Organisation
The UN inquiry’s panel, which was commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, is due to issue its findings in March
Mr Netanyahu has said the Council are “an anti-Israel body” and wants them scrapped
It is not surprising that Israel has refused to co-operate in this investigation
Professor Schabas did not want the issue to overshadow the work of the inquiry, which is at a decisive stage
Many UN buildings in Gaza, which were sheltering Palestinian women and children, were targeted indiscriminately
This was in spite of the UN continuingly giving Israel their co-ordinates, which were repeatedly ignored
In a previous war on Gaza, an Israeli tank fired shells into the Al-Aqsa Hospital…
…killing five people, wounding 60, which included 30 medical staff
The Israeli military said it had the right to attack Palestinian hospitals and schools in self-defence
The UN said that Israel violated International Law
The findings of this inquiry will give the truth as the world looks on with eager anticipation
Israel’s bully boy tactics cannot continue to go unchallenged and un-reprimanded
War crimes have been committed on both sides and justice now needs to be seen to be done
Israel cannot continue to think it is a law unto itself and everybody has to abide by their dictate
What is the point of justice in this modern world if it continues to fail the innocent?
We might as well all continue to act like savages for nothing changes!
The British Parliament will vote later to decide whether to allow the creation of babies using DNA from three people
The UK could be the first country to legalise three person babies and could help 150 couples a year
If a Yes vote is given it would help women like Sharon Bernardi from Sutherland, who has lost seven children to the mitochondrial disease
Mitochondria are the tiny compartments inside nearly every cell in the body that converts food into useable energy
They have their own DNA, which is separate to their own characteristics such as appearance
When you have a defective mitochondria, which is passed down by the mother…
…it leads to brain damage, liver dysfunction, muscle wastage, heart failure and blindness
The patient is in considerable pain all the time until death relieves them of their misery
The modified version of the IVF combines the two parents with a healthy mitochondria from a donor woman
This will allow for a permanent change to be passed on for generations
This research has been suggested by patients, supported by patients and is for patients
The Church wish to block the MP’s vote on this pioneering research and technique
As is so often is the case, the Church proves once again that they are completely heartless
They will not endorse this life changing research
They would prefer women to continue carrying this dysfunctional mitochondria and to pass it down with each generation
Like Haemophilia, which is also passed down by the mother, this is being cured by gene therapy and there is now hope for the future
This disease is where the patient’s blood cannot clot and so they could bleed to death in severe cases
They experience extensive bruising and internal bleeding
This process still needs to be perfected
The day will come when a person with Haemophilia will be taken to the treatment centre and leave without the disease
Where is the compassion by the Church for those who have these diseases, who suffer endless hours of pain and suffering?
As is usual, the Church is nowhere to be seen!
God’s Infinite Intelligence is behind these pioneering techniques
It is the saving grace to guide those whose research is for the Greater Good
Something the Church as usual fails to see and advocate
The Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste has been finally released
International pressure has been brought to bear on Egypt’s judicial system
The injustice and sham of his trial has been broadcasted throughout the world
How can anyone survive when the law is constantly being violated and abused?
Egypt clearly has no standards and therefore the world can look on it with disdain
Peter Greste was falsely accused of spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood
All journalists who work for Al-Jazeera have the highest moral and professional standard of reporting and are known for their impartiality
Al-Jazeera journalists have a reputation, which is acknowledged and respected globally
What is now needed is continued pressure, so that Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed will also be released
We hope that the Egyptian Courts will see sense and not use fear to pass on ridiculous trumped up charges which hold no water?
The eyes of the world continue to look down on Egypt and hope that sanity will prevail
That law and order starts to formulate into real justice for all
That same justice will be used in the cases of their own judges, should they ever need it!
At this time we send our best wishes to Peter Greste on his release
We further hope that his amazing reporting will continue once he has fully recovered from his arduous ordeal
The gun fiasco just keeps on running in America
This time it is a three year old American boy, who shot his father and his pregnant mother with the same bullet
The bullet passed through his father’s buttock and then went on to hit his mother’s arm
The toddler was reaching into his mother’s bag to get the iPod and picked up the gun instead
The toddler’s two year old sister, who was in the room at the time, was not hurt
While the parents were treated in hospital for their injuries, the children were put into care so their parents could recover
The District Attorney’s office will decide whether the parents will face negligence charges
In December a woman in the state of Idaho was killed by her two year old son who accidently shot his mother with a gun found in her handbag
The shooting took place while they were in a Wal-Mart store
What is the mentality of these people, who take so little precautions with these dangerous weapons?
They really have no need to have them in the first place
The stupidity and lack of responsibility by these parents is beyond belief
How can the American law continue to accept the freedom of gun laws by putting so many people at risk by reckless people?
There are more guns than common sense in America. God help the victims every one of them!
