How is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe linked to a UK debt to Iran?

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How is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe linked to a UK debt to Iran?

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman who has been held in Iran for nearly six years, has returned to the United Kingdom.

Her release, as well as that of another dual national, Anoosheh Ashoori, has been linked to the UK repaying Iran a multi-million-pound debt stemming from a failed 40-year arms contract.

The Shah of Iran, a pro-Western monarch who ruled the country at the time, acquired 1,500 Chieftain tanks and 250 Armoured Recovery Vehicles from the United Kingdom in a deal worth an estimated £650 million in the 1970s.

International Military Services (IMS), a private business that later became a part of the UK Ministry of Defence, received the funds.

Before the Shah was toppled in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, just 185 of the tanks were transferred to the Iranian authorities.

Since then, the Iranian government has been attempting to recoup the funds for the tanks that were never delivered.

Iran took IMS to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in 1990, a global corporate organisation that settles international trade issues.

A hearing in 2001 ruled in Iran’s favour. IMS appealed, but promised to pay the court £328.5 million if its appeal was unsuccessful in 2002.

The appeal hearings were completed in 2009, and the verdict in Iran’s favour was affirmed. However, in June 2008, the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran, and IMS’ payment to the Iranians was not released.

The UK government agreed it owed Iran for the tanks that were never delivered but maintained it couldn’t pay since Iran was still under economic sanctions.

There was also the issue of how much the United Kingdom owed Iran.

The British-Iranian was apprehended in April 2016 and held for nearly six years on suspicion of plotting against the Iranian regime. Throughout this time, she protested her innocence.

Former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in 2021 that Iran was linking her case to the outstanding debt.

The UK government, on the other hand, has refused to acknowledge that her arrest, as well as that of other dual nationals such as retired engineer Anoosheh Ashoori, was linked to the money.

Racism is ‘pervasive,’ according to research from the Royal Society of Chemistry

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Racism is ‘pervasive,’ according to research from the Royal Society of Chemistry

There is only one black chemistry professor out of 575 in the UK.

In the 15 years that Robert Mokaya has been a professor at Nottingham University, he has had every application for research funding turned down by the UK Research and Innovation agency, the country’s principal chemistry funding organization.

Robert has done exceptionally well for himself, despite the continuous rejections of funding applications. He is a well-known materials chemist who specialises in the investigation of materials for long-term energy storage and has numerous scholarly publications to his credit.

He was able to complete his research thanks to donations from charities and learned organisations like the Royal Society, which only rewards academics who have a track record of quality in their work. Robert is a trustee of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a pro-vice-chancellor at Nottingham University (RSC).

Racism is “pervasive” in the profession, according to a report issued by the RSC.

The investigation also backs up Robert’s observations, revealing that minority ethnic researchers are less likely to receive grant funding, promotions, and pay. In 2019/20, a minority ethnic chemical sciences researcher received an average grant of £320,000, compared to £355,000 for white peers.

According to the RSC report, ethnic minority students are interested in studying chemistry at university but are turned off by what they perceive to be an unwelcoming academic research environment. This is especially true for black researchers and students.

According to official statistics, 4.9 percent of undergraduate students pursuing chemistry-related disciplines identify as black, which is much higher than the national average of 3.0 percent of the UK population. 

According to the RSC assessment, chemistry organisations have no incentive to develop. According to the report, the majority of activities are voluntary and appear to have minimal impact.

The RSC has established a race and ethnicity team to press for organisational transformation. 

According to Robert Mokaya, he believes that these activities will influence the future generation of ethnic minority chemical scientists.

Ukraine provided a tool for searching billions of people’s faces.

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Ukraine provided a tool for searching billions of people’s faces.

According to a startup, a system that examines a database of billions of facial photos could help Ukraine find Russian infiltrators, combat misinformation, and identify the dead.

Clearview AI, a facial recognition company, has offered its services to Ukraine’s government.

According to the company, it has a searchable database of 10 billion faces gathered from the internet.

However, data regulators have previously imposed fines on the technique.

In a letter to Ukraine’s government, Clearview AI offered its services for free. It claims that Russian social media sites provide a substantial chunk of their face database.

According to the letter, the corporation has over two billion photographs from Vkontakte (VK), a social network that has been dubbed the “Facebook of Russia.”

According to a Clearview AI adviser, the depth of its Russian coverage makes it more comprehensive than a publicly available competing system called PimEyes, which has already been used to identify people in battle images.

Ukraine began utilising the technology on Saturday, according to Mr. Ton-That.

Privacy advocates have criticised Clearview AI’s technology.

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO), the UK’s data privacy regulator, handed a provisional £17 million penalty to the corporation in November.

It was also recently fined 20 million euros (£16.8 million) by Italian regulators after it was discovered that it used “what amounted to biometric monitoring techniques” on people in the country.

And, despite the fact that its technology is used by US law enforcement, the corporation is being sued in the United States for its usage of photos obtained from the internet.

At least one opponent claimed that facial recognition could lead to people being misidentified at checkpoints.

“We’re going to see well-intentioned technology backfiring and damaging the very people it’s designed to serve,” Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project in New York, told Reuters.

Mr. Ton-That went on to say that Clearview AI should never be relied on alone for identification.

Analysts worry that the Beijing Olympics app, My2022, is vulnerable to data breaches

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Analysts worry that the Beijing Olympics app, My2022, is vulnerable to data breaches

Analysts warn that the Beijing Winter Olympics app, which all guests must use, has security flaws that expose users to data breaches.

Athletes, audience members, and journalists will use the My2022 app to track COVID on a daily basis. Voice chats, file transfers, and Olympic news will all be available through the app. However, Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity firm, claims that many of the app’s files are not encrypted.

The publication of the study comes with an increase in security advisories for visitors ahead of the Games, which begin on February 4th.

Various experts have advised that people attending the Beijing Olympics bring burner phones and create email accounts for their time in China.

Athletes have also been advised to leave their main devices at home before travelling in China, according to reports.

Analysts said the illegal words file looked to be dormant at the moment, but they couldn’t say for sure. The 2,442 terms were mostly tied to politics, or they referenced harsh words and illegal commodities, according to a list of them. The majority of them were in simplified Chinese, but there were a few in Tibetan, Uyghur, and English as well.

There are references to the 1989 killing of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square and the religious group Falun Gong, which is banned in China, on the list, as well as names of Chinese officials and government institutions.

All visitors to the Games must download the app 14 days before their departure for China and use it to track their COVID status daily.

Foreign visitors must also upload sensitive information that has previously been provided to the Chinese government, such as passport information and travel and medical histories.

The software fails to authenticate digital security, or SSL, certificates of forwarding sites, according to the analysts, and some data were sent without any SSL protection or encryption at all.

Analysts have warned that uncovered flaws might trigger China’s consumer privacy laws, as well as Google and Apple’s app store policies.

While the problems revealed were troubling, the authors added that they “are not particularly unusual for apps functioning in China.”

As China’s economy weakens, it lowers interest rates

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As China’s economy weakens, it lowers interest rates

China has dropped its benchmark interest rate for the first time in almost two years, citing official data showing the country’s economic development has slowed.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported that GDP increased by 4% in the last three months of 2021 compared to the same period the previous year.

Even though this was better than most analysts expected, it was still a considerable drop from the prior quarter.

Another sign of a weakening retail sector was a 1.7 per cent drop in retail sales growth in December.

China’s GDP grew by 8.1 per cent in the year as a whole, beating economists’ predictions and exceeding Beijing’s yearly objective of around 6 per cent.

Some analysts, however, pointed out that the growth statistics, which were the slowest in a year and a half, did not account for the impact of the recent coronavirus outbreaks.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced it was decreasing the interest rate on one-year medium-term lending facility loans totalling 700 billion yuan (£80.6 billion; $110 billion) to 2.85 per cent to stimulate the economy. It was the first time such a cut had been made since April 2020.

The seven-day reverse repurchase rate, another PBOC lending mechanism, was also reduced, while the bank pushed an additional 200 billion yuan of medium-term liquidity into the financial sector.

China’s activities distinguish it from the rest of the world’s major central banks. The United States Federal Reserve has announced that it plans to raise interest rates three times this year.

In response to requests to rein in price hikes, the Bank of England raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years last month in the United Kingdom.

Growing fears about the effects of Beijing’s regulatory assault on businesses, the financial health of some of the country’s largest property corporations, and the spread of the Omicron form of COVID-19 have clouded China’s economic picture.

Plans to safeguard England’s national parks have been laid out.

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Plans to safeguard England’s national parks have been laid out.

The government has outlined plans to protect England’s national parks for future generations.

The plans also seek to promote access to nature and guarantee that landscapes play an important role in combating climate change.

It follows a review of national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) protection.

The plans, which include public consultation, are “a new chapter in the tale of our protected landscapes,” according to Environment Secretary George Eustice.

The consultation will run through April 9th, and it will solicit feedback on plans to promote nature’s recovery while also supporting communities that live and work in those places.

The recommendations include developing management plans for individuals in charge of national parks and AONBs, as well as encouraging local leaders across England to organise campaigns, events, and volunteer projects that will bring people closer to nature.

The Landscapes Review examined whether existing safeguards were still adequate.

“It won’t be enough to try to protect what we’ve inherited,” said Julian Glover, the review’s author. “ “By making them greener, more hospitable, and full of optimism, we can shift the storey from decline to recovery.”

According to Natural England, the pandemic has resulted in more people spending time outside, but it has also exposed gaps in access to green spaces, with low-income people being disadvantaged.

One of the goals outlined in the revised plans is to improve access to nature.

The goals include using landscapes in the battle against climate change, as well as biodiversity conservation and supporting people’s health and well-being over the next 70 years and beyond.

“These measures will play a critical role in achieving our global goal of protecting 30% of land for biodiversity by 2030,” Mr Eustice said.

As part of its 25-Year Environment Plan, the government has also committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Exclusive interview with Priyanka Kumari, Founder of Priyanka’s Spiritual Cafe

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Exclusive interview with Priyanka Kumari, Founder of Priyanka’s Spiritual Cafe

Priyanka Kumari, Founder of Priyanka’s Spiritual Cafe receives the Global 50 Glory Award 2021 for achievement in Psychic Tarot Reading & Numerology. She focuses on creating new establishments around holistic living and self-development and creating a platform to empower people to manifest and create their dream life. Here’s an exclusive interview with Priyanka Kumari:

Please tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a Doctor of Alternative Medicine and a psychology enthusiast.

I specialize in Psychic Tarot Reading, Numerology, Modern Meditation, Mindfulness, Hypnotherapy, Law of attraction, Manifestation, and energy work.

I love learning about human behaviour and mystic sciences, so Currently I am researching Tarot cards and our past life connections as there is not enough data around it.

What were the challenges that you faced initially and how did you overcome them?

I was always interested in psychology, seeing someone suffering would make me uncomfortable. But I didn’t know how to help anyone. So I Learned hypnotherapy, NLP, relationship counselling, and whatnot. However, I realized that people don’t take counselling or therapy as an important thing. For them talking to a friend is equal to counselling. And we still have the mindset around us. Acceptance is the biggest challenge. It’s like you know what’s your problem still you can’t accept it as it’s not legit.  

Then I started promoting myself as more of a Tarot Card Reader/Numerologist. “Because in India people don’t go to a psychologist, but they find it easy to go to an Astrologer.”

So the results were outstanding, I combined astrology with psychology and I always try to push my clients towards their betterment. So I do the same thing but with a twist.

What has been your most significant achievement? 

In the last two years, I have served more than 15000 clients. And I have been showered with unconditional love and support. Seeing them coming out of their traumas, difficulties and making a life worth living for is the most precious thing for me. You know your heart jumps with joy when you know – you did make a shift in someone’s life, and that’s enough.

How do you come up with new ideas?

Most of my ideas come from people around me. There is always a pattern around you, the same thing happening in a loop and telling you I am present in your reality. So when I see something happening quite frequently around me – it’s a signal.

So I start researching and working on a solution or workshop around it.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

The founder of Mindvalley Vishen Lakhiani. I have been following him for the past 8 years. The way he started his life, career, and finally built Mindvalley. He has been the biggest inspiration in my journey.

Who motivates you?

People out there, who trust me for whatever I do. Always ready to accept and explore new things with me. They are my true motivators.

What does a typical day look like for you?

As a recently married person, my life has changed a lot. However, on a normal day, I take clients for 4-6 hours. Then the major part of my day goes into reading, learning, or creating something new. I am on a constant journey of learning and evolving.

Who do you look towards for advice?

I am expressive. So I share everything with my siblings, my only friend, and my husband. However, when it’s about making a decision, I always do what feels right to my heart.

How do you define success?

For me, it’s all about the love you get from everyone. The day people start noticing your absence and your inbox is full of concerning messages – Know that You are successful.

What are your growth plans for the next 12 months?

My vision is to increase my reach and work with more people. So for the next 12 months, I am focused on creating new establishments around holistic living and self-development and creating a platform to empower people to manifest and create their dream life. 

My goal is to touch one million lives by 2025.

Thirty migrants are rescued as a guy drowns off the coast of France

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Thirty migrants are rescued as a guy drowns off the coast of France

A man drowned after attempting to cross the Channel to the United Kingdom, and 30 others were rescued by French rescuers.

When the small migrant boat came into trouble near the French coast at Berck-sur-Mer, south of Boulogne, the man fell overboard.

Although the majority of individuals saved were on board the boat, five people were rescued from a sandbank.

The drowning on Friday is thought to be the English Channel’s first casualty in 2022. According to prosecutors, the individual who died on Friday was supposed to be in his 20s and of Sudanese descent.

The alarm was raised, according to local media, when someone on land noticed the boat getting into trouble in frigid temperatures, maybe because they were caught by the tide. According to officials, some of those rescued were suffering from hypothermia.

At least 27 people drowned in the Channel last November in the deadliest single migrant boat disaster since the waterway connecting northern France and the United Kingdom became a favourite migratory route.

A lifeboat crew recovered the man from the ocean unconscious after several boats and a chopper reacted to the warning on Friday.

The boat was hauled to land and abandoned on the quayside, according to France’s Channel and North Sea maritime authorities. According to the following aircraft search, there was no one else in the sea.

Last year, three times as many people crossed the English Channel in tiny boats as were expected in 2020.

According to BBC data, at least 28,431 people crossed the border in 2021. The number of people attempting to cross the Channel has increased this month, with 271 people reaching the Kent shore on Thursday alone, surpassing the total number in January 2020.

According to the local French news website, La Voix du Nord, authorities at Le Touquet stopped a crossing involving mostly Syrians, Afghans, and Iranians and captured two Syrian traffickers.

Ronnie Spector, the Ronettes’ Be My Baby singer, died at the age of 78

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Ronnie Spector, the Ronettes’ Be My Baby singer, died at the age of 78

Ronnie Spector, the pioneering lead singer of the Ronettes, a 1960s all-girl ensemble, has died.

With classics like Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, and Walking in the Rain, the pop artist rose to popularity.

Her family released a statement saying, “She died at the age of 78 after a brief fight with cancer.”

She rose to stardom at the age of 18 while performing with her older sister and cousin in Manhattan, where she was born in 1943 as Veronica Yvette Bennett.

She married Phil Spector, the inventor of the “wall of sound” recording technique, in 1968. Before their divorce, they were married for six years and had three children.

Be My Baby, Walking In The Rain, and Baby I Love You were all recorded while he was in charge of the group.

He was, nevertheless, violent and abusive. According to Spector’s memoir, Phil placed a coffin in the basement of their house to warn the singer that if she left him, he would kill her. She ran away from their house barefoot in 1972. Later, the Ronnettes filed a lawsuit against the producer for unpaid royalties. While serving a murder term, he died in prison in 2021.

The Ronettes’ bad-girl reputations are regarded as paving the way for future female performers in the music industry.

It wasn’t only their clothes, though. Spector’s voice was a revelation, full of desire, compassion, and roughness, with a street-wise energy that other girl groups lacked.

Spector’s singing style impacted everyone from The Rolling Stones to The Beatles, and Be My Baby also charted in the UK top five. The Ronettes were hand-picked by the latter for their 1966 US tour, but a resentful Phil Spector refused to allow Ronnie to leave, and the band had to play the dates without her.

Spector’s final album, English Heart, was released in 2016, and it featured covers of 1960s classics such as The Kinks’ Tired of Waiting and Nina Simone’s Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.

Can the ‘Silver Fox’ outwit Vladimir Putin?

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Can the ‘Silver Fox’ outwit Vladimir Putin?

Wendy Sherman, one of the world’s most powerful diplomats, is known as the Silver Fox for her pure white mane and astute deal-making abilities. She is assisting in the leadership of the US-Russia discussions in Europe on Wednesday.

Ms Sherman, the United States’ Deputy Secretary of State and one of the department’s senior officials have been meeting with Russian officials to discuss Ukraine this week. The stakes are high.

President Vladimir Putin has stationed over 100,000 Russian troops near the Ukrainian border, raising concerns of an assault and triggering warnings from the West.

Negotiations with the Russians are one way for US officials to alleviate the tense situation, and Ms Sherman is in her element.
She is known in Washington for her sassy demeanour and a reputation for taking on difficult matters head-on.

She attempted to reach a deal with North Korea under President Bill Clinton to halt their nuclear weapons development.

While President Barack Obama was in office, she took the lead in the US team’s nuclear discussions with Iran in 2011. She finally had a role in the historic nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1, which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany, which was reached in 2015.

Ms Sherman stated at the time that being a woman did not hinder her progress at the negotiation table, despite the Islamic Republic of Iran’s severe laws about male-female contact.

Ms Sherman, 72, has a pale complexion and short, steely-grey hair, and despite the arduous nature of international negotiations, she always appears well-dressed “never a hair out of place,” according to a British diplomat who has dealt with her.

Because of her deceptive approach to their negotiations, the Iranians dubbed her “The Fox.” Her colleagues at the State Department embraced the moniker, even wearing “Silver Fox” T-shirts during the talks.

She unconventionally honed her diplomatic talents: after graduating from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, she worked with foster children in Baltimore.

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