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While It Boasts To Be The Beacon of Human Rights, USA Continues to Supply Weapons To Israel

2024-05-15T06:24:00.000+02:00

The Biden administration's decision to move forward with over $1 billion in weapons deals for Israel is a significant and strategic move that demonstrates the United States' unwavering commitment to supporting its key ally in the Middle East. This transfer of lethal aid comes just a week after the White House temporarily paused a single shipment of precision-guided munitions to Israel, raising concerns about potential shifts in U.S. policy.However, this latest development underscores the Biden administration's recognition of the critical role Israel plays in regional stability and security. By approving these substantial weapons deals, the U.S. is sending a clear message that it stands firmly behind Israel's right to defend itself and maintain its military superiority in the face of ongoing threats and challenges in the region. Moreover, this decision reflects the Biden administration's understanding of the complex and volatile geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. Providing Israel with advanced military capabilities is not only a matter of national security for the U.S., but also a strategic investment in preserving regional balance and deterring potential aggressors. As the U.S. continues to navigate the delicate dynamics of the Middle East, this move demonstrates its unwavering commitment to its allies and its determination to maintain a strong presence in the region.The proposed arms deals underscore the administration's commitment to supporting its allies and upholding global stability. The potential transfer of over $1.2 billion in critical military equipment, including tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, and mortar rounds, demonstrates the administration's willingness to provide the necessary tools for its partners to defend themselves and maintain regional security. This decision reflects the administration's recognition of the evolving geopolitical landscape and the need for a robust defense posture. By facilitating these arms deals, the administration is sending a clear message that it stands behind its allies and is dedicated to preserving peace and security on the international stage.The transfer of these military assets is not merely a symbolic gesture but a tangible investment in the long-term security and stability of the region. The administration's willingness to engage in such sensitive matters, while maintaining the necessary discretion, underscores its strategic approach to foreign policy and its commitment to empowering its allies to address emerging threats.

A Boom In Videoconferencing Services As Remote Working Explodes

2020-05-08T15:15:00.000+02:00

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is leading to a rapidly growing video communication service market, as tech giants are fighting to introduce new remote working services or expand their existing offerings.

The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in an urgent need for remote interactions, as people across the globe have been forced to substitute their in-person meetings with virtual networking sessions, from corporate meetings to music concerts, funerals, weddings and family meetings, with video-conferencing players getting a big piece of the pie.

Recently, Google announced it will make Google Meet video-conferencing service freely available to all Google account-holders, as the platform reaches 100 million daily users.

According to Google, from early May, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up for Meet, formerly known as Google Hangouts, and gain access to many of the same features available to its priced G-suite business and education tools.

Meanwhile, Zoom’s stock reportedly dipped when Facebook introduced Messenger Rooms, a service that will let users invite as many as 50 people to a video call with no time limit, while WhatsApp has expanded its video-calling service to now include up to eight people instead of just four.

As more companies and educational institutions introduce remote working policies, video software providers such as Microsoft, Cisco, UberConference, and Zoom Video Communications have reported a dramatic surge in demand for their work-from-home services, as the industry’s revenue projections reach billions of dollars.

“The global video-conferencing industry is worth anywhere between $4 billion and $8 billion, depending on who is doing the counting and how they're counting.Traditionally, the enterprise market is by far the largest. But we've seen a significant shift as remote working and remote teaching begins to dominate that market,” explains Arthur Goldstuck, head of World Wide Worx. He says the previous forecast for video-conferencing revenue growth, which suggested the market would double over eight years, was completely overturned by the massive growth seen in the first quarter of 2020.

Massive revenue growth

While the video-conferencing industry had seen steady growth in the past few years due to geographically-scattered business operations and increasing remote workforce management, the biggest driving factor this year has been the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to a flourishing market, even as the global economy takes a huge blow.

Zoom signed a cloud deal with Oracle to use its cloud infrastructure support after the video-conferencing company’s daily users spiked to 300 million, up from 100 million two months ago.

The company’s growth has reportedly contributed to founder and CEO Eric Yuan adding $1 billion to his net worth in the last month.

Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan.

Microsoft Teams, available through the tech giant’sOffice 365-based collaboration platform, has reached 44 million daily users across the globe, while Cisco says its conferencing platform Webex recorded four million daily meetings on its busiest day on 18 March.

Goldstuck believes that while the greatest appetite is for the free versions of these packages, their growth represents massive revenue increases as more users see the benefits of the commercial paid-for versions of the software.

“This has been reflected in the stratospheric rise in Zoom's share price. But this tends to mask what is happening in the enterprise environment, where we've seen Microsoft and Amazon’s share prices also shooting up as a result of massive growth in cloud usage. Microsoft's first-quarter results reflected a 39% increase in revenue, thanks to the massive demand for cloud computing, partly driven by the explosion in the use of Microsoft Teams,” he points out.

This kind of growth, notes Goldstuck, is mirrored throughout the industry, meaning the doubling of the market that was expected between 2019 and 2027 is probably all happening in 2020.

Google was an early leader in video-conferencing for the mass market with Google Hangouts; however, it failed to capture the enterprise market when it introduced Meet as a commercial tool, he adds.

“Opening up Meet for free use is an astute move by Google because it then introduces a far wider user base to the full power and versatility of Google as a platform for video-conferencing and collaboration.”

A new way of working

In terms of growth beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Goldstuck believes users will relax into what's already a cliché, of the new normal, where the use of video-conferencing tools will be standard, and free versions will be the most commonly used.

However, the benefits gained from the commercial tools linked to paid-for versions will start growing from a new base of users, he adds.

“So any astute investor who's in it for the long-term is going to look at what the reset base will be after lockdown – the proportion of new users now will be ongoing users later, and then from that level, determine what growth can be expected.

“This is why it is so important for the likes of Zoom, Google, Microsoft, and Cisco to ensure their products become bulletproof from a security and scalability point of view so that there are no reputational issues hampering growth at a later stage,” concludes Goldstuck.

Airlines Globally Face Bankruptcy by May.

2020-03-17T10:58:00.000+02:00

By the end of May 2020, numerous airlines worldwide could be bankrupt, according to an analysis by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.

It has called for an urgent coordinated government and industry action to avoid catastrophe in the sector.

"As the impact of the coronavirus and multiple government travel reactions sweep through our world, many airlines have probably already been driven into technical bankruptcy, or are at least substantially in breach of debt covenants," CAPA said in a newsletter to members on Monday.

'Unprecedented'

"Cash reserves are running down quickly as fleets are grounded, and what flights there are operate much less than half full. Forward bookings are far outweighed by cancellations, and each time there is a new government recommendation it is to discourage flying. Demand is drying up in ways that are completely unprecedented. Normality is not yet on the horizon."

The analysis, furthermore, argues that each nation seems to be adopting an individual solution, rather than consulting with neighbors and trading partners. CAPA, for its part, sees the prioritization of country interests over industry cooperation as an increasing threat for aviation.

"The aviation industry is about much more than airline health. It is crucial to global communications and trade," the aviation body said.

"As things stand, the likely tepid response to the airline crisis will equally be fragmented and nationally based. It will consist mostly of bailing out selected national airlines."

CAPA has called for intergovernmental coordination, saying it is essential for the aviation industry in a post-coronavirus world. It foresees that failure to coordinate the future of aviation will result in protectionism and much less competition.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also warned of extreme pressure on the aviation industry. It has urged governments to prepare for the broad economic consequences of travel restrictions they impose and to respond quickly to the financial frailty of airlines, while also following the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.

'Extraordinary Times'

"These are extraordinary times and governments are taking unprecedented measures. Safety — including public health — is always a top priority.

"Airlines are complying with these requirements. Governments must also recognize that airlines — employing some 2.7 million people — are under extreme financial and operational pressures. They need support," Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's director general and CEO said in a recent statement.

Britain Backs Putin's Idea Of Five-way Summit of World Powers

2020-03-16T12:05:00.001+02:00

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it supported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s idea to hold a summit between the leaders of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to discuss international peace and security measures.

Britain is the last country to give its assent after Putin in January proposed that the leaders of Russia, China, the United States, France, and Britain meet.

France and China have publicly voiced their approval for the summit, while a senior U.S. administration official said in February that President Donald Trump was willing to meet and discuss arms control.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Britain had expressed an interest in Putin’s idea and that the best venue for the meeting could be the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for Sept. 15-30 in New York.

The British Embassy in Moscow confirmed Britain's support for the encounter.
"Britain, on the whole, supports the idea of a meeting between the heads of states on the UN Security Council's permanent members, with the aim of discussing questions of international Peace and Security," it said in a social media posting. "We are in contact with the Russian government to discuss details on this proposal."

A spokesman for British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said he had received a letter from the Russian side which would be formally answered in due course. Peskov said the proposed meeting was a long way off and that talk of coronavirus forcing changes were premature.

Doomsday Clock Is at 100 Seconds To Midnight

2020-02-01T11:17:00.000+02:00

The end of the world just got a little closer. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists pushed the minute hand of their symbolic “Doomsday Clock” forward by 20 seconds on January 23, bringing the time to just 100 seconds until “midnight”—the symbolic hour of global nuclear destruction. This is the nearest the countdown has ever been to “doomsday” since the clock was developed almost 75 years ago.

“[T]he international security situation is now more dangerous than it has ever been, even at the height of the Cold War,” John Mecklin, the Bulletin’s editor in chief, wrote in a statement about the group’s decision to push the time forward.

Created in 1947, the Doomsday Clock is an emblematic indication of the likelihood that humanity will start war, with midnight representing the zero hour—worldwide destruction. The farthest from midnight the clock was ever set came in 1991 when the Cold War era concluded, and it was placed at 17 minutes to midnight. The nearest to zero hour it had ever been—before last week—was in 1953 when the clock sat at two minutes to midnight after the announcement that the United States and the Soviet Union had tested thermonuclear weapons within less than a year of each other. In 2018, it was again pushed forward to two minutes to midnight as North Korea’s nuclear activity reached a crisis point, and as other global powers grew more bellicose. The clock remained at the 11:58 mark throughout 2018 and 2019.

But now the team behind the clock says the threat is even more severe.

“In the nuclear realm, national leaders have ended or undermined several major arms control treaties and negotiations during the last year, creating an environment conducive to a renewed nuclear arms race, to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to lowered barriers to nuclear war,” Mecklin wrote. “Political conflicts regarding nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea remain unresolved and are, if anything, worsening. U.S.-Russia cooperation on arms control and disarmament is all but nonexistent.”

He continued:

Faced with this daunting threat landscape and a new willingness of political leaders to reject the negotiations and institutions that can protect civilization over the long term, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Science and Security Board today moves the Doomsday Clock 20 seconds closer to midnight—closer to apocalypse than ever.

The Bulletin calls special attention to flashpoints in Asia, highlighting the fact that it is home to five of the world’s nine nuclear-armed powers: Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, Kashmir and the Korean Peninsula mean the region is dotted with potentially cataclysmic thermonuclear flashpoints.

Robert Rosner, chair of the Bulletin’s science and security board, said that the situation worldwide is “profoundly unstable.” He said the threats are compounded by an increase in “cyber-enabled disinformation campaigns,” which is crippling “the public’s ability to sort out what’s true and what’s patently false.”

There’s a lot to disagree with in the Bulletin’s reasoning. But the fact is we do live in dangerous times. In 2002, when the Doomsday Clock was pushed forward from nine to seven minutes to midnight, an editor of an international magazine, Gerald Flurry wrote about the importance of the move—and the shameful lack of attention it received. “The world should have jolted out of sleep at the news,” he wrote. “Headlines should have splashed across all the media. But no real alarm was sounded. The majority of the news media dismissed it. And many still slumber on as the world heads toward self-destruction.”

Many have associated this clock to what the Bible has prophesied about the end of times. There have been conflicting views by different denominations regarding the matter, but we do not want to delve into that. We leave it to the reader to search for the meaning behind this buzz.

Religious Persecution Still Continues in Russia Despite International Condemnation

2020-01-09T16:30:00.000+02:00

Kaluga, Russia. On June 26, 2019, in Kaluga, Russia, mass searches by masked law enforcement officers were carried out in the homes of two peaceful believers. Two of Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Makhnev and Dimitri Kuzin were detained, simply for their religion. The officers stormed into these men's houses, without any warrants and handcuffed them. Their families were treated badly during these raids. Another group from the same raided a home of an 87 years old Olga Verevkina. She describes them as a full SWAT team in camouflage with no warrant, raiding a home of an old sickly woman. They demanded that she stands up and she responded she can't since she's infirm.

According to these believers, books from the list that the Federal government has banned for being extremist material were planted in their homes, in order to justify why they were arrested. The search at Roman's house lasted from about 9 in the evening until 4 a.m the following morning. After the searches, the two men were taken into the FSB building, handcuffed for questioning. One of the men, Roman, was detained without food for three days. Their lawyer has filed complaints with relevant agencies for the inhumane treatment of an innocent man.

On June 28, the local District Court sent both men to a detention centre until this day. No formal charges were laid against them. No evidence of them being a threat to society have been proven, yet they languish in jail. We hope that International Human Rights organizations take note of this abuse and intervene. A call to the government of Russia to cease this treatment against Christian believers and protect their rights as citizens.

Primary School Boy Fighting Teachers Has a Medical Condition - Panyaza Lesufi

2018-12-06T17:03:00.000+02:00

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi

Johannesburg - MEC for Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, made an emergency visit to Lewisham Primary School in Krugersdorp on Thursday following the emergence of a video showing a learner insulting his teacher, calling him rubbish and saying he stinks.

The same boy is also seen fighting a female trying to restrain him.

In the 51 second video, the boy is seen screaming at a male teacher, pulling him with his shirt.

The female teacher then intervenes. “Leave the teacher,” she says as he gets between the two.

The boy then fights the female teacher, pushing and hitting her.

The male teacher then goes towards the boy and tries to restrain him from hitting the teacher. However, the boy lashes out at him.

"Don't touch me, you stink. Did you have a bath this morning?" he shouts at him.

The female teacher then says to the boy: Don’t do this. Calm down" but the boy screams at her: "Leave me alone. Don’t touch me. Calm down for what?"

The male teacher decides to walk away and the learner can be heard shouting at him saying “This rubbish”.

The female teacher continues to restrain the boy who refuses to calm down. He can also be heard threatening to "smash that car".

Many people who saw the video said it was clear that teachers were not safe in schools and that the boy needed to be expelled. However, Lesufi disagreed, saying the child has a constitutional right to learn.

"I can't just throw the child on the streets and say he 'can't come back'. He has a constitutional right to be in school," Lesufi said on SAFM.

It is not clear what sparked the argument but Lesufi said the child has a medical condition and he had behaved in the way he did because he had not taken his medication.

"The child is going through difficulties and has a medical condition; I can't ignore that. We have to find a way of assisting him. His parents have accepted that there was no justification for the child utter those words to the teacher," he said.

Lesufi said it was also not fair for people to say he only had the boy's interests at heart but not the teacher's, saying he was trying to support both but that the child had to be protected.

He also slammed the teacher who released the video.

"I feel that the video should have not been released, there are ways of dealing with this," he said.

Today I held an urgent meeting with the learner who was captured on a video insulting educators. I also met his parents and social workers. pic.twitter.com/VQcqhC4V9k
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) December 6, 2018

Lesufi met with the school management and the parents of the boy and has since appointed a team to look into the incident and report back to him next week.

How to move your Wordpress from a subfolder to the root directory

2017-07-25T12:51:00.000+02:00

It is a common practise for people to create and test a new version of their site in a subfolder so that it does not affect their main domain. Once they finish, they will want to move the new site to the root directory for the domain. This is very common with WordPress. here below is steps you can take to do that.

Make a Backup of your account

Before taking any steps, it is a good idea to make a backup of your account prior to making any changes.

Prepare your WordPress installation for the move

Prior to physically moving the files, you will need to prepare the installation to accept the new URL name.

Log into your WordPress Dashboard. For example.
From the main dashboard, go to Administration -> Settings -> General.
Next, look for the WordPress address (URI): and change it from (example.com/WordPress to example.com)
Lastly, look for the Site Address address (URL): and change it from (example.com/WordPress to example.com

Moving your WordPress from a subfolder to your main folder

After you have made your backup, removed the site files from the builder, and prepared your WordPress files, it is time to move your WordPress to the primary folder.

Step1. Log into your cPanel admin dashboard.
Step2. From the main cPanel area, look for the Files category and then click on the File Manager tool. Go to Settings In the Preferences window that appears, select the checkbox entitled Show Hidden Files.
Step3. Once inside the File Manager, you will want to navigate to the folder you have the WordPress site in. For example, a folder named WordPress.
Step4. You will see a list of all the WordPress files and folders in the right hand panel. Highlight them all and click on the Copy icon from the menu toolbar across the top of the page.
Step5. A popup will appear so you can enter the destination folder. Continuing with our WordPress folder example, it should show as public_html/WordPress. Remove the /WordPress from the destination path so that it simply displays as public_html. Click the Copy Files button.
Step6. This will copy the files up to the public_html folder. Use the File Manager to navigate back to the public_html folder. (You can do this by clicking on the Up One Level button from the toolbar across the top of the right hand panel.)
Step7. You should now see the same files as you have in your WordPress folder.
Step8. You can now delete the old WordPress folder.

Log in and finish the URL details

Step1. Log into your NEW WordPress admin dashboard. For example (example.com/wp-admin or example.com/wp-login.php)
Step2. Go to Administration -> Settings -> Permalinks and ensure the link structure is the same as your new URL.

DSTV MEDIA SALES ADMITS TO PRICE FIXING AND AGREES TO A SETTLEMENT

2017-05-26T14:24:00.000+02:00

DStv Media Sales (Pty) Ltd has admitted to price fixing and the fixing of trading conditions in contravention of South Africa’s Competition Act. The admission forms part of a consent agreement concluded between the company and the Commission.

In terms of the consent agreement filed with the Competition Tribunal today, 25 May 2017, DStv Media Sales has agreed to an accumulative remedy of R180m. They agreed to pay an administrative penalty amounting to R22 262 599 (twenty two million, two hundred and sixty two thousand, five hundred and ninety nine rand).

The company will also pay R8 000 000 (eight million rand) to the Economic Development Fund over three years, to enable the development of black owned small media or advertising agencies requiring assistance with start-up capital and to assist black students requiring bursaries to study media or advertising, among others. This will be managed by the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and audited annually.

DStv Media Sales has further agreed to provide 25% in bonus airtime for every Rand of airtime bought by qualifying small agencies. This aims to help smaller agencies participate in the market. The bonus airtime will be provided for a period of three years and is subject to a total annual airtime cap of R50 000 000 (fifty million rand).

The matter relates to a November 2011 investigation which found that, through the Media Credit Co-Ordinators (MCC), various media companies agreed to offer similar discounts and payment terms to advertising agencies that place advertisements with MCC members.

MCC accredited agencies were offered a 16.5% discount for payments made within 45 days of the statement date, while non-members were offered 15%.

The Commission found that the practices restricted competition among the competing companies as they did not independently determine an element of a price in the form of discount or trading terms. This amounts to price fixing and the fixing of trading conditions in contravention of the Competition Act.

The Commission has filed the consent agreement with the Competition Tribunal for confirmation as an order by the Tribunal.

Evidence of a parallel universe? 'Cold Spot' in space suggests there are alternate worlds with their own versions of reality

2017-05-17T13:27:00.001+02:00

Multiverse theory suggests there are infinite universes in the cosmos
These infinite universes contain an infinite number of possible realities
A new study looked at a 'Cold Spot' in space that has baffled scientists for years
The authors suggest it could be caused by our universe colliding with another
If true, this would prove that our reality is one of many in the cosmos

In the desolate darkness of space it is difficult to imagine we are anything but alone in the cosmos.

But imagine for a moment that we are not alone, but in fact one of an infinite number of parallel universes that contain infinite versions of ourselves.

In one universe you might be president of the United States, while in another you could be made of gelatin.

This is the theory of the 'multiverse', and a new study has found that a mysterious 'Cold Spot' in space could prove our universe is merely one of an everlasting string of realities.

Scroll down for video

A map of cosmic microwave background (CMB) sky produced by the Planck satellite. Red represents slightly warmer regions, and blue slightly cooler regions. The Cold Spot is shown in the inset and could help to prove the multiverse theory

For years, scientists have been stumped by the Cold Spot, which measures around 1.8 billion light years across.

Measurements of the universe's background radiation found this spot is colder than its surroundings by around 0.00015 degrees Celsius (0.00027 degrees Fahrenheit).

Researchers had previously suggested that the spot was cooler simply because it contained as many as 10,000 galaxies less than other, comparable regions of space.

But a new study has shown that this 'massive super-void' could not possibly exist, meaning the Cold Spot cannot be explained by any 'missing' matter.

This opens the origin of the Cold Spot to more peculiar explanations, with one being that it is proof of the 'multiverse'.

'We can't entirely rule out that the Spot is caused by an unlikely fluctuation explained by the standard model [of particle physics],' said study coauthor Professor Tom Shanks, an astrologist at Durham University.

'But if that isn't the answer, then there are more exotic explanations. Perhaps the most exciting of these is that the Cold Spot was caused by a collision between our universe and another bubble universe.

'If further, more detailed, analysis … proves this to be the case then the Cold Spot might be taken as the first evidence for the multiverse.'

If true, the Cold Spot could reveal that our cosmos contains an infinite number of parallel universes containing an infinite number of realities.

Measurements of the universe's background radiation found this spot is Colder than its surroundings by around 0.00015 degrees Celsius (0.00027 degrees Fahrenheit). Experts suggest the spot could be caused by our universe colliding with another

'These uncountable realms sit side by side in higher dimensions that our senses are incapable of perceiving directly,' astronomy expert Dr Stuart Clarke wrote in the Guardian.

'Each alternate universe carries its own different version of reality.'

'There will be one where you wrote this column and I read it... even a really weird one in which Donald Trump uses twitter to spread nothing but amusing cat videos.'

The Cold Spot was produced when the universe formed more than 13 billion years ago.

The Cold Spot was produced when the universe formed more than 13 billion years ago. It was first spotted by Nasa's WMAP satellite in 2004, a sighting that was later confirmed by the ESA's Planck mission in 2013

It was first spotted by Nasa's WMAP satellite in 2004, a sighting that was later confirmed by the ESA's Planck mission in 2013.

Rather than the Cold Spot existing as a single, massive supervoid, the new study suggests galaxies in the spot cluster around smaller voids that spread over the region like bubbles.

But these clusters of galaxies cannot explain the Cold Spot's lower temperature.

In the desolate darkness of space it is difficult to imagine we are anything but alone in the cosmos. But imagine that we are not alone, but in fact one of an infinite number of parallel universes, containing an infinite number of versions of ourselves (artist's impression)

In order to prove that the clusters are responsible for the anomalous Cold Spot, the researchers say a non-standard cosmological model is needed.

'But our data place powerful constraints on any attempt to do that,' said study lead author Ruari Mackenzie.

The study's simulations show there is only a two per cent chance that the Cold Spot formed randomly, meaning - multiverse or not - there is plenty more research to be done on the mysterious region.

Russian Supreme Court Goes Ahead to Ban Jehovah's Witnesses

2017-04-20T19:53:00.001+02:00

Members of the Jehovah's Witnesses Administration centre legal team awaiting the Judgement

Russia has decided to go ahead with the Ministry of justice's motion to ban Jehovah's Witnesses after the Supreme Court ruled the Christian Organization to be an "extremist" group.

“The Supreme Court has ruled to sustain the claim of Russia's ministry of justice and deem the 'Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' organisation extremist, eliminate it and ban its activity in Russia,” said judge Yuri Ivanenko. “The property of the Jehovah's Witnesses organisation is to be confiscated to the state revenue."

A lawyer for the justice ministry, Svetlana Borisova, told the court the followers of this religion “pose a threat to the rights of the citizens, public order and public security". Judges ordered the closure of the group's Russian headquarters and 395 local chapters, as well as the seizure of its property.

Social networks have been abuzz with an outcry from all over the world about this decision. Some say it poses a threat to freedom of religion, not just to Russians but all Christians worldwide. Some say it is sad that the Court chose to overlook evidence presented before it of falsified "evidence" by police to the premises of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Ministry of Justice has failed to prove how are Jehovah's Witnesses a re a threat to society and where in their publications are they promoting extremism. Some feel that Lady Justice has failed the minority groups in Russia. Some say this may have some political influence, but time will tell.

Lawyers for the Jehovah's Witnesses said they would appeal the court's decision, which has not yet come into effect, and could take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The world is watching!

UNITED NATIONS RIGHTS EXPERTS URGE RUSSIA TO DROP JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES LAWSUIT WHICH THREATENS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

2017-04-04T19:28:00.004+02:00

4 April 2017

GENEVA – Moves by the Russian Government to ban the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses using a lawsuit brought under anti-extremism legislation have been condemned as “extremely worrying” by three United Nations human rights experts*.

“This lawsuit is a threat not only to Jehovah’s Witnesses, but to individual freedom in general in the Russian Federation,” the experts said.

“The use of counter-extremism legislation in this way to confine freedom of opinion, including religious belief, expression and association to that which is state-approved is unlawful and dangerous, and signals a dark future for all religious freedom in Russia,” they stressed.

The condemnation follows a lawsuit lodged at the country’s Supreme Court on 15 March to declare the Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Centre ‘extremist’, to liquidate it, and to ban its activity.

A suspension order came into effect on that date, preventing the Administrative Centre and all its local religious centres from using state and municipal news media, and from organizing and conducting assemblies, rallies and other public events.

A full court hearing is scheduled for 5 April and if the Supreme Court rules in favour of the authorities, it will be the first such ruling by a court declaring a registered centralized religious organization to be ‘extremist’.

Concerns about the counter-extremism legislation have previously been raised in a communication by the three experts to the Russian authorities on 28 July 2016.

The Suspension Order imposed on 15 March is the latest in a series of judicial cases and orders, including a warning sent to the organization last year referring to the ‘inadmissibility of extremist activity’. This has already led to the dissolution of several local Jehovah’s Witness organizations, raids against their premises and literature being confiscated.

“We urge the authorities to drop the lawsuit in compliance with their obligations under international human rights law, and to revise the counter-extremism legislation and its implementation to avoid fundamental human rights abuses,” the UN experts concluded.

(*) The experts: Mr. David Kaye (USA), Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. Maina Kiai (Kenya), Special Rapporteur on freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association, and Mr. Ahmed Shaheed (the Maldives), Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

Religious freedom under attack in Russia

2017-03-29T14:54:00.004+02:00

Russia (MNN) — The status of religious freedom in Russia continues to balance dangerously on a crumbling fulcrum. The latest in this news involves a group of people who may have recently knocked on your door: The Jehovah’s Witnesses.

(Photo courtesy of Mikey via Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/9Z5caa)

Russia’s Ministry of Justice has applied to have Jehovah’s Witnesses activity, organization, and headquarters declared that of an extremist group. This would ban further activity and liquidate the organization. The faith group has kept a detailed account of proceedings of the Russian government against them, including an inspection of the headquarters last month. A hearing on the application will take place next week, April 5th.

Open Doors USA is an organization that supports the persecuted Christian Church around the world. However, this ministry also recognizes the importance to fight for freedom of religion for all religions, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Emily Fuentes of Open Doors explains why:

“It’s concerning because there have not been any extremists attacks from Jehovah’s Witnesses within their area versus some of the groups where there are extremists who do attacks. Any time you’re labeling a group with an extremist ideology, it puts other faith groups at risk.”

She explains that in some areas of the world, particularly in the Middle East and Central Asia, Christianity has already been labeled an extremist religion.

“So it’s just one step away where you’re labeling another group that hasn’t been responsible for extremist actions or attacks as extremists. We need to speak up because it could very well be Christians next.”

Under the shadow of the law

Last year, Russia adopted a new anti-terrorism law. Under the guise of thwarting terrorist attacks, the vaguely written law has had many ministries concerned. Depending on how it is applied, the law could hinder Christian functions in Russia.

Reuters says it’s another, older law which is the ground for accusations in this current case with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This law against extremism has had changing definitions of what counts as extremist activity. You can read more about that from the Library of Congress here.

“It is concerning when this happens. It’s something to monitor, it’s something to be very mindful of for Christians in this part of the world,” Fuentes says.

Open Doors USA is keeping an eye on the situation. But no matter what happens, Fuentes suggests, the Gospel will continue to spread.

“We often see that the Church grows and thrives in the face of persecution. There’s a lot of horrible things that come with persecution, but God also brings beauty out of ashes in many of these cases. So pray for strength if persecution is going to be increasing in this region, if Christians are targeted next.”

She also asks that we pray for Christians in these areas to be wise in how they stand up for other groups who are facing oppression and mistreatment. In response to this imminent ban, the Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses has encouraged their members from all over the world to engage in a Global letter writing campaign to appeal to the Russian authorities to review the matter and not label them as extremists since there has not been any evidence of extremist behavior from any from this religious group. From their official Website, jw.org, they posted this call in their Newsroom. Here's the link https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/russia/jw-mobilize-global-response-to-threat-of-ban/

Amazon Prime Video now available in South Africa

2017-03-18T14:30:00.004+02:00

Stream movies online from as little as $2.99

Amazon Prime Video is now available in South Africa, following its launch in over 200 countries.

“Customers can sign up for a Prime Video membership and enjoy popular new shows like The Grand Tour and award-winning Amazon Original Series including Mozart in the Jungle,” said Amazon.

Customers in new Prime Video territories can access the service for an introductory price of $2.99 per month for the first six months.

South Africa’s pricing is listed at $2.99 per month.

Prime Video can be watched through its app on Android and iOS, Fire Tablets, LG and Samsung Smart TVs, or online at PrimeVideo.com.

Users can also download all titles to mobile devices for offline viewing.

“Prime Video members can also control how much data they use when streaming and downloading video by choosing between Good, Better, and Best visual quality settings.”

Amazon Prime Video’s automated and machine learning systems will also select the best streaming configurations for a customer based on their device, location, and ISP, said the company.

IS wants to host government cloud

2017-01-17T11:32:00.000+02:00

Hosting a government cloud is an area that Internet Solutions (IS) would like to strategically explore, according to the company's newly appointed public sector executive, Mncedisi Mayekiso.
The IS offering represents something that is at the centre of what the local government wants to do around service delivery, he noted. "Government is now changing the consumption model, so we are starting to see changes in how IT will be consumed going forward. Maybe we are not there yet, but… naturally, government would like to make sure that cloud is hosted locally.

Mncedisi Mayekiso, Puclic Sector Executive, IS

Mayekiso made the comments following his appointment, late last year, to head up the public sector business of the wholly owned Dimension Data Group subsidiary."IS has one of the largest data centre cloud infrastructures in the country. That is, 16 000m² of data centre; in other words, we can host a government cloud quite easily."
When it comes to driving smart city initiatives and the roll-out of public WiFi infrastructure that government is pushing, IS wants to be at the centre of this activity.

Grooming young talentHe said IS wants to play a central role in the conversation about private or hybrid cloud for government, and it would be quite happy to collaborate with other service providers.

Although Mayekiso said he would not be drawn into quantifying how significantly the public sector business contributes to the company, he said: "It is a very strategic part of IS business and represents a fair chunk."
Mayekiso is looking to work with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) aggressively to deliver services to customers.
"In general, as an industry, we need to accelerate small business development. There are a lot of young and promising SMEs out there and we need to support and grow them; we need to see these companies grow and list on the JSE.
"We, in the private sector, jointly with government, need to make sure that some of the lucrative contracts that are out in the market we share with SMEs and work on them jointly going forward."
He added: "We can take on these companies and do a skills transfer fairly quickly; we can work with them and bring them into our environment – that is the exciting thing around enterprise development."

Current landscape

Mayekiso said the industry is in an interesting period, as more people want to consume services on the go, at work and at home – and they want to consume it easily.
"I feel the pace of innovation is there, but compared to the global landscape, SA is lagging behind in terms of new innovators and young companies that are coming and doing things differently," he noted.
"I think that as an industry we are probably due for a much faster innovation in terms of new entrants coming in and disrupting the market.
"In terms of skills, we are a country of 55 million South Africans, and a fair chunk of these people are the youth. We should really quit complaining about the skills and just get on with the idea of building our own skills and training our own people. For me, skills development is one of the key areas."

Please Respect Big built Ladies- Woman desperate after taxi drivers charge her double because of her weight

2016-12-21T10:48:00.000+02:00

41-year-old Lizeka Gongxeka of Jabavu Street, in Cape Town's Langa says she is desperate because her whole community laughs at her and taxi drivers charge her double because of her weight.

"I was born like this," said mother of four who weighs 250kg, "I'm not a big eater, but I'm always out of breath.

"I want to lose weight so that I look thin and have a well-proportioned body."

"My mother comforts me every day because it's nerve-wracking to be obese. I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure and recently visited a doctor as we're worried because my bones ache, especially when it's cold."

Lizeka said doctors get cross with her for missing appointments and insists that it's not her fault since taxi drivers want to charge her double for taking up two seats.

"I don't have enough money - just my child support grants," said Lizeka.

Local taxi driver Morris Sandi said: "I force stout passengers to pay extra.

"Lizeka must understand she's got unusual weight and has to do something about it," said Morris.

Lizeka said: "I go job hunting, but employers don't even look at me.

"They say no one will employ me because I am too big. It's frustrating. It's hard for me to clean the house or even take a bath as I have only a small basin."

Her friend, Nomonde Jack, said: "She's not lazy. Things are just tough for her.

"I keep suggesting that she sees a specialist so her fatty tissues can be removed. But the problem is money. It's so bad she has to call for help as she struggles to get through her own doorway!"

YouTube Pays $1billion to the industry of music

2016-12-12T13:37:00.001+02:00

Adverts on YouTube are still a driver of profit for the digital music industry. YouTube recently announced it had paid out over $1 billion to artists and labels in the past 12 months.

This, even though music subscription services like Spotify and Apple Music are growing rapidly.
Robert Kyncl, YouTube chief business officer, says this demonstrates how multiple experiences and models are succeeding alongside each other.

According to the report, global music revenue increased 3.2% as digital revenue overtook physical for the first time. Digital sales contributed 45% of industry revenue, and streaming revenue is up 45.2%."Last year was a bright one for music – after several tough years of declining revenue, the industry started growing again, spurred in large part by the growth of music streaming subscriptions," says Kyncl, citing the IFPI Global Music Report 2016.

However, to reach audiences that do not subscribe to one of these services, artists upload music to YouTube and earn money by allowing YouTube to play adverts before the video starts.
Kyncl says this is just the beginning: "As more advertising dollars shift from TV, radio and print to online services, the music industry will generate even more revenue from ads.
"In the future, the music business has an opportunity to look a lot like television, where subscriptions and advertising contribute roughly equal amounts of revenue, bolstered by digital and physical sales. To achieve this, there is a lot of work that must be done by YouTube and the industry as a whole, but we are excited to see the momentum."
Spotify leads the music streaming market, with approximately 40 million paid subscribers (however, it is not officially available in SA), followed by Apple Music, which recently reported 20 million subscribers. Other paid music services include Google Play Music, Deezer, Tidal and Pandora.

Jehovah's Witnesses Organize Disaster Relief After Back-to-Back Typhoons Hit Philippines

2016-11-02T14:01:00.000+02:00

Jehovah’s Witnesses are assisting their fellow members as well as other victims of Typhoon Sarika Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) struck in 2013.

(locally known as Karen) and Typhoon Haima (locally known as Lawin), which buffeted the island of Luzon, in the northern Philippines, on October 16 and 19, 2016, respectively. Typhoon Haima, a Category 4 typhoon, is one of the strongest typhoons to hit the Philippines since the deadly

None of the 200,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Philippines were killed or seriously injured in these disasters. However, initial damage reports indicate that the strong winds, flooding, and landslides caused by Typhoon Haima damaged at least 1,058 of their homes and 43 Kingdom Halls, or places of worship.

The branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Philippines has organized a disaster relief committee based in Tuguegarao City, Luzon, and is collecting relief goods, such as food and potable water. To date, eight truckloads of relief goods have been delivered to affected areas. The branch office is also initiating the construction of temporary relief homes as well as the repair work on the damaged homes and Kingdom Halls.

The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses is coordinating the disaster relief efforts from their world headquarters, using funds donated to the Witnesses’ global ministry work.

South Africa alcohol consumption vs the world

2016-05-27T16:27:00.002+02:00

South Africa’s alcohol consumption rate has climbed, with the country now ranked as one of the top 20 biggest drinking nations in the world.

This is according to a statistical update from the World Health Organization, tracking alcohol consumption per capita, across 194 countries.

The data shows that in 2015, pure alcohol consumption (per litre) in South Africa is at 11.5 litre per capita per year – up from 11.0 litres in 2014.

This pushes South Africa up to the third biggest drinking nation in Africa, and the 19th biggest drinking nation in the world, tied with Poland.

Among the drinking population (excluding abstainers), South Africans consume in the region of 27 litres of pure alcohol per capita per year, one of the highest rates in the world.

South Africa’s average alcohol consumption is almost double the WHO African region average of 6 litres, and is expected to increase to 12.1 in 2025.

More than a quarter of the drinking population in South Africa are considered binge drinkers, consuming at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol in one session within a 30-day period.

The world’s biggest drinking nations (litres per capita, 2015)

#	Country	Alcohol consumptions
1	Maldova	17.4
2	Belarus	17.1
3	Lithuania	16.2
4	Russia	14.5
5	Czech Republic	14.1
6	Serbia	12.9
6	Romania	12.9
8	Australia	12.6
9	Slovakia	12.5
9	Portugal	12.5
11	Hungary	12.4
12	UK	12.0
13	Finland	11.9
14	Ukraine	11.8
14	Namibia	11.8
14	Gabon	11.8
17	Croatia	11.7
18	France	11.6
19	Poland	11.5
19	South Africa	11.5

Alcohol problems

According to the WHO, alcohol use disorders constitute a significant disease burden in most regions in the world, with the exception of the Eastern Mediterranean region where alcohol consumption is limited.

Worldwide alcohol consumption in 2015 was projected to be 6.3 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 or older.

In 2010, 38% of the world population aged 15 or older had drunk alcohol in the past 12 months, with 16% of them engaged in ‘heavy episodic drinking’.

In 2012, about 3.3 million deaths – or 5.9% of all global deaths – were attributable to alcohol consumption; 7.6% of deaths among males, and 4.0% of deaths among females.

South Africa has been highlighted as the worst country in the world for drunk driving, where as much as 58% of deaths on SA roads can be attributed to alcohol consumption.

Delete bank statements from your inbox immediately: Sabric

2016-05-27T16:14:00.001+02:00

The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) has launched its #Skelm

campaign, advising people to “Wise Up and Watch Out” to avoid becoming victims of cybercrime.

In the past few years, cybercrime cases have increased – with people being defrauded of billions of rand online.

“It affects business sectors and consumers, and this has called on security measures to be put in place to protect assets and important information,” said Kalyani Pillay, Sabric CEO.

“The responsibility of protecting yourself against cyber-crime and increasing your cyber-security lies with every single one of us.”

Security tips from Sabric

Sabric said consumers should ensure their PC and mobile phones are updated with the latest updates and anti-virus software.

It further advises creating a new password directly after updating software, and the use of a secondary email address for financial matters.

Sabric also warned that public computers are not safe for banking. “They are prone to spyware and malware and should be avoided at all costs,” it said.

It is also important to delete sensitive information like bank statements from your inbox, moving them to a secure folder.

Scratch out your credit card CVV number now: security expert

2016-05-09T22:00:00.000+02:00

Scratch out your credit card CVV number now: security expert

Professor Basie Von Solms has advised consumers to scratch out the CVV number which is displayed on the back of their credit card.

Professor Basie Von Solms, Director of the Centre for Cyber Security at the University of Johannesburg, has advised consumers to scratch out the CVV (Card Verification Value) number which is displayed on the back of their credit card.

The CVV number is an anti-fraud security feature which helps online retailers verify that you are in possession of the credit card you are using.

The CVV code is typically a three-digit number located on the back of MasterCard, Visa, and other credit or debit cards.

Von Solms said that anyone who steals your credit card has access to all the information needed to make an online purchase: your name, credit card number, expiry date, and the CVV number.

However, if you remove the CVV code from the back of your credit card, the criminal will not be able to purchase goods online from retailers which require the code.

Von Solms said consumers must memorize or write down the CVV number somewhere safe before removing it from the card.

African Funerals. Where Do We Draw The Line?

2016-04-11T13:40:00.000+02:00

Is there a line to start with? Who determines what and how things should be done at funerals? Have we stooped to the level where the society dictates on how we should conduct funerals?

Some few decades ago, funerals used to be a dignified, solemn, somber occasion. Families, friends and neighbors would gather together to comfort one another. Sometimes a night vigil would be held and at that occasion, the life of the deceased is remembered. On the funeral day the surrounding area would be quite. No noise of children playing, no sound of music would break the thick gloom over that family. I don't know where things changed. What we have today can make many of the long gone turn in their graves! The black nation has experience a huge revolution in the way funerals are conducted. I can';t even explain where did it all start.

Was it City Funerals, by introducing glamorous limousines as hearses and family cars to the African market? Was it the 80s, at the height of township riots where 100s were dying on a weekly basis, that our weekend were spent mostly at funerals than at home to relax? Was it the increase of deaths from HIV-related diseases that made us callous to the seriousness of death? Was it hunger at home, knowing that the best cuisine will be at the funeral? What went wrong where? Does it matter?

The funeral management industry and insurance companies saw this gap and took advantage of it, unfortunately to the detriment of the living. How so. Poor families cannot afford to pay for funerals because even a basic coffin has been made so expensive that it's unaffordable. Coffin manufacturers make the basic coffin look so ugly that the family is psychologically pushed to upgrade to a 'better', meaning more expensive coffin. In order to meet these rising expenses families are having stokvels or funeral policies which can meet with these expenses. Many families rather go hungry or with less necessities that miss a stokvel payment. It seems we have invested more in death than in life.

And then there comes the part now where we have turned funerals into parties. My goodness! It's shocking, appalling, to name a few. Girls dress and dance semi-naked. DJs are hired to entertain the mourners. The funeral procession has become more of a wedding celebration than a funeral. Booze flows like rivers, to music blaring at every car with the best sound system one can afford. See video on heavy dancing at a funeral in Dance at a funeral Where do we draw the line? Does it matter?

Look at other nations around us, more richer than us. Just take time to observe their practices and compare it with our funerals. We can't even claim that this is how Africans do things. We have been made puppets of funeral commercialization, all in the name that we want to bury our loved on in dignity. Yes, there's nothing wrong with dignity, but at what cost? What legacy and lesson are we leaving behind for the generations to come? Is this how we want to remembered?

R1 gets you a Gautrain bus straight to the SAB World of Beer

2016-01-11T15:49:00.002+02:00

Hop on a Gautrain bus straight to the World of Beer this December and January. Photo courtesy of Gautrain

Travelling to the SAB World of Beer is about to get a whole lot easier – and cheaper too. From 5 December 2015 to 17 January 2016, you can hop on any Gautrain bus for just R1 per trip. One rand? A hundred cents? Yep, we could hardly believe it either.

This offer makes getting to the World of Beer so much easier. Simply hop on the Gautrain to Park Station, get on the bus for a mere R1 (let’s say that again: one rand) and make use of the Gautrain bus’s new route (applicable over the festive campaign) straight to the World of Beer.

What’s more, if you join us for a beer tour during this time, we’ll give you R5 off your ticket price. To qualify, all you have to do is collect your voucher at Park Station as you get off the Gautrain. Travelling this way also affords a little bit of freedom if you’d like to stay for a pint or two in our Tap Room afterwards.

It’s worth mentioning that travellers who will be making use of the Gautrain will also be able to park at any Gautrain station for R1 per day, depending on space availability and when taking a return Gautrain trip.

During the promotion, be sure to keep your ears tuned to Jacaranda FM, 947 and Kaya FM for more incredible prizes brought to you by Gautrain – you could win cash prizes, vouchers and special packages, including tickets to the World of Beer for beer tours, and tour and tasting combos.

Get ready to hop on the Gautrain for a fun, stress-free and super-cheap outing. Roll on December!

Simple Yet Effective Resolutions For 2016.

2015-12-30T18:51:00.004+02:00

It is that time of the year again, when New Year Resolutions are drawn and will be quickly shelved back into drawers before any one of them is executed. What can you do to stick to yours? What simple resolutions can you set for yourself and make sure they are all successful?

What simple resolutions can you make for yourself in 2016.

1. Exercise more, keep fit.- There's nothing more important than keeping a healthy lifestyle, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Setup a fixed time to wake up in the morning to exercise, meditate and pray. You day starts better when you call for divine intervention. It puts you in a right frame of mind and when you start meeting challenges in the day, you have a more calmer,sober frame of mind to deal with them.

2. Spend More Time With Family.- The importance of family cannot be overemphasized. They can be your primary support structure, your mentors, referees, critics and cheerleaders. I've seen people going to Idols auditions, with no voices capable to sing to save their lives, but with their families believing in them, stand in the long queues and standing before the judges to break the Mics. It's your family, use them.

3. Save Money, Find Deals.- Look around for ways you can save money in 2016. Can you try to keep your credit card in positive. How about starting end January, to put money aside for your December holiday? There's many platforms today that offer consumers 30% up to 70% Discounts on essential goods. Take advantage of such.

4. Travel to new places. Explore, be adventurous. Go see places. Do not be stuck in one place. Don't let your weekends be consumed by attending funerals or Pubs. Visit Game farms, canoeing and hiking can be distressing activities you can do in 2016. There's many travel agents that can assist you with your travel arrangements, like NdizaFofa Travel, see www.facebook.com/Ndizafofa

5. Listen More, Talk Less.- Many people are getting more anxious with the conditions in the world, unemployment, depression, relationship breakdown, economic turmoil. Friends need a listening ear. Be there for them when they need you. Do not be quick to pass judgement, but be careful of taking sides in couple squabbles, you will end up being the villian.

6. Decorate your Home.- Do not hold back in spending money for your home. It is your haven after all, that's where you unwind after a long day at work. So your home should look relaxing, it should be welcoming, giving you peace of mind. Spend something on it.

7. Be More Awesome.- Understandably you can't please everyone, but can you try to make your company a pleasant one, refreshing and beneficial to others. Perhaps you are going to be joined by new colleagues, some fresh from school, college or university. Can you try to be polite, friendly and more helpful. You never know what that investment can yield later on in life.

8. Quit Bad Habits- You know yourself more than anybody else. You know your weaknesses and bad habits. Work on them. Make a commitment and be determined to rid yourself of these bad habit. Let your colleagues see a new you. It can be done, it is worth all the effort.

All in all, as we come to the close of 2015, may 2016 be the most memorable and prosperous one for you and your loved ones.

Independent Ethics Committee bans Joseph S. Blatter and Michel Platini

2015-12-21T11:47:00.001+02:00

21.12.2015

The adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee chaired by Mr Hans‑Joachim Eckert has banned Mr Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA, for eight years and Mr Michel Platini, Vice-President and member of the Executive Committee of FIFA and President of UEFA, for eight years from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) on a national and international level. The bans come into force immediately.

The proceedings against Mr Blatter primarily related to a payment of CHF 2,000,000 transferred in February 2011 from FIFA to Mr Platini. Mr Blatter, in his position as President of FIFA, authorised the payment to Mr Platini which had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999. Neither in his written statement nor in his personal hearing was Mr Blatter able to demonstrate another legal basis for this payment. His assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber.

The evidence available to the adjudicatory chamber in the present case was not sufficient to establish, to the extent required, that Mr Blatter sought the execution or omission of an official act from Mr Platini within the meaning of article 21 paragraph 1 of the FIFA Code of Ethics (FCE) (Bribery and corruption). However, the conduct of Mr Blatter towards Mr Platini without a legal basis constituted a breach of article 20 paragraph 1 of the FCE (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits). Furthermore, Mr Blatter found himself in a situation of conflict of interest, despite which he continued to perform his related duties, failing to disclose said situation and the existence of personal interests linked to his prospective activities, thus violating article 19 paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of the FCE (Conflicts of interest). By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr Blatter violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA and breached article 15 of the FCE (Loyalty). Mr Blatter’s actions did not show commitment to an ethical attitude, failing to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework to the extent applicable to him and demonstrating an abusive execution of his position as President of FIFA, hence violating article 13 of the FCE (General rules of conduct).

In consequence, Mr Blatter has been banned for eight years from all football‑related activities and fined CHF 50,000.

The investigation into the case of Mr Blatter was conducted by Mr Robert Torres, member of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. The investigation resulted in a final report which was submitted to the adjudicatory chamber on 20 November 2015. The adjudicatory chamber opened formal proceedings on 23 November 2015, and the hearing of Mr Blatter took place in Zurich on 17 December 2015.

The proceedings against Mr Platini primarily related to a payment of CHF 2,000,000 that he received in February 2011 from FIFA. The payment to Mr Platini had no legal basis in the written agreement signed between both officials on 25 August 1999. Mr Platini’s assertion of an oral agreement was determined as not convincing and was rejected by the chamber.

The evidence available to the adjudicatory chamber in the present case was not sufficient to establish, to the extent required, that Mr Platini obtained the payment for the execution or omission of an official act within the meaning of article 21 paragraph 1 of the FCE (Bribery and corruption). Nevertheless, the conduct of Mr Platini without a legal basis constituted a breach of article 20 paragraph 1 of the FCE (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits). Furthermore, Mr Platini found himself in a situation of conflict of interest, despite which he continued to perform his related duties, failing to disclose said situation and the existence of personal interests linked to his prospective activities in violation of article 19 paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of the FCE (Conflicts of interest). By failing to place FIFA’s interests first and abstain from doing anything which could be contrary to FIFA’s interests, Mr Platini also violated his fiduciary duty to FIFA and breached article 15 of the FCE (Loyalty). In addition, Mr Platini failed to act with complete credibility and integrity, showing unawareness of the importance of his duties and concomitant obligations and responsibilities. His actions did not show commitment to an ethical attitude, failing to respect all applicable laws and regulations as well as FIFA’s regulatory framework to the extent applicable to him and demonstrating an abusive execution of his position as Vice-President of FIFA and member of the FIFA Executive Committee, hence violating article 13 of the FCE (General rules of conduct).

In consequence, Mr Platini has been banned for eight years from all football‑related activities and fined CHF 80,000.

The investigation into the case of Mr Platini was conducted by Ms Vanessa Allard, member of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee. The investigation resulted in a final report which was submitted to the adjudicatory chamber on 20 November 2015. The adjudicatory chamber opened formal proceedings on 23 November 2015, and the hearing took place in Zurich on 18 December 2015 in the presence of Mr Platini’s lawyers. ~From Fifa