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World-Famous Conservationist Guilty Of £-60m Eco-Project Tax Scam

Ian Swingland, a distinguished professor who collected an Order of the British Empire from the Queen in 2007 and founder of the Durell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, was found guilty of tax evasion. The renowned conservationist is said to have helped investors avoid tax from income of $170 million obtained over a three-year period. He was implicated in the tax evasion scheme with four other people.

World-Leading Research Facility

The professor and his accomplices used research on climate change and HIV Aids cure as avenues for evading tax. The idea principally involved attracting large investors who were not comfortable to have their money taxed. The money would be termed as an investment into their research. However, it was never used. This created an avenue for rich people to avoid paying tax.

Film Tax Evasion

Before they went into eco-climate, four of the accomplices, namely, Martin King, Anthony Blakey, Andrew Bascombe and John Banyard, were involved in film financing. This was another front for evading tax. People who had large incomes would “invest” it in films in order for them to avoid having their income taxed. Over time, this plan was not lucrative enough because it did not have the potential of moving large amounts of money without getting noticed.

That is when they approached Professor Ian Swingland. Research work can’t be quantified in monetary terms, thereby meaning that as much money as possible could be invested into it without raising any eyebrows.

Are Scientists Misrepresenting Facts?

Integrity is a very important factor when it comes to scientific research. Given the accolades and respect that most professors hold, any research done by them is construed as correct information. Any blemish that casts doubt onto it is not great for other researchers around the world.

This incident has brought into question the integrity of scientists. Research papers have widely been used as a basis for many topics, especially when it comes to climate change. This means that if such a scam was rampant in research facilities around the world, then there is a huge chance that some of these papers intentionally misrepresented facts.

Furthermore, prosecution of such cases presents a legal headache in many countries around the world. For example, Britain requires that the prosecution should have enough evidence that suggests the sums of money gained by the fraudsters or lost by the complainant (who in this case was the government).

Check out China’s emerging imperialism in Africa.

Media Imperialism: The Key Players

Media imperialism is slowly becoming a major issue around the world. It’s a theory that suggests that the dominance of media outlets in larger, more developed nations is affecting the identity of developing countries in a negative way. Its also defined as the media outlets that have a dominant control over the others in a particular country.

The dominance of these media houses means that they have the ability to control the news content being aired. Many critics argue that this principally gives them the power to dictate news content presented to the public. This means that it is quite hard for the public to know whether the news content is biased or not. These media houses also have a habit of covering a large number of developed countries and a small number of developing ones, with the latter always represented in a negative manner.

Key Players Around The World

Some of the key players in the media industry that dominate world news include CNN, BBC and Aljazeera. These media outlets usually cover news stories from around the world. The problem with this is that most of the time their news content may be in conflict with that of local news agencies because of the perception of what the reporting journalist might have obtained while making the story.

Networks — Media outlets that usually cover news stories from around the world

Some of these outlets also practice a form of imperialism in their host countries. For example, the BBC has an annual licence that every TV holder has to purchase regardless of whether they are watching it or not. Other countries like, Canada and Italy, also have imperialistic media. This is because the main media outlets in these countries are controlled by a single company, thereby giving them the ability to influence news content.

Social Media And Media Imperialism

Media imperialism is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed. One of the ways that this can be done is through social media platforms. Although there has been a proliferation of fake news sites in social media nowadays, the platform still gives the public unrestricted views of different situations happening around the world. One is not subjected to a single point of view akin to mainstream media.

There have also been a number of protests on social media platforms because of the alleged misrepresentation of information by foreign media outlets. Given their dominance, this misrepresentation may be misconstrued as the truth by people who are not from that region.

Everyone is waiting to see whether there will be a satisfactory solution to media imperialism and whether social media will be part of it.

Check out China’s emerging imperialism in Africa.

Is China’s Huge Presence In Africa The New Face Of Imperialism?

China’s presence in Africa has increased tremendously within two decades. To put it into perspective, it’s exports from African countries have increased from one to fifteen per cent within one decade; a trend that has made both America and the European Union uneasy.

Chinese Businesman — There has been a huge influx of Chinese businessman to the African continent

African countries are increasingly finding it easier to collaborate with the Chinese than with other western countries. This is because of their policy on non-interference in local affairs of partner countries. Western countries on the other hand tend to meddle with local country’s politics which has made African countries wary of their intentions.

Furthermore, it’s not the Chinese government that is investing in Africa alone. In the last decade, there has been a huge influx of Chinese businessman to the African continent as well. Most of them have set up shop on the continent in order to take advantage of the huge market potential as well as resources.

Who Is Benefitting?

Over the years, the question of who benefits the most from Chinese relations has been a constant one. While China offers huge loans and concessions to African countries in order for them to undertake large infrastructure projects, there have been worries that the African governments are getting short changed. This is partly because of the manner in which these projects are initiated.

Most of these projects are awarded to Chinese contractors. Furthermore, the Chinese also bring in a considerable number of its experts when initiating these projects. This means that Africans don’t get to benefit from the transfer of skills or technology, thereby making them more reliant on the Chinese. This move is akin to the imperialism that Africa endured during and after the colonial period.

Different Approach

African Continent — Many African countries are still willing to partner up with China

While many might argue about China’s economic policy in Africa (whether it’s imperialistic in nature or serves to benefit Africans), their integration into African communities has made it hard to refute the fact that some investors have good intent. A section of Chinese investors complain that a few of them are destroying their image in Africa by exploiting the locals. They insist that there is a sizable majority of Chinese investors who are indeed concerned about the development of the communities that they are in, over and above making money.

African Take

Many African countries are still willing to partner up with China in order to advance their development agendas. Most of these countries have opened their doors to Chinese investment. Only the future will tell if this indeed was a great idea.

Check out how class struggle in America is influencing elections.

American Election Is A Clear Demonstration Of Class Struggle

Class struggle in American elections has become a substantive issue that all candidates have become quite aware of. It is not a new phenomenon in America but it has increasingly become a subject of hot contention. This is probably because of the 2007-2008 financial crises that led to a reduction in many people’s incomes and stagnation thereafter. In 2015 the real median income of the majority of households in America stood at $56,516, which was below that of the pre-depression crises period. However, there is nothing that has indicated class struggle as well as the 2016 American election. Experts say that this is a trend that is not about to change in the near future.

A Separation Of The Haves And Have-Nots

While it was easier to sell the American dream a few decades ago, the same can’t be said about the current situation in America. Initially, people who worked hard towards attaining their goals could curve out their piece of the pie in the American dream. However, the same seems not to be working currently.

People feel that the rich are becoming richer by the day while the poor are left to resort to their own means of survival.

This issue was carried along as a hot topic by many candidates in the 2016 election, such as Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and most notably Donald Trump.

Americans wanted to know how they would benefit from each one’s candidacy and how equality of the classes would be restored to the nation. As a result, each candidate was awash with pledges about how they would revive the American dream. The democrats insisted that the rich would have to be taxed more in order for the money to be used in providing efficient services to the middle-class citizens. However, the republicans were of the notion that Americans were better off locking in their resources to themselves.

They insisted that in order for middle-class citizens to enjoy the country’s resources, there was a need to put in place tough regulations that restricted entry of migrants from other countries. Their whole idea was based on the notion that America’s middle- and lower-class citizens are having their jobs and opportunities stolen by migrants.

Middle- And Lower Class Constitute The Most Voters

All candidates understand that the middle- and lower class constitute the largest voting bloc. This means that in order for you to win successfully, you will have to capture the imagination of this class of voters. However, there is the slight issue of funding. Whereas the middle class constitute the largest voting bloc, the rich citizenry are the ones capable of funding the candidates’ election campaigns. This means that each party has to walk the delicate path of pleasing both classes.

Donald Trump, a well-known billionaire, probably won because of this. The middle class understands that candidates also work for the benefit of the rich who bankroll their election campaigns. However, Trump projected the image of a self-sufficient candidate who did not require any financial backing in order to carry out his campaign. He therefore won the hearts and minds of a vast majority of the middle-class segment who wanted someone who would be able to rebuke the rich without any fear of financial repercussions for his own campaign fund.

It remains to be seen whether the next election will remain to be a class struggle, or whether another issue will crop up.

Check out the looming refugee crisis in France.

Inhuman Treatment Meted Out To Refugees In The Calais Area

The Calais area in France saw a huge influx of refugees fleeing their war prone regions. However, the reception in the area has elicited worries from human rights organisations around the world. Initially, a camp was created in Calais to handle the refugees. However, the French authorities destroyed it after some time. The refugees were left to their own devices, without any shelter or source of food. This means that over 500 hundred refugees are living on the streets and wooded areas around Calais as they seek to get asylum.

Calais camp — A camp was created in Calais to handle refugees

Inhumane Treatment

Hundreds of refugees around the area complain of inhumane treatment by the local authorities. Riot police who were posted in the area are said to harass the migrants on a daily basis. Some of them pepper spray both adults and children while asleep or spray pepper on their only source of food. At times, they confiscate their sleeping bags and other essential materials required for their survival. Authorities have also been blamed for turning a blind eye to the widespread harassment that refugees endure each day at the hands of the local police.

Calais refugees — Local authorities barred any form of assistance to the refugees

What was even more alarming was a local ban that the authorities imposed on humanitarian agencies in the region which offered help to the refugees in the area. In March, the local authorities barred any form of assistance to the refugees in the form of food, water, sleeping bags or clothing. This step was widely criticised even by the French government. However, a court ruling during the same month lifted the ban.

Other Mechanisms

Even though the court lifted the ban, the local authorities resorted to other means. For example, donations were stipulated to be distributed every day for only a single two-hour session. Local police were also used to disrupt any distribution exercise that was against their stipulated regulations. There have been cases where the police forcibly prevented the migrants from accessing the aid workers, and in some instances destroyed the food meant for them.

They have also resorted to frustrate aid workers in the area by constantly checking their documents or snatching their phones whenever they documented video evidence of the inhumane conditions that the refugees were experiencing.

Checking documents is allowed by law, but the police have resorted to the tactic as a way of frustrating the aid workers because it delays their distribution efforts. On the other hand, French law allows filming, but the police have on occasion taken the phones and deleted any videos contained in them.

Change In Circumstances

The French government has proclaimed its commitment to supporting refugees and asylum seekers in a humane way. However, much is still expected from them, especially in the Calais area. The right solution is to remove any impediments that prevent humanitarian assistance while exercising proper treatment of refugees as stipulated under international standards. All human rights agencies are adopting a “wait and see” attitude to find out whether the French government, under President Macron, will live up to its words.

See Trump’s comments endorsing police brutality.