Hundreds Arrested After Legal Highs Ban In The United Kingdom

About 500 people have been arrested since the ban on legal highs last May 28. Owners and sellers of light psychoactive drugs including nitrous oxide have been arrested.

The UK government confirmed that more cases of legal high substance abuse are in the courts. The drugs -- becoming the best choice for prisoners -- were banned as they are linked to the huge number of drug-related deaths in the country. As designer drugs, they are supposedly safe despite introducing similar effects cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy have on users.

A Milton resident has been arrested with a three and a half year sentence for possessing hundreds of nitrous oxide canisters during the Electric Daisy festival in the area. About 204 deaths were linked to legal highs in 2014, alarming the Home Office who had pushed for a ban on the use of the substances.

The Psychoactive Substances Act was introduced in May 28 that consequently shut down 332 “head shops” across Britain -- some having just stopped selling the drugs as their shops remained open. Offenders of the act could face long-term imprisonment of up to seven years.

Substances used in creating legal designer drugs are undisclosed, meaning they could be made from the same substances used to build original ones. Legal high drugs are still sold in the black market and the “deep web.”

What's Left For UK Privacy With The IPB In Place?

Yesterday, the United Kingdom's privacy probably died. If not, it's still taking deep breaths to alleviate fatal injuries as the government made blows against our digital privacy. The Investigatory Powers Bill (IPB) or "Snooper's Charter" will now allow different government agencies to procure information from ISPs who now have to keep customer Internet histories for one year before a purge. 

This is daunting and probably far worse than cameras looking at people everywhere.

The Orwellian dystopia is happening. George Orwell knew exactly what would happen in the near future. All it needs now is a political agenda. Oh, wait.

There is nothing left but scraps for every Briton's true privacy. While VPNs are a great solution, the government will find a workaround that would allow them to access your true history. Virtual Private 

Networks scramble your data and re-translate it upon arrival to a website. Before the website information arrives to your computer, it has been scrambled and once again de-scrambled by another server in the VPN.

Local VPNs can be shut down but offshore ones -- given their countries still have no privacy laws -- can continue to operate for foreign clients.

It's only a matter of time until we can see who the real "Big Brother" is.

Confronting Your Superiors After A Work Accident

The likelihood of a work accident is highly likely depending on your employment. This is why certain occupations have insurance policies before you even begin working -- such as being a chemist or working aboard a vessel full of volatile material.

But for common workplaces a slip-trip-fall accident could mean carelessness on your part. But if you know that a negligence took place, you could approach your superiors regarding the incident.

Talk To Them Privately

Employers have a responsibility to keep your workplace safe from harm so you could continue to work effectively. Approach your superior and tell them that a certain object, obstacle, activity, renovation or anything had caused your accident.

If you believe there is blame on your employer's side, talk to your superiors privately and suggest they keep an open mind on the subject at hand.

Tackle the Issue

Evidence is the key to knowing whether or not you have a potential workplace accident claim.

For example, you had a slip-trip-fall accident because of a substance spill in the restroom. Without someone to clean the restroom and put up a warning sign of wet flooring, the employers themselves are in questionable responsibility for your injuries.

Remember, employers need to make sure your workplace -- including restrooms -- are well-prepared and maintained.

Specialist Legal Team

If your superior continues not to mind your issue or dismiss you immediately, it would be wiser to work with no win no fee accident at work solicitors and also have them act as your legal representation.

The issue should not have any repercussions with your job as it is the employer's responsibility to ensure your safety and the financial costs and recovery damages involved.

UK Barrister Says No Chance of UK Retaining EU Rights

According to Prof Alan Vaughan Lowe QC, the Brexit's price is the re-negotiation of the UK's partnership and place with the European Union. He said the chances of EU citizens settled in Britain retaining all their rights for living, working and retirement in the United Kingdom after the July vote will be zero.

According to Professor Lowe, the issue was not because of the 1.3 million Britons abroad and 3 million EU citizens and immigrants living in the United Kingdom would be most affected by the 

Brexit but rather the people and government not sure of what to do next.

Limited number of rights are likely to remain according to experts. The right to own property and contractual rights is only protected by international law.

Prof Lowe said:

“If it’s been drafted with future citizens in mind, you would take a different view of rights that would naturally fade out with mortality,” he said.

The chair of the committee, Helena Kennedy, said the complexity of the so-called acquired rights was a concern to millions who wanted to plan their futures. Could any reassurances be given?

“Absolutely no,” Lowe replied. “I think there is zero chance [that the] … existing legal system affecting European nationals in this country will not change.”

The Chaos in The Labour Leadership Struggle

If there's anything Jeremy Corbyn finds himself in right now it's in deep waters.

Currently haggling between leadership, influence and rejection, the Labour leader is facing condemnations all over while the party moves to ban the 130,000 new MPs voting in its leadership election.

The party said the NEC needed to block the new members before January 12 even if it would seem they broke the rules doing so.

All Labour members may have to shell out about tens of thousands of pounds to resolve the issue immediately.

Blair ally Lord Falconer backed the appeal against five members who crowdfunded £30,000 online, telling the Mirror it was about making the NEC independent of the courts.

But Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the appeal was undermining democracy and pointed the finger of blame at deputy leader Tom Watson.

Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) denied a leadership vote to anyone who joined the party after January 12.

The decision enraged more than 100,000 Labour members who joined in the two weeks after the EU referendum alone.

Five of them argued Labour's rule book doesn't give the NEC the power to lock them out of democracy.

On Monday a High Court judge agreed with them. He said: "In my firm judgement, the rule book gives the NEC no such power."

Labour Donor Challenges Labour NEC's Decision Over Jeremy Corbyn

Losing about 73% of Labour MP confidence, senior MP Angela Eagle had filed to exclude Mr Corbyn from the leadership ballot.

However, the 33-member Labour National Executive Commission (NEC) voted by 18 votes to 14 that Mr Corbyn be included in the ballot. The results came after six hours of closed-door discussions.

Former Parliamentary Candidate and Labour Donor Michael Foster has filed a legal application with the High Court to overturn the decision made by the Labour NEC.

According to Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, Mr Foster's actions is "unhelpful".

"This legal challenge is very unhelpful and destabilising to the Labour Party. The NEC made a decision," he said.

"They ruled that Jeremy Corbyn is automatically on the ballot paper. We must respect that decision and give our members a choice of candidates as soon as possible"

Mr Foster said that if the case is heard, a ruling can be made within days.

"It's about the rule of law," he said.

"There were three bits of legal advice from different QCs, all of which were contrarian and none of 

the people in the room were unbiased in the view of that advice.

"The advice that was taken was certainly not given the expert consideration that it would receive from a High Court judge and everyone in the room had a different political agenda."

Legal Name Billboards: What Do They Mean?

I'm pretty sure you've seen this in several areas and villages all over London and probably in almost every region of the United Kingdom.

The billboard reads "LEGAL NAME FRAUD. THE TRUTH. IT'S ILLEGAL TO USE A LEGAL NAME."

The advertisement is seemingly ridiculous. I first thought it was all about illegally using a legal name of someone who just passed. But it is indeed puzzling to know what it meant when it said that.

On its website, LegalNameFraud.com, you could see when your birth was registered. However, it said the name is different from the person as it will always be distinct.

Sounds creepy and disturbing at the same time.

I investigated the matter and landed on this BBC article written by Jon Kelly. He found out it was written by a certain "Kate of Gaia" who may have transcended from Freemen-on-the-Land, a movement that expired long ago. The movement said it was not bound by law if they didn't choose to be.

When he emailed this Kate of Gaia, it never responded about who funded the billboards. Instead, it just said Google 'legal name fraud' and read the essays like others did. She also said she was a real journalist compared to a BBC pair-rot.

Seven complaints about the posters have come up from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

"Some questioned whether it would lead law-abiding people into thinking they've committed fraud or a crime by having a name," a spokesman said.

Landmark Court Ruling Could See Tightening Of Truancy Laws

Jon Platt had taken his daughter to a vacation holiday in Florida's Disneyland despite lacking approval from her school.

The Isle of Wight concil fined Platt £60 for truancy or unauthorised absenteeism of her daughter. As per UK law, children kept out of school by their parents will have their families receive a fine of £60 per abenteeism.

Platt had refused to pay the fine, which had the council double it to £120 in total. Platt argued that his daughter's overall attendance record was not included in the fine's issue.

According to the Department for Education, the government would look to introduce legislation that would help close any loophole. The DfE was "disappointed" with the High Court's decision to favour 

Platt's argument.

According to an official statement:

“We are confident our policy to reduce school absence is clear and correct. We will examine today’s judgment in detail but are clear that children’s attendance at school is non-negotiable, so we will now look to change the legislation," said a DfE spokesperson.

However, English councils urged the government to allow schools to take a "common sense approach" and "give individual consideration" to parents' requests.

The Local Government Association said: “Children’s education is treated with the upmost seriousness, but it is clear that the current system does not always favour families, especially those that are struggling to meet the demands of modern life or have unconventional work commitments.

“Families where parents work unsocial shift patterns, in the emergency services or whose jobs are tied to calendar commitments, can find that they are unable to take family holidays during school holiday periods.”

UK Must Do Something About Saudi's Use Of Defence Provisions

Britain denies it has any role in the massacre of Yemen and other inhumane uses of UK defence contractor weapons, which the country exports to the strong Middle Eastern nation.

According to Matrix Chambers' Phillipe Sanders QC, the UK must review the evidence presented that Saudi Arabia used UK weaponry in a valid manner.

The UK enjoys a huge sale of £6.7 billion to Saudi Arabia in defence projects and contracts. About £2.8 billion had gone to the airstrikes against Yemen.

Evidence presented to the UK includes civilian targeting proved by a UN inquiry. The inquiry shows that there had been "widespread and systematic" targeting of civilians in the Yemen incident. 

According to the UN, this violates humanitarian law, including camps for internally displaced persons and refugees.

Saudi Arabia has received about 72 Eurofighter Typhoon Jets. Arms sales to Saudi Arabia had increased by £2.95 billion for the first nine months of 2015.

Menawhile, the UK government said the licenses provided to Saudi Arabia remains as they see the country using the equipment in compliance with humanitarian requirements the license entails.

Cameron said “We have the strictest rules for arms exports of almost any country anywhere in the world. And let me remind him that we are not a member of the Saudi-led coalition, we are not directly involved in the Saudi-led coalition’s operations, British personnel are not involved in carrying out strikes.

Legal & General Sunk Itself?

When you hide something, it's bound to come out. Some people will snoop around and expose it, with both positive and negative implications.

Legal & General might have sunk itself as analysts found that its capital buffers are lower than its target solvency capital ratio of 169 per cent. While it satisfies the insurer requirement of 100 per cent, it places itself on a weaker spot as it did not hit JPMorgan's expectations of 180 per cent.

It said "In our view, Legal & General has a higher risk balance sheet compared to Standard Life and Aviva and thus a ratio lower that is less impressive to us."

But then again, even when you're profiting, if your downline isn't solid, the roots can give out at any time and it can mean trouble.

According to Legal & General Chief Executive NIgel Wilson:

"We have a robust business model which has proved to be adept and resilient in dealing with fiscal and regulatory changes in our sector.

"We are planning for more global economic and market volatility and are well positioned for continued pressure on pricing and changes."

Other analysts, such as Hargreaves Lansdown's Steve Clayton pointed out that Legal and General had rebased its dividends upwards, indicating only progress in the near future.

Fund Managers Should Never Ignore The Risks Their Investments Make Against The Climate

ClientEarth, a green-centred legal firm, said fund managers that make investment decisions without concern about the environment could face legal action. As the risk of global warming continues, its effects against the world economy could affect all kinds of investments. Any investment group 

should not be concerned with profit when the environment is at stake.

I support this move, truthfully.

“Clients of investment firms and beneficiaries of pension funds might have a legal case to bring if those who manage money for them stand idly by as emissions erode the value of their stock,” said 

Howard Covington, the former CEO of a £20bn asset management company and a trustee of environmental law organisation, ClientEarth. “We are currently exploring such a possibility.”

James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth, said: “To produce a wholesale change in attitude, a court ruling on the obligations of fiduciary investors to control systemic climate risk will probably be needed. 

Because of the uncertainties in estimating future climate damage, this will not be an easy case to bring. But we anticipate that such a case will ultimately succeed.”

ClientEarth successfully sued the UK government in 2015 over illegal levels of air pollution. It has also helped investors file shareholder resolutions at the annual meetings of major mining companies demanding more transparency on the risks of climate change to their businesses.

Source: The Guardian.

The World's Becoming A Bit Scarier Every Second

I know you've watched a dystopian film. If you haven't, you're lying. If you've watched The Hunger Games, that's a dystopian film. Yes, it's sci-fi and it features some attractive leads. But the point is, they're oppressed, human rights are violated and well, the word "individuality" carries not much weight anymore.

The original idea of dystopia probably came from the novel by George Orwell called "1984". It alienated the individual by force injecting the ideas of the political party down the veins of every citizen. That would mean private life is also monitored regularly.

Privacy is becoming an issue today with 1984's "Big Brother" taking form through the Internet. China is making a move now as it forces tech companies to create backdoors when in Chinese soil.

Urgh.

Apple CEO Tim Cook contended against Western leaders and world governments that privacy is compromised when companies are forced to create backdoors - decryption keys to read encrypted private messages - it would mean that it's a passageway for anybody with the means to do so to decrypt all private messages. That would mean the end of privacy.

China has made it into law as part of their counter-terrorism efforts against militants and political activists.

But yes, you might say China is a big infringer of human rights, with their Sina Weibo Twitter-service-a-like under consistent government surveillance and censorship.

But if this idea spreads to others and sees the way China's privacy handling does some positives, they would push for it.

And that could mean trouble for us.