If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Over a decade ago, 21 September was chosen for this honorable role but it's still one of the best kept secrets of the United Nations. On Friday at UN Headquarters in NY, a boy will ring a bell, a girl will sing Imagine and at noon, guests will experience one minute of silence.
We take it for granted, but memory is fundamental to everything you do. As soon as you start losing your memory your whole life goes into meltdown. When my mother started having trouble with her memory it was difficult because she was only in her 50s. At the time we just thought she was being eccentric. She had always been funny, always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and we would think 'I can't believe she said that!' But this was an exaggerated form. She started crying a lot.
Police officers do not want to carry guns, but many know they need to be to armed in order to carry out their duties in 21st century Britain. I am not passionate about arming the police, but sadly I know it has long been a necessity.
On 5 September an old friend of mine, Saad Al-Hilli, along with his wife and mother-in-law were shot dead near the village of Chevaline in the French Alps. The incident is complex so it's ripe for armchair detectives to investigate from the comfort of their homes.
The first misconception to tackle is any suggestion that "coercive control" will now be a crime, and conversely that victims aged 16-17 weren't previously entitled to see their cases come to court. The definition is about government policy; it has no bearing on the law.
The tragic deaths of two unarmed policewomen in Manchester yesterday will inevitably lead to calls from some quarters for on-duty police in the UK to be armed. But before we pursue such a course of action, we need a proper examination of the facts.
The ability to turn threat to opportunity has long been known to be a high performer mind-set in any field but perhaps it is nowhere more obvious than in the back stories of the Paralympians.
Down at the Dog and Duck, the arcana of macroeconomic policy generally pass most patrons by. But this autumn the Chancellor's obscure fiscal rules are set to wreak havoc for the coalition and create some very real political pain.
I am left reflecting on how important it is to never lose belief that you can do it and keep fighting to the end as Andy Murray demonstrated in the USA.
I always chuckle when I am referred to as the 'Chief Executive Officer' of CoppaFeel!. I suppose that title still conjures up old school images of a fat man, sitting behind his desk, smoking a cigar - certainly not a job title I thought I'd ever be crowned with when I skipped away from my higher national diploma in travel and tourism management and into the 'real world'.
A fundamental teaching in Islamic scripture is, "God says: My Mercy overcomes My Anger." Ultimately, our mercy, love and forgiveness must overcome our anger, hatred and bitterness. We must surely look forward to, and work towards, the day when the image of Islam is represented by merciful young men and women rather than angry young men.
Although today is undoubtedly a step forward in what, for more than 23 years, has been a largely fruitless pursuit of justice, it does not - and should not - mark the end of the process... I know of relatives of the Hillsborough victims whose lives have also ended without gaining resolution and justice. One man - from a family well-known to my own -committed suicide because of a sense of guilt that he had survived the crush while his brother had not. For him, his brother and many in similar circumstances, may today be a step towards their finally being able to rest in peace.
The remorse expressed by the top hierarchy of the Church of England can be contrasted with the attitude of the Catholic Church to the mounting revelations against its institutions and some of its priests.
From a position of nigh-invisibility, for about 5 minutes in the 90s to be Asian was almost cool. I think as Citizen Khan has reminded us, we've come back down to earth since then, some would say with a bump that still resounds.
Fifteen years ago an estimated 2billion people around the world saw the funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales after it was broadcast from Westminster Abbey. How is she remembered and what effect did she really have on the lives of those who observed her life and watched the dramatic and poignant events of that day?
Over the years there have been some very high profile instances of uncovered frauds and here are six of the most spectacular to hit the headlines.
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