Thai police uncovered a dirty little secret at a temple after raiding the place following complaints that the monks fired weapons and did drugs. While they did find a pistol, what stumped them more was the discovery of a stash of porn, sex toys, a penis pump, and a contact list of prostitutes. Four Buddhist monks were found in possession of these items and were arrested for violating their monastic vows. Police searched the Phrom Sunthon Monastery in Chonburi province on January 27 after receiving complaints from villagers that the monks possessed firearms and drugs. Upon searching the temple, the police found £2,070 (89,000 baht) in cash, a DVD player with a porn disc inside, a list of prostitutes and a penis enlargement pump. The monks arrested have been identified as Phra Supachai Jantawong, 35, Phra Wirat Mukdasanit, 45, and Phra Thanapol Maison, 59, and the temple abbot, Phra Photisang Taebmuan, Daily Mail reported. Three of them also tested positive for methamphetamine. All four of them have been removed from their position and banned from practising Buddhism.<h2>Monks using drugs were sent to a rehabilitation centre</h2>Colonel Saksilp Kamnoedsin of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) of Chonburi said, "The three monks found to be using drugs will be sent to the police and relevant authorities for rehabilitation." The temple abbot was found to be a Karen national and unregistered in civil records. Karen people primarily belong to an ethnic group indigenous to Myanmar. The police said he was handed over to immigration officials for further investigation and will then be deported to his country of origin. Supachai, one of the monks who tested positive for meth, said that he took the drug for pain relief from diabetes and high blood pressure.<h2>Thai sex scandal</h2>Buddhism is the primary religion in Thailand. However, the monks have been embroiled in sex scandals, with a major one exploding in July last year. A woman named Wilawan Emsawat, known as Sika Golf, was blackmailing senior monks at popular temples with sexually explicit pictures and videos. Several high-ranking monks gave temple funds to the woman to stop her from exposing them. Around 80,000 sexually explicit pictures and videos involving multiple senior monks were found at her home. Pictures showed her engaging in sexual acts with the monks, which she used against them. She is said to have made £9million (approx 387 million baht).

Buddhist monks were arrested from a temple in Thailand for using porn and possessing sex toys and an escort list. Three of them were also using drugs. This comes after a woman was arrested last year for blackmailing monks with sexually explicit photos and videos.  

Thai police uncovered a dirty little secret at a temple after raiding the place following complaints that the monks fired weapons and did drugs. While they did find a pistol, what stumped them more was the discovery of a stash of porn, sex toys, a penis pump, and a contact list of prostitutes. Four Buddhist monks were found in possession of these items and were arrested for violating their monastic vows. Police searched the Phrom Sunthon Monastery in Chonburi province on January 27 after receiving complaints from villagers that the monks possessed firearms and drugs. Upon searching the temple, the police found £2,070 (89,000 baht) in cash, a DVD player with a porn disc inside, a list of prostitutes and a penis enlargement pump. The monks arrested have been identified as Phra Supachai Jantawong, 35, Phra Wirat Mukdasanit, 45, and Phra Thanapol Maison, 59, and the temple abbot, Phra Photisang Taebmuan, Daily Mail reported. Three of them also tested positive for methamphetamine. All four of them have been removed from their position and banned from practising Buddhism. Monks using drugs were sent to a rehabilitation centre Colonel Saksilp Kamnoedsin of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) of Chonburi said, "The three monks found to be using drugs will be sent to the police and relevant authorities for rehabilitation." The temple abbot was found to be a Karen national and unregistered in civil records. Karen people primarily belong to an ethnic group indigenous to Myanmar. The police said he was handed over to immigration officials for further investigation and will then be deported to his country of origin. Supachai, one of the monks who tested positive for meth, said that he took the drug for pain relief from diabetes and high blood pressure. Thai sex scandal Buddhism is the primary religion in Thailand. However, the monks have been embroiled in sex scandals, with a major one exploding in July last year. A woman named Wilawan Emsawat, known as Sika Golf, was blackmailing senior monks at popular temples with sexually explicit pictures and videos. Several high-ranking monks gave temple funds to the woman to stop her from exposing them. Around 80,000 sexually explicit pictures and videos involving multiple senior monks were found at her home. Pictures showed her engaging in sexual acts with the monks, which she used against them. She is said to have made £9million (approx 387 million baht).

Buddhist monks were arrested from a temple in Thailand for using porn and possessing sex toys and an escort list. Three of them were also using drugs. This comes after a woman was arrested last year for blackmailing monks with sexually explicit photos and videos. &nbsp;

Monks held with porn, sex toys and prostitute list at Thai temple

The president and chairman of Japan's Fuji Television Network Inc. stepped down Monday to take responsibility for a scandal involving popular TV host Masahiro Nakai. Watch this report for more details!

Japan: Fuji TV Chairman & President resign over TV host scandal

A teacher in Wisconsin, accused of engaging in sexual activities with her 11-year-old student, sent him more than 33,000 explicit text messages. The preliminary hearing of the case happened at St. Croix County Circuit Court where some of the texts were read out. The 23-year-old teacher hung her head in shame as the open court heard the messages.

Attorneys on both sides argued whether the evidence supported the 10 felony charges against Madison Bergmann. The Wisconsin teacher has been charged with first-degree child sex assault, child enticement and multiple counts of sexual misconduct by a school staff member.

School resource officer Traci Hall came to the stands where she told the court about the racy texts that Bergmann and the victim exchanged in the early part of this year.

Hall said that there were "approximately 33,000" texts.&nbsp;

She added that their relationship became more sexual and explicit over time.&nbsp;

Prosecutor Karl Anderson read the messages that made things extremely uncomfortable for Bergmann.

"There’s a conversation about the victim being hard, and if she felt that during their hug," he said. "Did she acknowledge that she felt it?"

“Yes,” Hall responded.

<h2>Racy texts exchanged between the two</h2>

Detailing the conversations, Hall recalled Bergmann saying that "she would wear dresses more often because she liked how he touched her leg."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/couple-follows-systematic-lifestyle-to-live-healthily-until-the-age-of-150-763637">Biohacker couple follows systematic lifestyle to live 'healthily until the age of 150'</a>

"Does Ms. Bergmann ever allude to being sexually aroused in the text messages?" Anderson asked, to which Hall said, "She talks about being w*t in the classroom."

However, Bergmann's attorneys argued that the text messages alone don't support five charges of sexual misconduct.

"There is never any language where she says ‘I want to have sex with you'," argued attorney Joseph Tamburino, "or that he says ‘I want you to do this with me'."

“They talk a lot about kissing, and lips, and cheeks, and touching legs,” Tamburino stated, but "nothing like ‘this is what I want you to do to me,’ or ‘this is what I will do to you.'"

However, the judge brushed aside the argument and said the text messages were admissible evidence of sexual misconduct.

"It’s clear to me that the state has met its burden to find probable cause that the defendant has committed a felony," the judge ruled. "Clearly, there was probable cause presented by the detective today. The case is bound to go for trial."

<h2>Scandal made headlines in May</h2>

The scandalous matter made headlines in May when Bergmann was accused of "making out" with the student, who is in fifth standard, weeks before her wedding. Bergmann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The student’s mother learned of the inappropriate conduct when she overheard her son talking to Bergmann on the phone, according to the criminal complaint, as reported by the New York Post. The parents checked his phone and reportedly found racy and explicit texts between the pair.

The two reportedly got physical on multiple occasions inside the Hudson, Wisconsin, classroom during lunch or after school.&nbsp;

A teacher in Wisconsin, accused of engaging in sexual activities with her 11-year-old student, sent him more than 33,000 explicit text messages. The preliminary hearing of the case happened at St.

A teacher in Wisconsin, accused of engaging in sexual activities with her 11-year-old student, sent him more than 33,000 explicit text messages. The preliminary hearing of the case happened at St. Croix County Circuit Court where some of the texts were read out. The 23-year-old teacher hung her head in shame as the open court heard the messages. Attorneys on both sides argued whether the evidence supported the 10 felony charges against Madison Bergmann. The Wisconsin teacher has been charged with first-degree child sex assault, child enticement and multiple counts of sexual misconduct by a school staff member. School resource officer Traci Hall came to the stands where she told the court about the racy texts that Bergmann and the victim exchanged in the early part of this year. Hall said that there were "approximately 33,000" texts. She added that their relationship became more sexual and explicit over time. Prosecutor Karl Anderson read the messages that made things extremely uncomfortable for Bergmann. "There’s a conversation about the victim being hard, and if she felt that during their hug," he said. "Did she acknowledge that she felt it?" “Yes,” Hall responded. Racy texts exchanged between the two Detailing the conversations, Hall recalled Bergmann saying that "she would wear dresses more often because she liked how he touched her leg." Also Read: Biohacker couple follows systematic lifestyle to live 'healthily until the age of 150' "Does Ms. Bergmann ever allude to being sexually aroused in the text messages?" Anderson asked, to which Hall said, "She talks about being w*t in the classroom." However, Bergmann's attorneys argued that the text messages alone don't support five charges of sexual misconduct. "There is never any language where she says ‘I want to have sex with you'," argued attorney Joseph Tamburino, "or that he says ‘I want you to do this with me'." “They talk a lot about kissing, and lips, and cheeks, and touching legs,” Tamburino stated, but "nothing like ‘this is what I want you to do to me,’ or ‘this is what I will do to you.'" However, the judge brushed aside the argument and said the text messages were admissible evidence of sexual misconduct. "It’s clear to me that the state has met its burden to find probable cause that the defendant has committed a felony," the judge ruled. "Clearly, there was probable cause presented by the detective today. The case is bound to go for trial." Scandal made headlines in May The scandalous matter made headlines in May when Bergmann was accused of "making out" with the student, who is in fifth standard, weeks before her wedding. Bergmann has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The student’s mother learned of the inappropriate conduct when she overheard her son talking to Bergmann on the phone, according to the criminal complaint, as reported by the New York Post. The parents checked his phone and reportedly found racy and explicit texts between the pair. The two reportedly got physical on multiple occasions inside the Hudson, Wisconsin, classroom during lunch or after school.

Teacher who 'made out' with 11yr-old student exchanged 33,000 racy texts with him

Karnataka sex abuse case accused Prajwal Revanna has said that he will appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31 and cooperate in the probe linked to the alleged obscene video case.

Revanna, in a self-made video which he released on Monday (May 27), said that he was currently out on a "pre-planned" trip and that there was no case filed against him when Karnataka went into polling for the Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

In the video, he also claimed that a political conspiracy was orchestrated against him as he was making significant progress in the field of politics.

The JDS MP from Hassan has been absconding after being accused of sexual harassment by a woman who worked in his household. He reportedly fled to Germany in the month of April.

He also extended an apology to his family, party supporters and the people of the state.

"Namaskara, firstly I apologise to my parents, my grandfather, Kumaraswamy and my party workers and people of the state. I didn't inform where I am. When elections were held on (April) 26th, there was no case on me and no SIT was formed then, my foreign trip was pre-planned. That's why I came to foreign. I came to know about it through YouTube and the news. Then SIT notice was also served to me. Then through my X account I asked for seven days time to appear," Revanna said in the self-made video released on Monday.

He further said that he went into depression and isolated himself after Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi started discussing about the issue in open forums, accusing the opposition of hatching a conspiracy.

"When I asked for 7 days' time to appear, Rahul Gandhi and many other Congress leaders started talking about it and me in open forums. A political conspiracy was hatched against me, then I went to depression and isolated myself. That's why I apologised, even after that many in Hassan hatched conspiracy against me as I'm growing in politics, by looking at all this, I stayed away," he said.

"On 31st Friday, 10 am, I'll appear before SIT and provide all information related to investigation, I'll cooperate with the SIT investigation, I have a lot of faith in judiciary, I believe in god and judiciary, that's why I'll appear on Friday 31st in front of the SIT," Revanna added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-sex-scandal-jaishankar-says-mea-got-request-to-impound-prajwal-revannas-passport-only-on-may-21-724977">Also read:&nbsp;Karnataka sex abuse case: Jaishankar says MEA got request to impound Prajwal Revanna's passport only on May 21</a>

<h2>Deve Gowda issues 'stern warning' to grandson Prajwal Revanna to return to India</h2>

This comes after former Indian prime minister and JD (S) party supremo HD Deve Gowda issued a stern warning to his grandson Revanna, asking him to return to India and face the law.

Gowda shared a statement on his official X handle that asked Revanna to surrender before the police.

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I have issued a warning to <a href="https://twitter.com/iPrajwalRevanna?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iPrajwalRevanna</a> to return immediately from wherever he is and subject himself to the legal process. He should not test my patience any further. <a href="https://t.co/kCMuNJOvAo">pic.twitter.com/kCMuNJOvAo</a>
— H D Deve Gowda (@H_D_Devegowda) <a href="https://twitter.com/H_D_Devegowda/status/1793590773587267665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

He also said that if found guilty, his grandson should not be spared and be given the harshest punishment under the law.&nbsp;

"At this juncture, I can do only one thing; I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process," the former Indian prime minister said in a statement.

He then clarified that it was "not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing".

"If he does not heed this warning, he will have to face my anger and anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately," Gowda said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel Revanna's diplomatic passport "along with prompt and concerted actions to secure his return to India."

(With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka sex abuse case accused Prajwal Revanna has said that he will appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31 and cooperate in the probe linked to the alleged obscene video case.

Karnataka sex abuse case accused Prajwal Revanna has said that he will appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 31 and cooperate in the probe linked to the alleged obscene video case. Revanna, in a self-made video which he released on Monday (May 27), said that he was currently out on a "pre-planned" trip and that there was no case filed against him when Karnataka went into polling for the Lok Sabha elections on April 26. In the video, he also claimed that a political conspiracy was orchestrated against him as he was making significant progress in the field of politics. The JDS MP from Hassan has been absconding after being accused of sexual harassment by a woman who worked in his household. He reportedly fled to Germany in the month of April. He also extended an apology to his family, party supporters and the people of the state. "Namaskara, firstly I apologise to my parents, my grandfather, Kumaraswamy and my party workers and people of the state. I didn't inform where I am. When elections were held on (April) 26th, there was no case on me and no SIT was formed then, my foreign trip was pre-planned. That's why I came to foreign. I came to know about it through YouTube and the news. Then SIT notice was also served to me. Then through my X account I asked for seven days time to appear," Revanna said in the self-made video released on Monday. He further said that he went into depression and isolated himself after Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi started discussing about the issue in open forums, accusing the opposition of hatching a conspiracy. "When I asked for 7 days' time to appear, Rahul Gandhi and many other Congress leaders started talking about it and me in open forums. A political conspiracy was hatched against me, then I went to depression and isolated myself. That's why I apologised, even after that many in Hassan hatched conspiracy against me as I'm growing in politics, by looking at all this, I stayed away," he said. "On 31st Friday, 10 am, I'll appear before SIT and provide all information related to investigation, I'll cooperate with the SIT investigation, I have a lot of faith in judiciary, I believe in god and judiciary, that's why I'll appear on Friday 31st in front of the SIT," Revanna added. Also read: Karnataka sex abuse case: Jaishankar says MEA got request to impound Prajwal Revanna's passport only on May 21 Deve Gowda issues 'stern warning' to grandson Prajwal Revanna to return to India This comes after former Indian prime minister and JD (S) party supremo HD Deve Gowda issued a stern warning to his grandson Revanna, asking him to return to India and face the law. Gowda shared a statement on his official X handle that asked Revanna to surrender before the police. I have issued a warning to @iPrajwalRevanna to return immediately from wherever he is and subject himself to the legal process. He should not test my patience any further. pic.twitter.com/kCMuNJOvAo — H D Deve Gowda (@H_D_Devegowda) May 23, 2024 × He also said that if found guilty, his grandson should not be spared and be given the harshest punishment under the law. "At this juncture, I can do only one thing; I can issue a stern warning to Prajwal and ask him to return from wherever he is and surrender before the police. He should subject himself to the legal process," the former Indian prime minister said in a statement. He then clarified that it was "not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing". "If he does not heed this warning, he will have to face my anger and anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately," Gowda said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel Revanna's diplomatic passport "along with prompt and concerted actions to secure his return to India." (With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka sex abuse case: Prajwal Revanna says will appear before police on May 31, cooperate in probe

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Biden phone calls Qatar Egypt | Deve Gowda's grandson to be suspended? | WION Headlines

On April 28, the Karnataka government announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to look into claims of sexual misconduct made against Hassan and HD Revanna, the MP for Hassan and the Holenarasipura MLA and son of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

Ex-PM HD Deve Gowda’s son and grandson accused of sexual abuse | Karnataka forms SIT to probe

A crisis at Britain's BBC over alleged payments by an unnamed star to a young person for explicit images deepened on Tuesday when its news division reported that the male presenter had sent abusive messages to a second person, aged in their early 20s.

The new revelation came after the BBC sought to defend its handling of the growing scandal, after acknowledging that it did not flag the first complaint to senior management for seven weeks until a tabloid newspaper approached it about the story.

Britain's leading broadcaster has been rocked by a report in the Sun newspaper that the presenter had paid a young person 35,000 pounds ($45,000) for explicit photos over three years, beginning when the person was 17.

The presenter has been suspended but not named, angering other high-profile stars who have fallen under suspicion on social media.

BBC News said on Tuesday it had been contacted by a second young person - unconnected to the first - who said they had been approached by the presenter on a dating app.

When the person, who never met the presenter, hinted online that they would reveal his identity, they were sent abusive, expletive-filled messages, the BBC said.

BBC News said it had verified that the messages were sent from a phone belonging to the presenter. It said it had received no response to the latest allegations from either the presenter or his lawyer.

The scandal at the BBC has dominated national newspapers and television bulletins since it broke on Friday night, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak describing the allegations as "very serious and concerning".

It took a further twist on Monday when the corporation said it had received a letter from a lawyer acting for the young person in the original case, to say the allegations were "rubbish".

Police are examining the circumstances to establish whether there was evidence of a criminal offence. "There remains no police investigation at this time," they said.

The age of consent for sex in England is 16, but images of someone under 18 can be considered child pornography.

<h2 data-testid="Heading">Speed of response</h2>

According to a timeline published by the broadcaster, a member of the young person's family walked into a BBC building on May 18 to make a complaint. The family member contacted BBC Audience Services the next day.

The BBC said it made two unsuccessful attempts - one email and one phone call - to respond to the complainant.

The Sun contacted the BBC seven weeks later on July 6 with different allegations, the broadcaster said on Tuesday, and senior management were informed for the first time.

"The events of recent days have shown how complex and challenging these kinds of cases can be and how vital it is that they are handled with the utmost diligence and care," BBC Director General Tim Davie told reporters after the corporation published its annual report.

Davie, who said he had not personally spoken to the presenter, said the new information provided by the Sun on July 6 "clearly related to potential criminal activity".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-journalist-fired-for-asking-questions-to-pm-shehabz-sharif-about-freedom-of-expression-report-614376">Pak journo fired for asking PM questions about freedom of expression: Report</a>

Funded by a licence fee paid by every TV-watching household, the BBC often faces criticism as it tries to be impartial. Earlier this year its highest paid presenter Gary Lineker sparked a free-speech row by criticising the government's immigration policy.

It faced its gravest crisis in 2012 when it emerged that Jimmy Savile, one of the most recognisable TV personalities of the 1970s and 80s, was a prolific sex offender.

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The corporation is now trying to investigate the claim against the presenter, protect that person's privacy while the facts are established, and respond publicly to the allegations, all while avoiding placing high-profile staff under suspicion.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

A crisis at Britain's BBC over alleged payments by an unnamed star to a young person for explicit images deepened on Tuesday when its news division reported that the male presenter had sent abusive messages to a second person, aged in their early 20s.

A crisis at Britain's BBC over alleged payments by an unnamed star to a young person for explicit images deepened on Tuesday when its news division reported that the male presenter had sent abusive messages to a second person, aged in their early 20s. The new revelation came after the BBC sought to defend its handling of the growing scandal, after acknowledging that it did not flag the first complaint to senior management for seven weeks until a tabloid newspaper approached it about the story. Britain's leading broadcaster has been rocked by a report in the Sun newspaper that the presenter had paid a young person 35,000 pounds ($45,000) for explicit photos over three years, beginning when the person was 17. The presenter has been suspended but not named, angering other high-profile stars who have fallen under suspicion on social media. BBC News said on Tuesday it had been contacted by a second young person - unconnected to the first - who said they had been approached by the presenter on a dating app. When the person, who never met the presenter, hinted online that they would reveal his identity, they were sent abusive, expletive-filled messages, the BBC said. BBC News said it had verified that the messages were sent from a phone belonging to the presenter. It said it had received no response to the latest allegations from either the presenter or his lawyer. The scandal at the BBC has dominated national newspapers and television bulletins since it broke on Friday night, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak describing the allegations as "very serious and concerning". It took a further twist on Monday when the corporation said it had received a letter from a lawyer acting for the young person in the original case, to say the allegations were "rubbish". Police are examining the circumstances to establish whether there was evidence of a criminal offence. "There remains no police investigation at this time," they said. The age of consent for sex in England is 16, but images of someone under 18 can be considered child pornography. Speed of response According to a timeline published by the broadcaster, a member of the young person's family walked into a BBC building on May 18 to make a complaint. The family member contacted BBC Audience Services the next day. The BBC said it made two unsuccessful attempts - one email and one phone call - to respond to the complainant. The Sun contacted the BBC seven weeks later on July 6 with different allegations, the broadcaster said on Tuesday, and senior management were informed for the first time. "The events of recent days have shown how complex and challenging these kinds of cases can be and how vital it is that they are handled with the utmost diligence and care," BBC Director General Tim Davie told reporters after the corporation published its annual report. Davie, who said he had not personally spoken to the presenter, said the new information provided by the Sun on July 6 "clearly related to potential criminal activity". Also read | Pak journo fired for asking PM questions about freedom of expression: Report Funded by a licence fee paid by every TV-watching household, the BBC often faces criticism as it tries to be impartial. Earlier this year its highest paid presenter Gary Lineker sparked a free-speech row by criticising the government's immigration policy. It faced its gravest crisis in 2012 when it emerged that Jimmy Savile, one of the most recognisable TV personalities of the 1970s and 80s, was a prolific sex offender. Also read | What is NATO, and why Sweden was able to join and not Ukraine? The corporation is now trying to investigate the claim against the presenter, protect that person's privacy while the facts are established, and respond publicly to the allegations, all while avoiding placing high-profile staff under suspicion. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

BBC presenter sent abusive messages to second young person, broadcaster says

Roman Polanski is a huge name in world cinema and the director is well known for his legendary films over the years. The 88-year-old received two Oscar nominations in 1974 (Chinatown) and 1979 (Tess) before finally winning the Best Director award for “The Pianist” in 2003.

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However, he was not present to accept the award as he fled the United States in relation to a criminal case and a former prosecutor has revealed how a Los Angeles judge played a part in Polanski leaving the country. The prosecutor testified that the judge told some lawyers in private that he was going to send Polanski to jail for having sex with a teenage girl in 1977 on the eve of the final sentencing in the trial.

The Associated Press reported that Polanski left the country during the court case as he felt that he was not getting a fair trial and retired Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson supported his claims.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-rishi-sunak-says-he-is-proud-of-his-parents-in-law-498496">Watch: Rishi Sunak says he is proud of his parents-in-law</a>

“The judge had promised him on two occasions ... something that he reneged on. So, it wasn’t surprising to me that, when he was told he was going to be sent off to state prison ... that he could not or would not trust the judge,” Gunson said in a closed-door testimony in 2010.

The legal battle has been going on for almost four decades and in the process, Polanski has changed his place of residence multiple times. Attempts of extradition by the United States authorities were also unsuccessful as their requests were rejected by France, Poland and Switzerland.

Roman Polanski is a huge name in world cinema and the director is well known for his legendary films over the years. The 88-year-old received two Oscar nominations in 1974 (Chinatown) and 1979 (Tess) before finally winning the Best Director award for “The Pianist” in 2003.

Roman Polanski is a huge name in world cinema and the director is well known for his legendary films over the years. The 88-year-old received two Oscar nominations in 1974 (Chinatown) and 1979 (Tess) before finally winning the Best Director award for “The Pianist” in 2003. Also read | Taliban look to remove women from public sector roles However, he was not present to accept the award as he fled the United States in relation to a criminal case and a former prosecutor has revealed how a Los Angeles judge played a part in Polanski leaving the country. The prosecutor testified that the judge told some lawyers in private that he was going to send Polanski to jail for having sex with a teenage girl in 1977 on the eve of the final sentencing in the trial. The Associated Press reported that Polanski left the country during the court case as he felt that he was not getting a fair trial and retired Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson supported his claims. Also read | Watch: Rishi Sunak says he is proud of his parents-in-law “The judge had promised him on two occasions ... something that he reneged on. So, it wasn’t surprising to me that, when he was told he was going to be sent off to state prison ... that he could not or would not trust the judge,” Gunson said in a closed-door testimony in 2010. The legal battle has been going on for almost four decades and in the process, Polanski has changed his place of residence multiple times. Attempts of extradition by the United States authorities were also unsuccessful as their requests were rejected by France, Poland and Switzerland.

US judge planned to send Roman Polanski to jail for sex with minor in 1977 case

A private firm handling immigration tasks for the UK’s Home Office has been accused of paying sex workers while deporting people abroad, The Guardian has reported.

The explosive revelation was made by five whistleblowers who claimed that the Home Office contractors regularly paid sex workers on overnight stopovers over a period of 10 years after accompanying migrants on flights from the UK.

The whistleblowers have named at least a dozen colleagues from the firm Mitie who were indulging in such an act for over a decade.

They alleged that this happened in cities including Nairobi in Kenya, Johannesburg in South Africa, Hanoi in Vietnam, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bucharest in Romania.

Following the reveal, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft has initiated a probe to look into the claims. He said that no incriminating evidence pertaining to such behaviour has been found so far.

Meanwhile, the government is facing heat from charities for allowing taxpayers’ “hard earned money” to be used for “predatory sex tourism”.

One Home Office contractor told the Guardian tht they had been shocked at what they had seen while escorting people overseas.

“On one job, two of us sat in the bar while three of the others in the team went off with [sex workers],” they said. “One had a phone which he called his ‘little black book’ specially for jobs abroad to arrange these liaisons.”

Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director Steve Valdez-Symonds called on the Home Office to critically reassess its use of private contractors to carry out immigration tasks.

Meanwhile, Labour’s immigration spokesperson Stephen Kinnock described the reports as deeply disturbing and called on the Home Office to investigate the allegations immediately.

(With inputs from agencies)

A private firm handling immigration tasks for the UK’s Home Office has been accused of paying sex workers while deporting people abroad, The Guardian has reported.

A private firm handling immigration tasks for the UK’s Home Office has been accused of paying sex workers while deporting people abroad, The Guardian has reported. The explosive revelation was made by five whistleblowers who claimed that the Home Office contractors regularly paid sex workers on overnight stopovers over a period of 10 years after accompanying migrants on flights from the UK. The whistleblowers have named at least a dozen colleagues from the firm Mitie who were indulging in such an act for over a decade. They alleged that this happened in cities including Nairobi in Kenya, Johannesburg in South Africa, Hanoi in Vietnam, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bucharest in Romania. Following the reveal, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft has initiated a probe to look into the claims. He said that no incriminating evidence pertaining to such behaviour has been found so far. Meanwhile, the government is facing heat from charities for allowing taxpayers’ “hard earned money” to be used for “predatory sex tourism”. One Home Office contractor told the Guardian tht they had been shocked at what they had seen while escorting people overseas. “On one job, two of us sat in the bar while three of the others in the team went off with [sex workers],” they said. “One had a phone which he called his ‘little black book’ specially for jobs abroad to arrange these liaisons.” Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director Steve Valdez-Symonds called on the Home Office to critically reassess its use of private contractors to carry out immigration tasks. Meanwhile, Labour’s immigration spokesperson Stephen Kinnock described the reports as deeply disturbing and called on the Home Office to investigate the allegations immediately. (With inputs from agencies)

UK firm handling immigration for govt accused of paying for sex while deporting migrants

Apart from battling with an increase in covid-19 cases, Morocco is now grappling with a new wave of #MeToo. Moroccan university students have broken their silence about professors demanding sexual favors in return for good grades, a scandal that has shaken the higher education system of the country.

MeToo wave in Morocco, 'Sex for Grades' scandal in limelight

McDonald’s ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook has returned equity awards and cash worth over $105 million over his relationship scandals with staff, thus ending a year-long lawsuit with the fast-food chain.

According to reports, Easterbrook, 59, was asked to return his severance package after it was discovered that he lied about his sexual relationship with three staff.

The British businessman was fired in November last year after admitting to having a close relationship with one employee.

The fast-food chain had said that he was sacked for his "lies and misconduct."

But further investigation revealed that he had hidden two more relationships, following which the firm asked Easterbrook to forfeit his payments.

“This settlement holds Steve Easterbrook accountable for his clear misconduct, including the way in which he exploited his position as CEO," McDonald's Chair Enrique Hernandez, Jr., said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sexual-harassment-rampant-at-mcdonalds-international-labour-group-tells-oecd-in-complaint-299579">Sexual harassment ‘rampant’ at McDonald’s, international labour group tells OECD in complaint</a>

“The resolution avoids a protracted court process and allows us to move forward.”

McDonald’s said Easterbrook lied and hid information regarding inappropriate personal behaviour and relationships with employees, adding that he had also provided stock worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to one of those employees.

“I apologise to my former co-workers, the board and the company's franchisees and suppliers for doing so,” Easterbrook said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/mcdonalds-hr-chief-exits-after-ceo-shakeup-260024">McDonald's HR chief exits after CEO shakeup</a>

"During my tenure as CEO, I failed at times to uphold McDonald's values and fulfil certain of my responsibilities as a leader of the company," he said.

Easterbrook was appointed CEO in March 2015, and was widely credited with boosting the burger chain's fortunes.

In 2018, his base pay was $1.3 million and his total compensation including bonus and stock options was $15.9 million.

(With inputs from agencies)

McDonald’s ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook has returned equity awards and cash worth over $105 million over his relationship scandals with staff, thus ending a year-long lawsuit with the fast-food chain.

McDonald’s ex-CEO Steve Easterbrook has returned equity awards and cash worth over $105 million over his relationship scandals with staff, thus ending a year-long lawsuit with the fast-food chain. According to reports, Easterbrook, 59, was asked to return his severance package after it was discovered that he lied about his sexual relationship with three staff. The British businessman was fired in November last year after admitting to having a close relationship with one employee. The fast-food chain had said that he was sacked for his "lies and misconduct." But further investigation revealed that he had hidden two more relationships, following which the firm asked Easterbrook to forfeit his payments. “This settlement holds Steve Easterbrook accountable for his clear misconduct, including the way in which he exploited his position as CEO," McDonald's Chair Enrique Hernandez, Jr., said in a statement. Also read | Sexual harassment ‘rampant’ at McDonald’s, international labour group tells OECD in complaint “The resolution avoids a protracted court process and allows us to move forward.” McDonald’s said Easterbrook lied and hid information regarding inappropriate personal behaviour and relationships with employees, adding that he had also provided stock worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to one of those employees. “I apologise to my former co-workers, the board and the company's franchisees and suppliers for doing so,” Easterbrook said in a statement. Also read | McDonald's HR chief exits after CEO shakeup "During my tenure as CEO, I failed at times to uphold McDonald's values and fulfil certain of my responsibilities as a leader of the company," he said. Easterbrook was appointed CEO in March 2015, and was widely credited with boosting the burger chain's fortunes. In 2018, his base pay was $1.3 million and his total compensation including bonus and stock options was $15.9 million. (With inputs from agencies)

McDonald’s sacked CEO returns $105 million severance deal over misconduct

From rape allegations to sexual misconduct, the Australian parliament is at the centre of a major controversy. What is Scott Morrison's plan to reform this culture? WION's Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: Sex scandal rocks Australian Parliament

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he was shocked and disgusted by the latest sex scandal that has hit his government, adding that he wanted more women to join politics.

Australian PM 'disgusted' by sex scandal in govt, wants more women in politics

Luigi Ventura, Pope Francis's former ambassador to France will stand trial for alleged sexual assault, according to newswire AFP.

Ventura had resigned from his post after police had questioned him on sexual assault charges. Ventura is set to appear in court in November.

He was also accused by four male of sexual misconduct. Ventura has denied the allegation. A similar complaint was also filed in Ottawa when Ventura was serving in Ottawa in 2008.&nbsp;

The church has been hit by a plethora of sexual assault charges in the past few years. Last month, Pope Francis has asked the Polish Bishop Edward Janiak to step down over alleged sexual abuse of children.

Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Grzegorz Rys to run the Polish diocese of Kalisz.

In March, Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin,69 for failing to report an alleged paedophile priest. The French cardinal was accused by victims of ignoring child abuse cases.

A Lyon court had convicted Barbarin but a French appeals court had overruled it as Barbarin was given a six-month suspended jail sentence before it was overturned by the court. The judge said that Barbarin should have reported the incidents.

Last year, the Pope had abolished the rule of "pontifical secrecy" in cases of sex abuse investigations. The pope issued two documents which forbade imposing obligation of silence on those who report sex abuse or allege to have been the victim.

The documents known as rescriptum is when the Pope can use his authority to rewrite specific articles of canon law or parts of previous papal documents.

&nbsp;

Luigi Ventura, Pope Francis's former ambassador to France will stand trial for alleged sexual assault, according to newswire AFP. Ventura had resigned from his post after police had questioned him on sexual assault charges.

Luigi Ventura, Pope Francis's former ambassador to France will stand trial for alleged sexual assault, according to newswire AFP. Ventura had resigned from his post after police had questioned him on sexual assault charges. Ventura is set to appear in court in November. He was also accused by four male of sexual misconduct. Ventura has denied the allegation. A similar complaint was also filed in Ottawa when Ventura was serving in Ottawa in 2008. The church has been hit by a plethora of sexual assault charges in the past few years. Last month, Pope Francis has asked the Polish Bishop Edward Janiak to step down over alleged sexual abuse of children. Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Grzegorz Rys to run the Polish diocese of Kalisz. In March, Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin,69 for failing to report an alleged paedophile priest. The French cardinal was accused by victims of ignoring child abuse cases. A Lyon court had convicted Barbarin but a French appeals court had overruled it as Barbarin was given a six-month suspended jail sentence before it was overturned by the court. The judge said that Barbarin should have reported the incidents. Last year, the Pope had abolished the rule of "pontifical secrecy" in cases of sex abuse investigations. The pope issued two documents which forbade imposing obligation of silence on those who report sex abuse or allege to have been the victim. The documents known as rescriptum is when the Pope can use his authority to rewrite specific articles of canon law or parts of previous papal documents.

Pope's ex-envoy Luigi Ventura to stand trial on sex assault charges

Watch in WION Dispatch: Britain's Prince quits royal duties over Epstein scandal. Watch this video as WION's Correspondent Natalie Powell from London tells you more on this. #WIONDispatch #WION

WION Dispatch: Britain's Prince quits royal duties over Epstein scandal

Britain's Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties on Wednesday, saying the controversy surrounding his ill-judged association with late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein had caused major disruption to the royal family's work.

Britain's Prince Andrew halts public duties over sex scandal, move after infamous interview

Jeffrey Epstein: How the man with famous friends fell apart

Prince Andrew accused of 'Groping' a woman. To know more watch the video

WION Playlist: 'Royal Connection' to sex scandal?

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, May 29th 2019

Korean pop, after enjoying massive growth in popularity last year, can easily label this as the lowest time in the history of the music genre. After Seungri and Jung quit over sex scandal expose, a third K-pop star quit showbiz today.

Big Bang member <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/k-pop-big-bang-member-booked-on-alleged-sex-bribery-company-shares-drop-202510">Seungri</a> and singer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/second-south-korean-star-quits-as-k-pop-sex-scandal-spreads-202987">Jung Joon-young quit </a>the music industry after their names came up in separate sex scandals.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/controversy-lies-and-videotape-k-pop-world-rocked-by-scandals-203245">In Pictures:&nbsp;Controversy, lies and videotape: K-pop world rocked by scandals&nbsp;</a>

The most recent to follow suit is Yong Jun-hyung who announced leaving the boy band Highlight after admitting to viewing a secretly filmed video. The 29-year-old took to Instagram to announce the news. Apparently, he received a clip from another pop star who had allegedly recorded a sex video without the woman's consent and then participated in "inappropriate conversations" about it.

In the post, he admitted to doing this and wrote: "All these behaviours were extremely unethical, and I was stupid.”

As he announced this, his former band Highlight’s entertainment label, Around US Entertainment, said in a statement that Yong was "now in a deep state of reflection for his past inappropriate actions, as well as for the disappointment that he undoubtedly caused many due to his immorality".

The police are currently questioning K-pop stars over their roles in the scandal.&nbsp;

For the uninitiated, the use of hidden cameras to record sexually explicit material, known as ‘molka’, is a fast-growing problem in the South Korean society.&nbsp;

Korean pop, after enjoying massive growth in popularity last year, can easily label this as the lowest time in the history of the music genre. After Seungri and Jung quit over sex scandal expose, a third K-pop star quit showbiz today.

Korean pop, after enjoying massive growth in popularity last year, can easily label this as the lowest time in the history of the music genre. After Seungri and Jung quit over sex scandal expose, a third K-pop star quit showbiz today. Big Bang member Seungri and singer Jung Joon-young quit the music industry after their names came up in separate sex scandals. In Pictures: Controversy, lies and videotape: K-pop world rocked by scandals The most recent to follow suit is Yong Jun-hyung who announced leaving the boy band Highlight after admitting to viewing a secretly filmed video. The 29-year-old took to Instagram to announce the news. Apparently, he received a clip from another pop star who had allegedly recorded a sex video without the woman's consent and then participated in "inappropriate conversations" about it. In the post, he admitted to doing this and wrote: "All these behaviours were extremely unethical, and I was stupid.” As he announced this, his former band Highlight’s entertainment label, Around US Entertainment, said in a statement that Yong was "now in a deep state of reflection for his past inappropriate actions, as well as for the disappointment that he undoubtedly caused many due to his immorality". The police are currently questioning K-pop stars over their roles in the scandal. For the uninitiated, the use of hidden cameras to record sexually explicit material, known as ‘molka’, is a fast-growing problem in the South Korean society.

K-pop sex scandal: After Seungri and Jung, Highlight boy band member Yong Jun-hyung quits showbiz

Pope urges predator priests to give in

The junior partner in Australia&#39;s coalition government elected as its new leader on Monday a former newspaper editor who takes over as deputy prime minister after an embarrassing sex scandal threatened a decades-old conservative alliance.

Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party after Joyce, who campaigned on family values, resigned over an extramarital affair with his former media secretary.

Joyce is expecting a child with his former staff member and has left his marriage of 24 years. He resisted weeks of pressure to quit but said on Friday he would resign as party leader after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged.

Under the terms of the coalition deal with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull&#39;s centre-right Liberal Party, the leader of the Nationals automatically becomes deputy prime minister.

The drawn-out saga over Joyce&#39;s extramarital affair had threatened to fracture the alliance between the Liberals and Nationals that has been in place for almost 100 years.

McCormack won the party-room vote over a single challenger, George Christensen, who had proposed breaking the alliance with the Nationals&#39; senior partner.

&quot;I will honour that faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best,&quot; McCormack told reporters in Canberra.

The alliance suffered during a public falling-out between Turnbull and Joyce over the deputy leader&#39;s affair. Turnbull described it as a &quot;shocking error of judgment&quot;, to which Joyce replied by calling Turnbull &quot;inept&quot;.

Turnbull pointedly did not leave Joyce as acting prime minister when he left Australia last week for meetings with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in Washington.

McCormack has kept a low profile in recent years but his appointment is not without controversy. He was forced to apologise for stridently homophobic comments he made in an editorial when he was running a rural newspaper in 1993.

Turnbull, also a former journalist, welcomed McCormack&#39;s appointment.

&quot;Our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael&rsquo;s leadership of the National Party,&quot; Turnbull said in an emailed statement.

Political analysts saw McCormack&#39;s low profile as an early obstacle before elections due by May 2019.

&quot;It will take quite a bit of time before McCormack registers with voters in rural and regional Australia,&quot; said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia.

&quot;Turnbull doesn&#39;t have much time before the election and he losses his best asset in Joyce, who is without doubt the best retail politician,&quot; he said.

Joyce now moves to the backbench. Little-known outside Australia, he made international headlines in 2015 when he deported two dogs brought into Australia by US&nbsp;actor Johnny Depp without the proper paperwork, a row that became known as the &quot;war on terrier&quot;. 
&nbsp;

Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party

The junior partner in Australia's coalition government elected as its new leader on Monday a former newspaper editor who takes over as deputy prime minister after an embarrassing sex scandal threatened a decades-old conservative alliance. Michael McCormack was chosen in a party-room ballot to replace Barnaby Joyce as the leader of the rural-based National Party after Joyce, who campaigned on family values, resigned over an extramarital affair with his former media secretary. Joyce is expecting a child with his former staff member and has left his marriage of 24 years. He resisted weeks of pressure to quit but said on Friday he would resign as party leader after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged. Under the terms of the coalition deal with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's centre-right Liberal Party, the leader of the Nationals automatically becomes deputy prime minister. The drawn-out saga over Joyce's extramarital affair had threatened to fracture the alliance between the Liberals and Nationals that has been in place for almost 100 years. McCormack won the party-room vote over a single challenger, George Christensen, who had proposed breaking the alliance with the Nationals' senior partner. "I will honour that faith and trust and responsibility by always doing my best," McCormack told reporters in Canberra. The alliance suffered during a public falling-out between Turnbull and Joyce over the deputy leader's affair. Turnbull described it as a "shocking error of judgment", to which Joyce replied by calling Turnbull "inept". Turnbull pointedly did not leave Joyce as acting prime minister when he left Australia last week for meetings with US President Donald Trump in Washington. McCormack has kept a low profile in recent years but his appointment is not without controversy. He was forced to apologise for stridently homophobic comments he made in an editorial when he was running a rural newspaper in 1993. Turnbull, also a former journalist, welcomed McCormack's appointment. "Our enduring and successful political partnership will continue under Michael’s leadership of the National Party," Turnbull said in an emailed statement. Political analysts saw McCormack's low profile as an early obstacle before elections due by May 2019. "It will take quite a bit of time before McCormack registers with voters in rural and regional Australia," said Haydon Manning, a political science professor at Flinders University in South Australia. "Turnbull doesn't have much time before the election and he losses his best asset in Joyce, who is without doubt the best retail politician," he said. Joyce now moves to the backbench. Little-known outside Australia, he made international headlines in 2015 when he deported two dogs brought into Australia by US actor Johnny Depp without the proper paperwork, a row that became known as the "war on terrier".

New deputy leader for Australia after sex scandal forces party shake-up

Oxfam, one of the UK&rsquo;s largest and best known charities, is currently entangled in a scandal following revelations that senior staff members engaged in sexual misconduct during the 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery effort and had hired prostitutes while working in Chad in 2006. The report revealed that aid workers held sex parties, turning a villa rented by Oxfam into a makeshift brothel, with senior officers allegedly attempting to cover up the behavior.

Roland van Hauwermeiren, the man at the heart of the scandal, was head of operations in both Chad and then Haiti, resigning from that last position in 2011 following an internal investigation by Oxfam. Since the story broke, four staff members have been fired, and three others have resigned, including Oxfam&rsquo;s deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, who was the organisation&rsquo;s program director at the time of the Haiti earthquake.

While alarming that Oxfam, or any NGO for that matter, would cover up such distressing acts, what is of equal concern is that van Hauwermeiren, who admitted to the claims of his involvement in the Haiti scandal while disputing the exact allegations against him, had, in 2004, left his position with the Merlin charity in Liberia amid reports of using prostitutes. The question of why he was allowed to pursue another job working with vulnerable populations is confounding: How did an aid worker whose career objective is to provide support for people living in poverty get the opportunity to exploit them on more than one occasion? The answer lies within the broken system of the global aid industry and leads to questions of who is monitoring the charities that the public tends to perceive as moral leaders.

NGOs are built around public trust. It is vital to their missions to prove they are using donated funds appropriately, reporting to charity watchdogs annually and showing full transparency in their financial statements. But it seems as though those same standards may not be required when it comes to employees&rsquo; conduct while on the job. Oxfam aid workers not only took advantage of their positions of power while working in Haiti, but their abhorrent actions have not been met by any punitive measures. In its most basic, they got away with exploiting the same people they set out to help.

Haiti and its people have faced exploitation for hundreds of years. Once one of the richest nations under French rule, France refused to recognize the nation&rsquo;s independence following the Haitian Revolution of 1804. It finally did so in 1825, and then only under the condition that the Haitian government agrees to pay compensation in the amount of roughly 150 million golden francs &mdash; 10 times Haiti&rsquo;s annual revenue then, or about $17 billion in today&rsquo;s money &mdash; to French landowners for the loss of plantations and slaves.

At the same time, the United States government placed an embargo against the island, refusing to acknowledge the newly independent nation, even though up until that point the US had been selling more goods to Haiti than any other country in Latin America. In 1915, fearful that a politically unstable Haiti would not be able to repay its debts, the US occupied the island, remaining for 20 years.&nbsp;

In the 1950s, Haiti came under the dictatorial rule of by Fran&ccedil;ois &ldquo;Papa Doc&rdquo; Duvalier, whose son, Jean-Claude, would remain in power until 1986. By this point the country had been be plagued by decades of political corruption, its land stripped of natural resources and tens of thousands of citizens thought to oppose the government had been killed. By the time the January 2010 earthquake hit, Haiti was already relying heavily on foreign aid, which accounted for 30-40% of its government&rsquo;s budget.

Haitians aren&rsquo;t the only ones being exploited by foreign aid workers, and Oxfam is not the only organisation that has confirmed that staff members have engaged in sexual misconduct in recent years either. Save the Children, the British Red Cross, Christian Aid and the UN have all published reports of both inappropriate and criminal sexual behavior by staff.

More than ever, now is the time to change how the global aid system is monitored and how inappropriate behavior is handled. If something is not done now, beyond being a public-relations nightmare, Oxfam and other big NGOs are at risk of losing out on funding. With something this explosive, everyone loses. Stories such as these reinforce negative stereotypes of the countries where the disgraceful behavior took place, it harms individuals who were taken advantage of and it shakes the public&rsquo;s faith in the non-profit sector.

Scandals such as these do more than just give a few NGOs a bad reputation: They put a mark on all of them. The big players at the top have the means to bounce back from bad publicity, but smaller charities don&rsquo;t have that luxury. If faith in aid organisations as a whole is undermined, and enough supporters back away from a cause, then smaller charities risk folding completely. If there aren&rsquo;t changes in accountability within the global aid system, in the end those of us who work to deliver humanitarian assistance with ethical and moral standards risk losing our ability to do so, which only hurts those we set out to help in the first place.

this <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/latin_america/oxfam-haiti-chad-sex-scandal-news-headlines-41321/">article</a> has been origivally publihsed in the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Faith in aid organisations is undermined ever since Oxfam, one of the UK’s largest and best-known charities, has been trolled for the sex scandal.

Oxfam, one of the UK’s largest and best known charities, is currently entangled in a scandal following revelations that senior staff members engaged in sexual misconduct during the 2010 Haiti earthquake recovery effort and had hired prostitutes while working in Chad in 2006. The report revealed that aid workers held sex parties, turning a villa rented by Oxfam into a makeshift brothel, with senior officers allegedly attempting to cover up the behavior. Roland van Hauwermeiren, the man at the heart of the scandal, was head of operations in both Chad and then Haiti, resigning from that last position in 2011 following an internal investigation by Oxfam. Since the story broke, four staff members have been fired, and three others have resigned, including Oxfam’s deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, who was the organisation’s program director at the time of the Haiti earthquake. While alarming that Oxfam, or any NGO for that matter, would cover up such distressing acts, what is of equal concern is that van Hauwermeiren, who admitted to the claims of his involvement in the Haiti scandal while disputing the exact allegations against him, had, in 2004, left his position with the Merlin charity in Liberia amid reports of using prostitutes. The question of why he was allowed to pursue another job working with vulnerable populations is confounding: How did an aid worker whose career objective is to provide support for people living in poverty get the opportunity to exploit them on more than one occasion? The answer lies within the broken system of the global aid industry and leads to questions of who is monitoring the charities that the public tends to perceive as moral leaders. NGOs are built around public trust. It is vital to their missions to prove they are using donated funds appropriately, reporting to charity watchdogs annually and showing full transparency in their financial statements. But it seems as though those same standards may not be required when it comes to employees’ conduct while on the job. Oxfam aid workers not only took advantage of their positions of power while working in Haiti, but their abhorrent actions have not been met by any punitive measures. In its most basic, they got away with exploiting the same people they set out to help. Haiti and its people have faced exploitation for hundreds of years. Once one of the richest nations under French rule, France refused to recognize the nation’s independence following the Haitian Revolution of 1804. It finally did so in 1825, and then only under the condition that the Haitian government agrees to pay compensation in the amount of roughly 150 million golden francs — 10 times Haiti’s annual revenue then, or about $17 billion in today’s money — to French landowners for the loss of plantations and slaves. At the same time, the United States government placed an embargo against the island, refusing to acknowledge the newly independent nation, even though up until that point the US had been selling more goods to Haiti than any other country in Latin America. In 1915, fearful that a politically unstable Haiti would not be able to repay its debts, the US occupied the island, remaining for 20 years. In the 1950s, Haiti came under the dictatorial rule of by François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, whose son, Jean-Claude, would remain in power until 1986. By this point the country had been be plagued by decades of political corruption, its land stripped of natural resources and tens of thousands of citizens thought to oppose the government had been killed. By the time the January 2010 earthquake hit, Haiti was already relying heavily on foreign aid, which accounted for 30-40% of its government’s budget. Haitians aren’t the only ones being exploited by foreign aid workers, and Oxfam is not the only organisation that has confirmed that staff members have engaged in sexual misconduct in recent years either. Save the Children, the British Red Cross, Christian Aid and the UN have all published reports of both inappropriate and criminal sexual behavior by staff. More than ever, now is the time to change how the global aid system is monitored and how inappropriate behavior is handled. If something is not done now, beyond being a public-relations nightmare, Oxfam and other big NGOs are at risk of losing out on funding. With something this explosive, everyone loses. Stories such as these reinforce negative stereotypes of the countries where the disgraceful behavior took place, it harms individuals who were taken advantage of and it shakes the public’s faith in the non-profit sector. Scandals such as these do more than just give a few NGOs a bad reputation: They put a mark on all of them. The big players at the top have the means to bounce back from bad publicity, but smaller charities don’t have that luxury. If faith in aid organisations as a whole is undermined, and enough supporters back away from a cause, then smaller charities risk folding completely. If there aren’t changes in accountability within the global aid system, in the end those of us who work to deliver humanitarian assistance with ethical and moral standards risk losing our ability to do so, which only hurts those we set out to help in the first place. this article has been origivally publihsed in the Fair Observer. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Who is monitoring Oxfam, the organisation that the public perceives as a moral leader?

United States president Donald Trump has been accused of a number of sexual allegations in the recent past. But, Trump was perhaps not the only leader under this loop.&nbsp;

In 1998, Bill Clinton was accused of having a continuous affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky from 1995 to 1997. However, two decades ago this week he declared that he &quot;did not have sexual relations with that woman,&quot; under oath.

He was later tried for perjury and obstruction of justice which is when he finally admitted to the allegations. The charges were dropped after a 21-day Senate trial, but only after he resigned from the presidency.

Earlier, a lawyer from president Donald Trumps office allegedly paid $130,000 dollars to a former adult-actress a month before the 2016 elections, for her to keep mum about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.&nbsp;

As per reports, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-lawyer-paid-130k-to-pornstar-for-silence-over-trump-encounter-reports-29385">Trump and Clifford</a> had the encounter in Lake Tahoe, California, in 2006, a year after he married his third wife, Melania.&nbsp;

Clifford was 27 at the time and had come to represent the adult film studio Wicked, which made her films. She also got a picture clicked with Trump which had surfaced the net.&nbsp;

He was, though, married at the time and his wife, Melania, had given birth to their son less than four months earlier.

The lack of criticism surrounding Trump&rsquo;s supposed affair with Daniels indicates an ambivalence toward him, and frankly, politicians in general when it comes to plain old sex scandals.

But Trump is no normal politician and in his tumultuous administration, &quot;it&#39;s not even the biggest story of the week,&quot; wrote Aaron Blake in The Washington Post.

Tobe Berkovitz, an associate professor of advertising at Boston University, said Trump displays an uncanny ability to sail past scandals.

&quot;Trump is an anomaly,&quot; said Berkovitz, who has served as a political consultant on numerous political campaigns in addition to teaching.

&quot;Look at the litany of other politicians, celebrities and journalists who have just had the trap door open out from under them for behavior that might not be as egregious or as bad as Trump&#39;s,&quot; Berkovitz said.&nbsp;

Trump and the rest of the men on Capitol Hill won&rsquo;t be hurt by the average sex scandal, and it&rsquo;s because the public expects much worse from them.

Meanwhile, Cohen also denied the reports, saying, &quot;These rumours have circulated time and again since 2011&quot;. &quot;President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence as has Ms Daniels&quot;. 
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Trump and the rest of the men on Capitol Hill won’t be hurt by the average sex scandal, and it’s because the public expects much worse from them.

United States president Donald Trump has been accused of a number of sexual allegations in the recent past. But, Trump was perhaps not the only leader under this loop. In 1998, Bill Clinton was accused of having a continuous affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky from 1995 to 1997. However, two decades ago this week he declared that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman," under oath. He was later tried for perjury and obstruction of justice which is when he finally admitted to the allegations. The charges were dropped after a 21-day Senate trial, but only after he resigned from the presidency. Earlier, a lawyer from president Donald Trumps office allegedly paid $130,000 dollars to a former adult-actress a month before the 2016 elections, for her to keep mum about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. As per reports, Trump and Clifford had the encounter in Lake Tahoe, California, in 2006, a year after he married his third wife, Melania. Clifford was 27 at the time and had come to represent the adult film studio Wicked, which made her films. She also got a picture clicked with Trump which had surfaced the net. He was, though, married at the time and his wife, Melania, had given birth to their son less than four months earlier. The lack of criticism surrounding Trump’s supposed affair with Daniels indicates an ambivalence toward him, and frankly, politicians in general when it comes to plain old sex scandals. But Trump is no normal politician and in his tumultuous administration, "it's not even the biggest story of the week," wrote Aaron Blake in The Washington Post. Tobe Berkovitz, an associate professor of advertising at Boston University, said Trump displays an uncanny ability to sail past scandals. "Trump is an anomaly," said Berkovitz, who has served as a political consultant on numerous political campaigns in addition to teaching. "Look at the litany of other politicians, celebrities and journalists who have just had the trap door open out from under them for behavior that might not be as egregious or as bad as Trump's," Berkovitz said. Trump and the rest of the men on Capitol Hill won’t be hurt by the average sex scandal, and it’s because the public expects much worse from them. Meanwhile, Cohen also denied the reports, saying, "These rumours have circulated time and again since 2011". "President Trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence as has Ms Daniels".

Unites States presidents and history of sex scandals

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