Here’s a major news story that’s rarer than trying to locate the (extinct) Dodo- two national newspapers have been forced to apologise to the parents of Madeline McCann after losing a libel case involving allegations made against them over the disappearance of their daughter. What was even amazing was that the apologies, from both the Daily Express and Daily Star, were printed on the front page of today’s editions of each newspaper.

Both the Express and the Star, throughout the sad disappearance of Madeline, were claimed to have printed stories making allegations against parents Kate and Gerry, which were later found to be untrue. After losing the libel case, the publishers of both newspapers agreed to settle for £550,000, which will probably now go towards the continuing search for the little girl. A statement from the family said that they welcomed the apology.

Its a scandal in the first place that both the Express and the Star were able to write and print these stories before this had to go to court (Let’s not start the well-worn debate about the self-regulation of the press again). The McCanns had to probably fight them with hands tied behind their backs. But it’s not just the two newspapers that should’ve been in the dock. As I pointed out a while back, most of the British press were doing exactly the same thing. Many observers were glad that the case has ended well but sad for the fact that their little girl is still missing.

Voters in London will have a great chance to kick the government when the mayoral election takes place in May. The incumbent, Labour’s great survivor “Teflon” Ken Livingstone, takes on Boris Johnson MP for the Conservatives, Former Lambeth police chief Brian Paddick for the Lib Dems and Sian Berry for the Greens.

Despite the mass of newspaper reporting of the election, particularly in the national press (I apologise wholeheartedly to those in the rest of the UK who thankfully don’t care about this), I believe the whole election at present is a waste of time.

The Labour government brought in a policy of introducing directly elected mayors, something which is alien to the British tradition. This was one of the many ill-thought- out plans to rejuvenate moribund local government in the UK.

The plans for the mayor and the assembly, which in 2000 replaced many of the government joint bodies which managed the capital’s affairs, were deliberately designed to stop one person from having too much power- namely Red Ken, due to his colourful past as a London councillor and the former leader of the late Greater London Council, before the Conservatives abolished it in 1986.

But the real issue is that the assembly has very few powers to start with. It has responsibility for the likes of strategic planning, transport and the police…. and very little else. Most of the services are run by the capitals 32 boroughs. If someone has a problem, they don’t know who is responsible for which service. There’s a lot of confusion…. and very little accountability.

I’ll still cast my vote for who I will believe should be the mayor, because as a democrat, it’s my right, and my duty…. but the endless rubbish that’s written and broadcast in the press is more likely to turn Londoners off.

Five years ago, one of the most single events that changed the world had just begun- the invasion of a middle east country known as Iraq.

Five years on, the country, although under a dictatorship, which was on the ground relatively stable has now turned into a sectarian bloodbath. People who were united on taking on the late leader Saddam Hussein, then turned against each other… and all for a lie…. the lie that the country has assembled weapons of mass destruction…. the lie that the former dictator was a threat to world peace… the lie that the US and UK governments invaded to spread liberal democracy across the region….. the lie that the invasion was to secure the large oil supplies.

The US and UK governments at the time were pushing for a war even despite opinion from the political hard left to the hard right, former and current army generals, diplomats, the United Nations, and just about the rest of the world were opposed to it….

The ordinary people who weren’t politically active were for a long time worried about what the potential consequences of the war may bring marched in their millions. In London, around two million told Tony Blair, “Not In Our Name”….

…. YET THEY INVADED…..

Now the country is now in a bigger mess than five years ago. On top of the relentless sectarian violence, which had left around one million dead, many more fled to neighbouring countries and indeed further afield. Hundreds of American….. and British…. soldiers died fighting a cause which wasn’t theirs in the first place….

….ALL FOR A BLOODY LIE….

Demands for an independent public inquiry into the war are fruitless unless it is taken out the control of the political establishment. Those responsible for this disaster must be made to pay for their crimes…. and it is up to us to make sure that happens.