Ukraine Latest - Ukraine Crisis

Telegraph: Reports " Ukraine 'will not withdraw heavy artillery from the front line'

The decision by Kiev comes after two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 10 wounded over a 24 hour period on Sunday and Monday "

Lets Get Real:

The Russian rebels want a land route to Crimea, even with their military advances with the help of the Russians they still need other areas of East Ukraine, such as Mariupol, thus expect more fighting, the Russian rebels might not totally be under the control of Putin, but the Kremlin should have the ability to stop its own soldiers, IF Putin can not do that one would have to ask how much power Putin really has, lets see what happens over the next few days, the fate of Mariupol might decide the fate of East Ukraine within the State of  the Ukraine. 

US and Iran - Iran Crisis

Guardian: Reports " Iran reports that differences remain after John Kerry and Mohammad Javad Zarif meet for two hours  "

Lets Get Real:

At the moment the US has to much on its plate, there is Russia in the East Ukraine and its Russian rebels,  then we have IS in Iraq and Syria, the US at this moment share the same enemy with Iran, that being IS.   IF a REAL deal can be made then the Oval Office has to make sure that any deal passes the smell test, as the Gipper said of the late USSR, Trust but verify, any deal has to check that Tehran does not cheat, it would be a total disaster for President Obama if Iran got a deal and then declared within a few years that it had the bomb, of course Israel might decide that its a risk it will not take and bomb Iran.   Thus the US needs a tough deal that can pass the Senate, anything else and Obama will be seen as an appeaser of Iran. 

Cash for Access? - MPs Scandal

BBC News: Reports on the scandal of former British Foreign Secretaries Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw, the article notes the following, " Sir Malcolm and another former foreign secretary, Jack Straw, who was also filmed, say they have broken no rules. "

Lets Get Real:

This is more a political problem for the Conservative Party as Sir Malcolm is standing in the 2015 election, while Jack Straw is leaving the House of Commons after the General Election.   From seeing some of the video footage this is more about old politicians wanting to make sure that they earn enough money while in the House of Commons and can take care of their personal finances after leaving front line politics.   The phrases used by both politicians is not great, " under the radar " with Jack Straw and " self employed " by Sir Malcolm.   The punishment should be a public rebuke and lets deal with real issues, MPs are real people with the same concerns as the rest of us, we all want to make money and we all want to retire with a good pension.