My wife had said she didn't fancy anything for dinner tonight, it was going to be fajitas, but they've been deferred until tomorrow. There is a rack of ribs in the fridge that managed to attract my attention, but I wasn't quite sure I wanted them tonight.
Then the doorbell went. "Who is that", I thought, "I'm not expecting visitors".
So, I opened the door and there was my next-door neighbour standing there, holding out a container full of freshly cooked chicken curry she had just prepared.
Impeccable timing, Impeccable food. I do like living next door to Sikhs. Such gentle and kind people.
Derek R @DerekR
Iver Heath
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Trump is trying, once again, to bully Zelensky into wearing a suit for the meeting in the Oval Office. Probably in a vain attempt to justify the previous attack on the Ukrainian when the dogs of war bit hard for no reason. Does it matter what he wears, if anything? Vance, when visiting Modi in India, didn't have the courtesy to wear the same attire as Modi. Instead he wore a suit, (undoubtedly the same he will wear today in an attempt to get his money's worth). What either man wore wasn't important, it's what they were discussing which was. The same will apply to the meeting in Washington today. To my mind it is subtle bullying and I hope Zelensky ignores the request. Below is the news item from the Independent which triggered me to write this post. _____________________________________________ Volodymyr Zelensky will wear a “suit-style” jacket during his meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office — months after the Ukrainian President’s last visit to the White House descended into a shouting match. The White House reportedly asked Ukrainian officials if Zelensky would wear a suit ahead of Monday’s meeting in D.C. with top European leaders and Trump, two sources told Axios. The high-stakes meeting comes months after Trump welcomed Zelensky into the West Wing and made jabs about his customary military-style attire, jokingly telling the press, “he’s all dressed up today.” Zelensky is set to wear the same black jacket he wore to a June NATO summit in the Netherlands, which sources described as being “suit-style” but not a full suit. That summit marked the first time Zelensky had donned a business-style jacket since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022 — and the fashion choice impressed Trump, according to the report. One Trump advisor jokingly told Axios that “it would be a good sign for peace” if Zelensky dressed up on Monday, but added, “We don’t expect him to do it.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-zelensky-oval-office-meeting-suit-b2809575.html -
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The talks with Putin in Alaska were a very predictable failure. Even the president’s famed deal-making abilities can’t end this war (Daniel DePetris 16 August 2025 5:00am BST Daily Telegraph) Mr Trump said very little during a joint press conference in Alaska On his way to Alaska to meet Vladimir Putin, president Trump told Fox News’s Brett Baier that he wouldn’t be happy if he left the summit without a ceasefire in Ukraine. “Now, I say this, and I have said it from the beginning: This is really setting the table today,” Trump said. “We’re going to have another meeting, if things work out, which will be very soon, or we’re not going to have any more meetings at all, maybe ever.” In short, Trump was well aware that anything could have happened in Alaska on Friday. In the event, after nearly three hours of talks, Trump and Putin stepped up to their lecterns touting unspecified progress and calling their discussions very productive. Putin, in his typical monotone, referred to the meeting with the US president as “long overdue”, cast blame on the Biden administration for allowing US-Russia relations to deteriorate, and credited Trump for at least being willing to meet face-to-face. Putin laid it on thick, going so far as to confirm Trump’s repeated assertions that the war in Ukraine would never have happened if he had still been holding court in the White House in February 2022. Trump, a man who likes to hear himself talk, was noticeably subdued at the press conference and said very little. He consistently claimed progress on the major topics of discussion without telling us what those topics were. Ever the gracious host (unless your name is Volodymyr Zelensky), Trump returned Putin’s flattery; the Russian leader, he commented, wanted peace in Ukraine as much as he did. Of course, there’s very little evidence supporting that statement. When all was said and done, there was no peace deal in Ukraine. Nothing on the conflict was settled. The immediate ceasefire that Trump, Zelensky and the Europeans hoped to squeeze out of the Russian strongman was nowhere to be found. On the big items, the summit failed. Daniel DePetris Trump has just discovered he isn’t as powerful as he thought he was The talks with Putin in Alaska were a very predictable failure. Even the president’s famed deal-making abilities can’t end this war Mr Trump said very little during a joint press conference in Alaska Mr Trump said very little during a joint press conference in AlaskaCredit: Kevin Lamarque Daniel DePetris Daniel DePetris 16 August 2025 5:00am BST On his way to Alaska to meet Vladimir Putin, president Trump told Fox News’s Brett Baier that he wouldn’t be happy if he left the summit without a ceasefire in Ukraine. “Now, I say this, and I have said it from the beginning: This is really setting the table today,” Trump said. “We’re going to have another meeting, if things work out, which will be very soon, or we’re not going to have any more meetings at all, maybe ever.” In short, Trump was well aware that anything could have happened in Alaska on Friday. In the event, after nearly three hours of talks, Trump and Putin stepped up to their lecterns touting unspecified progress and calling their discussions very productive. Putin, in his typical monotone, referred to the meeting with the US president as “long overdue”, cast blame on the Biden administration for allowing US-Russia relations to deteriorate, and credited Trump for at least being willing to meet face-to-face. Putin laid it on thick, going so far as to confirm Trump’s repeated assertions that the war in Ukraine would never have happened if he had still been holding court in the White House in February 2022. Trump, a man who likes to hear himself talk, was noticeably subdued at the press conference and said very little. He consistently claimed progress on the major topics of discussion without telling us what those topics were. Ever the gracious host (unless your name is Volodymyr Zelensky), Trump returned Putin’s flattery; the Russian leader, he commented, wanted peace in Ukraine as much as he did. Of course, there’s very little evidence supporting that statement. When all was said and done, there was no peace deal in Ukraine. Nothing on the conflict was settled. The immediate ceasefire that Trump, Zelensky and the Europeans hoped to squeeze out of the Russian strongman was nowhere to be found. On the big items, the summit failed. Mr Trump said very little during a joint press conference in Alaska The two leaders say their goodbyes after the press conferenceCredit: Anadolu But none of this should have been a surprise. Anybody who has been monitoring the three-and-a-half year war will tell you that neither Putin nor Zelensky is prepared to cede their maximum negotiating positions. The differences between Moscow and Kyiv remain unbridgeable at this point in time, so much so that many foreign policy analysts in the West were wondering why Trump even bothered to fly to Alaska in the first place. Zelensky wants a ceasefire before real negotiations begin; Putin wants to fight and talk simultaneously. Zelensky doesn’t want to cede any Ukrainian territory that Russia doesn’t already occupy, and he most certainly won’t recognise Russia’s territorial gains; Putin wants Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms, withdraw and gift the entire Donbas region, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, to him on a silver platter. Zelensky wants Western security guarantees; Putin doesn’t want any Western involvement in Ukraine’s future defence at all. The divergences go on and on, and a single high-level meeting, particularly one to which Zelensky wasn’t invited, was never going to resolve them. As we await the readouts from the White House and anticipate what agreements, if any, were actually reached, Trump will be returning to Washington with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he can talk solace in the fact that his talks with Putin didn’t break down, like the top-level diplomacy he instigated with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un more than six years before. He may even be able to call this entire endeavour a win if further talks are scheduled in the future. Meanwhile, the nervous nellies in Europe will be relieved that Trump didn’t negotiate swaths of Ukraine away to the Russians, a concern that nagged Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz to such an extent that an emergency summit with Trump was put in the calendar last Wednesday to talk him out of any moves he may have up his sleeve. Trump, however, is probably also a bit peeved by the outcome. Although the Trump administration tried to set the bar low, the president himself also outlined his expectations for the summit: a ceasefire and, if all goes well, another meeting, this time with Zelensky in the room. Instead, he’s leaving Alaska without the first item on his list and the second still up in the air. The fighting will go on as fiercely tomorrow as it did today. The bottom line here is simple: Trump may aggrandise and boast about his remarkable dealmaking abilities, but on the war in Ukraine, he isn’t the most important protagonist in the story. Trump can push, pressure, cajole and sweet-talk, but it’s Zelensky and Putin who will determine when the killing stops. As the US intelligence community wrote in a threat assessment earlier this year, “both leaders for now probably still see the risks of a longer war as less than those of an unsatisfying settlement.” Plenty has changed in the months since those words were published. But Trump’s big attempt at peacemaking notwithstanding, that conclusion still holds true. Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/comment/2025/08/16/trump-has-just-discovered-he-isnt-as-powerful-as-he-thought/ -
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If you like good music and you weren't watching BBC4 tonight, try to catch up on iPlayer if you can. It was such a delight to listen to. Played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Domingo Hindoyan, it was a superb performance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002gv5c/bbc-proms-2025-dvoraks-new-world-symphony-at-the-proms -
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Current volunteering opportunities Independent Scrutiny & Oversight Board (ISOB) – Volunteer (Buckinghamshire) Thames Valley Police have committed to the development and deployment of the Race Action Plan across all areas of the force. The Action Plan aims to and racial disparity in every area of policing. The ISOB exists to provide overview and external scrutiny, to provide assurance of the Police’s Plan of Action and its Outputs. The expected time commitment is a maximum of 2 days per month split across a range of activities. Thames Valley ISOB represents the diversity reflected across our communities. We want this diversity to be present on our Board and are required to promote the recruitment of culturally diverse members, with a particular focus on representing, involving, and retaining those from under-represented communities and young people. We welcome applications from anyone regardless of age, experience, sexuality, religion/beliefs, disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, socio-economic background or other differences. This voluntary role will include the following duties; • Work in a transparent manner keeping good records of meetings, decisions and correspondence which can be made publicly accessible as appropriate. • Hold the Police Race Action Plan board (“the PRAP”) to account for performance by monitoring and scrutinising the actions taken to implement the Action Plan. • Have the authority to engage with internal and external stakeholders who could provide support and advice to shape and deliver the Plan. This will include external organisations and those leading in relevant fields, as well as staff networks and associations. • Establish, with the PRAP, a baseline from which PRAP progress can be measured. The ISOB will therefore receive and be able to request data and information through the Action Plan’s central team. • Offer advice and guidance to the PRAP on the Action Plan and where appropriate to Forces and NPCC Coordination Committees in order to help shape their activity. • Use an independent voice to communicate and report on progress against the Action Plan. We’re looking for someone who has a passion for championing and advocating on issues of inclusion and race, with an ability to think strategically and to challenge constructively, analyse detailed information and exercise independent, evidence-based judgement across a broad spectrum of policy and strategic equality issues, and be able to work in a team with others from varied backgrounds, with a capacity to devote the time and effort required to effectively discharge the duties of this role. The successful applicant will be motivated by public service and a desire to bring about genuine, positive change and possess an empathetic and respectful communication approach to understanding the context, culture and history reflected in individual and community perspectives. The closing date for enquiries and receipt of completed applications is Sunday 10 August 2025. For further details and to apply, please visit the Thames Valley Police recruitment website. https://www.thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/vacancies/ -
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State Department to trial programme requiring certain visitors to pay holding bond to enter country Tourists and people visiting the US for business could have to pay up to $15,000 to enter the country under new proposals put forward by Donald Trump’s government. The State Department announced it its launching a 12-month pilot programme under which people from countries deemed to have high overstay rates and deficient internal document security controls could be required to post bonds when applying for a visa. The price range of the bonds will vary between $5,000 (£3,700), $10,000 (£7,500) or $15,000 (£11,300). A preview of the bond notice, posted on the federal register website on Monday, said the pilot program would take effect within 15 days of its formal publication. The department said it would be necessary to ensure that the US government is not financially liable if a visitor does not comply with the terms of his or her visa. “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure and who are nationals of countries identified by the department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering citizenship by investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program,” the notice said. The countries affected will be listed once the program takes effect, it said. The bond could be waived depending on an applicant’s individual circumstances. The bond would not apply to citizens of countries enrolled in the Visa Waiver Program, which enables travel for business or tourism for up to 90 days. The majority of the 42 countries enrolled in the program are in Europe, with others in Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere. Visa bonds have been proposed in the past but have never been implemented. The State Department has traditionally discouraged the requirement because of the cumbersome process of posting and discharging a bond. The Trump administration is tightening requirements for visa applicants. Last week, the State Department announced that some visa renewal applicants would have to undergo an additional in-person interview, something that was not previously required. In addition, the department is proposing that applicants for the Visa Diversity Lottery program have valid passports from their country of citizenship. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/08/04/tourists-pay-money-enter-us-how-much/ -
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Far-Right activist allegedly assaulted a man at St Pancras station in London last week before flying to Tenerife Tommy Robinson was able to leave the UK despite being “wanted” because of a border security loophole, it has emerged. The far-Right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, allegedly assaulted a man at St Pancras station in London last week. Viral footage circulating online depicted the apparent victim lying unresponsive on the floor. Following the incident, the British Transport Police (BTP) said they were making “arrest inquiries” before later saying a suspect wanted for questioning in connection with the alleged attack had boarded a flight and was no longer in the UK. Robinson, 42, caught a flight from London Stansted to the Spanish island of Tenerife despite being flagged as “wanted” by police almost five hours earlier. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/03/tommy-robinson-border-security-loophole-assault-britain/ -
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Of course it's all above board, nothing to do with Trump! See for yourselves below. DerekR Normally, sex offenders like Maxwell are not housed in minimum-security prisons, but she has been moved to one. Days after sitting down with one of the highest-ranking members of the Justice Department, Ghislaine Maxwell has been transferred to a less restrictive, minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas, her attorney said. As a convicted sex offender, Maxwell would not normally be eligible for a minimum-security prison. According to a Bureau of Prisons policy, people with a sex offender determination known as a “public safety factor” are required to be housed in at least low-security prisons unless they receive a waiver from an arm of the bureau that designates inmates. Low-security prisons are more restrictive than minimum-security ones. The bureau is a component of the Justice Department, meaning its leadership reports to Attorney General Pam Bondi. A spokesperson for the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Bureau of Prisons also did not respond to a request for comment. Maxwell’s attorney David Oscar Markus said Friday she had been moved to Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a facility for female inmates in Southeast Texas. He declined further comment. It’s unclear why Maxwell might have been moved, but her transfer comes as she and her attorneys have been advocating both for a pardon by the Trump administration and for her conviction to be overturned by the Supreme Court. Maxwell, the onetime girlfriend of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, is serving a 20-year sentence for her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking crimes. Until this week, she had been serving her sentence in Florida, at FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison. www.politico.com/news/2025/08/01/ghislaine-maxwell-prison-doj-meeting-00488424 -
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Whilst in Wick recently, I walked the length of the shortest Street in the World (see pictures). It is six feet and nine inches long. We were staying in the hotel on the street, the only door there leads into the bistro attached to Mackays Hotel. We were there for a wedding and stayed three nights. I was taken by the breakfasts. There were various options including a full Scottish, but I opted for smoked haddock with a poached egg, sitting in a cream and butter sauce - delicious. We stayed at various hotels and B&B while we were in Scotland, only one was a slight disappointment, the others were excellent including an Indian run hotel with a superb restaurant serving Indian/Scottish fusion food. I arrived back yesterday. Lucky to have got back as we had just boarded our aeroplane, doors shut and awaiting start up, when the captain came on to advise us that the radar had failed in the London area, and we were on a delay of over three hours. She kept us regularly updated and took on more fuel for while we were sitting in Inverness and for possible stacking when arriving at Heathrow as well as delays getting on stand if aeroplanes had not left their stands when expected. In the event, because we were ready to go, when given an earlier nod, she got us airborne very quickly meaning our delay was, luckily, only about 90 minutes. -
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Oh dear Troll, what an idiot you are! The new group, to which you have been denied access twice was not created to ruin Anything! at all. It was designed to give people an alternative loop to belong to. I didn't create the loop, I joined it. I was subsequently asked to co-moderate it, which I agreed to do. So get your facts right! It was created on the understanding that it would not be used to contain political discussion. Therefore, as a member of Anything!, which allows political discussion, I use that loop when I want to say anything related to politics. Always have and always will. I just choose not to discuss anything with you due to your disgusting demeanor towards people. The new loop did however turn out to be very useful to indicate who your mole is. You were a great help - thanks. You gave me the biggest clue as to who she was testing confirmed it. Other users have been surprised at who she is. Because of my moderator status, SL operates differently for blocked members in a moderated loop. I had plenty of time testing through various posts in different loops to establish who it was. Where you constantly go wrong is that, you dream up scenarios, then believe them to be true. They are not! They are your tiny mind working to win arguments that don’t even exist. In fact, you are similar to your idols. Losers with big mouths and tiny, in fact miniscule, minds! -
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Two years ago, Hamas was putting the finishing touches to its plan to attack Israel. In Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believed that the Palestinians were a problem to be managed. The real threat, he insisted, was Iran. Netanyahu's rhetoric opposing Hamas was undimmed, but he had also given permission for Qatar to funnel money into Gaza. It gave him space for his real priorities in foreign policy - confronting Iran and finding a way to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia. In Washington, then-President Joe Biden and his administration believed they were close to hatching a deal between the Saudis and Israelis. It was all a series of illusions. Netanyahu has refused to establish an enquiry to look into the mistakes he made alongside his army and security chiefs that gave Hamas its opportunity to attack with such deadly effect on 7 October 2023. More at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp863mln0pmo -
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Donald Trump has overseen nearly as many air strikes in the first five months of his second term as Joe Biden launched in his entire presidency. The US president’s onslaughts on Houthi militants in Yemen and jihadists in Somalia have been more ferocious than Mr Biden’s, and he has ordered strikes on Iraq, Syria and most recently, Iran. After campaigning on a pledge to end American involvement in military conflicts, he has sharply escalated the country’s air campaigns, according to the data from Acled (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data), which maps conflicts. Mr Trump has overseen 529 air strikes since his inauguration, compared with 555 over the entire four years of the previous administration. Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia were already being targeted by the previous administration, but Mr Trump opened up a new front with strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme. “The US military is moving faster, hitting harder, and doing so with fewer constraints,” said Prof Clionadh Raleigh, chief executive of Acled, highlighting the intensity of the bombing campaigns. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/16/trump-airstrike-tally-matches-biden-four-year-total/ -
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Donald Trump will not be given the honour of addressing Parliament during his state visit as Emmanuel Macron did this week, The Telegraph understands. The date of the US president’s trip is being deliberately timed for mid-September, when there is a parliamentary recess, handing the UK an excuse for not offering the speech. Mr Trump is also not expected to visit Buckingham Palace, which is being restored, or enjoy a ceremonial carriage ride down the Mall in London – features of many past state visits from world leaders. Mr Macron did not visit the palace. There had been concerns that Labour MPs could protest against a joint address to Parliament, possibly by staying away en masse, causing potential embarrassment to Mr Trump. It means he will not achieve something enjoyed by his predecessors Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The lack of an address to Parliament risks a backlash from the US president, who British officials privately acknowledge is sensitive to perceived slights. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/07/11/trump-denied-address-parliament-uk-state-visit/ -
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Trump will ‘take a look’ at deporting Musk over tax bill criticism. US president warns Tesla billionaire that he would have to ‘close up shop’ without federal support for businesses Donald Trump said he would “take a look” at deporting Elon Musk after the billionaire Tesla boss reignited their bitter feud. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Trump said his former ally was urging Republicans to vote against his tax and spending bill because he is upset about “losing his EV (electric vehicle) mandate”, adding that Mr Musk could “lose a lot more” than government subsidies afforded to Tesla. Asked by reporters if he would consider deporting the South African-born businessman, Mr Trump said he would “take a look”. The president had said earlier on Truth Social that Mr Musk would be forced to “close up shop and head back to South Africa” if he loses US government contracts. The war of words came after Mr Musk intensified his criticism of Mr Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill”, which pledges to slash taxes for the rich, make sweeping cuts to welfare programmes such as Medicaid, and remove incentives for Americans to buy electric cars. Posting on X, Mr Musk said he would make it his mission to oust Republican senators who vote in favour of the legislation. The 54-year-old also threatened to put their faces on a poster, accusing them of being a “liar” and of “voting to increase America’s debt” by $5 trillion. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/07/01/donald-trump-elon-musk-shut-up-shop-big-beautiful-bill/?msockid=068cd2dde2c4678d1a05c6d0e3cd6621 -
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I was ordering stuff on Amazon yesterday and decided to have a look at herbs and spices they were selling. I came across dried, ground Basil. What surprised me was that I could buy 100gms for £4.15. Even more surprising was that I could buy twenty times that amount (2kgs) for a mere 15 pence more! They had other amounts at different prices but I now have enough powder to last a couple of lifetimes. So if anyone needs any.... -
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A few pictures from my recent Western Mediterranean cruise. Sunrise as we arrived in Barcelona. A shop in Barcelona Marina (which would need to be Reform(ed) otherwise Nigel wouldn't visit). A street in La Spezia, Italy, home of Richard Wagner - where we had some delicious gelato. A Seagull, one of many whipping past our balcony while we were in port. A car ferry trying to overtake us and beat us in to Palermo (it succeeded).-
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Posted in: Scams of any type.
Action Fraud is urging people to look out for rogue QR codes, after 784 reports of ‘quishing’ were made to Action Fraud between April 2024 and April 2025, with almost £3.5 million lost. A new alert has been issued by Action Fraud, warning about quishing, a form of phishing where a fraudulent QR code is scanned, designed to steal personal and financial information. The warning encourages people to stay vigilant and double check QR codes to see if they are malicious, or have been tampered with, before scanning them online or in public spaces. Claire Webb, Acting Director of Action Fraud, said: “QR codes are becoming increasingly common in everyday life, whether it’s scanning one to pay for parking, or receiving an email asking to verify an online account. However, reporting shows cyber criminals are increasingly using quishing as a way to trick the public out of their personal and financial information. “We’re urging people to stop and check before scanning QR codes, to avoid becoming a victim of quishing. Look out for QR codes that may have been tampered with in open spaces, or emails and texts that might include rogue codes. If you’re in doubt, contact the organisation directly. You can follow our advice on quishing, on our website at www.actionfraud.police.uk to help protect yourself.” Action Fraud can reveal that quishing happens most frequently in car parks, with criminals using stickers to tamper with QR codes on parking machines. Quishing also occurred on online shopping platforms, where sellers received a QR code via email to either verify accounts or to receive payment for sold items. Reports also showed phishing attacks were taking place impersonating HMRC, or other UK government schemes, targeting people with QR codes designed to steal personal and financial details. What can you do avoid being a victim of quishing? QR codes used in pubs or restaurants are usually safe to scan. Scanning QR codes in open spaces (like stations and car parks) might pose a greater risk. Check for signs that codes may have been tampered with (usually by a sticker placed over the legitimate QR code). If in doubt, do not scan them: use a search engine to find the official website or app for the organisation you need to make a payment to. If you receive an email with a QR code in it, and you're asked to scan it, you should be cautious due to an increase in these types of 'quishing' attacks. Finally, we recommend that you use the QR-scanner that comes with your phone, rather than using an app downloaded from an app store. If you receive a suspicious email, report it by forwarding it to phishing@report.gov.uk Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk If you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101 -
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I noticed that today, 14th June, 2025, the Independent has published an article regarding the banning of the burqa, worn by Muslim women. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/burqa-ban-muslim-women-reform-sarah-pochin-veil-b2766544.html The article began by stating: "It wasn’t surprising to hear newly elected Reform MP Sarah Pochin call for a ban on the burqa – such calls resurface from time to time. What was surprising, however, was her decision to use her very first parliamentary question to raise this issue, rather than ask about pressing concerns such as the cost of living, NHS pressures or the rise in crime levels. Instead, she chose to single out and stigmatise Muslim women, making unfounded claims about public safety. On reflection, though, Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) provided a high-profile national platform, making it an ideal stage to stir further negativity towards Muslims." A statement by the Independent which resonated with me regarding Scooploop, was: "Many people conceal their identities online to spread misinformation or abuse, yet this form of anonymity rarely provokes the same level of scrutiny by the same politicians." Another interesting point made was: "A burqa ban will not promote community cohesion and integration. It is likely to have the opposite effect Claims that a burqa ban will promote community cohesion and integration are likely to have the opposite effect – deepening divisions instead. When any group feels threatened or pressured to conform through such hostile measures, they are more likely to become even more attached to how they express their identity. For the small minority of women who wear the veil, it may bring personal, social or economic challenges, but it remains their choice. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Muslim women who do not wear the veil continue to face significant social and economic barriers that are often overlooked. If concerns about integration and community cohesion were genuine, politicians would prioritise addressing the systemic discrimination and inequalities these women regularly experience. Some argue the burqa should be banned because it is considered offensive. Not everything that is offensive is prohibited. For example, in the UK, the right to offend is protected as part of freedom of speech, allowing the expression of unpopular or controversial views provided no harm is caused and laws are not broken. Similarly, while some may find the burqa visually offensive, the right of Muslim women to express their identity in this way must also be respected, because their clothing does not harm anyone." Moving along to my research: 27th April 2017 Channel 4 News researched and published and article after Paul Nuttall (UKIP) stated "If CCTV is to be effective, in an age of heightened terror, you need to see people’s faces.” – Paul Nuttall, 23 April 2017 https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/is-the-burqa-really-a-terror-threat Unsurprisingly, when Channel 4 asked UKIP for their evidence, they failed to supply any. The number of crimes reportedly committed by people wearing burqas is so few that in the research for Channel 4, David Videcette, a former officer with Scotland Yard’s Anti-Terrorist Squad who was at the centre of the 7/7 bombings inquiry, told FactCheck that he didn’t think burqas posed a particular security threat. In fact, he said he was only aware of two suspects who had used it to disguise themselves: one in 2005 and the other in 2010. I don't, at the moment, have any updated data on the subject, but I very much doubt that there is much change in the trend. In 2016 there was a reported average of 22 crimes using motorcycles and helmets, per day in London alone. Nationwide that figure would have been huge. Crime figures have not gone down since then. A YouTube video on the subject can be found here: duck://player/qwuSshIlUL0 To my mind more crime could be prevented by banning motorcycles and crash helmets than could ever be prevented by banning the use of a burqa. I do question the motive of those demanding a ban in the light of genuine data available. From the evidence I have seen, and I've researched this looking at Government PDF data, Police data and other sources, doubts about National Security issues are totally unfounded. There is no justifiable reason to ban the burqa, other than on racist grounds, and I'm never going to agree to that! What do you think? -
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Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
If you are reading this and feel unseen, I hope you know your presence is a miracle. The world does not need you to be louder, or smaller, or less difficult to love, it only needs you to stay. Somewhere, someone is quietly struggling to feel seen, to feel like they matter just as they are. If that someone is you, let this be a soft reminder that your existence is not an accident, nor is it a mistake to be corrected. You are not here to be more agreeable, less emotional, easier to understand, or harder to break. You are here to be and that, in itself, is extraordinary. The world may not always mirror back your worth, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. You don’t need to change your shape to fit into places that can’t hold your depth. What you carry, your voice, your tenderness, your resilience is needed. You are needed, so if today feels heavy, if you’re wondering whether your presence makes a difference, please don’t go, stay, not because you owe the world perfection, but because your being here already matters more than you know. -
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Posted in: Anything !
Some people feel that as we are no longer members of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights should/does not apply to citizens of the UK. That is total ignorance. The ECHR was set up post World War 2 by the Council of Europe, way before the EU was thought of. It is not and never has been an EU initiative, although it has been incorporated into EU law, as it has within the UK. This means that everybody in the UK is covered by the laws, regardless of origin, nationality, sex, ability, colour or any other difference or similarity to you and I. Nobody is exempted by anything. Everybody, therefore, has the right to a fair trial, whatever the cost involved. https://fullfact.org/online/european-court-of-human-rights-not-eu-court/ https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/what-is-the-echr-and-why-does-it-matter/ -
Posted in: Anything !
A female reporter broadcasting live to Australia from Los Angeles was shot in the leg by a rubber bullet. A puff of smoke can be seen to the left of the attached photograph (taken from a video of the broadcast), clearly demonstrating that the reporter had her back to the officer and was not in any way threatening anybody. There was a camera operator with her while her broadcast was underway, which clearly demonstrated they were not a danger to anybody. So why fire at her? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/09/tv-reporter-lauren-tomasi-shot-in-leg-by-police-la-riots/ -
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Posted in: Anything !
Anything ! The DWP staff who said this lady was 'Fit to work', were clearly unfit to work for the DWP!Having her benefits cut led to the death of a mother of nine, an inquest has found. Housebound Jodey Whiting, from Stockton-on-Tees, who had numerous physical and mental health issues, was found dead in 2017, two weeks after being denied Employment Support Allowance (ESA) because she had been deemed fit to work. Senior Coroner for Teesside Clare Bailey recorded a verdict of suicide due to a "deteriorating mental state" precipitated by the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decision. The DWP said it was "deeply regretful" after the inquest heard that Ms Whiting, 42, "had lost hope" at the time of her death. Teesside Coroner's Court was told how in late 2016, Ms Whiting - who suffered from a curvature of the spine - missed a benefits assessment after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia. The inquest also heard that doctors subsequently discovered a cyst on her brain. However, after being finally discharged, a letter from the DWP was found among the unopened mail at her flat asking why she had not attended a recent medical assessment. That was in January 2017, with another letter telling her she was "fit to work" arriving a month later. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd90g5zk13jo -
Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
Although this message was issued by the Thames Valley Police, the message is relevant to occupants of all police force areas. Don’t get hooked: new warning urges the public to continue reporting phishing emails and texts with 41 million already reported As of April 2025, the total number of phishing frauds reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) reached over 41 million since its launch in April 2020. This has resulted in 217,000 frauds being removed from across 393,395 websites pages by the National Cyber Security Centre. Insight revealed by Action Fraud shows the top industries impersonated in reported phishing emails were streaming services, tech, and telecommunication companies, with some posing as various UK government schemes. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber-crime reporting service, launched a phishing awareness campaign to urge the public to beware of phishing frauds and report all emails and messages if they look suspicious. Spam calls and suspicious text messages can be reported too. By using 7726, a free service offered by mobile network providers, customers can forward suspicious text messages, which helps the removal of fraud websites and allows networks to block users sending fraud text messages. Between April 2020 and April 2025, more than 27,000 frauds were removed because of being reported using 7726. Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, Head of Central Fraud Unit at Thames Valley Police, said: “Fraudsters continue to exploit manipulative tactics to gain access to your personal information and money. I urge you to become part of the solution by ensuring you forward spam calls and texts messages to 7726 and forwarding suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk Every fraud starts through a route of contact which is covered in our Fraud Protection toolkit Knowledge and collective action are our biggest asset when rising the challenge of fraud. I encourage you all to start having conversations about fraud, especially with any vulnerable family members or those in your community. Together, we will continue to rise to the challenge of fraud.” Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau at the City of London Police, said: “We know it can be difficult to spot fake messages or tell if a call is genuine. Criminals can change tactics fast and use the technology available to constantly create genuine looking emails and messages or facilitate calls that feel authentic - all designed to trick us and try and steal personal and financial information. “Every phishing email reported helps us gain a better understanding of the tactics being used and enables us to tackle it head on by identifying malicious URLs trending in phishing emails and texts - they can be taken down and disrupted, preventing further activity. The more reports received, the more people we can protect, preventing them from becoming victims. “Do not get caught out, Stop, Think Fraud, and make sure you report suspicious-looking emails or messages if you receive them. You can forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, or forward spam text messages to 7726.” Sarah Lyons, NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and Society Resilience, said: “Since 2020, over 41 million phishing attempts have been reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service — a powerful sign that the public is staying alert to online threats, helping to protect themselves and others. “But cyber criminals are not giving up - they are constantly finding new ways to trick people into clicking malicious links, sharing personal information, or handing over money. “That is why it is more important than ever to stay alert. You will find clear, practical advice on how to spot and report frauds - and how to stay secure online - on the NCSC website.” What is phishing? 'Phishing', ‘quishing’ or ‘smishing’ is when criminals use fake emails, text messages, QR codes, or phone calls to trick victims. The goal of a phishing message is to encourage the victim to click a malicious link, or scan a fraudulent QR code, which usually leads them to a genuine-looking website, designed to make victims part way with their financial and/or personal information. Criminals will use well-known brands or organisations the victim already has a connection with, like a bank or tradesperson, to make fake emails seem genuine and more convincing. How can you protect yourself? If you have received an email that does not feel right, STOP! break the contact – do not reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers, or make any payments check if it is genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks before you delete the email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk If you have received a text message that does not feel right, STOP! break the contact – do not reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers, or make any payments check if it is genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks forward the message for free to 7726 If you have received a call that does not feel right, STOP! hang up check if it is genuine: contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on a utility bill, official website, the back of your card or by calling 159 for your bank do not trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it is not proof of ID report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘call’ followed by the fraud caller’s number For more advice on how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/ If you have lost money or provided financial information because of a phishing fraud, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Message Sent By Jo Howland (Police, Neighbourhood Administrator, Aylesbury Vale) -
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Posted in: Scams of any type.
Although this message was issued by the Thames Valley Police, the message is relevant to occupants of all police force areas. Don’t get hooked: new warning urges the public to continue reporting phishing emails and texts with 41 million already reported As of April 2025, the total number of phishing frauds reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) reached over 41 million since its launch in April 2020. This has resulted in 217,000 frauds being removed from across 393,395 websites pages by the National Cyber Security Centre. Insight revealed by Action Fraud shows the top industries impersonated in reported phishing emails were streaming services, tech, and telecommunication companies, with some posing as various UK government schemes. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber-crime reporting service, launched a phishing awareness campaign to urge the public to beware of phishing frauds and report all emails and messages if they look suspicious. Spam calls and suspicious text messages can be reported too. By using 7726, a free service offered by mobile network providers, customers can forward suspicious text messages, which helps the removal of fraud websites and allows networks to block users sending fraud text messages. Between April 2020 and April 2025, more than 27,000 frauds were removed because of being reported using 7726. Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, Head of Central Fraud Unit at Thames Valley Police, said: “Fraudsters continue to exploit manipulative tactics to gain access to your personal information and money. I urge you to become part of the solution by ensuring you forward spam calls and texts messages to 7726 and forwarding suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk Every fraud starts through a route of contact which is covered in our Fraud Protection toolkit Knowledge and collective action are our biggest asset when rising the challenge of fraud. I encourage you all to start having conversations about fraud, especially with any vulnerable family members or those in your community. Together, we will continue to rise to the challenge of fraud.” Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau at the City of London Police, said: “We know it can be difficult to spot fake messages or tell if a call is genuine. Criminals can change tactics fast and use the technology available to constantly create genuine looking emails and messages or facilitate calls that feel authentic - all designed to trick us and try and steal personal and financial information. “Every phishing email reported helps us gain a better understanding of the tactics being used and enables us to tackle it head on by identifying malicious URLs trending in phishing emails and texts - they can be taken down and disrupted, preventing further activity. The more reports received, the more people we can protect, preventing them from becoming victims. “Do not get caught out, Stop, Think Fraud, and make sure you report suspicious-looking emails or messages if you receive them. You can forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, or forward spam text messages to 7726.” Sarah Lyons, NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and Society Resilience, said: “Since 2020, over 41 million phishing attempts have been reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service — a powerful sign that the public is staying alert to online threats, helping to protect themselves and others. “But cyber criminals are not giving up - they are constantly finding new ways to trick people into clicking malicious links, sharing personal information, or handing over money. “That is why it is more important than ever to stay alert. You will find clear, practical advice on how to spot and report frauds - and how to stay secure online - on the NCSC website.” What is phishing? 'Phishing', ‘quishing’ or ‘smishing’ is when criminals use fake emails, text messages, QR codes, or phone calls to trick victims. The goal of a phishing message is to encourage the victim to click a malicious link, or scan a fraudulent QR code, which usually leads them to a genuine-looking website, designed to make victims part way with their financial and/or personal information. Criminals will use well-known brands or organisations the victim already has a connection with, like a bank or tradesperson, to make fake emails seem genuine and more convincing. How can you protect yourself? If you have received an email that does not feel right, STOP! break the contact – do not reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers, or make any payments check if it is genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks before you delete the email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk If you have received a text message that does not feel right, STOP! break the contact – do not reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers, or make any payments check if it is genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks forward the message for free to 7726 If you have received a call that does not feel right, STOP! hang up check if it is genuine: contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on a utility bill, official website, the back of your card or by calling 159 for your bank do not trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it is not proof of ID report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘call’ followed by the fraud caller’s number For more advice on how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/ If you have lost money or provided financial information because of a phishing fraud, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. Message Sent By Jo Howland (Police, Neighbourhood Administrator, Aylesbury Vale) -
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Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
A man was sitting reading his papers when his wife hit him on the head with a frying pan. 'What was that for?' the man asked. The wife replied 'That was for the piece of paper with the name Jenny on it that I found in your pants pocket'. The man then said 'When I was at the races last week Jenny was the name of the horse I bet on' The wife apologized and went on with the housework. Three days later the man is watching TV when his wife bashes him on the head with an even bigger frying pan, knocking him unconscious. Upon re-gaining consciousness the man asked why she had hit again. Wife replied. 'Your horse phoned' -
Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
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Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
After 50 years of marriage, I looked at my wife one day and said, “Half a century ago, we had a modest house, a beat-up car, slept on a sofa bed, and watched a small black-and-white television, but every night I was with a stunning 23-year-old woman. Now, we have a £500,000 house, a £45,000 car, a comfy king-size bed, and a huge flat-screen TV, but I share it all with a 73-year-old woman. It seems you're not holding up your end of the bargain. Being a practical woman, my wife calmly replied, “Go ahead, find yourself a hot 23-year-old girl, and I’ll make sure you’re back living in a ramshackle house, driving a junky car, sleeping on a sofa bed, and watching a small black-and-white TV.” You have to love older women: they know how to handle an older man's problems!
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