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?
Derek R @DerekR
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Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
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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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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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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 -
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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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How odd! I wonder why! London CNN — A record number of Americans applied for British citizenship between January and March, according to the first set of data covering the start of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. Some 1,931 Americans put in an application, the most since records began in 2004 and a jump of 12% on the previous quarter, figures from the UK Home Office showed Thursday. Applications had already soared during the October-December period, which coincided with Trump’s re-election. Successful applications by US citizens to settle permanently in the United Kingdom, rather than just move there initially, also hit a record high last year, the latest period for which official data is available. Settlement comes with the right to live, work and study in Britain indefinitely and can be used to apply for citizenship. More than 5,500 Americans were granted settled status in 2024, a fifth more than in 2023. The last time American applications for British citizenship spiked was in 2020, during Trump’s first presidential term and at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/23/business/record-americans-uk-citizenship-trump-intl -
Posted in: Stoke Poges
Thames Valley Police is appealing for information into a suspected road traffic incident last night that has left a police officer with life-threatening injuries. The police officer was injured after the incident on the B416 Bells Hill between Decies Way and Rogers Lane in Stoke Poges at 10.20pm. A 38-year-old man from Slough is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder and causing serious injury by dangerous driving, though investigations are still ongoing. Thames Valley Police Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs said: “Anybody with any information about this incident should report it to the police immediately. “Our thoughts are with the police officer, their loved ones and all of their colleagues at this difficult time.” The road is closed in both directions between Decies Way and Rogers Lane. The closure directly affects the Banana Moon Day Nursery and this is no access to the nursery at present. Anybody with any information that may assist us is urged to contact Thames Valley Police, either online or by calling 101, quoting reference 43250252869. Kind regards, Message Sent By Jack Duggan (Police, Media Officer, Thames Valley) -
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My Lockerbie experience. This document was written in 2023. I joined British Airways as a clerk in the Finance department in September 1972. It was back-office work where the only people to be seen were other staff members. In early spring 1985, I decided that I had worked for British Airways for so long that I needed to work with some members of the public face to face. I joined a volunteer part of British Airways called EPIC. This is an acronym for the Emergency Procedures Information Centre and is part of their Disaster Management department. The centre was designed for any incident or accident to either a British Airways aircraft or to any third-party aircraft contracted into the system. Should there be an incident to either a British Airways aircraft or an aircraft belonging to a contracted carrier, a dedicated telephone number would be issued to the media (usually during news bulletins) so that families and friends of passengers thought to be on board the aircraft, could call the number to establish whether or not the person they were concerned about, was actually on board. There was a two-week training course, followed by a further six weeks with just a half a day each week but there was a lot of information to take in. We were taught, amongst a host of other things, the best way to extract from callers, the information we required to be able to ascertain whether or not the caller was talking about a genuine passenger on board a flight. In the 1980s and prior it was not easy to establish who a passenger was, the computer booking system, which was used to issue tickets at that time, was only capable of holding the first nine characters of a surname. This meant that should an enquiry be made about a passenger whose surname was longer than nine characters, we had to do some detective work to establish the probability that this was the person being enquired about. There was no address information on the system. The best information we could get would be a travel agent address if indeed a travel agent was used. Investigations would have to be made through a travel agent to see if we could establish any passenger details they may have. Sometimes, if the ticket was bought with cash, there would be no record of the passenger or his address. Similarly, if the ticket was bought via a third party, there would be no contact details for the passenger. What we needed was for people to ring in and, without them realising, tell us who the passengers were. Of course, they felt they were ringing in to find out information about their passenger, not supply us with the information. For various reasons, we needed to know the name of the passenger, their address, age/information date of birth, religion, next-of-kin, and any other relevant information including details of who would hold their medical records and dental records as those records may be the only certain means of identification. A specialist team of undertakers was employed in the event that identification was impossible by normal visual means or if it was felt a relative should not be subjected to certain sights. In 1988 a friend of mine had met the girl of his dreams, and it was arranged for me to meet her as well. As it was coming up for Christmas, we decided that we would go to a Mexican restaurant in Virginia Water. I said that I would meet him there at a quarter to eight in the evening. I arrived early and sat in the car with the radio on. At seven thirty a news bulletin said that an aircraft had crashed in Scotland within the previous half an hour. It took me as long as one millionth of a second to realise that I had to go to EPIC, mobile phones were still many years off, but I had to go - regardless of not being able to tell my friend. I drove to the Cargocentre and hurried to the Cargo Tunnel. This is a tunnel used to get traffic from the whole cargo village, under the south runway at Heathrow and into the central area. Anybody with an airside pass could wait at a certain point and any transport with a seat available could stop and offer you a lift, regardless of whether it was your company or another. I waited and picked up a lift almost straight away. EPIC was in the basement of Queens Building (named because Queen Elizabeth II opened it) in the central area, so I headed there. I ran into the building flew down the stairs and passed through the security checks. Once inside EPIC I registered that I was available and was allocated a seat on a carousel. Information was scant regarding the incident but some details were available. The aircraft was a 747, named “Maid of the Seas”, operated by Pan American World Airways, under flight number PA103. The date was 21st of December 1988 and the crash site was Lockerbie. There were two carousels each capable of accommodating eight people involved in telephone calls plus a supervisor. There were a further 12 support desks, a log-keeper, a communications officer, a member of staff trained in using the flight reservation system, a logistics officer, as well as ad hoc staff together with the Epic manager. Also present was a representative of Pan Am, two police officers from the Metropolitan Police and a representative from the American embassy, although the Ambassador himself attended for some of the time. Every country in the world has its own method of informing the next of kin of fatalities, for example in the United Kingdom the people to inform of fatalities are the police, whereas in the United States - at that time - it fell upon the fire department. Because of the way next-of-kin are informed in the United Kingdom there needs to be a police presence so that they can pass information to the various forces within Great Britain. Also, where fatalities occur on British soil, the police act on behalf of the coroner’s office ensuring that bodies are not contaminated and that all evidence of any possible crime is preserved. All information recorded by Epic staff is also made available both to the police and the coroner’s office, just in case there are any clues in any of the conversations which may help to solve a crime - if indeed one has been committed. Logistically, opening Epic could be a nightmare, at any one time there could be between 50 and 75 people present. To suddenly open any office containing that number of staff and maintaining it on a twenty-four-hour rotating shift pattern, could create problems as far as food and equipment is concerned, so right from the start the logistics officer has to contact the catering centre, where the in-flight meals are made and packed. The centre will be advised how many staff require catering and how many shifts are involved. As a priority, catering divert food from aeroplanes to the Epic centre. The food is always business class main meals together with snacks of all sorts including biscuits, cakes, tea, coffee as well as a variety of cold drinks (non-alcoholic). For the early shifts there will be business class breakfasts. Due to the nature of the business and the requirement for instantly manning the area, check-in staff in Terminal One were always on standby to be called upon to initially run every aspect of EPIC as soon as an incident was declared. They could be in position within five minutes of a shout, getting all of the paperwork in place, advising the switchboard that either one or both carousels would be in operation and to equally split the incoming calls (based on the surname of the passenger). Once the passenger list had been received and the names checked, it might be prudent to change the allocation, so that each carousel would be responsible for about half the list. When I had arrived, that evening, no information regarding the opening of Epic had been passed to the media. No calls were incoming so we were briefed on how to answer calls. Although all of us on the carousels were employed by British Airways, we were instantly Pan Am staff. Therefore, we answered the phone with “Pan American World Airways, how may I help you”. This was quite a mouthful and most people answered with “Pan American…” or even “Pan Am…”, some people inadvertently said “British Airways…”. But at the end of the day, it didn’t matter, the caller just needed somebody to be there, no matter who, nor which company they worked for, in fact they probably didn’t even hear what we said. When an incident happens to an aeroplane, everything related to the flight on a computer system is spiked. By that I mean that all data is removed from general access and a copy of the data is frozen in time, nothing can be added, deleted or even viewed. The only people with access to the data will be the BA Security Branch. All of these procedures are in place to stop unauthorised people having any access to the data. It would be worth a fortune for a newspaper to bribe a member of staff anywhere in the world to download and pass on a passenger list. They would have a major scoop and would be banging on the doors of relatives seeking a story, when those people haven’t been advised of an incident or a casualty. Of course, A copy of the passenger list needed to be made available to EPIC. The EPIC manager would decide if copies needed to be made available to other defined people. In the case of PA103, we didn’t have access to the passenger list, we were not the operating carrier and we had to wait for Pan Am to supply us with the list. We needed to get the centre open, to start taking calls, to try to link up passengers with next-of-kin. Whilst we didn’t have a passenger list to start with, we did know that there were no survivors. The people named on the passenger list were all deceased. The EPIC manager contacted the Press Office, who immediately put the message out to the TV media first, followed by the radio media, then the printed media, giving the telephone number to call for information about passengers. We had TV monitors on within the centre, so knew when the numbers were released to the public. The first calls started to come through within about thirty seconds of the number hitting the screen. Each advert break, end of programme and news bulletin carried the number, along with the fact that there were no survivors. The people knew what they were calling about. When the message is broadcast the message says something along the lines of “If you wish to find out details of passengers, please call this number.” The number was then broadcast. However, we didn’t know who the passengers were, what we needed was for people who were certain they knew who the passengers were to contact us, so that we could extract the information we needed to establish exactly who every person was who had boarded the aeroplane We had forms which needed to be filled in with details of the suspected passenger, taking as many personal details as the caller could supply, together with next-of-kin information. With the lack of a passenger list, we couldn’t check to see if the suspected passenger had flown on the aeroplane. That meant that it was very labour intensive to take down details of people who hadn’t travel on the flight as well as those who had. One question we asked was “Why do you think this passenger was on board the flight?” Sometimes it was a case of “Well I know they were travelling this week…”. The possibility of those passengers actually travelling on PA103, was quite remote although we still had to go through the whole process, just in case! Eventually the passenger list was available. Staff on the support desk started raising cards. Blue cards for men, pink cards for women and green cards for crew (there was nothing meant in a sexist way with the colours, it was purely to make processing easier when a call came in. Instead of searching each name under a specific initial letter, you would halve the search by looking for the name on either a blue or pink card). On to each card was written the surname (this was the sort order) and the forename(s) plus if available, any relevant details. There were 243 passengers and 16 crew on board at the time of the incident. That would be quite lengthy to write up, check and cross check the cards against the list. Mistakes were the last thing you needed. It could have resulted in the relatives of somebody not on board being told their passenger was on board or equally bad, relatives being told their passenger was not on board, when in fact they were laying on some remote hillside. Accuracy was imperative. At long last the cards were loaded onto the carousels. The carousels were rather large versions of a Lazy Susan and were about four feet higher than the desk surface with slats all the way up, behind which the cards were dropped so that just the name was visible. This enabled the cards to be spun around so when you needed to check a name, you turned the carousel to the letter you needed, then looked down to find the card. If the name you were looking for was visible you pulled the card out and replaced it with a yellow card with your name on it. You could then fill in the details on the card whilst talking to the caller. If you spun the carousel and found a yellow card where you expected the name would be, you could check with the person named on the card to see if you were both looking for the same passenger. It wasn’t unheard of - on any incident - to have various relatives calling about one passenger. If one of the callers was the next-of-kin, then the card would be given to the staff member dealing with them as they would be the priority informant. There was, unfortunately, a major fly in the ointment. As it is the job of the police, within the UK, to advise family members of death and as it was a total loss, implicit in telling a caller that their person was listed for the flight, was the message that their person had died. We weren’t allowed to do that. The instruction we had to work by was “I’m sorry but we are still waiting for the passenger list to be released. If there is any news regarding your passenger, the next-of-kin will be contacted”. We then handed the details to the Met Police officers who could contact officers local to the caller, for them to go around to break the news. It was an awful situation, but protocol demanded it and we had to comply. The fact was that we had all the boarding cards and we had the passenger list. Every card was checked against the list and we knew exactly who should have been on the aeroplane. For hours we were not allowed to confirm that a person being discussed was in fact on board the aeroplane, after all to do so would be to confirm that the person had died. All this changed at about one o’clock in the morning when, due to the numbers of call backs required from the police to confirm that a passenger had actually checked-in, we were advised that we could, at last, confirm that people had checked-in. However, we could not confirm that they had boarded the aeroplane as, although every indication was that they had boarded and we had not been advised of anybody disembarking post check-in, we had not got that information as a solid fact. After I had answered five or six calls, I had one of life’s cranks on the end of the phone. There we were doing serious work, when I was connected to what sounded like a sweet old lady. I asked her who she was ringing about and she just said “I’m not, but I have a question for you”. “What’s that?” “Why do these people put bombs on aeroplanes?” “Are you calling to discuss a particular passenger?” “No, but I’ve been on the phone for over an hour wanting to know why people shoot planes down or put bombs on them!” “I’m sorry Madam but there are genuine people who are calling to find out if their relatives were on board a plane that has crashed, goodbye.” Click! Perhaps I should explain more about the carousel positions. We sat at what was in effect an octagonal desk with the spinning part in the middle. There was plenty of room to write and place documents. Also on the desk was a box with buttons, a couple of lights and a jack for plugging in headphones, that was the phone part. When you were ready to accept calls you pressed the “available” button which switched your available light on, then allowed the switchboard to send calls down your particular line. Another light would light when a caller was passed through to you, no ringing sounds to disturb anyyone, just a flashing light. Then there was the button to accept a call or terminate it. That is the button I used to get rid of the caller above. Taking calls was not an easy process. There was a need to explore every means possible to ensure that the person being called about was in fact the person on the passenger list. It was also vitally important to extract as much information out of the caller as possible before giving them the news they had rung in to hear - as once they had been told any bad news it would be very difficult to extract more information. We needed to know who the next-of-kin was, all available addresses and contact details, the victim’s age and religion plus where possible doctor and dentist details (for identification purposes). Plus anything else that would be relevant to establish the identity of each victim. Only after getting what information we could, would we give the caller what limited information was available and only then if they were the next-of-kin. One caller I had sounded as if she was an older lady who called in to ask about three young girl students. She gave me their names and I pulled the cards off the carousel. All three were listed and were therefore victims. I started asking her for what information I could get, firstly asking for next-of-kin details. She asked me to wait, then came back and gave me three different names, addresses and telephone numbers, all in the United States. It transpired that they were three of thirty-five passengers who were students from Syracuse University, who participated in the university's Division of International Programs Abroad scheme. They had been studying in London and were returning home for Christmas. I had to explain to the caller that as she was not next-of-kin I was not in a position to give her any information and that should there be a need, the families would be contacted. I could hear her choking up and sobbing, I asked her if she was alright and she said she needed to know if her girls were on board because she was their landlady and they had left their rent payments in her kitchen. They had left too much money and she wasn’t sure whether to leave the change in the kitchen, for when they returned, or if she should send it to the parents. I explained that I was not in a position to give her the information about the girls as that was for the next-of-kin only. "However," I said, “it would probably be best to send the change to their parents”. As far as I’m concerned, I didn’t say anything wrong, but I had, hopefully, let her know the situation, so that she could deal with it in her way. I just felt she genuinely needed to know and I apologise if I did wrong. Calls continued throughout the night. At around six o’clock in the morning I took a call from a man who was relieved to have got through. He explained that he had been trying to call throughout the night but the lines were too busy for him to get through. He had gone in to work early and was calling from there. I apologised and explained that it had been a very busy night. I asked for the passenger details and immediately found there was a card with the passenger’s name on it. I asked why he thought the passenger was due to be on the flight. He explained that it was his brother and that he had called from the airport to tell him that he’d been asked by his boss at the last minute to cover a meeting for him in New York, he had checked-in and wanted his brother to know he was flying out. That and the fact that nobody else had called so far (no previous annotations on the card) led me to ask about next-of-kin to which I was given details of the passenger’s parents. I explained that if there was any news to be given, it would be given to the next-of-kin. “You can’t do that!” I was told. On enquiring why, I was told that the parents were on a three-week touring holiday of Italy. Those were days well before mobile phones were invented so it was impossible to contact the parents and they were touring without an itinerary, moving on where and when they wanted, but basically were out of reach. I had no choice, whilst not being the legal next-of-kin, to me he was kin and the only one available to be able to deal with the situation. I already had his contact details, but I asked for his work address details as well. I asked him if there was anybody else where he was and he explained there was a cleaner around. I then said “With deepest sorrow, I regret to inform you that your brother was indeed listed for the flight.” He thanked me just before his sobbing started. He wasn’t the first I had broken the news to, he wasn’t the last, but he was the one that affected me most and I’ve never forgotten him. I handed his details to the police and asked if they could get someone to go to his work to check on him. I felt wretched and know I broke his heart, as I did with others that night. Telling people they have lost someone is not easy, but it has to be done. I spoke with a few more people about their loved ones and then at around eight o’clock Sir Colin Marshall, at that time CEO of British Airways, arrived in EPIC to see what was happening and to talk to the staff. When he got to me, he thanked me for what I was doing and asked how long I had been on duty there, I told him it was about twelve hours, his reply was that I should leave soon and get some rest. The adrenaline was buzzing around my body, I was comfortable to stay, but knew I should leave. I handed over my position to a new arrival and wished them luck. I signed off from my shift and made my way out into the cool December air. I stood waiting for a vehicle heading towards the Cargocentre so that I could get my car and drive home. I jumped into the cab of a lorry heading towards the Cargo tunnel and chatted to the driver on the journey through it. After being dropped off, I exited the secure airside area and walked through the car park to my office. I had to explain to my boss that I wouldn’t be at work that day. I made my way to my desk and sat down and just howled. The enormity of what I had been doing, and the tiredness, hit me like a sledgehammer. I was wrecked. In the middle of a large open plan office I sat sobbing as if someone had told me that I had lost someone. They brought me tea and hot chocolate to try to calm me down, but I was inconsolable. They called my wife and asked her to come and take me home. Eventually she arrived and took me down to the car park. On arrival at home, she packed me off to bed. That didn’t work out as planned, as all I did was lay there mulling over everything that had happened during the night. Eventually she called our doctor and explained the situation, I was given an appointment immediately so that they could check me out. After checking me they decided that I needed an injection to calm me and help me sleep. Overall that twenty-four hour period was the worst of my life, as it undoubtedly was for countless other people. On Saturday 21st December 2013, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the disaster, I attended a Service of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey. There were many dignitaries in attendance including Nicola Sturgeon representing the Scottish people on whose territory the disaster happened. The ex-Church of England envoy Terry Waite, who believes the bomb was placed on board the aeroplane in London, was also present. Five years later, on the 20th December 2018, I travelled to Lockerbie to attend the thirty-year remembrance service at the crash site. Nobody up there knew that I was attending, I booked a hotel for the night and booked train tickets to get me there. I was just going to pay my respects and stay in the background. I had always felt guilty for ruining the lives of so many people by telling them their relatives had died. The memorial building is a delightful place for everybody connected to the disaster to visit. There is a book where you can comment and I did. I then wandered along to the memorial and was surprised to see the number of people there including members of the mountain rescue teams with their dogs. After the service, we were all asked to go to a hall in the town where there would be tea and cakes provided. Local buses picked everybody up from the memorial site and took us to the hall. From feeling terrible about the part I played in the disaster I was so pleased that I had made the effort to go to Lockerbie. The people I spoke with up there reassured me that I had performed a vital service and family members of the victims I had the fortune to meet, were so kind and generous to me. They explained that no matter who told them they had lost someone, they were grateful to have been told by someone who was compassionate and understanding of their feelings. They were surprised that I was affected in the way I was. During my visit I was also looked after by representatives of the local council, in particular Gayle Macgregor who not only saw me alone at the memorial site, but invited me to join in with events of the day and kindly transported me between them. Gayle also introduced me to The Rt Hon David Mundell MP who at the time was Secretary of State for Scotland. I was sorry to leave Lockerbie and the lovely people I met there. My thoughts about what I did on that night of terrorism have been so much better since meeting people involved in various aspects of the disaster and I am really pleased to have visited. I will be travelling up for the 35th Anniversary in December 2023. Disclaimer This is solely my recollection of events of the night of the disaster and since. I apologise if it differs in any way to official versions from the companies and authorities involved. -
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Earlier this week there were two episodes from a series "The Bombing of Pan Am 103" and tonight it was included in an episode of Repair Shop. The night PA 103 crashed on Lockerbie was a really difficult night for me as I spent all night trying to establish who the passengers were on board the aeroplane and who their Next-of-Kin were which involved taking calls from friends and relatives of the victims. I have written a document of my experience of that night, if anybody would be interested to read it just let me know. I would need to create a new post for it, due to the length. My original is in the Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries in New York. -
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Migrant dies trying to cross Channel in small boat RNLI recovers body from water after multi-agency response rescues 61 people from overcrowded vessel Tim Sigsworth 19 May 2025 9:38am BST A migrant has died after a small boat sank while attempting to cross the English Channel overnight. More than 60 people were on board the “overloaded” vessel when it broke up near Boulogne-sur-Mer, 24-miles south of Calais. The unconscious woman was spotted by a French navy helicopter and British rescuers from the RNLI then pulled her from the water. But she was pronounced dead on board a French rescue boat shortly after. She is the 10th migrant to die making the crossing this year. “The RNLI’s nautical means picked her up and transferred her to the Abeille where she was taken care of and then declared dead by the medical team,” a spokesman for the French Prefecture Maritime said. Surge in Channel crossings French authorities said 61 people were rescued in a joint operation by the French coastguard, British Border Force and RNLI. These included a mother and child who were airlifted to hospital with hypothermia. -
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How odd that you have chosen to tell me, in Arabic, that 'Allah is Greatest' Have you changed your religion suddenly? I guess the only thing I can say is بارك الله فيك. It has been noted that this time you have accused me of Misogyny. What an absolute idiot you are! You have no concept of the word Misogyny, similarly you have no concept of humour (even though you have offered to teach me about it - that's about as close to making me laugh as you have ever come). There was no hint of me denigrating her because of her sex, nor anything near it. As you have eyesight in a loop you have been rejected from joining , you will note that I posted another joke where I allegedly hit a man. Are you going to state that I must, therefore, hate all men also? 🔱⚓️ TWT (See below for explanation). By the way, you have slated the group, so why did you request to join? You are just a spineless Troll 🧌 who thinks he has something to say when, in fact, he has nothing of worth to say. It does, however, point even more towards your cowardly bullying approach to people. It also further reinforces your breach of contract, of which I mentioned previously, as well as contravening the law of stalking and harassment. You seem to feel you are immune and above it all - you are not. I'm looking forward to when the support side takes a closer look at what is currently happening, after all they are not paying a hefty sum for updated software to let you pop in and ruin it!. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, a little education for you about what misogyny is: Misogyny From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia "Woman hater" redirects here. For other uses, see Woman Hater (disambiguation). Misogyny (/mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/) is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practised for thousands of years. It is reflected in art, literature, human societal structure, historical events, mythology, philosophy, and religion worldwide. An example of misogyny is violence against women, which includes domestic violence and, in its most extreme forms, misogynist terrorism and femicide. Misogyny also often operates through sexual harassment, coercion, and psychological techniques aimed at controlling women, and by legally or socially excluding women from full citizenship. In some cases, misogyny rewards women for accepting an inferior status. Misogyny can be understood both as an attitude held by individuals, primarily by men, and as a widespread cultural custom or system. Sometimes misogyny manifests in obvious and bold ways; other times it is more subtle or disguised in ways that provide plausible deniability. In feminist thought, misogyny also includes the rejection of feminine qualities. It holds in contempt institutions, work, hobbies, or habits associated with women. It rejects any aspects of men that are seen as feminine or unmanly.[undue weight? – discuss] At the same time, femininity researcher Rhea Ashley Hoskin maintains that one should distinguish between oppression based on female gender, and oppression based on feminine gender expression. The academic term for the latter is femmephobia.[1] Racism and other prejudices may reinforce and overlap with misogyny. The English word misogyny was coined in the middle of the 17th century from the Greek misos 'hatred' + gunē 'woman'.[2] The word was rarely used until it was popularised by second-wave feminism in the 1970s. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is a little about Trolls:🧌🧌 An "internet troll" is a person who intentionally disrupts online discussions or communities by posting deliberately provocative, offensive, or irrelevant content. Their goal is to antagonise others, stir up conflict, and cause emotional distress. Characteristics of Internet Trolls: Deliberate Provocation: Trolls post messages designed to anger, offend, or upset others, often without regard for the actual content or impact. Use of Anonymity: Trolls may hide behind fake names or online identities to avoid accountability for their actions. Disruptive Behaviour: They may derail conversations, introduce off-topic discussions, or engage in personal attacks. Incitement of Conflict: Trolls may encourage others to join in the attack, leading to a "pile on" effect where multiple people join the harassment. Lack of Regret: Trolls often downplay or deny the impact of their behaviour, even when it causes significant distress. Examples of Troll Behaviour: Posting inflammatory comments: Making statements that are designed to be offensive or incite anger; Personal attacks: Making derogatory remarks or insults directed at individuals; Disrupting conversations: Introducing irrelevant topics or changing the subject to derail discussions; Spreading misinformation: Posting false or misleading information to create chaos and confusion; Cyberbullying: Using online platforms to harass or intimidate others. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, just a little about Paedophiles. For goodness sake learn how to spell it! In England there is an 'A' in it which you, (and your mate), always fail to use and it's a very important letter that needs to be included, without an 'A' it just doesn't mean the same, it's rather like me describing you as a TWT, there's something missing! -
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Naked profiteering by the US president and his family has triggered alarm bells in the Maga movement. Donald Trump caught his first sight of the so-called “palace in the sky” in February as he climbed the red-carpeted steps of the Boeing 747-8. The Qatari plane was parked at Florida’s West Palm Beach International Airport, and offered a chance for the president to see what a newly refitted Air Force One could look like, easing his frustration with the long-delayed Boeing project. In the event, it appears to have been more of a test drive. His administration’s plan to accept the $400m (£300m) luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, which he is expected to use after his presidency, is the latest example of what many view as an increased disregard for ethics in Washington under his second term. During his first term in the White House, foreign governments buying meals and block-booking rooms at Trump hotels set alarm bells ringing. Yet now the president has created even more opportunities for those looking to curry favour with him – and his children. From pay-to-dine cryptocurrency schemes, a new social media platform that carries advertising and the expansion of their property empire, it has never seemed easier for the Trump family to line their pockets. To read more, follow this link: www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/18/trump-turned-white-house-cash-machine/ -
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Recently, when asked why, within a thread, you had made a totally disparate comment to anything being discussed? You wrote: "Selsey That was a Personal response to Derek." By making that statement, in one sentence containing eight words, you succeeded in stating two lies! You see, a response to a message means the same as to reply to something. You cannot reply to a message unless it has been sent to you, and you couldnt even see it. So you didn't respond to my post, you commented on it. Secondly you couldn't have been sending your message to me as I have blocked you and you know full well I won't see it. So there you have it, a super-trustworthy member of Scooploop who tries to justify things to himself by blatantly lying! What you have done, however, is break your contract with Scooploop. Here is the wording in the contract (Ts &Cs) you signed up to when you joined Scooploop: • You will not make multiple accounts to disrupt the platform. It would be impossible for you to operate the way you do if you did not have multiple accounts. You disrupt the platform by not behaving responsibly and ignoring what you cannot see with your Login. That is both why and what Blocking is for. Another breach of contract is where you have agreed that: • You will not intimidate, harass, threaten, bully or otherwise attack another user. This is part of your everyday operation. You constantly intimidate, attack, harass and bully those who cannot see what you are saying. This is pure cowardice on your part as you can patently see what the person you are attacking is saying, by using an alternative Login. Why do you not use that same Login to respond instead of hiding behind a blocked Login? Because you are an absolute bully and coward - that's correct isnt it? As for legality, the law states that it is stalking and harassment when: • writing or posting online about someone, if it's unwanted or the person doesn't know. You are a fully signed up member to that breach - you are deliberately posting about someone when it is unwanted (they have blocked you), you are also deliberately posting when the person doesn't know (again, because they have blocked you). Furthermore, you leave little avatars indicating that you consider the people who have blocked you to be clowns. Here's a little avatar for you 🔱⚓️. That's correct, it's a couple of anchors the first of which represents a not so silent W, however, togerher they describe you pretty succinctly. I have never personalised any comment towards you, nor mentioned your name, however, every comment from you to me -and to others - is personalised! People block you because they want nothing to do with you, so butt out of our lives you ignorant egotist, we are not interested in you, your views, nor your bullying manner. If anyone wonders why I and others do not respond to comments made by this Troll, it's because we cannot see it, as the coward has made sure of that. My final message to the Troll is that you remind me of a place such as Pakistan, Afghanistan or Kazakhstan after Brittania has sailed away and when nothing has been removed from it. -
Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting If you double-check if the door is locked (even when you know it is)...... psychology says you likely have these 8 distinct traits. Late at night, you’re about to settle in. You know you locked the front door when you came in. But something compels you to get up and jiggle the knob one more time—just to be sure. I’ve been in that situation, too. I’ll catch myself walking back to the door, even though I remember hearing the click. This small moment of caution can say a lot about who we are and how we move through life. There’s nothing wrong with double-checking. Continue reading here: https://geediting.com/ain-if-you-double-check-if-the-door-is-locked-even-when-you-know-it-is-psychology-says-you-likely-have-these-8-distinct-traits/ -
Posted in: Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting
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A two-minute national silence will be held on Thursday 8 May at 12 noon (UK time), to remember and thank those who fought for our freedom. The silence will be marked by all UK Government departments, which will also fly the Union Flag at full-mast. Other organisations are invited to follow suit if they wish. Visit https://ve-vjday80.gov.uk/ to find out more about our plans to commemorate VE Day and how to get involved. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/two-minute-national-silence-to-commemorate-the-80th-anniversary-of-ve-day -
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The boss of Ryanair has threatened to cancel orders with American aircraft maker Boeing and buy from Chinese manufacturers instead if Donald Trump’s trade tariffs push up costs. In a letter to top US lawmakers, Michael O’Leary criticised Washington’s trade war with Beijing and warned that a “material” impact on the price of aircraft could prompt his company to take its business elsewhere. The Irishman said Ryanair could even turn to state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), a threat sure to anger Mr Trump, who has made isolating China a key aim of his trade war. Ryanair, the largest carrier in Europe, is currently waiting on the delivery of 29 Boeing 737 Max 200 planes, out of a total order of 210. It has also ordered 150 Max 10 jets, the largest in the 737 family, for delivery from 2027 with the option of another 150 afterwards. See more: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ryanair-threatens-seek-alternative-boeing-order-if-tariffs-impact-price-2025-05-01/ -
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Anything ! Some Trump backers think the idea of him being Pope is divine. The cardinals likely will not careWhile some of President Donald Trump’s biggest backers are praising the idea that he could be the next Pope, others are saying the chances are slim and that when Conclave starts his name won’t even come up. Trump was asked by a reporter at the White House Tuesday who he would like to succeed Pope Francis.“I’d like to be Pope,” he quipped. “That would be my number one choice.” That comment drew a quick reaction on social media and from experts. Republican Senator, and on-and-off Trump ally, Lindsey Graham asked the Conclave to “keep an open mind” about electing Trump as the next pope. Graham said the president was “a dark horse candidate” after the death of Pope Francis. More at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/lindsey-graham-trump-pope-election-b2742307.html -
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A paedophile scout leader and school housemaster, who spent 27 years on the run using a stolen identity, has been jailed for 46 years for numerous sexual offences against young boys. Richard Burrows, 81, systematically abused 24 boys across the Cheshire, West Midlands and West Mercia areas between 1968 and 1995. In emails found after his eventual arrest, Burrows described “living in paradise” from 1997 after he fled to Thailand. Earlier that year, he had been charged with a number of historical sex offences and was bailed but failed to attend a plea hearing at Chester Crown Court in December 1997. https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/richard-burrows-paedophile-who-fled-thailand-27-years-ago-jailed-97-offences -
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I would just like to highlight the fact that certain person/people on Scooploop believe it is acceptable to, deliberately and specifically, leave comments for people who cannot read them due to Blocking. This is a criminal offence if it happens two times or more. The attached link may be helpful to anyone who has been subjected to this offence or any others detailed in the document. https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/beta-stalking-and-harassment/what-is-stalking-harassment/ -
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From a post on X Boris Johnson @BorisJohnson "Putin indiscriminately butchers more Ukrainian civilians, killing and injuring 100 in Kyiv including children. And what is his reward under the latest peace proposals? 1. The right to keep sovereign Ukrainian territory he has taken by violence and in breach of international law. 2. The right to control Ukraine’s destiny by forbidding Nato membership 3. The lifting of sanctions against Russia 4. An economic partnership with America. 5. The chance to rebuild his armed forces for the next attack in a few short years’ time. As for Ukraine - what do they get after three years of heroic resistance against a brutal and unprovoked invasion? What is their reward for the appalling sacrifices they have made - for the sake, as they have endlessly been told, of freedom and democracy around the world? Apart from the right to share their natural resources with the United States they get nothing. What is there in this deal that can realistically stop a third Russian invasion? Nothing. If we are to prevent more atrocities by Putin then we must have a long term, credible and above all properly funded security guarantee for Ukraine - a guarantee issued by the UK, the US and all western allies." · -
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When Zelenskyy visited Washington, he was berated by Vance for being disrespectful for not wearing a suit, as was being worn by Trump, Vance et al. When Vance is in India, meeting the Indian Prime Minister Modi, will he (Vance) be wearing a khadi kurta so that he doesn't appear disrespectful to the Indian peoples? -
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In the 20th century, the youngest person executed in the United States was George Stinney Jr. At just 14 years old, he was executed in the electric chair. From the day of his trial until his execution, the young man held a Bible in his hands, constantly proclaiming his innocence. Stinney was charged with murdering two white girls. One victim was 11-year-old Betty and the other was 7-year-old Mary. Their bodies were found near their own homes. During the trial, all the jurors were white and the proceedings lasted only two hours. Just 10 minutes into the trial, the death sentence was handed down. Stinney's parents were threatened with death and were not allowed to give their son any comfort in the courtroom. They were subsequently forced to leave their town. George Stinney spent 81 days in prison before his death and was never allowed to see his parents during that time. He was held in solitary confinement about 50 miles from his hometown. His execution was carried out by applying 5,380 volts of electricity. Seventy years after his death, a South Carolina judge has proven George Stinney innocent. The two girls had been killed by a beam weighing more than 40 pounds, which would have been impossible for 14-year-old Stinney to lift, let alone use to inflict lethal blows. The entire case against him was fabricated, and Stinney was targeted simply because he was black. This tragic story later inspired Stephen King to write his novel "The Green Mile." It is often said that people in the past were more humane, but that is a blatant lie. People were cruel then, just as they are now. The only difference is that before, cruelty was hidden, whereas now it is exposed for everyone to see. (This article has been copied from Quora) -
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