I heard about this on BBC Business News this morning.
The following is from their website:
"You may think it's crazy. A restaurant that can't even get your order right.
All of our servers are people living with dementia. They may, or may not, get your order right.
However, rest assured that even if your order is mistaken, everything on our menu is delicious and one of a kind.
This, we guarantee.
"It's OK if my order was wrong. It tastes so good anyway."
We hope this feeling of openness and understanding will spread across Japan, and through the world."
Hopefully this YouTube link works:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qpWaoE8dwoc
Further details can be found here:
http://www.mistakenorders.com/en/home.html
Derek R @DerekR
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Written by: Bill Curtis. METRO We all made mistakes at 13; we should focus on the mistakes Farage is continuing to make. No matter who you are, no matter how progressive your politics, you have to concede - none of us were perfect at 13. Just imagine if every stupid, cruel, edgy or brainless thing we said at that age was dragged into daylight and thrown onto the front pages for davs on end, then analysed by your enemies. Because as a teenager most of us are desperate to impress the wrong people, terrified of being at the bottom of whatever invisible hierarchv exists, and capable of saying things that would make present day you want to crawl inside a bin and quietly roll into the sea. If you're claiming you've never said anything you'd be ashamed of now, I'm sorry, but you're either lying or you've edited your own memory like a dodgy Wikipedia entry. That's been in my head a lot this week as further allegations emerged that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had engaged in racism and antisemitism while at school. Farage, a former pupil of Dulwich College, denied some of the claims in the Guardian investiaation. but his defence was curious, and in my view, telling. Because if he had come out this week to say, 'Look, I was a horrible little git. I said awful things. I regret it. I'm sorry,' he'd probably have got a surprising amount of sympathy from those of us who realise we weren't exactlv our best selves during those formative school years. That is how human beings are supposed to talk about their worst moments. We're supposed to show a bit of humility, a bit of reflection maybe even a bit of embarrassment about the person we used to be. But that is not the defence the Reform UK leader chose Instead, he went for the slippery half denial, straight from the Trump playbook, in which nothing is ever quite admitted everything is blurred 'No, I have never directly, really tried to go and hurt anybody', he told broadcasters, responding to the Guardian accusations directly for the first time. A sentence so carefully crafted it almost collapses under the weight of its own cowardice Without insult or intent, he told broadcasters, seemingly trying to make racism claims sound technical rather than moral. However, here's the real problem Niael Farage faces: this isn't about what he did when he was 13. It's about what he did when he was 30, and 40, and 50 and now, at 61 with a straight face and a political ambition he plans from the playaround all the way to 10 Downing Street. Because to me, this isn't some bloke who, when he was a youngster said few stupid things and grew up to learn his lessons. In my view. he has built his entire adult life around a politics of division by leading not one but several political parties whose central operating system appeared to be suspicion of immigrants, hostility to difference, and the careful stoking of fear aimed squarely at the most convenient targets of the day. You don't lead multiple anti-immigrant parties by accident. You don't spend decades talkinq about migrants as threats to the fabric of the country if, deep down, you're just a misunderstood thinker who might have unintentionally upset people at school. This is a grown man making deliberate choices again and again with both eyes wide open. Which is why the whole 'well, we all said silly stuff as kids' argument doesn't quite work with me. It would require you to believe that the young Nigel who is accused of racist behaviour and the adult Nigel who says he didn't directly hurt people, are two completely separate characters. But they aren't. Copied from: https://metro.co.uk/2025/11/25/dont-judge-nigel-farage-actions-13-judge-actions-61-24804734/ -
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The answer is simple. It's because he doesn't like it! There have been plenty of people complaining about how he reacted to them when at school. However, he doesn't like them reacting to him now.It's in the adult world. He states that it was 50 years ago, and he implies that their memory may not be accurate. Furthermore, he now brings in the fact that he considers it could be a political move on their part. 🤣🤣🤣🤡 Strangely enough , none of his followers like being called racist 😢. They enjoy being racist, just not being called out for it. Not only that, but when Nigel Farage is called a supporter of Putin and of Russia , he objects. It would appear that on LBC yesterday, they covered quite a few of his statements, made in various places, but demonstrating his support of Putin and of the recently imprisoned Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, who was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian statements while serving as a Member of the European Parliament. Gill received around £40,000 to support pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, which has raised serious concerns about foreign influence in British politics. So whatever you do, don't call Nigel a racist, nor pro Russian! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cgmnvx87xvwo -
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The original was written 4 years ago. Many, but not all, of the original players are still around in SL. There have been name changes i.e. Socrates, (not quoted but referred to) is still around with identical views, as mentioned in responses to him. He has a new name now, but his hatred of immigrants has not lessened one iota, although he is sailing under a different political party now. It makes interesting, but sad reading? https://www.scooploop.com/thread/combatting-racism-on-scooploop -
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...This is an extract from a National Public Radio (NPR) interview between a female broadcaster and US Army "Lieutenant General Corso" about sponsoring a Boy Scout Troop on his military installation. Interviewer: "So, LTG Corso, what are you going to do with these young boys on their adventure holiday?" LTG Corso: "We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting." Interviewer: "Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?" LTG Corso: "I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the range." Interviewer: "Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?" LTG Corso: "I don't see how, we will be teaching them proper range discipline before they even touch a firearm." Interviewer: "But you're equipping them to become violent killers." LTG Corso: "Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?" ?End of the interview -
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...a delightful gem of an island in the Atlantic ocean, about 350 miles west of Morocco. An island with an airport that is acknowledged to be within the top five most dangerous airports in the world, due to the terrain and wind features. Only captains, who have flown a minimum of two hundred hours as a captain and who have been trained and authorised to fly into and out of Madeira, will be allowed to operate an aeroplane into or out of Funchal airport. We have visited countless times and have never had a problem. That is until a week ago when we were due to fly home. Our transfer company picked us up three and a half hours before flight time, for less than a half hour journey, so we sat and waited for what felt like an eternity. Eventually a BA aeroplane came into view and roared as it decelerated down the runway passed the Terminal building. We would soon be on our way, or so we thought! We all queued patiently to be let out of the building and walk across to the aeroplane. The only decision was whether to board at the front or the rear. We were half way along, but figured that all the Club passengers would take their time getting out of the way of the Traveller passengers, so headed for the back. A good choice as it happens. Bags and coats were stored in the overhead lockers, seats were sat in with the hope that the third seat would remain empty. It did! Those magic words resonated around the cabin "Cabin Crew, loading complete". Yes, we had that little more room to spread out into. The cabin crew did their checks, tables stowed, blinds up, seatbelts on, floor space clear, emergency exits clear and we sat there. And still we sat there. After which there was even more sitting. Departure time arrived, departure time went. Not a peep from the crew, so we sat there, strapped in and eager to go at the drop of a starter switch. Nothing changed until 20 minutes after departure time when a female voice came over the tannoy system. "Ahem, ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain XXXX, my apologies for the delay but we have a problem. It isn't with the aeroplane, it is with me. I have become ill and am not fit to operate the aeroplane to London Gatwick. I have picked up a stomach problem and I'm spending a lot of time in the toilet. I have informed the company that I am declaring myself unfit and they are looking at the situation and will let me know how they can resolve the it, which I will relay to you when I have something to tell you. In the meantime I am asking the Cabin Crew to hand out some snacks". (Which turned out to be a pack of two oaty biscuits each). The Captain then continued to tell us that due to her condition she had blocked off the front toilet for her sole use, but the rear toilets were still available for the rest of us. When she next came on to speak, we were told that another flight had recently left Gatwick for Funchal, but it had left before anything could be done to help our problem, other than there was a lot of capacity on the return sector and most of us would be transferred to that. However, there were 15 passengers who would be given hotel accommodation and flown home the next day on the same flight, but 24 hours late. A spare captain would be on board the Gatwick to Funchal sector to fly the aeroplane home with our captain on board as well. So that's what happened, we were each given a voucher for 8 euros and told to go back upstairs and get food and drinks. Once we had deboarded, We had to traipse back through Border Control who cancelled our exit stamps and sat waiting for news. Texts arrived telling us that we had been checked in for the afternoon flight so it was a case of sitting and waiting for the new arrival, the second BA arrival that day. Eventually we were on the aeroplane and arrived without further problems at Gatwick. Walking from the arrivals gate to baggage reclaim, one of the other cancelled passengers said "That was a bit of a palaver wasn’t it?" "It wasn't too bad" I said, "we found some food and drinks ok." "No, I meant having to go through arrivals and collecting the baggage, then checking in again, getting new baggage tags". My wife's face dropped, she immediately launched, asking why we hadn't picked our luggage up and checked in. I explained that we had not been told anything about luggage. The airline knew which baggage belonged to whom and those being night-stopped would have theirs at their hotels, the remainder would be forwarded on our new flight. If I could have found some earplugs at the time my hearing would be much better than it is now! All the way to baggage reclaim I was being sniped. "You go to the lost baggage office and get them to fill in a form I'll wait here in case the cases are on the carousel." I was told. So off I sauntered knowing (with crossed fingers) that my baggage was safe. The lost baggage office was unoccupied "She's just popped out, she'll be back soon." I was told. So I waited, eventually two ladies arrived, the one who worked there asked if she could help. I explained the situation and gave her my baggage stubs, much tutting followed, accompanied by frowns and facial distortions, and that was just me, no I'm joking it was her, she advised me that the tags had been cancelled and suggested that she help me fill in an online form and directed me to a computer terminal. She asked me if I could describe my cases to her. I lifted my eyes from the screen and said, "Yes, rather like those two coming towards us!" There was my wife dragging the two suitcases my way. I'm never sure why, in situations where you've been correct in the outcome and felt confident all along what the result would be, you are still in the wrong. The tutting, frowns and facial distortions continued, this time not from the lost baggage lady, but from the found baggage lady! That's not quite the end of the story though, my wife had heard some passengers saying they would claim compensation for the delay. It looked as though we might be entitled to claim, our delay was over three hours and the flight distance was 1,525 miles which was between 1,500 kms and 3500 kms. Of course if it is an event outside the control of the airline, they can dispute your claim. The fact is that had they had a qualified officer on board to replace the captain, the aeroplane would have flown. They didn't have qualified crew as a backup nor had any other contingency plans been made. Therefore, our claims were accepted and we were each compensated £350. Add in the whole passenger list being compensated £350 each, 15 lots of transfers and hotel bills, aeroplane parking overnight, another captain being flown out the next day together with a host of other costs (ATC etc.), that was a very expensive stomach problem. (Something we don't know is, was it the chicken or the prawns?) -
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Summary A committee of lawmakers in the US has released 23,000 pages of documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate, including some that reference President Trump Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three email exchanges, before Republicans on the committee released a much bigger tranche of documents One of the three exchanges released by Democrats is between Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in 2019, and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell An email from Epstein to Maxwell in April 2011 reads: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is trump.. [Victim] spent hours at my house with him" The Democrats say the emails "strike a blow against the White House's Epstein cover-up" Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein - the White House says the release of the three email exchanges creates a "fake narrative" The White House also says the "victim" referenced in the Epstein-Maxwell emails is "the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever" The source of the above was BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2dr3z9egljt *********************************** Trump ‘spent hours with Virginia Giuffre at my house’, Epstein claimed In message obtained by Congress, sex offender claimed president ‘knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop’ Trump ‘spent hours with Virginia Giuffre at my house’, Epstein claimed In message obtained by Congress, sex offender claimed president ‘knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop’ Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein pictured together in 1997 Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein pictured together in 1997 Susie Coen US Correspondent 12 November 2025 4:31pm GMT Donald Trump spent “hours” at Jeffrey Epstein’s house with Virginia Giuffre, newly-released emails claim. Elsewhere, Epstein wrote that Mr Trump “knew about the girls”. Three emails in which Mr Trump is mentioned by Epstein have been released by a congressional committee investigating the financier’s crimes. The emails are from 2011, 2015 and 2019. In an exchange with his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2020, Epstein wrote: “I want you to realise the dog that hasn’t barked is Trump, [a victim] spent hours at my house with him, he has never once been mentioned.” In an email marked as of “high” importance sent a few hours later on April 2 2011, Maxwell replied: “I have been thinking about that…” The White House claimed the redacted victim in the emails was Giuffre, who worked as a masseuse in Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. More information at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/11/12/trump-spent-hours-with-epstein-victim-paedophile-claimed/ -
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A woman, said by police to have bought cryptocurrency now worth billions of pounds using funds stolen from thousands of Chinese pensioners, is due to be sentenced this week for money laundering. After fleeing China, she moved to a mansion in Hampstead, north London. The Metropolitan Police raided it a year later and made one of the world's single largest crypto seizures. More than 100,000 Chinese people invested their money in her company - which claimed to be developing high-tech health products and mining cryptocurrency. In reality, she embezzled the funds, police say. As she awaits sentencing, investors have told the BBC World Service they hope to get at least some of their cash back from the UK authorities. Anything left unclaimed would normally default to the UK government - leading some to speculate that the Treasury could stand to gain from the haul. "If we can gather all the evidence together, we hope the UK government, the Crown Prosecution Service and the High Court can show compassion," said one victim we are calling Mr Yu, who says his marriage failed as a result of the fraud. "Because now, it's only that haul of Bitcoin [cryptocurrency] that can return us a little bit of what we lost." Qian Zhimin, 47, arrived in the UK under a fake passport in September 2017, after Chinese police started investigating her. She moved into a mansion on the edge of Hampstead Heath, at a rent of more than £17,000 ($22,700) a month. To pay for this, she needed to convert her Bitcoin stash back into money she could spend. So she posed as a wealthy antiques and diamond heiress, and hired a former takeaway worker as her personal assistant, who she asked to trade the cryptocurrency into other assets, such as cash and property. As Bitcoin rocketed in value, Qian could achieve what her company promised its investors - that they could "get rich while lying down". Her assistant Wen Jian - at her own trial last year, which culminated in a six-year jail term for money laundering - said Qian had spent most of her days lying in bed, gaming and online shopping. But Qian was also drawing up a bold six-year plan for future schemes, according to her diary. Her notes outline plans to found an international bank, buy a Swedish castle, and even to ingratiate herself with a British duke. Her grander stated objective was to become queen of Liberland, an unrecognised microstate on the Croatian-Serbian border, by 2022. In the meantime, Qian had Wen look for houses she could buy in London. But her attempts to purchase an especially large property in Totteridge Common - an area known for its substantial, secluded residences - triggered a police investigation when Wen was unable to account for her boss's wealth. Police raided Qian's Hampstead rental property and uncovered hard drives and laptops found to be loaded with tens of thousands of Bitcoin - believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in UK history. Qian had set up the company through which money was embezzled just four years earlier, in her native China. Lantian Gerui, or Bluesky Greet in English, claimed to use investors' money to mine - or generate - new Bitcoin, and to invest in a range of pioneering technological devices. But UK police believe this was an elaborate scam, and that Qian's company was simply using promises of high profits to pull more and more investors into the scheme. "The more information we got about her involvement… that she was actually the leader of the fraud, not just a lower down member… it became obvious that yes she's very clever, she's very switched on, very manipulative, able to persuade a lot of people," Det Con Joe Ryan from the Met told the BBC. One of her investors, Mr Yu, says he never suspected anything was wrong because the company drip-fed him a portion of his apparent earnings - just over 100 yuan ($14, £10) - every day. "That made everyone feel really good, it even gave us the confidence to borrow a little more to invest in the company," he says. He and his wife had initially invested 60,000 yuan ($8,429, £6,295) each. They were told, he says, they would make a 200% profit over two and a half years. They were soon taking out thousands of pounds' worth of loans at interest rates of up to 8%, in order to invest more. In addition, Mr Yu reinvested his daily payouts back into the company as soon as he received them. "There was no rule that you had to reinvest your earnings, but I suppose we were just too weak to resist. They just pumped up our dreams… until we lost all self-control, all critical judgment." Cryptoqueen who fled China for London mansion to be sentenced over £5bn Bitcoin stash 5 hours ago Tony Han Global China Unit Share Save Metropolitan Police Qian Zhemin - wearing glasses and her hair dyed red - standing in front of a building in Berlin. She is wearing a fur-lined bright blue coat. Metropolitan Police Qian Zhemin enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of travel and shopping before UK police discovered her stash of crypto A woman, said by police to have bought cryptocurrency now worth billions of pounds using funds stolen from thousands of Chinese pensioners, is due to be sentenced this week for money laundering. After fleeing China, she moved to a mansion in Hampstead, north London. The Metropolitan Police raided it a year later and made one of the world's single largest crypto seizures. More than 100,000 Chinese people invested their money in her company - which claimed to be developing high-tech health products and mining cryptocurrency. In reality, she embezzled the funds, police say. As she awaits sentencing, investors have told the BBC World Service they hope to get at least some of their cash back from the UK authorities. Anything left unclaimed would normally default to the UK government - leading some to speculate that the Treasury could stand to gain from the haul. "If we can gather all the evidence together, we hope the UK government, the Crown Prosecution Service and the High Court can show compassion," said one victim we are calling Mr Yu, who says his marriage failed as a result of the fraud. "Because now, it's only that haul of Bitcoin [cryptocurrency] that can return us a little bit of what we lost." Qian Zhimin, 47, arrived in the UK under a fake passport in September 2017, after Chinese police started investigating her. She moved into a mansion on the edge of Hampstead Heath, at a rent of more than £17,000 ($22,700) a month. To pay for this, she needed to convert her Bitcoin stash back into money she could spend. So she posed as a wealthy antiques and diamond heiress, and hired a former takeaway worker as her personal assistant, who she asked to trade the cryptocurrency into other assets, such as cash and property. Metropolitan Police A large house in Hampstead - a white pillared portico, and red brick. A large tree is at the end of the driveway. Metropolitan Police On fleeing China, Qian rented this house in Hampstead As Bitcoin rocketed in value, Qian could achieve what her company promised its investors - that they could "get rich while lying down". Her assistant Wen Jian - at her own trial last year, which culminated in a six-year jail term for money laundering - said Qian had spent most of her days lying in bed, gaming and online shopping. But Qian was also drawing up a bold six-year plan for future schemes, according to her diary. Her notes outline plans to found an international bank, buy a Swedish castle, and even to ingratiate herself with a British duke. Her grander stated objective was to become queen of Liberland, an unrecognised microstate on the Croatian-Serbian border, by 2022. In the meantime, Qian had Wen look for houses she could buy in London. But her attempts to purchase an especially large property in Totteridge Common - an area known for its substantial, secluded residences - triggered a police investigation when Wen was unable to account for her boss's wealth. A red brick house with white portico porch, statues outside and a large gravel drive Attempts by Qian to buy this property in Totteridge sparked a police investigation Police raided Qian's Hampstead rental property and uncovered hard drives and laptops found to be loaded with tens of thousands of Bitcoin - believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in UK history. Qian had set up the company through which money was embezzled just four years earlier, in her native China. Lantian Gerui, or Bluesky Greet in English, claimed to use investors' money to mine - or generate - new Bitcoin, and to invest in a range of pioneering technological devices. But UK police believe this was an elaborate scam, and that Qian's company was simply using promises of high profits to pull more and more investors into the scheme. "The more information we got about her involvement… that she was actually the leader of the fraud, not just a lower down member… it became obvious that yes she's very clever, she's very switched on, very manipulative, able to persuade a lot of people," Det Con Joe Ryan from the Met told the BBC. One of her investors, Mr Yu, says he never suspected anything was wrong because the company drip-fed him a portion of his apparent earnings - just over 100 yuan ($14, £10) - every day. "That made everyone feel really good, it even gave us the confidence to borrow a little more to invest in the company," he says. He and his wife had initially invested 60,000 yuan ($8,429, £6,295) each. They were told, he says, they would make a 200% profit over two and a half years. They were soon taking out thousands of pounds' worth of loans at interest rates of up to 8%, in order to invest more. In addition, Mr Yu reinvested his daily payouts back into the company as soon as he received them. "There was no rule that you had to reinvest your earnings, but I suppose we were just too weak to resist. They just pumped up our dreams… until we lost all self-control, all critical judgment." Chinese social media Hundreds of people are seated in a huge venue in China - there is a stage at the far end of the hall and two big screens showing video. There is purple and blue neon lighting over the event.Chinese social media Qian Zhimin's company staged huge meetings and banquets for current and prospective investors in China Investors saw their daily payouts topped up for each new person they signed up. This helped the scam reach some 120,000 people, based in every one of China's provinces, according to documents from trials in China of the company's official promoters. Their deposits totalled more than 40bn yuan ($5.6bn, £4.2bn), the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has found. A former company employee later testified that it was new investors' money that had been funding the daily payouts, not crypto-mining dividends. Lantian Gerui's marketing exploited the loneliness of many middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Qian wrote poems about social responsibility, with lines such as: "We must love the elderly with the infatuation of a first romance." The company also organised mass holidays and banquets for current and potential investors. These were used to promote yet more investment opportunities - slideshows and card machines at the ready. Lantian Gerui also trumpeted its love of China as a nation, another ploy calculated to appeal to the elderly. "Our patriotism was our Achilles' heel, that's what they exploited," says Mr Yu, who is in his 60s. "They said that they wanted to make China number one in the world." A range of speakers endorsed the company, including the son-in-law of the late Chairman Mao, the founding father of the People's Republic of China - Mr Yu said. "We in our generation all looked up to Chairman Mao, so if even his son-in-law was vouching for it, how could we not trust it?" Watch our film on YouTube The company even held an event in the Great Hall of the People, where China's legislature meets, according to an investor who attended the event and two others we spoke to. "That bunch of [promoters], they'd take something red and persuade you it was white, take something black and convince you it was red," Mr Yu says. Despite leading this high-profile enterprise, Qian was notoriously secretive, known only as Huahua or Little Flower to her clients, and communicating with them largely through the poems she posted on her blog. But she would emerge for the biggest investors - those who put in at least 6m yuan ($842,000, £628,000) - inviting them to more intimate events, according to one of these clients, Mr Li. "Those of us present, you could say that we were starstruck," he remembers. "We all saw her as our Goddess of Wealth. "She started encouraging us to dream big… that within three years, she'd give us enough wealth to last our families three generations." Mr Li, his wife, and his brother, invested some 10m yuan ($1.3m, £1m) between them. The full story can be found here: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4w1g9ezko -
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The first thing most people recall about Nathan Gill is his imposing height. At 193cm (6ft 4in), the one-time Reform UK leader in Wales towered over colleagues and opponents – and he was taller still in his favourite cowboy boots. Other than that, the softly-spoken 52-year-old was a largely unremarkable presence among the more colourful characters in Nigel Farage’s parties. Until recently, political profiles have dwelt on Gill’s politically quirky status: the teetotal member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who bore Ukip’s flag in the Senedd, even if opponents charged that he was often absent. Yet his legacy is now a very different and disturbing one. This month he will be sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia during his tenure as a member of the European parliament. In modern British politics, it is an almost unique fall from grace – perhaps with parallels to the story of John Stonehouse, the high-flying Labour MP recruited as a spy for Czech intelligence in the early 60s. But Gill’s humiliation isn’t just personal. His links to Russia raise awkward questions for Reform UK, and for its leader, Nigel Farage – Gill was a key lieutenant of his when they were both in Brussels. While Farage has been trying to distance himself from Gill, multiple sources who worked with them in Brussels have told the Guardian that the two men used to be close. The moment of Gill’s downfall dates back to July 2021 and the arrivals queue at Washington DC’s Dulles international airport. FBI agents stopped Oleg Voloshyn, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician close to Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch sometimes known in his native country as the “dark prince” and a long-term ally and friend of Vladimir Putin. It was less than a year before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Medvedchuk had been charged with treason, and his TV channels, conduits for Russian propaganda, had been taken off the air. Voloshyn, his envoy to the west, was in the crosshairs of US authorities. The FBI extracted WhatsApp messages from Voloshyn’s phone in which he discussed secretly paying Gill. Voloshyn was released after three hours of questioning, but he and Medvedchuk were both named the following year by the US as agents of a Kremlin plot to install a puppet government in Ukraine. Now in Moscow, Voloshyn was Gill’s co-accused, albeit beyond the reach of British authorities. Two months later in September 2021, after the stop at Dulles airport, counter-terrorism police arrested Gill at Manchester airport. On his phone, police found messages that showed he had reached an agreement with Voloshyn. According to prosecutors, Gill accepted cash on at least eight occasions to make specific statements and opinions benefiting Russia. The amount has yet to be disclosed, but various amounts totalling in excess of at least £10,000 were mentioned in WhatApp messages between him and Voloshyn. Looking back on them now, the public statements appear subtle, but they provided the mood music in the west for a propaganda war being waged by the Kremlin to paint Ukraine’s pro-western leaders as repressive. For his cooperation in this covert PR campaign, Gill received “xmas presents” and “post cards” – coded references to money. They were his reward for making speeches in the European parliament and giving TV interviews scripted by Voloshyn. The first thing most people recall about Nathan Gill is his imposing height. At 193cm (6ft 4in), the one-time Reform UK leader in Wales towered over colleagues and opponents – and he was taller still in his favourite cowboy boots. Other than that, the softly-spoken 52-year-old was a largely unremarkable presence among the more colourful characters in Nigel Farage’s parties. Until recently, political profiles have dwelt on Gill’s politically quirky status: the teetotal member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who bore Ukip’s flag in the Senedd, even if opponents charged that he was often absent. Yet his legacy is now a very different and disturbing one. This month he will be sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia during his tenure as a member of the European parliament. In modern British politics, it is an almost unique fall from grace – perhaps with parallels to the story of John Stonehouse, the high-flying Labour MP recruited as a spy for Czech intelligence in the early 60s. But Gill’s humiliation isn’t just personal. His links to Russia raise awkward questions for Reform UK, and for its leader, Nigel Farage – Gill was a key lieutenant of his when they were both in Brussels. While Farage has been trying to distance himself from Gill, multiple sources who worked with them in Brussels have told the Guardian that the two men used to be close. Farage and Gill posing for a photo, with Gill holding a UK flag Farage (left), then Ukip leader, and Gill before a plenary session at the EU headquarters in Brussels in June 2016, just after the Brexit vote. Photograph: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images The moment of Gill’s downfall dates back to July 2021 and the arrivals queue at Washington DC’s Dulles international airport. FBI agents stopped Oleg Voloshyn, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician close to Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch sometimes known in his native country as the “dark prince” and a long-term ally and friend of Vladimir Putin. It was less than a year before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Medvedchuk had been charged with treason, and his TV channels, conduits for Russian propaganda, had been taken off the air. Voloshyn, his envoy to the west, was in the crosshairs of US authorities. The FBI extracted WhatsApp messages from Voloshyn’s phone in which he discussed secretly paying Gill. Voloshyn was released after three hours of questioning, but he and Medvedchuk were both named the following year by the US as agents of a Kremlin plot to install a puppet government in Ukraine. Nigel Farage meets members of the public during campaigning in Caerphilly, south Wales. Farage insists ex-Reform UK Wales leader convicted of bribery is ‘bad apple’ Read more Now in Moscow, Voloshyn was Gill’s co-accused, albeit beyond the reach of British authorities. Two months later in September 2021, after the stop at Dulles airport, counter-terrorism police arrested Gill at Manchester airport. On his phone, police found messages that showed he had reached an agreement with Voloshyn. According to prosecutors, Gill accepted cash on at least eight occasions to make specific statements and opinions benefiting Russia. The amount has yet to be disclosed, but various amounts totalling in excess of at least £10,000 were mentioned in WhatApp messages between him and Voloshyn. Looking back on them now, the public statements appear subtle, but they provided the mood music in the west for a propaganda war being waged by the Kremlin to paint Ukraine’s pro-western leaders as repressive. For his cooperation in this covert PR campaign, Gill received “xmas presents” and “post cards” – coded references to money. They were his reward for making speeches in the European parliament and giving TV interviews scripted by Voloshyn. Gill arriving at the Old Bailey in September Gill arriving at the Old Bailey in September, charged with bribery and of conspiracy to commit bribery. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Speaking to the Guardian via email, Voloshyn denied allegations made by the US and UK that he had acted at the direction of Russia’s FSB spy agency. He insisted the payments – typically £4,000 or £5,000 each – were merely media appearance fees, rather than bribes. He described Gill as a “humble” father of five who was “definitely not rich” and was the “victim of a geopolitical conspiracy”. The tangled story of Gill and Voloshyn raises questions about how Russia has attempted to cultivate contacts across British political life. David Coburn and Jonathan Arnott, two other MEPs who were part of Farage’s Ukip bloc in Brussels, visited Ukraine with Gill on an October 2018 trip. During the visit, Coburn, Gill and Arnott appeared on camera in interviews with 112 Ukraine, a pro-Russian channel affiliated with Medvedchuk. Six weeks later, the three would make similar statements during a debate in the European parliament on 11 December that touched on press freedom in Ukraine and the question of whether it should be allowed to join the EU. Gill spoke first. While saying he had “every sympathy with Ukraine”, he added: “It is wrong to fight repression with repression.” Prosectors in Britain say he had received a script for the speech from Voloshyn on 7 December 2018. Arnott and Coburn followed, with the former calling on the Ukrainian government to ensure freedom of the press “against a backdrop of violence against journalists [and] the proposed closure of TV channels”. Coburn then accused Kyiv’s leaders of being “found wanting” on freedom of the press, accusing them of “plotting” to close the channel 112 Ukraine and questioning whether Ukraine was fit for EU membership. Gill and Coburn sat on the channel’s new “international” board, along Voloshyn and others. There is no suggestion that either Coburn or Arnott took bribes in the same way as Gill. Contacted by the Guardian, Arnott rejected any suggestion that he had links to Russia or was acting in its interests and pointed to another part of his speech in which he said “the best response to a loss of freedom is increased freedom”. He added: “I think that provides a bit of background and context to what I was saying in the speech and explains where I was coming from. Russia’s suppression of free speech should not be countered by Ukraine also suppressing free speech.” Attempts have been made to contact Coburn. In correspondence with the Guardian, Voloshyn claims the broadcaster 112 Ukraine “should have” covered the MEPs’ travel costs on their 2018 trip. In fact, declarations by the three to the European parliament record their tickets as having been paid for by the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, a front created by Russian intelligence agents with the same name as a genuine organisation. The cutout’s president, Janusz Niedźwiecki, was arrested in 2021 in his home country, Poland, on suspicion of espionage for Russia. Arnott said if he had been aware the money for his trip may have come from Russian assets “obviously I would not have participated in any visit on such a basis”. Farage has faced questions about the extent of contact he may have had with Voloshyn. Nadia Sass, Voloshyn’s wife, a 112 Ukraine journalist, last year posted a photo on X of herself with Farage, which appears to have been taken outside the European parliament in about 2018, saying she would “miss Nigel Farage and his team”. Another tweet included a picture of Farage holding a T-shirt with the logo “Leave and Let Die #brexit”, apparently taken in Gill’s Strasbourg office in 2018. Voloshyn said Sass had given it to Farage because she wanted to promote her political T-shirt business. He claims he has never spoken to Farage. A spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage meets thousands of people every single year. Many hundreds of them will ask to have a photo taken with him. He was deeply shocked and angered by the actions of Mr Gill and condemns them in every possible way.” They added that Farage did not have any knowledge of Gill’s “shameful activities”. But Niedźwiecki and Voloshyn appear to have also widened their net beyond the various incarnations of parties by Farage. Both were named in warning emails sent to all MPs at Westminster in July 2021 and January 2022 by the speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle. A number of MPs are understood to have come forward to the security services after Hoyle warned them that Voloshyn was working to gain the support of a number of politicians in parliament for policies in support of Russian state objectives. Sir John Whittingdale, a former minister and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Ukraine, said he had first come across Voloshyn when he was “the right hand man” to Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, who served as Ukraine’s foreign minister under its Moscow-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych. “I went to observe an election around 2012 and I did see him once at his request in Westminster [in 2018] with Nadia Sass [Voloshyn’s wife]. As I recall they were complaining about restrictions and harassment of her TV channel by the government,” Whittingdale told the Guardian. “He has now been identified as a Russian asset, though at the time I knew him he was working for the [previous] Ukrainian government, which was quite pro-Russian.” There is no indication that Whittingdale or other Tory MPs such as Mark Pritchard, who was due to appear on a panel at an event in London with Sass, were compromised by any association with him. Instead, the heaviest price is expected to be paid by Gill, whose guilty plea in September to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019 took prosecutors by surprise. An ashen-faced Gill had entered the plea after earlier appearances at Westminster magistrates court, where he had been ordered to surrender his passport and register with police at Anglesey, the Welsh island where he lives with his wife and children. Before entering politics, he had practised in Anglesey for six years as a Mormon bishop. Anglesey had also been the base for an earlier business running care home services founded by his family and operating mainly in Hull. That business collapsed with debts of £116,000 after the 2008 financial crisis hit. Attempts to build a political career followed, with early failures at gaining election at council and devolved level before finally becoming a Ukip MEP in 2014. From the misery of a struggling business and electoral failure, Gill found himself at the centre of Brussels politics, rubbing shoulders with the eclectic milieu of international visitors and lobbyists at the European parliament. A hitherto unnoticed interest in international affairs bloomed. Farage has been trying to distance himself from Gill, telling the BBC that he was “stunned” when he found out his party’s former leader in Wales took bribes. Challenged on whether he questioned Gill over the statements, Farage said: “I didn’t know anything about it; all I knew was that he’d been to Ukraine. I told him not to go, he defied me and went, I was completely unaware of any statements that he made.” However, multiple sources who worked with Farage and Gill in Brussels and Strasbourg said the two men had been close. Gill was described variously as Farage’s “enforcer” and “right-hand man” by some who recalled they had adjoining offices. One former Ukip MEP from that time told the Guardian: “Gill was in the thick of organising. He was the right-hand version of Farage. His office was right beside Farage’s.” “Nathan had a unique place in the party,” another source said. “He was the centre of gravity in Wales, and David [Coburn] was at the centre in Scotland. I found David quite difficult – he could be very outspoken. He was very loyal to Nigel.” Gill also had personal vulnerabilities of the sort foreign intelligence agencies look to seize upon. Alex Phillips, formerly a media adviser to Gill and someone who also served alongside him as a Brexit party MEP, said: “There is a tragic backdrop to this. They clearly targeted someone who was financially vulnerable.” Phillips told the Guardian she was “as shocked as everyone” when Gill was arrested, adding that she voluntarily went to speak to the Metropolitan police and let them know that she had known nothing about his secret activities. “I don’t believe he was cunning enough to really believe in what he became involved in. It’s quite sad really.” https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2025/nov/01/reform-a-russian-spy-and-the-bribes-the-inside-story-of-nathan-gill -
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His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation. These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him. Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with. the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse. ENDS -
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A man has been charged with the racially aggravated rape of a woman in Walsall. John Ashby, 32, of no fixed address, is accused of one count of rape and sexual assault in relation to the attack, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. It comes after a woman, aged in her 20s, was targeted in the Park Hall area of Walsall on Saturday night. Mr Ashby has also been charged with intentional strangulation, racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and robbery in relation to the same victim. The CPS said the victim was not known to the attacker. Mr Ashby, who West Midlands Police described as white and British, is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. 'Speaking to community' "We know the fear and concern this attack has caused in our communities," said Ch Supt Phil Dolby. "We continue to speak to people in the community to listen to and understand their concerns. "Officers have visited faith establishments in Walsall and spoken with local leaders about women's safety and what measures men can take to make women feel more comfortable. "We need to continue to maintain those conversations and how we build on women's safety in the community." Det Supt Ronan Tyrer added: "The woman who was the subject of the attack has been informed of the charging decision this evening. "She is continuing to be supported by our specially trained officers." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyg636kdrgo -
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Like many people across the country, I am quite enthralled with the BBC1 programme currently airing on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. What I didn't know, was that there is a version of the game you can join in with. It's called The Traitors Live Experience and is to be found in a converted warehouse in London’s Covent Garden. When you arrive, you check in at the front desk, then you are shown to a table in the bar area of the reception, to meet the other participants. There will be between 10 and 12 of you when you go through to play. During your time at the bar table, you are given a tablet to put in your details. One of the questions is about the start of the game. You are asked if you would like to be a Traitor from the start. However, regardless of your answer to that question, you may be blackmailed into a Traitor position at any time after the start. From the bar table we moved into a room with a round table where you are seated and remain in that position while various challenges take place. You can win gold or shields during the challenges. When the Traitors meet in the turret, they remain seated with you all at the round table, however, Faithfuls have to don heavy blindfolds so we cannot see what they are doing. Of course, you have to hone your other senses, with me I was straining my ears to hear if there was any movement near me. I heard movement to my left. My wife was on my left. I realised she had been nominated as a Traitor. It was interesting how the game played out, but suffice to say that another man and I were the only Faithfuls left and through shear determination we outed the Traitors and won the kitty. If you have a few hours to spare and fancy something different, you could do worse than play the game. You can book any number of people up to a full table, so groups up to 12 are welcome. If you fancy a go, here are the details: https://www.thetraitorslive.co.uk/ -
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A rapist has been convicted of an attack on a teenage girl in 2006 after a DNA breakthrough. A jury found Kennedy Jimmy, 44, guilty of rape following a five-day trial at Luton Crown Court. In October 2006, when he was 25, Jimmy, of Wessex Court, Sunny Bank, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, attacked his victim in the back of a car in a supermarket car park in Shefford. He was arrested in November 2022 after a DNA match was found during a review of rape and sexual assault cases by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit. Victim's courage "Jimmy was able to carry on living his life while the victim endured the long-term trauma of rape," said Det Con Rhian Batterham-Jones. "However, he couldn't escape his despicable crime forever and justice has finally prevailed. "This case shows our commitment to pursuing those who commit violence and sexual offences against women - no matter how much time has passed, and I commend the victim's courage in reliving this ordeal nearly 20 years later. "I am pleased that because of the advances in forensic science, we have been able to put another sexual predator behind bars, where he belongs." Jimmy is due to be sentenced on 23 December. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gk0eenyg7o -
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Phone call between negotiators from both countries to prepare for peace talks turns sour. Donald Trump no longer plans to meet Vladimir Putin in Hungary, the White House confirmed. The US president will not meet the Russian leader in the “immediate future” after a phone call between negotiators from both countries to prepare for peace talks turned sour. On Thursday, Mr Trump said he would meet Putin in Budapest once high-level advisers from both sides held talks. Sources told The Telegraph that Moscow had cancelled plans to hold an in-person preparatory meeting. Mr Trump intended for officials from each side to convene in Hungary to prepare for the summit. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, spoke by phone call on Monday. According to reports, the call did not go well. Mr Lavrov is believed to have told Mr Rubio that Russia would not accept freezing the current front line in Ukraine in the tense phone call. Trump’s meeting with Putin in Hungary called off Phone call between negotiators from both countries to prepare for peace talks turns sour Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Donald Trump had floated the idea of meeting with Vladimir Putin again Credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP Connor Stringer, Washington Correspondent.Joe Barnes, Brussels Correspondent. 21 October 2025 4:57pm BST Donald Trump no longer plans to meet Vladimir Putin in Hungary, the White House confirmed. The US president will not meet the Russian leader in the “immediate future” after a phone call between negotiators from both countries to prepare for peace talks turned sour. On Thursday, Mr Trump said he would meet Putin in Budapest once high-level advisers from both sides held talks. Sources told The Telegraph that Moscow had cancelled plans to hold an in-person preparatory meeting. Mr Trump intended for officials from each side to convene in Hungary to prepare for the summit. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, spoke by phone call on Monday. According to reports, the call did not go well. Mr Lavrov is believed to have told Mr Rubio that Russia would not accept freezing the current front line in Ukraine in the tense phone call. However, on Tuesday the White House described the call as “productive”, adding: “Therefore, an additional in-person meeting between the secretary and foreign minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future.” Mr Lavrov refused to compromise on Moscow’s maximalist position in discussions with Mr Rubio. “I want to officially confirm: Russia has not changed its position compared to the understandings that were reached during the Alaska summit,” Mr Lavrov told reporters in Moscow after reports of his call with his American counterpart. Ukrainian and European sources were buoyed by the Russian refusal to negotiate amid fears Volodymyr Zelensky would be pressured to cede territory to Moscow as the price for peace. The Coalition of the Willing, a group of allied European nations, issued a statement accusing Putin of “stalling tactics” in his talks with Mr Trump. “We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction,” the statement added. Since meeting the US president in Alaska, Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraws from its eastern Donbas regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, as a precondition for peace. Mr Trump reportedly pressured Mr Zelensky to accept this proposal in a bruising encounter in the White House on Friday. Since meeting the US president in Alaska, Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraws from its eastern Donbas regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, as a precondition for peace. Mr Trump reportedly pressured Mr Zelensky to accept this proposal in a bruising encounter in the White House on Friday. “Listen, we have an understanding of the presidents, but we cannot postpone what has not been finalised,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said. “Neither President Trump nor President Putin gave exact dates.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/10/21/trump-no-longer-plans-meet-putin-hungary/ -
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************************************************ Warning: Please be aware that this article contains expletives including 4 letter words! ************************************************ The chart-topping pop star and actor Renée Rapp has excoriated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and Donald Trump in an expletive-filled onstage rant. Rapp was performing in Portland, Oregon, where Trump is attempting to send national guard troops, claiming that the city is a “war zone”. There have been continuous protests outside the city’s Ice facility in recent months. Rapp told the concert audience that as she was performing in Portland, “at the same time, some other people who shouldn’t fucking be here are … So let’s just make a few things abundantly fucking clear. Fuck Ice. Fuck this administration. And fuck Trump.” She is one of the fastest rising pop stars in the US, earning a UK No 1 album in August for her second album Bite Me, which reached No 3 in the US. She is also a successful stage and screen actor, taking a lead role in the Broadway production of the Mean Girls musical and in TV series The Sex Lives of College Girls. Rapp joins a number of musicians opposing Ice as immigration crackdowns intensify in the US under the Trump administration. “I got a new chain, it say: Fuck Ice,” declared Chance the Rapper on his recent album, Star Line. Meanwhile, Finneas – the singer and brother of Billie Eilish, who produces her music – said of an Ice protest he attended in Los Angeles: “Teargassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown. They’re inciting this.” Tyler, the Creator, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Kehlani also decried Ice’s activity in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, the country music star Zach Bryan debuted a snippet of a new song with lyrics including: “Ice is gonna come bust down your door … Kids are all scared and all alone.” The US Department of Homeland Security criticised him, with assistant secretary of public affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, telling Bryan to “stick to Pink Skies, dude”, referring to one of his previous hits. The department also mockingly soundtracked an Ice enforcement video with a Bryan song. This week, the indie record labels Epitaph and Anti- called on Spotify to stop carrying advertisements for Ice. “Artists and fans deserve platforms that reflect the values of the culture they sustain,” each label said in a shared statement. Earlier in the week, Spotify defended carrying the ads, saying the “content does not violate our advertising policies”. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/oct/17/pop-star-renee-rapp-delivers-expletive-filled-rant-against-ice-and-donald-trump -
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Footage from key battle zone in Donetsk is latest evidence of Moscow’s brutal treatment of its soldiers Russian soldiers were handcuffed to trees and left to die after defying orders to advance into Ukrainian territory, video footage recorded near the front line claims. The four soldiers, abandoned without food or water, were found by Ukrainian troops in the strategically vital zone near Lyman, which separates the opposing sides in Donetsk. It is understood the group had been abandoned by their commanders because they refused to advance again after the remainder of their unit was killed attempting to gain ground. The area around Lyman, north-east of Sloviansk, is a critical stretch of land that serves as a gateway to both the Donbas interior and the northern approaches to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Fighting in the area has been fierce since Ukraine’s counter-offensive recaptured Lyman in late 2022. A man speaking in the video, identified as Ilya Sergeyevich Gorkov of Russia’s 36th Motorised Rifle Regiment, claimed his group had been left for four days. Speaking with his arms tied around a tree trunk, he said they had been abandoned with “no food, no water, nothing, and they won’t take us anywhere to the toilet”. This is not the first time Russian soldiers have been seen punishing fellow troops by abandoning them between the front lines. In February 2025 footage circulated on social media showing Kremlin forces tying up their fellow soldiers in areas that were exposed to Ukrainian strikes. ‘You’ll die by drone or artillery fire’ In the most recent incident the group were allegedly told “you’ll die here under a kamikaze [drone] or under artillery fire”, according to Ukrainian war bloggers. It is thought that Mr Gorkov began his fourth deployment to Ukraine in April 2025 as a crew member on a TOS-1A Solntsepyok thermobaric rocket launcher. He was later reassigned to the infantry and placed in an assault detachment of the 36th Motorised Rifle Regiment in the Lyman area. War bloggers have reported Mr Gorkov’s mother said his unit was almost wiped out on a mission to take a Ukrainian-held settlement. When four survivors returned, their commander ordered them to attempt the mission again. The men refused and were then reportedly tied with their arms wrapped around trees. Russian forces, including elements of the 20th Combined Arms Army and airborne units, have been trying to push westward in Lyman to regain lost ground. Analysts describe the area as attritional and static, with Russia attempting small-scale assaults because of manpower shortages and Ukraine conducting limited counter-raids to exhaust Russian logistics. Control of Lyman affects both sides’ ability to manoeuvre in the northern Donbas and secure supply routes linking Svatove, Kreminna and Sloviansk. According to Western intelligence, Russia has moved to build up its troops in the area despite suffering heavy losses. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British Army colonel and chemical weapons expert, told The Telegraph: “This has been a key objective for Russia, and they have been trying to take Pokrovsk for many months. Hitherto, they have suffered huge casualties.” He added: “Earlier this week, there were some reports of a large Russian tank assault, but this appears to have been beaten back with huge Russian casualties.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/17/russian-troops-handcuffed-left-for-dead-refusing-orders/ -
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A cannabis user has been convicted of unlawfully killing a drug dealer who arrived at his home armed with a knife. Kieran Roche, 30, was found not guilty of murdering Robert Tyler-Jones, after a trial at St Albans Crown Court, but guilty of manslaughter. Mr Tyler-Jones, 24, of Northaw, Hertfordshire, was fatally wounded, with a kitchen knife he had armed himself with, during a confrontation at Roche's flat in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, in April. Roche smiled and winked towards relatives in the public gallery after jurors returned their verdicts. He is due to be sentenced in December. Roche had denied unlawfully killing Mr Tyler-Jones - and pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter. He had told jurors he had been in a "fight for survival". St Albans Crown Court: a brown-and-red-bricked building with black-framed windows. The words "CROWN COURT" are written above the entrance in capital letters Image source,Brian Farmer/BBC Image caption, Kieran Roche has been found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at St Albans Crown Court Barrister Nathan Rasiah KC, prosecuting, said Mr Tyler-Jones told a friend that Roche had "stolen" two bags of cannabis from someone else. The barrister said Mr Tyler-Jones, a former warehouse worker, had bought one bag from Roche for £700 and wanted to buy the second. A few days before he died, Mr Tyler-Jones had joked that he could ''go rob'' Mr Roche. On 23 April, he armed himself with a kitchen knife and drove to Roche's flat, Mr Rasiah said. Mr Tyler-Jones was caught on CCTV running from Roche's flat shortly after arriving. He had suffered stab wounds to his abdomen and chest and died shortly afterwards. 'Fight or Flight' Roche told jurors how Mr Tyler-Jones had arrived at his flat and threatened him with a knife. He described how he had grappled with Mr Tyler-Jones but said he had not stabbed him and told jurors "it was obviously fight or flight for me". Mr Tyler-Jones had dropped the knife and left the flat, he said. "At the time I didn't actually know he had been stabbed," Roche told jurors. "The motion of going back and forward. The two of our hands has created a force which obviously ended up with him being stabbed. "I definitely didn't stab him." Judge Lana Wood adjourned sentencing until 18 December and remanded the killer in custody. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3x52vzxv3o -
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LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Three British right-wing extremists were jailed for a total of 29 years on Friday after they were convicted of planning to carry out an attack at mosques or synagogues as part of what they believed to be a coming "race war". Brogan Stewart, 25, Marco Pitzettu, 26, and Christopher Ringrose, 35, were preparing an act of terrorism when they were arrested in February 2024, prosecutors said at their trial. The trio were also each charged with two counts of collecting information which may be useful to someone preparing an act of terrorism, while Ringrose was charged with manufacturing a component for a 3D-printed firearm. They pleaded not guilty but jurors at Sheffield Crown Court convicted them of all charges in May. Judge Johannah Cutts jailed Stewart, who prosecutors said played a leading role, for 11 years. Ringrose was jailed for 10 years and Pitzettu for eight years. Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford had told jurors that the three defendants expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler and perpetrators of notorious terrorist attacks, as well as hatred for non-white people, especially Muslims and immigrants. "It was their belief that there must soon come a time when there would be a race war between the white and other races," Sandiford said. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/three-british-neo-nazis-jailed-planning-attacks-mosques-synagogues-2025-10-17/ -
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I had some dry Marie biscuits (no jam, cream or chocolate), which, although dated October 25, had gone a little soft. I spread some on the grid of my Air Fryer set the temperature at 180 and the time at 3 minutes then hit the on button. The result was as good as freshly cooked biscuits. Crispy, warm and tasty. I guess they can now be called trisquits (instead of "bi"). -
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The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize is Venezuelan politician Maria Corina Machado The award goes to the person or organisation that's done the most "for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses" US President Donald Trump had led a public campaign to win the award, but nominations closed in January - at the start of his second term in office Ha, ha! Trumped by a woman! -
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According to a new report by Moneyfarm.com, nearly a third of Britons under the age of 30 in a long-term relationship want nothing to do with them. Some said the concept felt outdated, while others said they worried they were a sexist tool to control women’s spending. https://www.newstalk.com/news/joint-bank-account-2199936 My wife and I have a joint account which we feed into proportional to each of our incomes, leaving the remainder of our incomes in our own private accounts. This works fine for us and means that we have plenty of money to pay for joint services as the invoices roll in, it also means we each have money of our own to spend on things we want to buy. Do you have a joint account and if so, how do you operate it? -
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Billionaire Elon Musk and Prince Andrew are named in new files released by Congressional Democrats that relate to the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. The files turned over to the House Oversight Committee by the Jeffrey Epstein Estate appear to show that Musk had been invited to Epstein's island in December 2014. Separately a manifest for a flight from New Jersey to Florida in May 2000 names Prince Andrew among the passengers. Musk and Prince Andrew have been approached for comment. Prince Andrew has previously strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Musk has previously been quoted as saying that Epstein had invited him to the island but he had declined. The partial records are from the third batch of documents produced by the Jeffrey Epstein Estate. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say they include phone message logs, copies of flight logs and manifests for aircrafts, copies of financial ledgers and Epstein's daily schedule. In addition to Musk and Prince Andrew, the files released publicly also contain the names of other prominent figures including internet entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon, a former advisor to Donald Trump One line in the records dated 6 December 2014 reads: "Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)" A flight manifest records that Prince Andrew was on a flight with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell from Teterboro, New Jersey, to West Palm Beach, Florida, on 12 May 2000. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to traffic girls for sex. On 11 May 2000, Buckingham Palace said on its website that Prince Andrew had flown to New York to attend a reception in New York for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Andrew returned to the UK on 15 May, a later entry said. In the files, there is also an entry referring to a planned lunch with Peter Thiel in November 2017. There is also an entry referring to a planned breakfast with Steve Bannon 17 February 2019. The files also mention tentative plans for a breakfast party with Microsoft founder Bill Gates in December 2014. In 2022 Gates told the BBC that meeting Jeffrey Epstein had been a "mistake". It is not suggested that those mentioned in the files were aware of the alleged criminal activity for which Epstein was later arrested. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2008, he reached a plea deal with prosecutors after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home. He was arrested again in July 2019 on sex trafficking charges. Sara Guerrero, a spokesperson for the Democrats on the committee, urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to release more files related to Epstein. "It should be clear to every American that Jeffrey Epstein was friends with some of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the world. Every new document produced provides new information as we work to bring justice for the survivors and victims," she said. Republicans on the committee accused the Democrats of "putting politics over victims" and said they would release the full set of documents soon. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyl8j1we0lo -
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Anything Friendly Helpful or Interesting Today, again, I've had a meal cooked by an Indian. (Edited)Thank goodness there are people who wouldn't be interested in eating a meal cooked by an Indian, it means we discerning members of the population dont have to suffer them in the restaurant. Not only was the meal cooked by an Indian, but it was in a restaurant run by a double Michelin Star chef, Atul Kochhar. In fact, before the meal, a group of non-racist people sat, watched, listened, and learned from Atul how to cook Indian food. We were attending a Masterclass in his Riwaz restaurant in Beaconsfield. He was very interesting to learn from, (one tip was to cook tomatoes towards the end of the cooking time), as they severely reduce the temperature of the pan, which means the other ingredients do not get the correct heat for the correct time. There were so many simple tips he shared to improve our cooking experience. Oh, and sliced tomatoes should be skin on, pips in. I've now been to four of his restaurants and the food is superb at all of them. If you get a chance to visit one (or more), I recommend that you take it up. The only thing you won't find there, are racists. -
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Israel-Hamas latest: Donald Trump denies any knowledge of 'unfortunate' Israeli attack on Qatar Donald Trump said he's "not thrilled" after Israel launched strikes on the Qatari capital of Doha yesterday, killing five low-ranking members of Hamas. Sir Keir Starmer criticised the attack as a "flagrant violation of sovereignty". https://news.sky.com/story/doha-strikes-hamas-latest-israel-idf-qatar-gaza-live-updates-13427415 -
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• Poland's armed forces say the country's airspace was "repeatedly violated by drone-type objects" during Russia's strikes on western Ukraine • It says some of these objects have been downed, marking the first time the Nato country has directly engaged Russian assets in its airspace since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 • A military operation has ended after Polish and Nato aircraft were deployed, while Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called an emergency meeting • Poland calls the incident an "act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens" - Russia hasn't commented yet https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2enwk1l9e1t -
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The letter, the existence of which was reported by the Wall Street Journal in July, appears to have been signed by Trump, but he has denied doing so and has said it does not exist. https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/house-democrats-release-alleged-donald-trump-letter-to-jeffrey-epstein-white-house-denies-authenticity/cid/2122056 -
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Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl." The priest asks, "Is that you, little Joey Pagano?" "Yes, Father, it is." "And who was the girl you were with?" "I can't tell you, Father. I don't want to ruin her reputation." "Well, Joey, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later so you may as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?" "I cannot say." "Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?" "I'll never tell." "Was it Nina Capelli?" "I'm sorry, but I cannot name her." "Was it Cathy Piriano?" "My lips are sealed." "Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?" "Please, Father! I cannot tell you." The priest sighs in frustration. "You're very tight lipped, and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months. Now you go and behave yourself." Joey walks back to his pew, and his friend Franco slides over and whispers, "What'd you get?" "Four months vacation and five good leads..." -
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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. -
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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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