observer

If we have legislation in place to stop money laundering, it's clearly not being enforced. As for Putin, I'm sure he would be friends with anyone who gives him a cut, and it seems they've protested at Abramavitch's visa delay.

Well it does seem to be in vogue, as with East Coast Rail !

But "the proof" lies in Russia and seeing the whole Putin mafia have been at it, I doubt they'll cooperate with evidence. Perhaps they'd have more luck with our Bankers in tracing the dirty money being laundered in London.

OK, the Chelski owner !

Seems he's to be asked by HMG, how he acquired his wealth, before being issued with a visa to return to the UK. Thought it was common knowledge that the Oligarchs asset stripped the Soviet Union and it's people when Russia converted to capitalism.

Evidently so Con; a similar report on CH4 tonight, complained of two "highly skilled" (a term reiterated throughout the piece) Pakistani men, were given notice to leave the UK by the Home Office. A criteria for such action, is evidently "criminal activity"; CH4 didn't explore this in detail, but it seems that, in order to secure higher levels of earnings they inflated their earnings level on their CVs, but were then caught out by HMRC when they tried to amend their tax returns. So, after repeating their "highly skilled status" several times, the reporter mentioned that one had been working as an "events manager", whilst the other was a " compliance manager"; so not exactly rocket scientists then. Just another example of the fake news being churned out by our liberal media, in attacking, what they call, our hostile environment. Of course it's hostile, it needs to be, if HMG are going to exercise any control over immigration.

So - don't bother then !

In 1948, the common enemy for both sunni and shia, were the Jews.

Seems Kim is having second thoughts about meeting Donald now, and if he's thought about it, he won't. Seems Bolton is pushing "the Libyan model" and we know what happened to Gadafi. Perhaps Kim needs to take a leaf out of Donald's book on gun law; the only defence against a nutter with nukes, is another nutter with at least one nuke.

Well, I think there's a common agreement that professional models are anorexic looking creatures on the whole, and probably used for the reason you stated. However, returning to the original point, if obesity causes expense, it may incite folk to do something about it ?

Still a valid option, if they take it, as the majority of politicians are trying to sabotage Brexit.

The medical BMI definition would place most folk as overweight, but I think were talking about folk who take up two seats on a bus or plane.

We live in an age of self image, where folk expect to be forgiven for not looking after themselves - two legs good, four legs bad !

Seems a clothing retailer has decided to charge more for larger sizes, which presumably require more material to make. So in an age of obesity, doesn't this provide an incentive for plumpers to lose weight ?

Sunni V Shia, sucking in the Jews and Christians !

True, it wasn't a legally binding agreement, and not even confirmed by the Congress. So, Iran can carry on making a nuke. But if the Yanks don't nuke them, the Israelis probably will - scary.

Thought that was Brexit ?

So, if the current law is ineffective in legalising the objective, then it's for the politicians to change the laws, or for the voters to change the politicians.

Seems the HR lawyers have won a case for EU migrants that were rounded up as "rough sleepers" and deported, and will now be paying them compensation - thus making a joke of any pretence to "safe guarding" our borders.

So, after a flurry of bullying and threats, the US will sit down to a summit with N/Korea in Singapore, to discuss the de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, or will it ? Kim promises he'll get rid of his nuke or nukes in exchange for western recognition of his regime, and US financial support instead of economic sanctions, and as an act of good faith will destroy his nuclear test facility. But hang on a minute, hasn't that facility just collapsed ? Which makes his promise of blowing up the tunnels to it, a PR joke. Having seen how easily a US President can scrap a deal with Iran, Kim must know he can't trust the US, so if he's got any sense, he'll be keeping his nukes just in case. Like Iran, his tactic will be to "wait out" the four year term of Trump and see if something less volatile comes along.

Unfortunately, this and many other Towns have been developed "for the car"; hence the wealth of "out of Town" sheds and developments away from main (bus) routes, that can only be efficiently accessed by car. So we don't have a traditional or old fashioned hub system, with stratified layers of retail provision, they are basically all over the place. As I've said, the cause is down to a complete lack of political vision and control, with a total surrender by expediency to piecemeal development by successive developers, and the selling out of any idea of a long term comprehensive plan.

Think we need to analyse just why most of these third world countries are basket cases, and just what assistance is required to stimulate economic progress. The first being political instability caused by a lack of democratic culture, exacerbated by tribal or religious bigotry. So education would seem a priority, not just in the benefits of democratic and legal institutions, but in such areas as female equalities and family planning. When resources are scarce, it would seem absurd to produce ever more mouths to feed, on the basis that, without pensions and social care, children will look after their elderly relatives. So it would seem that our overseas aid should be targeted and conditional on the changes required to rectify such deficiencies. In some cases, like India, they have sufficient wealth to run a space programme and an extremely rich elite that pay little tax, so we can wonder why we provide aid at all. Such simple things as waste disposal and the provision of hygienic toilets, would go far to reduce mortality rates from disease, difficult though, when some of the most polluted rivers in India are considered sacred, which brings us back to education and the promotion of secular pragmatism. As Asp says, building super-national trading blocks like the EU, with tariffs on free trade, doesn't help the third world.

Perhaps this lecture could be part of our school curriculum ?

.. and now Amnesty International steps in; saying that the Met data base on London gangs is guilty of racial profiling, and contrary to the human rights of disproportionate percentage of black youths on the data base. Thought that black youths were disproportionately represented in the number of actual perpetrators ?

Proof, if any was needed, that we've had a benefit dependent society for decades, so this idea is already in effect, but instead of a lump sum, it's paid out weekly !