The problem here is not the Russians but the corrupt money grabbing KGB backed regime who are in charge there. Ordinary Russians have suffered far more at their hands than we can possibly imagine. Most of the England fans who have gone out there for the World Cup appear to have little but good to speak of regarding the locals they have met - yes they are proud of their country and loud in its support and don't like to see it criticised, but the same applies to most people everywhere.
Got back yesterday. Have had nothing but warmth and hospitality from the Russians. I've drunk with them, been drunk with them, been bought drinks by them and, on the way out of the ground on Tuesday, had Russians congratulating England and wishing us luck in the next round. They re-enforced my opinion that most people, in whatever country you visit, are "nice".
When I got home yesterday evening, I watched a programme on the BBC in which Reggie Yates visited Russia to attend a far right march and meet a youth organisation that appeared to have an abnormal worship for Putin. Before the World Cup, I watched Frankie Boyle's "Frankie Goes To Russia" in which he visited some of the host cities and looked at Russian culture. Both programmes painted a picture of Russians as being, at best, weirdly-obsessive nationalists and, at worst, modern day Nazis.
I don't doubt that Putin's government is involved in all manner of sinister activities, but I'm quite disturbed by the British media's agenda, possibly dictated by our own politicians, to promote the idea to the British public that all Russian people are evil/weird/racist/homophobic. It certainly doesn't tie in with what I found.
being nice and hospitable isnt mutually exclusive to having weird political views.
The problem here is not the Russians but the corrupt money grabbing KGB backed regime who are in charge there. Ordinary Russians have suffered far more at their hands than we can possibly imagine. Most of the England fans who have gone out there for the World Cup appear to have little but good to speak of regarding the locals they have met - yes they are proud of their country and loud in its support and don't like to see it criticised, but the same applies to most people everywhere.
Got back yesterday. Have had nothing but warmth and hospitality from the Russians. I've drunk with them, been drunk with them, been bought drinks by them and, on the way out of the ground on Tuesday, had Russians congratulating England and wishing us luck in the next round. They re-enforced my opinion that most people, in whatever country you visit, are "nice".
When I got home yesterday evening, I watched a programme on the BBC in which Reggie Yates visited Russia to attend a far right march and meet a youth organisation that appeared to have an abnormal worship for Putin. Before the World Cup, I watched Frankie Boyle's "Frankie Goes To Russia" in which he visited some of the host cities and looked at Russian culture. Both programmes painted a picture of Russians as being, at best, weirdly-obsessive nationalists and, at worst, modern day Nazis.
I don't doubt that Putin's government is involved in all manner of sinister activities, but I'm quite disturbed by the British media's agenda, possibly dictated by our own politicians, to promote the idea to the British public that all Russian people are evil/weird/racist/homophobic. It certainly doesn't tie in with what I found.
being nice and hospitable isnt mutually exclusive to having weird political views.
Yeah I know - there's plenty of nice and hospitable people in this country with weird political views.
The problem here is not the Russians but the corrupt money grabbing KGB backed regime who are in charge there. Ordinary Russians have suffered far more at their hands than we can possibly imagine. Most of the England fans who have gone out there for the World Cup appear to have little but good to speak of regarding the locals they have met - yes they are proud of their country and loud in its support and don't like to see it criticised, but the same applies to most people everywhere.
Got back yesterday. Have had nothing but warmth and hospitality from the Russians. I've drunk with them, been drunk with them, been bought drinks by them and, on the way out of the ground on Tuesday, had Russians congratulating England and wishing us luck in the next round. They re-enforced my opinion that most people, in whatever country you visit, are "nice".
When I got home yesterday evening, I watched a programme on the BBC in which Reggie Yates visited Russia to attend a far right march and meet a youth organisation that appeared to have an abnormal worship for Putin. Before the World Cup, I watched Frankie Boyle's "Frankie Goes To Russia" in which he visited some of the host cities and looked at Russian culture. Both programmes painted a picture of Russians as being, at best, weirdly-obsessive nationalists and, at worst, modern day Nazis.
I don't doubt that Putin's government is involved in all manner of sinister activities, but I'm quite disturbed by the British media's agenda, possibly dictated by our own politicians, to promote the idea to the British public that all Russian people are evil/weird/racist/homophobic. It certainly doesn't tie in with what I found.
being nice and hospitable isnt mutually exclusive to having weird political views.
Yeah I know - there's plenty of nice and hospitable people in this country with weird political views.
A lot of them work for South Eastern Railways............ducks for cover
The problem here is not the Russians but the corrupt money grabbing KGB backed regime who are in charge there. Ordinary Russians have suffered far more at their hands than we can possibly imagine. Most of the England fans who have gone out there for the World Cup appear to have little but good to speak of regarding the locals they have met - yes they are proud of their country and loud in its support and don't like to see it criticised, but the same applies to most people everywhere.
Got back yesterday. Have had nothing but warmth and hospitality from the Russians. I've drunk with them, been drunk with them, been bought drinks by them and, on the way out of the ground on Tuesday, had Russians congratulating England and wishing us luck in the next round. They re-enforced my opinion that most people, in whatever country you visit, are "nice".
When I got home yesterday evening, I watched a programme on the BBC in which Reggie Yates visited Russia to attend a far right march and meet a youth organisation that appeared to have an abnormal worship for Putin. Before the World Cup, I watched Frankie Boyle's "Frankie Goes To Russia" in which he visited some of the host cities and looked at Russian culture. Both programmes painted a picture of Russians as being, at best, weirdly-obsessive nationalists and, at worst, modern day Nazis.
I don't doubt that Putin's government is involved in all manner of sinister activities, but I'm quite disturbed by the British media's agenda, possibly dictated by our own politicians, to promote the idea to the British public that all Russian people are evil/weird/racist/homophobic. It certainly doesn't tie in with what I found.
being nice and hospitable isnt mutually exclusive to having weird political views.
I’m sure that both Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson are great fun to have a pint with.
The problem here is not the Russians but the corrupt money grabbing KGB backed regime who are in charge there. Ordinary Russians have suffered far more at their hands than we can possibly imagine. Most of the England fans who have gone out there for the World Cup appear to have little but good to speak of regarding the locals they have met - yes they are proud of their country and loud in its support and don't like to see it criticised, but the same applies to most people everywhere.
Got back yesterday. Have had nothing but warmth and hospitality from the Russians. I've drunk with them, been drunk with them, been bought drinks by them and, on the way out of the ground on Tuesday, had Russians congratulating England and wishing us luck in the next round. They re-enforced my opinion that most people, in whatever country you visit, are "nice".
When I got home yesterday evening, I watched a programme on the BBC in which Reggie Yates visited Russia to attend a far right march and meet a youth organisation that appeared to have an abnormal worship for Putin. Before the World Cup, I watched Frankie Boyle's "Frankie Goes To Russia" in which he visited some of the host cities and looked at Russian culture. Both programmes painted a picture of Russians as being, at best, weirdly-obsessive nationalists and, at worst, modern day Nazis.
I don't doubt that Putin's government is involved in all manner of sinister activities, but I'm quite disturbed by the British media's agenda, possibly dictated by our own politicians, to promote the idea to the British public that all Russian people are evil/weird/racist/homophobic. It certainly doesn't tie in with what I found.
being nice and hospitable isnt mutually exclusive to having weird political views.
Yeah I know - there's plenty of nice and hospitable people in this country with weird political views.
A lot of them work for South Eastern Railways............ducks for cover
Surprised they haven't used that as an excuse yet.
Services this morning are subject to severe delay and short notice cancellation. This is due to weird political views in the Guards' Office at Hither Green.
Must admit that this had passed me by, but quite an important fact.
From the Telegraph ...
Mysteriously, but not unexpectedly we now learn that the Shikhany laboratories, whence the Novichok came in central Russia, have been bulldozed flat recently. As part of their investigation of the chemical weapon use in Salisbury, the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Russia is a signatory, would decree that the OPCW should be able to inspect Shikhany and be afforded every assistance by the Russian State.
The only plausible explanation of destroying this site would therefore seem to be an admission of guilt, designed to prevent the OPCW investigation coming to a conclusive finding.
Be interesting to find out if this was just a case of an addict thinking they have struck lucky and found something that was thrown away or if someone gave this to her
The problem here is not the Russians but the corrupt money grabbing KGB backed regime who are in charge there. Ordinary Russians have suffered far more at their hands than we can possibly imagine. Most of the England fans who have gone out there for the World Cup appear to have little but good to speak of regarding the locals they have met - yes they are proud of their country and loud in its support and don't like to see it criticised, but the same applies to most people everywhere.
Got back yesterday. Have had nothing but warmth and hospitality from the Russians. I've drunk with them, been drunk with them, been bought drinks by them and, on the way out of the ground on Tuesday, had Russians congratulating England and wishing us luck in the next round. They re-enforced my opinion that most people, in whatever country you visit, are "nice".
When I got home yesterday evening, I watched a programme on the BBC in which Reggie Yates visited Russia to attend a far right march and meet a youth organisation that appeared to have an abnormal worship for Putin. Before the World Cup, I watched Frankie Boyle's "Frankie Goes To Russia" in which he visited some of the host cities and looked at Russian culture. Both programmes painted a picture of Russians as being, at best, weirdly-obsessive nationalists and, at worst, modern day Nazis.
I don't doubt that Putin's government is involved in all manner of sinister activities, but I'm quite disturbed by the British media's agenda, possibly dictated by our own politicians, to promote the idea to the British public that all Russian people are evil/weird/racist/homophobic. It certainly doesn't tie in with what I found.
being nice and hospitable isnt mutually exclusive to having weird political views.
I’m sure that both Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson are great fun to have a pint with.
Be interesting to find out if this was just a case of an addict thinking they have struck lucky and found something that was thrown away or if someone gave this to her
Whatever it was she never deserved to die for it
Rip
IF that's the case, they've found it in powder form, which is incredibly durable in high concentrations. The good thing is, as it's a powder, if it does get transported unsafely it very quickly loses its potency.
It would also be absolutely key to track these two peoples steps that day, as where they found it could give key information on who had the novichok (if they dont know already).
Just reading the summary of the main points of that book is scary, it's like a to-do list for Putin's foreign policy. And (I hesitate to mention the dreaded word) Brexit is already ticking off one of those on that list...
Be interesting to find out if this was just a case of an addict thinking they have struck lucky and found something that was thrown away or if someone gave this to her
Whatever it was she never deserved to die for it
Rip
IF that's the case, they've found it in powder form, which is incredibly durable in high concentrations. The good thing is, as it's a powder, if it does get transported unsafely it very quickly loses its potency.
It would also be absolutely key to track these two peoples steps that day, as where they found it could give key information on who had the novichok (if they dont know already).
I think they are known to go bin dipping, so half smoked cigarettes could have been smoked with it on etc
Just reading the summary of the main points of that book is scary, it's like a to-do list for Putin's foreign policy. And (I hesitate to mention the dreaded word) Brexit is already ticking off one of those on that list...
if you weren't already against brexit, it will tip you over the edge. Puts to shame the idea that brexit is somehow patriotic. It isn't, it plays right into putin's foreign policy aims.
I do find these thing strange. Surely they’ve been searching the house for ages. Seems odd that this has only just turned up?!?
But the process of searching won't be normal, will it? I mean like, ordinary plod walking around, opening up a bottle and saying, "what's this, talcum powder?" .
I can't imagine exactly how they do it, but "painstaking" probably doesn't do justice to the care they need to bring to such a process.
The Telegraph reports it has been told there has been a major breakthrough in identifying the key people wanted in connection with the nerve agent attack.
The paper reports a trawl of passenger lists from flights in and out of the UK has highlighted "specific names" believed connected to the botched hit.
CCTV footage in Salisbury is also said to have aided the new breakthrough which comes as tensions between the UK and Russia reach a new low.
The authorities now believe retired colonel Skripal and Yulia were targeted at his home by a Kremlin-backed hit squad.
Police believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack on a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury in March, according to reports.
Several Russians were involved in the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the Press Association say.
They have been identified through CCTV, cross-checked with border entry data.
Earlier this month, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being poisoned by the same nerve agent, in nearby Amesbury.
Her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, was also poisoned on 30 June and remains seriously ill in hospital.
Police believe the incidents are linked. The UK government has blamed Russia, but the country's authorities deny any involvement.
Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, 33, who were discovered slumped on a bench in Salisbury on 4 March, have been discharged from hospital and moved to secure locations.
"Investigators believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack through CCTV and have cross-checked this with records of people who entered the country around that time," a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Press Association.
"They (the investigators) are sure they (the suspects) are Russian."
The Met Police, who are leading the investigation, have declined to comment. The BBC has not been able to independently confirm the story.
Philip Ingram, a former British Army intelligence officer and chemical weapons expert, said the development supported his perception that this was a "professional attack" designed to send a "political message" - adding that it happened two weeks before the Russian election.
"My view is that the primary reason behind it was to send a message out to dissenters - and Sergei Skripal was chosen because he was based in Salisbury and that gave the Russians plausible deniability by saying, oh it must have leaked from Porton Down, because it's just up the road," he said.
An inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess is due to open on Thursday.
Counter-terrorism detectives have revealed they found a small bottle containing Novichok at Mr Rowley's home in Muggleton Road, Amesbury.
They are trying to establish where the container, thought to be a bottle of perfume, originated from, and how Mr Rowley and Ms Sturgess first encountered it.
On Wednesday, international chemical weapons experts completed their investigations in Amesbury, where they sought to identify whether the substance which poisoned the couple was from the same batch used against the Skripals.
The risk to the public remains low, according to Public Health England.
Mike Wade, deputy director for health protection in the South West, said: "The advice remains - if you didn't drop it, then don't pick it up."
So the perpetrators have been identified as Russian. Well knock me down with a matruska doll.
Doubtless like the murderers of Litvinenko they will now be catapaulted into positions in the Russian Duma, thus helping evade any question of extradition.
Well well well I wonder if Jeremy and Co might start to join the dots together?
You mean the person who called to for sanctions and to go after the dirty money after the first attack? No you are probably right, let's expel some more diplomats. That will show them.
Comments
Services this morning are subject to severe delay and short notice cancellation. This is due to weird political views in the Guards' Office at Hither Green.
From the Telegraph ...
Mysteriously, but not unexpectedly we now learn that the Shikhany laboratories, whence the Novichok came in central Russia, have been bulldozed flat recently. As part of their investigation of the chemical weapon use in Salisbury, the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Russia is a signatory, would decree that the OPCW should be able to inspect Shikhany and be afforded every assistance by the Russian State.
The only plausible explanation of destroying this site would therefore seem to be an admission of guilt, designed to prevent the OPCW investigation coming to a conclusive finding.
RIP
RIP.
Whatever it was she never deserved to die for it
Rip
It would also be absolutely key to track these two peoples steps that day, as where they found it could give key information on who had the novichok (if they dont know already).
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/crime/novichok-that-killed-woman-came-from-bottle-police-believe/ar-AAA2h1Q?li=BBoPWjQ
I can't imagine exactly how they do it, but "painstaking" probably doesn't do justice to the care they need to bring to such a process.
I expect once the man came round and spoke to the Police, he told them where it was.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/exclusive-novichok-victim-dawn-sturgess-died-after-spraying-nerve-poison-that-smelled-of-ammonia-from-a-perfume-bottle-onto-both-wrists-her-boyfriend-reveals/ar-AAAeiUV?li=BBoPWjQ
The paper reports a trawl of passenger lists from flights in and out of the UK has highlighted "specific names" believed connected to the botched hit.
CCTV footage in Salisbury is also said to have aided the new breakthrough which comes as tensions between the UK and Russia reach a new low.
The authorities now believe retired colonel Skripal and Yulia were targeted at his home by a Kremlin-backed hit squad.
Police believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack on a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury in March, according to reports.
Several Russians were involved in the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the Press Association say.
They have been identified through CCTV, cross-checked with border entry data.
Earlier this month, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being poisoned by the same nerve agent, in nearby Amesbury.
Her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, was also poisoned on 30 June and remains seriously ill in hospital.
Police believe the incidents are linked. The UK government has blamed Russia, but the country's authorities deny any involvement.
Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, 33, who were discovered slumped on a bench in Salisbury on 4 March, have been discharged from hospital and moved to secure locations.
"Investigators believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack through CCTV and have cross-checked this with records of people who entered the country around that time," a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Press Association.
"They (the investigators) are sure they (the suspects) are Russian."
The Met Police, who are leading the investigation, have declined to comment. The BBC has not been able to independently confirm the story.
Philip Ingram, a former British Army intelligence officer and chemical weapons expert, said the development supported his perception that this was a "professional attack" designed to send a "political message" - adding that it happened two weeks before the Russian election.
"My view is that the primary reason behind it was to send a message out to dissenters - and Sergei Skripal was chosen because he was based in Salisbury and that gave the Russians plausible deniability by saying, oh it must have leaked from Porton Down, because it's just up the road," he said.
An inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess is due to open on Thursday.
Counter-terrorism detectives have revealed they found a small bottle containing Novichok at Mr Rowley's home in Muggleton Road, Amesbury.
They are trying to establish where the container, thought to be a bottle of perfume, originated from, and how Mr Rowley and Ms Sturgess first encountered it.
On Wednesday, international chemical weapons experts completed their investigations in Amesbury, where they sought to identify whether the substance which poisoned the couple was from the same batch used against the Skripals.
The risk to the public remains low, according to Public Health England.
Mike Wade, deputy director for health protection in the South West, said: "The advice remains - if you didn't drop it, then don't pick it up."
Doubtless like the murderers of Litvinenko they will now be catapaulted into positions in the Russian Duma, thus helping evade any question of extradition.