Forum Topics

Is Venezuela flooding the US with drugs? [No]

"Is Venezuela flooding the US with drugs?Counternarcotic experts have pointed out that Venezuela is a relatively minor player in global drug trafficking, and that it acts as a transit country through which drugs produced elsewhere are smuggled on their way to their final destination.Its neighbour, Colombia, is the world's largest producer of cocaine but most of it is smuggled to the US by other routes, not via Venezuela.According to a US Drug Enforcement report from 2020, almost three quarters of the cocaine reaching the US is estimated to be trafficked via the Pacific with just a small percentage coming via fast boats in the Caribbean.Nevertheless, most of the strikes the US has carried out have been in the Caribbean, with just a few in the Pacific.In September, Trump told US military leaders that the boats targeted "are stacked up with bags of white powder that's mostly fentanyl and other drugs, too".However, fentanyl is produced mainly in Mexico and reaches the US almost exclusively via land through its southern border."https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93n4nx5yqro"America is flexing its muscles in the Caribbean and the world is holding its breath. Washington has trained its sights on Socialist-run Venezuela, and the arrival of the colossal USS Gerald Ford has sparked the biggest military buildup since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Operation Southern Spear is now under way: a dozen warships, thousands of troops, and a barrage of so-called “anti-narco” strikes that have already left scores dead. The White House insists it’s about drug traffickers, but few believe that. With President Nicolás Maduro about to be officially labelled a terrorist and Trump accusing him of heading a major cartel, the scent of regime change is hard to ignore. Maduro says America is inventing a war."Telegraph, 17/11/25Mexico for fentanyl and Colombia for cocaine, apparently.

David Ainsworth ● 9d22 Comments ● 2h

RIchmond Station

There’s an article on MailOnline regarding Richmond Station.  It has been renovated and restored to its ArtDeco glory. Wonderful!

Martine Guy ● 8d32 Comments ● 3h

And Another One!!🤬

Migrant charged with the kidnap, rape and strangulation of a 15 year old.A migrant has been charged with abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl while living in a taxpayer-funded asylum hotel.Sri Lankan Yashin Himasara, 20, is accused of beating and strangling the teenage girl after he ‘carried her away against her will’ in Feltham, west London on November 1.He had been living in the three-star St Giles Hotel in Feltham, which is being used by the government to house asylum seekers.Himasara denied the charges as he appeared at Isleworth Crown Court via video-link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs.He spoke to confirm his name and date of birth, aided by a Sinhala interpreter.Himasara denied one count of kidnapping, one count of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of assault by beating.He also denied one count of sexual activity with a child and two counts of intentional strangulation.Bozzie Sheffi, defending, said Himasara struggles to speak English and will need to be assisted by an interpreter at trial.The Home Office refused to comment on Himasara’s asylum status.https://mol.im/a/15373721

Sue Hammond ● 22h2 Comments ● 3h

Reform Now Officially Largest Political Party

Dear Susan,We’ve just made history. Reform UK is now officially the largest political party in the UK.The Times reports Labour are down 100,000 members since the general election and now have fewer than 250,000 paid-up members. Since July, that’s one member leaving every seven minutes!Live Membership Counter is currently: 269,044https://www.reformparty.uk/counterFantastic news!👍

Sue Hammond ● 4h0 Comments ● 4h

At last. Not only Israel that makes the news re 'genocide'.

From today's Guardian"UK places sanctions on four RSF commanders for ‘heinous’ violence against Sudan civilians".'Men are suspected of ‘mass killings, sexual violence and deliberate attacks in El Fasher’, says Foreign Office'.The UK has placed sanctions on four senior commanders of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces suspected of involvement in “heinous” violence against civilians in the city of El Fasher, but decided not to take any action against their key military and diplomatic backer, the United Arab Emirates, or their chief commander.British officials suggested they preferred to use their leverage with the UAE and the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, privately, but admitted there was little sign of a ceasefire in Sudan’s near three-year civil war.Those targeted include Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF’s deputy leader and brother of Hemedti, as well as three other commanders, all of whom now face asset freezes and travel bans. Officials indicated the threshold of evidence needed to place sanctions had been met partly because some of the commanders posted videos glorifying the killings on social media.The war between the army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has caused what the UN has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Communities in the Darfur region are facing famine and malnutrition after an 18-month RSF siege around El Fasher, before it fell to the group on 26 October'.Who would have thought Arabs would have carried out such atrocities.Is not Israel the most evil country on the planet ?I am sure there there will be highly visible protests against the RSF at Saturday's pro-Palestine march - NOT ! Asset freezes and travel bans ?Soon be appealing to the ECHR ! 😉

John Hawkes ● 8h2 Comments ● 5h

Warrens

Just received their calendar.  Thank you, Warren.  Really excellent photos, as always.  It doesn't come to me every year, so it's a treat!

Judy Allen ● 2d4 Comments ● 5h

Park Hill  Sheffield - A Grade II* Listed Estate Then & Now (well almost)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hill,_Sheffieldhttps://www.dezeen.com/2022/12/15/mikhail-riches-park-hill-estate-sheffield/https://www.urbansplash.co.uk/regeneration/projects/park-hillThe largest listed building in Europe when it was listed in 1998.  It was built in 1957-61Apparently ike the Alton Estate it was based on Le Corbusier's Unite d'Habitation

Philippa Bond ● 10d10 Comments ● 6h

Store closures

H&M are planning to close all their stores and go online only. This no doubt will mean a very large empty space at the front of Putney Exchange and the loss of yet another clothing store in Putney. I've lost count of the number of fast food outlets in the High Street. Once more we appear powerless in efforts to improve our local shopping environment.

Lucille Grant ● 12d5 Comments ● 6h

Guinness Guide.

The Harp Guide to the best British pubs for a pint of the black stuff has been published for the first time and includes nine pubs in London.The guide highlights pubs that stand out in five categories; quality pours, welcoming atmosphere, strong community, great service, and a genuine love of Guinness.More importantly, The Bricklayers Arms has made the grade.I fully endorse their inclusion in this list; the Guinness is excellent. Go on a Thursday night for the trad session from 7:30 and catch some of the finest Irish musicians in London. By the way, leave yer 'auld politics at the door and have some craic for the sake of Jaysus!

Gerry Boyce ● 7h0 Comments ● 7h

Gridlock Dismissal

The following captures Wandsworth Council's attitude to Putney's congestion crisis:'Cllr Emmeline Owens brought a motion declaring that “gridlock is having a serious, ongoing impact on residents and businesses” and that “there is no credible or publicly articulated plan” to address it.'https://putney.news/2025/12/11/two-days-after-walking-putneys-gridlocked-junction-yates-blames-margaret-thatcher/

Miles Thompson ● 1d15 Comments ● 9h

Random pic 12 December 2025

Charles Dickens's ivory theatre pass when he was editor of The Daily News https://flic.kr/p/2rF9bhzDickens loved seeing the latest shows at the theatre and his work as a journalist at The Morning Chronicle included writing reviews of plays. Later, he used this pass when he was editor of The Daily News, the newspaper he founded in 1846. It worked like an annual season ticket, allowing Dickens access to watch performances at the theatre.
[Text from Dickens Museum label]

Michael Ixer ● 20h0 Comments ● 20h

Why is it only Israel that daily makes the news re 'genocide'?

Jews and many living in or are associated with Israel are the race that suffered the greatest genocide in modern times.For those that might have forgotten, some 6,000,000 were murdered on an industrial scale in Nazi Germany in WWII.This naturally has made them at least wary of how they are considered and treated in the West and the Middle East.Palestinians in their conflict with Israel are not experiencing such a fate.It is claimed that Israel has killed 52,000 Palestinians in Gaza.These are figures put out by the 'Gazan Health Ministry' (unelected).This is known to be run by Hamas  which itself murdered and sexually assaulted numerous women, children and the elderly in October 2023 and still hold many hostages as well as the corpses of those it murdered.It does not distinguish between civilian deaths and those of its fighting forces that imbed themselves amongst the general Populus.And of course Hamas is attempting to enact its Charter Declaration which calls for the annihilation of the state of Israel and its Jewish citizens.But we should not forget there have been and still are many conflicts raging around the world that have resulted in many deaths and claims of genocide.They received and get little attention by the anti-Israel bien pensants and fellow travellers.All the focus is on Israel.For example note the deaths resulting from the following -2023 Masalit, West Darfur Sudan - 15,000 deaths2020 Tigray Ethiopia 162,000 deaths2016 Rohingya, Myanmar - 9,000 deaths2016 China - Uyghur birth rate drops 24% because of genocidal persecution2014 Ukraine - 12,000 deaths by Russians2014 Iraq Turkman 3,500 deaths (by ISIS)2014 Iraq/Syria (Yazidis) - 2,100 deaths (by ISIS)2003 Darfur, Sudan - 98,000 deaths2002 North Kivu, DR Congo - 60,000 deaths1996 Kivu, Zaire - 200,000 deaths (Hutus)1994 Rwanda - 491,000 deaths (Tutsis)1992 Bosnia - 31,000 deaths (by Serbs)All inter-tribal as is the conflict initiated by Hamas against Israel.Cut Israel some slack.

John Hawkes ● 202d141 Comments ● 1d

Putney 1000 years ago

Matt Brown, who runs The Londonist: Time Machine substack, has produced a map of the London area in the late Anglo-Saxon period (so, roughly, the year 1,000), and it's fascinating. You can see the full map at https://londonist.substack.com/p/mapping-anglo-saxon-london-a-big, but below is the area roughly round here: the names, which Matt derived froma variety of sources, are instantly recognisable: Puttan Hythe, Wandesorde, Fullan Hamme, etc.
The weekly email is free (though you can pay to have more involvement) and is always interesting: here's a link to find how to subscribe

Richard Carter ● 2d4 Comments ● 1d

Random pic 11 December 2025

Let's be clear, I didn't come from Whole Foods, I just use the bag https://flic.kr/p/2rAikuY

Michael Ixer ● 1d2 Comments ● 1d

ECHR - Facts

There have been 13 occasions SINCE 1980 when deportation of a foreign national was stopped by the ECHR.

Not really worth getting in a tizz about.

Michael Brigo ● 3d11 Comments ● 1d

Random pic 10 December 2025

Figueres Technology Museum, music script typewriter https://flic.kr/p/N5TfHU

Michael Ixer ● 2d4 Comments ● 2d

Afghan Asylum Seekers Jailed For Raping 15 Year Old

Afghan asylum seekers who raped 15-year-old girl in park after she filmed herself being dragged away are jailed for 'horrific' attack.They were both named today following a legal victory by the Daily Mail. Small boat migrants Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal, both 17, are facing jail for sexually assaulting the 15-year-old in a park in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on May 10.Two teenage Afghan asylum seeker have been jailed today for raping a schoolgirl who filmed them dragging her away screaming.Jahanzeb was jailed for 10 years and eight months, while Niazal was jailed for nine years and 10 months, with a deduction to reflect he was younger at the time of the offence.The young victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, bravely attended court with her mother to watch her tormentors be imprisoned.https://mol.im/a/15364309Why aren’t they being deported?!🤬

Sue Hammond ● 4d22 Comments ● 3d

UK and choices

"US tells Europe it must take over 'the majority' of NATO's [conventional] defence capabilities by 2027 as Trump shifts American military focus while Putin's war in Ukraine rages on" (Daily Mail 5/12)Will UK be able to afford a share of this large increase in spending and also keep the "Triple Lock"?

David Ainsworth ● 5d23 Comments ● 3d

Random pic 9 December 2025

I'm told that this group of people in Wandsworth Park standing looking at their phones were probably Pokémon hunting. They proceded to move round the park looking at their phones ... https://flic.kr/p/2rkqbzX

Michael Ixer ● 3d2 Comments ● 3d