In the news

We had a decent firework display on Leyton High Road by the Al Bader cafe at midnight

I won't tell anyone that.

Hearing reports of someone throwing tear gas onto a tube train at green park. Station closed down and inspector sands announcement on repeat. Nothing in the news yet

Nothing in the news yet

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/20/two-men-suspected-of-releasing-cs-gas-on-london-tube-train

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-49056474

Yup I have seen since

Hearing reports of someone throwing rear gas onto a tube train

Farting on the tube is just the worst.

Damn autocorrect

Not as bad as in a lift, but still pretty bad

Wrong on so many levels?

This shines a spotlight on what is really going on with provocations aimed at Iran:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/20/britain-lured-into-deadly-trap-on-iran-by-trump-hawk-john-bolton

So, so worrying.

Oliver's back.

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The "special relationship" at work again :(

I thought the UK had to act (what use are embargoes if you just ignore them), but now I read in there the embargo only applies to EU state flagged ships and the USA had been feeding the UK info, which puts a new light on the whole situation.

It appears that the Arctic is on fire

Eek. We're fucked. I hope the Cockroaches do a better job than we ever did.

I blame FatBerg.

Some crazy things going on here in hk, like out of a bad movie, triads gang up and wait for anti extradition protesters at an mtr station then attack them as they return home. police turn a blind eye, Then a pro Beijing politician just happens to be strolling through the area shaking hands with triads saying thank you...

Are they not part of the government like in Japan?

Tend to be associated with local councils, the gov’t is run by Beijing.

Not just bad movies. That sounds a lot like a side-plot in an early Takashi Miike.

Whoever thinks organised crime is kind of cool is so fucking deluded.
What level of violence are we talking about?

beatings with pieces of wood punching general thuggery, as Ramsey said triads more at local council level and the obvious organised crime. What has shocked people more is the police and there lack of reaction and action. HK police has improved its image over the past years of a courpt as fuck organisation and vids's of riot cops having a Chin wag with the thugs isn't doing the Police PR much good.

that legco law maker who was shaking hands just got his office smashed up

yikes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuegEcB7QgI

the comments are even worse.

blurgh.

The news reports concerning Iranian arrests of oil tankers kind of grinds my gears. Shipping has long been a nasty business, typically with little sense of ethics or corporate social responsibility. The majority of these tankers will have flags of convenience, such as Panama or Liberia, and their accounts are deeply hidden in shell companies and tax havens. Their contribution to the public purse in Europe or North America is laughably small.
To the extent that the seizures affect "us" it's mostly that some rich Western dude risk making a bit less money when his cargo is delayed. But then again, security conerns will eventually increase shipping fees so at the end of the day they might be better off on the whole.
Those firmly on the loosing side are the crew, typically Indians and Philippinos, who now live in perpetual fear. Not seen a news report about them yet.