MOSCOW: Russia's Interior Ministry has issued a warning to its pudgy police officers – lose weight or get the sack. The move comes as Russia seeks to cut its bloated police force and improve its image among foreign tourists and investors. “The fat and paunchy will not get through,” Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev was quoted as telling a private meeting. The head of the Russian parliament's security committee, Vladimir Vasilyev, revealed earlier this week that Nurgaliyev had made the comment at a telephone conference. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has vowed to cut the police force by a fifth, and increase its professional level. The officers have even got a new uniform, with a more tailored look. Now they have just a month to pass tests to prove their suitability in the slimmed-down force. – Agence France
