Seen in the News

[PanBiker]

There is just about time to do it properly and introduce electoral systems the whys and wherefores to the curriculum which should help.

Personally I think they should have moved to PR before this, having said that it could be that the younger voters may push for change as they should realise that the two party system is archaic and has had it's day, PR being more representative.

[Stanley]

And introduce something I know Ian advocates, compulsory voting like the Australian model. Instead, we demand voter ID which it is admitted has further reduced numbers who vote. Do politicians really want our scrutiny and oversight?

THIS is what caught my attention this morning....
MP Diane Abbott has been suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation into comments she made about racism. The move also means that Abbott will sit as an independent MP, known as losing the whip. Labour said it would not be commenting "while this investigation is ongoing". It comes after a BBC interview where Abbott was asked about a 2023 controversy, when she was suspended as a Labour MP for a year after comments she made about racism in a letter to a newspaper. Asked by the BBC's James Naughtie if she looked back on the whole incident with regret, she said: "No, not at all." In that letter to the Observer newspaper, she wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people "undoubtedly experience prejudice" that is "similar to racism". She wrote: "It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism." Abbott was quick to withdraw the remarks, which were heavily criticised by Jewish and Traveller groups, and apologised "for any anguish caused". But she was suspended from the party and only re-admitted just before last year's general election.
At first I thought the report was about the original case but now see that it is a repeat of the same action. It appears that it is verboten to hold an opinion that differs from the official party line. I hold no brief for Ms Abbott but she is entitled to her opinion and it is good to see an MP who thinks independently.....

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report into Botox poisonings....
Thirty-eight cases of botulism poisoning have been recorded in England in the last six weeks after the suspected use of unlicensed Botox-like products in cosmetic procedures, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Botulism is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, a key ingredient in the injection. Cases have been recorded in the East, East Midlands and the North East regions. The UKHSA urged those seeking treatments to obtain proof that their Botox practitioner was qualified and that their products were licensed.
I can't say I have much sympathy with anyone poisoned by these injections, after all they volunteered for the risk. But I do understand how bad being infected by botulism can be, I have been there and have the tee shirt but mine wasn't caused by cosmetic procedures. No, it was a NAAFI meat pie at Wavell Barracks in Berlin!
The message is clear.... thing carefully before exposing yourself to possible harms like this. A few laugh lines on your face isn't that bad.

[Stanley]

See THIS
Serious pollution incidents by water companies have risen 60% in a year, according to the Environment Agency. In total there were 2,801 pollution incidents in England in 2024, the highest on record, compared with 2,174 in 2023. Of these, 75 were considered to pose "serious or persistent" harm to fisheries, drinking water and human health - up from 47 last year. The Public Accounts Committee - a cross party group of MPs - called the level of pollution "woeful" and said regulators were "missing in action" in holding the industry to account. The data from the Environment Agency comes ahead of a landmark review of the water industry, to be published on Monday.
What we know so far is that in actions which seem to me to be fraudulent, the privatised water companies took huge loans not to invest in the infrastructure but to support massive dividends to investors. Will the expected report have anything to say about this?
(I seem to remember that us amateurs said these privatisations were a mistake but of course nobody took any notice of us, after all what did we know about anything..... )

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report about the protest after Il Trovatore....
A cast member at the Royal Opera House unfurled a Palestinian flag on stage during a curtain call on Saturday night. Video shows a brief scuffle as an official at the central London venue tries unsuccessfully to stop the protest, with the performer refusing to let go of the large flag. It came on the closing night of Il trovatore, a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi. Royal Ballet and Opera said the protest was "completely inappropriate for a curtain call".

[Stanley]

See THIS report in local news....
A 'tornado' has been spotted in West Yorkshire. Footage has been shared across social media of the phenomenon, which could be seen in Marsden, near Huddersfield, on Monday evening, with users questioning if it was a real tornado or a funnel cloud. For it to be classed as a tornado, the spinning vortex of air has to reach from the cloud and touch the ground. If not, it is defined as a funnel cloud, according to Paul Hudson, BBC Yorkshire's climate and environment correspondent. He said: "On inspection of the video, it is more likely than not that it is indeed a tornado - although footage from another direction may tell a different story. "Either way, it was rare and very impressive spectacle in the Marsden area this afternoon."

[Stanley]

I saw THIS report in the business news....
The average household spend on food and drink is on course to rise by £275 this year, prompting shoppers to buy cheaper groceries or prepare simpler meals at home to cut costs. Over the past month, food prices have risen by 5.2% compared to last year as consumers' concern about the cost of shopping has accelerated, according to Worldpanel by Numerator. The market researcher said shoppers are changing their habits to buying supermarkets' own-brand goods, which sometimes cost less, or are scaling back on what they serve at dinner. Fraser McKevitt, Worldpanel's head of retail and consumer insight, warned prices are "back up on the rollercoaster" seen after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. At that time, the cost of energy and commodities soared which led to a steep rise in food prices before they eased in 2023. The increase in prices over the last four weeks is the highest since the beginning of last year.
I have only one comment, Deep Joy!

[Tripps]

I renewed my TV Licence yesterday - so for a change I listened to the main News on the radio on BBC Radio 4 rather than my usual LBC or Times Radio. I'd already listened to LBC from 7.00-8.00 am so had a comparator. Two different worlds - The BBC it seemed (I was a bit drowsy) focused almost exclusively on Gaza, and the case of a pair of British idiot pensioners in jail in Kabul. I will not be returning in a hurry, and would urge anyone who still thinks the BBC are the 'gold standard' to open their mind and cast their net a little wider.

PS :- I do realise that a licence is not necessary to listen to radio.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on Gaza......
More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups are warning of mass starvation in Gaza and pressing for governments to take action. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children and Oxfam are among the signatories of a joint statement that says their colleagues and the people they serve are "wasting away". Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into the territory, rejected the organisations' statement and accused them of "serving the propaganda of Hamas". Their warning came as Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said another 10 Palestinians had died as a result of malnutrition in the last 24 hours. That brings the number of such deaths across Gaza since Sunday to 43, according to the ministry. The UN has reported that hospitals have admitted people in a state of severe exhaustion caused by a lack of food, and that others are collapsing in the streets.

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS

The story behind the photograph of a starving Gaza baby. A photographer in Gaza has told the story of how he captured a series of harrowing photographs, showing an emaciated child. Ahmed al-Arini told BBC Newshour that he wanted to "show the rest of the world extreme hunger" that babies and children are experiencing in the Gaza Strip. Global food security experts have not yet classified the situation in Gaza as a famine, but UN agencies have warned of man-made, mass starvation taking hold. They have blamed Israel, which controls all supplies entering the Palestinian territory, but it has denied responsibility. Israel blames Hamas for any cases of malnutrition.
Read more here. Published 4 hours ago

[Tizer]

`Tesla shares fall as Trump says he wants Musk to ‘thrive’: Slide comes after carmaker says second-quarter profits dropped by more than a fifth' FT
Tesla shares fell sharply after the company warned of a “rough” ride from Donald Trump’s policies, even as the US president said he wanted the group’s billionaire chief Elon Musk to “THRIVE”. Shares in the electric vehicle maker fell 8 per cent on Thursday, extending their loss to 37 per cent from a peak in mid-December, a fall that has now wiped more than half a trillion dollars from its market value. On Wednesday evening Tesla reported that second-quarter profit declined more than a fifth on slowing car sales. Musk said that Trump’s trade war and anti-EV and solar power policies would further hit the company’s earnings....

[Stanley]

With friends like that who needs enemies?

[Stanley]

THIS caught my eye.....
A police and crime commissioner has apologised for claiming the remains of multiple people had been found in woodland at the centre of a murder probe. Devon and Cornwall Police said the body of one man had been recovered from woods at Sticker, near St Austell, and no other remains had been found. The region's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez, who represents the Conservative Party, told a streamed meeting, external on Friday that multiple bodies had been found. She has since apologised "for any alarm this may have caused". She said: "The police have operational primacy over these matters. Any investigation will unfold rapidly and I was not in possession of all the facts at that time." Det Supt Jon Bancroft said: "I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker." "No other remains have been located at this scene to date," he added.
What on earth was the woman thinking? (This assumes she was thinking at all!)
I think she was simply grabbing a headline and ought to be sanctioned for doing so.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the latest position in Gaza.....
Updated 2 hours ago
Israel's military says it has "recently" made an airdrop of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, following weeks of international pressure and a growing hunger crisis in the Palestinian territory. In a statement early on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airdrop "included seven packages of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food". Israel earlier said it was prepared to open humanitarian corridors to allow UN convoys into Gaza. This came amid calls for Israel to let more aid into Gaza and amid warnings of mass starvation following months of limited supply to the territory's two million people. Israel denied what it called "the false claim of deliberate starvation" in Gaza. In its statement, the IDF said the airdrop "was carried out in co-ordination with international organisations and led by Cogat", referring to the Israeli military body which oversees the entry of aid into Gaza. The military also posted a video purportedly showing a plane dropping the aid. The footage has not been independently verified.
Words fail me.... I cannot understand why the world stands by and watches calculated genocide like this and does nothing. Indeed just the opposite, It seems to me that we support Israel.
Israel will never stop as long as there are any Palestinians left. They want them all out or dead so that they can settle the land. This includes the West Bank and some parts of Syria.

[Tizer]

`'I witnessed war crimes' in Gaza, former worker at GHF aid site tells BBC' Video of BBC interview
A retired US special forces officer has revealed to the BBC why he resigned from his work with US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution centres. "I witnessed the Israeli Defense Forces shooting at the crowds of Palestinians," Anthony Aguilar told the BBC. He added that in his entire career he has never witnessed such a level of "brutality and use of indiscriminate and unnecessary force against a civilian population, an unarmed, starving population".

[Stanley]

I heard that report also Peter. So much evidence that the shootings at aid sites are deliberate policy.

See THIS report about one death....
The food distribution was announced in advance, like many before it, in a post on social media carrying an illustration of smiling Palestinians receiving boxes of aid. This time, however, the invitation shared by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was different, featuring illustrations of only women. "Tomorrow at our morning distribution at our location in the Saudi district, only women are welcome to come and receive a food box," the GHF post said. "Men should avoid the site during this distribution." Mary Sheikh al-Eid wanted to feed her seven children. Her husband had been killed earlier in the war and the family had been surviving on lentil soup for three weeks, said Mary's sister Khawla, but the last week had been a struggle. "Her children and mine told us not to go," Khawla told the BBC. "Mary told me she wanted to because it was a day for women and the numbers wouldn't be big."
Read the rest of the article to find what happened. It didn't end well.....

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS initiative....
Terminally ill people in a Lancashire borough who have less than a year to live will no longer have to pay council tax. Councillors across all parties in Blackburn with Darwen approved the decision, making it the second local authority in England to take the step after Manchester introduced the scheme in June. End-of-life care charities Marie Curie and Hospice UK said they wanted other councils and devolved governments to follow suit.
Only a small thing but very welcome I would think.....

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the outcome of Starmer's meeting with MPs.
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza", Sir Keir Starmer has said. The PM said Israel must also meet other conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire, committing to a long-term sustainable peace that delivers a two-state solution, and allowing the United Nations to restart the supply of aid, or the UK would take the step at September's UN General Assembly. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move "rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism".
Netanyahu conflates aiding innocent civilians with militant terrorists. Meanwhile politicians argue about definitions of starvation while kids die....

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report of an alternative plan for Heathrow's third runway....
2 hours ago
Hotel tycoon Surinder Arora has announced he is submitting a Heathrow expansion plan which rivals a proposal from the airport's owners. The billionaire's Arora Group said the "primary benefit" of the plan it submitted to the government was a shorter new runway which would avoid the costly and disruptive need to divert the M25 motorway. Building a 2,800-metre third runway instead of the full-length 3,500-metre runway planned by the airport would result in "reduced risk" and avoid "spiralling cost", the company said. The airport declined to comment on the Arora Group's proposal.
Later at 06:30. The National Retail Consortium have issued a warning that by Xmas this year food inflation, which is on 4% at the moment will be up on 6%. The increase is largely due to the increase in national insurance contributions.

[Stanley]

I saw THIS in the UK news feed this morning.....
2 hours ago
The government will restrict civil service internships to students from poorer families as part of a drive from ministers to make Whitehall more working class. The main internship scheme designed to attract university students to the civil service will now only be available for students from "lower socio-economic backgrounds", judged by what jobs their parents did when they were 14. Those who are successful on the internship will then be prioritised for entry to the Fast Stream, the main graduate programme for entry to the civil service.
How will this affect the treatment of the interns by existing civil servants. Will it make difficulties being labelled as second class?

[Stanley]

See THIS disappointing news for many motorists....
Millions of motorists will not be able to claim compensation for hidden commissions paid on car loans following a Supreme Court ruling. The UK's highest court sided with finance companies in two out of three crucial test cases focusing on commission payments made by banks and other lenders to car dealers. The decision reversed earlier court rulings that had opened the possibility of large-scale compensation claims from motorists on a similar scale to the PPI mis-selling scandal. But many drivers who took out a certain type of finance deal could still be in line for payouts. The UK's financial regulator, who is considering a compensation scheme, said it would "take time to digest the judgement".

[Tizer]

This caused a stir in news circles yesterday...
`Trump moves nuclear submarines after Russian ex-president's comments' LINK
US President Donald Trump says he has ordered two nuclear submarines to "be positioned in the appropriate regions" in response to "highly provocative" comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump said he acted "just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances". He did not say where the two submarines were being deployed, in keeping with US military protocol...

There's another factor which might have some relevance to this issue but I haven't seen the two things linked in news reports. We all know about the massive earthquake last week that that caused tsunami alerts around the Pacific rim and it was centred at a junction of tectonic plates near the Russian Kamchatka peninsula. Russia's navy has its main naval bases on the coast of the peninsula, including that for its Pacific nuclear-armed submarine fleet and they are being upgraded to accommodate more such vessels. The earthquake is reported to have damaged the bases although, not surprisingly, little information is available. Besides disruption at the bases, many vessels may have put to sea and the US could have been spooked by this. Also, Medvedev may have seen it as a good time to make a threat when Russian submarines were at sea in greater numbers.

[Stanley]

Well spotted Peter! I hadn't thought about that but it's logical.

[Tripps]

but it's logical.

I'd better revise my understanding of the word 'logical'

PS The defence expert Shashank Joshi has just said - in a BBC interview words to the effect that -

There is no mention of whether the submarines involved are 'nuclear' powered or 'nuclear' armed. There is a big difference.

The USA has several nuclear armed submarines on patrol at all times in various locations. They are all equipped to strike targets in Russia, on command. Moving them around nearer to Russia as described, apart from changing the track of the missiles, will have absolutely no effect at all.

I would add that the statement may not even be true. He's a bit of a rascal that Donald. . . .

[Stanley]

I was referring to Peter's afterthought about the effects of the earthquake David not Trump's actions. The thought about moving them struck me as well but I am no expert. I am with you on any inference that Trump is logical!

I saw THIS heding BBC News this morning....
7 hours ago
Hamas has reaffirmed that it will not agree to disarm unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established, in response to one of Israel's key demands in talks about a ceasefire in Gaza. The Palestinian armed group said it was responding to remarks it attributed to US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that Hamas had "expressed its willingness" to lay down its weapons. Israel considers the disarmament of Hamas one of several key conditions for any deal to end the conflict. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages stalled last week.
Meanwhile conditions in Gaza deteriorate by the hour..... Words fail me...