Seen in the News

[Julie in Norfolk]

Kier can do without any advice from him! Aligning ourselves with Europe has never been so important. We also have a record number of Americans seeking UK residency (Home Office figures), make of that what you will.

[Stanley]

Agreed Julie.
Starmer must be wondering where the next stab in the back will be coming from. One thing is certain, there will be more even though the House is in recess for Party Conference season.....
(Can anyone tell me why they need this?)

[PanBiker]

From a Labour Party point of view, conference is where your composited motions which can originate at branch then constituency level are discussed and if successful put forward to the vote to be included in the manifesto or brought into law.

Don't know what the other parties do apart from the Tory 1923 committee has a lot to do with their stuff.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report for disturbing news from the US.
2 hours ago
The Pentagon has told journalists they must agree not to disclose unauthorised information or else risk losing access to the building. The change is among a number of new restrictions, which also seek to impose limits on the movement of journalists within the facility, which is home to the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense. It follows a series of leaks in recent months. Pete Hegseth, who was recently given the new title of Secretary of War, said on social media: "The 'press' does not run the Pentagon — the people do. The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home." The new restrictions were set out in a briefing note sent to members of the press, which they will be required to sign in order to maintain their Pentagon press credentials.
Trump is chipping away at democracy and sensible government and he is being allowed to get away with it.

[Stanley]

See THIS for further evidence of the misuse of power in the US and the consequent erosion of democracy......
President Donald Trump has called on the country's top law enforcement official, Attorney General Pam Bondi, to more aggressively investigate his political adversaries. In a social media post addressed directly to Bondi, he said: "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility." Trump expressed frustration that "nothing is being done", before calling on Bondi to investigate former FBI director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who oversaw his first impeachment trial. Shortly after, he posted again to praise Bondi who he said was "doing a great job". "I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, "same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam "Shifty" Schiff, Leticia??? They're all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done," Trump said on Saturday. His statement was roundly criticised by Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer who said "this is the path to a dictatorship".

[Stanley]

See THIS US news....
Updated 1 hour ago
US comedian Jimmy Kimmel will return to his late-night talk show on Tuesday after he was suspended for making jokes relating to the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Disney, which owns the US broadcast network that airs Jimmy Kimmel Live, said on Monday that it suspended the show because it "felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive". "We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday," Disney said. The comic's abrupt suspension came after threats by the federal tv regulator to revoke ABC's broadcast licence, sparking nationwide debates over free speech. US President Donald Trump had welcomed Kimmel's suspension and suggested that some TV networks should have their licences "taken away" for negative coverage of the president. Trump did not address Kimmel's reinstatement when a reporter asked about it during a White House event on Monday. Sinclair, the largest ABC affiliate group in the US, said on Monday it will replace Jimmy Kimmel Live! with news programming across its ABC affiliate stations from Tuesday.
Has Trump been influenced by the debate on free speech?

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report about Leeds NHS Trust....
1 hour ago
An NHS trust at the centre of concerns over its poor maternity services has had to repay almost £5m after wrongly claiming it provided safe care to mothers and their babies. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was paid the money after saying its services met safe standards of care and staffing. But a subsequent investigation by the health service's litigation arm, NHS Resolution, found the trust had not met the standards and asked for the money to be repaid to the NHS. The Leeds trust said they had allocated additional funding to improve maternity services.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report....
3 hours ago
More than a thousand disabled children across the UK are waiting for wheelchairs and mobility equipment that could transform their lives, Whizz Kidz say. The charity, external, which helps wheelchair users up to 25 years old, has been forced to close its specialist wheelchairs waitlist for the first time in its 35-year history. They say escalating costs and squeezed NHS budgets are creating a "huge demand" for their service, leading to long delays. NHS England says it's working with local healthcare providers to deliver better services and NHS Scotland says it's committed to ensuring vital services were protected. The Department for Health Northern Ireland says by the end of August, the regional service had delivered 87% of all wheelchair categories within 13 weeks. Whizz Kidz recorded a thousand children waiting for equipment when it decided to close the waitlist, but say many more are missing out. BBC News has spoken to two families about the impact the long waits are having on them. "She doesn't get another childhood'

[Stanley]

See THIS US news.....
Former FBI boss James Comey has been indicted on alleged crimes "related to the disclosure of sensitive information", the US justice department says. He is charged with one count of making false statements and another of obstruction of justice. US Attorney General Pam Bondi says "no one is above the law" after the indictment was announced. Earlier this week, Trump posted on Truth Social that Comey and several other political opponents were "guilty as hell" and "JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED". Trump hailed news of the indictment in a social media post. In a video statement, Comey says he is innocent and "let's have a trial". Comey was fired by Trump during his first presidential term in 2017, and the two have exchanged public insults for years since then
Another part of Trump's assault on democracy?

[PanBiker]

US Attorney General Pam Bondi says "no one is above the law"

It didn't work when Trump committed treason by inciting the mob to attack the Capitol Building when he lost the election.

[Stanley]

Indeed Ian but Trump believes he is above the law and as President has resources available to him that are denied to ordinary mortals....

Have a look at THIS report from the US
The files turned over to the House Oversight Committee by the Jeffrey Epstein Estate appear to show that Musk had been invited to Epstein's island in December 2014. Separately a manifest for a flight from New Jersey to Florida in May 2000 names Prince Andrew among the passengers. Musk and Prince Andrew have been approached for comment. Prince Andrew has previously strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Musk has previously been quoted as saying that Epstein had invited him to the island but he had declined. The partial records are from the third batch of documents produced by the Jeffrey Epstein Estate. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee say they include phone message logs, copies of flight logs and manifests for aircrafts, copies of financial ledgers and Epstein's daily schedule. In addition to Musk and Prince Andrew, the files released publicly also contain the names of other prominent figures including internet entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon, a former advisor to Donald Trump. One line in the records dated 6 December 2014 reads: "Reminder: Elon Musk to island Dec. 6 (is this still happening?)" A flight manifest records that Prince Andrew was on a flight with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell from Teterboro, New Jersey, to West Palm Beach, Florida, on 12 May 2000. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to traffic girls for sex. On 11 May 2000, Buckingham Palace said on its website that Prince Andrew had flown to New York to attend a reception in New York for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Andrew returned to the UK on 15 May, a later entry said.
The Epstein affair refuses to go away and may yet cause some major upsets.

[Stanley]

See THIS Reuters report into a fire in South Korea.....
SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) - A major fire at South Korea's national data centre has crippled some government online services and internal networks, prompting a race on Saturday to bring the systems back online and a probe of what sparked a lithium-ion battery to start the blaze.
The fire is suspected to have started with an explosion on Friday night of the battery produced by South Korea's LG Energy Solution (373220.KS)
, opens new tab during maintenance, damaging some servers and forcing the shutdown of hundreds of others, officials said.

[Stanley]

THIS report from Laura Kuenssberg is worth looking at.....
Sir Keir Starmer achieved what many sage minds in Westminster believed was impossible. Labour smashed itself to bits in 2019. But Sir Keir put the party back together and swept back to power with an epic majority five years later. Yet, turn on the radio or glance at the headlines and Labour appears to be flirting with the unthinkable – giving him his P45. In the last few days I've spoken to 30 people across government and the party - ministers, MPs, advisers - to try to work out, as the prime minister makes his way to Labour's annual party conference in Liverpool, how much trouble is he really in? "How many more data points do you need to see that he is just not very good at being prime minister?" Unforgiving as that sounds, the Whitehall figure who posed that question is far from the only person who has seen Starmer's government up close to conclude that fundamentally, the prime minister is just not suited to many aspects of the job. For months polling has suggested the public feels the same.
There is much more in the article but nowhere do I see any mention of my major gripe against Starmer, that, like Blair, he has abandoned social principles and concentrated on being 'Tory-lite' This probably shows how out of touch I am. All I can say is that I see many people who think the same.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on Trump's latest attack on democrat run cities....
President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of US troops to Portland, Oregon, authorising use of "full force" if needed, to suppress protests targeting immigration detention centres. Trump said he was "directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland". He claimed that the move would help protect "any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists," adding on Truth Social: "I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary." The announcement drew pushback from Democratic lawmakers, who said there was no need for federal troops to be deployed to the city. "There is no national security threat in Portland. Our communities are safe and calm," said Oregon Governor Tina Kotek.
All part of Trumps erosion of democratic principles....

[Stanley]

See THIS report of another act of violence in the US.....
Updated 58 minutes ago
At least four people have been killed and several others injured after a gunman drove a vehicle into a Michigan church, opened fire and set the building ablaze, police say. Officials said the attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a town 60 miles (100km) northwest of Detroit, happened during a Sunday service that attracted hundreds of people. The suspect, identified as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, from Burton, Michigan, was later shot dead by police in the church car park. Authorities are investigating the incident as an "act of targeted violence", but say the motive remains unclear. Two victims died from gunshot wounds, Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye told a news conference on Sunday. The fire caused extensive damage to the building and some people remained unaccounted for, Chief Renye said.
Do you ever get the feeling that there is something deeply wrong in the US? I thank God I don't live there.....
(I can't help thinking about the bad behaviour at the Ryder Cup, is there any connection?)

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS glimpse into a world that is completely beyond my comprehension.....
Updated 18 minutes ago
A Chinese national has been convicted of playing a key role in what is believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in the world, worth more than £5bn ($6.7bn). Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, pleaded guilty on Monday at Southwark Crown Court, London of illegally acquiring and possessing the cryptocurrency. Between 2014 and 2017, she led a large-scale scam in China by cheating more than 128,000 victims and storing the stolen funds in bitcoin assets, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. The Met said the 47-year-old's guilty plea follows a seven-year probe into a global money laundering web. The police said the probe began in 2018 after they got a tipoff about the transfer of criminal assets. Qian had been "evading justice" for five years up to her arrest, which required a complex investigation involving multiple jurisdictions, said Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, who led the Met's investigation. She fled China using false documents and entered the UK, where she attempted to launder the stolen money by buying property, said the Met. She had help from another Chinese national, Jian Wen. The former takeaway worker was jailed for six years and eight months last year for her part in the criminal operation. The Met said it had seized a total of 61,000 bitcoins from Qian.
No date has been given yet for the sentencing and the investigation is still ongoing.
What does a bitcoin look like and who actually makes them?

[Big Kev]

What does a bitcoin look like and who actually makes them?

It's not a physical thing, have a look at the Wiki explanation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin

[Stanley]

Thanks Kev, that was what I thought. It was this statement by the Met that threw me. "The Met said it had seized a total of 61,000 bitcoins from Qian.".

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS BBC report by an undercover investigator.
4 hours ago
In my seven weeks undercover in an overstretched care home I witnessed many scenes of poor care and distress but there was one incident that I suspect will remain with me for a long time. On the worst days, when staffing was at its lowest levels, the residents would sometimes shout for help as they heard my cleaning trolley rumbling past their rooms. Some were desperate for help to go to the toilet, others simply wanted to get washed and dressed for the day. As a cleaner, there was little I could do except offer words of comfort and assurances that I'd told the care staff. One day I sat with a woman in a nightie who needed help to be taken from her bed to the bathroom, just 8ft away. Her room echoed with signs of a life well lived - a proud career, foreign holidays with her loving family, an immaculately curated wardrobe of cashmere cardigans. As we waited for a carer to come, she begged me not to leave. She was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I tried to distract her with small talk about the view and the weather. She listened until she could no longer hide her distress. As her physical capacity to wait for the toilet finally crumbled, she began to sob. I felt sadness many times in the care home but that totally avoidable loss of dignity was the first time I felt anger. Our investigation was sparked by an interview with Susan Christie, whose father spent two years in Castlehill, the largest care home in Inverness. It is billed as a luxury home and charges up to £1,800 per week. But Susan had become so concerned by the standard of her father's care that she installed a secret camera in his room - and she was appalled by what she saw.
We hear this story time and time again, why doesn't a system of inspection ensure good practice?

[Tripps]

London is heading for 200 e-bike battery fires this year. Lithium fires

In addition there was a fire on a car transporter on the M5 today that comprehensively destroyed nine electric cars.
car transporter fire

The cars were said to be branded BYD, a Chinese make, and despite rumours,the letters are said not to stand for "Burn Your Drive".

All reports I've seen deflect blame from the battery itself to extraneous circumstances - such as cheap replacements from eBay etc.

I've seen no reports of other recent fires - especially the one in which fire fighters died. The truth cannot be concealed for ever.

[Stanley]

Did you see the report about battery fires in data centres David?

See THIS BBC report on the Metropolitan police force......
8 hours ago
Serving Metropolitan Police officers called for immigrants to be shot, revelled in the use of force and were dismissive of rape claims in footage captured by a Panorama undercover reporter. The evidence of misogyny and racism challenges the Met's promise to have tackled what it calls "toxic behaviours" after the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer. Panorama's secret filming shows officers making sexualised comments to colleagues and sharing racist views about immigrants and Muslims. This evidence reveals that, far from being driven out of the Met, racist and misogynistic attitudes have been driven underground. "Someone new joins, boom, mask on. You've got to figure them out," one officer said. After the BBC sent a detailed list of allegations to the Met, it suspended eight officers and one staff member, and took two more officers off front-line duties. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the behaviour outlined by Panorama was, "disgraceful, totally unacceptable and contrary to the values and standards" of the force.
I asked yesterday why we kept getting undercover reports about bad care homes. It seems the same question applies to the behaviour of these officers. Is it only the Met? Or is this widespread throughout the country.

[Tripps]

Did you see the report about battery fires in data centres David?

No I missed that. I've enough to do supervising car parks, motor restoration sites, electric bikes, car ferries, and car transporters.

[Stanley]

Then have a look at THIS
A single battery is believed to have started a massive fire at the South Korean data Centre National Information Resources Service (NIRS), leaving hundreds of Government systems offline. The fire, which lasted around 22 hours, quickly spread to hundreds of other batteries from the initial lithium-ion battery. While some e-services provided by the government are now functioning, the South Korean Government has warned that fixing all systems could take weeks. This event illustrates the importance of not relying on a single data centre, especially one that saw all servers impacted by the fire without strong safeguards to limit the spread. “We apologise for causing great inconvenience to the public by delaying civil applications and the issuance of certificates,” said South Korean Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung.

Meanwhile, closer to home, have a look at THIS update on the Manchester synagogue attack....
Updated 1 hour ago
A man who carried out an attack at a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday which left two Jewish people dead and three others injured has been named by police as Jihad Al-Shamie. Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British man of Syrian descent, drove a car at people outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue before attacking bystanders with a knife. He was shot dead by police at the scene. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said three further people had been arrested as part of the investigation and declared it a "terrorist incident". Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the attack, which took place on Yom Kippur - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

[Stanley]

See THIS breaking news....
Hamas says it has agreed to release all remaining Israeli hostages, but is seeking further negotiations on a number of points outlined in the US Gaza peace plan. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is "preparing to immediately implement" the first phase of Donald Trump's plan. The announcements came hours after the US president gave Hamas a Sunday deadline to accept the peace plan or face "all hell". In a social media post, Trump says he believes Hamas is "ready for a lasting peace" and that Israel must "stop the bombing of Gaza". Hamas' statement 'is significant no doubt, but there's still a lot of detail to be worked through', writes our Jerusalem correspondent. Hamas made no mention of a key demand of the plan - that it agrees to its disarmament and to playing no further role in the governance of Gaza