Seen in the News

[Stanley]

A good question Gloria...... I have no adequate answer....

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest update.....
The US is "very close" to meeting its objectives in Iran, the White House says, adding that Iran's regime is looking for an "exit ramp". But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the country will keep "defending" itself. There is "no intention of negotiating for now," he tells state media. Araghchi says "friendly countries" may have conveyed messages between the US and Iran, but this does not amount to "dialogue" - the White House has suggested talks are ongoing. Iran earlier issued five conditions to end the war, an Iranian official told state media, including a conclusion to the conflict "across all fronts" and payment of reparations. It came after Iran reportedly received a 15-point plan from the US - Tehran initially rejected the plan but Araghchi later said "if a position needs to be taken, it will certainly be determined". On the ground, footage shows a plume of smoke at an Israeli power station after a reported Iranian missile attack, while Iranian air defence systems are heard in Tehran
No let-up in confusion...... Why do I trust the Iranian reports more than the Americans?

[Tizer]

Because Trump and his colleagues are bigger liars than the Iranians?

Meanwhile, here comes another flood of scam emails trying to get our personal details, bank passwords etc ...
`NS&I set to pay millions to customers over misplaced funds' LINK
National Savings and Investments (NS&I) is expected to pay hundreds of millions of pounds to customers who claim there have been failures in managing their money. The government-backed bank has been accused of a series of errors dating back years, with some bereaved families saying they did not receive money that was rightfully theirs, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph. Pensions Minister Torsten Bell is expected to address the issue, said to potentially affect about 37,000 customers, in a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on Thursday. NS&I has apologised to anyone suffering a bereavement who had not received the customer service they should expect....

[Tizer]

Trump continues to threaten Iran and condemn them for not agreeing a ceasefire. Have you noticed that since the first day of the US-Iran war (sorry, `special operation') Russia has been providing the Iranians with extra drones, weapons and ammunition. Yes, Trump's friend Putin is Iran's ally - but have you heard even a word of this mentioned from the White House? Why doesn't Trump mention it, I wonder?

[Stanley]

I think they call it 'news management' Peter. We are being lied to on so many different levels it is very hard to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Hence my comment about believing the Iranians more than the Americans yesterday.
HERE'S the latest update from the liars.....
President Trump further extends a pause on strikes against Iranian energy sites, saying talks with Tehran are "ongoing" and "going very well". He announced an initial five-day pause on Monday - but in a post on Truth Social, he says: "As per Iranian Government request... I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 PM". Oil prices, which had climbed on Thursday, dropped soon after, writes our business reporter. At a cabinet meeting earlier, Trump said the US would be Iran's "worst nightmare" if it doesn't agree to a peace plan. Special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed at the same meeting that the US has sent a 15-point peace plan to Iran. An Iranian official earlier told state media in their response to the proposal that Tehran has a "natural and legal right" to control the Strait of Hormuz. Attacks on Israel, Iran and Lebanon continue, while two people have been killed by debris from an intercepted missile in Abu Dhabi, thought to be from Iran
Israel takes advantage of the confusion to make moves to annexe land in South Lebanon and we have breaking news of air attacks on Dubai.
Trump appears to be in some sort of fantasy world......

[Tizer]

`'My daughter is under the rubble': Inside Tehran as civilian toll of strikes rises' LINK
The BBC's doing a good job of showing how the IDF have no respect for the lives of civilians whether they are men, women or children. Look further down the article for the detailed information. For example, Military experts told BBC Eye that the Israeli air force is likely using particularly large bombs across Tehran from the Mark 80 series, which are often fitted with precision guidance systems. They added that the scale and spread of the damage observed in Resalat is consistent with the use of the Mark 84, the largest of the series, weighing 2,000lb (907kg).

[Whyperion]

Anyone missing the passing of NCP. The founders sold it a few years back to overseas investors I hadnt realised they never owned most of the sites they operated from. Rents thus fell due on Wednesday and many were not paid with closures of sites occuring by Saturday. Some that make money are staying open for now. Apparently though costs of running a patch of land are more expensive than I thought.

[Tripps]

From the BBC -
"There was "no evidence" of "family voting" or voter coercion at the Gorton and Denton by-election, police have concluded after an investigation."
However they say later in the article -
We have spoken to the four Democracy Volunteers observers present at polling stations on the day of the by-election - 26 February - who have shared with us their eyewitness account," police said. "This includes some instances of more than one voter going into a booth at the same time, and instances of people looking over the shoulder of voters. "The information they have provided to us estimates this may have happened on 32 occasions across 15 polling stations.

Err - hello - that's actually "family voting".

[Stanley]

It would appear so David..... Could it be that someone wants memory of the by-election to fade as soon as possible and therefore pursuing the allegations is counter-productive?

HERE'S this morning's Iran update.....
[President Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff says that the US is hopeful of having meetings with Iran "this week," and Washington "expects" an answer to the 15-point deal on the table. Ten American soldiers have been injured in an Iranian strike on Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Airbase, sources have told the BBC's US media partner CBS News. Iranian state media reports claims from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that US-Israeli strikes are targeting civilian sites. Israel says it hit the Arak heavy water plant in central Iran - Araghchi says two of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites were targeted and his country will "exact a heavy price". Several Gulf nations report fresh strikes and interceptions, with the UAE saying its air defences engaged ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran/i]
I note that Rubio speaking at the G& talks says that the conflict will be over in 'weeks rather than months'.

[Tizer]

On Radio 4 `Today' this morning at about 08.15 they had a guest discussing the US-Iran war. I think it was the former NATO Deputy Supreme Commander, Sir Richard Shirreff. I wish the discussion could be played out to Americans. He pointed out all the mistakes the US Administration has made and didn't hold back on predicting what a terrible situation they've created for the world. He was not optimistic and couldn't see any way out now the Houtis are in it too. His view is that the Americans fail to understand the power of the Iranians and Trump will be sending his promised thousands of troops on a suicide mission. I'd said to Mrs Tiz yesterday that sending US ground troops to attack Hormuz will be Trump's Gallipoli - then this morning heard Shirreff say exactly the same!

[Stanley]

Boots on the ground for Hormuz? I didn't realise that was what he was doing.
You are right Peter, this is a bridge too far....

HERE'S this morning's update....
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have launched missile strikes towards Israel today, their first since the war began - who are the Houthis?. Yemen's internationally-recognised government condemns what it describes as Iran's "frequent attempts to drag" the country into the Middle East conflict. If the Houthis target shipping coming through the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, it would be another big blow to the global economy, our Middle East analyst writes. Three journalists are killed in an Israeli airstrike, their employers say, as Israel's military accuses one of them - a reporter from Hezbollah's Al Manar TV channel - of being an operative for the Iran-backed militant group. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attack, saying "journalists are not legitimate targets, regardless of the outlet they work for". Meanwhile, Iran says the US and Israel struck a medical clinic in Minab, the same area as a fatal attack on a girls' school on the first day of the war. Iranian officials say today's attack on the Martyr Absalan Clinic caused "damage to storage facilities", but no injuries were reported
I see no easing of tensions, quite the opposite, escalation on multiple fronts....

[Tizer]

The Houtis joining in now means that besides the Straits of Hormuz being blocked the narrow straits of Bab-el-Mandab at the entrance to the Red Sea will also be even more dangerous than they have in the past. That will be serious for Saudi Arabia because it exports most of its oil on tankers through that gap.

It brings back to me tales told by a friend of mine in the late 1960s about his fighting the terrorists in Aden while in what had been the East Lancs regiment.

This is a BBC InDepth article by JB. It's long but well worth reading...
`Jeremy Bowen: Trump is waging war based on instinct and it isn't working' BBC
Some old truths about warfare have been knocking on the door of the Oval Office in the month since US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent US and Israeli warplanes to bomb Iran. The failure to learn from the past means that Donald Trump now faces a stark choice. If he cannot get a deal with Iran, he can either try to declare a victory that will fool no-one, or escalate the war. The oldest of the old truths comes from the Prussian military strategist Helmuth von Moltke the Elder: "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." He was writing in 1871, the year Germany was unified as an empire, a moment that was as consequential for the security of Europe as this war might be for the security of the Middle East....

Meanwhile back in the US this is good news...
`No Kings protesters across the US rally against Donald Trump' LINK

[Stanley]

Peter. I see you've picked up on JB just as I have in a previous topic. I trust Jeremy Bowen, I find he always talks sensibly..... Pity he isn't advising Trump!

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest live update on Iran.
Donald Trump threatens to "obliterate" Iran's power plants, oil wells and "possibly" water desalination plants if a deal is not reached "shortly" - here's what the White House press secretary said about his comments. Trump says there are "serious" talks with Iran - but warns if a ceasefire is not agreed, the US will hit sites it has "purposefully not yet 'touched'". Trump also repeats his threats against the major fuel hub of Kharg Island - our correspondent Frank Gardner asks whether they could be a bluff. Earlier, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry called US proposals to end the war "excessive and unreasonable", state media reported. Meanwhile, the price of oil hits $115 and petrol prices in the UK rise again. New attacks are reported in Iran, Lebanon, and Israel; while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains way down on pre-war levels
There is no sign of any easing of tension. This is madness......

[Tizer]

I choose to believe the FT rather than the Pentagon; and there are lots of other channels through which he could invest, not just BlackRock. And I expect Trump's family members will be making a lot of investments too...
`Pentagon denies report that Hegseth's broker attempted 'big investment' before war' [From an article in this BBC News live feed LINK ]
A Pentagon spokesman has strongly denied a report in the Financial Times that a broker for US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had attempted to make a "big investment" in military-related companies in the weeks leading up to the Iran war. "Neither Secretary Hegseth nor any of his representatives approached BlackRock about any such investment," said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon's chief spokesman. "This is yet another baseless, dishonest smear designed to mislead the public," Parnell wrote on X, demanding an immediate retraction of the claims. The Financial Times' report was published on Monday, citing anonymous sources. Hegseth has been a leading figure in the war effort and has frequently led press briefings advocating for the attack on Iran.

[Stanley]

I agree with you Peter. What would be amazing would be if millionaires in government weren't using insider knowledge.

[Big Kev]

I'm slightly confused by the sacking of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show host, Scott Mills. I'm not condoning anything he may have done but, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? The BBC sacked him over allegations made and the 'case' didn't proceed due to a lack of evidence. Was it a knee jerk reaction, by the BBC, due to previous incidents? Saville, Wallace et al.
BBC News - Teenage boy at centre of Scott Mills sexual offences investigation was under 16, police say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwykq2lqjw7o

[Stanley]

The same thought struck me Kev particularly after I heard he had said that he wasn't actually given a reason, just fired....

HERE'S the latest on Iran.....
President Donald Trump says Iran is "losing" and "begging to make a deal" as he suggests the US will "leave" the country in "two or three weeks". Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump says a deal with Iran is "irrelevant" and the US will leave when it is certain the regime cannot build a nuclear weapon "for years". The White House has since announced that the president will deliver a prime-time address to the nation about Iran on Wednesday evening. Earlier, Trump lashed out at the UK and other countries, telling them to "go get your own oil" from the Strait of Hormuz. "You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us," he writes in a Truth Social post. No-one is yet ready to challenge Iran's chokehold over the Strait - not even US warships have done this, writes our diplomatic correspondent . US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says more vessels are travelling through the key shipping route - BBC Verify looks at what the data tells us. In five weeks of war, thousands of people have been killed - the vast majority in Iran and Lebanon. Iranians tell BBC Persian they are "constantly worried". Meanwhile more British troops and UK air defence systems will be deployed to the Middle East for defensive action against Iranian attacks

Add to this that it was announced yesterday that there will be a State visit to the US by Chuck and Camshaft and ask yourself what the hell is going on?

[Tizer]

We all know that Trump is carrying out these changes to the White House and have hoped that the law would stop him....
`Judge temporarily halts construction of Trump's White House ballroom' LINK

...but note this last bit of the article: The Trump administration has argued that any delay to the project would harm US national security, which the judge dismissed as "grasping at straws," adding a sarcastic: "Please!" "The existence of a 'large hole' beside the White House is, of course, a problem of the President's own making!" he wrote. On Sunday, Trump told reporters that the US military was building a "massive complex" under the ballroom. He added that "the ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what's being built under".

Perhaps the ballroom will become known as Ground Zero!

[Stanley]

HERE'S the current live report.....
President Trump says he's considering pulling out of Nato, according to an interview he gave to the Telegraph, after saying US military action in Iran could end in "two to three weeks". Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK will host a meeting with dozens of countries this week on the Strait of Hormuz - the PM's decision shows his determination to get closer to the EU, our chief political correspondent writes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran has the "necessary will" to end the war provided its enemies guarantee it will not flare up again. "I feel like I've been in a purgatory for a month... I'm so tired of the war," a man in his twenties from Tehran tells the BBC as Iran's government continues its internet outage. Oil prices fell back below $100 (£75) a barrel following the comments from the US and Iranian presidents - and the UK airlines trade body says they aren't currently seeing disruption to jet fuel supply. Meanwhile, strikes between Israel and Iran continue and Iran is also attacking its Gulf neighbours, as pictures from Lebanon show major damage to buildings amid ongoing Israeli strikes
A State visit by the King to Washington looks increasingly bizarre.