www.reuters.com/world/russia...
"Russia has stationed forces at Qamishli airport in the northeast since 2019, a relatively small deployment compared to its air base and a naval facility on Syria's Mediterranean coast, both of which it is expected to maintain."
I never write opinion pieces and stick to fact and analysis, but I made an exception for this one. #PostOfficeScandal www.computerweekly.com/opinion/MPs-...
Some folks don't or won't learn even from their own experience.
"Judge Gerald Anderson, who oversaw the case, sentenced Aniyunwiya to 30 months in prison. This sentence was 18 months longer than his last prison sentence for doing the same thing in 2022."
3/3
Most UK ambassadors (with occasional exceptions, eg to Washington) are career diplomats.
UK civil services has a different tradition to US with a more apolitical & impartial role even at top levels
But any ambassador has to faithfully represent their gov.
Replacing ~30 suggests a lack of trust.
2/3
The US often has political appointee ambassadors to high profile posts (often a career diplomat is deputy)
Much of what any embassy does is routine, but local face to face meetings and relationships build & sustain trust.
Sudden & wide scale disruption is unlikely to be helpful in the long run
The State Department said "An ambassador is a personal representative of the president."
And there was I thinking an ambassador is a representative of a nation-state's government, (even if they speak on behalf of that government and its head).
L'etat c'est moi?
Reminded me of this:
“...whenever I see one, I get this feeling that it might be the last one left out there. You know? The last coyote. And I guess that would bother me if it ever turned out to be true, if I never saw one again.”
www.michaelconnelly.com/writing/thel...
"Overall, Grokipedia gives off the impression of a site where topics and people that Elon Musk likes or supports are presented without framings that cast any doubt on their validity, and those he dislikes are presented with criticism front-and-center."
#grottypedia
gizmodo.com/elon-musks-v...
Maybe they thought UK audiences would relate better to holidaymakers' stories? But that is no excuse not to report on the impact on the local population, particularly those poorest hit hardest.
But the whole island has been in lockdown, so TV crews are probably stuck in hotels with guests & staff.
A picture of a laughing Liz Truss (49 days as UK Prime Minister) behind a pensive looking Sébastien Lecornu (26 days as French Prime Minister).
Don’t think I’ve ever muttered the words “fuck me sideways” quite so much reading a story as this one.
May be of interest to @drsarteschi.bsky.social
(who writes and posts about #sovereigncitizens in Canada and elsewhere)
Suppose I attack Martians.
Can I say they should be killed? In an abstract proposal or by a mob in Paris on (say) Jan 6th?
Can I spread lies about how they carried out 9/11 to encourage hatred and violence?
Does it matter when, where and how I say it?
What if I sincerely believe them a threat?
It would be interesting to chart how similar statements would be handled in different cases in US, UK & other
Variants of target - specific or vague, calling for direct or indirect violence
When is a ban (or restrictions) proportional?
www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/l...
www.lawble.co.uk/freedom-of-s...
2/2
“Donald Trump clearly does not understand soft power and undercuts it by actions such as abolishing USAID, silencing the Voice of America, threatening allies and belittling climate change. China values soft power — and stands ready to fill the vacuum that Trump is creating.”
1/2 Joseph Nye, who coined the term Soft Power, died this month.
His final published words were on the vacuum Trump is leaving China to fill.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.ft.com/content/eabb...
There was a fair bit of publicity when Kubrick's estate gave permission.
And it sold quickly.
Adaptor/Director is Armando Iannucci (Veep, The Thick of It and The Day Today, and On The Hour where he first cast Coogan as Alan Partridge).
www.bbc.co.uk/news/enterta...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ikq...
We would like to apologise for the unexpected power outage at platform 1.
This is due to leaves on the line
Probably an uphill struggle in practice, but when would actions like this cross the line of legality by acting in bad faith, or with "deliberate wrongdoing or recklessness"?
www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/governance/3...
He's still holding up the wrong finger...🖕
Whichever system you think is better, (for whatever reasons) there is a lot of information for manufacturers who want to export or import, and who need to follow local regulations.
Nutrition and ingredient labelling rules vary, but some ingredients are banned.
rdrglobalpartners.com/blog/eu-vs-u...
This article lists some products (incl Kraft’s Mac & Cheese) with different ingredients in EU/UK versions due to bans or restrictions.
www.foodsafetynews.com/2023/11/food...
Heading of a pdf from University of Kentucky UNITED STATES VS. EUROPE: What’s in Your Food? WHY THE DIFFERENCE? Rules about food additives are generally stricter in the European Union (EU) versus the United States (US). The US tends to wait until an ingredient is flagged as dangerous before taking action, while the EU tends to be more proactive in banning such ingredients.
The UK (& EU) generally uses a precautionary principle, with stricter regulations on additives, pesticide residues, & foodborne disease prevention.
So the USA allows carcinogens like Potassium Bromate (KBrO3) & Azodicarbonamide (ADA)
clearborder.co.uk/resource/com...
eatwell.uky.edu/sites/defaul...
A group of eleven men dressed in early 20th-century formal attire, seated around a table with teapots and cups, against a wooden backdrop. These were the men known as members of Dr Harvey Washington Wiley's 'Poison Squad' who tested adulterated foods and paved the way for the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the first federal regulations safeguarding American consumers. (Source Flickr: US Food and Drug Administration)
These guys must be turning in their graves.
The BBC has more details on this bio-piracy.
The demand for rare insect species to be kept as pets is increasing.
Protected by international bio-diversity treaties, trade in giant African harvester ants,
is highly regulated. They grow to 20mm and are worth up to $220.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Most people agree in principle with fairer taxes & more effective govt spending
But the devil is in the detail.
Not only What would be fairer & If it works, but also How to implement
@danneidle.bsky.social has written a lot about wealth taxes, (not a fan) & LVT:
thenegotiator.co.uk/news/regulat...
Performative seems to be going the same way as literally, being misused so often that it is becoming a contranym.
What they mean is non-performative, but sloppy language makes me so annoyed that I could illiterally die. 🫡
There is a huge loophole in the bans on foreign & anon donations to MPs & political parties.
Anyone can form & give money to an unincorporated organisation, which can then donate £37k pa with virtually no external oversight.
Create another to give more...
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/foreign-poli...
Page 1 of letter lawyer Tom Goldstein wrote on behalf of Dan Bilzerian to Shoham Soluki, the lawyer of Porn Star Jance Griffith. For text of the letter suitable for screen readers see https://www.reddit.com/r/legal/comments/wrzgv0/tom_goldstein_and_dan_bilzarian_insane_response/?rdt=54825
Page 2 of letter lawyer Tom Goldstein wrote on behalf of Dan Bilzerian to Shoham Soluki, the lawyer of Porn Star Jance Griffith. For text of the letter suitable for screen readers see https://www.reddit.com/r/legal/comments/wrzgv0/tom_goldstein_and_dan_bilzarian_insane_response/?rdt=54825
Which in turn just led me to this gem:
joshblackman.com/blog/2014/05...
Thanks. I see several other people mentioned it in the wider thread, which I should have guessed.
I enjoyed the Cleveland stadium one as well.
Arkell v Pressdram brings a lot of hits if searched for online, but I just looked more widely and found this
www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/s...
...
