Seen in the News

[Stanley]

See THIS for the latest mad intervention from Trump....
1 hour ago
US President Donald Trump's proposal to cap credit card costs would be "an economic disaster", the boss of one of the world's biggest banks has warned. JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon said the plan would remove credit from the majority of Americans and hit restaurants, retailers, travel firms and schools. Trump this month wrote on Truth Social that interest rates on credit cards should be limited to 10% for one year from 20 January. The cap has yet to come into force and the president did not say how it might be introduced or whether such a move would be legally enforceable. Asked about the cap at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Dimon said: "It would be an economic disaster, and I'm not making that up because our business… we would survive it by the way." He said capping interest rates on credit cards at Trump's suggested level of 10% would be "drastic" and cut access to credit for 80% of Americans, adding that it is "their back up credit". In a dig at senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have supported such a cap, he said if Trump did go ahead with the plan, it should be trialled in their respective states of Vermont and Massachusetts.
Is he serious? Or is this yet more disruption.......

[Tizer]

I know Cathy likes to see pictures of snow while it's summer down under...
`Record snowfall leaves cars stuck and people stranded in Russia's Far East' LINK

[Stanley]

That image shows how lucky we are.
Remember we are on roughly the same latitude as Labrador and today their weather is a low of -28C and heavy snow expected. We have the benefit of being warmed by the sea.....

[Tizer]

`US officially leaves World Health Organization' LINK
The US has officially withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving the UN agency without one of its biggest donors. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order signalling the withdrawal a year ago, having criticised the organisation for being too "China-centric" during the Covid pandemic. The US Department of Health and Human Services said it took the decision due to the WHO's alleged "mishandling" of the pandemic, an inability to reform and political influence from member states. The WHO has rejected these claims and its director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the withdrawal was as a loss for the US and the world. The organisation pointed to its global efforts to combat polio, HIV aids, maternal mortality, and its international treaty on tobacco control. In the wake of the pandemic, WHO member states worked to create an international pandemic treaty designed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics, including sharing vaccines and drugs more fairly.

The treaty was finally agreed in April last year by all WHO member states, apart from the US. Washington has traditionally been one of the biggest donors to the WHO, but has not paid its fees for 2024 and 2025, which has already caused huge job losses at the organisation. Although WHO lawyers suggest the US is obliged to pay the arrears - estimated at $260m (£193m) - Washington said it saw no reason to do so....

[Tripps]

Laser attack

I do wish I was like everyone else and believed what I read on the BBC. It would be a lot easier.
My BS detector is off the scale here. I don't believe any of it.

[Stanley]

Peter, I heard the report about the US ditching the WHO and refusing to pay the last two years subs. I have nothing to measure the effects of this by. Trump is ignoring the rule-based order that was set in place after the trauma of WW2. Either he isn't aware or he doesn't care. It doesn't really matter which, the result is the same. I thought Nixon and Kissinger were bad but this has them beat by a mile.....
David, I'll agree that it looks as though there has been some exaggeration in the report but I can believe that the incident, misuse of a laser pointing device, actually happened.

[Tizer]

Laser attack
I do wish I was like everyone else and believed what I read on the BBC. It would be a lot easier.
My BS detector is off the scale here. I don't believe any of it.

Why don't you believe it, Tripps? Lasers dangerous to the eye are being sold in the UK because the foreign manufacturers are labelling them as safe when they are really in the dangerous classification. This is from the The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: RCSE

[Tripps]

Why don't you believe it, Tripps?

The report implies that the laser caused damage to his eye. However he seems to have had no cause for concern and only went for help after advice from people on "community social media". It was then found he had a corneal defect - which could well have existed before this incident. Much of the article concerns what might have happened rather than what did.

Similarly I had to resign from "The Mill" online newspaper (at some cost to myself), when it took the gullible line about spiked drinks.

I see laser pointers even 'high power' ones, are readily available on eBay. Surely if there was such danger they would be banned?

[Tizer]

I see laser pointers even 'high power' ones, are readily available on eBay. Surely if there was such danger they would be banned?

It would probably take our government years to get around to banning them.

[Stanley]

THIS breaking news heads the news this morning....
Federal immigration officers have shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, sparking further protests. Minnesota senators identify him as Alex Pretti, adding that he was a 37-year-old Minneapolis man, a nurse and US citizen. The death comes less than three weeks after American citizen Renee Good was shot dead by an immigration agent in the city. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says agents fired "defensive shots" after Pretti "reacted violently". Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says the account of events from federal authorities is "nonsense" and "lies". Meanwhile, President Donald Trump accuses the mayor of Minneapolis and Governor Walz of inciting an "insurrection". Walz says he has asked federal agents to leave, and insists that the state will "investigate this". Demonstrators gathered in Minneapolis after the incident, with images showing clashes with law enforcement
This has all the hallmarks of another disastrous result of the deploying of ICE officials in the cities.... In effect it is Trump declaring a sort of ersatz martial law and it is obviously fraught with danger.

[Tizer]

An update...
`What we know about fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis' LINK
Federal agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Saturday, the second person to be fatally shot in the city during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown this month. Local officials identified the man as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a US citizen who lived in Minneapolis and worked as a nurse. Videos have emerged showing a scuffle between Border Patrol agents and the man in the lead up to the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the agents fired in self-defence after Pretti, who they say had a handgun, resisted their attempts to disarm him. Eyewitnesses, local officials and the victim's family have challenged that account, pointing out he had a phone in his hand, not a weapon. His parents accused the administration of spreading "sickening lies" about what happened. "Please get the truth out about our son," they added.

ICE agents have tasers. Why don't they use them before resorting to automatic guns (they fired 10 shots at the man in the above incident).

I suppose Trump's addled brain is incapable of seeing the similarity between what his ICE agents are doing in the US and what he's complaining about the Iranian government's security forces doing to its civilian people.

[Stanley]

You are quite right Peter. Trump sees nothing wrong with this way of imposing his will. It is a tragedy for democracy and it couldn't have happened in a worse state. Minnesota is famously egalitarian and dare we say it, Left Wing.

[Tizer]

Irony! I guess NRA members and all US gun lovers are worried they might be next for getting shot!...
`NRA and other US gun activists push back at Trump officials over Minneapolis shooting' LINK
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has joined other US gun lobby groups in calling for a "full investigation" by the Trump administration into the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota.....
The NRA labelled a suggestion by a federal prosecutor that people who carry guns risk being lawfully shot by officers as "dangerous and wrong". "Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalisations and demonising law-abiding citizens," the NRA said in a statement....

[Stanley]

Not often we can agree with the NRA but in this case they could have a point.

[Stanley]

See THIS live coverage of the latest position on the Minneapolis shooting.
The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday and its aftermath have rocked Minnesota. Pretti, a US citizen who was an intensive care nurse, was shot by a Border Patrol agent during an altercation when agents tried to restrain him. Senior Trump administration officials described Pretti, who had a firearm on his person that day, as a "would-be assassin" and "domestic terrorist", labels that have been rejected by Minnesota officials and his family. But on Monday, the White House appeared to be shifting course with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterating Trump's commitment to a full investigation. The administration is also dispatching Tom Homan, its "border tsar", to the state, where he is set to meet with Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz - both of whom spoke with Trump on Monday. Perhaps the biggest sign of a retreat has come in the form of the administration's withdrawal from Minneapolis of some Border Patrol agents and their commander, Gregory Bovino, who claimed Pretti wanted to "massacre" federal officers. Amid the political fallout, Republicans nationwide have been critical of the administration's handling of Pretti's killing. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been called to testify before a Senate committee in March. A leading Republican candidate in the Minnesota governor's race also dropped out, harshly criticizing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategy in the state.

[PanBiker]

I believe his legally owned handgun was holstered and secured.

Last nights news showed a map of the US where ICE and other armed personnel are distributed around the country. Looked a bit like what a normal sane person would call Marshall Law. They seem to be practising it with impunity.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC Live report from Minneapolis. Breaking news....
US President Donald Trump says that he'll "de-escalate a little bit" in Minnesota, describing his position as not "a pullback, it's a little bit of change". In an interview with Fox News, Trump says the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti were terrible - but adds Good may have been "radicalised". Earlier, Democratic House leaders threatened to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over the immigration crackdown if Trump doesn't fire her - In the Fox interview, Trump praises the work she did on the US border. The truth is that impeaching Noem could be next to impossible, writes our North America correspondent. Trump's "border tsar" Tom Homan has now arrived in Minneapolis to take over on-the-ground operations - who is he and what is his job?. Earlier, a Minnesota judge ordered acting ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in court on Friday, saying the agency's violations of court orders is 'extraordinary'.

On the scene at Rep. Ilhan Omar's town hallpublished at 01:19
Ana Faguy
Reporting from Minneapolis. About 100 people are gathered in a north Minneapolis basement to hear their Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, speak. Around town, there’s only one thing on residents’ minds - the presence of federal immigration officials. We’re expecting to hear Omar address what’s happening in the city and the response to Alex Pretti’s death. As we waited, a man suddenly charged toward Omar as she was speaking and sprayed some sort of liquid at her. Immediately, security jumped in, and people started yelling, "It smells!". The man was shouting, as were people in the crowd, as security removed him from the room. “We will continue, these [expletives] will not get away with it," she said. "We are Minnesota strong."
Trump is not only attacking democratic principles.... he is destroying Law and Order as well. How long can he carry on like this?

[Tripps]

Anyone been watching the shenanigans on the world silver makets over the last few weeks. I have - despite not owning any silver at all. It was priced at about $20 per ounce for years, then started to go up recently. Many thought it was undervalued, and started to collect it . They were known as "stackers". They were happy to pay the VAT of 20% on it and 'stack' it away.

The price went to well over $100 an ounce in the last couple of days, and now I find

Silver crisis.

Can all this be true? They warn of 'altered content' at the start. Is it just AI?

May you live in interesting times. . . .

PS It was all such good fun - who needs computers?

[Stanley]

I watched the clip David and of course I don't understand it and so can't express an opinion. I class this with the change I have seen in my lifetime in paper money. There used to be a promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of X pounds and this was in the same text size as the other information on the note. It is still there today but in tiny lettering, you need a magnifying glass to read it.
Originally that meant they promised to pay in gold on demand but of course that can't apply today, there simply isn't that much gold available.
I have never understood any of this and I am in the same position with the price of silver.
I doubt if we will see the collapse of the London Money Markets but I have no control over it. The same position I have been in all my life so I shall just ignore it.
Meanwhile.... THIS news caught my eye......
2 hours ago
British car, van, truck and bus production fell to its lowest level since 1952 last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Its chief executive Mike Hawes said it had been "the toughest year in a generation", with output hit by a major cyberattack at Jaguar Land Rover, the closure of Vauxhall's plant in Luton and deep uncertainty over US trade policy. The situation is expected to improve this year, with the introduction of new electric models. The SMMT believes production of cars and vans could exceed 1million by 2027. But Hawes warned that "increasingly protectionist" proposals emerging from Brussels represented a "significant threat" to the UK industry. Overall, 764,715 vehicles were built in 2025, which was 15.5% fewer than in 2024. The vast majority of these were cars, with 717,371 leaving the production line. That was some 60,000 fewer than last year. By comparison, as recently as 2016, the UK produced 1.7 million cars. But since then, analysts say uncertainty over Brexit arrangements, the 2021 closure of Honda's factory in Swindon, the impact of the Covid pandemic and serious supply chain disruption have taken a heavy toll on the local industry. Last year, vehicle manufacturing was badly affected by a number of one-off or temporary issues. They included the cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover, which forced the company to shut down its computer networks and brought its factories to a halt at the beginning of September. Facilities which would normally build thousands of cars each week remained idle for more than a month, and production did not get back to normal for some time after that.
This seems to me to be far more important than academic discussions about the price of silver.......

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the latest news on the WASPI compensation.
Women affected by changes to the state pension age have reacted with fury after ministers again rejected their claim for compensation. The government reconsidered the case after a new document came to light, but has again concluded no compensation should be paid. Campaigners say 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in their state pension age, which brought it into line with men. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group said the latest decision demonstrated "utter contempt" for those affected.
This is disappointing news for almost 4 million women.
If you added up the outstanding sums claimed for admitted government liabilities... I'm thinking of the contaminated blood and the Post Office Horizon enquiry as well, it must add up to an enormous sum. This is what is driving the government to deny or delay payment as long as possible. Not a pretty sight!

[Stanley]

See THIS for the news thread that keeps on giving.....
Updated 19 minutes ago
Millions of new files relating to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released by the US Department of Justice, the largest number of documents shared by the government since a law mandated their release last year. Three million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos were posted publicly on Friday. The release came six weeks after the department missed a legal deadline signed into law by President Donald Trump that mandated all Epstein-related documents be shared with the public. "Today's release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said. The files include details about Jeffrey Epstein's time in prison - including a psychological report - and his death while incarcerated, along with investigative records on Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate who was convicted of helping him traffic underaged girls. They also include emails between Epstein and high-profile figures.

[Stanley]

See THIS incoming update on the news from the Gaza Strip....
Updated 1 hour ago
At least 32 people have been killed in a wave of Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to local authorities. The civil defence agency, which is operated by Hamas, says children and women were among those killed. It added that in one attack, helicopter gunships hit a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinians have described these strikes as the heaviest since the second phase of the ceasefire, brokered by US President Trump last October, came into effect earlier this month. The Israeli military confirmed that a number of strikes were carried out in response to what it said was a Hamas violation of the agreement on Friday. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce since it came into effect last year. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said "eight terrorists were identified exiting the underground terror infrastructure in eastern Rafah", an area in Gaza where Israeli forces are deployed under the October agreement. The IDF said it had, together with the Israel Security Agency (ISA), struck targets in various locations including "four commanders and additional terrorists" as well as a weapons storage facility, a weapons manufacturing site and "two launch sites belonging to Hamas in the central Gaza Strip". Hamas has condemned the strikes and urged the US to take immediate action, adding that "these ongoing violations" confirm that the Israeli government "continues its brutal war of genocide against the strip".
This is a very strange cease fire......

[Stanley]

See THIS latest news....
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack on his country would spark a regional conflict, as the US continues to build up its forces nearby. "The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war," Khamenei was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Donald Trump earlier said Iran was in "serious discussions" and he hoped they would lead to something "acceptable", while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN, external he was "confident that we can achieve a deal" on Tehran's nuclear programme. Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran over its nuclear ambitions and after its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Araghchi said: "Unfortunately, we have lost our trust [in] the US as a negotiating partner," but added the exchange of messages through friendly countries in the region was facilitating "fruitful" talks with Washington. Iran's top security official Ali Larijani had previously said a framework for negotiations was progressing. As part of its build up of forces, the US has sent its aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region and late last week US Central Command said it was operating in the Arabian Sea. "[Trump] regularly says that he brought ships... The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things," added Khamenei.
Is this yet more sabre-rattling or are we genuinely getting nearer to regional war?

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS BBC in Depth report on AI polluting social media.....
Joe Tidy
Cyber correspondent, BBC World Service
Théodore remembers the AI slop that tipped him over the edge. The image was of two emaciated, impoverished South Asian children. For some reason, despite their boyish features they have thick beards. One of them had no hands and only one foot. The other was holding a sign saying it's his birthday and asking for likes. Inexplicably they are sitting in the middle of a busy road in the pouring rain with a birthday cake. The image is full of tell-tale signs that it was made with AI. But on Facebook it went viral with nearly one million likes and heart emojis. Something snapped in Théodore. "It boggled my mind. The absurd AI made images were all over Facebook and getting [a] huge amount of traction without any scrutiny at all - it was insane to me," says the 20-year-old student from Paris. So Théodore started an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, called "Insane AI Slop" and started calling out and poking fun at the content he came across that was fooling people. Others took notice and his inbox soon became flooded with people sending submissions for popular so-called AI slop.
I don't know if Youtube counts as social media but this article rang a bell with me because of late I have become increasingly aware of obvious AI generated images that are sloppily used and have to be avoided.

[Tizer]

Here we go again...
`Trump seeks $1bn in damages from Harvard' LINK
Donald Trump announced he will be seeking $1bn (£730m) in damages from Harvard University in his administration's ongoing feud with the institution. The news comes after the New York Times reported that the US president's administration had to backtrack from its demand for a $200m payment in negotiations with the university. Trump cited the story in a Truth Social post late on Monday, blaming Harvard for "feeding a lot of nonsense" to the New York Times....