Liz

@mrjamesob.bsky.social @lbc.co.uk Another terrible misstep by Labour - effectively limiting IB to private schools with no consultation. My daughter’s school is one of the affected and is being forced to switch to A levels from next year.

My son has loved Politics A-Level. In Y13 so he’s in the thick of it (which coincidentally is one of his favourite shows!).

In his first Sunday address at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

"I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people. Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible⤵️

On which side? What a beautiful epitaph ✨

Called it

Love a curveball meme. Bet it’s all kicking off on Airforce One.

Cartoon by Stephen Collins for The Guardian. Script as follows: [Scene is just a close up of Keir Starmer talking to someone off-scene] 1 STARMER: Mr President, thank you so much for agreeing to meet me 2 STARMER: It's great to talk to you so we can work together to maintain global economic stability at this challenging time. 3 [We see who Starmer is talking to - it is a small penguin low down in an empty panel] PENGUIN: Уuр. [Thge penguin has coiffed gray hair like Starmer] 4 [Wider view, show them both together now. they are on a cold, desolate island with lots of other penguins in the back=ground. Starmer's helicopter and pilot is also in the distance.] STARMER: So have you spoken to him then? PENGUIN: Who 5 STARMER: Donald Trump PENGUIN: The orange thing? STARMER: Yes 6 PENGUIN: Yeah I had a Zoom with him yesterday STARMER: Oh...really... 7 PENGUIN: Yeah I told him: look, it's a bit weird that you've put McDonald Island on this 'tariff list', but whatever 8 PENGUIN: I mean, we're just a cold, miserable island... isolated from the world, forgotten by humanity... We don't even *make* anything let alone export it to *America*... 9 PENGUIN: In a way it's flattering anybody remembers us enough to put us on a list... 10 STARMER [looking thoughtfully at the ground]: Mm. 11 PENGUIN: Hey- is the word 'Keir' some sort of trade term? He kept calling me 'Keir'. 12 [Wide view of the desolate, cold scene, Starmer standing talking to a penguin] PENGUIN: I'm new to all this.

one from last week

Or Requiem

Abrego Garcia's wife: "I will not stop fighting until I see my husband alive. Kilmar, if you can hear me, stay strong. God hasn't forgotten about you. Our children are asking when you will come home ... they miss their dad so much."

Strongly recommend. What a talent. What a loss. And so strong the political resonances (and the need for voices like theirs) today

Kris Jenner without a hint of irony advises the astronauts to be present and not to look at life through a phone.

I appear to have stumbled across a Black Mirror episode where the Kardashians are providing commentary before a rocket launch.

The American people have risen up and they are PISSED AS HELL.
#HandsOff

I know we’re halfway there but at what point will they officially start teaching the wrong history (ie. the MAGA version) in US schools?

A picture of the hotel still smouldering at nighttime. It has been totally gutted by fire and the roof has collapsed. Fire engines are on the scene

NEW: Multiple reports of Russian missiles pouring into Ukraine tonight, targeting civilians.

The US has shut off the intelligence Ukraine needs to protect itself.

This hotel in the southern city of Kryvyi Rih took a direct hit.

Trump has the blood on his hands of every Ukrainian casualty tonight.

A busy day for Rooney. Football punditry at 4pm and then the dissolution of a couple of monasteries on his way home.
#MNUFUL

After the repugnant scenes in the White House yesterday, this is so moving. Thank goodness we have a decent, brave and deeply honourable PM.

Keir Starmer is tonight the leader of the free world
#slavaukraine

Very keen to go to a Myles Smith gig.

3/1/2025- The Meeting www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/fe...

Garry Kasparov is right, I’m afraid: they are breaking everything so quickly even though it’s unpopular, because they never expect to face real elections again.

www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

God, can't believe it's *still* January.

I had a dream where I met Alexander from Traitors and couldn’t find the camera app on my phone to take a selfie. Similar help required!

Anyone flying to the US soon?

To be fair it is easy for the mind to wander to horticultural matters watching this dross.

I’m an ardent geek watcher of WW2 films and Number 24 (on Netflix) of one of the very best. Intense, authentic and thought provoking. What would Gunnar Sønsteby make of the world now?

It’s so sad that I know you’re talking about America. I fear we might be on the same path.

I remember my mum saying in her last summer that she found such happiness seeing the roses bloom. That has always stayed with me.

The False Gospel of Stuff and Status We have become disciples of a flawed creed. To chase passion and value people is a much wiser way to live; or Ikigai, Detectorists, and the real meaning of life.

I wrote about the dominant creed of American life — the Gospel of Stuff and Status — and argue that these false idols are making millions of people avoidably miserable. www.forkingpaths.co/p/the-false-...

Deep dive into BBC music tonight. Sir Jools Holland. Make it so.