William French

"It pains me to say it but my country is engaged in a war of aggression": striking comments by former US CENTCOM head of International law on BBC World Service.

Brilliant. An expat im Dubai has a startling revelation, by @stephencollins.bsky.social

Mieux vaut tard que jamais.

I'm sure there's an element of plus ça change here, but this feels particularly crass and vile.

"War is never as clear and simple as a soundbite": Jeremy Bowen is a voice of wisdom and experience amid the bluster and dissembling of other "pundits" on BBC News.

Why they didn't give him a weekly column is beyond me.

Elon Musk doesn’t understand Sweden’s unions. If he did, he’d work with them | German Bender If the Tesla CEO studied the Nordic labour movement like he studies car batteries, he’d see that collective bargaining can suit employers too, says Swedish analyst German Bender

Still ain't got nothing on this fellow. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Hezbollah and Israel open new front in regional war Countries targeted in the Iranian response include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as a British airbase in Cyprus

“I hate the word ‘Hezbollah'" - Lebanon reels as the Iranian-backed militia drags it into another regional war.

My report from Beirut

www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

It'd take a heart of stone not to laugh. The @financialtimes.com really is indispensable!

Well I've always called the 29 the Bus of Death, so now it all makes sense.

Presumably they can be deployed across the length and breadth of the UK's bus network?

Dreadful news. RIP.

US aircraft leave Spain after government says bases cannot be used for Iran attacks Fifteen U.S. aircraft have left the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain since the U.S. and Israel launched weekend attacks on Iran, maps by flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed on ...

US aircraft leave Spain after government says bases cannot be used for Iran attacks
www.reuters.com/world/middle...

UK ‘took far too long’ to let US use its airbases to attack Iran, Trump says US president also ‘very disappointed’ in Keir Starmer over UK government’s deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius

“It took far too much time. Far too much time. That’s probably never happened between our countries before. It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”

Wait till he hears how long it took the US to join both World Wars.

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Note also how international law is placed in mocking quotation marks. Unserious, unworthy, unqualified.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - US military says Kuwait 'mistakenly shot down' 3 American F-15E Strike Eagles aircraft during combat.

@apnews.com

Boom times for the makers of the world's tiniest violins.

Trump and Netanyahu’s attack on Iran is an illegal act of aggression | Kenneth Roth Their actions are no different from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine or Rwandan president Paul Kagame’s invasion of the Democratic Republic of Congo

"This latest example of Trump’s might-makes-right world view can only encourage other acts of aggression, whether China’s seizure of Taiwan, Ethiopia’s and Eritrea’s threats against Tigray, or the latest fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Trump’s unprovoked attack on Iran has no mandate – or legal basis US president violates UN charter just days into his Board of Peace era, and chooses to take the biggest gamble of his administration

"In 2003, the road to war in Iraq was paved with lies about nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. The path to a new conflict in Iran 23 years later has been lined largely with incoherence or silence." Always worth reading @julianborger.bsky.social.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

The last time I flew from Heathrow T5 they played the Last Post to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Today, the muzak and tourist chatter is interspersed with TV footage of death and destruction from Iran. What state will the world be in when I land in 9 hours' time?

Would be nice if the media showed *any* memory about his previous outbursts, but let's not kid ourselves eh.

Vote Leave were more than happy to exploit this in 2016 as I recall.

“The military strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran violate international law and threaten regional and global security.”

Chair of The Elders, Juan Manuel Santos, calls for an immediate halt to military escalation.

People who moved to the UAE for tax purposes are now, I assume, closely examining a map of the region.

A reminder of how remarkable and resilient the people and culture of Iran have always been…

Pity the Iranian people, pawns in a clash of egos between a blood-stained theocracy and reckless US-Israeli adventurers. Who will stand up for their rights, and the rule of international law?

Paddy Ashdown will raise a glass from the Pearly Gates Tavern too.

The New Age of Resource Competition Needs Transparency

Helen Clark & Ellen Johnson Sirleaf worry that the scramble for critical minerals will enrich the few at the expense of the many.

A consistent recurring theme of Farage byelection losses over a decade - Oldham 2015 with Ukip, Peterborough 2019 with Brexit Party, Gorton & Denton 2026 - is to talk loudly about electoral challenges about minority voters. But never to actually put the case to authorities. Media should spot pattern

"Here’s my cos-benefit analysis."