Jenny Bone

CMA launches review of private dentistry The CMA has launched a market study into the £8 billion private dentistry sector to make sure it is working well for UK consumers.

This is excellent! Following a review of veterinary services, which lead to significant new rules, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a review of private dentistry, looking at both essential care and cosmetic treatments.

Let's hope it leads to better, more affordable services!

A Political Earthquake Rattles the North Carolina Legislature

North Carolina Voters Punish Incumbents in Primary Election

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/u...

He broke the man’s arm for chrissakes. It’s a crime.

They have also redacted the 632 mentions of 'you remind me of my daughter'. I've no idea to whom that refers. Do you?

Iran “has the industrial capacity to produce around 10,000 [drones] per month ..

“.. ‘all Iran has to do is show they can hit a few tankers and concern will take care of the rest, folks just won’t go through,’ McNally said.”

@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/business/aer...

Another hate-filled grifter. Signed.

I’ve signed happily.
Over to you. 🙂👍✍️

Restoring order at the border speaks to Labour values. Without that, we won’t be able to do anything else at all | Shabana Mahmood Our approach, unlike that of the Greens and Reform, is in step with the British people. They don’t want extremes – they want a system that is managed and fair, says home secretary Shabana Mahmood

I agree with the Home Sec that Labour values include fairness, tolerance (inclusion), and patriotism.

But these values don’t mean we should threaten to forcibly remove refugees who have lived here lawfully for 15 or 20 years. That breeds fractured communities.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptor drones to counter Iran Kyiv has pioneered cheap and mass-produced machines to battle Russian versions of the Shahed attack drone

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Bit of a story here: the West has known for some time that Ukrainian interceptor drones are cheap, effective and the best way to deal with the sorts of things Iran has. If the US had been remotely serious it would have thought about this ahead of a war.
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Caroline Lucas: Scotland, we need to talk about how we can take on the far right I’ll be discussing what I learned while campaigning in the Gorton and Denton by-election, and how we can take on the far right together

If Scotland were to design a modern democratic constitution &, with it, return to the EU, then perhaps England would find a way to follow. My piece for @scotnational.bsky.social ahead of public meetings in Edinburgh & Glasgow next week - makehopepossible.org/tickets

Half-truths and no truths: Trump’s latest claims on the UK factchecked From the Chagos Islands to ‘windmills’ and sharia law, the US president’s comments do not bear much scrutiny

No way!

'From the Chagos Islands to "windmills" and sharia law, the US President’s comments do not bear much scrutiny.'
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Hundreds cross Azerbaijan's Astara border as Iran war intensifies Azerbaijan’s foreign minister says he held a phone call with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas to discuss evacuation efforts of European nationals trapped in Iran amid US and Israeli attacks.

Azerbaijan’s foreign minister says he held a phone call with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas to discuss evacuation efforts of European nationals trapped in Iran amid US and Israeli attacks.

She calls them "Labour Values" with absolutely no sense of the irony that those values they call 'labour' are exactly why former lifelong Labour voters (like me) are now not only no longer voting for them but also flagging them up for the right wing party they now are. As for reading the guardian 🙄😢

🚨ON 16 MARCH PARLIAMENT WILL DEBATE A PETITION FOR BY-ELECTIONS TO BE TRIGGERED AUTOMATICALLY WHEN MP’S DEFECT

Contact your MP NOW and ask them to attend and support the petition

How democratic is the UK? The UK has a crisis of democracy

Did you vote for this?

Wages taxed at marginal rates of 20%-45% + NIC.

Dividends taxed at rates of 8.75% to 39.35%. No NIC.

Capital gains at rates 18% to 32%. No NIC.

Poorest 20% pay higher proportion of income in taxes than the richest 20%.

Democracy and social justice... whose?

Digital Euro: The EU’s tool for payment sovereignty? Six in ten European transactions flow through American infrastructure, such as Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. Brussels wants to change that with the digital euro, its most ambitious plan.

Six in ten European transactions flow through American infrastructure, such as Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. Brussels wants to change that with the digital euro, its most ambitious plan. #EuXl

China economic growth target set below 5% for the first time at key meeting

China economic growth target set below 5% for the first time at key meeting https://aje.news/h0ml3u

A mugshot registration photograph from Auschwitz. A woman wearing a striped uniform photographed in three positions (profile and front with a bare head and a photo with a slightly turned head with a headscarf on). The prisoner number is visible on a marking board on the left.

5 March 1886 | A Polish woman, Wanda Zacharewicz, was born in Warsaw.

In #Auschwitz from 27 November 1942.
No. 26017
She perished in the camp on 4 January 1943.
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Women at Auschwitz:
📖 Lesson: https://lekcja.auschwitz.org/2022_kobiety_en/
🎧 Podcast: https://youtu.be/ijTxtbNlJO8

Badenoch gives a borderline disgraceful performance at PMQs on Iran | John Crace At times like this you have to thank your lucky stars that the opposition leader is not in Downing Street

“So the clashes between Keir and Kemi at PMQs felt almost existential. A battle between sanity and the distorted reality of an angry teenager. Thankfully sanity won out.”

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Revealed: How pollution is worsening Europe’s mental health crisis Air pollution, environmental noise, and exposure to toxic chemicals are all linked to a higher risk of mental health issues, the European Environment Agency warns.

Air pollution, environmental noise, and exposure to toxic chemicals are all linked to a higher risk of mental health issues, the European Environment Agency warns.

THE RACEHORSE
#Limerick #Poetry #Humor #Racehorse
#HorseHumor

There’s not one diplomat at working level of my acquaintance who is not deeply worried, fed up by the way hardly anyone is standing up to him. Low morale and a fair bit of low level depression among coworkers. Exhausting when every day brings new horrors.

Drone targets US base in Iraq as Iran attacks hit region amid US-Israel war Iran continues to strike US assets in the region as Gulf Arab states report explosions, downing of drones.

Iran continues to strike US assets in the region as Gulf Arab states report explosions, downing of drones.

International women’s day: activism in action We uncover truth and hold the powerful to account. Take action, donate and join the Amnesty movement to protect human rights.

This Saturday - looking forward to International Women’s Day with @amnestyfeminist.bsky.social 1 - 6pm at 1 Easton Street, London

www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved...

It is so damning of US news media that so many outlets refuse to just straight up say that Senator Tim Sheehy assaulted an activist.

He did not "help" Capitol police. They did not need his help. He wanted to assault the guy and did. He should resign.

Scott Bessent says 15% global tariff ‘likely’ to be imposed this week US Treasury secretary says duty is set to increase from 10% rate introduced after last month’s Supreme Court defeat

And here's the link:
www.ft.com/content/8f1b...

FT comments section this morning - saying what everyone else is thinking, right?

Reform fury as someone else wins by Our By-election Editor Tim Shipsink The losing candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, Matt Goodwhinge, has demanded an immediate re-run of the election on the grounds that he lost comprehensively to someone else. "It's totally unfair and rigged," said Goodwhinge. "I shouldn't be required to sit there and suck it up, just because I lost." Mr Goodwhine continued, *I can't believe that all those voters I demonised failed to back me. Especially after I was endorsed by Tommy Robinson and ten million Russian bots on X. "We have clear evidence of family voting, where people voted in order for me to stop deporting their families." Mr Badloser concluded. "I'm the victim of colour prejudice. They didn't vote for me simply because I'm not green." Reform leader Mr Farage, speaking from a sun lounger on a rock near the Chagos Islands said, "It's a tragedy that the people of Manchester won't see Matt in Westminster, but my constituents don't see me in Clacton either." PLUMBER DEFEATS MATT GOODWIN Photo of Hannah Spencer with speech bubble saying… I've stopped the cock

Beautiful from Private Eye on the massive toddler-tantrum that Matt Goodwin and Reform are having, because they got whooped in Gorton and Denton.

How would the Iran crisis play out in a world powered by renewables not fossil fuels? This conflict exposes the fragility of the global fossil fuel economy and how renewables create resilience.

How would the Iran crisis play out in a world powered by renewables not fossil fuels?
theconversation.com/how-would-th...