Ben Fenton

Had it not been for Brexit, this would probably have been a conversation involving the UK. We warned the Govt about it at the time. Isolation --> Irrelevance.

Norway ready to start nuclear weapons talks with France French leader Emmanuel Macron is looking to build European atomic cooperation.

Norway is willing to start talks with Paris on how French nuclear weapons can contribute to the continent's security, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said today.

Hi Arthur. Could your doodle have been a tower of sausages? OrCanary Wharf Tower (I was based there then, though when we spoke I was sitting in the press room of the Olympic Games in Barcelona). Yes, I was in DC 98-2002 for the DT. Busy times, especially 9/11/2021! Hope you're doing well. Yours, Ben

Remember what happened to Golgafrinchan though. Went viral. Just saying.

You will indeed.

Also, his book on the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal is excellent.

Happy 90th birthday to Sir John Tusa, ex #BBCNewsnight presenter+ex managing director of #bbcworldservice. Over 50 episodes of The John Tusa Interview ( #BBCRadio3 2000-2005) are still available on #BBCSounds. bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00…

Happy 90th birthday to Sir John Tusa, ex #BBCNewsnight presenter+ex managing director of #bbcworldservice. Over 50 episodes of The John Tusa Interview ( #BBCRadio3 2000-2005) are still available on #BBCSounds.
bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00…

Caldo Gallego – Galician Broth Many of the ingredients called for in a traditional Caldo aren’t available outside of Spain.

The weather may be warming in Britain, but there will be days to come when you are just going to need a Caldo Gallego – Galician Broth
substack.com/@juliusgrubg...

Honestly the collective national level of disdain for Brits living in Dubai on all my social media platforms today really is bringing the UK together as one in a way that's hard to achieve in the modern era.

Well, now we know how three of their jets came to be shot down by their partners: "no stupid rules of engagement". Just point and shoot. The dictum of the American armed forces since Lexington and Concord.

Hegseth: "Israel has clear missions as well for which we are grateful. Capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force ... no stupid rules of engagement."

Video appears to show US F-15 fighter jet crashing in Kuwait Kuwait's ministry of defence confirmed

Back in Gulf War 1, the RAF pilots used to tell us that they were more scared of "blue on blue" air defence systems than Iraqi ones because the operators were not the brightest. Plus ca change, it would seem.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

Ranking Member of the House Armed Services:

"I ... still have not heard from anybody from the Department of Defense -- nor has Chairman Mike Rogers, the Republican Chairman of my committee or in the Senate."

(hat tip: @acyn.bsky.social)

Talk about counting your chickens! Can't they see he's shaping up to screw up the elections in whatever way he can?

Trump subpoena, administration probes taking shape, House Democrats say If they take control of the chamber after the midterms, Democrats are planning to summon Trump to testify and launch an array of probes of the administration.

House Democrats, who hope to regain the majority in the November midterms, are charting an aggressive strategy of investigating the Trump administration next year.

I wonder how many members of the Trump cabinet bought oil futures when the price dropped slightly after promising signs from the trip-party talks just before the bombs started falling?

They were - sublime:

It is reassuring to know that US regulation does not allow futures traders to gamble on the time of someone's death. That could create complications. Although it also might explain all of those assassinations in the 1960s.

Will, thank you for this, though you have sent a harpoon of disappointment through my heart. I had not realised the rot set in so early. It's not too late though. I will speak to lawyers. Now I have something to campaign against. (Pic: estuary of the Inny River, Co. Kerry Midsummer's Night, 2024.)

And indeed the end of 2025 was probably the best year for shore-caught bass in the past quarter century.

I'd like you to take away from this that there are no river or lake bass in the UK/N Europe so only Americans call them sea bass and there should be an EDM to ban use of the phrase on all menus.

1) you must always handle dicentrarchus labrax with great because they have a gurt big dorsal fin with wicked spines and 2) increasing the bag limit by 50% is an incredible achievement because it shows that co-operation between anglers and authorities have allowed bass populations to recover. (mf)

I'm appalled, Will, frankly, that you can treat the issue of bass so lightly. Mostly, I'm appalled that you, though not @anooshc.bsky.social who is clearly a more civilised person, can go through this entire segment using the redundant Americanism "sea bass". But you've entirely missed 2 points (mf)

This may not be top of everyone's mind, but I think we can assume that Series 5 of Tehran will get the green light.

It does look a snap from the prizewinning couple from an online Target competition in Groyne, Nebraska, who were allowed to go into the secret room and get to choose the name of the op too.

I suppose it is superfluous to point out that the number of top officials apparently taken out in one day means the Israelis have always been able to do this, but were just waiting for the right guy to be sitting in the Oval Office. And for his polls to dive for the floor.

How many Brits who decided the tax paradise of Dubai was the place for them are now having second thoughts? Always helps to check a map when emigrating.

The "critics" who would be saying this, were they still with us, include the Founding Fathers and I would imagine pretty much every justice of the Supreme Court in the last 249.5 years.

But why not 'both sides' the War Powers Act and Article 1 of the Constitution?

Trump’s Unilateral Attack on Iran Paves Way for Broader Dispute Over War Powers

Trump’s Unilateral Attack on Iran Paves Way for Broader Dispute Over War Powers

Critics say the president is violating the Constitution, and many Democrats and at least two Republicans in Congress say they must vote on whether to enter such a conflict.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/w...

I’m looking forward to the future reveal of White House tapes that show Trump delayed strikes on Israel for a day because he wanted Clinton’s squirming over Epstein to lead the evening news.

It’s coming up to the 25th anniversary, a few days after 9/11, of a Pentagon analyst connected at the hip with Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and co solemnly telling me that his neocon mates would seek regime-destruction in “Iraq, Syria, Iran - probably in that order.” He expected the US to fail.