Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said that he's going to increase defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP, and he's going to do it without resorting to borrowing. He's going instead, he says, to cut 75,000 jobs from the civil service. On the back of this bit of news, the BBC on their website have an articl...

The PM is to raise defence spending and put the arms industry on a war footing. He's also guaranteeing 3 billion in aid every year to Ukraine, "for as long as required." Let's just look at some of his earlier decisions. He championed Brexit. Brexit that investment banking company Goldman S...

When was it that the United Kingdom became such a nasty place? Last night, following a demonstration by Rishi Sunak of the in effect, almost unlimited power of a UK prime minister holding a decent parliamentary majority, Parliament finally passed the law allowing migrants to be shipped by the plane-...

So Congress has passed the decision to approve the 61 billion military aid package to Ukraine, with much back slapping and congratulations all round. The Russian response came almost immediately in the acidic comment that it seemed like the US was determined that Ukraine should fight on until every ...

From today's Sunday Times. Briton in court over 'benefiting Russia' A Briton is in court charged with offences under the National Security Act with offences intended to benefit Russia. The person was arrested on April 10th and charged on Friday as a result of an investigation by Scotland Yard's coun...

I'll hand it to Israel, it was a damn fine trick to de-escalate the situation with Iran by committing an act of escalation. Odd logic, but this de-escalatory escalation (oxymoron, the credit for which must go to James O'brien, who made this observation yesterday) has achieved the seemingly impossibl...

Death of a beloved parent, marital breakdown, imminent homelessness, financial difficulties, a child addicted to drugs. These are all the ups and downs of life and you should just get over them. So says Doctor Sunak who has near a billion pounds in the bank and has never had to struggle for anything...

Just to start off on a bright note, reports are coming in of an Israeli strike on the Iranian city of Isfahan as I post. Reports are sketchy, but have come to the BBC website via its "partner station" CBS News. If the words of Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei are anything to go by, this ...

All true, but we are talking a complete ban here. Just staggered in its implementation. If you are fourteen today, as things stand you'd be able to but tobacco products in four years time on your 18th birthday. Under the new legislation by the time you reach 18, the minimum age of purchase will be 1...

The papers are all crowing over themselves this morning, sucking their own dicks because a judge has found in favour of some Cruella da Ville lookalike headmistress who has banned kids from having self organised prayer sessions in her school, where some two-thirds of the pupils are of the Muslim fai...

3rd episode in and still a bit undecided. The girl lead is not quite heavyweight enough for me - she's just not convincing as someone who could survive even for the brief period she has been out. I'm staying with it, but this isn't The Last of Us , and there's no point in pretending that it is. One ...

Does it ever occur to you that we might not be the good guys? I once worked very briefly, alongside a man who'd served in the army during second Gulf War, during which time he proudly told me, he'd spent his days "killing towel-heads." This guy was a grunt, but it would be a mistake to bel...

Why is Ben Wallace in today's Telegraph, saying that "Iran must be hit back twice as hard", as a response to its 'attack' on Israel? Last time I looked Ben Wallace was no longer defence secretary. He quit the job in order to be 'closer to his family' (or whichever bollocks excuse he decide...

And the little dog! Don't forget the little dog!

I'm lucky on that score. I have about a two hour maximum window for gaming before I loose interest and have to go do something else. Doesn't matter what game it is (though I've never played a MMORPG, so that might be different). (Incidentally - playing Metro Exodus at the moment and am so impressed ...

Finished it last week. Another roller-coaster ride, not for the fainthearted, but boy, ticking all the boxes. Can't say too much for fear of spoilering - but I'm thinking that you'll be more than happy SB. Similar trick as with the first book, in that the story jumps around on about 4 different stor...

Israel has killed a top Iranian Revolutionary Guard official and eleven other high ranking officials. It has made a direct strike onto (effectively) Iranian territory, and in return has recieved a telegraphed attack with yes, 300 drones, but none of them supersonic and all easily picked out of the s...

For anyone who was a fan of the two Ripley films, based on the character and stories of the Patricia Highsmith novels, this Netflix series is going to be a must. I'm three episodes in and can confirm that Andrew Scott is bringing his own twist to the notorious antihero, leaning perhaps more toward t...

I'm second show in now and as I hoped, it's finding its groove a bit. The young female protagonist is a bit squeaky clean for my taste (even though I accept she's fresh out of the vault and is supposed to be), but I dare say I'll get used to her. I do like the way that they are including little nods...

Now on the domestic front....... The ownership of Thames Water have run up massive debt for the privatised utility company, borrowing money to the tune of billions of pounds, which instead of investing in the future needs of the company, in terms of infrastructure maintenance and development, they s...