Tag: United Kingdom

Prepare For War

I recently read an article that says the Brits have been warned to prepare for all out war in four years….

I post this for I want any of my UK readers to confirm that they have seen this prediction….

The British public should be prepared for “widespread war in Europe” within the next three to four years, military experts have said.

Russia’s increasingly audacious incursions into Eastern Europe risk spilling over into an all-out “hot” conflict that engages Nato, while Vladimir Putin’s current “grey war” activity of sabotage, cyber attacks and disinformation is expected to be “on steroids” before the end of the decade.

The chairman of the UK’s National Preparedness Commission, Lord Harris, told The i Paper that Britain needed to be better prepared, both militarily and across society, for a widespread conflict of this nature happening in the next few years.

This includes stockpiling emergency supplies to be used in the event of a war or major attack on critical national infrastructure, such as water, electricity or transport networks.

Harris, a Labour peer, said Britons needed to prepare for their lives “being changed or likely to be changed in the foreseeable future”, including having 72 hours worth of provisions if there was a major attack on infrastructure or a power cut caused by a hostile state

He suggested that the Government should make its “Prepare” website – which offers advice on readiness for emergencies such as floods and power cuts – more “in your face” and run regular ad campaigns on radio, TV and social media, as well as lessons for schoolchildren.

Britons told to prepare for ‘widespread’ war in Europe within three to four years

Please let me know if you have seen this or have more information than is presented in the article.

Do you believe the prediction?  If so why?

If true then it should have wide ranging implications across the globe.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

News From The UK

IST has a some UK visitors which I appreciate very much but most of my writings are about this country and our problems and events…..so I would like to write about a couple of stories I read that involve the UK.

First there is the news about Prince Charles….oh my bad he is a king now…..it has been reported that he has cancer and now he is refusing chemo….

Buckingham Palace announced in February that the King had been diagnosed with cancer, and his treatment has included some challenging moments, including a brief hospitalization just days before the Italian tour. Despite this, he returned to his duties by April 1, determined to stay engaged.

According to royal sources, Charles sees his role not just as ceremonial, but as an opportunity to make a real difference. “He knows he is fortunate to be in a position to create change,” a senior aide shared. “That’s what keeps him going, impact, not obligation.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/surprising-reason-king-charles-not-171832554.html

Is he really that concerned about the optics of stating his cancer or is it to avoid any speculation at the length of time he has left?

Just asking.

I see the Andrew has taken over the title of King Charles from his father….

Does that mean he gets all the benefits of being the king (for now)?

Now how about the deal for more US beef?

The Prez and the PM have a deal now for sending American beef to English markets….is that a good idea?

Officials in Britain are worried contaminated beef from the U.S. could soon be flooding their supermarket shelves, RadarOnline.com can report.

However, the same beef is widely produced stateside, and many of us eat it willingly every day.

A new trade deal agreed to by the two nations will see 13,000 tons of U.S. beef shipped to the U.K. – enough meat to serve one medium-sized steak to every adult in the country.

However, consumers overseas are fearful the much more leniently regulated U.S. beef will contaminate their supply.

A common practice in the U.S. is for farmers to raise hormone-treated beef. These cattle are injected with growth hormones to accelerate muscle growth and shorten the time to slaughter, thereby increasing production efficiency and reducing costs.

But the practice has been linked to concerns such as early puberty in children and increased cancer risks.

While the hormone beef is prevalent on our store shelves, Great Britain has banned it since 1989, when the EU declared it unsafe.

https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-food-deal-uk-contaminated-beef-supermarket/

There was one thing I admired about the UK/EU….their ban on genetically modified products…..what has happened to that excellent idea?

I realize there is so much more that I have missed and if anyone would like to add something please leave a comment for I would love to here about the stuff that does not make it over here.

Just my small way of showing my UK readers that they are not forgotten here on IST.

Thanks for the visits and the comments.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

It Is Good To Be The King

One of my favorite stories from last night….

This has nothing to do with our current situation here in the states but I thought my readers would like to see what can be accomplished with a king (and we have one in awaiting)….

Looks like the king of the United Kingdom will get a little richer next year….

It’s a good time to be a British royal. King Charles III’s monarchy will get a 53% bump in income next year and find itself on the receiving end of about $170 million. Here’s how that number was arrived at:

  • The bulk of the royal family’s wealth lies in the Crown Estate, a collection of lands and other holdings that now officially belong to Charles.
  • NBC News explains that in exchange for surrendering the revenue the Crown Estate generates, the monarchy receives the Sovereign Grant, which is funded by the taxpayer.
  • The Sovereign Grant had previously been equal to 25% of the Crown Estate’s profits; last year, the figure was slashed to 12%. The grant is reviewed every five years.
  • But the Crown Estate had a banner year, revealing in a Wednesday report it saw profits of $1.4 billion “driven by decades of investment in offshore wind, combined with a diverse and resilient property and land portfolio.” As the Guardian explains, “The crown estate, as legal owner of the seabed, has responsibility for auctioning offshore wind rights.”
  • Twelve percent of that is about $170 million, which is what the Sovereign Grant will equal for 2025-2026; the 2024-2025 Sovereign Grant totaled $110 million.
  • Some of next year’s money will go to the last stages of the decade-long renovation of Buckingham Palace, a project with a $475 million price tag. The royals also intend to purchase two new helicopters next year.
  • The news was met with criticism from some. The BBC has this from the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic: “We do not owe the royals a living, we do not owe them palatial homes, private helicopter travel or lives of leisure and luxury.”
  • The Sovereign Grant is far from the royal family’s only source of funds. The king gets income from the Duchy of Lancaster, while the Prince of Wales gets income from the Duchy of Cornwall. William’s first full year on the receiving end of that income saw him receive $30 million, reports the Guardian.

Cha-ching!

Like I said…”it’s good to be the king”.

Any Brits wanna comment?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Scary Scenario For The UK

Ever since Vlad the Invader went into Ukraine and starting thumping his chest with nuclear warnings and threats the whole world has been a tither with predictions of Putin marching down some Main Street…..but a report by an UK general gives a dire prediction….

A British general admitted on Tuesday that the UK couldn’t handle a war with Russia for more than two months as London has significantly depleted its military stockpiles by arming Ukraine.

Lt. Gen. Robert Magowan, the deputy chief of the defense staff, made the comments during a British parliament hearing where he was urging for more military spending.

MP Mark Francois, a member of the Conservative Party, asked Magowan if it was true that the UK “couldn’t fight Putin for more than a couple of months in a full-on shooting war because we don’t have the ammunition and the reserves of equipment to do it.”

Magowan said Francois’ statement was true. British Defense Minister Grant Shapps was also at the hearing and downplayed the lack of UK military readiness, saying any war with Russia would be fought alongside NATO allies, and referred to Article 5 of the alliance’s treaty that outlines mutual defense commitments.

“For people watching, and hearing that the UK isn’t ready for war exclusively with Russia, it’s important to understand that because we are in NATO and Article 5 exists, we would never be in that situation,” Shapps said, according to The Telegraph.

The comments came after a report from the House of Commons defense committee found that the British military was “increasingly overstretched” and wasn’t ready for a war with Russia. In December, The Times of London reported that the UK had “nothing” left in its military stockpiles after sending so many weapons to Ukraine.

Despite the state of the British military, the UK is one of the NATO countries most involved in the Ukraine proxy war. A recorded conversation between two German military officers that was recently published by Russian media revealed that British soldiers are “on the ground” in Ukraine helping Ukrainian forces fire Storm Shadow missiles.

(antiwar.com)

So arming Ukraine and now Israel is putting the UK at risk in the of a Russian conflict.

Would not commonsense dictate that country comes first and screw the others?

Just a thought.

Please if there is nay more info on this situation then share with my readers….I am sure they will appreciate it.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Nukes In The UK

Let us take a trip down memory lane…..it is the 1980s….a protesxt, led by women, were put together to protest the US stationing cruise missiles with nuke tips on UK soil.

Thames Valley Police warned of the scale and nature of the anti-nuclear demonstration planned to take place on Saturday 25 June; and on the urgent MOD reinforcement operation comprising 100 MOD Police and a somewhat larger number of RAF personnel that had consequently been set in hand.

  1. In the event, the demonstration took place and, at its peak, about 1500 were present outside the perimeter. At about 3.00 pm, some 80 demonstrators penetrated the wire, in 5 separate places, and entered the base. They were swiftly contained by the MOD forces, but not before some of them had reached the runway on which they painted anti-nuclear slogans (which have now been removed). There was one arrest by MOD police, for damage to the window of an MOD police coach, but all trespassers were removed from the base by the early evening.
  2. This event was significant in three main respects. Firstly, it was evidence again of the general reliability of Thames Valley Police warnings of the likely nature scale of such demonstrations- even though on this occasion the warning came at a very late stage. Secondly, the civil police assessment that incursions were likely was fully borne out. Thirdly, the event was further confirmation that the Greenham Common perimeter is a particularly hard one to defend and that, whatever the scale of internal reinforcement, it is unrealistic to suppose that every incursion can be wholly prevented- as opposed to being swiftly contained.
  3. The Guardian today reported the incident, together with the creation of a peace camp outside RAF Cottesmore. Extra MDP personnel have been deployed there and also at Porton where there is also now some presence of demonstrators although the latter have not so far been reported to the press.

In case you were more interested than I gave you credit…..

I bring up this historical bit because once again the US is planning on nukes for the UK…..

The US will deploy nuclear weapons to the UK for the first time in 15 years in a move Russia will view as a provocation, The Telegraph reported, citing Pentagon documents.

Pentagon procurement contracts show that the US is planning to station B61-12 nuclear warheads at RAF Lakenheath, a base in Suffolk, England. The US pulled its nuclear weapons out of the UK in 2008, and its decision to redeploy them demonstrates the low state of US-Russia relations.

According to The Telegraph, Russia said a US deployment of nukes to the UK would be an “escalation” that would require “compensating counter-measures.”

The US already has nukes stationed in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, and the Netherlands as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing program. Last year, Russia announced it was deploying nuclear weapons to Belarus amid tensions over the proxy war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed to NATO’s nuclear sharing program to justify his decision.

The B61 is the US’s primary nuclear gravity bomb, and the B61-12 is its newest iteration. It’s considered a tactical nuclear weapon, which have a lower yield than strategic warheads. But the B61-12 has a maximum yield of 50 kilotons, more than three times as powerful as the bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

The UK has a nuclear arsenal of its own and announced in 2021 that it was expanding, raising questions about Britain’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The UK said it was raising the ceiling of its nuclear warhead stockpile from 180 to 240 and that it would no longer publish information about the number of warheads it maintains in an operational status.

Will this trigger the intensity of the protests from 40 years ago?

Please any UK readers that have an opinion on this let me know…..

Personally, I think women should get involved again.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–01Dec23

The Conservative Party in the UK has issued its latest proposal and it is a doozy….apparently like the US the UK conservs have a hard on for the handicapped.

Critics of the UK’s ruling Conservative Party say welfare reforms unveiled Wednesday show why it is nicknamed the “nasty party.” Under the new plan, disabled people, including people with mobility or mental health issues, will be instructed to look for work they can do from home or face having their benefits cut by almost $6,000 per year, the Guardian reports. Jeremy Hunt, the country’s Treasury chief, said it was “wrong economically and wrong morally” for more than 100,000 people a year with illness or disability to be placed on benefits with no requirement to look for a job, reports the Times of London.

Official say they plan to use digital tools to track attendance at interviews and careers fairs. Critics, including charities for people with disabilities, criticized the plan as ill thought-out, noting that the number of work-from-home jobs has dropped sharply since the end of the pandemic. “Everyone should be able to work if they want to and can, but this latest government move looks sets to punish disabled people, adding more anxiety on to disabled households that are already struggling,” said Sarah White, the head of policy at disability charity Sense, per the Guardian.

Rachel Reeves of the opposition Labour Party accused the government of ignoring the “wider problem” of high rates of long-term illness and long National Health Service waiting lists, reports Sky News. “Britain is the only country in the G7 where the employment rate still has not returned to pre-pandemic levels,” she said. Hunt said Wednesday that the British economy has “turned a corner” and the government is bringing in the biggest tax cuts since the 1980s, the AP reports. But despite the cuts, taxation is still on course to reach its highest level since World War II, with more people moving into tax brackets that have been frozen for years.

Damn!  What dicks!

If anyone in the UK has more information on the issue please let us know.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–28Nov23

If you live in the UK do not die without a will!

I seems that if you die without a will then the King can reap some benefits….

The deaths of thousands of people in parts of England have increased the personal wealth of King Charles III, according to a Guardian investigation that might persuade many people—especially those opposed to the monarchy—to write wills. In most of England and Wales, the assets of people who die with no will and no known next of kin go directly to the government. But under a system that dates to feudal times, those assets go to the king’s Duchy of Lancaster property estate if the person dies in a former dukedom that covers a large area of northwest England that includes Liverpool and Manchester. In Cornwall, the assets go to the Duchy of Cornwall, now controlled by Prince William.

The duchies have long claimed that the funds, known as “bona vacancia”—Latin for “vacant goods”—are donated to charities. But documents seen by the Guardian show that only a small proportion of the funds go to charities and duchy officials have been granted permission to use bona vacancia funds to upgrade properties that are rented out for profit. One source says duchy officials consider the revenue “free money” and a “slush fund” to renovate properties including town houses and vacation homes. Charles inherited the Duchy of Lancaster when his mother died last year. Earlier this year, he received almost $33 million in his first annual payout from the property estate.

The Guardian notes that many of those who died without wills or next of kin lived in homes far more humble than the ones their assets are being used to renovate. Friends of people whose assets were claimed by the duchy say they’re dismayed that the funds are being used to increase the king’s wealth. “It’s shocking and it shouldn’t be happening,” says Charlie Briggs, a friend of retired nursery manager Val Taylor, whose assets were transferred to the king’s estate after she died last year at age 72. “It would be OK if the money was going to people who deserve it but not if it is going to an organization that has plenty,” he says. (Read more King Charles III

Please any UK readers could let my readers know if this is true and why is it so.

All I can do is shake my head….I am in no way in awe of the monarch….I think it is a free ride for giving nothing back.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“It’s Good To Be The King”

Anyone who saw the movie, History of the World–Part One, will recognize the quote….I thought I would open with that bit of cinematic history but the real story is the ‘bennie’ that King Charles II has just been given (I do hope my UK friends will way in on this)

King Charles III is set to receive a 45% raise. On Thursday, the UK Treasury announced details of the monarchy’s annual budget, known as the sovereign grant, suggesting it would be slashed in the coming years to allow funds to be spent on public services, as the king himself requested, the Guardian reports. But several critics say the statement is misleading as the sovereign grant is expected to increase from its current $111 million to $160 million in 2025.

Since 2011, the sovereign grant has been determined by the profits of the crown estate—a portfolio of land holdings and other assets. The prime minister, chancellor, and the king’s treasurer get together to determine what percentage of profits should be set aside for the monarchy. Since 2017, the rate has been 25%, “resulting in a steady increase in funding for the monarchy” as profits for the estate increased, per the Guardian. But profits are expected to spike next year from about $570 million to nearly $1.3 billion due to licensing revenues from the expansion of offshore wind farms.

The Treasury said the king would be entitled to 12% of the crown state’s profits next year, meaning he would receive $31 million less in 2024 and $167 million less in 2025-2026 than if the rate remained at 25%. “This money will instead be used to fund vital public services, for the benefit of the nation,” the Treasury said, per ABC News. It’s true that the Treasury will see “a multimillion-pound boost,” per Sky News. But the sovereign grant will remain unchanged at around $111 million in 2024 before climbing to $160 million in 2025 and $162 million in 2026, per the Guardian.

Seriously?

Now why does one of the richest people in the world need a pay raise?

What exactly does he do to warrant this raise?

I thought the useless US Congress was out of touch when they want a pay raise….but this….

Please let me know what this is all about….or what you think of this situation.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Whack-A-Doodles Across The Pond

The world knows we here in the US have some crazies….those that try to drive through road blocs and attack the White House or those that shoot kids playing hide and seek or those that cannot remember that they have kids in the car and leave them to die in a hot car…..some times we feel we are alone with the crazies…..but we are not…..even our friends in the UK are dealing with these morons….

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, his wife Sophie Hunter, and their three young children were inside their north London home when a man kicked through the iron garden gate, threw a plant at the garden wall, and took a knife to the property’s intercom system. “I know you’ve moved here, I hope it burns down,” the 34-year-old suspect shouted before fleeing, the Guardian reports, citing court records. He was identified as Jack Bissell, a former chef at the five-star Beaumont Hotel, based on DNA taken from spit spewed at the intercom, per court documents. It’s unclear when exactly the attack occurred. Details of the case were concealed until a successful challenge to the restrictions, per the BBC.

Shortly before the attack, Bissell had told a shopkeeper that he planned to break in to Cumberbatch’s house and burn it down, prosecutors said. He reportedly offered no defense for his actions. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage on May 10 and was fined roughly $310. Bissell—described by some outlets as the actor’s former chef—was also handed a three-year restraining order that will require him to stay away from the family and the area in which they live. “Naturally all of the family were absolutely terrified and thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them,” a source tells the Daily Mail, per the BBC. “Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since worrying that they may be targeted again.”

What did Cumberbatch do to this guy?

He was absolutely evil as Khan in Into Darkness….but did that deserve this type of crazy?

What did Cumberbatch and his wife do?

Please any UK readers that have more info pass it on…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Yes They Have A New PM

Just days ago the PM of the UK took it on the lame…..and now her replacement has been found…..

I admit that I know very little of this guy (so I bow to Pete’s analysis)…..

Britain’s next prime minister will be 42-year-old Rishi Sunak. The former finance minister’s path to victory improved dramatically on Sunday when Boris Johnson dropped out, then became a lock on Monday when his last challenger—fellow Conservative Penny Mordaunt—did the same, reports the Guardian. Monday was the deadline to line up the necessary support of party lawmakers, and Mourdant apparently realized she had no chance. Related:

  • Fitting timing: Sunak will be the first person of color to be UK prime minister, notes the Washington Post. He is of Indian descent, and the BBC points out a fitting coincidence: The news comes on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
  • Told you so: Sunak lost to Liz Truss in September, and his predictions that her economic policies were a mess have proven to be spot on. “Clearly, a lot of people are now thinking, he was right and Truss was wrong and they’ve proved that in spades,” Jill Rutter of the London-based Institute for Government tells the New York Times. “The UK has paid a high price for that and will continue to pay a high price for that lost credibility.”
  • Wealthy couple: Sunak has had a meteoric rise in politics, having been named chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) by Johnson at age 39. He is married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of one of India’s richest men (Narayana Murthy, a co-founder of Infosys). The couple’s wealth has led to accusations that Sunak is out of touch with ordinary Brits hit hard by inflation, notes the Times. Controversy over their finances may be his greatest political liability, and the BBC has a separate story with details. The couple met at Stanford University.

Hopefully his tenure will be longer than the women before him.

The UK does what the US does….put rich people in power that have NO idea what the rest of us go through daily…I say that because this wanker is uber-wealthy…..

Will he make it?

I say no more than a year.

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”