🚨Trump told Netanyahu that the mediators are working on a "letter of intent" that both the US and Iran will sign to officially end the war and launch a 30-day period of negotiations on issues such as Iran's nuclear program and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to an American source briefed on the conversation.
ON topic, after a dreary couple of weeks, it looks like all of western Europe (except northern England and Scotland) is about to get a SPECTACULAR heatwave
Could see a lot of records broken, for May
It's bloody freezing at the moment so it could be a bit weird to go that high so suddenly.
🚨Trump told Netanyahu that the mediators are working on a "letter of intent" that both the US and Iran will sign to officially end the war and launch a 30-day period of negotiations on issues such as Iran's nuclear program and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to an American source briefed on the conversation.
2 absolutely sensational goals by Aston Villa against Freiberg. Seriously, watch the highlights at half time. Outstanding.
Another huge cheer has just erupted from the pub down the road, so I'm guessing that's another one.
Villa have been absolutely outstanding. Their passing, often one touch, has been superb. They really could and should have had more. If they played like this all the time they would be Champions.
I know I bang on about Swindon in 1990 but there are parallels. After Swindon whopped Sunderland in the final (most one sided 1-0 I’ve ever seen) they were relegated again by the FA. Sunderland were promoted in their place. But why Sunderland and not Blackburn, who Swindon beat in the semis? It was a stupid situation and it’s happening again.
A party almost no one has heard of outside Twitter and Great Yarmouth will win? I cannot see it. Betting is small and bettors know little.
My assumption is that these aren't normal bettors. They're either online Restore supporters high on their own supply, or it's someone with enough money to throw it away to create a newspaper story about a surge in support for Restore by forcing the odds short.
"PA: A retrial jury has been discharged at Liverpool Crown Court after it failed to reach verdicts over allegations that Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, assaulted a police officer at Manchester Airport."
They broke her nose, on video, with a brutal punch
Well you are one of those frothing about the proposal to limit jury trials as being a sickening and shameful assault on the Magna Carta.
Rough with the smooth.
Have I said we must abandon jury trials? No. I have expressed surprise and dismay at this jury being unable to convict on very obvious evidence
That said, I do have grave concerns that jury trials will not be feasible in the future, as the Ulsterisation of the country continues, and we head towards civil strife (almost inevitable, unless Reform wins in 2029). Blacks will not convict blacks (we already see this), Muslims will not convict Muslims, and eventually - soon, I suspect - whites will not convict whites. In the end you have to abandon jury trials, as they did in Ulster
Diplock courts were only used for certain offences.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
I don't really see what Steeting gains from this. Far better to be the main rival, fight a clean fight, and earn a cabinet role as the standard bearer of the right. It's not like Burnham will ever trust him anyway.
Anyway, I see Kemi absolutely demolished Sir Russian Sympathiser on his anti-Aberdeen pro Rosneft oil and gas policy, and helped her party in the Aberdeen South by-election by so doing.
Because if he gets pummelled into the ground which he might be (“need to show unity boys”) then he loses all credibility and leverage
Cf. One Liz Kendall 4%
Although she didn’t have much credibility and leverage to start with…
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
Genius plan. Commit a crime so dastardly that being caught puts you into a spiral of anxiety...
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
The prospect of a long custodial sentence can do that to you
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
The prospect of a long custodial sentence can do that to you
That was my thought. It must be pretty normal to feel anxious and depressed when facing such charges (particularly when you read between the lines in this particular case).
It seems astonishing that it should give you an out from having to face trial and the potential for conviction.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
Happens regularly, happened in 2012 with a former MP.
Margaret Moran, the former Labour MP, has been ruled "unfit to plead" to charges of falsely claiming £80,000 in expenses and will not face trial.
The 56-year-old is suffering from severe depressive mental illness and extreme anxiety and agitation due to the stress of legal proceedings and issues in her childhood, a court was told.
She also suffered feelings of abandonment by the Labour party, and intense shame that her parliamentary career was over.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
At 60 as well. Either very unfortunate or very convenient for her.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
The prospect of a long custodial sentence can do that to you
That was my thought. It must be pretty normal to feel anxious and depressed when facing such charges (particularly when you read between the lines in this particular case).
It seems astonishing that it should give you an out from having to face trial and the potential for conviction.
Well exactly. It's Northern Ireland though, so what did you expect? Hopefully the people that Jeffrey Donaldson has absolutely no connection to whatsoever have drawn the line at sorting out a similar get out for Jeffrey.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
Happens regularly, happened in 2012 with a former MP.
Margaret Moran, the former Labour MP, has been ruled "unfit to plead" to charges of falsely claiming £80,000 in expenses and will not face trial.
The 56-year-old is suffering from severe depressive mental illness and extreme anxiety and agitation due to the stress of legal proceedings and issues in her childhood, a court was told.
She also suffered feelings of abandonment by the Labour party, and intense shame that her parliamentary career was over.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
At 60 as well. Either very unfortunate or very convenient for her.
I see you that, and raise you this:
He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but released after 10 months as he was believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He subsequently recovered.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
At 60 as well. Either very unfortunate or very convenient for her.
I see you that, and raise you this:
He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but released after 10 months as he was believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He subsequently recovered.
Hull City looking into automatic promotion amid ‘spygate’ furore
Club owner says he has been advised they should go directly to Premier League after Southampton’s expulsion from Championship play-off final
Hull City are exploring a case to be automatically promoted to the Premier League after Southampton’s “spygate” play-off final expulsion.
Acun Ilicali, the club’s owner, said he is considering his options after his lawyers told him “we should go directly to the Premier League”.
Hull’s intervention comes after Southampton apologised for spying on Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town and Oxford United but insisted their final ban was “manifestly disproportionate”.
Following the news that Southampton have failed with their appeal, City will now face Middlesbrough at Wembley on Saturday, although Ilicali, a Turkish businessman and broadcaster, has reservations about whether the game should take place.
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
Happens regularly, happened in 2012 with a former MP.
Margaret Moran, the former Labour MP, has been ruled "unfit to plead" to charges of falsely claiming £80,000 in expenses and will not face trial.
The 56-year-old is suffering from severe depressive mental illness and extreme anxiety and agitation due to the stress of legal proceedings and issues in her childhood, a court was told.
She also suffered feelings of abandonment by the Labour party, and intense shame that her parliamentary career was over.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
At 60 as well. Either very unfortunate or very convenient for her.
I see you that, and raise you this:
He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but released after 10 months as he was believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He subsequently recovered.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between rain and showers."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between the rain."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
I thought we were getting super il nino droughts or something?
I know I bang on about Swindon in 1990 but there are parallels. After Swindon whopped Sunderland in the final (most one sided 1-0 I’ve ever seen) they were relegated again by the FA. Sunderland were promoted in their place. But why Sunderland and not Blackburn, who Swindon beat in the semis? It was a stupid situation and it’s happening again.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
£21 on eBay
Mug
I suspect there's a NT visitor with a capacious bag and an ebay account
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between the rain."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
I thought we were getting super il nino droughts or something?
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between the rain."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
I thought we were getting super il nino droughts or something?
There's normally a delay between an El-Nino occurring and its impacts, and the El-Nino isn't forecast to be established until ~August, and there are so many influences on the weather that when you get to somewhere far away from the tropical Pacific like the UK the connection isn't 1:1. It will make certain weather more likely, but not certain.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with. ... Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
At 60 as well. Either very unfortunate or very convenient for her.
I see you that, and raise you this:
He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but released after 10 months as he was believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He subsequently recovered.
Was that the Guinness guy?
Ernest Saunders, 90 now, no info on whether he has since succumbed to dementia
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
£21 on eBay
Don't put it in the dishwasher.
I don’t own a dishwasher
People not taking advantage of the insane cheapness of beautiful old things are fools
Rachel Reeves has joined TikTok to announce 5-15 year olds in England will receive free bus travel this summer
Again another announcement that should be in Parliament first
It's not like anyone on tiktok is going to have the appointment spoiled for them if it is made to Parliament first. I don't see what the gain is to announce it first on tiktok (except that it avoids ministers being challenged by the opposition, I guess, which is a pretty big fudge and undermines the whole principle of the Executive being accountable to Parliament).
Ministers should be suspended from Parliament for this sort of thing until they start making announcements to Parliament first.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
£21 on eBay
Mug
I suspect there's a NT visitor with a capacious bag and an ebay account
It’s entirely possible someone drank coffee out of this, as they heard the news from the Battle of Waterloo
Which is great and all. But what makes these things brilliant is that they are superb coffee cups NOW. If you like your coffee short and black, or maybe cortado, like me
I’ve discovered I actually drink MORE coffee because using these “cans”’ - I have about eight now - is in itself so pleasing. The delicacy and beauty, the noom and the history. Have another shot!? Why not
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between rain and showers."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
When deciding if you're going to study meteorology you need to ask yourself weather or not.
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between rain and showers."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
The Irish weather forecasts often use a construction like that - "temporary periods of dry weather between rain and showers."
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
You have absolutely zero evidence for this
Are you having trouble with the meaning of the word "possible"?
Another really good little video for the PB Tories. How Tony Benn and Labour singlehandedly destroyed the entire British Motor Industry.
This is a subject I am reasonably well versed in and whilst the film is generally historically accurate the extrapolation is obviously the film maker's simplistic and partisan view. But if you like the idea that Labour politicians are wholly responsible for breaking Britain this is another one for you.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
£21 on eBay
Don't put it in the dishwasher.
I don’t own a dishwasher
People not taking advantage of the insane cheapness of beautiful old things are fools
You've just doxxed your optimistic tinder profile.
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
£21 on eBay
Mug
I suspect there's a NT visitor with a capacious bag and an ebay account
It’s entirely possible someone drank coffee out of this, as they heard the news from the Battle of Waterloo
Which is great and all. But what makes these things brilliant is that they are superb coffee cups NOW. If you like your coffee short and black, or maybe cortado, like me
I’ve discovered I actually drink MORE coffee because using these “cans”’ - I have about eight now - is in itself so pleasing. The delicacy and beauty, the noom and the history. Have another shot!? Why not
Would you mind if I joined you in Pseud's Corner? I have a considerable amount of Royal Worcester Prince Regent which in its day was very expensive but is now worth next to nothing, much like your Crown Derby. By the way the deluxe version of your coffee can comes with a saucer.
If you want the finest, whitest British porcelain look no further than Nantgarw and Swansea pottery. Your Nescafé Azzera will taste like the nectar of the Gods.
The corporatist death of Birmingham Recently there has been a rash of people on PB deprecating the corporatism of the 1945-1979 era, in particular its damage to the MIdlands. Previously I was only aware of @Luckyguy1983 holding this view (I think it came up during my Blob article), but apparently there's more than one of you. To try to put things in the one place, the three links below were listed by them in the past few days on PB
"For a long time, it has been perfectly obvious what vision Britain needs to pursue. The state, especially its welfare and pension function, must be contained. The resulting fiscal room must be used to incentivise the working population. The whole process will create relative losers, and absolute ones too. The resulting anger might tip into civil disorder. How much easier it is to get lost in airy waffle about what this or that prime minister “stands for”. Labour has the wrong ideas, but no lack of them. Britain can only wish the government were as vague and directionless as its reputation." (£)
"PA: A retrial jury has been discharged at Liverpool Crown Court after it failed to reach verdicts over allegations that Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and Muhammad Amaad, 26, assaulted a police officer at Manchester Airport."
They broke her nose, on video, with a brutal punch
Rachel Reeves has joined TikTok to announce 5-15 year olds in England will receive free bus travel this summer
Again another announcement that should be in Parliament first
It's not like anyone on tiktok is going to have the appointment spoiled for them if it is made to Parliament first. I don't see what the gain is to announce it first on tiktok (except that it avoids ministers being challenged by the opposition, I guess, which is a pretty big fudge and undermines the whole principle of the Executive being accountable to Parliament).
Ministers should be suspended from Parliament for this sort of thing until they start making announcements to Parliament first.
"For a long time, it has been perfectly obvious what vision Britain needs to pursue. The state, especially its welfare and pension function, must be contained. The resulting fiscal room must be used to incentivise the working population. The whole process will create relative losers, and absolute ones too. The resulting anger might tip into civil disorder. How much easier it is to get lost in airy waffle about what this or that prime minister “stands for”. Labour has the wrong ideas, but no lack of them. Britain can only wish the government were as vague and directionless as its reputation." (£)
I don’t think he’s going to win, but he’s put in one hell of a campaign.
Pratt is an actor/celebrity type who lost his house in the big fire last year, and is furious that the city is getting in the way of letting people rebuild.
Primary is on June 2nd, top two go to a runoff in November unless one of the 14(!) candidates gets 50%.
Rachel Reeves has joined TikTok to announce 5-15 year olds in England will receive free bus travel this summer
Again another announcement that should be in Parliament first
It's not like anyone on tiktok is going to have the appointment spoiled for them if it is made to Parliament first. I don't see what the gain is to announce it first on tiktok (except that it avoids ministers being challenged by the opposition, I guess, which is a pretty big fudge and undermines the whole principle of the Executive being accountable to Parliament).
Ministers should be suspended from Parliament for this sort of thing until they start making announcements to Parliament first.
It’s been going on since at least 1997, and won’t stop until the Speaker applies meaningful sanctions to ministers who do it. Same with the extensive briefing to the media in advance.
Call me old-fashioned, but I want the morning news to be about what was announced yesterday, with analysis and commentary on it - not a bunch of speculation about what will or will not be announced later today.
For all the criticism of HS2, the infrastructure they are building over the M42 for it looks absolutely class. Futuristic and very sleek.
Like many of these projects, it will undoubtedly be great once it’s operational.
The problems are the cost overruns and the delays. It likely would have been quicker and cheaper to build a tunnel all the way from London to Birmingham. A lot less land, fewer objections, fewer environmental regulations…
Currently on the train to London for an in-person meeting. How quaint.
Managed to attend a presentation to 125 people on Zoom from the middle of the French countryside by using my phone. Much better than London and a stuffy hall.
Comments
Which seemed to go Surrender! No. You surrender. No. You surrender.
4 point penalty remains in place.
Weird is the new normal.
Villa fans can't cheer.
They just make high pitched veeeellllaaaa screams
Like a girls hockey match
They coulda (shoulda) been a contender.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
Even at the height of the troubles.
Share, probability of winning, cash weight of bets, number of bets? I think it might be the last, which is the least interesting.
It's almost certainly meaningless bibble, in which case who is GBPolitics and why have they released this?
(It's not Cllr Bailey Nash-Gardner's outfit, that's Politics UK.)
https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2026/0520/1574342-eleanor-donaldson/
A judge has ruled that the wife of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is unfit to face a criminal trial on sexual offences charges due to the state of her mental health.
Eleanor Donaldson, aged 60, will now face what is called a "trial of facts" rather than a normal trial.
That means a jury cannot find her guilty but will be asked to determine whether she committed the offences she is charged with.
...
Dr Christine Kennedy told the court that Ms Donaldson was found to be "severely depressed", suicidal and suffering with "high levels of anxiety".
She said that on the balance of probabilities Ms Donaldson would not be able to instruct her legal team, could not follow the trial proceedings and would not be able to give evidence.
Edit: I ate that the numbers are pretty meaningless, but it's an essential skill of journalism to make a story out of nothing.
It seems astonishing that it should give you an out from having to face trial and the potential for conviction.
You can lay at 16, so Rupert's backers are paying 6% in 3 weeks but volume is tiny.
Margaret Moran, the former Labour MP, has been ruled "unfit to plead" to charges of falsely claiming £80,000 in expenses and will not face trial.
The 56-year-old is suffering from severe depressive mental illness and extreme anxiety and agitation due to the stress of legal proceedings and issues in her childhood, a court was told.
She also suffered feelings of abandonment by the Labour party, and intense shame that her parliamentary career was over.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/apr/27/margaret-moran-not-fit-trial
He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, but released after 10 months as he was believed to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He subsequently recovered.
No mention of night following day repeatedly.
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk
Hull City looking into automatic promotion amid ‘spygate’ furore
Club owner says he has been advised they should go directly to Premier League after Southampton’s expulsion from Championship play-off final
Hull City are exploring a case to be automatically promoted to the Premier League after Southampton’s “spygate” play-off final expulsion.
Acun Ilicali, the club’s owner, said he is considering his options after his lawyers told him “we should go directly to the Premier League”.
Hull’s intervention comes after Southampton apologised for spying on Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town and Oxford United but insisted their final ban was “manifestly disproportionate”.
Following the news that Southampton have failed with their appeal, City will now face Middlesbrough at Wembley on Saturday, although Ilicali, a Turkish businessman and broadcaster, has reservations about whether the game should take place.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/05/20/southampton-sorry-for-spygate-but-this-sanction-is-wrong/
I am genuinely very surprised.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g85dryv24o
I used to drink my morning espresso out of ordinary industrial coffee cups. Made by clay from a spray gun, sent on a conveyor belt into a kiln, packed by another machine, shipped 6,000 miles in a container, and sold to me through six layers of distribution. Total human contact: almost nil
Now I drink from this. Bloor Derby coffee can. Cast in Derbyshire from local clays in about 1815. Thrown or moulded by a named workman. Decorated in Imari-style with exquisite cobalt and gold by a painter whose number was 4 - it’s marked on the base - and whose hand can be traced on the asymmetric surface. Further gilded by a specialist. Fired in coal kilns by stokers. Sold to a specific Regency household - or possibly a coffee house. Then handed down or sold on. It is tiny and precious and it has endured and survived two hundred years of turmoil, attics, house-moves, two world wars, two pandemics, and now it fetches up in Camden
£21 on eBay
REF out from 2.1 to 2.7
LAB in from 4.2 to 3.3
Tracking for crossover if Burnham wins the by-election.
It's a way of making a forecast with a lot of rain in it sound less depressing, because you're emphasising when it will be dry. Like saying it will be dry 10% of the time instead of saying it will be wet 90% of the time.
Basically, no-one likes bad news, so the weather forecast has to be dressed up in as positive language as possible, or people will stop listening to it.
What they're telling you is that there's a good chance of rain in June, but no-one wants to hear that, so they emphasise that it won't rain *all* the time.
Conclusion: I'd make the most of the May heatwave. It's possible it will end up being the warmest weather of the summer.
Rachel Reeves has joined TikTok to announce 5-15 year olds in England will receive free bus travel this summer
People not taking advantage of the insane cheapness of beautiful old things are fools
Ministers should be suspended from Parliament for this sort of thing until they start making announcements to Parliament first.
£21
https://ebay.us/m/gKj7sc
It’s entirely possible someone drank coffee out of this, as they heard the news from the Battle of Waterloo
Which is great and all. But what makes these things brilliant is that they are superb coffee cups NOW. If you like your coffee short and black, or maybe cortado, like me
I’ve discovered I actually drink MORE coffee because using these “cans”’ - I have about eight now - is in itself so pleasing. The delicacy and beauty, the noom and the history. Have another shot!? Why not
Peter.
Now Villa win the Europa and Palace and the ARSE could make it a clean sweep. Albeit unlikely - but possible
This is a subject I am reasonably well versed in and whilst the film is generally historically accurate the extrapolation is obviously the film maker's simplistic and partisan view. But if you like the idea that Labour politicians are wholly responsible for breaking Britain this is another one for you.
https://youtu.be/QfkXDUaESQ0?si=dv_997ZJYwCe-hXg
https://x.com/Conservatives/status/2057154576180998286#m
If you want the finest, whitest British porcelain look no further than Nantgarw and Swansea pottery. Your Nescafé Azzera will taste like the nectar of the Gods.
https://auctions.rogersjones.co.uk/past-auctions/rogers10172/lot-details/bfc311c0-5349-4097-8ed7-a90600fe3368
"How Just One Mistake Destroyed Birmingham
METTLE"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgBkikcTITM
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/20/burnham-to-back-shabana-mahmoods-immigration-changes-allies-say?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
https://x.com/dsonoiki/status/2057088569056034922
Recently there has been a rash of people on PB deprecating the corporatism of the 1945-1979 era, in particular its damage to the MIdlands. Previously I was only aware of @Luckyguy1983 holding this view (I think it came up during my Blob article), but apparently there's more than one of you. To try to put things in the one place, the three links below were listed by them in the past few days on PB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgBkikcTITM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfkXDUaESQ0
https://web.archive.org/web/20181202122157/https://www.economist.com/blighty/2013/05/31/how-to-kill-a-city
If you have any more, please post
"For a long time, it has been perfectly obvious what vision Britain needs to pursue. The state, especially its welfare and pension function, must be contained. The resulting fiscal room must be used to incentivise the working population. The whole process will create relative losers, and absolute ones too. The resulting anger might tip into civil disorder. How much easier it is to get lost in airy waffle about what this or that prime minister “stands for”. Labour has the wrong ideas, but no lack of them. Britain can only wish the government were as vague and directionless as its reputation." (£)
https://www.ft.com/content/4bf7b4e9-7b34-464f-b9a8-52221621c23c
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p02zm1rf/a-very-peculiar-practice
https://x.com/olenarohoza/status/2057282622175285339
Not just Moscow either, Ryazan refinery is on fire again too. Very much on fire, only a day after they put out the last one!
https://x.com/euromaidanpr/status/2056965458209673398
Trouble this time is that she'd have to sort of go after her own base too.
Pratt is an actor/celebrity type who lost his house in the big fire last year, and is furious that the city is getting in the way of letting people rebuild.
Primary is on June 2nd, top two go to a runoff in November unless one of the 14(!) candidates gets 50%.
Call me old-fashioned, but I want the morning news to be about what was announced yesterday, with analysis and commentary on it - not a bunch of speculation about what will or will not be announced later today.
The problems are the cost overruns and the delays. It likely would have been quicker and cheaper to build a tunnel all the way from London to Birmingham. A lot less land, fewer objections, fewer environmental regulations…