Thanks to Zak Doffman a contributor about security, surveillance and privacy at Forbes for the Headline
I think this headline is very effective not in just telling the story of the shutting down of Communications in Iran , but also in portraying the danger that the protesters are in by actually just saying that they are unhappy with the situation in Iran. “Kill Switch” meant to me not just blocking the satellite communications with Starlink, but also taking revenge on those that are using it.
Will the authorities manage to block the people with the illegal devices that can track the satellites and transmit communications with them? So far they have managed to block about 80% of the traffic, however at a cost to themselves in Iran’s Economic Performance. It seems that the Economy needs a decent Internet Communication to function. So the Iranian Authorities are indeed not just repressing their people , they are also shooting themselves in the foot at the same time.
Thanks to Evan Bush and Aria Bendix from NBC News for the Headline
Tragically, there has been a many fold increase in the instances of death cap mushroom poisoning in California with 35 cases recorded in that last couple of months where normally there would be fewer than 5.
So far three people have died from the poisoning. The poison in them amatoxin can cause irreversible liver damage.
Weather conditions including early rains and a mild autumn have resulted in a surfeit of the toxic mushrooms which are very similar in appearance to edible mushrooms.
Small amounts of the death cap mushroom can be fatal, as little as a standard sugar cube.
I suppose the advice is just buy mushrooms from a trusted source and make sure you Health Insurance Premiums are up to date.
Thankfully an expert who studies the prevalence of the death cap mushroom is saying that the risk is reducing due to the season finishing and perhaps colder weather coming . Still the spores will be ready next year, so if you are going to forage , be careful.
Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏
Mushrooms or Toadstools, I’m not too sure . AI Generated.
This is the type of headline that I love, somehow associating Nicholas Cage with requests to wave Nazi memorabalia and flags. Definitely made me have a second look, whether I’d go and see the film is another thing. Although I do think Cage is an excellent actor.
For those of you who want to know ,the film is ” Operation Fortitude” about the efforts of the British in 1944 to mislead Nazi Germany about the nature and timings of the D-Day landings and the storming of Normandy.
Enter stage right Waltham Forest Council, who wanted time to consider their role and the fact that the beautiful Waltham Forest Town Hall would be covered in Nazi paraphernalia ( big flags) and that the local people would have to understand that it was purely for a film and that they hadn’t politically moved to the extreme right.
Unfortunately due to filming pressures; the shoot had to be moved forward a month and it was impossible for the Council to play their part( bit like Marilyn Monroe, they were not in the mood and needed more time to consider) which due to filming pressures apparently they couldn’t have.
The preemptive letters sent by the film Company to the locals living nearby ( sent before anything had been agreed) explaining that when they started filming “the Nazi Flag’s would be highly visible” just confused everyone and the Council were quite adamant that no Nazi flags visible or otherwise would be flying on their Council Buildings.
So the shoot was moved to Greenwich, presumably to the old Navy buildings there.
The Council were quite clear that there was no cost or benefit or threats of suing as a result of this change of plan. I actually think the Council buildings look fine as they are , quite Art Deco if you ask me and I’m sure Nicholas Cage is pleased to be working again.
Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏
AI interpretation of Art Deco Council Building , definitely not the Council Building.
Thanks to Jess Cockerill and Science Alert Online for the Headline.
What a bummer, the adopt a mammoth scheme run by a museum led to the discovery that two bones from the spine of a large animal found in 1951 in the Alaskan Interior are actually from a whale not a mammoth.
The DNA analysis that they were able to complete from the “adoption money” to determine the age of the bones, showed they were a lot younger than they would have to be to be a Wooly Mammoth. Not just that but the diet was all wrong, analysis showed that the animal lived predominately on seafood.
There are a few possibilities as to how the bones came to be in the museum; maybe a Whale somehow made it’s way into a tributary and maybe drifted across to the area the bones were found( unlikely due to the size of the animal), the whales bones were transported to the region by humans for some sort of ceremonial or decorative purpose or there was a mix up by the archeologists in categorisation.
Either way the name chosen for the Wooly Mammoth by the adoptee of Morris the Mammoth has now had to be changed to Wally the Whale. ( apologies I made that bit up). The rest though is true.
#HeadlineTherapy King of Spain warns about the risk of ‘dismantling’ the link between Europe and the US
Thanks to Miguel Gonzalez of El Pais Online for the Headline.
Unusually I have combined two Headlines today as Pope LeoXIV and the King Felipe VI of Spain were both speaking at the ” Conference of Ambassadors , the Pope at the Vatican with the Vatican Diplomatic Corps in Rome, while King Felipe VI held a two day conference with the heads of Spanish diplomatic missions worldwide in Madrid.
I suppose we forget about the history of the Catholic Church and it’s relationship with Spain, but the fact that they both call it a “Conference of Ambassadors” is interesting. I must admit at first I thought they had both attended the same event, but they were separate, but both asking for Peace and Level-Headedness when dealing with the challenges that their Ambassadors face.
Pope Leo did not mince his words denouncing countries for ” completely undermining ” peace, saying ” was is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading”. He was talking about the many conflicts in the World today and said that” consensus- based diplomacy is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.” Perhaps we do need to read that in black and white. With the big child in the Whitehouse who’ll throw his toys at you if you won’t be his friend , yes consensus is going out of fashion, Donald might as well sing “if you want to be in my Gang”
King Felipe’s stance is very similar to the Pope, neither want conflict. Spain with it’s common language and most probably a lot of business trade with South America the King’s hope is that his Ambassadors can act with great patience and diplomatic courage, particularly with respect to Venezuela. Also that the closeness of Europe and America must continue, as the benefits are too great and isolationism would be catastrophic as it nearly was in the first half of the last Century. We all need each other
King Felipe was able to be secular and pragmatic, where Pope Leo as leader of the Catholic Church was from a religious point of view, however, they both have valuable messages and maybe all Countries should have a “Conference of Ambassadors” to set out plans for consensus and understanding.
Thanks to Peggy Corlin from Euro News Online for the Headline
Well I wasn’t aware that the EU has been negotiating with some South American Countries, for nearly 20 years for a trade agreement covering Beef, Poultry and Sugar. A trade agreement that would include over 700 million people, including populations from Brazil and Argentina. It is called the Mercosur deal and has now got backing from a host of member Countries but may be brought to a halt in the French Parliament.
Is it needed? I’m not so sure. Sounds globalist expansion to me and for whose benefit? I think we should concentrate on local good quality farming and stop looking to increase the size of our markets. Perhaps the future is smaller quantities and better quality.
Thanks to Nathan Briant and Alex Meakin, South of England BBC News Online for the Headline
The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) means that anyone who is sleeping rough should be given a safe place to stay to get them out of the dangerous temperatures they would experience outside. If temperatures drop below zero three days in a row then the protocol comes into operation.
This means that to find and support SWEP, the Homeless workers both from Charities and the Local Agencies must be out and about approaching those who are in need of help. It must be heartbreaking and dangerous work( considering they may have to travel and walk around in poorly lit areas).
So they need both emotional and physical resilience.
There is an app called Street Link where members of the public can notify the relevant people should they spot someone who they think needs help.
I can appreciate how difficult this job is , I remember seeing a story on a News Programme of a homeless man in a village in Wiltshire who died in the street during a particularly harsh winter. The village made a real effort to give the man a funeral and acknowledge and celebrate his life. I think though , the feeling was they all had wished they’d done something more to prevent his death from the cold
Perhaps experiences like that one generated the need for SWEP and all we can be is grateful for organisations like St Mungo’s and the Salvation Army who continue to do the work in what are very difficult circumstances.
Thanks to Fergus Burnett of the Civil Society for the Headline.
Ah perhaps that’s why Rachel Reeves has had a bit of a breather, my she and the Treasury must feel that their boat has come in. I wonder what Boris Johnson would have done with the money.
The “National Fund” was set up a 100 years ago to pay off the “National Debt” incurred during the First World War. The fund was started by a banker Gaspard Farrer with the amount of £500,000. The fund received other donations from other philanthropists , but has received no new donations since 1985.
There was a court case in 2023 to see if the now £600million fund could be given to existing Charities in the UK, but the Courts have now decided that the money should go to the Treasury and will be used to write of a £670 million gilt.
So there you go , Gaspard Farrer wishes have been followed and the Charity will be wound up and MP’s will still be hiving off expenses and giving their friends Government Contracts and using everyone else’s money for their own purposes. They don’t miss a trick , do they?
Nevertheless , the money was supposed to be used for the National Debt and we have got plenty of that. The Charity itself is being wound down , I wonder though who was living off the interest of all that money, no doubt the Charity had expenses?
Thanks to Holly Lennon of STV News for the Headline
Unfortunately , commercial interests of Road Haulage firms are overriding the safety concerns of their drivers when it comes to harsh weather.
A driver who refuses to take his /her rig out due to bad weather , can be made subject to a disciplinary. This is simply not safe if there are serious weather warnings, perhaps we should just accept that we might not get our Grocery Deliveries or Santa’s Toys may not arrive in time for Christmas.
Of course the Conspiracy Theorists could say that all these Amber and Red warnings are generated by our Climate Change Obsessed Meterologists who just want to bring our economy to a halt and slow down global warming (if it’s happening). Let’s face it they can live in the cold , are vegan and all their children make their own toys out of string.
Apologies for the cynicism, but I do have empathy with anyone who feels that driving a large truck on black ice is not a good thing to do and is not just risking their lives but everyone else’s.
Thanks to Abhimanyu Mathur ” X““and the Hindustan Times for the Headline
The film “Dhurandar” has not been given an official release in several Middle Eastern Countries ( including United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Quatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia) due to an “Official Ban”
The film is about an Indian Spy in Pakistan.
“Dhurandar” has emerged as one of the biggest hits in Indian Cinema and it’s refusal to be shown in the Countries that have banned it is viewed as a direct act of suppression against Freedom of Expression. The approach to PM Modi has been made by the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association( IMPPA).
Apart from the Indian Film Industry being quite powerful, I’m not sure what PM Modi will be able to do . Mind you it makes me want to see the film , apparently it has had a significant success in India amid the Hindi’s, perhaps it is not regarded as a very positive film for Muslims, but they won’t know until they see it and anyway I can’t believe that it would be so biased and negative. Perhaps it reflects a time in history or even the present that needs reflection .
Banning does not solve anything, and I will be interested to see if PM Modi can affect change or indeed is interested in taking up the case.
thenotsomightyom 