General News Thread

[Sly]

2 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Russia and Iran *are* allies. Russia is just too occupied that I don’t think anyone expects them to help them right now, as was the case in Syria (also Russia’s ally).

Yes, agree. 👍 

[when_you're_smiling]

I know it’s not the biggest matter at hand, but we’re on a football forum.

 

Imagine a few years ago hearing about a World Cup host bombing one of the countries that qualified less than a year before the tournament began and/or doing so while hosting one. Penny for Infantino’s thoughts - though to be fair the only way he’s not swayed by money is if it involves being asked difficult questions by serious journalists.

[st albans fox]

38 minutes ago, Sly said:

I’m just watching this press conference on Sky News now. 

 

I can’t see really see how this plays out.

 

My logical brain tells me that Iran drops back and falls inline. They have no natural allies as such, unless they join forces with the likes of North Korea, Russia, Belarus etc
 

However they’re slightly isolated as they have no friends in the Gulf. 

 

35 minutes ago, Sampson said:

Russia and Iran *are* allies. Russia is just too occupied that I don’t think anyone expects them to help them right now, as was the case in Syria (also Russia’s ally).

Russia and china have strategic agreements with Iran 

Russia won’t get involved - in fact they’re probably hoping the straits of Hormuz become compromised because a rise in oil prices is great for them. 
china is the interesting one for me - behind most of the geo political decisions being made by trump is the USA/china relationship. we won’t see anyone becoming militarily involved in support of Iran (n Korea is the joker here but let’s assume he stays within his box),  but china will not like their regional influence being affected. 
 

it should also be noted that Hezbollah have so far refused to become involved  - under pressure from Lebanese govt and also their self interest not to be destroyed.  This force was created by Iran as a deterrent to being attacked by Isr. 

Edited 22 June 2025 by st albans fox

[Salisbury Fox]

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Also, does anyone seriously believe that if Iran has enriched uranium between 60/90%, then it hasn’t removed some of it to somewhere secret ahead of possible American destruction of known sites ???

I think that Mossad has compromised the Iranian authorities to such an extent that I find this unlikely to be honest.

[Salisbury Fox]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

why did he wait the extra few days?

to give Iran time to remove what they wanted/needed to? 
to give time to his air force to get things in place and for bases in the region to get additional defences in place ?

to allow Friday’s meeting to take place and Iran to make a change to their position ?

 

I read that it was to give the Israeli’s more time to reduce the ballistic missile threat. Not sure if that’s true.

[urban.spaceman]

31 minutes ago, when_you're_smiling said:

I know it’s not the biggest matter at hand, but we’re on a football forum.

 

Imagine a few years ago hearing about a World Cup host bombing one of the countries that qualified less than a year before the tournament began and/or doing so while hosting one. Penny for Infantino’s thoughts - though to be fair the only way he’s not swayed by money is if it involves being asked difficult questions by serious journalists.

Russian annexed Crimea yet were still allowed to host 2018

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, Salisbury Fox said:

I read that it was to give the Israeli’s more time to reduce the ballistic missile threat. Not sure if that’s true.

Doesn't seem to have been particularly effective since Thursday as the barrages of 20/30 missiles continue to be launched. (Admittedly less barrages each day but that could be a tactical call ). 

[Sly]

1 minute ago, urban.spaceman said:

Russian annexed Crimea yet were still allowed to host 2018

Which was wrong at the time and still is now! 

[when_you're_smiling]

29 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Russian annexed Crimea yet were still allowed to host 2018

True. Incredible how quickly people (including myself) forgot about that. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

2 hours ago, Sly said:

I think we’d be surprised how much wastage the council has. 
 

It might not have a money tree, however maybe it can find some down the back of the sofa by cutting out stupid spending. 

Well I'd be surprised if a council under the control of the Tories for a quarter of a century until this year that had had its budget from central government reduced by the extent it has been since 2010 to have been enjoying the luxury of "stupid spending", but I might be wrong about that, of course.

 

Obviously publicly funded services should be as efficient as possible but this idea that the public sector by its very nature is profligate in all circumstances is in danger of being ridiculously out of date. You'd think that trimming the fat was a new idea that nobody had thought of before.

 

You can make things as lean as you like but there comes a point where you're either offering a service or you're not, and that's where a lot of councils are at now.

 

As a political strategy I think this stuff is close to having run its course anyway. The public might be wedded to the idea of inherent waste but surely that's down to media portrayal, and a media largely owned by individuals that I'm assuming don't really care if there are public services or not. Whoever's in control of budgets will be faced by a choice of doing either not much or cutting stuff that people actually notice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Torquay Gunner]

It’s just a pity, that the leading players in these three malevolent governments can’t be dropped on a deserted island a la “Battle Royale” and batter each other senseless.  

Edited 22 June 2025 by Torquay Gunner

[bovril]

6 hours ago, Sampson said:

While I agree there are cultural differences, the ideas will be the same, just dressed up in a way that’s more palatable for British people. But the same fundamental ideas of taking on the checks and balances that hold up democracy- the education system, the courts, the law, the HoL, random performative cruelty against immigrants, shutting down any protests with force, the peddling of conspiracy theories, anti-science, claiming to be the party of free speech while fundamentally shutting down anything “woke” or anything that opposes them, fundamentally telling people to ignore their eyes and ears and declaring any objection to be fake news, crisis actors etc. will be there. 

The important differences between UK and US are not cultural but economic. USA can survive Trump but a Reform government here would pretty much finish off a country that is rapidly resembling a failed state in many areas. 

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, bovril said:

The important differences between UK and US are not cultural but economic. USA can survive Trump but a Reform government here would pretty much finish off a country that is rapidly resembling a failed state in many areas. 

Honestly, I think there are quite a few places in the US that applies to as well. 

[bovril]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Honestly, I think there are quite a few places in the US that applies to as well. 

The US is built that way though. Brits see their country as some kind of haven of social democracy and stability compared to America even when that is rapidly unraveling. 

[Thefox81]

1 hour ago, Torquay Gunner said:

It’s just a pity, that the leading players in these three malevolent governments can’t be dropped on a deserted island a la “Battle Royale” and batter each other senseless.  

Think id actually pay to watch that.

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, Torquay Gunner said:

It’s just a pity, that the leading players in these three malevolent governments can’t be dropped on a deserted island a la “Battle Royale” and batter each other senseless.  

Not when they can send millions of young men and women to do it for them.

[bovril]

10 hours ago, The Year Of The Fox said:

Irrespective of whether you think Brexit has been good or bad for the country, the Referendum only turned out the way it did because a proportion of Remainers dismissed the Leave vote and subsequently stayed at home. 

Not sure this is true. Polls showed a slender lead for leave for years, and as far as I'm aware there's no evidence the non voters were overwhelmingly pro EU

[Dahnsouff]

3 hours ago, bovril said:

The US is built that way though. Brits see their country as some kind of haven of social democracy and stability compared to America even when that is rapidly unraveling. 

Would argue that our confidence in democracy has not yet been challenged to the same degree as in the US.

[orangecity23]

10 hours ago, when_you're_smiling said:

I know it’s not the biggest matter at hand, but we’re on a football forum.

 

Imagine a few years ago hearing about a World Cup host bombing one of the countries that qualified less than a year before the tournament began and/or doing so while hosting one. Penny for Infantino’s thoughts - though to be fair the only way he’s not swayed by money is if it involves being asked difficult questions by serious journalists.

He says that's a little on the low side, but pay a billion and he'll think or say anything you like, and would you like your World Cup delivered in the Summer , Winter or hosted on the moon?

[Lionator]

10 hours ago, when_you're_smiling said:

I know it’s not the biggest matter at hand, but we’re on a football forum.

 

Imagine a few years ago hearing about a World Cup host bombing one of the countries that qualified less than a year before the tournament began and/or doing so while hosting one. Penny for Infantino’s thoughts - though to be fair the only way he’s not swayed by money is if it involves being asked difficult questions by serious journalists.

Russia released high grade nerve agent onto British streets 4 months before they hosted the World Cup, as well as occupying Crimea. 

[st albans fox]

Qatar close their airspace 
expecting an attack from Iran towards USA bases probably 

 

if Iran have decided to respond this way then it will either be 

a) symbolic and a limited attack on equipment taking care to avoid any injuries to deaths (and possibly intercepted by defences).

b) not the above and they’ve decided to go for broke with a notable barrage on the basis that they calculate that trump will not want to get involved in a proper war. this shows their population and others in the region that they will stand against ‘the real Satan’.  They may well be worried about the Iranian population beginning to protest against them. 

[Happy Fox]

Qatar has been hit according to Reuters.

[st albans fox]

14 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Qatar has been hit according to Reuters.

Looks like 

a) symbolic and a limited attack on equipment taking care to avoid any injuries to deaths (and possibly intercepted by defences).

 

[MattFox]

Anyone checked on Richard Keys in Qatar?

[Lionator]

10 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Looks like 

a) symbolic and a limited attack on equipment taking care to avoid any injuries to deaths (and possibly intercepted by defences).

 

Their attempt at drawing the line under this whole fiasco hopefully. We just need the Israeli’s to stop now.