General News Thread

[Izzy]

The world needs more Mark Carney's in leadership positions.

 

Makes you proud to be a Canadian 

 

 

[Bellend Sebastian]

Spare a thought for Matt Goodwin who's supposed £10,000 completely transparent and not at all weird funding from Hungary might be under threat after Orban's ousting:

 

https://bylinetimes.com/2026/04/13/matt-goodwins-lucrative-hungarian-fellowship-could-be-in-line-for-the-chop-following-orbans-defeat/

 

Stop the boats etc

[leicsmac]

31 minutes ago, Izzy said:

The world needs more Mark Carney's in leadership positions.

 

Makes you proud to be a Canadian 

 

 

Carney has always been a shrewd and skilled political operator. We definitely need more of those in high office right now. The self interested and the sociopathic have had control for too long already. 

[CornwallFox]

So is it a good thing or bad thing? Too much sounds bad. Being paid to use electricity doesn't. Telegraph can't decide which way to attack so tries everything at once. 

 

 

[kenny]

17 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

So is it a good thing or bad thing? Too much sounds bad. Being paid to use electricity doesn't. Telegraph can't decide which way to attack so tries everything at once. 

 

 

I read this story in the Guardian, its the same one. Talks of free electricity but also potential for blackouts.

[Jattdogg]

3 hours ago, Izzy said:

The world needs more Mark Carney's in leadership positions.

 

Makes you proud to be a Canadian 

 

 

We also had some by-elections  yesterday and the liberals won all 3 and now have a majority government thanks to some floor crossing from other parties as well over the last year.

 

He sounds like a leader, acts like a leader and  we put our faith in him to deliver. Given the past wankstains, he better deliver because we need him too. I have confidence that he will so long as he truly does work with the cons and ndp party on some fronts.

 

Canadians want to see change and he will be harshly dealt with if he does not deliver.

 

I am usually a liberal voter but have voted con in the past. I want Canada to be more left leaning, not left wing tools.

 

Side note, the cons didn't listen to Canadians when Pierre Penisbreath lost last years election (which was his to lose) and his own seat. So, they find a hardcore Alberta seat for him to win a by-election last summer or so then proceed to back him in a confidence vote. He has since seen floor defections to the liberals and they got absolutely slapped in last nights by-election.

 

He is a fraud, get a better candidate. I want a better candidate because I want canada to come back to working together whether it's left leaning or right leaning governments. We need to understand that to be strong we all need a voice no matter who is PM.

 

Fully backing Carney and hope he can find a long term solution to our over reliance on the US. I dont expect it to all be roses but you can't be in bed with them unless you are a taker only.

Edited 14 April by Jattdogg

[MPH]

I see David Haye is making friends in the Jungle. Commenting that that someone had “ the personality of an ugly bird”..

[leicsmac]

Why hasn't someone in the UK diplomatic corps risked their job by telling this man exactly what a vast proportion of the UK population think of him yet?

[st albans fox]

9 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Why hasn't someone in the UK diplomatic corps risked their job by telling this man exactly what a vast proportion of the UK population think of him yet?

He’s miffed because more drilling makes Aberdeen more wealthy and he has a golf course there 😄

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, st albans fox said:

He’s miffed because more drilling makes Aberdeen more wealthy and he has a golf course there 😄

That makes sense. 

 

Tbh we could solve some of that particular problem by seizing both courses in the UK that he owns by compulsory purchase. I'm sure that some some legal eagle could come up with a suitable justification. 

 

Then Turnberry can be used for the Open again and all the right people including @Izzy are happy. 

[CWC1983]

16 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Why hasn't someone in the UK diplomatic corps risked their job by telling this man exactly what a vast proportion of the UK population think of him yet?

 

It's accepted up North that this will get permission. 

 

"The Jackdaw gas field is a major undeveloped offshore project in the UK Central North Sea, located 150 miles east of Aberdeen". 

 

Still plenty of oil in the North Sea, but some of it is only viable with high barrel prices. 

 

Unfortunately, closing Grangemouth refinery means we've no where to process it 🤦‍♀️

 

 

[CWC1983]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

That makes sense. 

 

Tbh we could solve some of that particular problem by seizing both courses in the UK that he owns by compulsory purchase. I'm sure that some some legal eagle could come up with a suitable justification. 

 

Then Turnberry can be used for the Open again and all the right people including @Izzy are happy. 

I've got my nieces wedding at Turnberry in July...

 

It's around the Open weekend, and although it's at Birkdale the amount of Americans that turn up that week across Scotland to play golf is unbelievable.

 

Prices are eye watering,   so the Premier inn at Ayr will do me fine. 😆

[leicsmac]

11 minutes ago, CWC1983 said:

 

It's accepted up North that this will get permission. 

 

"The Jackdaw gas field is a major undeveloped offshore project in the UK Central North Sea, located 150 miles east of Aberdeen". 

 

Still plenty of oil in the North Sea, but some of it is only viable with high barrel prices. 

 

Unfortunately, closing Grangemouth refinery means we've no where to process it 🤦‍♀️

 

 

Oil as anything but a commodity stock and a means to create plastics etc is an absolute busted flush, morally, economically and environmentally. Everyone apart from those wanting the future to burn for the sake of short term self interest knows this. 

 

Not challenging the point you made in any way there, just an observation. 

 

8 minutes ago, CWC1983 said:

I've got my nieces wedding at Turnberry in July...

 

It's around the Open weekend, and although it's at Birkdale the amount of Americans that turn up that week across Scotland to play golf is unbelievable.

 

Prices are eye watering,   so the Premier inn at Ayr will do me fine. 😆

Another problem that would be solved by a nice piece of compulsory purchase legislation, then. You get your accommodation at Turnberry at non-shitbag-American prices and have to spend less time around the aforementioned shitbags for your nieces wedding. 

Edited 14 April by leicsmac

[CornwallFox]

25 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

That makes sense. 

 

Tbh we could solve some of that particular problem by seizing both courses in the UK that he owns by compulsory purchase. I'm sure that some some legal eagle could come up with a suitable justification. 

 

Then Turnberry can be used for the Open again and all the right people including @Izzy are happy. 

Stick a bunch of windmills on it to gain from windy Scotland

[ShadowKing]

7 hours ago, Jattdogg said:

We also had some by-elections  yesterday and the liberals won all 3 and now have a majority government thanks to some floor crossing from other parties as well over the last year.

 

He sounds like a leader, acts like a leader and  we put our faith in him to deliver. Given the past wankstains, he better deliver because we need him too. I have confidence that he will so long as he truly does work with the cons and ndp party on some fronts.

 

Canadians want to see change and he will be harshly dealt with if he does not deliver.

 

I am usually a liberal voter but have voted con in the past. I want Canada to be more left leaning, not left wing tools.

 

Side note, the cons didn't listen to Canadians when Pierre Penisbreath lost last years election (which was his to lose) and his own seat. So, they find a hardcore Alberta seat for him to win a by-election last summer or so then proceed to back him in a confidence vote. He has since seen floor defections to the liberals and they got absolutely slapped in last nights by-election.

 

He is a fraud, get a better candidate. I want a better candidate because I want canada to come back to working together whether it's left leaning or right leaning governments. We need to understand that to be strong we all need a voice no matter who is PM.

 

Fully backing Carney and hope he can find a long term solution to our over reliance on the US. I dont expect it to all be roses but you can't be in bed with them unless you are a taker only.

I am quite worried on the liberal governments stance on AI. After listening to Carney about AI and reading how liberal government are allowing gas powered data centres in AB, I feel like the liberal government is less left leaning than it use to be, more moving towards the right.

[Trav Le Bleu]

13 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

Stick a bunch of windmills on it to gain from windy Scotland

Turn it into a crazy golf course?

[fox_favourite]

39 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Turn it into a crazy golf course?

It's owned by a crazy man, so it fits 

[worthosoriginals]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Turn it into a crazy golf course?

Apt.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Apparently a Chinese tanker has sailed straight through the USN's "blockade".

[foxes1988]

12 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

So is it a good thing or bad thing? Too much sounds bad. Being paid to use electricity doesn't. Telegraph can't decide which way to attack so tries everything at once. 

 

 

It's basically some of the Octopus tarrifs on a larger scale right?

 

2 hours ago, ShadowKing said:

I am quite worried on the liberal governments stance on AI. After listening to Carney about AI and reading how liberal government are allowing gas powered data centres in AB, I feel like the liberal government is less left leaning than it use to be, more moving towards the right.

Yeah they have to shut off windfarms due to excess energy yet Data centres have to be powered by gas power plants. Quite a few have fallen for the misinformation 

[Lionator]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Apparently a Chinese tanker has sailed straight through the USN's "blockade".

I mean what are they gonna do to Chinese vessels??! Same with most European ones to be honest?? They gonna sink the boats of their allies and also the worlds most important economic player?

[Trav Le Bleu]

7 hours ago, Lionator said:

I mean what are they gonna do to Chinese vessels??! Same with most European ones to be honest?? They gonna sink the boats of their allies and also the worlds most important economic player?

Exactly. Everyone should just pile through.

[Lionator]

9 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Exactly. Everyone should just pile through.

And hey presto, he’s reopening it because Xi Jinping asked him to. One of the most humiliating episodes in American history surely??

[davieG]

Press release
UK and EU finalise agreement to bring UK into Erasmus+ in 2027
Thousands across the UK set to benefit from re-opening of the historic Erasmus+ programme

From:
Department for Education, Cabinet Office, British Council, The Rt Hon Nick Thomas–Symonds MP and The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern
Published
15 April 2026

Students, apprentices and young people will soon be able to study and work across Europe, as the UK and EU sign the legal text in Brussels today to formally bring the UK into Erasmus+ in 2027.

Over 100,000 people are expected to benefit in the first year alone, including apprentices on placements in leading European companies, school groups taking part in cultural exchanges, and organisations collaborating on new cross-border initiatives.

Less advantaged students who studied abroad had better long-term career prospects than those who did not – and so the reopening supports the government’s wider drive to expand young people’s opportunities, regardless of background.

On top of this, the UK secured a 30% discount on the default contribution rate, delivering a fair deal for taxpayers while guaranteeing full participation in the programme.

Erasmus+ is one of the key commitments agreed at the first UK-EU Summit in May last year. The UK and EU also committed to delivering deals on food and drink, energy, and on emissions trading, providing a significant boost for growth. The UK and EU also committed at the Summit to increasing cooperation on security and defence – helping to make people across the UK safer, more secure and more prosperous.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

From learning a language to building confidence and work experience, Erasmus+ offers transformative opportunities to enhance young people’s life chances.

Generations of people have benefitted from the opportunities working and studying abroad offers, and I’m so pleased that today’s students, apprentices, educators and young people can experience all Europe has to offer.

Today’s announcement delivers on our commitment to reset relations with the European Union and reflects our ambition to strengthen cooperation following Brexit.

UK institutions and communities will also once again welcome EU participants and the skills, diversity and culture they bring.

This comes as the government announces the British Council is set to become the National Agency for Erasmus+ in the UK. It will support organisations applying to the programme and help students, apprentices, educators and young people make the most of opportunities across Europe, ahead of final confirmation of its appointment by the European Commission later this year.

This follows British Council’s work as the Erasmus+ UK National Agency, between 2014 and 2020, where they oversaw more than 8,000 projects, engaging more than 580,000 participants and awarding around €1.1 billion to UK organisations.

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive, British Council, said:

As the National Agency for Erasmus+, the British Council will work closely with the Department for Education, the Devolved Governments and the European Commission to make the most of the opportunities of the programme for the UK.

Erasmus+ has a proven track record in changing lives, opening up learning experiences, providing insight into cultures, and nurturing global citizenship.

The programme will be of enormous benefit to a range of people from different backgrounds throughout the UK, giving them a global outlook and a whole range of skills.

This milestone is the latest step in the government’s reset of our relations with the European Union and ambition to improve our cooperation following Brexit.

EU Relations Minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said:

We want to give our young people the very best start, and bringing back Erasmus+ does exactly that. 

It offers thousands of students and apprentices the chance to learn and grow in Europe, boosting their quality of life and helping them gain a fresh perspective on the world. 

This is what a positive UK-EU relationship looks like in practice, making a tangible difference to people’s lives and careers.

 

Students, young people, educators and organisations interested in taking part can register for updates now at www.britishcouncil.org/erasmusplus ahead of the first funding call in 2027.

[Mike Oxlong]

Iran now calling the shots on when and if it will resume talks with the US 

 

Unusual behaviour for a totally obliterated and defeated nation

🤔

 

 

"Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-affiliated Tasnim news agency says Iran will decide about a next round of talks with the US after meeting with the Pakistani delegation today, citing an "informed source".

They say the US and Israel agreeing a ceasefire deal with Lebanon would be a "positive sign for Iran’s decision" on the next round of talks.

However, it adds that the US "must adhere to a reasonable framework for negotiations", must not "obstruct the process through excessive demands" or breach commitments made prior to the ceasefire.

Tasnim also notes that US media outlets have reported Washington’s willingness to begin the next round of negotiations, but the Iranian the delegation has emphasised the need for the US to "observe certain principles required for initiating a reasonable negotiation".

 

Edited 15 April by Mike Oxlong