Current Affairs 2025

[david63]

But why is that any of his business?

Because he is greedy and wants the mineral deposits for the US without having to pay for them - remember he is, allegedly, a businessman and not a politician.

[david63]

So the latest scheme by the Labour Government is to use more AI - can I suggest that they start by replacing the Government with AI and save millions by getting rid of MPs, after all AI cannot do a worse job!

[oldbluefox]

How many layers of government does this little nation need. When you look at all the councils at local level going up to government ministries and related quangos all wanting their say it's little wonder we never actually get anything done. By the time we have had reviews, reports and appeals we need another one because everything is out of date. Just get the job done and stop faffing about.

[Chalgrave4]

How many layers of government does this little nation need. When you look at all the councils at local level going up to government ministries and related quangos all wanting their say it's little wonder we never actually get anything done. By the time we have had reviews, reports and appeals we need another one because everything is out of date. Just get the job done and stop faffing about.

Can't do that - think of all the people that would be out of a job - disastrous impact on the unemployment figures.
Many lawyers would descend into poverty if they didn't have all the appeals work on council decisions to contend with

[Onelife]

I would rather be moving forward with AI than letting others go faster…however, we can’t lose sight of the importance of industries that manufacture and employ large sections of the workforce…we could however introduce a cap on how many children you can have to offset the employment to jobs shortfall should we allow this to happen…slightly tic.

[Onelife]

I welcome the news of the partial ceasefire agreement but I hope over the coming days the families of the hostages have reassurances that all the young women taken by Hamas are alive and being treated humanely…if this doesn’t prove to be the case then this ceasefire will fail for sure.

[Ray B]

Space X Starship is some beast at 406ft high. It's latest launch last week didn't go smoothly, as the team monitoring the flight lost contact after the first stage separation. The Super Heavy booster managed to return to its launchpad roughly seven minutes after lift-off as planned, prompting an eruption of applause from ground control teams.

SpaceX later confirmed the upper stage had undergone "rapid unscheduled disassembly".

"rapid unscheduled disassembly". = It blew up.

[Onelife]

It’s amazing how far space exploration has come in the last hundred years…the mind boggles as to where it will be at the end of this Millenium.

[Onelife]

My heart goes out to those who have returned and those yet to be embraced with the love of their families.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... eal-israel

[oldbluefox]

I don't think Lord Rose is far off the mark on 'working from home'.
I am always sceptical when you try to call a company to be greeted with 'Your call is important but all our operators are busy at the moment'. Neither do I feel it is fair on pubs and coffee shops when a table for four is taken up by somebody 'working from home' who buys a coffee and then spends as long as they like doing their business. We have noticed this on a few occasions and have now seen notices to prevent it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qww8xdvnwo

[oldbluefox]

My heart goes out to those who have returned and those yet to be embraced with the love of their families.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... eal-israel

The whole situation is tragic from the day Hamas started the killing in Israel, to the taking of hostages and the subsequent destruction of Gaza leading to many innocent Palestinian being killed and their homes destroyed.
I found it pretty sickening to witness Hamas fanatics waving their guns around and chanting on a background of death and destruction. Defiant maybe but what have they achieved and at what cost?
I wonder what the mental state of the released hostages will be once they have returned from such an horrendous ordeal.

[david63]

I don't think Lord Rose is far off the mark on 'working from home'.
I am always sceptical when you try to call a company to be greeted with 'Your call is important but all our operators are busy at the moment'. Neither do I feel it is fair on pubs and coffee shops when a table for four is taken up by somebody 'working from home' who buys a coffee and then spends as long as they like doing their business. We have noticed this on a few occasions and have now seen notices to prevent it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qww8xdvnwo

I heard this on the radio news this morning where he, quite rightly, stated that the likes of bus drivers, shop workers, etc. could not work from home and whatever issues/problems they had then they found a solution.

The whole point about working from home is that it saves the employer money as they do not need the office space and all the costs associated with it.

[Onelife]

My heart goes out to those who have returned and those yet to be embraced with the love of their families.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/ ... eal-israel

The whole situation is tragic from the day Hamas started the killing in Israel, to the taking of hostages and the subsequent destruction of Gaza leading to many innocent Palestinian being killed and their homes destroyed.
I found it pretty sickening to witness Hamas fanatics waving their guns around and chanting on a background of death and destruction. Defiant maybe but what have they achieved and at what cost?
I wonder what the mental state of the released hostages will be once they have returned from such an horrendous ordeal.

Yes ‘it is tragic in every sence of the word and like you I found the celebratory hand over of hostages by Hamas sickening…I wonder how many Israelis made a spectacle of the release of the Garzain released prisoners? I suppose this is the difference between a civilised country and one which is ruled by the gun. I hope when all this is over - if ever, the innocent people of Gaza get to find out the true horrors of what Hamas did to innocent Israelis in order that they themselves can come to terms with the tragic loss of life they have endured.

[Onelife]

I don't think Lord Rose is far off the mark on 'working from home'.
I am always sceptical when you try to call a company to be greeted with 'Your call is important but all our operators are busy at the moment'. Neither do I feel it is fair on pubs and coffee shops when a table for four is taken up by somebody 'working from home' who buys a coffee and then spends as long as they like doing their business. We have noticed this on a few occasions and have now seen notices to prevent it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0qww8xdvnwo

I think the work from home experiment can under certain circumstances be of value but for the most it is a new spin on how employees perceive their work-life balance which doesn’t necessarily mean the employer is getting a hard day’s work for good days’ pay.

[oldbluefox]

The whole point about working from home is that it saves the employer money as they do not need the office space and all the costs associated with it.

It's a valid point but a careful eye needs to be kept on those who are actually doing any work and those who are merely mouse jiggling. Apparenty there are even apps/software to simulate the mouse moving.

[CaroleF]

I've often thought that younger people miss out on the social aspect of work, learning to get on with fellow employees and gaining experience from working with those who are more senior in the job. I know my daughter had a young apprentice working with her section but he was working from home. He missed out on so much. She met up with him in the office on various occasions but it wasn't intended to be a regular thing. She works from home the majority of time but she has had many years pre Covid when she was working in the office all the time. The apprentice soon became rather slack at what he was doing and eventually left. This may have happened anyway but I think it's more likely to happen when someone is working from home.

[Ray B]

Bit of a pathetic show to swear in the leader of one of the greatest countries of the world.
Hardly enough room to swing a cat. They did explain this is how we do it.

[oldbluefox]

His inauguration speech was cringingly embarrassing as a demolishment job on the previous administration with Joe and Kamala sat just yards away.

[CaroleF]

Was it really so much colder than previous years so that they had to hold the ceremony inside? It all looked a bit cluttered and not particularly ceremonial. It's certainly not what we call ceremonial anyway. I did wonder if it made it easier for the Secret Service to hold it inside, less possibility of an assassin's bullet maybe?

[Onelife]

Bit of a pathetic show to swear in the leader of one of the greatest countries of the world.
Hardly enough room to swing a cat. They did explain this is how we do it.

It was reported that the predicted bad weather was the reason why they scaled things back…. seems a sensible decision considering the age demographics.

At least they didn’t have to put up with what we in this country would have put up with…e.g. half a dozen central-heated horse drawn carriages being towed down the road while their loyal subject freeze to death outside.

[Onelife]

His inauguration speech was cringingly embarrassing as a demolishment job on the previous administration with Joe and Kamala sat just yards away.

Looking at the demeanour of his son ‘Baron’ during the inauguration, he must have been thinking the same…. it’s that or the lad has social anxiety issues.

[Ray B]

Yes, yes ,yes Keith, now go and have a lay down.
I knew the reason for it being inside with the sub zero temperatures, which are speading their way to us.
As Carole posted, it may make security a lot safer, but as Trump said, God chose him to lead .

[Ray B]

Looking at the demeanour of his son ‘Baron’ during the inauguration, he must have been thinking the same…. it’s that or the lad has social anxiety issues.

I thought he was one of the Krays.

[Onelife]

Whilst Trump has some concerning traits, I do believe dictators can make changes for the better short term, unfurtunatly power and wealth always corrupts long term.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Whilst Trump has some concerning traits

Blimey, that's putting it mildly. His speech was utterly embarrassing as he slagged off the Democrats - remember almost half the USA voted for them. He talked about putting the USA first, when actually he means putting himself first. He's a classic narcissistic bully. Every third sentence his choreographed supporters gave him a standing ovation, in classic Kremlin style. And much of what he said was so right wing that is made Nigel Farage look like a Marxist. And he promised to do so much, most of which he won't be able to deliver. The first thing he actually does is pardon his thug criminal mates who stormed the Capitol on his command last time.

On the plus side, based on his campaign promises, the war in Ukraine will be over by teatime today.