News roundup, 25 Feb 2026

- The Starmer government in the UK is refusing to allow the US to make use of bases at Fairford, Gloucestershire as well as at Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory in any impending attack on Iran. In response, Donald Trump is withdrawing his support for a prospective handover of the BIOT to Mauritius, not that it's supposed to be up to him of course. This could actually lead to something resembling justice for the Chagos Islanders, though only for a few decades at best because the islands only rise a few metres above sea level.

- The US Department of Justice removed several documents from the Epstein files that draw connections between Epstein and their Fuhrer. Others, some of which suggest that Trump may have abused a child, were withheld entirely despite legal direction from Congress, but NPR got their hands on them anyway. Not that Trump loyalists will listen to NPR anyway...

- A man has been charged with assault following a confrontation with striking municipal employees in the Rural Municipality of Tache, Manitoba. The man allegedly aggressively drove through a picket line at the municipal office, then shoved a union leader and took his phone after the union leader took video of his actions. The suspect is a 68 year old man from the neighbouring RM of Ste Anne.

- Conservationists as well as hunters are concerned about a federal proposal to amend migratory bird regulations to allow the hunting of Tundra Swans and Mourning Doves in the Canadian prairie provinces. In the case of the swans, there are fears that misidentified Trumpeter Swans, which are not allowed to be hunted anywhere in North America. In the case of the doves, there are concerns about the impact on the public perception of hunters, as they're the sort of birds that join songbirds at feeders.

- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is threatening to blacklist Anthropic AI from working with the Pentagon because the company has ethical standards such as not allowing their products to be used to control weapons or for mass surveillance.

News roundup, 9 July 2024

- Democrats in the House and Senate seem reluctant to talk to the media about what was discussed in a meeting this morning about Joe Biden's future. One representative, on being asked if there was a consensus in the meeting, replied that "the consensus was not to talk to you guys". Another, who spoke anonymously to NPR, said the meeting was "like a funeral"; a third, when asked if they were on the same page, replied "We’re not even in the same book". If something isn't done soon, Joe Biden could be remembered as the American version of Paul von Hindenburg.

- Hot on the heels of National Rally's defeat in France's parliamentary elections, party leader Marine Le Pen is being investigated for campaign finance irregularities from her last presidential campaign.

- Michelle Ferreri, Conservative MP for Peterborough-Kawartha, tweeted her thanks to the Peterborough police for their arrest of a suspect in a homophobic hate crime. Pretty reasonable; much as I'd like to condemn everything a Tory says or does, I can't fault her for this. Evidently some of her constituents think otherwise, though; following the tweet she was bombarded with hate messages calling her a "fake Conservative" as well as far worse things.

- Scientists say that Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, was worsened by high ocean temperatures. Of course you can't tell Texans that, even as they're picking up the pieces from the hurricane hitting the Houston area. The remnants of the hurricane are expected to have an impact as far north as Toronto.

- The world's largest wetland, the Pantanal in Brazil, has not been so wet of late, and as a result has been devastated by wildfires.

- The IDF bombed an encampment of displaced people in Gaza, killing dozens. I guess they figure those people must be mad at being displaced, which obviously makes them a security threat. Can't be too careful, right?

- Several Silk and Great Value dairy substitutes have been recalled due to potential Listeria contamination. None of the products in question are soy-based; perhaps those products are made in a different facility.

- Migrants who arrived on the island of Diego Garcia, in the British Indian Ocean Territory, are being denied legal representation because the US, who operate a military base there, refuses to allow lawyers representing the migrants to set foot on the island. Supposedly this relates to security concerns regarding a site visit of some sort that would coincide with the migrants' hearing.