Really interesting report published by AutoTrader on key inhibitors for consumers considering the switch to EVs - unsurprisingly, upfront vehicle purchase price and low household income are the highest barriers. www.thetimes.com/article/ecb4...

"If such cabling does not exist, arguments for refusal are overwrought. The idea that the new embassy will be a bastion of espionage holds no water. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) does not run sensitive operations from embassies, because the security services monitor them and their staff."

Somewhat surprising myself, my favourite response was the first as it was based upon purely practical NS terms - "If, as reported, there are sensitive cables running from the financial district in the City, and if those cables cannot be rerouted, planning permission should be refused."

Excellent long read from @gracetheodoulou.bsky.social, amalgamating different viewpoints from leading China experts on the so-called PRC "mega-embassy" development at the former site of the Royal Mint in London. open.substack.com/pub/chinaobs... This post forms part of the Observing China Substack.

Entirely sensible. @ciaranm.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/article/9b97...

Bragging about extortion of allies, and intimidating Greenlanders. Stay classy, Donald. www.thetimes.com/article/6ece...

Tomorrow I get to wake up with multiple bandages and anti-DVT stockings on. Form an orderly queue, fellas.

It's the new global norm, bring a tyrannical friend

Interesting new legal precedent with an employment tribunal ruling against senior members of Suffolk constabulary for unlawful direct discrimination on the basis of gender. www.thetimes.com/article/5559...

the creator of a mario horror fangame killed someone in a fire and because the kind of people who play mario horror fangames already max out their outrage meters at "has wrong opinions about spongebob shipping" her fans are like "wow... she is not an inclusive or safe person"

Huh, an actually funny Roman joke

“We need to prepare for the possibility that the U.S. uses military coercion against Canada.” — Headline from op-ed in The Globe and Mail. Who the hell put the milk in the tea for @mcsweeneys.net, this is brutal.

X is breaking the law: on fakes, nudification, misogyny + failing to stop racist abuse too While it is in the "sin bin" -maybe Lionesses, WSL stars & male counterparts should suggest a time out: suspend activity while govt & Ofcom try to bring it back within law. Try to build healthier spaces

"mr. trump, you smell wonderful"

"mr. trump, first, let me salute you"

Grok, make me an image of the Epstein files wearing a bikini.

Peak Telegraph?

So there'd need to be less ambiguity about China's usefulness to the UK, because the question would very likely be asked why any intelligence agency affiliated to China wasn't subject to a Statutory Alert and Liability Threat (Salt) notice. www.thetimes.com/article/f781...

I'm interested in the recommendation from Jonathan Hall KC for a “state threats proscription-like tool” to complement the provisions of the National Security Act, but more from the perspective of what this could mean in targeting HSA from China e.g., interference from the Ministry of State Security.

The app's name has, somewhat unsurprisingly, triggered some sensitivities.

I can't be the only person that was howling with laughter at this today, particularly at the prospect of an app tracking the (non) movement of gamers. www.thetimes.com/article/6acd...

I think about this one quite often.

Life stages

I mean...would we have to fight?

I'm interested in the recommendation from Jonathan Hall KC for a “state threats proscription-like tool” to complement the provisions of the National Security Act, but more from the perspective of what this could mean in targeting HSA from China e.g., interference from the Ministry of State Security.

I can't be the only person that was howling with laughter at this today, particularly at the prospect of an app tracking the (non) movement of gamers. www.thetimes.com/article/6acd...

🔥 As Starter Packs are doing the rounds again, here is a hastily updated #anticorruption pack with (mostly) a UK focus. 🙏 As always, any additions, deletions or edits much appreciated.

There's a lad in the gym who's the spit of Chris Evans going through his beardy Captain America timeline and, well, goodness.

Which their government the CCP absolutely positively wouldn't emulate in any way with Taiwan.

Any excuse to repost this

Fun* game - at what point does the Roman empire become sophisticated enough that it becomes true to say 'this war could only have ended one way, because war is now about supply chains'. Pre-Hannibal, IMO, to squeeze the joy from Sharon's joke yet further**. *I have never claimed to be cool. **Ibid

Devil's in the details but if California governor Newsom's serious about going full bore on providing wraparound support to EV drivers, he should make his state a haven using the $200m fund to build out charging infrastructure as well as immediate per-vehicle grants www.engadget.com/transportati...

After the US military strikes on Venezuela, Chinese military affairs experts Wang Yunfei and Zhang Junshe analyzed how the US Delta Force carried out the mission, while stressing the illegality of the US invasion of a sovereign state. www.globaltimes.cn/page/202601/...

“We need to prepare for the possibility that the U.S. uses military coercion against Canada.” — Headline from op-ed in The Globe and Mail. Who the hell put the milk in the tea for @mcsweeneys.net, this is brutal.

"Establishing an underground network consisting of retired men taking up tables all morning at Tim Hortons."

Surgery advice so good they sent it to me three times.

Democrats need to understand that they can just say “It’s insane to threaten Greenland” and “I don’t think ICE should murder Americans in the street” and you don’t need to pretend to link it to the affordability crisis. Say bad things are bad.

Brad Setser on the RMB: "An immovable object is meeting a potentially unstoppable political force." While I think there will definitely be RMB appreciation this year, I don't think it will be nearly enough to satisfy anyone. on.cfr.org/49wu13q

Trump every night.

The same people who screamed at us for not sufficiently revering the memory of Charlie Kirk are now telling us that Renee Good had it coming and was a “domestic terrorist.” What cretins. What fiends.

You either die a disruptor, or live long enough to see yourself become an incumbent

Since we’re doing starter packs again, here’s @patrickhowelloneill.com’s list of cybersecurity and information security folks go.bsky.app/JvFS98y

You've got to hand it to the guy for going out of his way to make sure everyone is aware of his public service. www.thetimes.com/article/3b83...

Imagine being dem leadership, seeing a convicted rapist and pedophile wildly rampaging about murdering people and going "listen, we all know the real issue here: the price of eggs is murdering our wallets, am I right folks?"

Fascinating piece from Camilla Long that basically amounts to a "it was the wokey words of the Democrats what done it, Your Honour" analysis of the recent fatal interaction between ICE officers and Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. www.thetimes.com/article/71f7...

I don't like referring to the platform as X, either. It's too brittle and for all its supposedly punchy neologistic imagery, it doesn't look as friendly or practical as Twitter did.

Fair play to Jacob Elordi for managing to sit through up to 10 hours of prosthetic skin and makeup applications to bury his looks and reappear as Frankenstein's monster. www.thetimes.com/article/dc9d...

And they're only protecting Greenland from itself against the military advances of Russia and China, after all.