Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela. Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe. Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.

In the news 40 years ago today: Conservative MPs angry at having to work in the first half of January. Poor lambs.

Manchester Central Library #AlphabetChallenge #ThemesWeek #ThemeWeek #WeekRForReflections

Trump only allows the US, China and Russia to kill protesters.

This is important. AI gives the superficial appearance of being sentient but it isn't, and almost no-one claims otherwise. Grok isn't responsible for creating child porn any more than Photoshop would be to blame if someone used it for that purpose.

Maybe George brained himself to get Amber back #TheArchers

London in the good old days - before everyone's feet pointed forwards.

Sgt Harrison Burns' crime-solving tips #23: Ask everyone "where were you at the time of the incident?" Arrest the person who replies "Standing over George Grundy with a broken bottle in my hand." #TheArchers

A company's price-to-earnings ratio is typically 20-25. A high PE ratio suggests a company might be overvalued, a low ratio that it might be undervalued. Tesla has a PE ratio of 308, it's profits are falling year-on-year. Tesla is a stock market bubble.

I have no particular opinion on John Rentoul, but seeing a group of people hurling abuse at him on Bluesky is making me feel a lot more positive about him. Come on folks, this isn't Twitter.

The view of Jewish people are important. The views of a far-right state actively committing genocide - I'd say they were less worth taking note of.

Tesla isn't even the best-selling EV maker, never mind car maker, and yet has a valuation higher than all the big car makers combined. Crazy.

The BBC: spoiling everyone's fun since 1922.

It's always a character who you know is around but you would never expect. So here's how and why the Gills tried to murder George. "But they've never even met!" you say. And you'd be right. Until New Year's Eve, they didn't meet. But how did the Gills afford Home Farm? /1 #TheArchers

The Britons Protection, Manchester #AlphabetChallenge #ThemesWeek #WeekPForPubs

In true crime drama fashion it will be the Gills, with a motive we won't discover for another fortnight #TheArchers

"Adam's probably the best man I know." Brian lying through his teeth again. #TheArchers

Huddersfield - the illicit love capital of the North. #TheArchers

The DCI is thinking "Glad I'm an Archers addict or I'd never know all this background information." #TheArchers

They've got Brad bang to rights. George's little helper... until Amber came between them. Clearly guilty, lock him up now. #TheArchers

The last series of Stranger Things was good and a fitting ending. It's really tough to keep up the intensity in this sort of programme: nothing quite matches the early reveals. But they gave it a decent shot and turned in a great show across five seasons and ten years.

New York of the Future: Visions of the New York of 2026, from the architects of 1926.

Can't believe that no-one still follows the old tradition of running naked through the centre of my village at noon on New Year's Day. Also, I'm cold and embarrassed.

On this day in 1909 the first state pensions came into force - thanks to a Liberal government.

I visited this part of Blackpool a few months ago and the poverty seeps out of the brickwork. It goes to show that this sort of regeneration is really hard - there are no easy answers.

Railway line in the woods. #AlphabetChallenge #ThemesWeek #WeekRForRailways

He got three years and nine months, and was disqualified from being a company director for seven years.

Throat as rough as a badger's arse. As I know from the 2017 paper I co-authored "Rough as a badger's arse: comparative coarseness of wild British mammal's anal cavities." Happy New Year

Who hit George with a bottle? 🍾 Hannah - generally hates him 🍾 Harrison - revenge for his unborn child 🍾 Shula - smiting the ungodly 🍾 David - he's killed before 🍾 Oliver - just found out about the bench? 🍾 Jazzer - over-vigorous highland fling 🍾 Hilda Ogden - capable of any evil #TheArchers

The genocide continues. What is our government's view of this development?

Well done Alice, and well done to the scriptwriters. We've seen George's struggle from all sides, more and less sympathetic, and the impact its having on other people. Brilliantly acted by Angus Stobie. #TheArchers

Oh dear George. Thank heavens Harrison "Poirot" Burns is around to find the attacker. #TheArchers

George wouldn't be the first person to get his rocks off outside The Bull #TheArchers

Knowing what we do now, this story from 40 years ago today raises a number of questions.

HS2 is doing some incredible, world-leading engineering. In a sane country, we'd create a pipeline of projects. It would become cheaper and we would start selling our expertise to the rest of the world. But this is the UK, so we'll throw it all away. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkEN...

Happy woman, headless woman #WednesdayWindows #WindowsOnWednesday #Photography

They have AI image creation, but I have cowsay. Checkmate, losers.

Doctor Who jigsaw completed, apart from one missing piece: the Weeping Angel's mouth. I believe this is deliberate: completing the Weeping Angel would give it the power to send me back in time, and I'm not doing 2025 again.

Moving businesses away from Microsoft means solving the Sharepoint lock-in problem. For all its faults, Sharepoint allows multiple people at different organisations to work on a complex document at the same time, and that's now baked into business processes. /1

At the current rate of replacement, each UK house needs to last for 3,500 years. Something has to give.

Good advice from James. As an introvert with limited energy for socialising, I take a slightly different approach, but having work and interests that involve regularly meeting people in-person makes life better and improves my mental health.

Week B for Brutalism #AlphabetChallenge #ThemesWeek #ThemeWeek

In the 1990s, the Treasury opposed Crossrail and Michael Portillo, then a government minister argued there was no need for it. As a result, the project - now a huge success - was delayed more than a decade. The Treasury is allergic to productivity growth. www.ft.com/content/a5b7...

2035 in #TheArchers: George takes a vape-break at his Felpersham KFC job. Leaning against a wall, he sees city trader Brad walk past with his glamorous wife Amber and two young children. "At least I'm the Alpha male" he thinks to himself.

On day 3 of the worst cold I've had in two years. -Day 1: I officiated a professional basketball game -Day 2: I drove five hours -Today: I drove six hours. My cold is now giving me a deserved kicking for failing to rest up.

If you want to visit the Trafford Centre in the week after Christmas and not get stuck in traffic, take a bus or tram. People lose their mental faculties when they drive. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

George pushes Ed and Will around because he knows they care about him and he exploits that. Jazzer's a different story, and just wait until Tracy hears what George said to Brad under her roof. Alpha my arse. #TheArchers

So sweet of George to give Brad and Amber his blessing. I confidently predict that nothing bad will now happen. #TheArchers

George: Can I stay at yours tonight? My bastard parents have kicked me out for no reason. Brad: Er, no problem mate, grab the sofa. Don't worry if you hear any noises from my room, I'm thinking of watching a David Attenborough programme about hyenas. #TheArchers

Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent action to make sure people can see their GP within a week, or within 24 hours if in urgent need. Support the plan at www.libdems.org.uk/gps