Some personal news…

When @washingtonpost.com goes full @theonion.com

More money needed, from government or better off students or graduates - pols have to choose: @EdinburghUni principal says it’s not enough to be against tuition fees, warning other universities could face the same battle for survival as Dundee: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Where Lobsters Dare: what is Russia up to on the seabed, why, and how to detect and deter it? on @BBCRadio4 and @BBCSounds #implausibledeniability www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

As Sir Keir Starmer boosts UK defence spending, how far is Britain from battle-readiness? What’s needed? How to procure it? More collabs with EU allies? What to learn from Ukraine and Russia? I made ‘Re-arming the UK’, for @BBCRadio4, now on @BBCSounds www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Lloyds Banking Group results are out. Charlie Nunn, chief executive, said: “We successfully completed the first phase of our ambitious and purpose-driven strategy, exceeding our revenue target and transforming our propositions and capabilities as we returned the business to growth.”

One Norwegian minister: "207 weeks to go, one week down". He was referring to NATO, as it awaits the Donald Trump wrecking ball. Less than 2 weeks in, though, POTUS is focussed on tariffs, a word he loves...

Liking the look of this: Fred Goodwin and the RBS calamity, on stage at the Edinburgh Festival featuring the ghost of Logan Roy.

How will Trump 2.0 affect us across the Atlantic? Possibly tariffs, exports, inflation, energy and climate change, and (in)security in Europe: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Good article by @douglasffraser.bsky.social looking at child poverty which recognises that solving this problem isn't just the responsibility of one part of government, or government alone www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

So here it is, Merry Easter at the Co-op

A late arrival, as usual, and a refugee from the other planet. I nearly failed the 'are you human?' test, and I'm not always as grumpy as that picture indicates.