Member Info for mick-b

EVIKING

I live nearby and seen it close up.

My son-in-law works their and the airport have open days for employees families.

They store a lot of old planes in numerous hangers as few airlines use the airport which is a shame....easyjet mostly to Spain.

The Vulcan does run up the runway but costs of licences is just too high to be allowed in the air, the mechanic told me...they all work free for the love of it.

5 PRONOUNCED DEAD.

Ban all religions. Science has put it all into a dustbin.

"Eliminating religion

Albania declared itself an atheist nation in 1967 and implemented a constitutional ban on religious activity in 1976. The government nationalized most religious institutions' property and used it for non-religious purposes. "

brill‼️

comments section...

"a wondrous fever dream, ketch!

sadly, it's almost as bizarre and apocalyptic as the ****show we are already starting to live through... and it isn't even january 20th yet!"

👏🏼👏🏼

BLUE

Means loads more tax for most NATO countries who apart from America are all struggling economically.

Hence reluctance to increase tax massively as they get voted out, unlike their enemies like Russia whose defence spending has soared to over 50% GDP and with it a Russian central bank interest rate of 21% and an average lifespan of 72 years

BLUE

NATO countries vary a lot in defence. Poland spends 4% which will increase to 5% next year.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/poland-spend-5-gdp-defence-2025-says-foreign-minister-2024-07-13/

BLUE

" Eight years ago, in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, JD Vance was a bitter critic of Donald Trump.

Publicly, he called the Republican businessman an "idiot" and said he was "reprehensible." Privately, he compared him to Adolf Hitler.

But by the time the former president tapped Vance to be his running mate in July, the Ohio native had become one of Trump's most ardent defenders"

Conclusion....Often when you delve back far enough all sorts of embarrassments can be found.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jd-vance-once-compared-trump-hitler-now-they-are-running-mates-2024-07-15/

UK food and drink exports tumbled by 10.2% in the first nine months of the year, driven by a drop in alcohol sales, according to new data from trade body the Food and Drink Federation.

The EU remains the UK’s largest trading partner for food and drink, but exports to the bloc have fallen by 5.3% so far this year. Post-Brexit administrative burdens for shipments have been blamed for the slump in exports to the EU.

The FDF is calling for a focus on “removing unnecessary paperwork” and targeted export support particularly for small and medium sized businesses to help them clear post-Brexit trade barriers and recover lost trade.

“These figures highlight the challenges that UK food and drink continue to face when selling their products abroad,” said Balwinder Dhoot, director of industry growth and sustainability at the Food and Drink Federation.

US President-elect Donald Trump plans to push NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP, according to the Financial Times on Friday. Trump's team has informed European officials of his intention to demand this significant hike, which exceeds NATO's current 2% target.While Trump will advocate for the spending increase, he also aims to maintain US military support for Ukraine, despite his stance against granting Ukraine NATO membership. A source to the media outlet indicated that Trump might agree to a 3.5% defense spending increase, planning to tie this to better trade terms with the US.Previously, the military alliance has already put on the table a figure around 3% for possible future commitments of its members. As of now, only 23 of the 32 countries in the alliance are meeting the 2% target.

Baha Breaking News (BBN) / AC

Stock futures fall as traders await the Fed’s preferred inflation reading: Live updates - CNBC

U.S. stock futures fell on Friday as traders reacted to a failed House GOP funding measure intended to avert a government shutdown, with the Dow futures down 183 points and Nasdaq 100 futures dropping 1.4%, led by declines in major tech stocks like Tesla and Nvidia.

Investors are also closely watching the upcoming reading of the personal consumption expenditures price index, with expectations of a slight inflation rise, which could impact the Federal Reserve's future interest rate decisions after recent comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated a more cautious approach moving forward.

Meanwhile, short selling has increased among automakers due to rising sell ratings from analysts, with companies like Lucid, Rivian, and NIO seeing significant short positions amid declining stock values in 2024.

Putin didn't mention in his 4 hr speech why interest rates are so high.....23%

https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/russias-key-rate-seen-climbing-by-another-200-bps-23-2024-12-16/

FTSE100 🔻0.2%

https://www.ig.com/uk/indices/markets-indices/ftse-100

The big soldier at the back (behind Churchill) is my uncle Norman Perry (mum’s side)

He was given the job of driving Churchill and Monty around when Churchill first arrived by plane in Normandy after the D-day landings. This photo was taken from a Pathé news film shown at cinemas throughout the UK. (and probably newspapers)

(British Pathé is home to a treasure trove of 220,000 news films from 1896 to 1984. The collection is unrivaled in its historical and cultural significance …)

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C315982

Lord Peter Mandelson is expected to be named as the UK's next ambassador to the US.

The Labour grandee, who served in multiple ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before taking up a life peerage in the Lords, was considered to be one of the frontrunners for the position.

He will replace Dame Karen Pierce, whose term in Washington DC is due to end in early 2025.

An architect of New Labour, Lord Mandelson was seen as a key adviser to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the run up to the 2024 election.

He served as a Labour MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, during which time he served as secretary of state for Northern Ireland and business secretary.

His appointment comes ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in January.

A government source said: "The fact the prime minister has chosen to make a political appointment and sent Lord Mandelson to Washington shows just how importantly we see our relationship with the Trump administration.

"We're sending someone close to the prime minister with unrivalled political and policy experience, particularly on the crucial issue of trade. He's the ideal candidate to represent the UK's economic and security interests in the USA."

Could we get a trade deal?

Even Farage recommend him.

Up 0.5%

Here’s Why the Dow Just Had Its Worst Slump in 50 Years - Investopedia

The Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced its longest daily losing streak in 50 years, falling for ten consecutive sessions, largely influenced by the Federal Reserve's cautious approach to interest rate cuts amid inflation concerns.

The downturn has been exacerbated by the fallout from the fatal shooting of a UnitedHealth Group executive, leading to a significant drop in the company's stock as well as those of CVS Health and Cigna, triggering legislative discussions about the healthcare industry.

Nvidia has also contributed to the Dow's decline since its addition to the index, facing challenges from a potential anti-monopoly investigation and rising competition, with its stock falling in all but one trading session since December 4.

The US shares fell sharply overnight. The Fed reduced interest rates, but signalled that next year they're not going to be cut as quickly as the market expects

Down to inflation creeping higher, potential of tariffs. With US shares, when they get a cold everyone has a sneeze.

AWAX

Thats what happens when the water Industry is privatised.

The only country in the World silly enough to do so.

FTSE100 🔻 1.05%

https://www.ig.com/uk/indices/markets-indices/ftse-100

But workers have to be paid properly otherwise the young especially stay with Mum and Dad selling stuff on eBay instead.

The UK entered a recession in the second half of 2023, as confirmed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in March 2024. The recession was caused by two consecutive quarters of GDP decline, the first being a 0.1% decrease between July and September, and the second a 0.3% decrease in the last three months of 2023.

The recession was partly due to higher prices in shops, which led to people spending less, and higher interest rates, which increased mortgage costs.