Discrimination against LGBTQ+.

 A cruise ship The Scarlet Lady - has been refused entry to Turkey and now Egypt. The destination was for 10 days at sea from Athens to Venice, stopping off at various other destinations. The police in Turkey, have arrested a number of people for - undermining ‘traditional family values’. Needless to say this has caused great concern and anxiety in the LGBTQ+ community. This particular incident is an indication of how - combustible this political issue has become. It would appear - that we are witnessing a regression to more - reactionary and prejudicial attitudes and behaviour. This is a - right wing political ideology and we should be very worried by this turn of events. How much - lower will it go? 

Getting divorced.

 On Monday the respective leaders of - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, signed an Agreement of Understanding - regarding their respective countries going independent from Britain. Could this spell the beginning of the end of the United Kingdom? There is plenty of - water to pass under the bridge before then, but the government in London, must take the potential threat seriously. For too long there has been friction between - London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. It’s been wrongly assumed the status quo would last forever. This will be a wake up call to - politicians in Westminster. So we may see in the next few years - the various political parties in the divorce courts. All divorces are unhappy affairs - and this will be no different. 

Sir Salman Rushdie.

 In a fascinating interview with Sir Salman Rushdie on the New Society podcast - is worth listening to. His book Knife has been made into a film and he collaborated with the director. The film will be released in the UK on 30/9/26 and is directed by the American filmmaker Alex Gibney. Of course Rushdie is no stranger to controversy and had to - go into hiding for many years following the publication of his book The Satanic Verses. 

A close call.

 After a security meeting in Ukraine a train was heading towards Poland and had just disembarked its - top security personnel, including Boris Johnson and the governments National Security Adviser (NSA) Jonathan Powell. It’s thought the Russian secret service were monitoring the situation very closely, but hit the wrong train. Had it hit the correct one - a whole collection of senior intelligence officials would have perished - it was a close call. 

Trump supports the idea of a united Ireland.

 President Trump, has caused something of a - diplomatic faux pas, by suggesting he would ‘love to see a united Ireland’. One day it will of course happen, but that is dependent on the majority of those living in the north of Ireland - voting by a clear majority for it. Needless to say - his comments have not been helpful to the British government in London. Trump, loves to - grandstand and be the centre of attention, but he may have put back the clock - by his stupidity. 

The post 9/11 world of today.

 I can recall quite graphical the day of 9/11. I was seeing patients in the consulting room in north London on a - crisp clear sunny Tuesday - the weather was very similar to that of New York. I was seeing a member of the government and completely unprecedentedly - we watched the unfolding events of what was happening in New York - in my sitting room. Suddenly there was a message from the Cabinet Secretary Richard Wilson, to urgently - return to a Downing Street, for a COBRA meeting. These events led to the war - on terrorism as it was now called - and the consequence wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that lasted until president Jo Biden, decided foolishly to - scramble out on 30 August 2021. The extortionate cost to the American economy was estimated to be between $5 & 6 trillion for these combined wars. That is only one side of the coin - what about the lives destroyed and mutilated by the senseless war on terrorism - President W Bush declared prematurely on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln on 1 May 2003 “ mission accomplished”. How far from reality was that? 

We in this country had the Iraq Report, commissioned by Gordon Brown the prime minister - into the serious fiasco and so call ‘Dodgy Dossier’? Chaired by Sir John Chilcot in July 2009. His Chilcot - report was published in 2016. Unfortunately we are still living in the aftermath of 9/11. The present war against Iran led by president Trump - is part of this general malaise regarding international law. Might is more important than - what is right and lawful. Moreover the war in Gaza and general disregard for the norms and values that underpin international - rules based order - have been prematurely jettisoned. In addition we have the war in Ukraine and the loss of - blood and iron. Where will it all end? We now live in a far more unpredictable world where the two remaining - super powers the US and China - keep a watchful eye on each other. And coming in down the tracks very fast is the - apocalypse of the AI revolution. 

Monty Don, to say - goodbye.

 Monty Don, has presented the weekly Gardernsers’ World sine 2003. He overseen about 700 programmes and done so with great humour and expertise. His dogs also play a leading role and are clearly loved by Monty. One particular dog stole the hearts of the nation and that was his Golden Retriever Nigel - who died in May 2020 aged 11 at the beginning of Covid. The country was grieving the loss along with Monty. He will be a hard act to follow as he is a - national treasure.