2 big stories

There was a time when nuclear disarmament talks between the United States and the Soviet Union were a big thing. Admittedly, these days Russia might be more accurately described as a developing world county with nuclear weapons but any moves towards a reduction in nuclear capability is a good thing. Unfortunately, the American desire to include the Chinese in such talks is likely to be unsuccessful and, with China testing the strength of its neighbours on all sides, that offers a problem going forward.

As a review of Humphrey Hawksley’s book, Asian Waters, notes;

If China does get away with seizing and militarizing waters here, what will it do elsewhere in world and how far has it reached already. Bolstered by its South China Sea success, how are Beijing’s expansion plans impacting on India, Japan, Southeast Asia and even on Europe and America itself? Does it need to be restrained? If so, by how much. And if it is not, what will Russia, Iran or any government do when it sees that the international rule-book can so easily shredded and tossed aside.

As the Government slowly tapers support for those in jobs and the self-employed, the prospects for employment are gloomy. The recruitment group, Manpower Group, have found companies in all sectors are likely to be cutting jobs rather than creating them in the third quarter of 2020, a trend expected to be exacerbated as companies are obliged to cover more of the cost of furloughing staff.

2 social media posts

Rabina Khan is the Special Advisor on Communities to the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party in the House of Lords. Here, she addresses the issue of monuments to those who grew rich from the profits of the slave trade…

The UK is crawling with monuments of slavery; Robert Milligan statute should go next. If it stays we become more complicit in dismissing the legacies of people who put black people into chains of bondage. My article in @IndyVoices #BlackLivesMattters https://t.co/A565kiUdGv

— Rabina Khan (@RabinaKhan) June 9, 2020

And, talking of the Liberal Democrat Peers, they’ve been hard at work today scrutinising the Corporate Governance and Insolvency Bill, as Liz Barker explains…

With @LibDemLords @SusanKramer @SharonBowlesUK @LorelyBurt @LPNorthover + Chris Fox + Munroe Palmer questioning Tories rushing through permanent measures in emergency Corporate Governance and Insolvency Bill. Serious concerns re supply change law

— Liz Barker (@LizBarkerLords) June 9, 2020