In recent weeks, the British public, increasingly alarmed at the behaviour of Vladimir Putin, has learnt that the army stands at its lowest strength since the Napoleonic wars, that both of our otherwise magnificent aircraft carriers have trouble getting seaborne, that one of our warships crashed into another because of “faulty wiring”, and that Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the US commitment to Nato.
Even the special forces, the finest of their kind in the world, are now being accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. It’s not inspiring confidence...
Why are our missiles misfiring?
Something to do with telemetrics, maybe. If anyone does know, then it’s a secret. The MoD says “an anomaly occurred” – a refreshingly novel euphemism for failure – and that the incident was “event specific”. Even so, a similar thing apparently happened in 2016. The government assures us that “there are no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpile”. Phew.
Is our independent nuclear deterrent still a deterrent?
Denne historien er fra February 22, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
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Denne historien er fra February 22, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Springboks reveal insights into secrets of their success
Rugby is a game of grey areas. From foul play to scrum-time skirmish, one's opinion on a particular incident can vary greatly depending on the lens through which it is viewed.
Hall could solve England's specialist left-back problem
In their last 13 matches, England have only once started with a specialist left-back. Now a specialist left-back has emerged who debuted under Thomas Tuchel and who, even before the German takes charge, can benefit from the coaching of England's most-capped full-back.
Coote's sweary Klopp rant loads pressure on referees
When the video of referee David Coote ranting about Jurgen Klopp first came to light, some of the most influential figures at Premier League clubs were excitedly sending it around on WhatsApp.
Labour looks set to smash straight into a jobs problem
Is Labour hurtling towards a jobs problem? The latest official data release does not make for happy reading for our accidentprone government.
Watchdog fines Metro Bank £16m for failing customers
A major bank has been fined millions for errors that left customers at risk. Metro Bank has been fined 16.6m by regulators for failings over money laundering controls from 2016 to 2020.
Inconvenient truth about this year's Booker winner
Samantha Harvey's ‘Orbital', a meditation on the Earth and humanity, has scooped this year's prize. But Martin Chilton is sceptical it will make readers wake up to climate change
'Male actors do get paid, more than us - that's a fact'
Sarah Greene has reunited with her 'Bad Sisters' for a second series. She tells Ellie Harrison about misogyny, donning an eyepatch, and looks back on the success of 'Normal People'
KATHMANDU CHAOS
The Nepalese capital's shambolic main airport is a perfect case study in how to deter visitors, writes Simon Calder
Fox on the box: 25 years of Lineker's Match of the Day
Gary Lineker is leaving 'MOTD' at the end of this season, after a glittering tenure as the host of the BBC's flagship football show. Nick Hilton looks back on his highs and lows
Dumping Lineker is a move the BBC will live to regret
Watching the flagship BBC News at 10 programme on Monday night, you might have been forgiven for thinking all was well in the world - that Gaza was no longer a killing field, that Ukraine was safe from Putin, that the planet had started to cool down.
