Time for Change: Campaign for an Independent Green Thanet MP and Ramsgate Mayor

  Dissent, Propaganda, and the Manufactured Enemy: Cold War Ends, Psyops Begin by Tim Garbutt In July 2025, South Korea officially shut down its last remaining propaganda broadcasts into North Korea—including the long-running Echo of Hope —marking the symbolic end of a decades-old psychological operation. These radio waves once beamed K-pop and uncensored news across the DMZ, offering a sonic rebellion against censorship. But under President Lee Jae-myung’s outreach agenda, Seoul says the Cold War playbook no longer fits. The same month, the U.S. slashed funding to Radio Free Asia , long seen as a lifeline for North Korean dissidents. Critics warn this leaves authoritarian regimes unchecked, just as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea forge tighter alliances—trading drones, missiles, and even troops. North Korea is said to have sent 12,000 soldiers to assist Russia’s war in Ukraine. Cold War Ends—But the Chill Persists The West’s shift from traditional deterrence to vague threat...

  Thai Resilience Beyond the Border: Kamolrat’s Fight, House Scrutiny, and insuring Real Reconstruction  by Tim Garbutt As the gunfire fades along the Thai–Cambodian border, the human cost remains painfully clear. The July 24 rocket strike on a PTT petrol station in Kantharalak, Si Sa Ket, killed eight Thai civilians and injured thirteen. But for Ms Kamolrat Phonsetthalert , the station’s owner, the trauma is ongoing.  With 14 million baht in damages , no insurance payout, and psychiatric treatment for shock, her story is emblematic of a deeper crisis—one that goes far beyond border skirmishes. Kamolrat’s Ordeal: No Warning, No Compensation The Bangkok Post reports that Kamolrat’s insurers have refused to pay, citing war damage exclusions—even though the government has yet to formally declare the area a war zone. Her business, which includes a 7-Eleven store, is shuttered for months. Fifty employees face lost income.  Similar insurance issues in East Kent Ramsgate wi...

  Thai Marine Welfare Rising: From Irrawaddy Dolphins to Global Conservation Diplomacy by Tim Garbutt Thailand’s turquoise waters and coral reefs have long been a magnet for tourists, but beneath the surface lies a complex story of marine exploitation, reform, and emerging leadership beyond The Beach.  From shark fin exports to dolphin captivity, the kingdom has faced scrutiny. Yet recent shifts suggest Thailand may be poised to redefine its role—from regional exploiter to global steward. Irrawaddy Dolphins: A Conservation Bright Spot In the brackish waters of Songkhla Lake and the Mekong River, the Irrawaddy dolphin —once teetering on the brink—has become a symbol of hope. Thanks to community-led patrols , fishing gear reforms , and government-backed habitat protections , sightings have increased.  The Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources now estimates over 150 individuals , a modest but meaningful recovery. This success isn’t just ecological—it’s political. T...

 A detailed breakdown of questionable public sector investments across UK councils, health trusts, universities, and more, grouped by institution type and listing specific companies, sectors, and controversies: Council Pension Funds Derbyshire County Council Fossil Fuels : Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips Arms : Raytheon (cluster munitions), Lockheed Martin (nuclear weapons), Boeing (fighter jets) Tobacco : British American Tobacco, Philip Morris Mining : Rio Tinto, Glencore (pollution, child labour) Essex County Council Military-Linked Firms : BAE Systems (Yemen strikes), Tata Group (Myanmar arms) Controversial Commodities : Glencore (corruption), BAT tobacco (health harms) Deflection : Prioritises “maximum return” despite human rights concerns Kent County Council: £8BN pension fund: council/teachers/police/fire * £400M Fossil Fuels * £116M Tobacco * No details yet on Arms/Gambling etc Isle of Wight Council Complicity Claims : £31.8m allegedly invested in firms tied to Israeli military R...

Tsunami Warning Today: Echoes of Phuket 2004 and the UK's Revived Alert System by Tim Garbutt At 8:12 AM local time, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering Pacific-wide tsunami alerts . Waves up to four metres were recorded in Kamchatka, with warnings issued as far as Japan, Hawaii, and the U.S. West Coast. While alerts have since been downgraded, the quake reignites global memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami , especially in Phuket, Thailand , where over 5,000 lives were lost and 200,000 dead across the oceans. Phuket 2004: A Wake-Up Call for the World The Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, triggered by a 9.1-magnitude quake off Sumatra, devastated Thailand’s Andaman coast. Phuket, Krabi, and Khao Lak bore the brunt, with entire villages wiped out and thousands of tourists caught unaware. At the time, Thailand lacked any tsunami warning system . Today, it boasts 13 coastal towers , seabed buoys , and evacuation drills offering up to 2.5 hou...

  Africa at the Crossroads: Power, People & a New Charter by Tim Garbutt As Africa nears the end of 2025, the continent stands at a historic inflection point—riven by war, famine, and entrenched leadership, yet brimming with untapped potential and a rising generational call for reform.  From ageing autocrats to dynastic politics and constitutional coups, the time has come for a new framework: a New African Charter that reflects twenty-first-century realities and aspirations. The Age of Power: Presidents Who Won’t Let Go Africa’s political fabric remains laced with leaders clinging to power for decades. Paul Biya of Cameroon is 92 and marking 43 years in office. Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang has been president for 46 years , while Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni is 80 , having erased term and age limits to extend his near four-decade reign . Gerontocratic inertia and dynastic entrenchment  limits   Eswatini which remains the continent’s last absolute monarchy , w...

  Thailand’s Tourism gloss and depth of Nature often masks a darker underbelly: a sprawling network of drugged petting tigers , captive lions , crocodile and snake farms , and military mascots that blur the line between conservation and cruelty. Lions as Pets — The TikTok Menagerie The Bangkok Post details that behind car repair shops and influencer villas, lions lounge in cages for likes. With over 500 captive lions registered in homes, petting cafés, and breeding farms, Thailand’s lion boom is fuelled by social media and lax regulation. Hybrids like ligers, tigons and liligers are bred for novelty, not conservation  and will never know the wild . “It’s absolute madness,” says Tom Taylor of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand. “A human and animal welfare disaster in the making.” Tigers for Selfies — Drugged and Displayed Undercover reports reveal rampant abuse of tigers in tourist zoos. Drugged for docility, they’re paraded for selfies, bottle-fed by visitors, and confi...

From Aid to Arms: Gaza's Ceasefire Marks Turning Point in Wider Middle East War By Tim Garbutt As food airdrops streak across Gaza’s skies and an Israeli truce holds from 10am to 8pm, the humanitarian lens reveals deeper geopolitical fractures. France’s bold recognition of a Palestinian state signals not just symbolic solidarity, but strategic recalibration — a marker of shifting fault lines from Washington consensus to continental autonomy. Ceasefire or Capitulation? The narrow truce windows signal exhaustion — not peace. With Gaza's infrastructure pulverised and its population reduced to dependency on drone-dropped rations, the endgame feels less like diplomacy and more like surrender under siege. The absence of broader Arab or Global South alignment leaves Palestinians stranded in a narrative largely controlled by Western broadcasters and donors. Recognition Amid Ruin France’s diplomatic recognition — potentially followed by other Western EU states — separates continental Eu...

    Thailand has formally accused Cambodia of violating the Ottawa Treaty after discovering eight newly planted anti-personnel landmines in the Chong Bok area , deep within Thai territory. The Thai military claims the mines were freshly laid and not remnants from past conflicts, citing surface placement and lack of vegetation as evidence. Cambodia denies the allegations, suggesting the mines may be old or misattributed. Both countries are signatories to the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use and stockpiling of such mines. Thailand is preparing a UN complaint , while Cambodian officials call for an ICJ investigation , arguing the accusations are politically motivated. While Cambodia has raised concerns over Thai Cluster Munitions dropped in F16 air strikes. And even rather silly attempts to smear Thailand for using poison gas or bio/chemical weapons - the former a rather shoddy photoshop of a USA wildfire plane in California tweeted by the Khmer PM wife. Myanmar Drones and...

  By Tim Garbutt Despite $700M+ in cumulative funding over the years, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) continues to underperform, obfuscate, and stagnate. The 2024 report reveals worrying signs of ineffectiveness, especially as we approach the critical Mines 2030 deadline . Here's why it's time to push for radical overhaul — or risk drifting into irrelevance. 1. The Numbers Game: $41M for 14 Nations — But Where’s the Substance? 591 landmines removed globally: that’s barely 2 landmines per day across all 14 active countries — a stunningly low output and c.$69,000(!) per landmine. No listed staff or admin costs for UNMAS offices in New York or Geneva — implying either hidden overheads or ghost structures - and very incomplete accounts. No named email contacts in official documents: UNMAS offices resemble black boxes, immune to scrutiny. Add to this: key nations like Cyprus are still listed - though demining halted there in 2017(!) . That either reflects legacy accounting ...

  Trigger Points: Thailand’s Gun Epidemic and the ASEAN Challenge The Or Tor Kor mass shooting near Chatuchak Market in Bangkok is a flashpoint for guns in Thailand with 5 killed by a lone shooter.  Thailand ranks second only to Pakistan for civilian gun ownership in Asia—an unsettling distinction for a country with notoriously strict firearm laws.  With over 10.3 million guns in circulation and an ownership rate of 15.1 per 100 people , Thailand has more civilian guns than the rest of ASEAN combined(!). Yet despite the legality barrier, nearly 4 million firearms remain unregistered , enabling a booming black market. Annual gun deaths hover around 3,830 —a gun death rate of 4.45 per 100,000 , tragically punctuated by mass shootings such as: 2020: Nakhon Ratchasima mall siege (30 dead) 2022: Nong Bua Lamphu nursery massacre (36 dead) 2023: Siam Paragon mall shooting (2 dead) 2025: Or Tor Kor market (5 dead) These aren’t isolated events. They’re signals of systemic failure...

Over the weekend, Thailand and Cambodia plunged into their most violent border conflict since the 1979 Khmer Rouge collapse and Vietnam occupation, with  14 civilians killed   and   two Thai airstrikes   marking a dramatic escalation. The strikes—launched by   F-16s from Ubon Ratchathani —targeted Cambodian military positions near the disputed   Ta Muen temple   in Surin province.  The  first time Thailand, or any Asian nation, has used combat jets in a conflict since 1979 or even 1975 , excluding Myanmar intercepts as peace dawns across 21C Asia?  Wiser heads now agreeing a ceasefire with ASEAN, and POTUS Trump hoping it will hold and reconstruction begins after the firefight frenzy of the last few days. The violence erupted after Cambodian forces allegedly fired  BM-21 rockets  into Thai territory, killing 14 civilians and injuring dozens. Thailand responded with airstrikes and declared  martial law in eight border distr...

  Bluff or Brinkmanship? UK’s Taiwan War Talk Rings Hollow Amid Pacific Realities By Tim Garbutt Defence Secretary John Healey’s assertion that the UK “would fight” over Taiwan jolted headlines this weekend, but the strategic subtext invites deeper scrutiny. Speaking aboard the HMS  Prince of Wales  in Darwin, Australia, Healey's comment alongside AUKUS allies seemed designed more to signal resolve than outline policy — and perhaps rightly so, given the uncomfortable mismatch between UK global rhetoric and regional force capability. UK’s Pacific Posture: Symbolism Over Substance? Britain maintains just two active warships in the Indo-Pacific, including the  Prince of Wales , now participating in joint exercises. While technically bolstering deterrence, the footprint is more ceremonial than commanding. Unlike the Cold War's Atlantic naval chessboard, the Pacific theatre demands scale — and the UK simply doesn't have it. 17 UK warships and 40 Admirals a telling statist...