- Police interceptor - 25th August 2026
- Lies, damn lies and statistics… - 24th August 2026
- Trump tower - 21st August 2026
During 23 years with the BBC, and in a 43 year journalistic career (when he was trained to use clear and simple language, avoiding jargon), for our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry, putting centre stage the bizarre political actions of politicians has always been vital, but towering over them all today is the incredible behaviour of Donald Trump who this week has cosied up to a dictator, and threatened to bomb an ally.
Their actions never cease to amaze me.
I thought I had seen it all with the astonishing behaviour of politicians. but plainly I was wrong because what has happened this week has topped everything!
From a Welsh perspective I have often been left open-mouthed, and one incident that comes to mind is how I spent a long period outside a police station during my time as a reporter on BBC Cymru Wales Today (WT), when a senior politician was inside accused of having ripped down his rival’s campaign posters in an election campaign.
I would like to say that NOTHING can beat this, but, even with what we have seen on the world stage – you never know with Donald Trump!
He has this week threatened to bomb Oman (a USA ally) if it “gets in the way” of his administration’s talks with Iran, Fox News has reported.
The USA and Oman have been negotiating separately with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is essential to the global economy, which has been largely closed for nearly six months during Mr Trump’s war with Iran.
A reporter for Fox News said Mr Trump made the threat to Oman while using an expletive during a phone interview, which sounds eminently believable.
Meanwhile Mr Trump has seemingly endorsed Kim Jong Un, leader of the appalling North Korea, who everybody knows is a dictator, and scolded the democratic country of SOUTH Korea.
He has said the USA will “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with Mr Kim.
Mr Trump is notoriously thin-skinned, so it may be significant to note, that he wrote on Truth Social that South Korea had recently declined to join the USA in the “denuclearisation” of Iran (and don’t forget he launched that war with a televised address, declaring to the Iranian people: “The hour of your freedom is at hand”).
‘Freedom Shield’ is an annual military exercise, which brings thousands of American and South Korean troops together, training to counter threats from North Korea.
In this summer’s edition, which was scheduled to begin on August 17, the allies planned to focus on responding to new capabilities that North Korean soldiers acquired while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine, such as drone warfare.
Or at least they were supposed to: the night before the exercises were due to start, Mr Trump ordered the defence department to dial down the manoeuvres, because of the cost of the drills, South Korea’s refusal to support his war in Iran and his relationship with Kim Jong Un.
Events like these are even more staggering than a Welsh politician being accused of ripping down a rival’s campaign posters, and surely they will not be exceeded.
You never know though with Donald Trump!
The memories of Phil’s extraordinary, decades long award-winning career in journalism (which includes amazing events, although none as astounding as today’s!) when he was gripped by the rare neurological disabling condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A Good Story’. Order it now.
Next week – ‘From Russia without love part two’, and how news that Russian hacking is increasing, Oligarchs are becoming more outspoken, and the country’s polls suggest anxiety is growing, all highlight once again how The Eye have also been targeted.
