There’s an enduring, somewhat cynical notion that describes an ambassador as “an honest gentleman sent to lie abroad for the good of his country.” This notion suggests that the role of an ambassador often involves diplomatic deception to benefit their homeland. However, if this notion holds any truth, then the British ambassador to the United States seems to have missed the mark entirely on his diplomatic duties.

Sir Christian Turner, the current British ambassador, recently found himself in the spotlight for his candid remarks that exposed the frayed state of the relationship between Great Britain and the United States. His comments surfaced at a particularly sensitive time, coinciding with the visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to Washington. Their visit aimed to smooth over tensions with President Trump, who had publicly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not supporting the US military actions in Iran.

The controversy began when the Financial Times released excerpts of a recording from a February meeting where Turner addressed a group of visiting British students. In his remarks, he expressed his discomfort with the term “special relationship” often used to describe the bond between the two nations. This candid admission, though perhaps diplomatically imprudent, highlighted the current challenges facing the historic alliance.

His words became public just as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington to try to mend relations with President Trump, who has publicly bashed Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to support the US war effort in Iran. 

According to parts of a recording published by the Financial Times, Turner waded into trouble when he told visiting British students in February that he didn’t like the term “special relationship” to describe the link between the two countries. 

The phrase, said to have been coined by Winston Churchill after the Allied victory in World War II, was meant to describe the bond between the US and the UK that had endured over the centuries and through two world wars.

Since then, it has also survived the Cold War and two Gulf Wars. 

But Turner, who had just taken his post in Washington, was recorded as saying he wasn’t fond of the phrase because it was “quite nostalgic” and “backwards-looking,” while also suggesting it no longer applied.

He did tell the students, who were 16 and 17 years old, that UK-US ties were “strong” and that, “Particularly on defense and security, we are intertwined.”

Yet his government rebuked him when it said in a statement to CBS News that his remarks about the special relationship “are certainly not any reflection of the UK Government’s position.”

Perhaps, but there has been little that could be called “special” about the current state of bilateral relations.

Starmer has foolishly made common cause with anti-Trump leaders in France, Spain and Germany, almost as if he and they are as willing as Trump to break up the troubled NATO marriage. 

Nonetheless, it was something else that Turner said to the students in February that carries far greater significance for today and the near future.

As such, it commands our attention.

Almost casually, Turner said it seemed to him that the only country that has a “special relationship” with the United States these days is “probably Israel.” 

Whoa, Nellie. 

From a historic perspective, that is a remarkable statement about the state of the West and the world as a whole.

And yet, I see no evidence that Turner’s observation is wrong. 

Instead, his view accurately reflects the reality of the relationship between America and Israel, especially during the overlapping tenures of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Europe’s failures 

Their shared views about the need to confront Islamist governments and terrorists became apparent in Trump’s first term, when the two men worked to thwart Iran’s regional reach through its terror proxies. 

Former President Barack Obama’s failure to enforce his red line in Syria, and his craven courting of Iran’s mullahs and their nuclear fever dreams, along with Palestinian hardliners, all served to incentivize the worst of the worst. 

Trump took office in 2017 determined to change that failed course, and did so in dramatic ways.

He withdrew from Obama’s weak-tea nuclear pact, and his droning execution of Iran’s terror chief, Qasem Soleimani, was coupled with clear pro-Israeli changes. 

He fulfilled America’s long-standing promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, making him the most popular American president ever in Israel. 

He finished the term by birthing the Abraham Accords, which expanded the Jewish state’s security and trade relationships with Muslim and Arab neighbors.

The opening of a Kosher restaurant in Dubai marked a historic moment.

Trump’s first term was also marked by his rock-solid belief that our European partners in NATO had not been paying anywhere near a fair share of the costs of the defense pact. 

As angry as he was at them, he also correctly faulted his presidential predecessors who had let the Europeans get away with failing to contribute enough of the costs of a system designed to keep the Soviet Union, and now Russia, at bay. 

Although Trump has succeeded in getting most members to pay much more of the costs, there is also another key factor. 

It involves how Germany, France and the UK, among other European allies, have hobbled themselves militarily and economically to build expansive and massively expensive welfare states. 

To complicate matters even more, they opened their doors to as many as 25 million Muslim immigrants. Not surprisingly, the surge of antisemitism and violence against Jews continues across the continent. 

One outgrowth is that European governments have become increasingly estranged from Israel, as if they fear the loudest domestic voices.

The public celebrations after the Hamas savagery on Oct. 7, 2023, along with the condemnations for Israel daring to defend itself in Gaza, made it sickeningly clear where much of Europe stood.

Powerful partnership

Although Joe Biden made a show of supporting Israel against Hamas, much of the Democratic Party was more sympathetic to the Palestinians, as if Israel had no right to defend itself and eliminate the attackers. 

The overwrought charges of genocide, amplified by leftist media, fanned the coals of Jew-hatred and also cast doubt on America’s commitment to Israel’s survival. 

Thankfully, Trump’s 2024 election stopped that trend, and although recent polls show declining support for Israel across the political spectrum, Republicans and conservatives remain the most resilient supporters. 

For Israel, the very notion that it alone has a “special relationship” with America marks a breakout moment in its young history.

Its birth in 1948 and survival are testaments to a remarkable people who endured an effort to exterminate them and war after war when they reclaimed their ancient homeland. 

And now, as Ambassador Turner noted, Israel has a unique connection to the most powerful nation in human history and an American president who largely shares its worldview. 

The future is not guaranteed, of course, especially with both nations having important elections this year. 

More immediately, the tag-team partnership against Iran has done enormous damage to the mullahs’ fantasies of destroying the “little Satan” and the “great Satan” but has not yet succeeded in its three main objectives: ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile programs, while also stopping its support for terror proxies.

The one certainty so far is that Israel has proved itself worthy of being the lone nation to have a “special relationship” with America.

Its resourcefulness, courage and commitment have made the two-country alliance extraordinarily powerful — and uniquely righteous.

Long may it endure and prevail.

A devastating blaze engulfed a prominent science facility at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg on Saturday, casting huge plumes of smoke skyward and raising serious concerns over the potential loss of decades worth of research.

Firefighters from St. Petersburg Fire Rescue swiftly responded to the alarming scene at 140 7th Avenue South, where flames were seen erupting through the rooftop of the two-story structure, known as the university’s historic Marine Science Laboratory, which has stood for over 80 years.

The situation quickly intensified into a second-alarm emergency, as numerous firefighting units converged on the area. In response to the escalating danger, streets were closed off and collapse zones were set up amid fears that the building might not withstand the inferno.

Both students and staff were left in shock, watching helplessly as the fire ravaged a facility many consider the epicenter of the campus’s scientific endeavors.

Expressing the mounting concern over the incident, one student took to social media to share their worries: “All of our research and chemicals are stored there, including what’s required in the chemistry classes,” emphasizing the potential threat posed by hazardous materials within the facility.

Another warned the damage could be irreversible. ‘The building on fire doesn’t just store paper. It stores entire careers of samples… hurricane research, red tide research, fish and ecology research,’ the student said, describing collections gathered over years of fieldwork that ‘cannot be replaced.’

The scale of the destruction was visible for miles around as thick, dark smoke billowed high above the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.

Witnesses on the ground described a scene of shock and devastation. Faculty member Frank Biafora told the Tampa Bay Times: ‘We have faculty members who have research labs there. This looks like total devastation… We’ve all been checking in on each other.’

Thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising above a commercial building near the University of South Florida St. Petersburg as a two-alarm fire prompted a major emergency response

Bright orange flames could be seen emanating from the roof of what’s believed to be the science building

The fire broke out close to the marine with flames visible behind the boats 

He added that shifting winds may have prevented an even more dangerous situation. 

‘We are actually quite lucky that the wind is taking this to the east of us because we have residence halls and a whole lot of students on this campus. If it was coming west, it could be really dangerous right now.’

USF sailing coach Alison Jolly also watched anxiously as flames crept toward nearby boats, fearing the worst. ‘This looks like a total, total loss… it’s one thing to have  equipment ruined, but to have years of research go up in flames is so sad,’ she to the Tampa Bay Times. ‘We’ve all been checking in on each other.’

Authorities confirmed the building was evacuated and no injuries have been reported.

However, officials described the incident as a potential hazmat situation due to the dozens of chemicals that stored inside the science labs.

Officials confirmed the fire escalated to a second alarm, signaling the seriousness of the situation, with streets around the building sealed off as a precaution in case of a collapse.

Authorities say the structure, described as a non-residential commercial property, was evacuated quickly.

Onlookers could only watch as fire fighters worked to extinguish a the blaze at the University of South Florida campus in St. Petersburg. Florida

Firefighters can be seen tackling the blaze from ladders positioned above the building 

The smoke could be seen from some distance away

Smoke could be seen swirling around the marina as the blaze continued to burn for several hours

The building can be seen in the center of this photo  in a file photo of the University of South Florida’s campus in St. Petersburg

Emergency crews are still on site battling the flames, with the extent of the damage still unclear. 

The cause of the fire remained under investigation. 

This is a breaking news story with updates to follow. 

This article contains discussions of suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has recently lauded soldiers who chose to end their own lives rather than be taken as prisoners by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. This acknowledgment offers a stark confirmation of a battlefield strategy that officials and intelligence services have long scrutinized as one of Pyongyang’s most extreme approaches.

According to a report by Reuters, which cited North Korean state media outlet KCNA, Kim expressed admiration on Monday for those troops who opted for “self-destruction and suicide” over surrender. His remarks were made during a memorial ceremony attended by Russian officials and grieving families, commemorating North Korean soldiers who lost their lives in combat.

Kim stated, “It is not only the heroes who unhesitatingly chose the path of self-destruction and suicide to defend great honor, but also those who fell while charging at the forefront of assault battles.”

This is the first occasion where Kim has openly recognized the extreme measures taken by North Korean forces fighting alongside Russia to avoid capture by Ukrainian troops.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a photo session with officers and soldiers who participated in the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army in North Korea on April 27, 2022. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service)

North Korea deployed an estimated 14,000 troops to Russia’s western Kursk region to support Moscow’s war effort, according to South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials cited by Reuters. Those same officials say the forces suffered staggering losses, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers believed killed in some of the war’s most intense fighting.

For months, intelligence reports, battlefield evidence and defector testimony have pointed to a grim directive: North Korean troops were expected to detonate grenades or otherwise take their own lives rather than risk capture.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony following bilateral talks in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 19, 2024. (Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Kremlin via REUTERS)

That policy appears to have extended even to the few who survived. According to The Guardian, two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces and now held as prisoners of war in Kyiv both reportedly attempted to blow themselves up but were unable to do so because of severe injuries. One of the captured soldiers has reportedly expressed guilt over failing to carry out those orders.

North Korean troops train with Russian instructors to clear mines in the heavily contaminated Kursk region, according to Russian Defense Ministry footage. (East to West News Agency)

Kim’s latest speech appears to transform those reports from battlefield allegations into publicly praised state doctrine.

“Those who writhed in frustration at failing to fulfill their duty as soldiers rather than suffering the agony of their bodies being torn apart by bullets and shells — these too can be called the party’s loyal warriors and patriots,” Kim added.

The statement underscores the ideological intensity imposed on North Korean forces, whose loyalty to the regime appears to extend beyond combat to self-destruction.

North Korean troops sweep minefields left behind in the Kursk region after months of fighting. (East to West News Agency)

The revelation also highlights the deepening military relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow.

According to South Korean intelligence assessments, North Korea has provided not only troops but also munitions to Russia, while receiving economic aid and military technology in return.