Ladies and gentlemen of the world, meet Rudy Giuliani.

Republican presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani said Wednesday that if Iran got close to building a nuclear weapon, “we will prevent them or we’ll set them back five or 10 years.”

“That is not said as a threat,” Giuliani said during a visit to London. “That should be said as a promise.” …

He contends that threatening the use of force reduces the likelihood of having to use it:

“The policy of the United States of America should be very, very clear that we will use any option we believe is in our best interest to stop them from becoming a nuclear power, and that we’re not going to allow that to happen,” Giuliani said.

If Iranian leaders grasp the firmness of U.S. resolve to block their nuclear ambitions, he said, “there is a better chance that we will never have to use military options in dealing with it.”

We New Yorkers grew quite accustomed to hearing these homilies during his reign … because he grabbed the microphone every chance he got. I see he hasn’t lost his taste for headline-grabbing, either.

It’s slightly surreal to see the ease and self-confidence with which he has assumed a place on the world stage …

 Modernity threatens Britain as a movement to get rid of these getups (which date from the 1660s) gathers steam

While final results of the survey won’t be tallied until mid- to late October, an informal poll by the Bar Council suggests barristers are split down the middle about whether to shed their trappings.

Those who support getting rid of these sartorial holdovers think the court has to get with the times, saying wigs and gowns make them look positively colonial next to their wig-less counterparts in the US and elsewhere. But others say they are proud to be different: The uniform sets them apart from the other court staff, they feel, and establishes a proper, serious tone for court proceedings.