*Government: we need a sense of place and stronger regional policy to bring us together! *Also government: it's okay to shut this local uni campus in an area of high deprivation! *Thick-as-mince country. No joined-up thinking anywhere. 🇬🇧 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

University of Essex's Southend campus shuts and staff say goodbye

The university says the closure is due to financial pressures, leading to 400 staff redundancies.

bbc.co.uk

"There are no sex scenes, and all the food looks horrible." Emily Wilson's take on the Odyssey is very C4 Four in a Bed

Mamdani criticizes Netanyahu. Later, a crazy man stabs a Jewish man and an Asian man. And we get an article suggesting that while one stabbing (dismissed in six words) is just a shrug, the other implicates the mayor. Disgraceful framing. Shame on everyone involved. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/n...

After Stabbings, a Rise in Jewish Fears and Questions for Mamdani (Gift Article)

Some politicians said Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s criticism of Israel had created a dangerous environment. He pushed back, condemning the stabbings of two men on the Upper West Side and defending his state...

nytimes.com

The frequency of attacks on mosques - over one a week - is somewhat under the media radar. New funding to protect faith/community spaces, but some process barriers re demostrating the threat/risk. A sustained strategy on the causes of hostiliy & hate is essential www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

One UK mosque attacked ‘every five days’, says British Muslim Trust

More than 70 attacks have been recorded over past year, including acts of violence, property damage and vandalism

theguardian.com

A Chilean salmon farm now draws about 57% of its power from panels laid over the water, cutting roughly 136,000 litres of diesel a year and silencing the generators. With the noise gone, thousands of salmon have gathered in the shade beneath the arrays. Ecoportal buff.ly/CwczkbP #ShareGoodNewsToo

An island in Chile covered its waters with floating solar panels. Soon, thousands of salmon had turned them into their home

An island in Chile covered its waters with floating solar panels. Soon, thousands of salmon had turned them into their home and were all thriving.

buff.ly

A beautifully-told, heartfelt story about growing up surrounded by the mafia, by our photo editor Erika Di Benedetto www.occrp.org/en/feature/w...

What It Means To Be Sicilian

When a mafia boss died, OCCRP's photo editor Erika Di Benedetto received a surprising call that revived childhood memories and helped her understand how the past weighs on the present for her father.

occrp.org

And there will STILL be a fricking typo or six in it.

As Dems are finally beginning to vote against Israel, I’m reminded of a certain book…

The shamelessness of a political party which is led by a man who just weeks ago called for "pure cold rage" on the streets, shortly before migrants were literally burnt out of their homes, now accusing their opponents of "stochastic terrorism" against them, is quite something

It is mad that we have, somehow, allowed net zero - a policy common to all major parties under 5 years ago and supported by a majority of the public - to become a synoym for mad radicalism. It is doubly mad that we've allowed this to happen during the hottest summer on record.

Jo Michell@jomichell.bsky.social · 3w ago

I’m sorry, but what is ‘radical’ about the policies pursued by Miliband?

for the next hydration break france have chosen a 2003 sancerre, let's see if that helps

And government ministers are happily going along with it

Lizzie Dearden@lizziedearden.bsky.social · 3w ago

Russia is inflaming the debate on immigration in Britain as part of “increasing ambitions to disrupt our way of life”, counter-terror police and experts say It has directly and indirectly paid right-wing influencers to spread messages that align with its political goals inews.co.uk/news/putin-i...

Russia is inflaming the debate on immigration in Britain as part of “increasing ambitions to disrupt our way of life”, counter-terror police and experts say It has directly and indirectly paid right-wing influencers to spread messages that align with its political goals inews.co.uk/news/putin-i...

How Putin is inflaming immigration tensions to spark disorder in Britain

Counter-terror leaders reveal the tactics Russia is using to sow division in the UK

inews.co.uk

440 people died every day during the last heatwave and there are huge wildfires all over the country.

Dave Vetter@davidrvetter.bsky.social · 3w ago

BBC Radio 4's Common Ground just now investigating whether "woke has gone too far." At this point it feels like the national broadcaster is nothing but a threat to democracy.

The fact that J.K. Rowling successfully bullied Amnesty International into taking down a report that accurately called out her attack on trans people, especially trans women, is so repulsive and such a display of the power of her money, and her choice to put her vast fortune behind persecution.

Amnesty removes report that called JK Rowling's centre 'anti-rights'

Amnesty International UK has removed a report which labelled JK Rowling's sexual abuse crisis centre Beira's Place as "anti-rights".

thepinknews.com

Journalists should ask themselves how they ended up supporting a hate campaign led by some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the world. "But, faced with the consequences of the moral panic they built, it seems they have chosen silence” @tbij.bsky.social media.amnesty.org.uk/documents/Li...

Discouraging an activity with a benefit-to-cost ratio of nearly 10:1. A triumph of policymaking.

Fall in international student numbers ‘cost UK £2.9 billion’

Latest cost-benefit analysis finds overseas enrolments generate nearly 10 times more money for UK than they take away

timeshighereducation.com

Huge pressure on Ireland to nationalise Russian-owned #Aughinish refinery after European Parliament voted in favour of a proposal to ban alumina exports to Russia. www.rte.ie/news/2026/07...

MEPs vote in favour of ban on alumina exports to Russia

The European Parliament has voted in favour of a proposal to ban alumina exports to Russia.

rte.ie

BREAKING: Three people have been arrested on suspicion of money laundering, fraud and bribery at University of Greater Manchester, @molliesimpson.bsky.social reports. Greater Manchester Police are investigating the alleged misuse of as much as £1.7 million. manchestermill.co.uk/breaking-thr...

BREAKING: Three people arrested on suspicion of money laundering, fraud and bribery at University of Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Police are investigating the alleged misuse of as much as £1.7 million

manchestermill.co.uk

If I were trying to make a moral case about how refugees risk being displaced into the dark economy and exploited by traffickers, I probably wouldn't then introduce a £10,000 tariff to let them take up legal work and gain residency.

I'm looking for a recent BBC programme (TV or radio not sure which) that analysed bias against immigrants in crime coverage. Does anyone remember what it was called or when it went out?

Are we building reporting capacity? Civic infrastructure? A nonprofit version of the old prestige economy? A grant-funded managerial class that talks about journalism while reporters remain precarious? www.amphibian.media/when-saving-...

When saving journalism pays better than doing journalism

A forensic look at the nonprofit journalism economy, where public-interest newsrooms are increasingly funded by philanthropy, managed by professional executive teams and shaped by the same salary ques...

amphibian.media

I suspect a key part of why some groups are so desprate to stop Ed (and have been for years) is because they know this is the case.

Conor Sewell@ccsewell.bsky.social · last mo.

Ed Miliband is, as far as I can think, the only cabinet minister in this government (except possibly Rayner) to have both clearly been largely successful in policy delivery and not have vacillated like a weathervane under pressure. These are both key attributes for a Chancellor!

"Children are being killed mainly in 2 ways.. through air strikes.. [&] using quad copters, drones & sniper rifles that specifically target & kill children" Yesterday the UN independent commission of inquiry published a report on how Israel targets & kills Palestinian children

Talked about this with @mconcagh.bsky.social but it really is absolutely fascinating how the UK media elite have absolutely radicalized on a variety of social issues in a way that puts them to the right of the UK population

Kier Starmer's inglorious legacy: criminalizing protesters, enabling and justifying Israel's genocide in Gaza, dehumanizing migrants and refugees and watering down ambitious climate plans. Quite a fall for the once revered human rights lawyer

Starmer saying the next PM will inherit a country that is 'fairer' than the one he inherited 2 years ago. In the one Starmer inherited, trans people could use public toilets.

The attacks on Ed Miliband, the one truly successful person running a department under Starmer, shows that the lack of seriousness in British politics goes way beyond No.10 to the press, the trade unions, the business sector.

The soundtrack as Andy Burnham arrives at 10 Downing Street www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5za...

The Fall - Hit The North

YouTube video by Beggars Banquet Records

youtube.com