Former Irish president and UN human rights chief Mary Robinson: I have just returned from the West Bank. ... Netanyahu aims to make Palestine disappear physically, economically, culturally and politically. Albo's government continues to support this annihilation.

What I saw in the West Bank

Former Irish president and UN human rights chief Mary Robinson says Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land is unfolding in plain sight, enabled by impunity and a lack of international political will.

pearlsandirritations.com

On NRT: 49,000 unemployed under National - norightturn.blogspot.com/2026/08/4900...

GOOD NEWS! A new cancer treatment has demonstrated unprecedented results in a large trial for cancer patients whose disease has become resistant to chemotherapy AND immunotherapy. Tumors shrank in OVER a third of participants, with 15 patients experiencing COMPLETE eradication of their tumors.

"In 2024, UNICEF and partners . provided treatment to 36,254 children [under 5] with wasting, including 6,872 with severe wasting" in Gaza. In 2025, "UNICEF and partners . treated nearly 100,000 children with wasting . 19,000 children were treated for severe wasting" in Gaza. Unforgivable.

I worked for New York’s largest medical center at the start of the pandemic. There were morgue trucks on the streets. They set up emergency medical tents in Central Park. Healthcare worker colleagues died. It is horrific that RFK Jr is on national TV lying that ICUs were empty.

This is what the hashtag-resistance follow-back game creates — massive engagement farms that people mistake for allies. Eventually and invariably they pivot to racist, misogynistic, transphobic, or otherwise reactionary content, and by then they’ve already built an audience of fifty thousand.

The Liberal BoJack@thelibbojack.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Name one jewish invention. I will start: Pedophilia Holocaust

Bordeaux, France, has now recorded more days above 40°C in 2026 alone than during the entire 105-year period from 1920 (when observations began) to 2025. This is deeply shocking.

😬😬😬🤯

Nahel Belgherze@wxnb.bsky.social · 5d ago

Bordeaux, France, has now recorded more days above 40°C in 2026 alone than during the entire 105-year period from 1920 (when observations began) to 2025. This is deeply shocking.

Superb as always from @violetblue.bsky.social

Violet Blue®@violetblue.bsky.social · last wk.

Emotions are high in some circles after the release of Apple TV's #Neuromancer trailer. I wrote about why that might be, and what it means to learn how to love something important to you without getting trapped in nostalgia: www.patreon.com/violetblue/p...

NZ Greens have generated a handy list of all their policies - nice to know someone has a comprehensive plan that actually meets the moment, including, critically, “investing in and ensuring timely and equitable access” to public health. Thanks Greens for treating a crisis as something to respond to👇

Building a fairer, greener, future for everyone in Aotearoa. | Complete Party Policy

We are building a future where we do more, faster, to protect our planet and make sure everyone is treated equally.

greens.org.nz

A change in the charity’s membership policy from 6 September will force transgender girls to leave. The Girl Guides did not comment on how this might affect their: ‘self-expression and confidence’. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Girlguiding redesigns uniforms to put focus on ‘self-expression and confidence’

Relaxed rules mean members only have to wear a top to meetings and activities after extensive feedback

theguardian.com

An Oddie but a Goodie

Eliot Higgins@eliothiggins.bsky.social · last wk.

Bill Oddie, naturalist and broadcaster, dies aged 85 www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

and then Andrew Tate closed replies 😂

375,000 people evacuated, major cities under threat, and tourists turned away. France has never had a fire fierce enough to generate a pyrocumulonimbus before. The largest devastation of land since WWII. But net zero is very expensive www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Pedro Sánchez says Spain is suffering effects of climate crisis as firefighters battle wildfires in France

Blazes near Madrid coming under control but efforts to contain huge fire near Bordeaux hampered by windy conditions

theguardian.com

Winston’s back to blaming labour for “risking hundreds of deaths in 12-17years olds from vaccine injuries” during the global pandemic. Full cooker dog whistling from 5 years ago, sprinkled with racism, misogyny, xenophobia & culture wars, rinse & repeat for NZLast. 🤦‍♀️ #nzpol #OneTermGovernment #NZ

BREAKING: In my lawsuit against Todd Blanche for the Epstein Files, Judge Sullivan has just ordered Blanche to produce, in camera (in chambers), the UNREDACTED emails & documents, and Blanche must bring documentation supporting his representations the DOJ’s redactions are what he claims they are.

NZ has - almost uniquely amongst our peers - tanked its economy and pushed 10,000s onto the dole (and offshore). We were told that this strategy would 'get interest rates down, tame inflation, and drive growth 🎉'. Yet, here we are, slumped and vying to be inflation champs. What went wrong? [🧵1/n]

"And at the helm, a government that seems to be managing the decline instead of imagining anything better."

Kasey@kaseymcdonnell.co.nz · 2w ago

A beautiful and heartfelt article. Fuck i miss my friends who left and are loving life. The next government better be ready to do more than tweak. We need big change so our cities are liveable, competitive, fun. No more house market + car yard with bits tacked on. thespinoff.co.nz/society/25-0...

Holiday in the climate emergency. No that’s not AI or edited, just a snapshot I just took with my phone on Lacanau beach in France. What future will this boy grow up in? It is in our hands, but time is running out.

One of the most important archaeological excavations in the history of the state. I hope the team continue to be given all the resources and supports they need. Both in terms of the excavation and scientific analysis, and also in terms of their wellbeing afterwards. This is not easy work.

The Irish Times@irishtimes.com · 2w ago

Tuam excavation team says almost 100 individual remains uncovered so far

Shame. 'Spain’s players gave Argentina a guard of honour as they went up to collect their silver medals. For Spain’s turn to collect their medals and lift the World Cup, Argentina’s players moved to the other side of the pitch with their backs towards their opponents.' metro.co.uk/2026/07/20/a...

Argentina players turn their backs on Spain squad during World Cup trophy lift

metro.co.uk

My colleague Dr Yuki Watanabe on our beloved Sam Neill newsroom.co.nz/2026/07/19/s...

How Sam Neill conquered Hollywood but remained New Zealand’s ultimate 'man alone'

“He inhabited roles that gave voice to the ambivalent, often uncomfortable feelings that constitute New Zealand’s cultural identity.”

newsroom.co.nz

The members bill to make stalking a crime was literally lodged by Labour Party's Ginny Anderson in response to a murder that happened in 2022. Luxon wont tell you that though 🤷

I have direct personal experience of stalking and harassment by Young Nats. I’m not the only one. So do, please, tell me more about the years of work you and your party put into this legislation, Christopher. Or did you just coat-tail on the work of far better people, from the left? #nzpol

Jordan Rivers@jordanriversnz.bsky.social · 3w ago

The members bill to make stalking a crime was literally lodged by Labour Party's Ginny Anderson in response to a murder that happened in 2022. Luxon wont tell you that though 🤷

Just upgraded to 6.6. That’s a big quake.

NZ Earthquake Bot@nzquake.bsky.social · 3w ago

QUAKE: Mag 6.1, Thu, Jul 16 2026, 09:14:53 PM, 40 km south-west of Milford Sound. Depth: 53 km #eqnz https://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/2026p530771

Why I’m a fan of the Oxford comma.

This is why vaccines are important.

Last American polio survivor in an iron lung dies at 78

She lived more than 70 years at the mercy of the machine.

kron4.com

Shouting this loudly for New Zealand

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 4w ago

All lobbying should be publicly declared in transparency laws shake-up, watchdog says

In case your day is not yet full enough of fun-packed new climate data ... The June update for Total Column Precipitable Water was just released by ECMWF, and it shows yet another new record high for the Northern mid-latitudes, where over 50% of humans live. Wet times ahead.