'So we've heard the concerns of the Jewish community about standing a convicted neo-Nazi anti-semite as a local candidate and decided to give him a national job instead...'

Absolutely brilliant! So clever.

Brian Bilston@brianbilston.bsky.social · yesterday

Today is Venn Day, in celebration of the mathematician John Venn, born on this day in 1834. To commemorate the occasion, here’s a poem in the form of a Venn Diagram.

Polanski, eh?

James Ball@jamesrball.com · 7h ago

Good news for Peter Mandelson?

Fabulous day out at Shell Island on the North Wales coast. Crabbing, rock pools, dunes, miles of immaculate sandy beach.

Badenoch has completely lost the plot.

Tories offer Jewish groups meeting with ex neo-Nazi activist candidate

Joshua Bonehill-Paine was jailed over neo-Nazi activism, but has been selected to stand in a new Somerset Council seat in 2027.

bbc.co.uk

Salutary lesson this morning. I have a lot of professional experience relating to a big topic of discussion here - the government's changes to how social value is measured in public sector procurement. Makes me ponder how often I weigh in on topics about which I have little actual expertise.

Do try to remember that the EHRC guidance only affects service providers and not employment, so if you work somewhere where there are toilets or changing rooms for employees that aren’t open to the public then your employers are wrong if they try to stop you from using facilities for your gender

I'm no expert in the trajectories of damaged spacecraft - but if one can crash into the moon out of control, what's to stop one crashing into Earth at some point?

The Independent@the-independent.com · 14h ago

BREAKING | An out-of-control SpaceX rocket has collided with the Moon READ MORE: trib.al/mGkWuJh

A sad day. The risks that trans women will be exposed to by this are incredibly worrying.

New guidance on single-sex spaces comes into force

The code covers spaces open to the public, such as toilets and changing rooms in England, Wales and Scotland.

bbc.co.uk

Wow. I'm shocked - but I guess that shows my naivety.

Oxford Clarion@oxfordclarion.bsky.social · yesterday

Leaders of flag-raising group Raise the Colours Oxfordshire placed trackers on highway workers’ cars to find out their home addresses, the High Court has heard. RTC then attempted to intimidate the highway staff into no longer removing flags by repeating their addresses to them.

Encouraging FT interview with Lou Haigh on changes to public sector procurement rules. Social value weightings will increase (again). And they're going to focus explicitly on job creation and skills development. I've seen the impact of similar focus from Burnham in Manchester. This is very welcome.

America...

Jacob Gellman@jacobgellman.com · yesterday

There is no way that betting on wildfires should be legal. www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/20...

The modern Conservative Party, where Net Zero gets you out and Neo Nazism gets you in

It's such a fitting tribute to the great Glen Hansard that his funeral today seems to have been the most incredible gig ever in Ireland. Still hard to comprehend. Such a tragedy. And leaving such a young son behind. Just awful.

1960s sexism: looking at my parents' wedding certificate ahead of their diamond anniversary on Thursday. They had the same teaching qualification from the same (now) university. My dad's occupation was listed as "school master", my mum's the more lowly sounding "teacher".

Russians, eh? It is SO important they lose this war.

Video shows Russian drone chasing Ukrainian street vendor in 'human safari' attack

Ukraine said the video - showing a terrified civilian being hounded by a remotely-controlled drone - amounted to a war crime.

bbc.co.uk

Absolutely disgraceful. Badenoch needs to back down quickly, but memories of such a gross error of judgment won't fade fast.

Kemi Badenoch defends selection of man jailed for harassing Jewish MP in council election – as it happened

Conservative leader tells press she stands by decision to select Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a candidate for local election in Somerset

theguardian.com

152 killed in Gaza last month. The sheer barbarism of the Israelis is horrific.

Standing Together@standing-together.bsky.social · yesterday

So much bloodshed… July was the deadliest month in Gaza since the ceasefire deal was signed last October. TEN months later, we’re still horrified by what’s continuing to happen day after day in the Strip. (1/4)

My parents first brought me to the Ffestiniog Railway when I was young, and I still have a soft spot for it.

Want a respite from the heatwave? Here's the view from our summer holiday hotel in North Wales this morning!

More evidence that Reform voters are not like other people in the UK. Show them some potential corruption and they’re all in.

Easy and quick to implement.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · yesterday

Calls for UK bank tax to fund cost of living help as HSBC profits hit £7.5bn

Rather than allowing humanists to contribute to Radio 4's Thought for the Day, the BBC's current format requires all speakers to frame political and current affairs commentary through a religious or scriptural lens. Yet half of the UK is non-religious so why not let us speak?

The picture on the front of Reform's policy is of HMS Ocean on the River Thames in 2012. It was sold by to the Brazilian navy in 2018. Turns out you can judge a book by its cover.

"I said it's a bold move by Reform to use the Navy to return migrants. What did I say Roy?" "You said it's an unworkable load of bollocks designed to win back some racist numbskulls from Rupert Lowe and distract attention from Farage's £5m bung"

Nightmare charging our new non-Tesla EV at two West Midlands motorway services. We need: More chargers. More fast chargers. More reliable chargers. Card payment not multiple dodgy apps. More control on what operators are charging. Government action on all this to support greater EV adoption.

Beware of the M6 toll. Just got stung for £12. The price went up 34% last month. Outrageous.

Watched the embarrassing second half of the #LFC friendly last night. The club's execs urgently need to get a grip in the transfer market. We can't expect a brilliant new young manager to succeed when he barely has 11 senior players to form a team - never mind strength in depth in the squad. #YNWA

When even the Swiss are annoyed...

Pallonate in Faccia@pallonateinfaccia.bsky.social · 3d ago

"A real football gangster. The whole world is turning its back on you. F*** you, Infantino!" 🇨🇭 During yesterday's Swiss league match against Basel, Lausanne-Sport fans directed a message against FIFA president (and Swiss citizen) Gianni #Infantino. 👇