Governments and voters are both reacting to algorithm-shaped “public opinion,” not grounded priorities. Immigration feels urgent because platforms amplify fear, pulling parties into hollow performances of toughness. The far right reads that drift as confirmation it’s winning.

South Park: 🎶 Peter Thiel knows about the Antichrist 😂

If you think that professors exist as repositories of knowledge that students ask for answers, you’re missing the entire point of a college education. We’re here to teach students how to do research, how to analyze and argue, how to think for themselves — how to find the answers on their own.

Here is Nathan Gill in 2014 blaming the EU for Russia advancing on Ukraine Nathan Gill pled guilty to accepting bribes from Russia to promote a pro Russia anti EU position He started in UKIP, joined the Brexit Party, then Reform UK Here's what he said at the European Parliament

Any journalist or commentator who writes a wrap-up of this speech that suggests that any of it was normal, worthy of respect, not absolutely deranged, not an insult to the audience, not an embarrassment for the US, should be relieved of their jobs.

Er...buses? Trams? Metros? Come on @economist.com , you're better than this

Nick Gibb was awarded a BA in Law in 1981 & trained as an accountant. Hence, he's enormously well qualified to comment on the quality of education research. No irony at all in his criticism of the sector as 'out-of-touch, ideological and lacking rigour'.

Reform and X are not Britain, as John Curtice shows, though this loud minority voice thinks it is Migration bad for economy? 32% of public - but 73% of Reform Bad for our culture? 31% of public - 81% of Reform Rights for ethnic minorities have gone too far? 18% of public - but 49% of Reform

'Just 40,900 students entered to take history, compared with 41,900 taking economics and 43,000 for physics. Maths remains the most popular A-level with 105,000 entries this year, up by more than 4% compared with 2024.' Both 'Just' and 'career-related' doing heavy lifting here. 1/2

A horrifying statement published today by the Editorial Committee of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency. "Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die" Translation from French to English by @cnorristrent.bsky.social:

Just when you think the destruction in #Gaza can't get any worse. Good BBC investigation into deliberate demolition of entries Palestinian towns. Reveals that emolitions have significantly accelerated in the last 3-4 months in what are suspected "war crimes" www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...

The Dinah report is now published, on the widespread use of sexual violence by Hamas during the October 7th attack, consistent with earlier investigations by the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC), and likely a deliberate coordinated strategy. news.sky.com/story/widesp...

Record air bombardment of #Ukraine by #Russia last night. Straight after #Trump agreed to restart supplies to Ukraine & questioned #Putin 's sincerity

1/ A remarkable essay by two eminent Israeli scholars "We wrote this essay to give [former IDF chief of staff's] words legal backing... We felt compelled to fulfill our human, conscientious, and civic duty, as Israelis – and as Zionists – who have expertise in areas related to the IDF’s ... order."

UN Special Rapporteur: #Israel has moved from an "economy of occupation" to an "economy of genocide" in #Gaza www.un.org/unispal/docu...

This from the @nytimes.com on #Israel's bombing of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. They targeted the visitor centre & the wing holding transgender prisoners. Around 100 transgender prisoners remain missing, presumed killed whilst 79 others from across the prison already confirmed killed

Really insightful piece this, highly recommended

The Dutch and German secret services say there is strong evidence that Moscow is using the choking agent chloropicrin.

Somewhat reassured that the man who I thought was a spitting image of George Monbiot I saw crossing the road in front of me, stuck at a traffic light by the Exeter university campus, was in fact, George Monbiot. BTW, interesting 🧵 from the man himself here 👇

Marwan Al Sultan, cardiologist a & Director of the Indonesian hospital in #Gaza is *70th* health worker killed in last 50 days in the territory www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Here's the text of the open letter protesting against the BBC's coverage of #Gaza. Robbie Gibb comes under particular scrutiny www.scribd.com/document/883...

Delighted that my chapter 'Historicizing the Global' in the weighty Oxford Handbook of International Political Sociology is now out in both print & ebook! Huge thanks to the editors Stacie Goddard, @georgelawson.bsky.social , & Ole Jacob Sending for the hard work doi.org/10.1093/oxfo...

Terrific new handbook on International Political Sociology, a what's what and who's who in the field: "The Oxford Handbook of International Political Sociology" eds. Stacie E. Goddard, George Lawson, and Ole Jacob Sending global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Book Launch: Oxford Handbook of International Political Sociology Interested in all things IPS? Join us for our online book launch featuring Co-Editor Ole Jacob Sending and Discussant Ingvild Bode on June 16 at 2 pm (CEST). Details for the @dvpw.bsky.social event: www.dvpw.de/gliederung/a...

Not sure this profile quiz was designed for my diet... www.idrlabs.com/food-choice/...

A reminder in @polstudies.bsky.social of how long the #Iran - #Israel conflict has been in the making and the implications for global order. By @shabnamholliday.bsky.social journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Congratulations to @yazidbenhadda.bsky.social from @cais-exeter.bsky.social for passing his PhD viva yesterday. Yazid explored legacies of colonial policing & migration in Europe & N.Africa Thanks to examiners @fionaadamson.bsky.social & Martin Thomas, and lead supervisor @irenefmolina.bsky.social

Timely contribution 👇

What a time to be alive. The president of the United States doing battle damage assessment via sketchy OSINT accounts. I had blocked this particular account some time ago.

'ChatGPT users had the lowest brain engagement and “consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.”...ChatGPT users got lazier with each subsequent essay, often resorting to copy-and-paste by the end of the study.' time.com/7295195/ai-c...

Imagine if just 20% of that went to universities or the academics themselves ...

👀

Ooh, look! The US Army is going full 18th century and allowing rich people to buy a commission (sort of)

As a father, this is fascinating and makes a lot of sense 👇

“US intelligence assessments had reached a different conclusion—not only was Iran not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, it was also up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one…according to four people familiar with the assessment” www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/p...

Perhaps understandably under the circumstances, but it's worth remembering when hearing or seeing reports on the #Israel - #Iran war, reports on damage to strategic sites in Israel are censored. It's *much* easier to know what has been hit in Iran. Narrative is skewed in favour of Israel success

Watched Tora!Tora!Tora! (Japanese extended cut), coached son's football team in a tournament, and now reading Alastair Reynolds

I was worried that North Korea wasn't on the list but don't worry they are.

It is worth paying attention when RUSI, a pillar of the UK's defence establishment, is publishing commentary this critical.

It was a pleasure to speak to Exeter SSI and @cais-exeter.bsky.social yesterday about my new book Causal Inquiry in International Relations (open access: fdslive.oup.com/www.oup.com/...). Thanks to @blagdendavid.bsky.social and @profalexp.bsky.social for organizing

Excellent cartoon in @theguardian.com

Well put by @piercepenniless.bsky.social . Don't Labour know that there is a (information) war on? China & Russia do. They're investing $billions in their global media machines, as well as their troll farms e.g. reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/how-chi...

Indeed

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this sordid "gift" episode is that, given all the wider book burnings and cancel culture of his regime, #Trump is still keen on a library www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

A little #VEDay 👋 to my late grandfather who, leading an infantry platoon as 2nd Lt Powell, was yet to start his fighting in #Burma. Joined West Yorks in May, wounded by a mortar within 24hrs, returned to fight June-August. Fought at Sittang Bend en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_...

Good piece by @lukecooper100.bsky.social on the relative economic positions of #Ukraine & #Russia, as well as the "raw colonialism" and symbolism of #Trump 's minerals deal www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

My piece on the latest Israeli plan www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Yes because it’s usually concrete and asbestos.

OpenAI's "most powerful system" makes shit up more than half of the time. For its "o4-mini" model, the rate is ***79 percent***