Has it really taken this long for the penny (or a rather larger amount) to drop?

The former BBC journalist Mishal Husain has questioned whether Shamima Begum would have been treated differently by the media if she were not Muslim ⬇️

Of course. But don't forget the 2000 Palestinian hostages to be released later today, and the 10,000 more Israel will not release, including doctors and journalists, most never charged and many probably in degrading conditions. They hope we will forget now the Israelis are out

Indeed we haven't forgotten that Pitt introduced income tax as a temporary measure.

Has this been thought through?

Just seeing this on the page turns some people* into a blubbering mess. *Me. It’s me.

My comment on the Telegraph article on the Bayeux tapestry: www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

What's he gained for UK in tariffs or defence, and was it worth turning a blind eye to genocide?

When he sees that photo I feel sure Humphy Trumpty will devise some new US order of chivalry so that he too can wear more bling. Expect the badge of the order to be gold

Sorry...only £508,000...

I am very much hoping not to be out-bagged at the #MarieAntoinette exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Rosalba pastel of Coulson Fellowes (J.21.0511 ) just sold for £520,000, an auction record for the artist www.cheffins.co.uk/about/news/v...

So?

Men need not apply

Further, the paper doesn’t deny (it can’t) that leaving the ECHR would entitle the EU at once to terminate Trade and Cooperation provisions of great importance to immigration control and fighting crime. The EU could also terminate the TCA as a whole.

That result is so obviously problematic as to rule it out as a practical suggestion.

Increasingly Starmer is aligning his policies to Farage's. The difference is that Farage looks as though he believes his, while Starmer's insincerity and inauthenticity are visible to the thickest voter

Starmer and Lammy would have you believe that nothing we can do will rescue Gaza, that only Trump can change the course of Israeli destruction (so best not antagonise him pointlessly - and not risk accusations of antisemitism etc even though those are already dividing UK). 1/2

Ah so it's connecting with infants that explains his success with Trump...

On the recognition of Palestine A close look at an unconvincing letter from "distinguished" UK lawyers By me Substack: emptycity.substack.com/p/on-the-rec... Personal blog: davidallengreen.com/2025/08/on-t...

Trouble is, Russia's veto on Ukraine joining NATO is what the whole war is about.

My letter in today's Financial Times

If only Sue Townsend was still here, to tell us what Pauline Mole would make of this.

I'm curious to know what the police would have done if someone held a placard proclaiming: “I oppose genocide, I support the aims of Palestine Action.” Isn't that still a terrorist offence? If they add "(but not the methods)"?

There is also an excellent programme on Radiofrance with the latest views of lead textile conservator Thalia Bajon-Bouzid & al. - well worth listening www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...

Cicero on Gaza perhaps? (Since AI corrected Cicero to Cider my expectations for the work aren't high)

I am calling for Parliament to be recalled immediately in light of the Israeli security cabinet's decision. We must hold the UK govt to account and secure urgent action to alleviate suffering in Gaza.

Got some way to go to keep up with Putin

Indeed; "Delenda est Gaza" was always the plan, evident to many - even if Starmer has only now cynically counted the Muslim v Jewish vote and balanced it against the party donation asymmetry. But he still hasn't understood: Hamas only exists because the West gave Israel impunity as well as arms

Who needs antisemites when Netanyahu and Trump are doing so effective a job on their behalf?

The magic is that he's found a way to tax lower-income Americans without their understanding what he's done. Clever - until the penny drops...

The imponderable is whether Cameron simply got the timing wrong, or whether we had to collide with that brick wall of stupidity in order to change direction

I suspect AI is a bit like tracker funds on stockmarkets: you need some active players (human researchers) to drive values but the rest of the market will happily piggyback on super-efficient passive following tools

Curious miscalculation. Some of us were quite unaware, and rather uninterested, in the connection; but those others who do care (either way) will either be horrified that she has disowned her roots or appalled that she has them. Whoever is advising her should be sacked

Apologies for a temporary unplanned glitch on pastellists.com ; should now be back up (let me know if you still see Error 503). Remember when it’s down, it's always worth consulting the backups, e.g.: wayback.archive-it.org/org-484/*/ht...

If the Palestinian boundary is uncertain, then so must be that of the state on the other side, viz. Israel

Nuanced is not a synonym for fudged or confused, let alone diversionary

Since Hamas exists because Palestinian despair that their voices are ignored by the West, what a daft move by Starmer even to appear to put the decision in Israel's hands. Once again UK says Palestinians are invisible and this is simply about our ally's cruelty (not nice on TV), not victims' rights

The tax avoidance industry will rev up faster...and probably take as much in fees as HMRC will raise

Wtf. We need the "breakthrough" now, before more people die. And what UK needs to do is more than recognise the state, but loudly disown Israeli impunity in its conduct in Palestine

Surveillance pricing, an art market staple, is about to hound us everywhere open.substack.com/pub/thegraym... Excellent description of gallerists' traditional (if anti-democratic) analogue approach and the wider (way, WAY more terrifying) applications to online retail.

L'écriture du XIXe siècle peut être pire que celle du XVIIe. Un paléographe pourrait-il m'aider avec les acheteurs lors d'une vente aux enchères de 1863 ? J'ai la plupart des noms, mais je ne suis pas sûr de celui de la ligne 4, et je suis perplexe devant les lignes 2, 9=15 & 13

This is the reality 📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜📜

Why does Starmer hate Abbott more than Netanyahu?

The kernel of the nuts

Many royals were amateur pastellists, but Caroline Luise had a professional level of expertise. Read more at www.pastellists.com/Articles/Car...

Pleased to join thousands of others in signing letter to protest the conflation of protest with terrorism. Proscribing Palestine Action would set hugely dangerous precedent, underplay the dangers of genuine terrorism & undermine right to peaceful protest

What is the point of a review of a biography of Roger Penrose in 5258 words, not one of which is "twistor"?