Drazen Simic
@dsimic.bsky.social
📤 220
📥 149
📝 314
Fingers crossed it works. Fingers crossed for Britain; for the sane, decent majority.
@iandunt.bsky.social
#Makerfield
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Triumph in Makerfield: Everything is about to change
Andy Burnham is now certain to be the next prime minister
https://iandunt.substack.com/p/triumph-in-makerfield-everything
1 day ago
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Drazen Simic
London Review of Books
8 days ago
‘People are hemmed in on every side. Making a living has been made more difficult by the disappearance of Soviet welfare models and by the decay of social and material infrastructure in an environment rife with corruption.’ Greg Afinogenov on what Russians want.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
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Greg Afinogenov · Slavdom: What Russians Want
Unlike 20th-century communism or fascism, contemporary Russian ideology does not have a clearly articulated manifesto or...
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v48/n10/greg-afinogenov/slavdom
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Drazen Simic
Ian Dunt
about 1 month ago
There is a light that never goes out: After a grim chaotic week, there is now a glimmer of hope
iandunt.substack.com/p/there-is-a...
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There is a light that never goes out
It's been a week of chaos, but there is now a pathway to change. And with change, there's hope.
https://iandunt.substack.com/p/there-is-a-light-that-never-goes-e38
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Such good, 'old-fashioned' reporting.
#Lebanon
@sallyhayd.bsky.social
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Sally Hayden’s diary: Fragments of life in Beirut
This is the way that life and death mix in Lebanon these days: celebration and tragedy; pain and efforts to keep moving forwards
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/middle-east/lebanon/73175/sally-haydens-diary-fragments-of-life-in-beirut
about 1 month ago
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Drazen Simic
Best for Britain
about 2 months ago
Caroline Lucas: "The taboo around the word 'membership' has been maintained not by principle but timidity. Farage built his project on lies. The least we can do is have the courage to tell the truth about what those lies have cost us in our classrooms, training colleges and concert halls..."
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'Nigel Farage Is the Architect of the UK’s Decline and It’s Time for the Rest of Us to Rebuild Our Home in Europe'
The damaging Brexit experiment imposed on us must now be reversed, argues former Green MP Caroline Lucas
https://bylinetimes.com/2026/05/01/nigel-farage-is-the-architect-of-the-uks-decline-and-its-time-for-the-rest-of-us-to-rebuild-our-home-in-europe/
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Wonderful, thoughtful piece. Stay safe and best of luck to the whole community in these extremely trying times.
@evawiseman.bsky.social
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After Golders Green, I feel an old, familiar dread
As London reels from the latest antisemitic attack, Eva Wiseman returns to the streets of her childhood to find a community used to living under constant threat
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/after-golders-green-i-feel-an-old-familiar-dread
about 2 months ago
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Half a century ago, four New York misfits released a fast, loud, provocative first album that changed music forever.
#Ramones
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How the Ramones invented punk with a chart bomb that critics hated
Half a century ago, four New York misfits released a fast, loud, provocative first album that changed music forever. Kevin E G Perry talks to their manager Danny Fields, producer Craig Leon and photog...
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ramones-first-album-danny-fields-roberta-bayley-b2958401.html
about 2 months ago
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Drazen Simic
Minnesota Star Tribune
about 2 months ago
The front page of the Star Tribune on April 22, 2016, following the passing of Prince.
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Drazen Simic
Jonathan Edwards
about 2 months ago
10 years without Prince.
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Drazen Simic
Wdstckdr🦋🇨🇦🇺🇸📎 (John)
about 2 months ago
Prince passed away 10 years ago today. RIP, your music lives on.
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Drazen Simic
Albumism
2 months ago
Prince & The Revolution's "Kiss" from their album 'Parade' hit #1 on the US Singles Chart 40 years ago on April 19, 1986
album.ink/PrinceParade86
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Drazen Simic
Ian Dunt
2 months ago
Rejoin is coming: Talk of the customs union and single market is a distraction. Only full membership offers a compelling vision of Britain's future
iandunt.substack.com/p/rejoin-is-...
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Rejoin is coming
Customs union is a distraction. Only full membership offers a compelling vision of Britain's future.
https://iandunt.substack.com/p/rejoin-is-coming-8aa
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Well done.
#affordablehousing
Catalonia’s housing system is being reimagined as social infrastructure for a low-carbon age. This is backed by public policy and long-term investment
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Europe needs affordable, low-carbon homes – here’s how Barcelona is reimagining its housing system
Across Catalonia in north-eastern Spain, an alternative housing system is emerging
https://theconversation.com/europe-needs-affordable-low-carbon-homes-heres-how-barcelona-is-reimagining-its-housing-system-269136
2 months ago
0
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0
reposted by
Drazen Simic
Housing Europe
4 months ago
The Parliament has its own plan against the housing crisis. In it we saw progress for public, cooperative, and social housing, but key safeguards are still missing. Read our view -
tinyurl.com/5n8m5z58
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Drazen Simic
The Guardian
2 months ago
The incredible life of the ‘bird man’ refugee who brought tweets, chirps and trills to British radio
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The incredible life of the ‘bird man’ refugee who brought tweets, chirps and trills to British radio
Ludwig Koch was once as influential as David Attenborough is today – a new film by his granddaughter sheds light on a tragic event in the naturalist’s life in Berlin before he fled the Nazis
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/13/ludwig-koch-bird-man-refugee-film-alarm-notes?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=bsky_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1776054131
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Democracy is such a wonderful thing.
#Hungary
#FutureofEurope
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Hungary election: Viktor Orbán concedes with opposition on course for landslide election win - follow live
Hungary's prime minister has been ousted after 16 years in power, with Péter Magyar set to be the country's new leader.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c2d8zw2d3rkt
2 months ago
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Some excellent points in this episode. Liberalism has missed some major open goals (uncontrolled immigration, rampant globalisation, unfair competition) and has thus facilitated authoritarian populism, but it should be able to once more adapt and prosper.
@nickcohen.bsky.social
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Centrists of the world unite!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yZXdNhmVNdBoozMmeNQOD?si=j2mTmis2R0KARb2R8CC2DQ&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A34qkDpDxKFddpowOBTa7GV
2 months ago
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Drazen Simic
The Conversation UK
2 months ago
Scientific discoveries can bring a sense of awe and wonder, and give people an emotional boost.
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Why small discoveries (as well as big ones) have the power to inspire
Scientific discoveries can bring a sense of awe and wonder, and give people an emotional boost.
https://tcnv.link/qq1pkbt
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Por cada rosa que envíes a
@vallhebron.com
estás haciendo mucho más que un simple gesto.
#SantJordi
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Envia la teva rosa i fes de Sant Jordi un dia especial!
Fes que aquest Sant Jordi sigui inoblidable per a tots a Vall d'Hebron
https://www.vallhebron.com/colabora/sant-jordi
3 months ago
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Perhaps the beginning of something remarkable.
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At last, David has landed a double punch on the tech Goliaths. Now to hit them even harder | Jonathan Freedland
The US court verdicts declaring Meta liable for getting people addicted and ruining lives must be just the start of a global fightback, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/27/meta-facebook-us-court-verdicts-david-goliath
3 months ago
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Sad news. Intellectual giant.
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Jürgen Habermas, German philosopher and sociologist, dies aged 96
Habermas’ political consensus-building theory argued formation of public opinion vital for democracies to survive
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/14/jurgen-habermas-german-philosopher-and-sociologist-dies-aged-96
3 months ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Drazen Simic
The Observer
3 months ago
Albums of the week: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, War Child, Joshua Idehen, Shabaka
bit.ly/4uhlRFx
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Albums of the week: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, War Child, Jos...
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy sings of dread and how to remedy it in his latest album. Plus, one to watch Kidwild
https://bit.ly/4uhlRFx
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Drazen Simic
Ed Davey
4 months ago
I see Farage is off to Mar-a-Lago to talk down Britain and suck up to Trump. There's nothing patriotic about cheering on a foreign leader whose illegal war is sending British families’ energy bills through the roof.
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What could possibly connect
#Prince
, the great 20th century singer songwriter, and
#CharlesDickens
, the great writer of classics usually stuffed into the hands of adolescents too early? What could these two geniuses, one born in 1812 in
#England
, and the other in 1950s
#Minneapolis
, have in common?
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Dickens and Prince
What could possibly connect Prince, the great twentieth century singer songwriter, and Charles Dickens, the great writer of classics usually stuffed into the hands of adolescents too early? What could...
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/447632/dickens-and-prince-by-hornby-nick/9780241996478
4 months ago
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"...we are seeing a parade of grifters who will exploit white nationalism and Muslim sectarianism, play any trick, and go along with any prejudice so long as they win. If you thought being governed by the old establishment was bad, just wait until you meet its successors."
@nickcohen.bsky.social
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England's future: Islamist apologists vs white nationalists
The triumph of the grifters
https://nickcohen.substack.com/p/englands-future-islamist-apologists
4 months ago
0
2
2
Exceedingly important to know.
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Leave big tech behind! How to replace Amazon, Google, X, Meta, Apple – and more
A handful of companies monopolise the web, with unprecedented access to our data. But there are many more ethical – and often distinctively European – alternatives
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/26/how-to-replace-amazon-google-x-meta-apple-alternatives
4 months ago
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Timely warning from
@gabrielagreilinger.com
about blatant interference on the horizon. Divide and rule, in essence.
#FutureOfEurope
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Right-Wing Think Tanks Are Building a New Hegemony — Europe's Progressives Must Fight Back
US plans to bankroll MAGA-aligned think tanks in Europe demand a forceful counterhegemonic response from democratic forces.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/right-wing-think-tanks-are-building-a-new-hegemony-europes-progressives-must-fight-back
4 months ago
0
1
0
reposted by
Drazen Simic
The Guardian
4 months ago
A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them
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A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them
Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans to invade, and why most of Europe – including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – dismissed them
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/feb/20/a-war-foretold-cia-mi6-putin-ukraine-plans-russia?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=bsky_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1771582399
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Fair point. Suerte con mejorar tu español, pronunciation not too essential as long as understood.
@garynunn.bsky.social
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Spanish is clearly now the world’s coolest language. So why do we push British children to learn French? | Gary Nunn
As Bad Bunny showed at the Super Bowl, español is the coming thing. No wonder it’s now the top GCSE language choice, says journalist Gary Nunn
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/10/spanish-coolest-language-education-children-french-bad-bunny-gcse
4 months ago
0
1
0
reposted by
Drazen Simic
POLITICO Europe
5 months ago
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced today his government will ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media.
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Spain moves to ban under 16’s from social media
Madrid’s proposal follows efforts in France, Denmark and Portugal to protect kids online.
https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-pedro-sanchez-moves-ban-under-16-social-media/
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What an awe-inspiring story.
@eddavey.libdems.org.uk
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Sir Ed Davey
https://open.spotify.com/episode/57CdoFeW3RVYitHILvx9ha?si=PnUbUlDfS-mSW5gJhw5LoA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A01EutcfPcZCqAfD7s7puJL
5 months ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Drazen Simic
Reuters
5 months ago
Iberian Peninsula braces for more bad weather one week after Storm Kristin
reut.rs/4bzk4on
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Iberian Peninsula braces for more bad weather one week after Storm Kristin
Portugal and Spain are bracing for a new storm that authorities warn could trigger floods and further devastation, as the Iberian Peninsula still struggles with the aftermath of Storm Kristin.
https://reut.rs/4bzk4on
0
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reposted by
Drazen Simic
The Guardian
5 months ago
Is it time to break up with US tech? – The Latest
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Is it time to break up with US tech? – The Latest
With Donald Trump tearing up the world order, European leaders are trying to reduce their dependence on US tech, but how viable is this? The Guardian’s Michael Safi speaks to tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker
https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2026/jan/30/is-it-time-to-break-up-with-us-tech-the-latest?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=bsky_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1769793650
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Emotional geography and finding "pockets of home" in various places.
@sarahelizacollins.bsky.social
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Mindful life: My emotional geography has collapsed
After a year of travel and adventure, I am searching for home wherever I go
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/lives/72177/mindful-life-my-emotional-geography-has-collapsed
5 months ago
0
0
1
reposted by
Drazen Simic
Best for Britain
5 months ago
It couldn't be any clearer - we can't rely on Trump's America. We need closer ties with Europe.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/donald-trump-america-european-leaders-us-president
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Donald Trump is not forgetting America’s old alliances – his goal is to destroy them | Rafael Behr
European leaders who know their continent’s history must now see that the US president is siding with the forces of tyra
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/21/donald-trump-america-european-leaders-us-president
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Drazen Simic
Ursula von der Leyen
5 months ago
Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. They are essential for Europe and for the international community as a whole.
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Drazen Simic
Ian Dunt
5 months ago
It will not surprise you to learn that Toby Youngs 'Free Speech Union' has obtained a High Court injunction banning the publication of a list of its donors
open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
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Who funds the Free Speech Union?
Toby Young’s outfit went to court to hide its donors. Today we reveal that funders include US anti-abortion groups, Brexit politicians and Tufton Street insiders.
https://open.substack.com/pub/democracyforsale/p/who-funds-the-free-speech-union-toby-young?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=7aibo
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Better late than never.
#FutureofEurope
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At last, Europe finally understands: the US is no longer ...
For a year the west has made eyes at Donald Trump while he looks on in disdain. It’s time to move on
https://observer.co.uk/news/international/article/at-last-the-truth-is-out-the-us-is-no-longer-europes-ally
5 months ago
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Soho is amazing. Brings back memories.
#London
@vanessathorpe.bsky.social
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Peter Capaldi: ‘I wouldn’t mind some of my ashes being sp...
The Scottish actor and musician revisits the now gentrified streets of London’s Soho, recalling the sites that marked his youth hustling for jobs, first in studios, then on stage
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/peter-capaldi-i-wouldnt-mind-some-of-my-ashes-being-spread-here-one-day
5 months ago
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Is it worth the risk?
#space
@theobserveruk.bsky.social
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Do we still need astronauts? | The Observer
It is 40 years since the Challenger shuttle exploded, killing everyone on board, yet in February Nasa will resume crewed missions beyond Earth’s orbit. Are the risks of space flight worth the rewards...
https://observer.co.uk/news/science-technology/article/do-we-still-need-astronauts
5 months ago
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Finally some good news.
#copadelrey
#vcf
#burgosvalencia
5 months ago
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Convincing piece on why we need more and better trains in Europe, and why this would have rather desireable secondary effects.
#FutureOfEurope
@lukasoberndorfer.bsky.social
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Europe's Rail Renaissance: Why the Continent Must Finally Bet on Its Own Trains
The EU has the technology, the workers and the demand—now it needs the political will to turn its railway industry into a climate-policy success story.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/europes-rail-renaissance-why-the-continent-must-finally-bet-on-its-own-trains
5 months ago
0
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It's better late than never.
#Twitter
@youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com
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To anybody still using X: sexual abuse content is the final straw, it’s time to leave | Marie Le Conte
It was hard for me to quit Elon Musk’s poisoned platform, but I urge others to do the same, especially in light of Grok’s imagery of women and children, says journalist Marie Le Conte
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/12/x-sexual-abuse-time-to-leave-elon-musk-grok-imagery-women-children
5 months ago
0
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Informative and worrying.
#Russia
@bunkerpod.bsky.social
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The Bunker – News without the nonsense - Putin’s position — Why Russia isn't shifting on Ukraine
Listen to The Bunker – News without the nonsense - Putin’s position — Why Russia isn't shifting on Ukraine by Podmasters on Podcast Addict. The human cost of Russia’s war on Ukraine is staggering, yet...
https://podcastaddict.com/the-bunker-news-without-the-nonsense/episode/214448939
5 months ago
0
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reposted by
Drazen Simic
Psychology Today
5 months ago
We tend to worry about the people who spend time at home instead of socializing and doubt them when they say they're happy. One expert suggests we should celebrate them instead. Here's why.
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/livi...
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Celebrating Happy Homebodies
Is time alone bad for you? Not necessarily.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/202501/happy-homebodies-day
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Tricky business.
#Greenland
#FutureOfEurope
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The painful questions for Nato and the EU if Trump takes Greenland
Were Trump to make good on his ambition to bring Greenland under US control, would it mark not just an existential threat to Nato but also a major crisis for the EU?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwn2wjzwndo
5 months ago
0
1
0
"While it is too early to tell what America’s seizure of Maduro will mean for Venezuela’s people, it will make it harder for the US to insist that other countries like Russia and China follow the already weakened international order."
#Venezuela
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Trump’s Venezuela military campaign is unlikely to help him politically and will further undermine the rules-based international order | USAPP
It is too early to tell what America’s seizure of Maduro will mean for Venezuela’s people.
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2026/01/05/trumps-venezuela-military-campaign-is-unlikely-to-help-him-politically-and-will-further-undermine-the-rules-based-international-order/
5 months ago
0
1
0
Podcast on Valencia's all-time best 11, in Spanish.
#VCF
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Valencia CF (El Once de gala)
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1JWH4gck8FNFCEdA6qQWwf?si=aWZs2FZ9QlWGYOm39-no0Q&t=3060&pi=U1_8p_yjSIaqg
5 months ago
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#Spain
remains one of
#Europe’s
primary gateways for migrants hoping to build better lives, and the country has come under sustained pressure from
#EuropeanUnion
partners to stem irregular arrivals.
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Irregular migration to Spain dropped by over 40% in 2025 - Spain in English
Irregular migration to Spain dropped sharply in 2025, with arrivals falling by more than 40%, according to official data, driven mainly by a steep decline in crossings along the dangerous Atlantic rou...
https://www.spainenglish.com/2026/01/03/irregular-migration-to-spain-dropped-by-over-40-in-2025/
6 months ago
0
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0
reposted by
Drazen Simic
Nick Cohen
6 months ago
Starmer's failure to tell the truth about the Brexit disaster, and his determination to stick with a failed status quo have made him the most unpopular PM since records began. Piece from me on the crying need for this government to finally level with the public.
substacktools.com/sharex/fsJgK...
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Starmer’s Brexit cowardice and Britain’s relentless decline
Labour's refusal to tell the truth is killing this country
https://substacktools.com/sharex/fsJgKjwF
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