Essential

Hey @mikeelgan.bsky.social This popped up on my FB memories. I'd cross posted from G+ (using Friends+Me). You were very right, great ideas/usage. Such a shame they killed it. And Irony that your post lives on on FB!

@edconway.bsky.social 's commentary pieces on Sky News are really good, clear, concise.

This is a very good summary. And very worrying. However not a surprise. This from @natehagens.bsky.social a couple of weeks ago also worth a watch/listen. youtu.be/vveYYZN_p48?...

🚨🚨special episode: I spoke to the UK’s former head of international energy strategy about what the war means for global energy supplies. It’s bad news, I’m afraid. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Traders placed $580mn in oil bets ahead of Donald Trump’s social media post on Iran talks

An interesting listen and nice preview of his new book. That reader sounds authentically like @snellarthur.bsky.social himself!

It's like looking at the RSVPs to a Lord Mandelson birthday bash

"Open the Strait of Hormuz. You may not receive the help of any other sovereign nation. Fastest wins."

Six years ago, his principles were entirely different.

I'd forgotten about this 😊🪑👨‍🚀🖖🌟 youtu.be/lVIGhYMwRgs?...

Disturbing if this is correct and widespread.

The BBC coverage is absolutely terrible. It leads on "sharply contested narratives" It has a dramatic skew to the US government It has posted the video but has failed to report on what it shows: it shows the US govt account is untrue

Rumours out of Davos suggesting that Trump will announce a withdrawal of all US troops from Europe. Of course this may just be a case of unfounded speculation. But if it’s correct, the Krasnov operation has been a staggering success.

These people consider themselves patriots, but grovel to the leader of a hostile foreign country.

I've been inducted into the Cafe Oto elite. Absolutely fantastic solo show from US jazz pianist and genius @vijayiyer.bsky.social Thanks to my wonderful host Mr Stuart Edwards I shall be back! www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/vijay...

'Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, Mr Gloster* added that hospital emergency department attendance was at its "highest ever" last Monday' Highest ever. *The HSE Chief Executive. www.rte.ie/news/2025/12...

Very strong and worrying thread from @1goodtern.bsky.social over at the other place. threadreaderapp.com/thread/19937...

Interesting. Google's own TPUs are a significant differentiator Vs their main competitors.

This is very good. Of course 😊

Once every 20 years or so, the director-general of the BBC is forced to resign for being insufficiently rightwing. Alastair Milne in 1987. Greg Dyke in 2004. Tim Davie in 2025. The great irony is that the BBC was in all cases profoundly biased towards established power. But just not biased enough …

Insightful article by @jjn1.bsky.social on the the stance of authors/publishers on their works being included in LLM training (or not) and who should be paying who. In the thread I'm quoting I was asking this of David Quantic (who I admire). Immediate block😳 observer.co.uk/news/columni...

It seems to me... The people who felt requiring us to use masks/respirators during a dangerous pandemic was a threat to civil liberties (their right to infect others, be infected) and oppose a National Digital ID as some kind of Big Brother, surveillance threat are the most in favour... 1/2

Today's Internet winner.

Good grief

I don't know what pathogen will cause the next pandemic - Disease X - but what I do know is that the combination of the immune dysregulation effect of SARS-CoV-2 and the political legacy of our response to Covid means this pandemic makes us much more vulnerable to the next one.

Very quick update on Covid in England from latest UKHSA hospital data. Looks like current Covid wave *might* have peaked, and also that flu season is starting a little earlier than normal. If you can get vaxxed for either, I'd do it! christinapagel.substack.com/p/very-quick...

Great, long thread from Prof @profstevegriffin.bsky.social So pleased he's still doing this. Make sure you get to the end for his conclusion.

Our policy to accept and normalise repeated SARS-CoV-2 infections in our child population is costly.

Laughable as this is, the reality is that many will take it at face value. Many more who are undecided will hesitate further. The upshot being that kids will get ill, disease will spread, and decades of hard-earned public health gains will be lost. It is a shameful, callous act. Heartbreaking.

This past week with the idiocy of Rayner throwing away her job by being stupid about tax, the complete stupidity of the Mandelson appointment, and now the silence in the face of fascist rallies and incitement from Musk and Robinson... I'm feeling despair at where we are & fear at where we are going

So well said. Articulate and concise.

Political violence disproportionately hurts people with less power, not people with more power. Political violence will disproportionately hurt people of color and women and LGBTQ people. It’s not fair, but that’s the way it works. Celebrating political violence means at best indifference to that.

Imagine the message it would send if Gary Lineker won 'Presenter of the Year' at this year's National Television Awards Standing up for compassion & the right to speak out And, the feathers it would ruffle My lovely followers, you know what to do: nationaltvawards.com/vote 🗓️ Deadline: 12th Sep

Strong recommendation for this BBC R4 series from mrmarksteel.bsky.social: The People vs McDonald's Totally delivers on the BBC's "Reithian values", to inform, educate, and entertain. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

1/6 – 🎯 Ukraine’s Precision Strikes Ukraine’s drones have knocked out 17 % of Russia’s oil refining capacity, over 1.1M barrels/day gone. A devastating blow to Putin’s “untouchable” energy lifeline.

Really good episode with @chrischirp.bsky.social from @snellarthur.bsky.social Actual podcast home is here (for those who avoid the 🍏 solo). shows.acast.com/behind-the-l...

Always good talking with Lara keay Excellent and timely article 👏 news.sky.com/story/why-ar...

Reminder:

this is a really good article and makes very important points very clearly

Why are good people still using Twitter/X. Why are businesses, governments (local, national) news & media organisations?

This is very compelling. Anyone disagree?

The entire UK political/media narrative on welfare is that it is "burgeoning", "a burden" & "unsustainable". But how high is it compared to others? UK welfare at 10.8% of GDP in 2023 (including pensions). Finland spends 25.7% of GDP; France 23.8%: both double the UK.

Genuinely puzzled as to why “we’ll impose harsh new rules just on people who become disabled in future” is supposed to be a reasonable and persuasive concession.

This is good. Sharp summary.

Sharing a blog post by @rhulpir.bsky.social final year student @tayapanter.bsky.social on the % of MPs who are [active] on BlueSky v. X: hollodec.github.io/2025/06/26/b... Three key takeaways (1/n)

Very interesting and informative episode on the UK Strategic Defence Review and more widely, UK's place in the world, (un)readiness Vs the known and likely coming threats.

Nobody could have foreseen this! I can't reply in this thread @tryangregory.bsky.social would be nice to be in your gang (appreciate your need for control and management of this) 😊