Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 2h

‘It’s a question of humanity’: how a small Spanish town made headlines over its immigration stance.
Mayor explains why Villamalea unanimously backed call to regularise undocumented migrants – across party lines
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

‘It’s a question of humanity’: how a small Spanish town made headlines over its immigration stance

Mayor explains why Villamalea unanimously backed call to regularise undocumented migrants – across party lines

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 2h

The Gaza effect: how a global pro-Palestine protest movement met repression and resistance.
Across the west, solidarity marches are testing governments’ tolerance for dissent. From arrests to bans, free-speech boundaries are shifting
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

The Gaza effect: how a global pro-Palestine protest movement met repression and resistance

Across the west, solidarity marches are testing governments’ tolerance for dissent. From arrests to bans, free-speech boundaries are shifting

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 2h

Militia strikes kill at least 60 in Sudan displacement camp, says El Fasher group.
Drone and artillery strikes by RSF paramilitary group hit Dar al-Arqam shelter in western city, says resistance committee
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Militia strikes kill at least 60 in Sudan displacement camp, says El Fasher group

Drone and artillery strikes by RSF paramilitary group hit Dar al-Arqam shelter in western city, says resistance committee

www.theguardian.com

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 5h

Well, one National Trust place does it and while the Mail said a 79 year old man was shocked if you read the story he was surprised to see them rather than traumatised.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 22h

Ugly scenes in our neighbourhood where right wing thugs are putting flags back up after the council removed them. Menacing atmosphere out there and many people who don’t look “right” will be scared to go out.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 23h

www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/support-us/c...

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 2d

Of course Jenrick’s comments were racist but the important point is that he intended them to be whatever he says subsequently.
He’s wants the racist vote which has traditionally belonged to the Conservative Party but which Reform have nabbed.

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 2d

Happy, stressed, overwhelmed: Palestinians evacuated from Gaza start their studies in UK.
Abdallah, 27, and Soha, 31, describe adjusting to their new lives after leaving their war-torn home.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Happy, stressed, overwhelmed: Palestinians evacuated from Gaza start their studies in UK

Abdallah, 27, and Soha, 31, describe adjusting to their new lives after leaving their war-torn home

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 3d

UK universities offered to monitor students’ social media for arms firms, emails show.
Loughborough, Heriot-Watt and Glasgow corresponded with companies concerned about campus protests
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

UK universities offered to monitor students’ social media for arms firms, emails show

Loughborough, Heriot-Watt and Glasgow corresponded with companies concerned about campus protests

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 3d

The question for UK political parties is do they want the racist vote?
The Greens and LibDems clearly don’t.
ReformUK clearly does.
Jenrick’s version of the Tory party clearly does.
How about the Labour party?

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 3d

How come Jenrick isn’t going to some village in Suffolk and complaining about the lack of ethnic diversity? Why only inner cities?

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 3d

Badenoch represents the bad-tempered party, just exploding with rage for no reason.

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 3d

Theresa May warned the Tories against being the nasty party but Jenrick has embraced that identity - nasty vicious politics.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 4d

Enjoying international cuisines makes people more tolerant, UK study finds.
Frequent and varied eating found to reduce likelihood of perceiving immigrants as ‘cultural or economic threats’
www.theguardian.com/food/2025/oc...

Enjoying international cuisines makes people more tolerant, UK study finds

Frequent and varied eating found to reduce likelihood of perceiving immigrants as ‘cultural or economic threats’

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 5d

Angry that fascists came to march in our great city of Bristol but proud of its defiance of their hatred.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 5d

Britian surely.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 6d

British political parties now competing over who will deport more migrants. Reform UK - 600,000 in first term; Tories - 150,000 a year (around the same then); Labour - Shabana Mahmood yet to put her bid in.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 6d

The UK is not experiencing a migration crisis. It is experiencing a political crisis as far right politicians have succeeded in creating a general anxiety about migrants which the mainstream political parties feel they need to respond to by competing to feed that anxiety.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 6d

Mosque fire being treated as arson and hate crime.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Peacehaven: Fire at East Sussex mosque probed as 'hate crime'

Video appears to show two people in balaclavas at the mosque before a large blaze spreads.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 8d

LA 2028 Olympics: fears of mass displacement and homeless sweeps as Trump threat looms.
The city has been here before, with arrests during the 1984 Olympics that had long-term consequences for the city’s Black and brown people
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/o...

LA 2028 Olympics: fears of mass displacement and homeless sweeps as Trump threat looms

The city has been here before, with arrests during the 1984 Olympics that had long-term consequences for the city’s Black and brown people

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 8d

Iran may release hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees into Iraq and Turkey.
Tehran considers move as part of multi-pronged offensive after bombing of nuclear sites and restoration of sanctions
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Iran may release hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees into Iraq and Turkey

Tehran considers move as part of multi-pronged offensive after bombing of nuclear sites and restoration of sanctions

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 8d

Asylum seekers on Nauru going hungry despite government spending $1.5m a year for each person.
The Australian government is spending millions of dollars a year to house asylum seekers, yet many say they can not afford food and are forced to skip meals
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Asylum seekers on Nauru going hungry despite government spending $1.5m a year for each person

The Australian government is spending millions of dollars a year to house asylum seekers, yet many say they can not afford food and are forced to skip meals

www.theguardian.com

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 8d

Kenyan activists abducted after joining opposition rally in Uganda.
Pair had crossed border to support presidential campaign of reggae singer Bobi Wine
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Kenyan activists abducted after joining opposition rally in Uganda

Pair had crossed border to support presidential campaign of reggae singer Bobi Wine

www.theguardian.com

Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 11d

Mahmood warns that we have to question legal constraints in order to tackle "this crisis." By 'this crisis' she is talking about immigration to the UK, but the reality is that there is no crisis here. The crisis is Labour's panic about Reform UK.

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Phil Cole @phillcole40.bsky.social · 14d

But also be aware Farage is just the opening act for something far more extreme- once he fails they will step up.