Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 1h

Reminds me of the Beckett quote (though I had to quickly Google it): "habit is the ballast that chains the dog to his vomit".

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 1h

It's flabbergasting. Stockholm Syndrome?

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 1h

As ever, better to skip the News at Ten and read @roberthutton.co.uk instead. "Whatever else you can say about Badenoch, she doesn’t let anything hold her back, not her record, not her ability and certainly not reality." thecritic.co.uk/one-small-st...

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 1h

Um Gottes Willen.

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 2h

"Antifa has been around in various iterations for almost 100 years in some instances, going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany."

- Jack Posobiec at Trump's roundtable on antifa

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 2h

Pint o' wife down the Golden for me mate.

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 2h

"The British Night Out" though, flipping heck, if anything was going to persuade you to stay in...

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 2h

But her emails.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3h

Trump: "We took the freedom of speech away because that's been through the courts and the courts said you have freedom of speech, but what has happened is when they burn a flag it agitates and irritates crowds."

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 3h

Never mind Claudia Winkelman, this new series of Les Traîtres on @tf1info.bsky.social sounds 《formidable》.

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 3h

Outgoing French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said his replacement could be tapped in the next 48 hours, but gave little indication how his successor could steer France out of its current crisis.

France could get next PM within 48 hours, outgoing prime minister says

“A path forward is still possible,” Lecornu said.

www.politico.eu

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 3h

That reads like a public school housemaster justifying a summer exchange to Heidelberg in 1937.

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Reposted by William French

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 4h

Maybe it’s not just the money, it’s also the hubris

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 5h

Very odd editorialising line in the Radio 3 news coverage of Badenoch's conference speech: "but she had little to say about Reform's rise". So what?

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 6h

Ooh.

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 6h

Phenomenal! Thanks for sharing. I did think when watching the recent Ed Sullivan doc on Netflix that a Harry Belafonte biopic, or a documentary, would be much more interesting.

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Reposted by William French

Jason Sinclair @jsinclair.bsky.social · 6h

I think we should all take a few minutes to listen to Harry Belafonte on, amongst other things, flags. youtu.be/_XUlCuW7Drc?...

Harry Belafonte on racism, patriotism & war, 1967: CBC Archives | CBC

YouTube video by CBC

youtu.be

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 7h

The whole thing has such strong Nathan Barley, um, vibes. Joke's on us I guess?

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 7h

Late to this excellent article by @emmavj.bsky.social with its, um, arresting opening image: "Microsoft pulled its waistband high over its soft belly to introduce the term 'vibe working'."

Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 1d

Great piece from @emmavj.bsky.social who is calling Peak Vibe www.ft.com/content/14ef...

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 9h

A press release that unforgivably misses the opportunity to warn of a wurst case scenario.

Mrs Queeeeeeent (as if said by a ghost) @quarkquent.bsky.social · 9h

Good. Wise. Also hahahahaha www.euroveg.eu/european-par...

European Parliament votes to ban use of ‘veggie burger’ and ‘plant-based sausage’ - European Vegetarian Union

Brussels, 8 October 2025 European Parliament votes to ban use of ‘veggie burger’ and ‘plant-based sausage’: coalition calls decision misguided and counterproductive This Wednesday the Members of the E...

www.euroveg.eu

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 9h

"What is desperately needed is a vision for resuscitating the UN’s political role in peacemaking and mediation, including within the secretary-general’s own office." #UN80

International Peace Institute @ipinst.bsky.social · 9h

🔔 New on the GO:

Jenna Russo on how the UN80 report misses the mark on peace and security—from unclear reforms to the absence of a political vision.

👉 http://bit.ly/4n4OWPS
@jennarusso.bsky.social

The UN80 Proposals on Peace and Security: Not the Overhaul We Need - IPI Global Observatory

Jenna Russo on how the UN80 report falls short on peace and security reforms.

bit.ly

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 9h

Finalising that Nobel acceptance speech.

Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 10h

Trump declares that Mayor Johnson of Chicago and Gov Pritzker of Illinois "should be in jail."

William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 11h

Odzyskać Kontrolę.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 12h

"15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity. Now Poland is growing twice as fast as we are," says Kemi Badenoch.

Any ideas what may have happened in the interim?

Reposted by William French

Marc Morris @marcmorris.bsky.social · 14h

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 13h

Well knock me down with a feather.

Andrew Sparrow @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social · 13h

People who back leaving ECHR know less about what it actually does than those in favour of staying, poll suggests - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 14h

Less Andropov, more Votesdropov eh readers? (Borrowed from one of my Dad's old jokes, sorry.)

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 15h

Brexit was always racism at its heart.

Captain Haddock @realcaptainhaddock.bsky.social · 15h

It was inevitable that “too many people speaking Polish” Brexitism would become outright “too many brown people”

And it’s what people like Gove, David Davis and Johnson enabled

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William French @wtfrench76.bsky.social · 1d

Depressing and rebarbative to see that The Canary and Mr. Squawkbox are still going - and claiming that the 7 October massacre was committed by the IDF. (As if their actions thereafter aren't sufficient grounds for condemnation.)