Seán Hanley | Lightnews

The New World @thenewworldmag.bsky.social · 1d

A new advert has appeared on an East London street depicting the Reform leader and Russian despot

✏️ Rats in a Sack 🐀

Who's behind this billboard ad of Farage and Putin?

A new advert has appeared on an East London street depicting the Reform leader and Russian despot

www.thenewworld.co.uk

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 1d

Ich stimme zu.

TheBossRoss @thebossross.bsky.social · 2d

How would you motivate people to study foreign languages?

This German caller has the ultimate, definitive answer.

[I love this so much 💙]

Steve Rosenberg @bbcstever.bsky.social · 2d

Ciaran Jenkins and I have recorded another Channel 4 News/BBC News long-distance musical collaboration for Christmas. This year we play The Coventry Carol. To all who are celebrating, wishing you a happy, peaceful Christmas.

For Christmas, a BBC/Channel 4 collaboration: The Coventry Carol

YouTube video by Steve Rosenberg

youtu.be

TheBossRoss @thebossross.bsky.social · 2d

How would you motivate people to study foreign languages?

This German caller has the ultimate, definitive answer.

[I love this so much 💙]

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 4d

Today feels like this day.

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 18d

Doom scrolling here from the UK is a bit problematic, given the site is 90% American. Everyone is called Tom Johnson or Kirsti Nutti and they’ve done something inexplicable but obviously very bad. Again!

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 4d

Czech president Pavel will refuse to appoint controversial Motorists party leader Filip Turek as Environment Minister if PM Babiš nominates him and expects him not to do so. Constitutionally Pavel would be on thin ice, but do-able as President Zeman showed.

iROZHLAS.cz @irozhlas.cz · 4d

Prezident Pavel předpokládá, že premiér Babiš nenavrhne Filipa Turka na post ministra životního prostředí.

Pokud by Babiš toto očekávání nenaplnil, z vyjádření Hradu vyplývá, že prezident by Turka nejmenoval, ač to považuje za mimořádný krok. irozhl.as/zgF

Pavel předpokládá, že Babiš Turka nenavrhne na ministra. Pokud to učiní, tak ho prezident nejmenuje

Vysvětlení problematických výroků a činů, které v pondělí při schůzce na Pražském hradě předložil Turek, hlavu státu nepřesvědčila.

irozhl.as

iROZHLAS.cz @irozhlas.cz · 4d

Prezident Pavel předpokládá, že premiér Babiš nenavrhne Filipa Turka na post ministra životního prostředí.

Pokud by Babiš toto očekávání nenaplnil, z vyjádření Hradu vyplývá, že prezident by Turka nejmenoval, ač to považuje za mimořádný krok. irozhl.as/zgF

Pavel předpokládá, že Babiš Turka nenavrhne na ministra. Pokud to učiní, tak ho prezident nejmenuje

Vysvětlení problematických výroků a činů, které v pondělí při schůzce na Pražském hradě předložil Turek, hlavu státu nepřesvědčila.

irozhl.as

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 7d

Yes, exactly. Postponed elections stemming from UK’s misfiring top down technocratic reforms of local government are a form of low-level democratic backsliding.

East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · 7d

Why are voters in the East being asked to wait years to choose who governs them at the local level?
Our new piece explains how democracy is slipping away.
eastangliabylines.co.uk/democracy/an...

Another county election delay – and democracy takes a hit

Government delays to devolution mean local elections may be pushed back again, extending councils’ terms far beyond their mandate

eastangliabylines.co.uk

East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · 7d

Why are voters in the East being asked to wait years to choose who governs them at the local level?
Our new piece explains how democracy is slipping away.
eastangliabylines.co.uk/democracy/an...

Another county election delay – and democracy takes a hit

Government delays to devolution mean local elections may be pushed back again, extending councils’ terms far beyond their mandate

eastangliabylines.co.uk

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 7d

Disappointingly few interesting or original ideas from Acemoglu - “working class liberalism” doesn’t seem to go beyond Rawls + an added nod to culture. Scepticism on AI impact his least predictable idea.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

How Liberal Democracy Can Survive an Age of Spiraling Crises

Podcast Episode · The Foreign Affairs Interview · 18/12/2025 · 58m

podcasts.apple.com

Philipp Jäger @ph-jaeg.bsky.social · 7d

End of year reflections on EU climate policy: it’s really not looking good for the Green Deal.
@jannikjansen.bsky.social and I wrote a short piece on why we're far from "staying the course" - and why that's a strategic mistake for Europe (1/12)
tinyurl.com/jdc-green-deal

Europe is hollowing out its Green Deal, leaving a vacuum of political

www.delorscentre.eu

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 7d

Gen Z protests swept the world this year, pushing for political change in countries from Turkey and Indonesia to France and Mexico. ⁠
⁠
Protesters have rallied behind an unlikely symbol: a Jolly Roger-inspired straw hat-wearing pirate flag. www.ft.com/ft-explains

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 7d

It’s beginning to look a lot like this government is afraid of scrutiny www.independent.co.uk/voices/labou...

It’s beginning to look a lot like this government is afraid of scrutiny

Postponing local elections for millions of voters, changing the daily Westminster briefing… did someone advise Keir Starmer that the best way to deal with negative media coverage is not to talk to jou...

www.independent.co.uk

Notes from Poland @notesfrompoland.bsky.social · 8d

President Nawrocki has removed from the presidential palace the famous round table at which discussions took place in 1989 that paved the way for the fall of Poland’s communist regime.

"I can proudly say that post-communism has today ended in Poland," declared Nawrocki.

President removes round table that hosted talks which paved way for fall of communism in Poland

notesfrompoland.com

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 8d

Des milliers manifestent en Lituanie contre la réforme de la loi sur l'audiovisuel public

Vidéo. Des milliers manifestent en Lituanie contre la réforme de la loi sur l'audiovisuel public

Vidéo. Environ 10 000 personnes ont manifesté devant le Parlement lituanien contre la réforme de la loi de LRT, craignant une menace pour la liberté d’expression et son indépendance.

fr.euronews.com

Andrej Matisak @matisaksk.bsky.social · 8d

How the Eastern flank (minus Slovakia, Hungary and probably Czechia) is unifying politically as core #Europe hesitates
tvpworld.com/90601342/eas... #Russia #Ukraine #Putinswar #security #defense

How the Eastern flank is unifying politically as core Europe hesitates

Eastern Flank Watch links Nordic and Polish defenses, bypassing Brussels inertia

tvpworld.com

Peter Tatchell Foundation @petertatchellfdn.bsky.social · 9d

⚠️ South Africa is seeking answers from Russia over claims its citizens were deceived into joining the war in Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/south-africa-russia-men-tricked-fighting-ukraine

South Africa in talks with Russia over men ‘tricked’ into fighting in Ukraine

Government says it received distress calls, as daughter of ex-president Jacob Zuma accused of luring men to frontline

www.theguardian.com

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 9d

I don't see why the LibDems would panic. Their chances of securing the gains from their six-fold increase in seats is v strong: they have a challenge with the map in limited headroom to make dramatic gains next time, but they are v likely to advance not retreat
www.newstatesman.com/politics/lib...

Why the Lib Dems aren’t panicking

Party strategists insist they are making progress even as the Greens surge

www.newstatesman.com

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 10d

I really wish our government would stand up for this country and its liberal institutions and values.

I don’t expect it.

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 10d

Trump sues BBC for $10 billion in defamation lawsuit over edited documentary

Trump sues BBC for $10 billion for defamation over edited documentary

The 33-page lawsuit accuses the BBC of broadcasting a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,” calling it “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence” the 2024 US presidential election.

www.euronews.com

EUwatch 🇪🇺 @euwatch.live · 10d

Trump sues BBC for $10 billion in defamation lawsuit over edited documentary

Trump sues BBC for $10 billion for defamation over edited documentary

The 33-page lawsuit accuses the BBC of broadcasting a “false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump,” calling it “a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence” the 2024 US presidential election.

www.euronews.com

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 10d

Including perhaps the steady presence of McDonald’s in the background.

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 11d

Charity shop find. This board game variant on the capitalist classic seems appropriate Xmas entertainment in the age of Trump and Musk.

Although I think it’s a reboot of the early 20th century radical original “The Landlord Game” which - political economy types help me out - promoted Georgism?

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 11d

You should reflect very carefully. It’s a blatant right-wing culture wars trope; and inequalities are, as I say, much more broad and structural. There are easier and cheaper ways to game systems. “Overdiagnosis” partly reflects better autism awareness and declining social stigma.

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 11d

In higher education, as in other areas there are plenty of ways through which wealth can be telling, but it’s more subtle and structural than this.

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 11d

I’ve dealt with quite a few neuro divergent students as well as students with mental health issues for whom the return traditional exams is very problematic, even potentially discriminatory. It’s often quite hard to get them to get the support they need,

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 11d

I share your concern about the reversion to traditional unseen exams, which were dropped for some very good pedagogical reasons, but the cultures wars language discourse about “overdiagnosed conditions” is tbh objectionable. 1/2

Seán Hanley @drseanhanley.bsky.social · 12d

Sudden coverage of Poles leaving /UK being economically overtaken by PL has (complicated) factual basis but in essence a right-wing discourse of national decline geared to domestic politics. An old theme-Brit politics scholars speak of “declinism” I think. Not really respectful to Poland,as noted

Jakub Krupa @jakubkrupa.bsky.social · 12d

Few thoughts on the "Polish exodus" from the UK.

1. It's not an 'exodus', it's a slow drip. We're fine, thanks.
2. Migration is really complicated.
3. The absolute cheek of the very same media attacking Poles for years lamenting their departure.
4. What you can do?

THREAD 🧵

Jakub Krupa @jakubkrupa.bsky.social · 12d

Few thoughts on the "Polish exodus" from the UK.

1. It's not an 'exodus', it's a slow drip. We're fine, thanks.
2. Migration is really complicated.
3. The absolute cheek of the very same media attacking Poles for years lamenting their departure.
4. What you can do?

THREAD 🧵

Peter Tatchell Foundation @petertatchellfdn.bsky.social · 12d

Ukrainian prisoners of war are facing organised abuse at the hands of Russian forces💔

Ensuring justice for these atrocities is essential

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/12/11/russias-systematic-torture-of-ukrainian-pows

Russia’s Systematic Torture of Ukrainian POWs

(Kyiv, December 11, 2025) – Russian authorities and military forces have systematically tortured and ill-treated Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) at the time of their capture and throughout their detention, Human Rights Watch said today. Such abuses constitute grave violations of the Geneva Conventions that apply in international armed conflict and are war crimes.

www.hrw.org

The Economist @economist.com · 12d

The leaders of western Europe’s three biggest countries warn of a catastrophe if the parties of the populist right should triumph. This strategy of demonisation is self-defeating. But there is an alternative

Can anyone stop Europe’s populist right?

Apocalyptic warnings by mainstream politicians are doomed to fail

econ.st

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