Margaret Barbalet
margaretbarbalet.bsky.social
Margaret Barbalet
@margaretbarbalet.bsky.social
Writer, grandmother, former diplomat
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Chris Grey, always spot on:
November 15, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
What's gone wrong with Britain? Brexit!!

National Bureau of Economic Research... findings: “We estimate that by 2025, the Brexit process had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, investment by 12% to 18%, employment by 3% to 4%, and productivity by 3% to 4%.”
chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com
Brexit & Brexitism
<a rel="me" href="https://mastodon.online/@ChrisGrey">Mastodon</a>
chrisgreybrexitblog.blogspot.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Modernism in a vase.
November 15, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Record settler attacks in West Bank opening up rifts within Israel
Record settler attacks in West Bank opening up rifts within Israel
In October more than 260 settler attacks resulted in Palestinians casualties or property damage according to the UN.
www.bbc.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
The obvious bad faith of the admin and “dept of war” is further seen in the fact that *if* any boaters are ferrying drugs, they are simply low level “mules,” probably poor people down on their luck or who have no choice. Wouldn’t it be better to catch the ringleaders actually behind the operations?
A must read. What a tragedy for this family (and many others), whose father, Alejandro Carranza, went out fishing one day and never came back.

"'If the people on the boat were suspected of drug trafficking, they should have been arrested, not killed,' said the family's lawyer."

Gift article.
Family of Fisherman Killed in U.S. Military Strike Says It Wants Justice
www.nytimes.com
November 14, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Out now 💖 HEAT 22

Our final issue of the year features a bumper crop of new writing by Oliver Driscoll, George Mouratidis, Eila Vinwynn, Ceridwen Dovey, Elvira Navarro (translated by Christina MacSweeney), Adam Aitken and Lucy Van.

Subscribe: giramondopublishing.com/heat/
HEAT | Giramondo Publishing
Subscribe to HEAT, Australia’s international literary magazine, published by Giramondo. Innovative prose, poetry and art in high-quality print format, delivered to your door.
giramondopublishing.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.

Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
- Many Covid infection have resulted in brain injury, altering brain plasticity & increasing cognitive decline in adults meaning capacity to cope with financial stress is decreased

Financial stress + structural inequality + potential cognitive decline = societal mess 2/
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
A London judge rules that global mining giant BHP Group is liable in Brazil’s worst environmental disaster when a dam collapse 10 years ago unleashed tons of toxic waste into a major river, killing 19 people and devastating villages downstream.
London judge finds global mining giant BHP Group liable in Brazil’s worst environmental disaster
A London judge has ruled that BHP Group is liable for Brazil’s worst environmental disaster. The disaster occurred when a dam collapsed 10 years ago, releasing toxic waste into a major river.
bit.ly
November 14, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
IAEA Director hugged Likhachev,head of Russia's Rosatom in Kaliningrad
They plan to"discuss the issues of security at Zaporizhzhia NPP&steps to not allow a nuclear incident"

Russia has occupied a nuclear power plant&targets other🇺🇦nuclear facilities.What’s there to discuss with nuclear terrorists?
November 14, 2025 at 8:57 AM
This is a sharp, diamond cut piece, delicious to read. As a boomer, I loved it!
November 14, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Excellent vintage #Cats:
'Three black cats' by Maud Lewis (1903-1970), Canadian folk artist #WomensArt #FridayFeeling
November 14, 2025 at 7:09 AM
So glad to be back on the Bicentennial Trail, up behind my 'hood.
November 14, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
"Something is deeply wrong with this system, when people who are wealthy are getting far wealthier...and people who don't have a lot are falling further and further behind."

- Dr Cassandra Goldie AO, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service at our Revenue Summit 2025
#auspol
November 14, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Rather eat grass - indeed.
Foreign Minister of Poland Radosław Sikorski:

"We think that if Putin succeeded in conquering Ukraine, we would be next.

You know, we will eat grass rather than become a Russian colony again," @radek-sikorski.bsky.social said.
November 13, 2025 at 7:46 AM
We are.
Scott Ludlam wrote a few things a few years back on “state capture” and it really sums up Australia’s craven giveaway of fossil fuel resources to foreign corps
Australia Institute research shows the gas industry pays ZERO royalties on more than half the gas exported from Australia.

"Other people in the rest of the world are making a fortune out of Australia's gas exports.... Australia is getting taken for a ride."

@richarddenniss.bsky.social

#auspol
November 13, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Aurora Australis tonight in the ACT.
November 12, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Hilarious
Russia presented its human-like AI robot. It fell down as it walked onto the stage.
November 11, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
These unconscionable cuts to a vital lifeline fund for some of the most vulnerable children & young adults in England are staggering - a 60% reduction from £7.5K to just £3K per child & even worse - these changes were introduced by the government without consultation, warning and no evidence base
🚨This is not what I expect from a Labour government

THESE SHOCKING cuts are staggering - a 60% reduction from £7.5K to just £3K per child - the Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Fund is a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable children & young adults in England

youtu.be/7roDSM-GPBY?...
Devastating cuts for some of most vulnerable children in England is not what I expect from Labour
YouTube video by Peter Stefanovic
youtu.be
November 11, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
JCO really is one of the finest posters we have. First the toe, now inducing a Musk meltdown? I will forgive every terrible opinion for the sheer internet of the woman
November 11, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Imagine praising a book in 2025 for being "sparse"? Look I enjoy sparse prose as much as the next, but we've been in a decades long Sparse Race of prose that you can increasingly just inhale like a delicate mousse and at some stage we will have to start making adjectives cool again
November 11, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Reposted by Margaret Barbalet
Elon Musk, who is currently the richest person in the world with a net worth of $497 billion, is blocking food bank links on Twitter.

Spread the word please!
November 9, 2025 at 11:58 AM