Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sonia L

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 1h

I don’t believe a word the Times says about this issue because of its institutional bigotry. Note the compulsory quote from Sex Matters extremist Helen Joyce, friend and ally of many a Times writer

Ashleeee 🌊🪭 @reactiveashley.bsky.social · 13h

Lol
archive.is/2025.10.13-1...

Bridget Phillipson 'delaying trans guidance to help deputy leader bid'
The equalities minister is accused of pushing back publication of a code on single-sex spaces until after the Labour election ends
Those close to Bridget Phillipson, who is also education secretary, said her opponents were "weaponising gender issues" in a "cynical and divisive" way

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LSE Library @lselibrary.bsky.social · 3h

New online: The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) collection is now available on LSE Digital Library! We’ve digitised and published the GLF Diaries and the GLF newspaper Come Together. Further series from the archives will be added as digitisation continues.
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digital.library.lse.ac.uk/collections/...

Cover image of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) Diary, December 21-30, 1972. A purple and green poster-style image featuring text and a leafy plant design.

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 1h

Back to holiday now - on today's agenda: river tubing and hot springs

Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 1h

Just had to explain to a producer that I do not have the temperate to be put on a show with Policy Exchange

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Micro Rainbow @microrainbow.org · 3h

For #BlackHistoryMonth our National Director Moud Goba talks about 3 Black, #LGBTQI and UK-based icons you should know.

Who should we add to the list?

@africanrainbowfam.bsky.social @ladyphyll.bsky.social @bandykiki.bsky.social

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 5h

Here's the parliamentary statement outlining the changes (haven't seen the detail yet) questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

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CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 5h

Government statement to MPs on digital ID yesterday evening. "Tackling illegal immigration" carefully positioned as the third of three reasons to do it, and even then "not a silver bullet" hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...

Digital ID - Hansard - UK Parliament

Hansard record of the item : 'Digital ID' on Monday 13 October 2025.

hansard.parliament.uk

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Jane McAdam @profjmcadam.bsky.social · 5d

' ... the problem is not refugee law, it is the cynical, timeworn deployment of xenophobic and racist rhetoric to create fear and undermine democratic institutions' writes Kate Jastram @cgrsasylum.bsky.social in response to recent 'reform' proposals cgrs.uclawsf.edu/en/our-work/...

We Must Reaffirm not "Reform" the Refugee Convention | Center for Gender and Refugee Studies

cgrs.uclawsf.edu

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 9h

There’s a statement of changes to the immigration rules on today’s Commons order paper commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/978...

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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 9h

Excellent Guardian piece on Aadhar, India's digital ID system, that captures the dilemma extremely well. Digital-by-default methods create huge convenience for some, double-down on social exclusion for others, and it is easy for their scope to rapidly expand www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

‘Your basis to live is checked at each and every step’: India’s ID system divides opinion

Keir Starmer is considering Aadhaar as model for UK, but detractors warn of ‘digital coercion’ and security breaches

www.theguardian.com

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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 17h

Even more annoying is that the original poster is using the LLM to “wade through a mountain of papers for a systemic review”. Which means feeding a lot of academic material into the plagiarism machine that always lies, without the consent of the authors.

Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 20h

Seeing people nonchalantly post stuff like makes me feel like I'm going crazy honestly.

A post from an academic on blue sky that says: "I'm learning about "prompt engineering" when asking LLMs to extract data. I now add this to all instructions:

Style
Be concise, analytic, and specific (cite page/figure if provided). If essential info is missing, keep going but flag Unclear and exact data needed. Never invent data.

#academicsky"

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bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 21h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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Right to Remain @right-to-remain.bsky.social · 22h

Good news! Not only have we restocked our classic #nooneisillegal t-shirt and tote bags, we’ve also designed brand new long-sleeved cotton tops. Every penny raised powers our fight; to build knowledge, radical solidarity, and power.
righttoremain.org.uk/store/ #migrationislife

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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 1d

Front page of Scottish newspaper The National today.

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Garden Court Chambers @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social · 1d

Recent media commentary has focused on members of Garden Court Chambers and others who sit as part-time judges.

This is Garden Court's statement 👇

gardencourtchambers.co.uk/garden-court...

#RuleofLaw #Judicialindependence #SeparationOfPowers #Constitution

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Garden Court statement: media commentary on part-time judges | Garden Court Chambers

Garden Court Chambers is aware of press and social media commentary focused on members of Garden Court Chambers and others who sit as part- time judges.

gardencourtchambers.co.uk

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

MPs highlight plight of Gaza students unable to come to UK with children

Politicians write to ministers about Palestinians who cannot take up scholarships because they are barred from bringing families A cross-party group of more than 100 MPs has written to the government, highlighting the plight of Palestinian students unable to take up scholarships at UK universities because they have been barred from bringing their children. The British government has now evacuated from Gaza almost 60 scholars with fully funded university places and more are expected soon, but others have been forced to abandon their plans in order to remain with their families. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 2d

The waiter at breakfast asked where I was from and when I said London he went "ooooh gin and tonic!"

Bit of hotel pool with Arenal volcano in the background, grey cloudy sky and lots of green plants

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

Meta AI adviser spreads disinformation about shootings, vaccines and trans people

Critics condemn Robby Starbuck, appointed in lawsuit settlement, for ‘peddling lies and pushing extremism’ A prominent anti-DEI campaigner appointed by Meta in August as an adviser on AI bias has spent the weeks since his appointment spreading disinformation about shootings, transgender people, vaccines, crime, and protests. Robby Starbuck, 36, of Nashville, was appointed in August as an adviser by Meta – owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other tech platforms – in an August lawsuit settlement. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 2d

AI has lost the dunce vote. It’s over

Nate Silver
@NateSilver538 • 5h
•.°
I'm just one person, and my programming needs are somewhat unusual (building various kinds of statistical forecasting models). But I'm just not seeing the consistent productivity gains from LLMs that I would have expected if you'd asked me 6 months ago.

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Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · 3d

ICO orders DWP to

"disclose the list of all AI tools DWP plans to place on the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standards Hub"

I.e. publish details of all the AI they are using unless there is a valid reason to keep it secret

h/t @rightsnet.org.uk

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

ico.org.uk

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

Ghana’s foreign minister just posted this to X:

“The Ghanaian Government is pleased to note that our refusal to accept Abrego Garcia has been duly acknowledged and complied with by the US Department of Homeland Security.”

Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa &
@S_OkudzetoAblak
X.com
The Ghanaian Government is pleased to note that our refusal to accept Abrego Garcia has been duly acknowledged and complied with by the US
Department of Homeland Security.
We have also followed with satisfaction that DHS has today taken the appropriate steps to inform Garcia's lawyers and amend court submissions to reflect the fact that Ghana cannot be an option for Garcia's deportation.
The Mahama Administration will continue to be transparent and truthful to Ghanaians at all times.
For God and Country E
anana was premature
abe NEWS
LAURA ROMERO
Fri, October 10, 2025 at 6:03 AM PDT|
凸
to

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Ben @cinemashoebox.bsky.social · 4d

Israel highlighting how many 100s of aid trucks they will now allow into Gaza is a tacit admission that they were using aid as a weapon of war, by the way. seems weird not to talk about this

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 4d

(I am also currently sitting on the Air France flight they were using for individual removals and haven't spotted anyone who seems to be here involuntarily)

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 4d

I obviously haven't watched the "content" put out by the Home Office of this, but it seems that "group flights" may mean they have started using charters?

www.gov.uk/government/n...

First illegal migrants returned under new UK-France agreement

Under the landmark UK-France migration deal, the first groups of small boats arrivals to the UK have been successfully removed on flights to France.

www.gov.uk

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Alan White @aljwhite.bsky.social · 4d

I’m sure Robert Jenrick must be concerned to discover that his latest video is being amplified by dubious pro Russian propaganda accounts. Perhaps even more so to learn they think he’s a mere journalist.

A pro Russia account shares a Jenrick video

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