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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 1d

"Brokers influence almost every aspect of a #migrant worker’s life, from where they live, to their meals, to the terms of their employment contracts."

Yet those working in #childcare and #fisheries aren't even subject to Taiwan's monthly minimum #wage of US$944.

www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025...

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 2d

So the main culture war in Germany, fought by the country’s leader, is that despite mass deportations there are still too many non-white men in German cities: which needs to change so that white German daughters can feel safer. That’s an actual position that he is taking. An incitement to violence.

Johannes Hillje @jhillje.bsky.social · 2d

“Ich habe gar nichts zurückzunehmen”

- sagt #Merz heute zu seiner “wir haben im Stadtbild noch dieses Problem”-Äußerung in Bezug auf Migration.

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 3d

A step in the right direction, although I haven't seen the text of the bill, which I suspect might be the watered down version re: indigenous rights www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/...

Pingpu indigenous people’s act passed by the legislature - Taipei Times

Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

www.taipeitimes.com

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 3d

A week or two ago it felt like Hau was the factional consensus, wheeled out of retirement to continue Chu's legacy and secure the Liu Shiow-yen presidency, but that was the leadership and this is the party

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 3d

I really thought they'd all converged around Hau but I guess they're really at the peak of the ego cycle and chose the most stupid option instead

Min Chao @wordsfromtaiwan.bsky.social · 3d

The results are in: Ex-lawmaker Cheng Li-wun wins the race with 50.15% of the votes, versus Hau's 35.85%.

The 2nd woman to become #KMT chair, Cheng espouses the views of the first, Hung Hsiu-chu's "one China, same interpretation" and vows to make every #Taiwanese "proud to call themselves Chinese."

https://www.ly.gov.tw/Pages/List.aspx?nodeid=43087

https://www.kmt.org.tw/2025/10/114_18.html?m=1

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 4d

If Starmer panicked over the local elections in May, how is the party going to deal with losing the Senedd for the first time ever?

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 4d

Regret to inform that the Fort Zeelandia museum in Tainan still presents the Chinese folk etymology of Taiwan as fact to avoid mentioning that it's actually a borrowed indigenous name (from Siraya)

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 5d

Palestinian bodies returned by Israel show signs of torture and execution, say doctors: Almost all had been blindfolded and had gunshot wounds between the eyes, says medic at Nasser hospital in Gaza

Palestinian bodies returned by Israel show signs of torture and execution, say doctors

Almost all had been blindfolded and had gunshot wounds between the eyes, says medic at Nasser hospital in Gaza

www.theguardian.com

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 5d

Oh yeah that's just an issue everywhere, in Tainan's defence 🙃

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 5d

Just a casual family walk in Alishan

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 5d

I don't think the monorail plan is ever going to happen. Just do a tram and/or metro like everyone else

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 5d

I have decided that Tainan could actually be even better than Taipei if they just got their act together with infrastructure

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Kerim Friedman 傅可恩 @kerim.one · 6d

Israel is holding 4,000 more Palestinians captive than pre-October 2023. Including 580 more hostages in administrative detention. Administrative detainees are de facto hostages, held indefinitely without charge or trial.

Chart: Stephen Semler

Israel is holding 4,000 more Palestinians captive than pre-October 2023. Including 580 more hostages in administrative detention. September 2023 column: 5,088 total prisoners, including 1,264 administrative detainees and 3,824 other Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. October 2025 column: 9,106 total prisoners, including 1,844 administrative detainees and 7,262 other Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Post-ceasefire estimate based on reported 1 October 2025 data. Data: Israel Prison Service. Administrative detainees are de facto hostages, held indefinitely without charge or trial. Chart: Stephen Semler.

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

Not sure subscribing to a weekly news magazine is going to be too useful if it takes 2 weeks and counting to deliver each issue

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

Right! Literally everything around Empire is just a show creation and it was (for me) the most compelling and interesting part, to see a collapsing empire from within. All the book characters just existed to make things happen.

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

(English is not an official language anywhere in the UK, nor should it ever be)

András Forgács W @andraswf.bsky.social · 7d

Well this will certainly do it www.gov.uk/government/n...

Migrants will be required to pass A Level standard of English

Migrants will be required to pass tough new English language requirements under a law introduced in Parliament today.

www.gov.uk

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

I find it beautifully written today but when I was younger it was just so densely packed and literary I just couldn't get through that part

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

Possibly more unhinged: once you get past the opening creation chapter The Silmarillion is actually not that hard a read, some of you are just trying to remember tiny details like there's a quiz at the end (is there???)

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

Foundation the book feels like he's just explaining a series of events that just happen, half of them resolved by some deus ex machina or gotcha that was never alluded to or otherwise

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 7d

Foundation the TV show is actually way better and adds more interesting angles and depth to the story than the original book

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 9d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

有靈 Yo-Ling (他/they) @yolingwrites.bsky.social · 7d

Please share this explainer article on the Taiwan Pride controversy this year so that all participants can know what they are walking into~

Proud of so many Taiwanese LGBTQ+ organizations coming out in support of intra-movement solidarity and against any nefarious attempts to split us apart ❤

New Bloom @newbloommag.net · 8d

'2025 Taiwan Pride Controversy Explained:  LGBTQ+ Community Speaks Out Against Transphobia and Contempt for Sexual Rights" by @yolingwrites.bsky.social

2025 Taiwan Pride Controversy Explained:  LGBTQ+ Community Speaks Out Against Transphobia and Contempt for Sexual Rights | New Bloom Magazine

This past week, controversy erupted throughout Taiwan’s LGBTQ+ community after it was discovered that the Administrative and Public Relations Director of this year’s Taiwan Pride march posted on her…

newbloommag.net

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Victor Von Doomscroll @redderbeanpaste.bsky.social · 7d

Great time for Americans to read up on Hong Kong 2020 protests tbh since it came with a draconian security law

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Thomas Batchelor @tobbinatorscw.bsky.social · 8d

He must be reaching corruption bingo at this point

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Nine Dragons @ninedragons.bsky.social · 9d

Xi Jinping just lectured world leaders about the need to include more women in government. If only there was someone who could influence such a change in the Chinese government eh?
www.reuters.com/world/china/...

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Reposted by Thomas Batchelor

Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 9d

Front page of Scottish newspaper The National today.

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