Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tom Rank

Michael Savage @michaelsavage.bsky.social · 9m

Ofcom used qualitative "focus groups", including GB News viewers, to reach the view there was "no consensus" to stop politicians fronting "current affairs" shows. Farage's show not classed as "news".

This new quantitative research appears to contradict that finding.

Could Nandy/Ofcom reopen this?

Michael Savage @michaelsavage.bsky.social · 18m

NEW: Net migration almost halved last year. But 84% of regular GB News viewers believe it went up.

More importantly, new research revealing this also suggests the public opposes politicians presenting shows - contradicting Ofcom.

Lisa Nandy now taking note:

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/o...

GB News viewers more likely to wrongly believe net migration to UK rising, study finds

Research also finds majority of people are against letting politicians front current affairs programmes

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Tom Rank

May Bulman @maybulman.bsky.social · 2h

It’s hard to believe that 4 years on from the fall of Kabul, Afghans who served with UK troops are still waiting to be relocated to safety

Now a painstaking analysis by @lighthousereports.com and partners reveals the extent of the peril they're facing, with 110+ ex-security forces killed since 2023

They fought with Britain and US in Afghanistan – now Taliban is taking its revenge

After the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, Britain pledged sanctuary to Afghans who faced reprisals for working with UK forces – but thousands are still waiting. Now, as Britain drags its heels, we ...

www.independent.co.uk

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Tom Rank @tomrank.bsky.social · 1h

Hwæt?

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 22h

BREAKING: Shabana Mahmood announces that immigrants will have to recite Beowulf in its entirety in Old English, without notes, before being allowed entry to the U.K.

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Tom Rank @tomrank.bsky.social · 1h

Well, that's led me to some eye-opening material!

Reposted by Tom Rank

Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 2h

This letter from the Home Office to the Home Affairs Select Committee confirms how ridiculously expensive putting people seeking asylum in hotels is compared to housing in communities. It costs more than six times as much. And large sites aren't much better committees.parliament.uk/publications...

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Dr Anna Clark @drannaclark.bsky.social · 8h

“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster...For when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, influential German philosopher, born #OTD 1844.
Jenseits von Gut und Böse 1886 | Portrait by Edvard Munch 1906, Thielska Gallery

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Reposted by Tom Rank

The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 7h

Just a point to add to this.

In a Times article mentioning the same issue, it notes about dependents of migrants that:

“At present they do not have to speak any English at all.”

Which isn’t the case - at all.

The tougher language requirement will not apply to family members who come with migrant workers, known as dependants.
Separate changes will require them to learn a standard of English equivalent to GCSE.
At present they do not have to speak any English at all. The government has not said when the changes for dependants will be introduced.

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Yorkshire Bylines @yorkshirebylines.co.uk · 7h

Human rights advocates rally in London to save 17 Iranian political prisoners

Global figures meet in London to defend human rights and urge action to halt Iran’s execution of 17 political prisoners

By Laila Jazayeri

Human rights advocates rally in London to save 17 Iranian political prisoners

Global figures meet in London to defend human rights and urge action to halt Iran’s execution of 17 political prisoners

yorkshirebylines.co.uk

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 5h

The required level is a B1 or B2.

Equivalent to intermediate or upper intermediate English.

I worked as a TEFL teacher many moons ago, and that's most certainly not A level grade English - or at least it wasn't back then.

In its rush to appear tough, this government is losing what friends it had.

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Chris Boyd @paperghost.bsky.social · 17h

a note of caution for people claiming there is no real difference between a B1 test and a B2: there is *quite* a lot added in a full B2 in terms of length and additional tasks to complete. it will almost certainly be more expensive. and they eventually intend to make these changes to family routes

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Tom Rank @tomrank.bsky.social · 16h

I'm actually glad I read both Hardy (mostly novels) and Milton (Paradise Lost I & II, of course) in 6th form - and again at university. But both more acquired tastes nowadays: who has time for an epic simile any more?

Reposted by Tom Rank

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98%! Only 2 in every 100 installations don’t need corrective action. Read it and weep

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98% of homes with external wall insulation installed under the government’s ECO scheme require work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould - our new @nao.org.uk report www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... (full report www.nao.org.uk/reports/ener...)

Thousands of homes with botched eco insulation 'must be fixed'

Insulation programmes costing billions of pounds have led to widespread problems with damp and mould.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Decahedron 🏳️‍🌈 @decahedronx.bsky.social · 20h

Gambling needs to go the way of tobacco, removed from public view.

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Nathan🌹 @nathanwylabour.bsky.social · 19h

Both my parents were the first in their family to go to uni, but the fact my dad has a PhD probably eased my sister's path to medical school, and gave my mum the confidence to start the PhD she's doing now

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 20h

It's always striking seeing other academics talk about their academic parents and be reminded that close to a quarter of all tenure-line academics have at least one PhD parent.

That's not a critique, but I always wonder how different it would be to have a parent who already understood academia.

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Nestor @nes-tor.bsky.social · 20h

New Spanish Royal Decree! Attention!Attention!

"British Citizens residing in Spain are required by His Majesty Felipe VI and the Constitutional Government to pass the DELE C2 Spanish language examination. Non-compliant citizens will face deportation."

The Independent @the-independent.com · 1d

Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Kirsten de Vos 🚶🏻‍♀️💚🚲🍃 @kirstendevos.bsky.social · 1d

🔥 Domestic wood burning is becoming a serious public health issue

Residential wood burning now contributes 11% of the UK’s PM2.5 emissions - tiny particles that can harm lungs, brain & heart

See how your area is affected with this interactive map from UCL:

storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9231...

Where are the wood burners in England and Wales?

Mapping the distribution of wood fuel heat sources using Energy Performance Certificates

storymaps.arcgis.com

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Stan Carey @stancarey.bsky.social · 19h

I wouldn't recommend lowercasing E.E. Cummings's name, btw, since it wasn't his preference web.archive.org/web/20110728...

decapitalization of E. E. Cummings

web.archive.org

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 20h

I'm an advanced and native English speaker, I write for a living. I got one of these wrong (number 4 can jump in a lake) bsky.app/profile/otto...

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 21h

This is the cloze test - part of the C2 Proficiency exam required of some foreign language learners who want to work/study here.

It's TOUGH. You have to put one word in the gaps.

Link to test itself
www.flo-joe.co.uk/cpe/students...

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 18h

The serious point here is that Britain is in desperate need of migrants, and any attempt to actively dissuade them from coming directly harms both society and the economy.

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Reposted by Tom Rank

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 18h

Tbf mass lead poisoning of young men might explain *quite a lot* of what’s been happening in recent years.

paris martineau @paris.nyc · 21h

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

www.consumerreports.org

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Reposted by Tom Rank

paris martineau @paris.nyc · 21h

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

www.consumerreports.org

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Geoff Barton @realgeoffbarton.bsky.social · 18h

"This volume lets us see Heaney’s work, whose ripples we are still learning to navigate, for the colossal achievement it is, and reminds us that Heaney is not only a keeper but an enricher of the word-hoard": the definitive new Heaney poetry collection: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

The Poems of Seamus Heaney review – collected works reveal his colossal achievement

The complete works, including previously unpublished poems and expert notes, are brought together in one volume for the first time

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Bo Jacobs Strom @bojs.bsky.social · 21h

Headlines going to the English requirements but I'd completely missed this part of the plans, yet another act of idiotic self harm. Completely incompatible with the government's stated aims on housebuilding, growth, etc.

The immigration skills charge is being raised by 32%

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Reposted by Tom Rank

Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 22h

I actually really like a lot of the poetry! I should have been more precise. (I have a soft spot for "Under The Greenwood Tree," because it's short and funny and generally not very like most of Hardy's prose...

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Tom Rank @tomrank.bsky.social · 22h

Try some of his poetry? (But perhaps not Dynasts)

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