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Reposted by Austen

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 39m

What is often ignored in analysis of channel crossings is the correlation between harsher border policies and increased risks. Use of larger, more unstable, boats directly contributing to greater loss of life, for example correlates with the ban on selling smaller more stable boats in Calais. 1/

Emergency call logs to French aid workers lay bare the risks taken every day by those trying to reach Britain. As more and more migrants crowd on to each boat, we chart:

Chaos in the Channel

Emma Yeomans

Tuesday October 14 2025, The Times

This is one of more than 1,000 distress calls from migrants on small boats, to aid workers in France, which underline the risks being taken in the Channel:

By 2022, when our data begins, the average number of people per boat had grown to between 20 and 40.

As the boats became increasingly overloaded, the risks grew. In December that year a boat with 47 people on board collapsed in the middle of the Channel.

The National Crime Agency's senior investigating officer, Kate Philpott, said that the quality of the boats had reduced, putting migrants at increased risk. After Rahimpur's conviction, she described "individuals really crammed on to these boats with bigger risks, going on to the boats without actual lifejackets”.

She added: "The worst conditions I have seen are 80 people on a boat which was so low in the water that it looked like a raft.

The majority of people had no lifesaving equipment. A couple of people had rubber rings and some insides from tyres."

France bans sale of inflatable boats from Channel ports in bid to stop migrant crossings

8 Sep 2021, 06:46 |

A group of migrants are brought ashore from the Dungeness lifeboat in Dungeness, Kent, after being picked-up following a small boat incident in the Channel. Picture: PA

By EJ Ward

@EJWardNews

France has been forced to ban the sale of inflatable dinghies from Channel towns in a bid to try to end a surge in migrant crossings.

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 14m

Good morning Ian.
Happy Tuesday.

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Reposted by Austen

Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 1d

My cartoon for this week’s @newscientist.com

A comic strip in six panels. The panels inerlock like a jigsaw with knobs and sockets. Two stick figures walk right to left through all the panels.

Panel 1: Person 1 says "I hear you're working on a new theory."
Panel 2 & 3: Person 2 says: "Yes, I'm calling it the jigsaw model. I think it could change our whole View of reality."
Panel 4: Person 1 says "When Will you publish?:
Panel 5: Person 2 says "But a couple of things are still bothering me." (this piece/panel is a bit squint)
Panel 6: This piece is rotated ninety degees and fits to the others very badly. Person 2 is saying "Soon. I feel like I'm really close"
A second look at the whole comic shows that the last two panels read in the wrong order because the jigsaw has been put together incorrectly.

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Reposted by Austen

EveryDoctor @everydoctor.org.uk · 19h

🚨 NEW RESEARCH: 69 NHS trusts owe £21.1bn to private companies.

That’s money that should fund doctors, nurses + patient care. Together, we can hold politicians accountable + demand better.

💙 Get involved today: bit.ly/SignEDNHSCha...
📖 Read findings: everydoctor.org.uk/nhs-trusts-t...

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Reposted by Austen

Barry Deutsch @barrydeutsch.bsky.social · Jun 17

He's Back - Get Him!

Read more cartoons! ---> #PoliCartoon
Help us make more! ----> patreon.com/barry

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels. The first three take place on a city sidwalk.

PANEL 1

Jesus Christ, a smile on his face and a glowing halo over his head, is talking to a man wearing an ICE jacket. The ICE agent is talking into his phone.

JESUS: Yes, it's me, Jesus Christ! I've come back to--

ICE AGENT (thought balloon): ✓ Foreign accent. ✓ Brown skin. ✓ Doesn't look rich.

ICE AGENT (aloud): Guys, I think I got one!

PANEL 2

Two more ICE agents, big men wearing black masks that cover their whole faces other than their eyes, have rushed in and are shoving Jesus (now wearing handcuffs) to the sidewalk.

MASK DUDE: He looks mid-eastern to me.

JESUS: But I-- OW!

ICE AGENT: No talking back, terrorist!

PANEL 3

A cartoon dust cloud, from which raised fists and clubs emerge, indicates a beat down going on.

JESUS: I'm only here to--

MASK DUDE: He's resisting!

ICE AGENT: Get him!

PANEL 4

The Ice Agent, hands on hips, is grinning as he chats with Kristi Noem (Trump's Homeland Security secretary). In the background is a cell full of prisoners, shirtless and with their heads shaved. One of the prisoners is Jesus, covered with bruises, looking very irritated.

NOEM: We really are doing God's work here.

ICE AGENT: Heck yeah!

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Reposted by Austen

Jan McVicker @jmcvicker.bsky.social · 3d

Ned Blackhawk - How Native Nations Shaped the Revolution
The Founders were inspired—and threatened—by the independence and self-governance of nations like the Iroquois Confederacy.
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

How Native Nations Shaped the Revolution

The Founders were inspired—and threatened—by the independence and self-governance of nations like the Iroquois Confederacy.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Austen

Kathy Love @kathylove.bsky.social · 10h

This os a clear analysis, well worth reading

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

"There is, however, one big difference between Trump’s trade policy and China’s. Namely, the Chinese appear to know what they’re doing."

How Trump Is Making China Great

Why we’re going to lose the trade war, and much more besides

paulkrugman.substack.com

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 9h

Not if it involves razing Ukrainian cities and massacring its people.

Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 9h

I wish you would just ignore or block him in all his guises. I get sick of my timeline being full of your mutual obsession. It's very frustrating because I am very interested in your other contributions.

Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 9h

And you have a warped view of history. Muted.

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Reposted by Austen

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 10h

Elon Musk is paying Tommy Robinson's legal bills.

The British media and political establishment is still on X and maybe this is the wake up call they need.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Tommy Robinson says Elon Musk is paying his legal costs as trial begins

Far-right activist is accused of refusing to comply with counter-terrorism police request at Channel tunnel

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Austen

Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 22h

So it now appears the woman Farage and Gill were so close to has a direct link not only to Putin’s “Man in Ukraine” Medvedchuk, but his predecessor as President, Medvedev

These are top Russian agents.

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 9h

I'm always suspicious of a blank profile

Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 11h

That is an interesting definition of positive

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Reposted by Austen

Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 15h

ICE agents blocked an ambulance that was trying to take an injured protester to hospital.

"We are still not being allowed to leave by ICE officers.” an EMT said on radio

When driver tried to get out, an agent yelled, "DON’T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN, I WILL SHOOT YOU"

www.wweek.com/news/2025/10...

Documents Allege a Federal Agent at Portland ICE Threatened to Shoot an Ambulance Driver

Feds delayed medics who had come to pick up an injured protester. Then, according to confidential incident reports, the agents became aggressive.

www.wweek.com

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Reposted by Austen

ChristianG @mryeswecan.bsky.social · 13h

Let's keep talking about Farage and Reform, oh, and Russia.

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Reposted by Austen

legalclaret @legalclaret.bsky.social · 3d

Pretty sure we will see a US version of the Nobel Prize launched shortly, followed by various commentators intend on discrediting the original. I am also reasonably convinced we can predict the first winner.

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Reposted by Austen

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 14h

Kudos to ⁦‪@mehdirhasan‬⁩.

Not only did he invite me on his show in 2018 to talk about my investigation into Farage’s funders (no UK channel ever did).

But he also asked a former colleague of Nathan Gill’s in the EU parliament whether UKIP had ever taken Russian bribes 🔥

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Reposted by Austen

Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 16h

BBC News reporting on Israel deliberating destroying Gaza infrastructure

Including a waste water treatment plant just before the ceasefire was announced, which legal experts say may be a war crime

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 13h

Your posts are generally negative which may be a reason.

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Reposted by Austen

Chernobyldaytripper @kitzkatz2.bsky.social · 1d

Unbelievable!!! Actually, no it isn't.

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Reposted by Austen

The Canary @thecanaryuk.bsky.social · 1d

The Labour government's favourite Digital ID scheme was hacked

People are worried the government's Digital ID scheme will open Britons up to increased security risks.

Given what happened in Estonia, we should be.
www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2025...

The Labour government's favourite Digital ID scheme was hacked

People are worried the government's Digital ID scheme will open Britons up to increased security risks - as Estonia just showed

www.thecanary.co

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 13h

Somehow I missed that one.

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 14h

That's a very roundabout way to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day.

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Austen @austenpaulh.bsky.social · 14h

There are many things to admire about Scotland and that's one of them.