Phones to be banned in schools by law in England under government plans Education minister Jacqui Smith said the move would create

I suspect the government is going to get another crash course in the law of unintended consequences when pushing through overly restrictive knee-jerk policies without properly considering implications, especially, but not limited to, students with higher support needs.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

No 10 signals Starmer accepts he inadvertently misled parliament over Mandelson vetting – UK politics live Downing Street spokesperson says PM ‘would never knowingly mislead parliament or the public’

Politics live - @moreincommonuk.bsky.social MRP poll suggests near tie between pro-independence and pro-UK parties in the Holyrood election on 7 May, with SNP and Scottish Greens one seat short of a pro-independence majority - @severincarrell.bsky.social reports

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

How Reform is exposing the reality of Scotland’s views on immigration and identity Once a progressive outlier, Scotland is facing a political reckoning as Reform benefits from growing social division

Holyrood elections: how Reform is exposing the reality of Scotland’s views on immigration and identity

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

How Reform is exposing the reality of Scotland’s views on immigration and identity Once a progressive outlier, Scotland is facing a political reckoning as Reform benefits from growing social division

“It’s not as simple as whether Scotland is welcoming or not; the difference is in the visibility of racism”

How the rise of Reform is challenging assumptions about progressive Scotland

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

today is the right day for water fowl memes

A swan's arse in the air

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the river.

A large white waterfowl with orange feet stands in front of a door. On the door is a cardboard sign secured with tape that reads, "DO NOT LET THE DUCK IN." Adding insult to injury, I think the duck might be a goose.

Whatever you do,

A Super-duper El Niño lurks below the Equatorial Pacific Ocean surface, with a large section of the ocean showing a temperature anomaly of >5°C.

Wait for it:

MAGA Indians Went All In on Trump. Many Right-Wingers Can’t Stand Them South Asians are a powerful, visible minority in the Trump administration. They’re also facing a racist backlash, fueled in part by the white nationalist Groyper movement.

As a desi, I’m fascinated by the Indians who caped hard for Trump. Many of them seem to have felt insulated by their wealth and success—the “model minority”—only to now realize that a lot of MAGA hates them. @ashwinrodrigues.com reports: www.wired.com/story/maga-i...

that little library cat again

#Haymarket #Edinburgh

actually Sam there are many issues & problems buried in Swinney’s omnibus stance on energy prices - pump prices, fuel oil, electricity markets, North Sea oil and gas output.

I know my job and providing Swinney with an exhaustive list with just one bite at it allows more obfuscation, not clarity

Also, with the Scottish Greens getting nearly 5% in a constituency they're not standing in....

That Strathkelvin and Bearsden "projection" is wild. It's not totally implausible that Reform would do well in a relatively unionist seat with broadly older demographic, but the idea of it coming on the back of a drop in SNP vote from 46% to 13% is truly insane.

Process to Refund Tariffs to Begin Next Week A trade court judge said the government confirmed it is on track to start processing claims for refunds of Trump’s tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court.

The Trump administration is expected to start accepting claims next week for refunds from the tariffs President Trump collected illegally www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Longtime Immigration Court Interpreter Arrested by ICE at South Texas Airport The state’s only licensed Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu legal interpreter is now languishing in a Raymondville detention center. She’s lived in America for 35 years.

Texas' only licensed Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu legal interpreter is now languishing in a Raymondville detention center. She’s lived in America for 35 years: www.texasobserver.org/immigration-...

FT reporting that 1 in 10 BBC jobs to be cut. #BBCWorldAtOne

Credit to Fraser Nelson, he has followed through on his tweet and continues to criticise Farage about this.

Scottish Labour leader calls claim he tried to do Reform deal a ‘desperate lie’ Anas Sarwar says there have been ‘no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact with Reform’

Anas Sarwar says ‘no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact with Reform’ after Offord bombshell allegation - me with @libbybrooks.bsky.social #Holyrood26 👇🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🗳️

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Train tickets to MetLife Stadium from NYC set to cost more than $100 during World Cup A return ticket via NJ Transit for the 18-mile journey from New York Pennsylvania Station ordinarily costs $12.90.

From @theathleticfc.bsky.social: New Jersey Transit is currently planning to charge more than $100 for return rail tickets from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium for FIFA World Cup games.

The 18-mile rail journey ordinarily costs $12.90 for a return ticket. nyti.ms/4tRnBV8

Scottish Greens pledge free bus travel and basic income in election manifesto Party says plan for ‘radical change’ will be funded in part through higher taxes on aviation, gambling and landlords

Greens have called for free bus travel, thousands of extra teachers and doctors and a universal basic income among hundreds of uncosted manifesto pledges - costings "a misleading" concept, says Ross Greer
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

free books
chill cat

European airports face jet fuel shortages within three weeks.

ACI Europe, which represents EU airports, said jet fuel reserves were running low, while “the impact of military activity on demand” was further straining supplies.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Protracted Hormuz crisis could trigger agrifood catastrophe, UN food agency says A prolonged crisis in ​the Strait of ‌Hormuz could trigger a global agrifood ​catastrophe by disrupting ​fertiliser and energy exports, ⁠driving up ​food prices and ​squeezing crop yields, the U.N. Food and Agriculture ​Organization said ​on Monday.

Protracted Hormuz crisis could trigger agrifood catastrophe, UN food agency says reut.rs/47V2XuK

Orbán’s defeat holds lessons for US: ‘Autocrats may rise, but are not invincible’

Stunning loss of rightwing populist in Hungary carries symbolic and psychological significance for US politics

Trump deletes post depicting him as Jesus-like figure after backlash from allies US president circulated image of himself as Christ-like figure shortly after lashing out at Pope Leo

Trump deletes post depicting him as Jesus-like figure after backlash from allies ft.trib.al/5nz6Vjz

Nigel Farage defends Richard Tice over allegations his firm broke law by failing to pay tax – UK politics live Reform UK leader says ‘he is statisfied’ with his deputy after he was accused of failing to pay tax

When Rayner runs into stamp duty trouble Tice says her position is ‘morally indefensible’. When he’s caught out it’s a mere ‘technicality’… www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

MUKIEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEE!!!! ✊

BACK-TO-BACK WINS! ❤️‍🔥

Absochutely - the Artemis II crew float gently back to Earth in their reentry capsule thanks to cutting edge technology designed and made in Scotland - three massive Tunnock's teacakes. In their iconic silver and red striped wrappers.

Absochutely

Fergus Loudon, sales director at Tunnock's, based in Uddingston, near Glasgow, said: "If we really are talking about the people who fly our supersonic jet fighter bombers, then I'm inclined to think that Tunnock's Tea Cakes wouldn't be the highest thing on their list of worries."