"I would've won Vietnam very quickly."

- Donald Trump, Vietnam War Draft Doger
@anntelnaes.bsky.social

If Trump had served in Vietnam he maybe wouldn't have been so keen to put US and other service folk and Iranian civilians in harm's way.
But then again he may not have remembered...

I remember the Vietnam War well. Trump should too — we're the same age.

I was too short to serve and lost good friends in the war. Trump pretended to have bone spurs.

That war was characterized by lies, arrogance, and stupidity.

What's happening in Iran is starting to feel a lot like Vietnam.

While I appreciate this man's dedication to reading ...

Nigel Farage Has Personally Accepted £675,000 from Foreign Sources Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has accepted more than half a million pounds from foreign companies, governments, and donors while serving as an MP, DeSmog can reveal. Since July 2024, when he was elect...

“Farage rarely turns up to do his actual job. Yet he finds time to jet off around the world on his donor’s private plane and trouser half a million quid while families struggle. Reform are not on your side. They’re just in it for themselves”

It’s so obvious, it hurts.
www.desmog.com/2026/04/18/n...

BREAKING: McSweeney’s think tank paid PR firm to investigate journalists Labour Together put private investigators onto journalists writing about its funding. Starmer's right-hand man knew.

Speaking in the Commons in the debate on Mandelson, @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social has just called for an independent inquiry into Labour Together over hiring lobbyists to investigate and smear journalists

Here's the original story we published in Feb democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

Tap

Finland to introduce first cross-border rail line to Sweden this summer The new connection will mark the first time Finland’s trains have run outside the country since 2022

Finland to introduce cross-border rail line to Sweden this summer (Independent) travel.yahoo.com/news/article...

Cover image: THE EDINBURGH COMPANION TO ALASDAIR GRAY AND THE ARTS Edited by Marie-Odile Pittin-Hedon, Camille Manfredi and Kirsten Stirling Cover image: Part of Alasdair Gray’s ceiling mural in the Òran Mór, Glasgow. A series of gothic arches come together to form a half-dome. The ribs are plainted black, with gold letters, reading WHERE ARE WE FROM? WHAT ARE WE? WHERE ARE WE GOING? Life is Rooted in Death's Republic Animals Who Want More Than We Need Our Seed Returns To Death's Republic Within the frames, against a deep blue background spangled with stars, are vividly coloured images of men, women, children, winged horses, and other fantastic visions.

Coming May 2026:
The Edinburgh Companion to Alasdair Gray & the Arts
Ed. Marie-Odile Pittin-Hedon, Camille Manfredi, Kirsten Stirling

Interrogating Alasdair Gray’s literary & visual artistic practice & exploring relationships between these forms
edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-the-edi...

Wednesday's GUARDIAN: Iran conflict could spark recession with Britain hit hardest in G7 - IMF
#TomorrowsPapersToday

SNP pledge £3 million for new Scotland-Europe ferry

The SNP have pledged £3 million in investment towards a new ferry route between Scotland and Europe

Take Four Books - Jenni Fagan - BBC Sounds On her newest novel, The Delusions, and the three literary works that helped shape it.

On BBC Sounds: Jenni Fagan discusses her new novel, THE DELUSIONS, in which she takes readers to the afterlife – or, at least, to its waiting room. Her chosen influences are Nina Cassian’s poem “Temptation”, Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, & Jeanette Winterson’s WEIGHT
💙📚
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Greenland appoints former PM Egede as foreign minister (🔒) www.reuters.com/world/europe...

Labour can’t be trusted not to do a deal with Reform I don’t usually pay too much attention to leaders’ debates in the run up to elections. They are invariably too shouty with the leaders vying to talk over the top of each other. Anas Sar…

My latest blog piece. With the revelation from Malcolm Offord that Sarwar approached him suggesting Labour and Reform work together, it's now clear, Labour cannot be trusted to keep out Reform.

weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/l...

Never thought I would say this.
A Herald article exposing the autocracy and anti-democratic instincts of the UK Unionist establishment.
Superb article by Neil McKay (have I actually said that? Surprisingly, yes!
archive.ph/9NJSH

Labour MSP hopeful mocked over 'embarrassing' Scottish elections blunder

A Labour MSP hopeful has been mocked over an 'embarrassing' Scottish elections blunder

Tucker Carlson clashes with BBC host over UK Government's Palestine Action ban

The conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson has clashed with a BBC host over the proscription of Palestine Action as he criticised the UK Government’s attempts to curb criticism of Israel

Yuri Gagarin #OnThisDay On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin in Vostok 1 completed one orbit of Earth. He was the first person to travel into Space in a flight which took 108 minutes. Yuri Gagarin was a pilot with the  Soviet Ai…

Happy Yuri Gagarin Day! 🚀🧑🏼‍🚀
theorkneynews.scot/2026/04/12/y...

What are seed libraries? In Los Angeles, a new crop of curbside libraries are helping communities recover after last year’s wildfires. But instead of books, these libraries are full of seeds

What are seed libraries? -- In Los Angeles, a new crop of curbside libraries are helping communities recover after last year’s wildfires. But instead of books, these libraries are full of seeds.
www.oceanstatemedia.org/news-and-cul...

Interesting.
At least the Pope and I are left on Twitter... and ~275m others 😱

Yes, but here is still tiny, and with pleasing but predictable content. I just asked GPT: “Tabulate current active users of X, BS, Mastadon & Threads.” It accords with what other platforms say. Fairly niche.

suddenly spring –
my heart and the river
full to bursting

—Alan Spence, “suddenly spring”
published in CLEAR LIGHT, @canongate.co.uk 2012
#Spring #poem #poetry #haiku
canongate.co.uk/books/94-cle...

SNP pledges 'first refusal' for tenants to buy private rental homes John Swinney says it would help renters get on the housing ladder but other parties say the SNP is to blame for the housing emergency.

First refusal at a “fair market price” basically brings land reform down to the individual level. That’s radical.
Yes, it may reduce the supply of rented property because it curtails landlordism. But those houses won’t stay empty, they’ll sell cheaper.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Great to see @johnswinney.bsky.social and @alasdairallanmsp.bsky.social today in Stornoway, Na h-Eileanan an Iar.
John brought excellent polling news with him to The Western Isles.
Nothing taken for granted though with four weeks and a day to go until Scotland decides.
#HR2026

First Minister John Swinney set for public meeting in Stornoway, Na h-Eileanan an Iar.
#HR2026
hebrides-news.com/first-minist...

I agree with Pope Leo...😱

Make sure you are registered to vote. People fought for the right to vote - let’s use that democratic right.

IN CONVERSATION:
An Evening with @johnswinney.bsky.social @alasdairallanmsp.bsky.social
and hosted by Frances Murray.
Caladh Inn, Stornoway, Na h-Eileanan an Iar.
Wed Apr 8th, 7pm to 8:30pm
An evening of engaging conversation, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
Failte dhuibh uile.
#HR2026