Ruth Watson

What is with this weird mangling of language by MAGA? Why are soldiers now 'war-fighters'? Is it some small dick energy need to make the military sound even more macho? Is it the mark of a weak man psychologically trying to project strength? Whenever I hear such distortions I know some shit is afoot

Israel opens one Gaza crossing for humanitarian aid after U.S. pressure A Senior Adviser to U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff Urged Netanyahu to Reopen the Kerem Shalom Crossing After It Was Closed at the Start of the Iran War. Other Crossings Remain Shut, and Food Shortages Are E...

Steve Witkoff urged Netanyahu to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing after it was closed at the start of the Iran war. Other crossings remain shut, and food shortages are emerging as Gaza slips from global attention

www.haaretz.com/gaza/2026-03...

Pitlochry locals ‘excited’ to star in new Burns-inspired film featuring Game of Thrones star Alan Cumming is the Executive Producer of Caterhaugh which is being filmed in Pitlochry this week.

Alan Cumming is the Executive Producer of Caterhaugh which is being filmed in Pitlochry this week.

Mali 🇲🇱 is set to ship mangoes to Morocco 🇲🇦 after the European Union imposed restrictions on Malian exports.

The decision follows last season, when several shipments were blocked at EU borders due to high levels of fruit flies.

But what about international law – continued. 4th March 2026 * Hello and welcome to The Empty City blog, the new name of which is explained here. * From time-to-time this law and policy blog touches upon international law.  The last time a pos…

But what about international law – continued.

A new post at The Empty City on how Western one-sidedness in what they openly condemn as a breach of international law is neither coherent nor compelling

Personal blog: theemptycity.com/blog/2026/03...

Substack: emptycity.substack.com/p/but-what-a...

I love how Ipsos show the margin of error on their charts. Should be industry standard!

Rare Canadian rainforest at risk from logging | The Narwhal Two forestry companies hold licences to log in B.C.’s rare rainforest, home to ancient trees, endangered caribou and rare lichens. Could a provincial park preserve the region?

Rare Canadian rainforest at risk from logging | The Narwhal share.google/dqeQ82vHqRbm...

I have just held a call with President Pedro Sánchez to express the EU’s full solidarity with Spain.

The EU will always ensure that the interests of its Member States are fully protected.

Brussels says its ‘Made in Europe’ act is ready for prime time. Here’s why it isn’t. With its credibility on the line, the European Commission has decided to launch a green industry bill that is nowhere near ready, rather than face another humiliating delay.

Europe finally gets its own 'Made in Europe' - and it's about time.
I spoke @politico.eu about the Industrial Accelerator Act. Pushback on ambition is real: "A lot of it comes from DG TRADE. They don't like this Made in EU approach and fear trade repercussions." 1/2
www.politico.eu/article/brus...

Oh, most sanctified of days.

A long-running dispute which has caused my jaw to hit the ground every time I thought about it... for DECADES.

I mean, how*? Just how* was this possible?

*rhetorical. I know how. I made a programme about it way back in the 1990s.

But HOW?!!!

The 'Swiss model' - a special relationship to the European Union - UK in a changing Europe Astrid Epiney explains how the agreements that underpin Switzerland's relationship with the European Union work, as well as the advantages and tradeoffs.

🇨🇭"The relationship between Switzerland and the EU is a very special one. It has not emerged overnight but is the result of more than 50 years of pragmatic cooperation"

✍️Astrid Epiney explains how the agreements that underpin Switzerland’s relationship with the EU work

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-swiss-mo...

Genuine ripples of excitement and being on best behaviour.

Image from Twitter

Kids today will never understand the euphoria of seeing one of these being rolled into class.

You know things are bad when Piers Morgan is on the right side of history.

EU says 'ready' to defend interests after Trump threatens Spain Donald Trump said that he would 'cut off all trade with Spain' because the country refused to allow US use of its bases to attack Iran. 'We will continue to advocate for stable, predictable and mutually beneficial transatlantic trade relations for the benefit of all,' a European Commission spokesman said.

EU says 'ready' to defend interests after Trump threatens Spain

Daniel Radcliffe refusing to wear Alyssa Liu's gold medal because it feels like "stolen valour" is the most Daniel Radcliffe thing that Daniel Radcliffe has ever done. What a superstar.

(Found via threads, original source unclear - but thank you!)

Ce signe, utilisé dans les langues bretonne et basque, est officiellement interdit à l’état civil en France.→https://l.lefigaro.fr/zrpm

Analyst says interest in Epstein files plummeted after war on Iran launched Republican US Congressman Thomas Massie has said the war 'won't make the Epstein files go away'.

Republican US Congressman Thomas Massie has said the war 'won't make the Epstein files go away'.

Ocean heating and overfishing need to be tackled together | Letter Letters: Fish populations are tied directly to food security, coastal livelihoods and ecosystem stability, writes Saad Kassis-Mohamed of the WeCare Foundation

🌡️🎣 "Govts should not point to isolated rebounds [of fish populations] as evidence of success while ignoring the cumulative warming trend beneath them. A temporary rise is not recovery. In some cases, it may be what masks deeper collapse." 🔽
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Scientific American has updated the figure, now grouped into swimmers, fliers, walkers/runners, and vehicles. A person on a bicycle remains the most efficient way to travel, compared to all forms of biological locomotion and mechanical transport.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-hu...

Rare Roman altars acquired for the nation will go on display in the autumn | National Museums Scotland News Two spectacular stone altars from a Roman fort near Edinburgh have been acquired for the National Collection ahead of a major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland. The rare carvings are among...

This will be interesting to see
media.nms.ac.uk/news/rare-ro...
#history
#archaeology
#scotland
#romans
#edinburgh

Ding-dong! The Dutch Fish Doorbell needs you to help migrating fish A Dutch lock is closed for the spring, and its employees want you to tell them when migrating fish come knocking by ringing a digital doorbell

"Nijs says being able to ring the doorbell fills people with a “positive feeling,” and many people have told her about the calming effects of watching the canal’s fish. But the biggest benefit has been for the fish themselves."

This looks important
#Fascism is gaining ground, funded by billionaires, media moguls, and grubby opportunists,

Supported by the immiserated and the fearful.

All of who parade in performative poppies, when their ideologies led the the wars our fathers fought.

Text on image discussing the Dublin Agreement and its implications before and after Brexit. It explains how the agreement allowed the UK to return asylum seekers to other EU countries where they first claimed asylum and notes the changes in policy following Brexit, emphasizing the lack of automatic rights to return individuals. The text concludes with a warning about misconceptions regarding stopping boat crossings.

THIS, once more.

Les pauvres ont de grandes télévisions, les riches de grandes bibliothèques.

- Jim Rohn

Egypt faces more economic jolts as US-Israel war on Iran drags The Egyptian stock exchange suffered direct impacts from the war on the first day of trading on Sunday, with shares sustaining massive losses across the board.

The Egyptian stock exchange suffered direct impacts from the war on the first day of trading on Sunday, with shares sustaining massive losses across the board:

And many enablers.

IRGC Destroys Second US THAAD System in Gulf, Wipes Out UAE Radar and $1.1 Billion Qatar Early Warning Shield — Iran Declares Missile Dominance - Defence Security Asia IRGC precision strikes reportedly destroy a second US THAAD system, its UAE radar, and Qatar’s $1.1 billion early warning system, exposing fractures in America’s Gulf missile defence architecture and ...

so Iran has apparently knocked out and destroyed / disabled to some extent two U.S. THAAD batteries

This is a massive deal. Aside from the expense, this is not a weapon system we just have a ton of lying around. You don't replace these easily.

defencesecurityasia.com/en/irgc-dest...