Sophie 🇦🇺🇺🇦

So I started looking into this to outline the conspiracy theory. But what I found was a genuinely beautiful piece of practical idealism. A small, attainable progressive change that would hugely improve people's lives. I was inspired by it.

💥🗳️ Bombshell poll in Hungary: 55–35 lead for Péter Magyar’s TISZA over Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP – enough for a supermajority in parliament.

The survey was conducted by Medián, widely seen as the country’s most reliable pollster, for @hvghu.bsky.social.

Fieldwork: Feb 18–23, 1,000 respondents.

Washington warns Ukraine over striking US economic interests in Russia Kyiv’s ambassador to Washington asserts state department complained after strike on Russian port in November

The Trump admin formally warned Ukraine not to strike targets within Russia that could hit US economic interests, according to Kyiv’s ambassador in DC.

Meanwhile, the Trump admin has barely said anything about Russia’s many more strikes on US businesses in Ukraine.
w/ @a-mackinnon.bsky.social

Police drop investigation of bar they closed down in raid Seven anti-fascism posters to be returned to Dissent bar

ACT police drop raid into Dissent Bar in #Canberra...

What an absolute Cluster this whole thing has been!!

www.canberratimes.com.au/story/918317...

Reporter: “What kind of person has this war made you?”

Zelenskyy: “A person without friends. No. With partners, big partners. But you understood what I meant.

“I don’t have time for friends and for friendship. I don’t know… older. Wiser.

“I have pluses also and minuses, like everybody.”

Or maybe, making sure people can afford housing, health care and basic necessities, are able to form community by not having to constantly move and are ensured financial security in one of the richest countries on earth might do it? How’s leaning right going for UK Labour? 🫠🫠🫠

The rumours about Turkey making plans to send troops into Western Iran in case of an American intervention are extremely worrying.

Don't believe anything the Turkish government says about "stabilising the area". This is about going after the Iranian Kurds.

Page 1 ad in Haaretz today: Settler pogroms against Palestinians in WBank are war crimes. Prime minister responsible for not stopping them. Orders to army officers to allow these actions are illegally & must be refused.
Among those signing: Former Likud justice ministers Dan Meridor & Meir Shitreet

The defining face of the first day of the full-scale invasion is Ukrainian marine Vitalii Skakun.

He heroically sacrificed his life by blowing up a bridge in Henichesk to slow the advancing Russian columns.

middle-aged men are unbeatable at dressing up adventures as important charitable initiatives

United States abstains in UN vote on support for peace in Ukraine. Fascist Russia voted against.
The US objected to text in the resolution on the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the need to achieve a just peace.

Under Trump, the US has fallen so very far, so very fast.

Australia loves you Ukraine, thank you for your bravery!!!
🇦🇺❤️ 🇺🇦

Interesting reply from a Russian on YouTube

Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, Prime Ministers and Ministers of Croatia, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, President of Finland have arrived in Kyiv today.

Thank you for standing with Ukraine!

Screenshot from The Guardian Australia live news feed: Albanese takes a swipe at David Pocock Anthony Albanese has taken a swipe at the ACT senator David Pocock describing him as someone who "seeks to promote grievance" in similar language he's used for Pauline Hanson. Live on Karl Stefanovic's podcast from the Lodge, Albanese was asked why the average person pays more in tax to have a beer than mining companies get taxed "bleeding our resources dry" - a point Pocock has apparently raised. The prime minister didn't hold his tongue when he spoke about the independent progressive senator's criticisms: "I think David Pocock is someone who seeks to promote grievance as well." Stefanovic joked not to get on the wrong side of the former Wallabies captain, to which Albanese responded: "I'm sure he will cherrypick accordingly.'

Albo thinks David Pocock like Pauline Hanson in that he 'seeks to promote grievances'? Fuck off!

Almost every day now Albo somehow manages to find a new way to show how out of touch he is.

#auspol

Binance Employees Find $1.7 Billion in Crypto Was Sent to Iranian Entities

Not very subtle attempt by @nytimes.com to try and promote war with Iran with vague and obtuse reporting like this. TL:DR it presents any use of Binance by persons in Iran as a threat to US nat sec & makes claims about Iran entities “linked” to terrorism /n www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/t...

sometimes i throw batteries into the sea because i think they might like a swim :)

What could go wrong with dumb and dumber in charge?

Young Americans increasingly likely to view Hamas as 'resistance,' not terrorists Polling hints at growing sympathy — but also misses important complexities of views on the militant group that controls Gaza

The full article gets into a lot more about how this dynamic came to emerge and what it means 👇

forward.com/news/806926/...

Ahmed Foud Alkhatib, perhaps the most prominent Palestinian critic of Hamas in the U.S., said that even he has been attacked by pro-Israel activists when he strays from critiquing Hamas to talk about far-right Israeli actions.

In public opinion polls, Hamas generally receives less than majority support among Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank — even as many outside the region view it as the most legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

Still, the trend of growing support for Hamas has alarmed some Palestinian analysts like Sayegh who are glad to see uncritical support for Israel crumbling but worry that Hamas is reaping the benefits despite its strategic blunders and authoritarian tendencies.

Title: Vetting the ISIS brides. Two frames. 1. Man with clipboard inside entrance of tent talking to woman in full burqa nursing baby with two small kids playing beside on the dirt floor. Man says: “Just a few questions…Are you: bigoted? Lacking compassion? Have you scant regard for due process and the presumption of innocence?” 2. Same scene, man continues: “If ‘yes’ to all those, you satisfy the “Australian values” test as demonstrated by our political class, and we look forward to bringing you home.”

Vetting the brides.
My @smh @theage cartoon.

Bluesky doesn't need an edit burton

Important+interesting story on support for Hamas among Americans under 30. Support is probably an overstatement or not quite the right term, but certainly willingness to excuse/deflect.

SOLCHLD - black and white image of a woman in a soft cloth turban holding a large knife in her right hand whilst cradling an unevenly shaped glazed dish in her left.

Indigenous artists across are reclaiming spaces and narratives through music and song. Vanessa Morris (Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wiradjuri) delivers her guide

First Nations Music in So-Called Australia, by Vanessa Morris

buff.ly/dxvLgKh

Tomorrow everyone will be asking: when will the Russo-Ukrainian war end? The right question is: what can we do to make the Russian invasion fail?

Old newspaper cutting: NOISY, HUNGRY FROGS SADDEN FARMER'S LIFE They Scare His Cattle and They Also Eat His Flannel Shirt.

Morning Bluesky.

@loworderprimate.bsky.social

The suggestion that welcoming refugees is worse than the horrors of the Nazi regime is a textbook example of Holocaust minimisation. Political leaders cannot claim to oppose antisemitism while remaining silent in the face of far-right extremism.