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Maurice

@jointhecoo.bsky.social
237 followers 206 following 130 posts

In the end, we’re all commoners, and on the one common. All my own personal ramblings.

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Reposted by Maurice
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
When historians reflect on this regime, cruelty will be the word most often used to define it. www.commondreams.org/news/trump-dep…
commondreams.org
'Monstrous' US Deportation Hearings for Children Who 'Have No One' Shock Consciences | Common Dreams
Children as young as 3 facing deportation orders without legal representation in immigration court hearings. How can we
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Dirk Moses @dirkmoses.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Regarding the #Naza film and debate about war crimes vs genocide, the debate has been underway for a while, based on the documentary makers research, I published this in July 2025 link.springer.com/article/10.1... People are beginning to understand the illusion of the war/genocide distinction.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The rich would prefer you to believe that the "free market" is subject to the immutable law of supply and demand. But for years, the wealthy and powerful have manipulated the market for their own gain. There is nothing “free” about it. Watch.
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Paula Kuokkanen @paulakuokkanen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
“The estimate of the total amount of rubble in Gaza is 61m tonnes. It is [about] 20 times the amount of rubble generated in all wars across the world over the last 18 years,” said Jaco Cilliers, the UN Development Programme’s special representative in Palestine. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
61m tonnes of rubble: Gaza aid workers face delicate task of clearing ruins concealing up to 10,000 bodies
Removal of war debris, in which lives, memories and unexploded Israeli bombs lie buried, is one of largest clearance operations in modern history
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Can we solve America's greatest problems by actually talking to — instead of yelling at — each other? That's one of the central questions of our new film THE WORK IN PROGRESS, in theaters now. www.theworkinprogressfilm.com
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Whitney Curry Wimbish @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The youngest person his pager attack killed was 9-year-old Fatima Abdullah, who had just started 4th grade. The pager was on a table when it went off and she picked it up to take to her dad. It exploded in her face and reports said it covered the room in her blood. She wanted to learn English.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm excited to announce the relaunch of my UC Berkeley class “Wealth and Poverty.” Starting today (and every Monday), you’ll be able to take a new lesson in the course. Join me and Heather Kinlaw Lofthouse for a live “watch-along” of the first class! open.substack.com/live-stream/...
open.substack.com
LIVE NOW: LIVE “Wealth and Poverty” first class watch-a-long!
Robert Reich on Substack
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Netanyahu is a war criminal and his government has committed genocide in Gaza. Why the hell is Trump trying to send him $2.8 billion worth of bombs?
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Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
In the last decade, the IDF prosecuted one (1) soldier for unlawfully killing a Palestinian in the occupied territories. Elor Azaria served 9 months in prison. Today Israel's president, Yitzhak Herzog, pardoned him and expunged his criminal record. A clear message of 100% impunity.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
As former Labour minister Tom Watson joins Palantir, please read this devastating exposé by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social & @lucasamin.bsky.social of how the company, with Peter Mandelson's help, wormed its way into the UK government to sell its dire & dangerous products. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
Peter Geoghegan and Lucas Amin · ‘This looks absolutely rubbish’: Palantir and the NHS
A decade ago Palantir was largely unknown in the UK. It now holds public contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds...
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Maurice @jointhecoo.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The rich pay the right to keep the poor fighting the poorer, rather than combining with them to change the system that keeps the rich rich and the poor poor.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Wages taxed at rates of 20%-45%. Earners also pay national insurance. Capital gains taxed at rates of 18% to 24%. By taxing capital gains at the same rates as wages £12bn to £14bn could be raised. More, if NI charged. Why are workers taxed at higher rates than return on wealth Will the govt act?
leftfootforward.org
Here’s how the chancellor can raise the billions needed to improve the quality of life of millions
Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. Mi...
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
‘More than a third of the $2.8bn raised for the current 2025-26 election cycle comes from the 20 biggest mega-donors, according to an FT analysis’ And guess which industry is all over MAGA/GOP Yep, crypto Can think of £72m reasons why this sounds familiar…. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
US billionaires line up to bankroll Republicans’ election push
Ultra-wealthy overwhelmingly back Donald Trump’s party over Democrats as money floods into midterms race
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Don’t believe the lies. Trump is *not* selling $2.8 billion of bombs for Israel’s genocide. It’s worse. Trump is *giving away* $2.8 billion of bombs for Israel’s genocide. American taxpayers are paying for those bombs.
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Right wing culture war parties like today’s Tories have a strange relationship with wokeness. Vehemently opposed in the moment. Yet intensely proud of its achievements - abolition of slavery, equally before the law, votes for women etc - in retrospect. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
How enslavement became state-backed operation supported by Conservative and Lib Dem forerunners
Tory and Whig MPs were central to funding trafficking of enslaved people and many opposed abolition of the slave trade
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Abilu Tangwa. @abilutangwa.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Almost every child on Earth is now exposed to at least one major climate hazard — heatwaves, floods, droughts, storms, or wildfires. The people who contributed least to the crisis are suffering first and worst. Climate justice isn’t optional. It’s the only path forward.
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Naomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Since it can be hard to believe that political and corporate elites would actively give up on our shared future on this singular planet, we made a short film so folks can hear from the end timers and judge for themselves. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor: the future according to end times fascism
In a new video, Klein and Taylor outline a ominous evolution taking shape on the far right – and how to stay loyal to this planet and each other
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Stephen Baker @stephenbaker.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
If you’re working in UKHE at an institution that doesn’t support time for research and scholarship, then you’re not working in a university. You’re working in a sort of debt processing plant that issues certificates and awards.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 08/09/2026
Commons breathes a sigh of relief as UK finally takes a moral stance of Israeli settlements | John Crace
theguardian.com
Commons breathes a sigh of relief as UK finally takes a moral stance of Israeli settlements | John Crace
Opposition to Miliband’s announcement of sanctions rings hollow – helped by fewer than 10 Tory backbenchers turning up to debate
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Charles Fourier @charlesfourier.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Bill Bryson’s words seem appropriate to post right now
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Kieran Connell @kieranconnell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Important new piece in @mbhjournal.bsky.social by my colleague @jcrangle.bsky.social on the experiences of Black and mixed race Irish immigrants in Britain 👇 academic.oup.com/tcbh/article...
academic.oup.com
‘I felt like I just belonged’: urban multiculture and black Irish migrants in post-war Britain
Abstract. This article reevaluates historians’ understanding of the Irish in post-war Britain from the perspective of a previously unresearched population,
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
We are a broken nation. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians were living and working legally, paying taxes, and contributing. Haiti remains wholly unsafe. But Trump hates Haitians, and the White House wanted videos of Black people in chains, so they stripped them of status and turned on the cameras.
Homeland Security 7
@DHSgov
X.com
Haiti TPS has been TERMINATED.
Those with terminated TPS are in our nation Illegally. They have two options: LEAVE IMMEDIATELY or be DEPORTED.
DHS.GOV/CBРНОМЕ

Underneath is a screenshot of a video showing two Haitian men in chains being led to the aircraft. I didn’t post the video, but it’s vile.
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
🔴 UK politics is bankrolled by the super rich. Andy Burnham promised to restore trust in politics - so why is he is ditching plans to cap mega donors? My latest on why the PM's timidity is bad retail politics *and* bad for British democracy democracyforsale.substack.com/p/burnham-is...
democracyforsale.substack.com
Burnham is failing his first big test as PM
The prime minister has the chance to end the power of the super-rich in British politics – he’s not taking it
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Maurice @jointhecoo.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Mesmerising!
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Tony - Pod Guy - Groves @tonygroves.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
BBC invited Palestinian writer, researcher and analyst Muhammad Shehada on to talk about Israel’s decision to investigate the killing of Hind Rajab. Below is Muhammad’s account of what happened next. Full disclosure: I know him years and he’s a regular on the pod. So naturally I believe him 100%.
@muhammadshehad2
Disappointed the BBC cancelled my interview on
Israel's killing of Hind Rajab
2 producers eagerly reached out. They confirmed the time & one called to prepare a brief for the anchor
She asked me whether Israel's announcement is positive, I explained in detail it was a cover up.
The IDF is blaming the killing of Hind, her uncle, aunt & 4 cousins on the family itself for trying to flee by car & on the ambulance sent to rescue her for "failures in the co-ordination of the movement."
None of this is remotely true! The Red Cross immediately informed the IDF about 5-year-old Hind who was hiding in that motionless car, & they requested permission from Israel to allow an ambulance to rescue them.
After multiple long hours, Israel granted greenlight to the ambulance & provided them with a designated route on a GPS to drive on.soon as the ambulance reached Hind's car, the IDF ambushed & bombed them immediately with an American made anti-tank missile then opened fire on Hind's car. The car was hit with 355 bullets.
Israel then kept that area under lockdown for 12 days, & prevented anyone from approaching.
Hind's mom went daily to the Ahli baptist hospital hoping to find her daughter, until her lifeless body was brought in along with the charred remains of the ambulance men.
Israel then claimed after an "initial investigation" that its troops were NEVER in that area to begin with. They maintained that claim for 2 years despite ample recordings & satellite images debunking this lie.
The only reason Israel is now making this new announcement of a deeper investigation is to shield its soldiers & generals from the International Criminal Court by invoking the principle of "complementarity;" that the ICC cannot investigate a state that is already investigating itself in good faith.I told the BBC producer Israel today also quietly shut down the investigation into the triple tap killing of American, Canadian, British, Australian & Polish citizens in the WCK massacre. Israel blamed the massacre on the aid workers themselves for "deviating from the predesignated route" & for hiring an armed security guard "without informing the IDF" (both claims where debunked by WCK themselves, who had coordinates their every step with the IDF).
I told the producer the Israeli commander responsible for this massacre, Nochi Mendel, is a fanatical settler who had signed a petition calling for starving Gaza & that he was celebrated by settler leaders & supported by Israeli government leaders after what he did.
Mendel even received a box of chocolate from the settler council's leader & a letter of support for what he did.
Mendel was initially dismissed by the IDF & blamed for the massacre, but was quickly & quietly reinstated & promoted in the Defence Ministry as the head of the settlements and notionol infroctrunturo unitIt's abundantly clear Israel is NOT serious about prosecuting any of the atrocities committed in Gaza. Since the genocide began, only two soldiers were punished by the IDF; one for microwaving a living frog & another for cooking sausages in the army kitchen on Shabbat.
The producer asked me: What about the 150 cases the IDF said are pending review?
I answered: it's just a number designed to give the appearance of seriousness, but it's essentially meaningless.
If it took the IDF two whole years to admit the simplest of facts that the entire world had already known, which is that their troops were the ones who fired on Hind Rajab's car, how do you expect them to do with the remaining cases that are not as high profile?
Five minutes after the call, the producer wrote me that they decided to cancel the interview & will not even host anyone else to comment on the issue, & instead they'll play archival footage!
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Conservatives and Reform are competing both on who can propose the most xenophobicpolicy and make up the most absurd numbers to support it. I dissected the Conservatives' proposals on social housing/foreign nationals. Maybe Reform later... open.substack.com/pub/zeteouk/...
open.substack.com
Debunked! The Plan to Ban Foreign Nationals from Social Housing Is Based on BS Numbers
First Reform UK and now the Conservatives have pledged to ban foreign nationals from social housing. But, as top economist Jonathan Portes argues, their arbitrary numbers just don't add up.
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
In this important book Canadian historians and witnesses take on the onerous task of refuting Residential School denialism - something that has now become a pet project of transnational right wing revisionism as a whole. uofmpress.ca/books/truth-...
uofmpress.ca
Truth Before Reconciliation
Embedded in the lived experiences of Survivors and supported by the evidentiary record, Truth Before Reconciliation is a valuable tool to help develop the historical and information literacy needed to...
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
For thousands of years, a solar eclipse has been a prophetic harbinger of a spectacular, epoch-making event. Just saying. #VoteBinface #Clacton
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Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I proudly endorse this message from my grandparents ❤️
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Brendan McNally @brendanmcn.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
We are aware of ‘true crime’ filmmakers planning to film in Lurgan in the upcoming week, on the case of Natalie’s murder. We don’t think the format of such a production is appropriate and so it doesn’t have our approval. If you are approached to contribute, please decline.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 07/08/2026
‘Her face was beaten in’: how Taliban rule ushered in a new era of women being killed
theguardian.com
‘Her face was beaten in’: how Taliban rule ushered in a new era of women being killed
An investigation into 231 femicide cases highlights the dire situation in Afghanistan, where men are empowered to murder and face no punishment while the state covers up their crimes
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 30/07/2026
"A concentration camp, in its most basic definition, is a place where a targeted civilian population, not necessarily accused of a crime, is detained and at least some of their basic rights are suspended," writes @jwashing.bsky.social. "That’s precisely what’s happening in the United States today."
theguardian.com
Don’t call them ICE detention centers. Call them camps | John Washington
I’ve spent a decade reporting on immigration enforcement. The word ‘camp’ best captures the political function of these facilities
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The Times corrects its splash story headlined "Migrant care workers bring dozens of family members." The Times got this totally wrong. It then used its own error as the basis for an editorial calling explicitly for forced expulsions of people living here legally. www.thetimes.com/comment/regi...
In a headline and a leading article we said migrant care workers were each bringing up to 15 family members with them (News, Comment, Jul 6). This was incorrect. The ratio of 15 to 1 was that of new visa approvals for Cameroonian care workers to visa approvals for family members of all Cameroonian care workers already in the UK in 2025-26. The same applies to arrivals from Ghana, Bangladesh and India. There is no connection between new visa approvals for care workers, who are not allowed to bring any dependants at all, and visas issued to the family members of care workers who were here already.
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The Cooperative Economy @cooperatives.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
There is evidence that individuals who work in worker cooperatives demonstrate higher levels of activism, volunteerism, and community involvement than demographically similar employees within traditional business structures.
ssir.org
Civic Engagement at Work (SSIR)
A study of worker-owned cooperatives demonstrates how people see their civic engagement, whether in the workplace or out in the world, as one and the same activity.
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tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
NEW: In a stunning admission, the Trump administration admitted in court documents that it canceled billions in energy grants to states "based solely" on politics -- and whether that state was represented by Democrats and backed Harris in 2024. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.
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Maurice @jointhecoo.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
“Britain’s emphasis appears to have shifted from supporting those most in need to seeking a return from the world’s poorest countries”, says @halimabegum.bsky.social in this alarm call about UK development aid: www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham could easily ignore the UK’s falling aid commitment. He would be wise not to | Halima Begum
The FCDO’s annual report was quietly released just as Starmer was leaving office – it continues a long-term shift from supporting countries most in need to seeking something in return, writes Halima B...
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Very pleased to see this out in paperback. Unfortunately it remains as pertinent as ever, as right wing populists continue to deny, disavow and distort the colonial past (and present). Read what the experts say!
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Lesley Riddoch @lesleyriddoch.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Starmer leaves - really a dignified exit? Burnham arrives -it's a north of England cabinet charged with undoing the terrible damage of Thatcherism. Possible with borrowing constraints? Can Burnham square decentralisation with no new powers for Holyrood? lesleyriddoch.com/podcast
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Deeply irresponsible. We're in a climate crisis. This is such a terrible start. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Burnham to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas drilling
Drilling has become a controversial topic for the Labour party after the 2024 manifesto pledged to not issue new licences.
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Maurice @jointhecoo.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Let’s just spell it out: he’s going to tell lies to the American people tonight, to set up the cheating he has in mind for November, because he knows if he doesn’t lie and cheat he has no chance of winning. And everyone knows it, even him.
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
No longer a joke candidate, Count Binface offers a manifesto that delivers far more for Clacton than Farage ever has.
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The Independent @the-independent.com · 16/07/2026
Nine African countries see UK aid slashed by more than 80% as ‘devastating’ cuts laid bare
trib.al
Nine African countries see UK aid slashed by more than 80 per cent
A number of long-standing UK partners in Africa – including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique – are seeing their UK aid relationship virtually eliminated, or reduced to £5m or less
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Standing Together @standing-together.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
The ethnic cleansing taking place in the West Bank takes many forms. One of them is the systematic destruction of Palestinians' livelihoods: settlers burn olive groves and greenhouses, while the army confiscates farming equipment that belongs to the community. (1/4)
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
In case there was any doubt. Restricting access to benefits isn't enough for Conservatives/Badenoch. They want to deport/"remigrate" people who came here on legal work visas, not because of (debunked) claims about benefits/fiscal costs but because they've embraced an openly ethnonationalist agenda
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Trump approved disaster aid requests from six red states last week. Two days later, he rejected aid requests from four blue states. Not only is he punishing states who didn’t vote for him, he’s playing politics with people’s lives. Despicable.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Director of a Gaza Hospital, Dr Hussain Abu Safiya is in horrific danger to his life. The Foreign Secretary must demand Israel provides urgent treatment and releases him. He's been detained by Israel without charge since 2024 and reported to have new life threatening injuries.
Free Dr Hussam Abu Safiya now!
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Dr Robyn Atcheson @robyninpink.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Do you have/know primary-aged children who love history? I'm running events this summer in the historic Friar's Bush graveyard aimed at kids 6-12 who love Horrible Histories. Early bird discount applied automatically at checkout with group concessions. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1992360697...
A group of children are looking at a picture held by a woman in colourful dungarees. They are standing in a green space with colourful bunting. 
The text reads Junior Historians Club presents Grim Graveyards at Friar's Bush
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Maurice @jointhecoo.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
I can’t stop watching this.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 04/07/2026
‘The situation is terrible’: aid workers on life in Sudanese city pummelled by drone strikes
theguardian.com
‘The situation is terrible’: aid workers on life in Sudanese city pummelled by drone strikes
El Obeid becomes key battleground in war between Sudan’s armed forces and their paramilitary enemies, the RSF
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