Liz Clements

We're citizens of the world. Music is our shared language. Reject fanaticism and embrace humanity! Bravo #Barenboim youtu.be/PmBDKk6YlF0

A famous UK journalist DM'd me a year or so ago asking how the French had reacted to Farage's latest pronouncements on the small boats, and was quite shocked when I told him it simply isn't news much at all in France and never has been France has way more asylum claimants than the UK so the fact some want to leave really isn't that big a deal here (except from time to time when tragic deaths occur which gets a short mention in news bulletins) More generally "small boats" is absolutely not a political topic here - except for people around Calais who are annoyed by the pull factors of the UK (black-market jobs and no ID) which attract people to try and cross the Channel. I remember seeing a report about that last year I learnt, for example, on Skynews the reaction of the French Interior Ministry to Farage today but can't find a single French article detailing it even late this evening 👇. All of this is relevant to explain why France is not prepared to invest the billions it would take to stop all the crossings. They do the best they can with the small sums sent by the UK and their own scant resources but there's no great political debate here about it, in the way there is day in, day out in the UK, fanned by the usual suspects (especially when they have dodgy financial dealings to deflect from)

The Rhine is disappearing before our eyes. Record low levels in parts of Germany & the Netherlands as the intense heatwave continues. This isn't just a river story. It's a climate story. As the planet warms, heatwaves are pushing agriculture and water supplies to breaking point.

Union with Wales 1543. Wales and England unite with Scotland 1707. Acts of Union with Ireland 1800. The blind ignorance of Reform MPs about their own country never ceases to amaze.

Trees in a meadow with poppies in bloom (c.1905) by Juliette Wytsman, Belgian impressionist painter #womensart #ImpressionistArtWeek

BREAKING: Suspect upset that he is a suspect #Corruption #ReformPLC #ReformPartyShambles

You can fly a flag here, on your own private property, what you can't do is go out and randomly stick them on a lamp post. It's already illegal to do so anywaywithout permission.I thought you were all about law and order.

Das längste deutsche Wort? Donaukeinwassermehrfürdampfschifffahrtskapitän.

Breaking down Muhammed Ziauddin Yusef's "Operation fortress". I am writing this because I am totally SICK TO DEATH of people falling for shit they only have half the facts for. Why "Just Send the Royal Navy" Is an Operational Impossibility 🚢🛑 Ever wondered why the UK can’t just use the Royal Navy to turn migrant boats back in the Channel? Strip away the political slogans and look at the actual legal and logistical realities: No Return Treaty (The Dublin Issue): The Dublin III Regulation, which allowed the UK to return asylum seekers to the first safe EU country they entered, ceased to apply to the UK after Brexit. The EU has since replaced it with the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR) under its new Pact on Migration and Asylum. As a third country, the UK currently has no legal right to return anyone to EU soil. - Yes, you read right Brexit caused this. French Sovereignty: The Navy cannot enter French waters to drop people off. Doing so without permission is a violation of French territory. France has repeatedly rejected forced "pushback" policies. International Maritime Law (UNCLOS): Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, all vessels have a binding legal obligation to rescue anyone in distress. The Reality at Sea: Because migrant dinghies are unseaworthy, any interception risk capsizes them. The moment people are in the water, the Navy’s job legally shifts from border patrol to search and rescue. They must bring them to the nearest safe port—which, in the Channel, means the UK. Misuse of Assets: Senior naval commanders have repeatedly warned that using multi-million-pound warships for this task is a gross misuse of military resources designed for national defence. Shouting a slogan to try and psychologically manipulate people with confirmation bias doesn't rewrite international law or change geography. It’s a complex legal and diplomatic issue, not a military one.#UKPolitics #ChannelCrossings #InternationalLaw #FactCheck

#Birmingham UK, the weather vane atop St Philip's Cathedral 😎

The French Interior Ministry on Reform UK’s plan to use the Royal Navy to “intercept” small boats and return them to France: “This would be a violation of French sovereignty, as well as a violation of the law of the sea and international law.”

BBC playing along with Reform's whack job racism is nothing more than giving a platform to racism. #bbcpm @BBCNews @BBCRadio4

#bbcpm Yet again BBC starts with Farage- it’s only 10 days before the Clacton by-election how can this be right? When is Count Binface going to get equal billing?

June 1925! Over 100 years since a drought like this. #bbcpm Surely the impact on farming should be the lead on @BBCRadio4

Quick game of Brummie This or That with Joe Lycett.

🚲 This Thursday is Cycle to Work Day 2026! Thinking about swapping four wheels for two? There’s never been a better time to give cycling to work a try. Here are six reasons why you should give cycling to work a go this Cycle to Work Day 🚴 cyclinguk.org/article/six-re…

It now seems that when you join the dots, the 2026 World Cup was a glossy brochure for private investors to parasite off the game of football in the future. The absurd ticket prices, the hydration breaks, the half time show, the bending of the rules for entertainment, not sport.

🚨 NEW: The French Government has attacked Reform UK's plan to use the Royal Navy to take small boat migrants back to France "This would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law"

🇳🇴 Sigrid Haugset wins Stage 3 ! Sigrid Haugset s’impose à Poligny ! 🚣‍♀️ #TDFF2026 #WatchTheFemmes

Although there is an 'Emdener Straße' in Berlin and other cities, the East Frisian town itself insists that it should be 'Emder'. In the nearby town of Leer, however, a syllable is added, making the inhabitants 'Leeraner'. (4/4) oz-online.de/artikel/877477…

See also: - 'Jenenser', for people born in Jena - 'Jenaer', for people who moved to the city (3/4) klartext-verlag.de/zusatzangebote…