Celebrations at D66 and GreenLeft headquarters on Dutch election night
Celebrations at D66 and GreenLeft headquarters on Dutch election night as the exit poll dropped right after voting ended, prompting cheers from supporters, while other parties rode the usual rollercoaster of early numbers—exit polls being the appetizer that sets the mood before the main course of actual results.
Treasury minister in House of Lords to oversee Labour’s Senedd election campaign
Treasury minister in House of Lords to oversee Labour’s Senedd election campaign: reports that Lord Spencer Livermore has been installed as Labour’s national campaign coordinator have sparked a row over who actually runs Welsh Labour—and what “devolution” means in Downing Street. The Times says Livermore, a veteran of Ed Miliband’s ill-fated 2015 effort, will steer campaigns for the Senedd, Holyrood and English councils amid jitters after Labour’s third-place flop in the Caerphilly by-election and bleak polling. Plaid Cymru called it proof Labour has “given up on Wales,” while a Welsh Labour insider slammed the idea of a UK Treasury figure fronting a Welsh campaign. Welsh Labour officially insists the role is England-only and that Eluned Morgan will lead in Wales; No 10 and other Labour sources say Livermore is the overall national campaign chair shaping messaging across elections. Translation: Cardiff wants autonomy, London wants control, and voters would settle for competence.
Welsh Government partners with council to develop major employment site
Welsh Government partners with council to develop major employment site—yes, you heard correctly: actual cooperation. Cardiff has teamed up with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council on a joint venture to finally turn the long-idle, 19-acre Goat Mill Road site—remediated in the 1990s and then left to contemplate eternity—into investment-ready plots. The enabling works come with more than £4.5 million from the Welsh Government and £5.1 million from Cardiff Capital Region via its Northern Valleys Initiative, aiming to create jobs during construction and once businesses move in. Officials say the scheme will piggyback on the upgraded A465 and align with Tech Valleys projects, with Economy, Energy and Planning chief Rebecca Evans pitching it as a push for well-connected, high-quality business space across Wales. CCR’s Mike Brough calls it sustainable growth; Merthyr’s leader Brent Carter says the town’s strategic spot and transport links are doing the heavy lifting. Translation: build the infrastructure, and maybe industry actually shows up.
Hybrid warfare or religious conflict: Are ISIS and Russia using similar tactics?
Hybrid warfare or religious conflict: Are ISIS and Russia using similar tactics? Uncomfortably, yes. Both weaponize propaganda, pump out disinformation, and target vulnerable people to fracture communities and undermine institutions. Call it terrorism then and hybrid warfare now—the playbook barely changed: destabilize society, delegitimize authority, and recruit the disaffected under a sanctimonious banner. Different flags, same manipulation; chaos as strategy, righteousness as marketing.
Europe’s top human rights court ruling prompts tougher scrutiny of fossil fuel projects
After nearly a decade winding through Europe’s legal labyrinth, a ruling from the continent’s top human rights court will prompt tougher scrutiny of fossil fuel projects—putting governments and energy companies on notice that rights-based impacts won’t be waved through. Justice may be slow, but the fumes travel fast; expect fewer rubber stamps for projects that treat breathable air like an optional accessory.
King Charles issues somber statement, expressing deep concern and profound sadness
Following this week’s devastating events, King Charles issued a somber statement expressing deep concern and profound sadness.
Oct. 30 celebrity birthdays: Gavin Rossdale, Henry Winkler
Oct. 30 celebrity birthdays: Gavin Rossdale, Henry Winkler — Musician Gavin Rossdale hits 60 and actor Henry “The Fonz” Winkler turns 80, both aging with more grace than most PR apologies. Happy birthday to the Bush frontman and TV’s coolest leather jacket.
Oct. 30: Chicago commuter train crash leaves 45 dead
Oct. 30: Chicago commuter train crash leaves 45 dead, as a 1972 collision between two commuter trains in Chicago also injured more than 300.
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