Clive Hislop

Semi-retired software developer | Retweets do not necessarily imply endorsement.

[Mr PitBull Stories @MrPitbull07]

In 1966, a 17-year-old Sicilian girl named Franca Viola made history by rejecting one of Italy’s most oppressive traditions — the so-called “rehabilitating marriage.” At the time, Italian law allowed a rapist to avoid punishment if he married his victim, under the pretense that such a union would “restore” her honor. Franca, born into a humble family in Alcamo, became the first woman in Italy to publicly refuse this fate. Her stand not only broke the silence surrounding gender violence but also sparked a cultural awakening across the country.

Her ordeal began after she ended a relationship with Filippo Melodia, a man tied to the mafia. Refusing her decision, he stormed her home with armed accomplices, assaulted her mother, and abducted Franca along with her eight-year-old brother Mariano, who tried to protect her. Mariano was released, but Franca endured eight days of captivity, violence, and constant pressure to marry her attacker. When she was finally allowed to return home, she shocked Italy: she refused the marriage and, with her family’s support, brought Filippo before the law.

The backlash was swift and merciless. Her family was shunned, their fields set ablaze, and their name dragged through dishonor. Still, Franca stood unyielding, and her courage became a national reckoning. The trial gripped the country, forcing Italians to confront the cruelty of laws built on patriarchal honor codes. Filippo was sentenced to eleven years in prison, and Franca—though never seeking fame—emerged as a symbol of dignity and defiance. Welcomed by Italy’s president and even the Pope, she later married her childhood friend Giuseppe Ruisi, who loved her without prejudice. Franca Viola’s refusal to yield transformed her into a pioneer of women’s rights in Italy, her voice resonating through history as proof that one act of resistance can shift an entire nation.

[Knowledge of London @Knowledgepoint]

Dealing with the freezing weather on the 15th February 1936: Breaking up ice in the fountains of Trafalgar square, London. Note the workman wore a cap with normal clothes and shoes, without any gloves or a hi-vis jacket.

[Aaron Parnas @AaronParnas]

Jeff Bezos never wanted this cartoon to become public.

He killed it, and as a result, pulitzer prize editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes quit.

Make sure everyone sees this cartoon.

[Clive Hislop @CliveHislop]

@phil_from_NG That’s how they get the money to pay the train drivers, who also get a 1/6 final salary pension when they retire at 60. It’s got to be paid for somehow.

[Clive Hislop @CliveHislop]

@keswickbootco @glocky9 @YPLAC @Mounta1n_Mike @PeterLazzari1 @BrookinKath Bit of an amateur; could have managed to take up four spaces with a bit of thought.

[Clive Hislop @CliveHislop]

@BritishGasHelp Thanks for your reply, Sarah. The WhatsApp team got back to me, so you can consider this done.

[Clive Hislop @CliveHislop]

@BritishGasHelp Hi. Are you able to give me an update on a call reference? The WhatsApp channel seems like it’ll be all day.

[Steve Barclay @SteveBarclay]

❌ As further details emerge it seems that Labour’s Family Farm Tax is being designed to hit even harder.

🥀 There is still time for Labour to u-turn on it, and they must, unless they want to leave not only broken promises but a broken farming industry.

[The Hacker News @TheHackersNews]

North Korean hackers are ramping up attacks on crypto firms with a sophisticated #malware campaign.

Disguised as PDF files, this multi-stage malware is designed to evade detection and exploit macOS vulnerabilities.

Read more — https://t.co/vJYnLDvG9M

#cybersecurity #infosec

[Alicia Kearns MP @aliciakearns]

Today I handed in a letter to No10 signed by over 100 MPs, industry bodies and farming experts opposing Labour’s Family Farm Tax.

The NFU estimates up to half of all working farms, possibly more, could be impacted by Labour’s decision to put generations of farming at risk and threaten our food security.

I hope this letter will encourage the Government to think again.

[Harriet Cross MP @HarrietCross_MP]

🌾Labour’s #FamilyFarmTax must be reversed.

It targets family farms, threatens food security and impacts rural employment & communities.

I’ve written a letter to the Chancellor, signed by over 100 MPs, Lords & industry groups calling on the Government to reverse this cut.

[Clive Hislop @CliveHislop]

@metoffice I’m in Lincolnshire, where we haven’t seen a glimpse of the sun for what seems like weeks. Some sun was forecast yesterday, but we remained buried under a thick, grey blanket.

[10in10 Challenge @Dunc10in10]

Duncan's freedom 🙏. #nocurealwayshope #StopMS

[Michael Rosen 💙💙🎓🎓 NICE 爷爷 @MichaelRosenYes]

Chris Hoy:
"Nobody lives forever. Our time on this planet is finite. Don't waste your time worrying about stuff that isn't that important. Focus on the things that are."

[Lucy Rodgers @upyorkshire]

NEW: The IDF is decimating towns and villages within 3km of the Lebanon border. Satellite & video analysis shows damage to 30 villages - 12 hit by controlled detonations. One was the home of Lebanon philharmonic orchestra conductor Lubnan Baalbaki

https://t.co/s7Z5jOhc0R

[IPSE @teamIPSE]

We're working with a journalist who wants to speak to a #freelancer, #contractor or #SelfEmployed person who keeps their taxable pay below £100k due to an effective 67% tax rate on earnings above this.

[Saul Staniforth @SaulStaniforth]

Breaking a pledge on tuition fees? What could possibly go wrong with that!

[Alicia Kearns MP @aliciakearns]

Today I raised the anger of so many farmers across Rutland and Stamford following Labour’s budget which neglects entirely the challenges they face and puts family farms at risk.

The Prime Minister once said, ‘Losing a farm is not like losing any other business, it can’t come back’- it seems these words are now irrelevant in the eyes of Labour, and the Minister’s complete dismissal of my concerns today only reiterates this.

[Helena Horton @horton_official]

Defra figures show 2/3rds of farms will be stung by removal of APR, not 1/4 as the Treasury claimed: https://t.co/68M1IdLv2d

[Dave Chaplin - CEO, ContractorCalculator @ContractorCalc]

Businesses will put up prices if their costs go up. Employers NICs is a cost. No rocket science required here.

https://t.co/gZd02rcKj4