1. John Kampfner’s latest post on his blog, Citizen of Everywhere, on the next – anything’s possible, he reminds us! – prime minister of Germany, Could the AfD seize power? https://johnkampfner.substack.com/p/could-the-afd-seize-power

2. A piece for World University News about determined (and successful) efforts to integrate international students in Portugal, Lesser-known HEIs: Ingenious models for student integration by Cristina Sin, Orlanda Tavares & Joyce Aguiar https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250108092740153

Some polytechnic institutions, private universities or rural institutions are creating vibrant, multicultural campuses for international students, where integration efforts go far beyond traditional support services. Faced with the challenge of attracting national students, who are more likely to prefer other institutions, these universities have adopted innovative strategies that value belonging, personal care and community engagement. The promotion of a multicultural environment is central. The idea is simple but effective: make students feel at home. This is not just about providing academic guidance or accommodation support; it’s about fostering a campus culture which celebrates (my emphasis) diversity.

3. Here’s A survey of multilingual large language models for the Patterns journal by a team from China, Singapore and the USA https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2666-3899%2824%2900290-3 PDF below.

The rapid advancement of large language models (LLMs) has significantly transformed natural language processing (NLP), enabling machines to understand and generate human-like text. However, most LLMs are predominantly English centric, limiting their applicability in our linguistically diverse world. With over 7,000 languages spoken globally, there is a pressing need for models that can comprehend and generate text across multiple languages. Multilingual large language models (MLLMs) address this gap by processing and producing content in various languages, thereby enhancing global communication and accessibility. This survey provides a comprehensive overview of MLLMs, introducing a systematic taxonomy based on alignment strategies to deepen understanding in this field. By highlighting emerging trends and challenges, this survey aims to guide future research and development, fostering the creation of more inclusive and effective language models that cater to the diverse linguistic landscape of our world.

4. I still have a Lucy Letby bee in my bonnet. Here’s an update from The Guardian, Lucy Letby retrial needed after ‘clear miscarriage of justice’, says David Davis https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/08/lucy-letby-retrial-needed-after-clear-miscarriage-of-justice-says-david-davis

5. And, finally, a mischievous piece for The Conversation by Glenn Fosbraey from Winchester University, Six covers of Bob Dylan songs that were better than the originals https://theconversation.com/six-covers-of-bob-dylan-songs-that-were-better-than-the-originals-246909 Links to all the songs included!