paulusthewoodgnome

Russia’s Central Bank found a 10 trillion ruble black hole in unpaid loans. That’s 24% of the entire Russian budget gone. Another reason why the #Kremlin is desperately pushing for a “peace” deal to save itself. We didn’t surrender in 2022, we won’t in 2025 — Russia is weaker and poorer than ever.

So, on the current poll, Farage would have a very comfortable overall majority, with no effective checks on his powers, on less than a third of the vote. @teamlabouruk.bsky.social members who still think 1st Past the Post keeps the extremists out need to re-examine the facts @labour4pr.bsky.social

The Ukraine ‘peace plan’ distracts from the real issue: why Russia’s desperate to keep fighting Say what you will about President Trump’s methods, but his wish to end Russia’s war is genuine. The problem is Moscow doesn’t want peace in Ukraine, it wants Ukraine in pieces. A panicking Vladimir…

The 28-point wishlist from the kremlin is sucking oxygen out of every newsroom.

Meanwhile, we have 11 years of evidence that russia doesn’t want peace in Ukraine, it wants #Ukraine in pieces

Hot off the press nypost.com/2025/11/22/o...

'Tis the season to be jolly...
bsky.app/profile/ldog...

45 years ago I made a pitch for the Director-General job. Didn’t get it – mind you, I was only 13. But I did get a reply from Ian Trethowan, who was DG at the time. All these years later I’m proud to work for the BBC.

YouTube video by Steve Rosenberg What the Russian papers used to write about: re-watching my old paper reviews.

I’ve been looking back at my old Russian newspaper reviews. They highlight how much Russia has changed - and signs of what lay ahead. #ReadingRussia

True, but also, don't let cynicism fatally corrode your hope of ever doing anything worthwhile. 🙂 There are people involved in this project whose judgement I trust, such @paulpowlesland.bsky.social who's on the developer's board.

I suppose the advantage of designing something from scratch is that you can adopt best practices with the potential exigencies of climate change in mind.

How ambitious ‘forest city’ plan for England could become a reality Cross-party coalition behind proposals hope eco-friendly scheme for million people could begin before end of decade

Yes, please. 🌳 🌿 🏡

'By the end of this parliament, spades could be in the ground for a "forest city" housing a million people in the middle of the largest new nature reserve created in England in decades, with four-bedroom homes on sale for £350,000.'
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Hundreds of English-language websites link to pro-Kremlin propaganda Thinktank says internet flooded with disinformation by Russia-aligned Pravda network, which many websites treat as credible

Yep, there's a lot of it about...

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

Screenshot of tweet by journalist Nick Schifrin BREAKING: After talking to @SecRubio, @SenatorRounds announces that the 28 point plan was a Russian document, not a US document. Full @SenatorRounds: "@SecRubio did make a phone call to us this afternoon. I think he made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives. It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received. And as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it. And we did not release it. It was leaked. It was not released by our members or our representatives... This is an opportunity to receive it and that it has been utilized and delivered to the Ukrainians, and that they will have an opportunity to respond. And in doing so, you now have one side being presented and the opportunity for the

Speechless...

Shitter.

Turns out the media & most of Parliament is as out of touch with reality as Twitter. Dear England.

Chap went to Eton and Old Etonians don't do no bird.

Yeah, apparently he said he'd do it in a spur of the moment response to a tweet. Maybe he's had second thoughts for the reason you state. Seems like the cat's already out of the bag, though.

Some people now have it but others are saying it's been disabled again.

¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

X Starts Rolling Out New Profile Details to Help Users Spot Real Accounts Elon Musk’s platform X has started releasing a new feature that adds extra information to user profiles, including the account’s location, how many times the username has been changed, the original jo...

It'll be interesting to see how many "patriotic" American Trump supporters / British Tommy Robinson supporters on X are based in India / Russia. 🤔

'X has started releasing a new feature that adds extra information to user profiles, including the account’s location.'
www.abijita.com/x-starts-rol...

Boris Johnson took four days off as NHS warned Covid could ‘overwhelm’ system Files show then PM was walking dog, riding motorbike and hosting guests as pandemic planning stalled in ‘lost month’

Undermining evidence he gave under oath, official activity logs for Feb 2020 – described by the Covid Inquiry as a "lost month" – show Boris Johnson enjoyed an extended break at Chevening during the half-term holidays, walking his dog and taking motorcycle rides.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Leading law firm cuts London back-office staff as it embraces AI Clifford Chance makes about 50 roles redundant, and PwC indicates that AI may lead to fewer hirings

The trickle before the tsunami... 🌊

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

COP30 in Brazil ends without new pledges to cut fossil fuels - follow live A conclusion is made in Belém, Brazil, at the end of days of negotiations between delegations from nearly 200 countries.

Anyone disappointed that the final text doesn't commit to phasing out fossil fuels hasn't been paying attention over the past 30 COPs.

#COP30
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...

Image shows Marco Rubio in a suit and tie speaking in front of a blue backdrop with the NATO emblem blurred behind him. A white text box states that the State Department will add new rules to its annual human rights reports, labeling countries that support diversity, equity, inclusion, abortion access, or mass migration as violating human rights. The word Brut appears in the top corner.

Marco Rubio 🤮
adjective
1. So weak, cruel, or pitiful that it provokes a sharp mix of disappointment and contempt.

Cop30 live: Deal agreed at Cop after long negotiations After a series of all-night meetings and fears the summit could collapse, an agreement has been gavelled through at Cop30

Ed Miliband "admits the deal "does not have all the ambition we would have wanted", but adds that it commits to keeping the 1.5C target alive"

This is denial of the first order - utter madness, complete drivel

All COP30 managed was to agree on doing F-all

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

End of fossil fuel era inches closer as Cop30 deal agreed after bitter standoff Wealthy countries agree to triple funds for countries to tackle climate impacts, but deforestation and critical minerals blocked from final deal

"A roadmap to the halting of deforestation was dropped from the final deal, a bitter disappointment for nature advocates at this 'Rainforest COP'":

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Fiddling while the world burns.

Why not just tell Saudi Arbia to do one?

#COP30
#CLIMATE

Humanity has decreed millions of deaths. There is NO MENTION OF FOSSIL FUEL in the final agreement. A death sentence courtesy of the fossil fuel lobby at #COP30

You damned blind profit-obsessed monsters curse you to Hell

A climate deal without explicit language calling for a fossil fuel phaseout is like a ceasefire without explicit language calling for a suspension of hostilities.
#COP30

Iran's capital must relocate due to dire water situation, president insists Tehran's troubles are a red flag for thirsty cities around the globe.

An extraordinary statement. How do you move a city of 10 million people to somewhere they can find water?

"If it doesn’t rain in Tehran by late November, we’ll have to ration water. If it still doesn’t rain, we’ll have to evacuate Tehran." — President Pezeshkian
www.motherjones.com/environment/...

CPS appeals against overturning of Quran-burning conviction Hamit Coskun has been in a legal battle since setting fire to a Quran outside the Turkish consulate.

'Hamit Coskun's appeal was funded by the National Secular Society and the Free Speech Union. NSS chief executive, Stephen Evans, said: "This appeal marks a renewed assault on free expression. The CPS seems determined to establish a blasphemy law by the back door".'
www.bbc.com/news/article...

My mum was South African and the sweetest person in the world but I don't take it personally. 😊

Grounded but optimistic piece on the global future of solar.

[Full article]
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