odbof85

odbof85

@odbof85.bsky.social

Retired languages teacher living in France (85). Widower. Wildlife, especially birds. Pro-EU, anti-billionaire, woke lefty. Word freak. Cats, coffee, wine

2.1K followers390 following6K posts

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Cat Hobbs
@cathobbs.bsky.social

Tomorrow Thames Water creditors plan to approve £2.4 billion bailout at expense of households Today the Chancellor will promise "breathing space" #Budget2026 That should mean NO water bill rises NO bailout for Thames Water Let them run out of cash, take them back @andyburnham.bsky.social

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Prem Sikka
@premnsikka.bsky.social

CEO of scandal-ridden Deloitte gets 45% pay rise to £7.1m, 1,360 jobs cut. CEO pay = 93 times median employee pay. Firm doesn't pay employer NIC on profits shared by partners, worth £150,000 for £1m profit shared. £899m shared. 108 govt contracts in 2026, worth £650m. Friends in high places.

cityam.comDeloitte hikes pay for top boss while headcount shrinksBig Four giant Deloitte hiked pay for one of its chief executives last year by almost half while overall headcount at the firm fell, with some of being due to targeted job cuts.

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Private Eye Magazine
@privateeyenews.bsky.social

Since his ennoblement in Boris Johnson’s 2023 resignation list, Tees Valley regional mayor Lord (Ben) Houchen has claimed more than £25,000 in tax-free daily “attendance” allowances from the House of Lords for 73 days when he hasn’t voted, spoken or performed any recorded parliamentary activity.

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George Monbiot
@georgemonbiot.bsky.social

Bolsonaro's loss is not just a loss for Bolsonaro. It's a loss for Trump. For Musk. For Milei. For Netanyahu. For Farage. For Meta and Zuckerberg. For the meat barons, the fossil fuel corporations, and the rest of the neocolonial looters. And it is a massive win for humanity and the living planet.

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Mark Chadbourn
@chadbourn.bsky.social

Replying to @chadbourn.bsky.social

Police attack LDH observers. LDH is the French equivalent of Human Rights Watch.

Ricardo Parreira@ricardoparreira.com

À Montpellier, un policier attaque les observateur·ices de la LDH. Ces violences envers les observateur·ices en disent long sur la volonté de la police d’empêcher de documenter leurs pratiques violentes.

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Helen
@chalkhillblue.bsky.social

Replying to @chalkhillblue.bsky.social

2. Dragging and tearing clothes - Penal Code Art 222-13: violence by person holding public authority - up to 7 years - If intimate parts exposed/touched: sexual assault by authority - Art 222-22 to 222-28 - 7 to 10 years - Violates dignity and degrading treatment - ECHR Art 3

odbof85
@odbof85.bsky.social

💔Tragic: swifts are finding their chicks dumped in skips and their nests blocked up by building work. 🚨We need an emergency system that forces police & councils to act IMMEDIATELY when nests are threatened. Sign the petition now 👇 you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...

you.38degrees.org.ukSave swift nests before building work blocks or obstructs themSwifts are in trouble. Their UK breeding population fell by 70% between 1995 and 2024, and they are now on the UK Red List of birds of conservation concern. When a swift's nest entrance is blocked, e...

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Abilu Tangwa.
@abilutangwa.bsky.social

Greed doesn't just destroy forests. It murders millennia-old beings that can't run or fight back. Less than 5% of the world’s old-growth forests remain intact. We are on the verge of telling our children that giants once walked the Earth,as if it were a fairy tale.

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AdyBee 🐝
@adybee.bsky.social
Prem Sikka@premnsikka.bsky.social

Reform UK's Suella Braverman claims massive taxpayer-funded water bill at home equal to 18 baths a day Claim to have used 1,504 litres of water daily at her £1.2million four-bedroom pad in a five-month period. Reform have promised benefit cuts for the disabled, old, sick, poor, unfortunate.

mirror.co.ukSuella Braverman claims huge taxpayer-funded water bill equal to 18 baths a dayEXCLUSIVE: Benefits-bashing Reform UK MP Suella Braverman claimed £45,000 in parliamentary expenses towards her utility bills, newly-emerged files show - leaving the taxpayer on the hook

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George Monbiot
@georgemonbiot.bsky.social

I warned 3 years ago that mink farms are a likely route to a new and horrific human pandemic, and once more I'm fervently praying it doesn't map out that way. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.comBe warned: the next deadly pandemic is not inevitable, but all the elements are in place | George MonbiotBird flu is a mass killer, and mink farms are perfect for infection and transmission. They are a grave threat and must be banned, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
Kevin Uhrmacher@kevinuhrm.bsky.social

Wild new story from @natlash.bsky.social Bird flu has been raging uncontrolled on a mink farm for two months. Flu experts fear it could spark a devastating human pandemic. But officials haven’t acted, instead prioritizing the financial interests of the fur trade. www.propublica.org/article/bird...

propublica.orgBird Flu Is Raging on a Mink Farm. It Could Spark a Human Pandemic, Experts Say, but Officials Won’t Act.Federal officials brushed off the issue as Utah prioritized the fur industry’s interests. Little has been done to stop the spread of the virus and ensure it can’t spread to humans, a failure that expe...

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Nick White
@doggypicks.bsky.social

“Burnham suggests stocking up on tinned food and bottled water” - you will need to as our whole ecosystem collapses aided by his climate wrecking North Sea drilling! I’m sure his paymasters in the fossil fuel industry must be really happy - the rest of us can ‘burn baby burn’ 🤬🤬🤬

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Mark Chadbourn
@chadbourn.bsky.social

French police protecting fascist militants.

David Hutin Photo@davidhutinphoto.bsky.social

Les militants fascistes ont attaqués des manifestants rue de la Loge sous les yeux de la police, quand les manifestants ont répliqués, la police a chargé pour les protéger et les miliciens ont frappés les gens à terre ! #Montpellier #24octobre #ViolencesPolicieres @info.gouv.fr

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BladeoftheSun
@bladeofthes.bsky.social

We had such outrage for one building burning down. But silence when Google illegally chops down an entire forest. Even though that has done far more harm.

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Iain Overton
@iainoverton.bsky.social

If this is accurate it raises questions as to why a pride pin is deemed campaigning but a poppy is fine, and the wearing thereof by presenters is almost demanded.

Leicester Gazette@leicestergazette.leicester.news

Two University of Leicester students speak out over ‘absurd’ and ‘Orwellian’ decision by the BBC and ITV Studios to edit out pride pins worn on University Challenge

leicester.newsBBC edits out pride pins on University Challenge in ‘Orwellian’ move* * * This story was published by **The Leicester Gazette** : a local, independent newspaper about Leicestershire. 1,000 people have already joined our community. Just use those buttons below to download our app and **sign up for free**. * * * Astrophysics student Samuel Carlier and History student Emmeline Hague-Wright were shocked to find that their LGBTQ+ pride pins had been edited out of their University Challenge appearance earlier this year. The episode, initially scheduled for BBC Two on 24 August, was delayed twice before airing on 7 September 2026. The pins showed the progressive LGBTQ+ pride flag, the bisexual pride flag and a rainbow feather. Speaking to the Leicester Gazette, Sam said: “Living in a liberal democracy and having the state broadcaster tell you ‘we’re editing how you look’, seems very Orwellian.” Sam described the choice to remove the pins before broadcast as “weird” and “absurd”. He said: “[Censoring] that seemed weird. If I had worn a rainbow shirt, would they have censored that? If the idea is to keep things impartial, where is that line in the sand?” A side by-side image of Sam wearing the pin and with it having been digitally removed. Photograph: supplied Sam contacted the BBC to try to understand why his pins had been edited out. He told the Gazette: “The BBC people said they’d ring me, and I chased them, they just said go to the complaints website and file a complaint there, that’s what I did.” Since then, Sam hasn’t had a response from the BBC as to why his pins were removed. After the episode had aired, Sam noted that his shirt ‘melted’ into itself occasionally, as a result of the editing. Photograph: supplied ## Students believe the decision was made following online transphobia Emmeline was also shocked when she found out that the feather pin she wore was due to be removed from the episode she was in. It was understood by Emmeline that there was online transphobia in response to previous episode of University Challenge, and she had been contacted by the BBC, anticipating support from the broadcaster. When the BBC contacted her, instead of an offer of support, she was told her pin was going to be removed. “At first it was mostly confusion,” she said. “I heard that they had received a lot of nastiness online from people and I thought they were going to call me to say ‘we have support services if needed,’ and that wasn't what I got at all.” Instead, Emmeline was notified that the episodes were going to be delayed. “It was out of left field, I was confused for a while,” she said. “This entire delay has been because of a feather and two badges on a teammate that were basically impossible [for viewers] to see.” Emmeline had expressed her frustrations with the repeated delays from the BBC, spanning from mid-July to early-September. She said: “We were announced on the website and then delayed again, and then announced on the website a second time, and delayed even further. Speaking about the removal, she said: “It takes a lot of time” she said. “Making it [the edit] look good would be even more expensive and time-consuming. It seems like drastically a lot of effort.” ## Join the conversation Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community. __Want to support our work?__ Click here for membership__.__ ## Wider criticism on LGBTQ+ support The pins Sam wore during the episode. Photograph: supplied According to leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall UK, two in five LGBTQ+ students will hide their identities at university for fear of discrimination. Stonewall has reported that more than 36 per cent of trans students have received hostile conduct from university staff due to their gender identity. Reflecting on the digital removal of the pins, Sam spoke about how disheartening the choice was. He said: “There was maybe like a span of eight years where someone could be uncontroversially out in the open queer – now that’s gone again.” he said. The BBC has also been widely criticised for ‘an attack on the LGBTQ+ community’ by pulling its involvement with the popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race. The broadcaster pulled its involvement in September following “significant financial pressures” as the reason for axing their involvement. The criticism follows another recent controversial edit by the BBC. On its hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, a decision was made to edit out ‘Protect the Dolls’ from contestant Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt. It’s a slogan which has become widely used to support the rights of trans women. The BBC defended their decision, saying the changes were made to meet editorial guidelines. It comes as the LGBTQ+ community has faced challenges amid an increasingly less tolerant political climate. ## What the BBC had to say When we asked them about editing out the pins worn by Leicester’s University Challenge team, a BBC spokesperson said: “In line with our editorial guidelines, we advise that no badges, flags, and emblems or symbols are worn or visible during filming, along with clothing with obvious branding or slogans. If such items are not removed for any reason then a decision is made between the programme makers and the BBC regarding any edits to the programme.” The BBC said the delays to the episode were unrelated to the decision to edit out the pins. A spokesperson for ITV Studios said: “University Challenge is an entertainment quiz show and is made in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines requirements for impartiality.” The University of Leicester refused to comment on the matter. * * * **Before you go…** We’ve recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we’re a small team on a shoestring budget. Now, we’re ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. **Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.** The app connects with **Bluesky** , **Mastodon** and **Threads** , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It’s a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community. * * *

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BladeoftheSun
@bladeofthes.bsky.social

Hundreds of French Thugs beat up a lone protestor in France. This is the message they send, unlimited violence with no consequences. Then they scream victim when the population learn the message THEY send.

odbof85
@odbof85.bsky.social

Palm oil expansion is not just a forest issue. In Pará, it fuels land conflicts that threaten Indigenous and Quilombola communities. Stand with forest defender Yuna Miriam Tembé. #RainforestRescue #ActForRainforest ✍️ Sign: rainforest-rescue.org/petitions/13...

rainforest-rescue.orgBrazil: Stop the judicial harassment of Indigenous forest defenders!Indigenous leader Yuna Miriam Tembé is urgently calling for help. She is being persecuted on fabricated charges for standing up to palm oil companies’ forest clearing, land grabbing and violence in th...

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We Own It
@weownit.org.uk

We should take our water into public ownership WITHOUT COMPENSATION - starting with Thames Water. Spot on @ewanmg.bsky.social Andy Burnham has a real opportunity to achieve this now by blocking the Thames Water bailout by Thursday 29th Oct Sign the petition NOW: vist.ly/5pdj7

odbof85
@odbof85.bsky.social

I’ve co-signed @labourlewis.bsky.social’s letter to Andy Burnham calling for public ownership of water. We already have ‘public control’. It's failed. £85bn+ extracted by shareholders, sewage in our rivers, bills going up. We need public ownership. Add your name: actionnetwork.org/petitions/la...

actionnetwork.orgLabour MPs to the Prime Minister: it's time to own our waterI’ve just added my name to Clive Lewis MP’s open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, calling for our water to be brought back into public hands. Private water companies have extracted billions whi...

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One_Alien
@one1alien.bsky.social

Replying to @marie-pierre.bsky.social

In Gaza, you dig a trench for a water pipe and uncover a body. You drive a tent peg into the ground and strike human bones. You clear the rubble of a home and recover another body. Gaza itself has become a graveyard.

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BladeoftheSun
@bladeofthes.bsky.social

This project is expected to generate about $130bn. The UK is expected to get just $15bn spread over 30 years. The Israeli company that owns the majority share will get about $50bn.