Just say no to Peat. Bloody ridiculous that we are using it for our mostly imported ornamental plants (amongst other things)

A reminder in the Conversation that the Prescott memo would have been shredded as a piece of work by any half-decent editor, BBC or otherwise. Reminds me of Lebowski: 'Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.' theconversation.com/bbc-bias-the...

I think I must have been at the same Dick Gaughan gig at the Greystones in Sheffield as Richard Hawley. Hard to conceive that a musician of his stature has been treated this way. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

Wow, this is sad. Such a talent. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

A thorough review of my book Himalaya in the Kathmandu Post. Great that after five years it’s still getting attention. But you really can see Everest from Kathmandu, with the right conditions. kathmandupost.com/art-culture/...

Terracotta Army vibes here. China has long wanted a compliant population and has hit on the ruse of cutting out the middlemen (and women).

A streak of colour on a grey day. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I’m enjoying the new Observer and this piece from Andrew Anthony on Felix Baumgartner is outstanding. Articulates so much of what I feel about Red Bull, social media and adventure. observer.co.uk/style/featur...

Pleased to be part of this hugely significant legal challenge. The Boris Johnson Govt first suppressed the Russia report & then refused to act on it. As evidence mounts of Putin’s hybrid warfare, it’s vital that we can be confident in the robustness of our democratic systems

Labour has disappointed in so many ways but it’s failure to understand China is especially annoying. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This.

And if you’re wondering who Labour is listening to? “Reeves boasted she hatched plan to rip down our nature protections over a “smoked salmon & scrambled eggs breakfast” with corporate lobbyists”. While Starmer’s resolve to kick down planning rules are result of his “conversations with leading CEOs”

A story in three parts

Goldfinches, whinchats and life-giving cattle on the moor in today's @theguardian.com country diary by @calmandfearless.bsky.social. #countrydiary #naturewriting

Excellent to see Labour MPs call on the government to leave Elon Musk's hate-filled X. Doing so would spark an exodus of journalists & public bodies. Thank you @bengoldsborough.bsky.social @sarahowen.org.uk @alexballingermp.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/news/article...

What do you do with a democracy that refuses to serve the demos – the people? For 75 years now, following Nepal’s short-lived experiment with democracy in 1950, each generation has had to answer this question anew. My view on where Nepal stands now: www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/b6403fe...

Obvs, leave X, because it's mad. But also, is one of the differences between the hard left and right the amount of drugs being hoovered up? Tiny Tommy and his coke rages, Elon and his k-holes, Nige and his anxious fag breaks.

From producing cars that catch fire, to trying to burn down democracies.

UPEND THE ESTABLISHMENT, by voting for a party composed entirely of rejects from the oldest party in the country that was in power for 14 years. 😂 Reform UK increasingly look like the Tories just ran off stage, then ran back on wearing a comedy glasses-nose-moustache disguise.

Mind you, Ant Middleton was always a twat.

Nepal has its first female prime minister, in her 70s, but a former chief justice who will be a big advance on the men in their 70s who were throttling the country. nepalitimes.com/news/madam-p...

Fewer than half the calories grown on farms now reach our plates The world produced enough calories in 2020 to feed 15 billion people – but only 50 per cent of those calories ended up reaching people's plates. www.newscientist.com/article/2493...

Such a complicated issue but I’m with Ruth Tingay here. If you put 60 million pheasants and partridges into the countryside, foxes will do well. And curlews won’t. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Completed in 1908, it was built by Chandra Shumsher Rana, then the prime minister, who immediately sold it to the Nepali state. Chandra, a hardliner, replaced a reformist regime in a coup, ushered into power by his mate Lord Curzon...

Astonishing to see Singha Durbar burning in Kathmandu. Symbol of a systemic failure of government.

More excellent news: UK government bans burning on deep peat in England – Raptor Persecution UK raptorpersecutionuk.org/2025/09/09/m...

Great footage and a mesmerising bird.

Me looking at seals looking at me. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

I've been watching Nepali politics for 30 years now, and the cry from young people has been pretty much the same: stop the corruption. www.reuters.com/business/med...

Police open fire on demonstrators across Nepal killing 19. That death toll will rise, I'm sure. Banning WhatsApp was the inciting incident but government corruption lies at the heart of unrest. kathmandupost.com/national/202...

Had a hangover yesterday so did something unusual and bought an actual newspaper, The Observer, which I hugely enjoyed, as opposed to news online. Will do that again. Although without the hangover.

Totally this. Reform is basically Truss but less competent and with added racism. Very beatable.

It's been wild light and dramatic skies in the Peak this week. Time of year Seamus Heaney caught in Postscript: 'the wind / And the light are working off each other.'

The crime isn't dodging tax, the crime is dodging tax badly.

New York does not miss. The bleach did it for me. 😭

Incredible find by reserves officer Jasmin! This beautiful wasp spider is weaving an enormous egg sac. Once it’s filled with eggs then, sadly, her work is done and she won’t see another year. But we’ll be on the lookout for wasp spiderlings in spring! @wildlifebcn.org @britishspiders.bsky.social

Bracken bashing in today's Country Diary, if you fancy it. Might be a bit too hot. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Sheffield campaigners launch bid to buy Moscar Moor for the community Local Labour councillor Minesh Parekh said: “I look forward to people making use of the upcoming 'Community Right to Buy' legislation to bring mismanaged land into community hands” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“If drivers had to pay the full and true costs of motoring the only people who could afford to drive would be multi-millionaires.” My letter about the hidden costs of motoring is in the latest @privateeyenews.bsky.social

For those who think building regs are put there to annoy developers and limit the economy...

🛑 Stop grouse shooting 📣 Join our walk to protest against this cruel and environmentally destructive practice. 🗓 10.30am on Sunday 10th August 📍Redmires Reservoir Car Park 🥾 Hike ~3km easygoing trail to a meeting point where we will gather for speeches and music

A fuller analysis of how Nepal became one of the leaders in the EV switch. Yet not a word about putting bike lanes into a city that was almost made for them and where cycling is much faster than a taxi. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/b...

Nepal's EV sales are booming, but so are diesel imports. Make your minds up guys. kathmandupost.com/money/2025/0...

The cynic in me anticipates the Russian announcement of a meeting, probs in Turkey, probs for about three weeks' time, that will achieve nothing much.

After extensive research into the current book market, I’ve identified five potentially award-winning concepts for my next project. But which one should I go with?

NEW: Landmark decision on UK's failure to investigate Russian interference to be handed down tomorrow. A five-year legal battle in UK and European courts comes to a head: will we finally - learn the truth about the Kremlin & the Brexit vote?

Am watching Human on the BBC. 5 stars in the Guardian etc. Ella Al-Shamahi is good but it seems a bit creaky. Was sapiens really the first human to reach Sahul? What about all that Denisovan DNA? And let's hear it for Homo erectus. They lasted 2m years. More than we'll manage.

Two faces of climate change. The glacial lake outburst flood that devastated Nepal's one properly functioning trade link with China. And the lack of monsoon rain meaning farmers can't plant rice. kathmandupost.com/climate-envi...