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Chris King

@chrisfk.bsky.social
1.1K followers 911 following 1.9K posts

Double nationalité franco-britannique, universitaire en droit, amateur d'art et de musique. Résident de la République Populaire de Stirchley (Birmingham) et du Haut-Limousin. Pas de DMs SVP.

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Reposted by Chris King
Birmingham Green Party @brumgreens.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
These threats are not regarded as some far-off or remote contingency: disastrous impacts, for instance on the UK’s food supply, could be expected as soon as 2030, it warns. One person who had seen the whole report described it to the Guardian as “apocalyptic”. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Why is the UK’s suppressed climate national security report significant?
Warnings about the catastrophic effects of vital ecosystems collapsing were not published under previous prime minister
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Daniel C. Blight @danielcblight.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
***URGENT PLEASE SHARE*** University of Brighton management have announced today that they ‘give notice of termination of all collective agreements’. This is a fundamental erasure of workers' rights. Management have announced the termination of all contractual documents, which includes:
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Renoir heist reopens a dark chapter in French history The two artworks stolen last week had previously made their way into the hands of Nazis during wartime, and illuminate one of the catastrophes of 20th-century Europe ✍️ Catherine Ostler bit.ly/4rag4jN
bit.ly
The Renoir heist reopens a dark chapter in French history
The two artworks stolen last week had previously made their way into the hands of Nazis during wartime, and illuminate one of the catastrophes of 20th-century Europe
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Given Delo has a previous conviction for money laundering (but was subsequently pardoned by Trump), there's surely a chance that at least part of the money has a criminal source. I hope that Reform has done its due diligence. If not they may be committing an offence under AMLR/PCA by accepting it.
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We're Right Here @right-here.org · 09/09/2026
Stirchley Co-operative Development in Birmingham is at risk of collapse after a dispute over spiralling costs with the developer. Community-led housing needs to be backed, not blocked. Learn more: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026... See their bond offer: www.stirchley.coop/invest/
theguardian.com
‘The soul’s been ripped out of it’: Birmingham community housing scheme on brink over costs dispute
Row over ‘landmark’ development in Stirchley has left people homeless and put businesses at risk, say locals
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M Meerkat @kackbro.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
THIS 👇 HERE, PLEASE........
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Great news that Justin Bates KC will be trying to keep the Nearly Legal housing law blog going despite the very sad death of its founder, Giles Peaker. Justin needs help, though. If you are into housing law, take a look: nearlylegal.co.uk/2026/08/tech...
nearlylegal.co.uk
Technical difficulties and plans for the future - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment
I am sorry that the site has been down for a few days. It was nothing more complicated than missed payments to the hosting company which Giles had been unable to authorise, for obvious reasons. I want...
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Katya King @katyavdgk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Doctors’ AI scribes get names of drugs and diagnoses wrong, NHS watchdog warns www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Doctors’ AI scribes get names of drugs and diagnoses wrong, NHS watchdog warns
Exclusive: Patients identify errors in consultation transcripts that are missed by GPs, Healthwatch England finds
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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 23/08/2026
I don’t know why there are 500+ academics who‘ve concluded Nathan Confas was suspended for whistleblowing when it was clearly for breaching the contract he has with his employer. Once again, this is not about free speech, it‘s about terms of employment.
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
With trans rights under attack as never before, we need to show our support for the trans community. Will you join us? goodlawproject.org/s/d23a8a
goodlawproject.org
I stand with trans people | Good Law Project
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Chai Patel @chaipatel.net · 24/07/2026
I have seen a fair bit of poorly informed dismissal of the significance of the prosecution of Rajiv Menon KC for giving a defence speech. Here is the chair of the Criminal Bar Association on it. youtu.be/9KkRP5aumZU?...
youtu.be
Riel Karmy Jones KC (Chair of the Criminal Bar Association) on the Rajiv Menon KC case
YouTube video by Defend Our Lawyers
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Did you know a barrister is facing prison just for reminding a jury they have the right to vote with their conscience? This historic right has existed since 1670. We can't let it be silenced in court now. Add your name to help protect Britain's juries: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...
you.38degrees.org.uk
Save Britain's Juries
Juries have had the right to acquit based on their conscience for centuries. Now, a barrister is facing jail just for mentioning it in court. Add your name to help save Britain's juries.
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Juliet E McKenna @julietemckenna.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Was I alone in noticing the BBC commentator's wonderful example of Colemanballs arithmetic during the Mex v Eng match? It was something like 'England are playing with 10 men, while Mexico have 12 - the 11 on the pitch and the 70,000 Mexican fans in the stadium.'. So 11 +70,000 = 12? Fair enough!
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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Come and join the fun at #CoCoMad? @betterstreetsforbirmingham.org
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Planets you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite. www.cbsnews.com/news/super-p...
cbsnews.com
Astronomers find 2 gigantic planets lighter than cotton candy: "Comparable to a nice blob of shaving foam"
The featherweight pair — orbiting a star 1,110 light-years away — are the biggest exoplanets found to have less density than cotton candy.
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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The Stirchley Community Development / GreenSquareAccord debacle has made the Guardian ...
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
On the homeward trail through the roadworks on the M20. Sunset seen through filthy windscreen.
View through a car windscreen on a motorway.  The back of a lorry immediately in front with traffic cones to the left of our lane.   In the upper left quadrant, a flame-coloured setting sun.  The sky ranging from brilliant yellow-orange advice to violet-grey toward the horizon.
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Interesting selection of birds identified by Merlin app on our first evening of our latest stay at our place in Limousin. Only the third time is as many years that I've heard a Golden Oriole and I've never encountered a Red-backed Shrike before, either here or anywhere else.
Screen-shot from Merlin app with list of birds identified during a recording session with a pic of each bird to the left of its name:  From the top: Common Chaffinch, Common Chiffchaff, Eurasian Blackbird, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Blue Tit and Red-backed Shrike.
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University and College Union (UCU) @ucu.org.uk · 11/06/2026
We condemn the monstrous attack that took place on Monday evening on Stephen Ogilvy. Our thoughts are with him and his family. There can never be any justification for racism, vigilantism, or collective blame. Please read our full statement: ucu.org.uk/article/1454...
ucu.org.uk
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Dimitri Tilloi-d’Ambrosi @dimitri-tilloi.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Très belle et très intéressante exposition « Une journée au XVIIIe siècle - Chronique d’un hôtel particulier » à voir au Musée des Arts décoratifs jusqu’au 5 juillet.
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Frank Witte 🇪🇺 🇳🇱 🇩🇪 🇨🇵 @alarcos.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
The issues raised in this piece apply equally well, and perhaps even more urgently, to UK universities. Having been an elected Faculty Council member & Chair in the years before coming to the UK my impression is that managerial overreach and democratic deficits are even starker in the UK.
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Museums Association @museumsassociation.org · 27/05/2026
News | National Trust opens three textile exhibitions 🪡 Journeys – Global Textiles from the Karun Thakar Collection is being held at Osterley Park, Blickling Estate and Dyrham Park
museumsassociation.org
National Trust opens three textile exhibitions - Museums Association
Journeys – Global Textiles from the Karun Thakar Collection is being held at Osterley Park, Blickling Estate and Dyrham Park
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I wasn't sure if Burham had yet been confirmed as the Labour candidate for the Makerfield by-election, so I asked Google: 'Has Andy Burnham been confirmed as the... ', and here are Google's suggestions for the rest of my question.
Google search.  I typed in the words "Has Andy Burnham been confirmed as the" and the screen-shot shows Google's top two suggestions as being "the new Pope" and "the next Pope".
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Portrait looted by Nazis found in home of Dutch SS leader’s descendants www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Portrait looted by Nazis found in home of Dutch SS leader's descendants
The painting is believed to have been plundered by high-ranking Nazi Hermann Goering during World War Two.
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Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 08/05/2026
France passes law on the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during colonial rule
lemonde.fr
France passes law on the restitution of cultural artifacts looted during colonial rule
The law, which fulfills a promise Emmanuel Macron made to a crowd of young African people in 2017, allows the government to approve the restitution of looted artifacts by decree, rather than requiring a specific law for each case.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Anyone who votes for this party knows what they are voting for and every single one of them is deserving of our utter contempt. It should be as socially unacceptable to vote for them as it was to vote BNP 20 years ago.
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Pascal Jacquemain @jacquep.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Barrister in Palestine Action trial facing contempt of court proceedings Rajiv Menon KC accused of defying judge’s orders to not inform jury of right to acquit on basis of conscience | UK news | The Guardian share.google/M2uld1lzCT0t...
share.google
Barrister in Palestine Action trial facing contempt of court proceedings
Rajiv Menon KC accused of defying judge’s orders to not inform jury of right to acquit on basis of conscience
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
New room opening at the Musée d'Orsay today displaying works known or believed to have been looted by the Nazis or subject to forced sale during WW2, including a Renoir, a Degas and a probable Cézanne. www.thetimes.com/world/europe...
thetimes.com
Musée d’Orsay displays Renoir and Degas works looted by Nazis
Unclaimed artworks thought to have been stolen or forcibly sold during the occupation of France are the stars of a new gallery
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
I have just learned the French name for the butterfly called in English a Comma (because of the little markings in the shape of commas on the underside of its wings). It's 'Robert le diable', i. e. Bob the devil, for some reason.
A Comma - a brown/orange speckled butterfly with very unevenly indented wing-edges, resting on a bristly flower-head with its wings half-closed, displaying the small white comma-shaped marking, which gives this species its name, on the underside of its wing.  Green foliage in the background.
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Paul Langley @paullangley.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
University management spent £80 million on new building that wasn't needed (presently for sale at £14 million) and now decide 600 staff should go to 'save' £50 million. This is the math currently shaping future of UK HE. Staff paying the price for mismanagement. Govt looking the other way
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Sarah E. Bond @sarahebond.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
A heartbreaking 💔 and important piece. “Scholars have warned that Azerbaijan’s targeted destruction of these sites, having accelerated since the swift and deadly 2023 takeover of the Artsakh region, amounts to ‘cultural genocide.’” hyperallergic.com/azerbaijan-d... by @surrhealism.bsky.social
hyperallergic.com
Azerbaijan Destroys Armenian Holy Mother of God Church in Artsakh
Satellite imagery confirms that the regime demolished the church in Artsakh’s former capital city of Stepanakert.
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Philippe Prudent @phprudent.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Très intéressante exposition, au @museecarnavalet.bsky.social, consacrée à la vie de la marquise de Sévigné, à l'occasion des 400 ans de sa naissance. Les visiteurs peuvent y redécouvrir le Paris du Grand Siècle sur lequel la grande épistolière portait un regard acéré. À voir jusqu'au 23 août.
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Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
In general, (re)orienting education wholly or chiefly to specific perceived market needs is always going to produce disaster once the near term passes. It also eviscerates institutions that might otherwise help people weather change, intellectually and in other ways
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Officially relaunched Stand For All, with updated website, for freelance work on comms, policy and advocacy, along with media/advocacy training, including, but not limited to: ✅Migrants' rights ✅Trans rights ✅Autism/ADHD ✅Parliamentary engagement Also available for media requests standforall.co.uk
Stand For All logo
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Quite a good haul of birds on the Merlin app on my three-and-a-half minute walk along the edge of my local suburban Birmingham park earlier.
List of birds identified in a Merlin app listening session.  List is arranged vertically , with a thumbnail pic of each bird on left with name of each bird on right.
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Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 07/04/2026
Donald Trump is deranged. He must be impeached and removed from office. Republicans who don’t stop him will have blood on their hands, and anyone who carries out an order to bomb civilian targets will be complicit in war crimes and will be held accountable.
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Law Centres Network @lawcentres.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Because #accesstojustice only works if it works in practice.
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BladeoftheSun @bladeofthes.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
The Government is considering scrapping the NHS-Palantir deal. Do you want Palantir out of the NHS? RT if you do. #PalantirOUT
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
This evening's Limousin sunset.
Twilight view of distant trees with red sun setting behind them and firey sky above.  Several telephone wires cross the picture - 3 parallel ones at an oblique angle from top left corner towards the trees and two almost horizontally crossing the pic towards the top.
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Not an ideal start to Sunday evening. Spotted intruder armed with hammer in back garden, intruder tried to smash back door to get into house. I called police from back bedroom while observing perp climbing fences to get from one neighbour's garden to the next. I ended up giving statement to police.
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Snoozy #Caturday.
Dark tortie cat curled up asleep on unmade bed.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
'some creative arts graduates don’t appear to earn a significant graduate premium, but the UK’s creative industries are worth £125bn a year or, to put it another way, more than £1 in every £20 in the UK economy – a larger proportion of the nation’s wealth than almost any other country on earth.' 1/3
wonkhe.com
Creative arts graduates aren't the problem – they're the subsidy
Johnny Rich argues that low graduate salaries in the arts aren't a sign of poor courses – they're a sign of an industry that profits from exploiting its workforce
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
M. Goodwin: "... the progressives were told how to vote, ...what you saw was a coalition of Islamists and woke progressives that came together..." To him, "progressive" is a derogatory term for Reforms opponents. RefUK clearly opposes progress, so what do they call their supporters: Retrogressives?
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Interesting Chinese art law case: family of donor to state-run museum of Ming Dynasty hand-scroll spot it in auction catalogue and take legal action. Museum's defence: they de-accessioned and disposed of it after post-acquisiton determination that it's a fake: www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-as...
independent.co.uk
Museum embroiled in corruption scandal after priceless artwork resurfaces in auction
Painting once deemed a forgery and ‘transferred’ by museum appears at auction at an estimated price of £9.3m
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Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Ireland launches world first scheme to provide basic income for artists. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Ireland announces scheme to provide basic income for artists
The Basic Income for Artists (BIA) project is believed to be the first permanent one of its kind in the world.
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Chris King @chrisfk.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Schnork looking very cosy in her table-bed. Originally one of those cat-shelves attached to a window, but Scnork turned her nose up at it - too awkward to jump up there and don't think she thought it looked all that she safe, so now it's a table-bed and she loves it! #Caturday
Dark tortie cat, lying in shallow cream-colored  bed on a wooden table-top.
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Rebecca Wynter @rebeccawynter.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Incandescent. One of the best pieces I've read about what university means to people and their communities - and what will happen to a city and people after one closes. The *Labour* government and Jaqui Smith in particular should be ashamed of themselves and shamed into doing something. Deplorable.
theguardian.com
‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degr...
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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Brilliant.
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