Ex Chief Global Corr. NBC, International Ed. ITN, Sky, BBC. Now mentoring. Still husband, father, runner, Triathlete, wine lover & forever Leeds United fan.

London
Joined November 2009
A man who kills civilians, every day, is a "humanitarian" ? Who kidnaps children? Who authorizes soldiers to use torture and rape?
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff just told Putin he is a humanitarian. This is completely fucking insane.
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This is Trump’s useful idiot talking to Putin. Never has an American diplomat (unappointed, unconfirmed, unofficial) been so ineffective, inappropriate & ignorant.
Witkoff to Putin: “You talk so much about my president, President Trump, being a humanitarian -- you are a humanitarian also, sir, and I salute that.”
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Excellent analysis by @gideonrachman We need to see 1.Wars are beginning to link up 2.Alliances based on old commitments(“a scrap of paper”)may trigger world war. It happened before. Tripwires are plenty; Baltics,Taiwan,Iran & 1 he didn’t note, Kaliningrad digitaleditionapp.ft.com/i9D…
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"It didn't happen, but even if it did, we didn't do it, or even if we did, it was THEIR FAULT" This is so childish.
The Prime Minister’s Office: The facts surrounding the confrontation near Abu Falah, during which Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was allegedly assaulted, remain unclear and are under investigation. Israel unequivocally condemns violence against anyone—Jews, Arabs, Christians or journalists. Those responsible will be held accountable. But serious questions remain. Reports indicate some 200 Arabs and far-left activists confronted approximately 40 Israeli youths. Footage shows masked individuals on both sides hurling objects, amid reports of fireworks fired at Jewish youths. Other footage appears to show Levine knocked down and immediately helped to her feet by the same unidentified individual. The investigation must establish the facts, including who initiated the violence. We will not allow disputed incidents to be exploited to demonize the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria. The facts must determine the conclusions. Not the headlines.
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Sean, Sarah, Stephanie, Kayleigh, Karoline, Katie. Do you notice a pattern here? Yup, that’s right. Most don’t last long. None finished a 2nd year. His first just made 6 months. His last didn’t last a week. Covering up for a serial liar is a tough job. bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck0j3z1q…
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Israeli settlers attack and seriously injure a Washington Post reporter. “Let me die” she pleads as she’s taken to safety. It’s a glimpse of what their thugs do to Palestinians daily. They attacked villagers & burnt olive trees before targeting the journalist. @wapo
Replying to @infinite_jaz
Severe settler + soldier attack on olive harvesters in Abu Falah. American WaPo journalist Heidi Levine badly wounded. Machine gunfire—at least one Palestinian shot. Tear gas. Soldiers assaulting journalists.
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Wow. Zacharia surely can’t survive this. Trump suggests she “reconsider” her new job. This makes Sean Spicer’s time at the podium look impressive. Everyone who comes close to him gets burned or betrayed. cnbc.com/amp/2026/10/16/trum…
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Trump calls off live-streaming of execution of Fort Hood killer. Who knows, perhaps after the Tennessee fiasco of the botched execution of a woman, Trump worried the firing squad might miss? bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crx2…
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Congressman Massie is making the point that no one in the US has been arrested, never mind convicted, due to their close association with the paedophile criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Unlike in the UK, Norway & elsewhere in Europe. But then Trump’s US doesn’t like to turn on its own.
🚨🇺🇸 Thomas Massie has begun naming people from the Epstein files on the House floor.
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Couldn’t happen to a nicer team right now than @ManCity. No, wait… there’s @ChelseaFC. Oh, and @ManUtd. Anyway, bye bye Man. City. Your punishment, if there’s justice, is banishment to League 2. It happened to Rangers, Juventus & others, so about time you sucked it up. @LUFC!
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His Ambassador, his new Press secretary, his Defence secretary, his former Director of National Intelligence, & so many other of his senior appointments, plus the scores he has not filled, are testament to this utterly shallow, foolish President. nytimes.com/2026/10/13/us/po… @nytimes
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Amid wars in the Mid East, 1 caused by the US, a war in Ukraine supplied by US weapons & Intell. & a war in Sudan being watched closely by the US, the Pentagon has said to its media corps in 6 months…. NOTHING. That’s Trump’s idea of democratic freedom. #CallItARegime
While X debates the performance of Katie Zacharia at her first White House news conference, the Pentagon hasn't held one since May 5.
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Things are about to get a lot nastier in the Saudi/Houthi/Iran War. And this will have consequences for every Western & Asian country, for the US military & its allies, for the global economy & for your fuel bill.
NEW: Following initial reports for Reuters that the Saudi ARAMCO Headquarters was struck by Ansar Allah in the past hour and is on fire, it is now being reported that ARAMCO employees working at the site have been instructed to work from home tomorrow.
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Few Western journalists have got anywhere near this story in recent years. The standout exception is @YousraElbagir @SkyNews who has consistently followed the horrors & the effect on her own family. Her recent piece is on empty warehouses & hungry Sudanese, thanks to Trump.
Sudan is already the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and it's getting worse. That's because of many reasons, including war, El Nino, global aid cuts that were led by the US, and anemic international efforts to stop the arms flow into Sudan that keeps the war going.
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Politically motivated? Inspired by & conducted by the Trump regime (sic)? What do you think? And as a supplementary, is Mohammed a Muslim?
US federal agents have searched the home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Muslim and a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, as part of an investigation that was linked to alleged immigration fraud. So why has the search caused such alarm? aje.news/3nsu76
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Trump in the crosshairs. Ducking and diving.
New: According to a new filing on the docket, President Trump was scheduled to be deposed by lawyers for the BBC THIS FRIDAY. But then after a period of radio silence, Trump's team told the BBC that he is no longer available on that date "due to other matters of national importance." Trump's team proposed the second or third week of January 2027, a month after discovery for the case closes. The BBC is asking the judge "to compel Plaintiff to confirm a date for his deposition, notify the BBC of a secure location where such deposition is possible and any other logistics required to ensure Plaintiff’s safety, and sit for the deposition, as the core rules of discovery require."
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This isn’t like any Presidential Press Sec. I recognise (but I was in this briefing room under Bush Snr. & Clinton) Her looks are irrelevant, tho’ consistent with Trump. Zacharia’s competence is another matter. Couldn’t answer 1st policy qu. youtube.com/live/NQe35Oc6Do0… via @YouTube
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Bravo, with caveats.
I’m celebrating (if that’s quite the right word) the 60th anniversary of my arrival at the BBC in 1996. Tomorrow (Tues) at 9 pm BBC Two will mark it with a documentary, which will then be available on iPlayer. It’s been made by the brilliant Simon Lister, and does me proud.
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