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Charlotte Smith

@charsmiffy.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.3K following 819 posts

Climate comms and all things German/ ex BBC/CNN/DWTV Journo. Currently clean on OPSEC

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Charlotte Smith
James Felton @jimmfelton.bsky.social · 21m
Man in a gilet stood on platform 12 gives up on reading the display and asks ChatGPT out loud if he is on the right platform for his train. I don’t want to be dramatic about it but Eratosthenes figured out the circumference of the Earth using a stick and knowledge of a distant well.
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Aron Lund @aronlund.bsky.social · 45m
Saudi Arabia stopped issuing missile warnings because “citizens had complained they were being woken by them at night.” Timour Azhari, @reuters.com: www.reuters.com/world/middle...
reuters.com
Saudi warning system stayed silent before deadly airport attacks
The government has not said why there were no alerts to the public. Their absence raises questions about Saudi Arabia's vulnerability to ‌attack and about its ability to protect residents and visitors...
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Reuters @reuters.com · 45m
Indonesia's Prabowo orders more resources to fight wildfires as haze anger grows reut.rs/3TwZAWU
reut.rs
Indonesia's Prabowo orders more resources to fight wildfires as haze anger grows
Indonesia's President ‌Prabowo Subianto has ordered the mobilisation of additional resources to combat wildfires, his government said on Tuesday, as criticism grew at home and abroad over Jakarta's response to fires that have blanketed the region in hazardous haze.
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Chris Jones @chrisjones1.bsky.social · 4h
Christ alive, that US deficit
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Charlotte Smith @charsmiffy.bsky.social · 1h
Absolutely extraordinary how they all exhibit these traits. Like they are so uncomfortable in their skin
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 2h
The boss of a French supermarket chain targeted by cyber attacks that forced its fridges to overheat has described the incident as an “unprecedented” and “extremely serious” attack on the country’s food security www.ft.com/content/6908...
ft.com
Cyber attack on French supermarket fridges raises alarm over food security
Some stores reported fridge temperatures as high as 80°C, melting equipment and destroying food
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Laura Phillips @lauraphillips.bsky.social · 16h
Roman Abramovich was the Russian oligarch who brought his wealth to the UK. But what’s the truth about Roman Abramovich’s fortune? Working with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, BBC Panorama investigates the documents that were falsified to hide his wealth and evade tax. On #BBCiPlayer 1/
bbc.co.uk
Panorama - Roman Abramovich: How He Hid His Fortune
He was the Russian oligarch who brought his wealth to the UK. But what’s the truth about Roman Abramovich’s fortune?
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Özgür Öğret @ozgurogret.bsky.social · 18h
We are reaching a crisis point with at least 22 journalists arrested or detained under the disinformation law this year alone. cpj.org?p=627230
cpj.org
Turkey: 4 more journalists arrested for ‘spreading disinformation’ as media crackdown intensifies - Committee to Protect Journalists
Istanbul, October 12, 2026—Turkey’s ongoing crackdown on independent media is continuing at an alarming pace with four more journalists arrested and placed under house arrest over the weekend on suspi...
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Naomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 16h
Excellent piece, and ends with a quote from John Kenneth Galbraith: “People of privilege will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage.” Sums up a lot of what @astra.bsky.social have been writing about in ETF... www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | What Happens When You Can No Longer Fight a Wildfire? (Gift Article)
This year’s fast moving, virtually irrepressible events are not the seasonal burns of decades past.
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 17h
This is very much a planned, conscious corporate tactic bsky.app/profile/keta...
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 22h
Everyone continues to underestimate the Houthis’ military power...suddenly these guys in flip-flops can double or triple your winter heating bills.” www.ft.com/content/bd2c...
ft.com
Houthis show military reach with deadly missile strikes on Riyadh
Yemen’s Iran-backed militants have evolved from insurgency into potent armed force
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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Eight years ago
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
It's this kind of behaviour from Russia that means we could soon find ourselves in a unpredictable escalation. www.ft.com/content/5da2...
ft.com
Russia steps up bid to kill European defence chiefs, spy agencies warn
Companies increase personal security for top executives as Kremlin orders expansion of sabotage and ‘hybrid’ operations
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Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Why on earth does this BBC piece on Burnham telling an interviewer the UK security services confirmed Russian interference in the Brexit referendum require a response from a pro Brexit pressure group? It's literally our Prime Minister telling us about election security. It's nothing to do with them.
The prime minister told The Rest is Politics podcast that upon arriving in No 10, he had asked about possible Russian interference in the 2016 vote, adding: "I've had the clear answer that, yes, there was."

"I think we've been too much on the back foot on that actually and we haven't informed people sufficiently about the extent to which people are seeking to disrupt the political process from overseas," he added.

Burnham did not provide further details about the type or extent of Moscow's activity during the Brexit referendum.

Britain Unbound, a pro-Brexit campaign group, said Burnham's comments were "another crude attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the decision that the British people made in 2016".

It said that foreign interference in UK elections was "obviously unacceptable" but added: "There is no good reason to believe that Russian intervention influenced the outcome of the referendum in 2016.
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Europe is the shield against imperialism. The US is gone.
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
The 2016 Brexit vote was targeted by Russian “state-sponsored interference”, Andy Burnham has said, as he warned voters in France and Germany about Kremlin-backed attempts to influence their countries’ politics.  www.ft.com/content/4fcb...
ft.com
Russia ‘interfered’ in 2016 Brexit vote, says Andy Burnham
UK prime minister calls for European voters to be better informed about efforts to disrupt democratic process
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Mark Lattimer @mglattimer.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
A ceasefire in name only. I spoke to Al Jazeera on the anniversary of the #Gaza ceasefire agreement and just 3 days after the anniversary of the 7 Oct attacks. mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/tYhucl...
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Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 11/10/2026
we all knew this one was coming
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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 11/10/2026
Incredible lead photograph on a story that feels like it really should've been getting more attention, even though there's a lot going on in the world...
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Rachel Sylvester @rachelsylvester.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Andy Burnham says UK authorities are “clear” there was Russian interference in the Brexit referendum as @catneilan.bsky.social reports in today’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
From Russia with interference: Burnham first PM to confir...
The prime minister has revealed UK authorities told him there was ‘clear evidence’ that Moscow meddled in the referendum
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Lev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Today is World Migratory Bird Day. Please say hello to the Pfeilstorch (‘arrow stork’). In 1822 this bird was shot in the German village of Klütz. It already had a 30-inch arrow in its neck. The arrow was made of African wood, and this bird played a pivotal role in our understanding of migration.
A stuffed stork – white with a black arse and red legs and bill. It has a long arrow through its neck.
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
I love taking the train between San Diego and Los Angeles since it's such a gorgeous view but there's just no way it'll still exist on the same track a generation from now. www.instagram.com/reels/DeSCAh...
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Christopher Miller @christopherjm.ft.com · 10/10/2026
US officials stepped up pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries and threatened to cut off vital intelligence sharing as Donald Trump announced a deal with Moscow to release diesel on to the world market. www.ft.com/content/7fd4... via @financialtimes.com
ft.com
US warns Kyiv that strikes on Russia jeopardise intelligence-sharing
Donald Trump’s administration delivered threat after Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised diesel deal with Moscow
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Rob Delaney @robdelaney.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
You will watch this to the end
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Christopher Miller @christopherjm.ft.com · 08/10/2026
The combined death toll from Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities over the past day and a half rose to at least 64 people. www.ft.com/content/fb4d...
ft.com
Russian bomb attack kills dozens at Ukraine bus stop
At least 30 die after aerial strike hits two passenger buses in frontline city of Kramatorsk
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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
They dragged him from his car, handcuffed him, blindfolded him with his own tie, pulled his court robe over his head, beat him and robbed him. For hours, some 15 settlers held the Palestinian lawyer captive and abused him www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
haaretz.com
'You're going to die, dog': Settlers took a lawyer captive and terrorized him
They dragged him from his car, handcuffed him, blindfolded him with his own tie, pulled his court robe over his head, beat him and robbed him. For hours, some 15 settlers held the Palestinian lawyer c...
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Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
It's both shameful and deeply humiliating for what was until recently the world's most powerful democracy to be reorienting itself so that it can be more like, and closer to, a second tier criminal autocracy like Russia.
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Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
It's important to recognise is that this *isn't* about the US getting "back" to business with Russia, because there's never been much US-Russia business of any kind beyond arms control. What the Trump admin is pushing for is an unprecedented alignment of the US with Russia.
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Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 10/10/2026
The START of this clip made me do a double take: new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia sits on the board of White Rose Resistance, an organization that wants to *prosecute abortion patients for homicide* www.ms.now/opinion/abor...
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James Waterhouse @jameswaterhouse.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Why the French school protests are a portal into wider issues facing a generation & crumbling political centre ground. For From Our Own Correspondent on @BBCSounds @BBCRadio4 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
From Our Own Correspondent - France rocked by wave of student protests - BBC Sounds
Hundreds of thousands of students are protesting over the dire state of France's schools.
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Paul Eric @pauleric70.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Christopher Hitchens speaking about Zionism....
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 10/10/2026
This is a brilliant piece about the ecological - and animal welfare - cost of sheep farming bengoldsmith.substack.com/p/the-sheep-...
bengoldsmith.substack.com
The sheep are not okay
Upland sheep farming is not only a catastrophe for nature and an economic dead-end; it’s also an animal welfare nightmare
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LiberalDespot @druidic.org · 10/10/2026
Meanwhile, in #Siena "a genuine social and economic emergency". Fruit & vegetables up 12% (cherry tomatoes over 50%) closely followed by meat and eggs. Caused by fuel price rises and direct climate change effects. www.radiosienatv.it/siena-mangia...
radiosienatv.it
Siena, mangiare sano diventa un lusso: spesa più cara di 730 euro all’anno | Radio Siena Tv
Comprare frutta e verdura fresca è diventato un lusso proibitivo per migliaia di famiglie senesi, costrette quotidianamente a fare i conti con un carovita insostenibile che intacca direttamente il dir...
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
NHS faces exodus of ADHD and autism services staff to private clinics. Low wages have caused brain drain, loss of skilled staff. Part of privatisation of the NHS by stealth. Private sector picks up NHS contracts, profiteers, higher cost to public purse, increases NHS queues.
theguardian.com
NHS faces exodus of ADHD and autism services staff to private clinics
Brain drain of psychologists, psychiatrists and nurses leaves NHS ‘weaker’, driving patients to seek care elsewhere
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Charlotte Smith @charsmiffy.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Wow, the Putin PR machine is really revving up
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10/10/2026
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia nods along on Fox & Friends as Rachel Campos-Duffy blasts that "ingrate Zelenskyy who keeps blowing up refineries and making things more complicated for the president ahead of the midterms"
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 10/10/2026
Trawl fishing brings in huge hauls. It also scrapes the seafloor and traps sharks, rays and turtles.
bit.ly
Trawl fishing catches huge amounts of seafood. It can also devastate the seafloor
Trawling is a fishing method using large nets to catch fish and shellfish in bulk. Bottom trawls scrape the seafloor for species such as cod and shrimp, while pelagic trawls target fish higher in the water.
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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ZELENSKYY: At this very moment, when we are talking about peace, America gives Russia the opportunity to export diesel — that's millions, billions. It all goes toward the war against people, against Ukraine, against all of us.
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Xela Hart @xelahart.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 09/10/2026
"Many people prefer to believe the brutes and the sadists are responsible, largely because they are not like 'us,'" writes @omerbartov.bsky.social. "But modern genocide is the product of the technocrats, bureaucrats and cold planners of extermination, who don’t get their hands dirty."
theguardian.com
How do human beings explain taking part in genocide? NAZA provides a chilling look | Omer Bartov
It’s easier to blame brutes and sadists for extreme violence. But as we see in the documentary, modern genocides are fueled by people who are uncomfortably recognizable
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Traitors. The world will remember next time you try to name someone disarm..
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 09/10/2026
This absolutely crazy message is fed to young evangelical girls constantly. No wonder so many are leaving. It's so harmful to the ones who stay.
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Olena Halushka @halushka.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Let me make this very clear. Diesel prices have spiked because of Trump's war against Iran. Ukraine has nothing to do with it. But by buying russian diesel now, Americans will be helping fund the murder of Ukrainian children in their beds. Congratulations, folks.
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Cheri Jacobus @cherijacobus.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"I think we need to be really honest about the fact and say it with some frequency that oligarchs control the media in the United States of America" says Chicago veteran news exec, reporter, and producer, @newsjennifer.bsky.social jenniferschulze.substack.com
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Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Simply read this summary on what is driving the increased prevalence of mental health distress from the long awaiting final independent report into teenage mental health. Now compare it to the public discussion on mental health which basically comes down to social media and over-diagnosis.
The rise in mental distress among children and young people has unfolded alongside profound changes in the conditions of childhood. No single cause explains it. Family life, education, communities, digital environments and economic security all influence whether children feel safe and connected, have time to recover, can participate in everyday life and can look to the future with confidence.

Among the possible drivers, digital environments and educational pressures show the closest correspondence with the timing and pattern of rising distress. Neither is likely to be the principal cause. The evidence indicates that these environments have become more significant contributors than for previous generations, interacting with family circumstances, economic insecurity and existing vulnerability rather than operating alone. Continuous comparison and visible evaluation, disrupted sleep, reduced opportunities for belonging and recovery, and growing uncertainty may reinforce one another.

The strongest protective factors for mental health are supportive parenting relationships, positive educational experiences, and community participation and belonging. The pandemic, economic insecurity, pressures on families and the decline of community infrastructure do not explain the trend on their own, but they have intensified pressures and weakened sources of protection. These effects are not evenly distributed. Children experiencing poverty, discrimination, SEND, care experience or family stress often bear the greatest burden.

Prevention cannot rest solely on helping children cope with environments that place growing demands on them. It also requires action to improve those environments: more inclusive schools; protected time for rest, play and belonging; stronger community infrastructure; reduced poverty and insecurity; practical support for parents and carers; and enforceable duties on digital platforms to protect children while preserving the connection and support they can pro…
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Charlotte Smith @charsmiffy.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Ooh, may I ask where ?
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
NEW: Kemi Badenoch’s flagship party conference policy document, The Right Way, overestimated the cost of net zero by nearly £500bn, seemingly after someone accidentally double-counted figures on a spreadsheet. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error
Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data
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Mark Grimshaw @markgrimshawtism.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
A fascinating editorial decision from the BBC, to make the headline a scaremongering “AUTISM AND ADHD ARE BEING OVERDIAGNOSED”, and then, four bullet points later, have the author of the report quoted as essentially saying “nah, that’s bullshit, actually”.
ADHD and autism at risk of over-diagnosis, says report, as author warns of rise in mental ill health
Summary
• An official review in England finds there is a risk of people being over-diagnosed with
ADHD and autism - three key findings from the report
• As well as neurodevelopmental conditions, the review looks at mental ill health, particularly in younger people. Our health correspondent explains the difference
• It was commissioned earlier this year after Wes Streeting, then the health secretary, said there was an "over-diagnosis" of mental health conditions
• Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme earlier, review chair Prof Peter Fonagy said Streeting was "with respect, completely wrong"
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