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David Leask

@leaskyd.bsky.social
2.5K followers 1.6K following 1.8K posts

Reporter, The Times/Sunday Times. Get me at david.leask@thetimes.co.uk.

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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 10h
In England this would be a criminal offence. In Scotland it soon will be. It’s certainly an actionable breach of journalistic ethics in most European rule-of-law democracies.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 11h
Never underestimate the wisdom of a backbench sub. www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/...
heraldscotland.com
Formidable journalist who helped steer The Herald through turbulent times
‘A perfect example of what a good, experienced journalist should be’
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 13h
Hiya. Are you English? Fancy a holiday in Scotland? But can’t afford it? If so, I’d like to interview you for the Sunday Times.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 13h
Hiya. Are you English? Fancy a holiday in Scotland? But can’t afford it? If so, I’d like to interview you for the Sunday Times.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 20h
There is so much democratic backsliding in America…..but sometimes it’s worth just zooming in on one little episode to understand just how far US public life has degraded in the last few years. This is one of those times.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The tragedy that forced Serbia’s strongman to call elections www.thetimes.com/article/3c82...
thetimes.com
The tragedy that forced Serbia’s strongman to call elections
In 2024, 16 died when a station roof collapsed. Now voters have the chance to elect a government untainted by the corruption the disaster came to epitomise
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Why ‘London-style’ coffee shops are taking over in Paris (or the Bobos are switching to flat whites) www.thetimes.com/article/1afd...
thetimes.com
Why ‘London-style’ coffee shops are taking over in Paris
Sites offering menus in English and better brews are encroaching on traditional Paris cafés still serving the beverage known as ‘sock juice’
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Jet-powered drones hit Kyiv in deadly daytime attack www.thetimes.com/article/b71d...
thetimes.com
Jet-powered drones hit Kyiv in deadly daytime attack
The National Academy of Sciences was targeted on Monday by drones with Chinese-made engines that can fly at up to 500km/h and strike during the day
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...
thetimes.com
Scotch bottled in Russia puts Dewar’s reputation on the rocks
Bacardi, the owner of the historic Scottish brand, has been accused of ‘shamefully’ bolstering President Putin’s war budget by continuing to trade in Russia
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The blogger Craig Murray has popped up in Russia. What is actually most interesting about this story - in my personal view, FWIW - is that Putin’s mob can’t get anyone more credible or significant to attend their “do’s”. www.thetimes.com/article/9d44...
thetimes.com
Russia uses Swinney’s Celtic alliance to question future of UK
The Kremlin seized on the pact’s declaration that ‘Westminster’s time is coming to an end’ to cast doubt on Britain’s place on the UN security council
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Spaniards take to the street over eviction of 87-year-old www.thetimes.com/article/228e...
thetimes.com
Spaniards take to the street over eviction of 87-year-old
María del Carmen Abascal has become the face of Spain’s housing crisis after she was carried out of the Madrid flat she had called home since 1956
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
If she ever moves to Scotland, Suella Braverman will quickly find out she is a “posh English wifie” whether she likes it or not.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Send in the cavalry: inside the unit bringing horses back to battle www.thetimes.com/article/bb09...
thetimes.com
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
White House launches Trump TV in response to broadcasters’ boycott www.thetimes.com/article/243e...
thetimes.com
Verifying Device
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
MP, knight, paedophile: the evil double life of Jeffrey Donaldson www.thetimes.com/article/82f8...
thetimes.com
Verifying Device
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
How do you get potash out of Belarus and into the US? Genuine question, please help.
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Scott Nover @scottnover.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said. It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
During the last war - when a real invasion was feared - RNLI lifeboats picked up Germans from the seas. So, actually, did the Royal Navy.
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Emma Yeomans @yeomans.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The RNLI has said the abuse of volunteers in Portsmouth has forced it to close the lifeboat station there and stop operating since September 10. Nearby stations have been providing cover to the area instead. One of the UK's largest coastal cities without a lifeboat because of the far-right.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
More lovely design work from The Times (and reporting too, of course) >>>> How 9/11 changed the world www.thetimes.com/article/685a...
thetimes.com
How 9/11 changed the world
The attacks came out of a blue sky, but the long shadows they cast have reshaped global politics and continue to darken the lives of millions
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I’ve tried the new plug-in solar panels — are they worth it? www.thetimes.com/article/21a1...
thetimes.com
I’ve tried the new plug-in solar panels — are they worth it?
They are bulky and there is admin to do before you buy one. But plug-in solar panels are simple to set up — and watching the results on an app is addictive
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
One of the weird consequences of the revamp of Glasgow. George Sq is the dragging up of some difficult but fascinating and largely forgotten world history. www.thetimes.com/article/bc53...
thetimes.com
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Russell Findlay calls for crackdown on crooked lawyers www.thetimes.com/article/e70c...
thetimes.com
Russell Findlay calls for crackdown on crooked lawyers
White-collar professionals are supporting criminal networks ‘in plain sight’ while the SNP does nothing, the Scottish Conservatives’ leader has claimed
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
One of the weird consequences of the revamp of Glasgow. George Sq is the dragging up of some difficult but fascinating and largely forgotten world history. www.thetimes.com/article/bc53...
thetimes.com
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Javier Milei: Britain is in decline — we will prevail over Falklands www.thetimes.com/article/7fea...
thetimes.com
Javier Milei: Britain is in decline — we will prevail over Falklands
Argentina’s president claims he will sanction oil firms working off the islands and says Trump is considering ‘a change of position’
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Poland and Ukraine reopen old wounds that lay buried for 80 years www.thetimes.com/article/89ca...
thetimes.com
Poland and Ukraine reopen old wounds that lay buried for 80 years
The reburial of 55 Polish victims has fuelled a dispute over Ukrainian nationalist partisans, threatening to further damage relations between the allies
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Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 (𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳𝗹𝘆) - it's not just America's partners and allies that should be alarmed at how the Trump group is facilitating Russia's objectives globally. At home too, the administration is mimicking Russia in more ways than even many Americans realise. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
independent.co.uk
Why we need to start treating Trump’s America like Russia
Expansionist desires, aggressive military actions, and the consolidation of power in its internal affairs used to attack political enemies, Keir Giles explains how, while writing his new book, he came...
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
What’s behind record rise in sexual offending in Scotland? www.thetimes.com/article/c10b...
thetimes.com
What’s behind record rise in sexual offending in Scotland?
Official statistics reveal 16,500 crimes in a year, the highest since modern records began. A charity has delved into the details to understand why
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
We made this straightforward story with a very different editorial software which means our artists can do some incredible things with design. Take a look. www.thetimes.com/article/f393...
thetimes.com
Verifying Device
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
We all need to talk more about what we do now that AI has made dumb but confident men even more cocksure. How do we kindly tell these fellas that chatGPT has not suddenly improved their research skills or your reading comprehension?
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
We won’t be hearing the last of this story.
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Ian Bond @cerianbond.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This is - in more military language - what Putin set out in his July 2021 article 'On the historical unity of Russians & Ukrainians'. Putin's aims for Ukraine were & are genocidal. No-one in Europe should kid themselves that this is a war for territory, still less 'to prevent NATO expansion'.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Scruffy Scotland revealed: a deep dive into the latest data on litter, gum, vandalism and fly posting. www.thetimes.com/article/f393...
thetimes.com
Scruffy Scotland revealed: is your area one of the country’s dirtiest?
The nation’s streets are getting worse, not better, but why? Join us as we take a deep dive into the filth
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
What’s behind record rise in sexual offending in Scotland? www.thetimes.com/article/c10b...
thetimes.com
What’s behind record rise in sexual offending in Scotland?
Official statistics reveal 16,500 crimes in a year, the highest since modern records began. A charity has delved into the details to understand why
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Steve Rosenberg @bbcstever.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The Russian press continues to discuss John Ratcliffe’s surprise trip to Moscow. One paper: “The visit of a CIA chief is not a sign of peace & not a sign of war. It’s a sign normal channels are no longer effective and that the heavy artillery is required.” #ReadingRussia
youtu.be
Russia’s anti-drone cages for buildings: what are they like?
YouTube video by Steve Rosenberg
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Stephanie Carvin @stephaniecarvin.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Wake up, babe. The Prime Minister just dropped “hydronym”.
The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big”.

The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.

We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. 

Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.
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Hannah Graham @drhannahgraham.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Violent rapist Scottish police officer Alan Greer 'had contact with hundreds of sex workers throughout his police career, and violently assaulted many of them. [...] he took inappropriate photographs of female colleagues while working in police officer safety training' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Serial rapist police officer passed vetting despite warnings
Alan Greer was investigated by police in 2002 and 2005 for making inappropriate phone calls to women, with one case resulting in a formal police caution.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Haakon of Norway: how will new king fare in time of turmoil for royals? www.thetimes.com/world/europe...
thetimes.com
Haakon of Norway: how will new king fare in time of turmoil for royals?
After the death of King Harald V of Norway, the new monarch faces an uphill battle to win the public’s hearts after scandals involving his wife, stepson and sister
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Drill, Baby, Drill. www.thetimes.com/article/c905...
thetimes.com
What caused the Nepal flash floods? How border devastation unfolded
What caused the Nepal flash floods? In maps and video, how devastation from collapsing glacier near Tibet border unfolded
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Nepal flash floods live. www.thetimes.com/article/a879...
thetimes.com
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
At my work we have very nice branded lanyards but I keep my credentials in my pocket. Am I accidentally taking sides in the culture wars? Also I sometimes I say “UK”. What side am I on? Help!
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
There has been an outbreak of “nornomania” in Shetland ->>>> Vikings and Scots lock horns over Shetland dialect www.thetimes.com/article/c7e8...
thetimes.com
Vikings and Scots lock horns over Shetland dialect
Some islanders say their speech is a form of Norse — and are even adding Scandi-style accents to words — but most linguists insist it is solidly Scottish
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
She said she was 12. She was actually 38 www.thetimes.com/article/9783...
thetimes.com
She said she was 12. She was actually 38
Amanda Maria Souza de Oliveira has been convicted of fraud after ‘emotionally kidnapping’ a couple she convinced she was a child
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Why are so many men being spiked? www.thetimes.com/article/77cc...
thetimes.com
Why are so many men being spiked?
At least a third of victims are male. Drugs are being used for everything from pranks to robberies and sexual assaults — and the results can be fatal
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Beach accused of ‘medieval’ segregation is more popular than ever www.thetimes.com/article/0288...
thetimes.com
Beach accused of ‘medieval’ segregation is more popular than ever
A complaint caused a social media storm across Italy but the council-run beach in Trieste has since welcomed record numbers of visitors — most of them women
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Meet the real Count Binface — Jon Harvey unmasks himself www.thetimes.com/article/2024...
thetimes.com
Meet the real Count Binface — Jon Harvey unmasks himself
He got a quarter of the votes in this month’s Clacton by-election, coming second to Nigel Farage, and is now famous around the world. So who is the man beneath the bin?
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Sorry to be a bore about this but politicians and sundry other gobshites who used “fake news” and “disinformation” so loosely that the terms lost their meaning did us all a very great disservice. Here is a classic definition eg of obvious fake news and very likely disinformation.
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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The logic of this is that over on X people debate and duke things out and their views change, at least occasionally, in the direction of the people they are debating with. Which, as we all know, is absolute horseshit. Instead they tend to get more entrenched and more extreme, left or right.
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
There is an awful lot going on in this fascinating little story >>>> Russian campers spark assassination scare at Swedish arms boss’s retreat www.thetimes.com/article/71b0...
thetimes.com
Russian campers spark assassination scare at Swedish arms boss’s retreat
The pair were released after five days’ questioning but the incident raised concerns about Kremlin attempts to target the leaders of Europe’s defence industry
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David Leask @leaskyd.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
This is hardly an important post but I’m giving up on Radio Scotland’s morning news show. The BBC employs great professionals & I have a lot of respect for them. But the new dumbed-down format is excruciating. & listeners’ views? Guys, if I want to know what zealots & cretins think, I’ll rejoin X.
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