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James Pearson

@pearswick.press
5.7K followers 972 following 196 posts

Visual Investigations Journalist at @Reuters.com, via Hanoi, Seoul, Pyongyang and cyberspace. Now in London. “A bum who wrote an ignominious jumble of stories” - North Korea ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ 📞Signal ID: pearswick.01 💻: pearswick.press

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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 01/05/2026
🚨 NEW: The sons of a powerful family with close ties to Iran’s new supreme leader control the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, transforming it from a startup into a conduit to the global economy used by both blacklisted state institutions and ordinary citizens.
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Philip O'Connor @philipoconnor.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
I just learned this morning that the late Ryan Evans was credited with additional reporting for this story. Ryan was a security adviser to Reuters journos (including me) & was killed in a Russian missile attack. He was part of the team that found the Banksy work near Bucha. May he rest in peace.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 21/03/2026
Inside the Arrest That Led to Banksy’s Possible Unmasking Decades Later www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/n...
nytimes.com
Inside the Arrest That Led to Banksy’s Possible Unmasking Decades Later
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 18/03/2026
Banksy has been unmasked (again). But does this major Reuters investigation actually tell us something new?
theguardian.com
Banksy has been unmasked (again). But does this major Reuters investigation actually tell us something new?
British street artist’s ‘real’ name reported after an investigation stretching from Ukraine to New York and London. Kelly Burke explains all to Nick Miller
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 20/03/2026
“That is what makes this story so delicious for the broader art world. Banksy spent decades embodying anti-establishment energy, yet the name now sits inside a highly organized commercial ecosystem of authentication, resale value, corporate structures, and elite demand.”
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 19/03/2026
Fact Check: London man misidentified as street artist Banksy www.reuters.com/fact-check/l...
reuters.com
Fact Check: London man misidentified as street artist Banksy
Some media outlets and others online have misidentified photos of a London man as the British street artist Banksy. The man, George Georgiou, is not Banksy.
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Raphael Satter @raphae.li · 12/03/2026
The girls' school likely destroyed by an American missile had colorful murals *visible from space* as far back as 2018. By @pearswick.press & Ryan McNeil: www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
Bombed Iranian girls school had vivid website and yearslong online presence
An Iranian girls school that took a direct hit on the first day of the war had a yearslong online presence, including dozens of photos of the children and their activities, before it was bombed along ...
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Maximillian Potter @maxpotter.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Trump repeatedly called journalists “the enemy of the people,” “human scum,” “very dangerous and sick.” Here is the painstaking work of a couple of #journalists doing the job of presenting facts, pursuing the truth for America & the world. So many journalists doing incredible work right now.
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Robert Smith @bondhack.ft.com · 14/03/2026
I'd normally be annoyed at Reuters for doing a fake out where they focus on Rob from Massive Attack, before explaining that Banksy is actually the guy the Daily Mail named years ago, but it's so well written and richly reported I didn't care www.reuters.com/investigates...
reuters.com
In search of Banksy, Reuters found the artist took on a new identity
Anonymity has become part of a lucrative brand for the artist Banksy, but records we unearthed prove his true identity and show the new name he used to travel to Ukraine.
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Auman @infinitebelly.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
A terrific, well written exploration of Banksy. Tells a great story. Probably the best long form journalism I’ve read this year.
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Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Who is Banksy? Reuters found a signed confession. www.reuters.com/investigates...
reuters.com
In search of Banksy, Reuters found the artist took on a new identity
Anonymity has become part of a lucrative brand for the artist Banksy, but records we unearthed prove his true identity and show the new name he used to travel to Ukraine.
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Reuters @reuters.com · 13/03/2026
Banksy is one of the world's most popular, profitable and enigmatic artists. His identity has been debated — and closely guarded — for decades. Until now reut.rs/4cGMYnb
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 13/03/2026
In 2022, my colleague was on assignment in Ukraine for @reuters.com when he unearthed a tantalising clue which pointed to the identity of world famous street artist Banksy. 1/7 🧵
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Ryan McNeill @mcneill.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
There, on March 2, the dead children were buried, creating row after row of 20 tidy rectangular holes in the earth. The strike killed 150 children, according to Iran's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva (Reuters has not independently confirmed the death toll).
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Ryan McNeill @mcneill.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Our analysis intended to detect areas of potential strikes, using sat data from visible & invisible light spectrum, highlighted another area of ground upheaval: the town cemetery.
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Ryan McNeill @mcneill.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
A Reuters analysis of multispectral satellite imagery also found no indications of other strikes within 5 km, suggesting the buildings were specifically targeted, rather than struck as part of a broad bombing campaign on the southern city.
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Ryan McNeill @mcneill.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
🚨Reuters investigation by @pearswick.press & me: Iran school struck on 1st day of war had yearlong online presence, including many photos of children & their activities, before it was bombed with at least 6 other buildings along 325m axis. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
Bombed Iranian girls school had vivid website and yearslong online presence
An Iranian girls school that took a direct hit on the first day of the war had a yearslong online presence, including dozens of photos of the children and their activities, before it was bombed along ...
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 12/03/2026
NEW: An Iranian girls school that took a direct hit on the first day of the war had a yearslong online presence, including dozens of photos of the children and their activities, before it was bombed along with at least six other buildings in an adjacent military compound.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 11/03/2026
A foreign hacker compromised files relating to the FBI’s investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a break-in at the bureau’s New York office three years ago, according to ​a source familiar with the matter and recently published Justice Department documents reviewed by Reuters.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 18/02/2026
Reuters has launched a new Visual Investigations unit, which I'll be joining on secondment for the next six months. I'll be drawing on the threat intelligence techniques I've studied on the cyber beat, as well as leaning on the various OSINT skills I've developed in information-scarce datelines.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 12/02/2026
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) Palo Alto Networks opted not to tie China to a global cyberespionage campaign the firm exposed last week over concerns that the cybersecurity company or its clients could face retaliation from Beijing, according to two people familiar with the matter.
reuters.com
Exclusive: Palo Alto chose not to tie China to hacking campaign for fear of retaliation from Beijing, sources say
Palo Alto Networks opted not to tie China to a global cyberespionage campaign the firm exposed last week over concerns that the cybersecurity company or its clients could face retaliation from Beijing...
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 26/01/2026
NEW: Iran has secretly shipped vast amounts of jet fuel to Myanmar’s military. As the junta ramps up bombing raids against civilian targets, Iran is now the military’s primary supplier of jet fuel and urea, which is an ingredient in Myanmar’s munitions. www.reuters.com/graphics/IRA...
reuters.com
Iranian ships deliver jet fuel, urea to Myanmar junta
Iranian ships falsifying their journeys deliver jet fuel, urea to Myanmar junta, circumventing sanctions in both countries.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 16/01/2026
Musk's Starlink faces high-profile security test in Iran crackdown - www.reuters.com/world/musks-...
reuters.com
Musk's Starlink faces high-profile security test in Iran crackdown
How SpaceX withstands Iranian attacks on Starlink is expected to be closely watched by U.S. military forces and intelligence agencies.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 09/12/2025
Australia social media ban takes effect in world first - www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
reuters.com
Australia social media ban takes effect in world first
Australia at midnight (1300 GMT) on Wednesday became the first country in the world to ban social media for children under 16, blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube and Met...
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 25/11/2025
US labels another Venezuelan group as terrorist, ramping up pressure - www.reuters.com/world/americ...
reuters.com
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 25/11/2025
BBC is not 'institutionally biased', says author of explosive memo - www.reuters.com/world/uk/bbc...
reuters.com
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 25/11/2025
Romania scrambles fighter jets after drones breach airspace - www.reuters.com/world/romani...
reuters.com
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Alex Partridge @alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 23/11/2025
Ultimately quite sad piece about AI and freelance writing thelocal.to/investigatin...
thelocal.to
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 21/11/2025
Love letter, ID card point to Russian units that terrorised Bucha www.reuters.com/investigates...
reuters.com
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 29/10/2025
NEW: Hackers working for an unnamed nation state breached networks at Ribbon Communications, a key U.S. telecommunications services company, and remained within the firm’s systems for nearly a year without being detected (!)
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 07/10/2025
Two years of warfare have brought death, misery and ruin to the 2 million inhabitants of Gaza. With a new ceasefire plan under discussion, @reuters.com looks at one family’s story of terrible loss and fragile hope. www.reuters.com/investigates...
reuters.com
The Gaza twins whose whole lives have been war
Two years of warfare have brought death and ruin to the 2 million inhabitants of Gaza. Reuters looks at one family’s story of terrible loss and fragile hope.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 02/10/2025
The latest episodes of the @restisclassified.bsky.social podcast with @gordoncorera.bsky.social and David McCloskey is a fascinating look inside Mossad's sprawling campaign to infiltrate and weaponise pagers used by Hezbollah.
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Olly O'Conor @ollyoco.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Great latest series from @restisclassified.bsky.social on this mindblowing operation - and the investigation itself by Reuters Very much looking forward to the Club members episode @gordoncorera.bsky.social , @pearswick.press is a good friend of mine and know he’s going to be an excellent guest 🎙️
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 01/10/2025
Traders at their stalls minutes after an exploding Russian drone hit the roof of an indoor market in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. 📸REUTERS/Thomas Peter
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Swearsky Index @swearsky.bagpuss.org · 26/09/2025
🤬 The Swearsky Index has increased to 3.7%
The Swearsky Index is currently 3.7%. The 24 hour average is 2.7%. The 7 day average is 2.5%. The highest point in the last 24 hours was 3.7% and the lowest was 1.6%.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 26/09/2025
COPENHAGEN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Denmark's second-biggest airport, Billund, was briefly shut early on Friday following a report of illegal drone activity that police later identified as "a shining star in the sky," amid heightened concern over drone sightings nationwide.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 24/09/2025
Reuters: Britain's National Crime Agency says a man has been arrested in the UK as part of an investigation into a cyber incident impacting Collins Aerospace. The man was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act offences on Tuesday and has been released on conditional bail.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 22/09/2025
Exclusive: US could hit entire International Criminal Court with sanctions soon - www.reuters.com/world/europe...
reuters.com
Exclusive: US could hit entire International Criminal Court with sanctions soon
The United States is considering imposing sanctions as soon as this week against the entire International Criminal Court, putting the court's day-to-day operations in jeopardy in retaliation for investigations of suspected Israeli war crimes.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 19/09/2025
British spies turn to dark web to recruit Russian agents, access secrets - www.reuters.com/world/uk/bri...
reuters.com
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 12/09/2025
Secret Report Undercuts U.K. Condemnations of Pro-Palestinian Group www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/w...
nytimes.com
Secret Report Undercuts U.K. Condemnations of Pro-Palestinian Group
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 12/09/2025
Who is Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder? www.reuters.com/world/us/who...
reuters.com
Who is Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder?
The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s shooting, Tyler Robinson, is a 22-year-old native of Utah who authorities say had allegedly criticized the conservative influencer in a recent conversation and was living with his family at the time of the shooting.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 05/09/2025
How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/u...
nytimes.com
How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 22/08/2025
Exclusive: Syria to revalue currency, dropping two zeros in bid for stability - www.reuters.com/business/fin...
reuters.com
Exclusive: Syria to revalue currency, dropping two zeros in bid for stability, sources say
The Syrian pound has lost more than 99% of its value since war erupted in 2011, with the exchange rate now at around 10,000 pounds to the U.S. dollar, compared to 50 before the war.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 14/08/2025
WhatsApp accuses Moscow of trying to block secure communication for millions of Russians www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
reuters.com
WhatsApp accuses Moscow of trying to block secure communication for millions of Russians
WhatsApp accused Moscow of trying to block millions of Russians from accessing secure communication after calls on the messaging app were restricted, as Russia promotes home-grown social media platforms and seeks greater control over the country's internet space.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 14/08/2025
Meta’s flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. He never made it home. - www.reuters.com/technology/m...
reuters.com
A flirty Meta AI bot invited a retiree to meet. He never made it home.
Impaired by a stroke, a man fell for a Meta chatbot originally created with Kendall Jenner. His death spotlights Meta’s AI rules, which let bots tell falsehoods.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 12/08/2025
A dating app, a niqab and a 9mm gun - how a US woman was hired to end a UK family feud www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Aimee Betro: The Wisconsin woman hired to kill in Birmingham, UK
US woman Aimee Betro was hired to come to the UK to kill a Birmingham man as part of a family feud.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 22/07/2025
Microsoft knew of SharePoint server exploit but failed to effectively patch it www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
reuters.com
Microsoft knew of SharePoint server exploit but failed to effectively patch it
A security patch released by Microsoft last month failed to fully fix a critical flaw in U.S. tech giant's SharePoint server software that had been identified in May, opening the door to a sweeping global cyber espionage operation.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 18/07/2025
UK discovers Russian 'espionage tool', sanctions GRU officers over cyberattacks www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-...
reuters.com
UK discovers Russian 'espionage tool', sanctions GRU officers over cyberattacks
Britain said on Friday it had discovered a sophisticated digital espionage tool and sanctioned more than 20 Russian spies, hackers and agencies over what it called a "sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity" targeting governments and institutions across Europe.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 18/07/2025
Russian lawmakers say 'security threat' WhatsApp should prepare to leave Russia www.reuters.com/business/rus...
reuters.com
Russian lawmakers say 'security threat' WhatsApp should prepare to leave Russia
WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms was likely to be put on a list of restricted software.
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James Pearson @pearswick.press · 16/07/2025
Thousands of Afghans secretly moved to Britain after data leak - www.reuters.com/world/uk/tho...
reuters.com
Thousands of Afghans secretly moved to Britain after data leak
Britain set up a secret scheme to bring thousands of Afghans to the UK after their personal details were disclosed in one of the country's worst ever data breaches, putting them at risk of reprisals from the Taliban after their return to power.
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