Leaked ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan dismissed as ‘insane’ attempt to cover ethnic cleansing www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Founder and creative director of Bellingcat and director of Bellingcat Productions BV. Author of We Are Bellingcat.
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Leaked ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan dismissed as ‘insane’ attempt to cover ethnic cleansing www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
? www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSb...
NEW: The world’s largest professional organization of scholars studying genocide just voted overwhelmingly in support of a resolution declaring that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. apnews.com/article/geno...
Really patriotic to paint a flag on something people regularly drive over.
Results so stunningly clear they inspired this classic xkcd (xkcd.com/2400/):
What if they not letting Trump speak because he had a Reverse Fetterman Stroke and hes woke now
It's the Epstein Client List.
Yeah, give the in-group what they want, make money and gain power.
There's various local elections on May 7th 2026.
So while coalition strategy is vital, it must be paired with efforts to rebuild epistemic capacity and democratic discourse. Otherwise, even short-term electoral wins rest on fragile ground.
That distortion erodes trust, fractures coalitions, and makes cross-cutting alliances harder to sustain. Authoritarian actors exploit those fractures with wedge tactics and doctrine enforcement.
Politics today is driven less by ideology or deliberation and more by distorted “public opinion,” filtered through algorithms that reward emotional performance over substance.
Nexon’s thread nails the institutional mechanics of authoritarian consolidation. Where I’d extend it is to the epistemic environment that enables those dynamics.
I can’t believe how bad the UK government is at doing what it thinks it’s trying to do.
Still staggered that Byline has no less than six contributors named on the Kremlin’s latest stop list - way more than any other UK media organisation. But beginning to wonder if this is as much to do with our investigation of the Levedevs (who still control a raft of UK media)
this is the guy that the modern right wing considers one of their finest intellectuals
I have landed jet aircraft thousands of times using "paper maps," so it's not as dangerous as it sounds. However, this illustrates another anecdote of hybrid warfare by mafia state actors, as I discussed recently in European Parliament. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3QK...
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What a summer it’s been! How did we spend it? Try and find out in the latest Bellingcat Open Source Challenge! challenge.bellingcat.com
A Guide To Monitoring Conflict Amidst a Sea of Misinformation www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of...
An explosive writeup this month, as the August @bellingcat.com challenge was focused on the identification of explosive ordinance. You can read my solutions to Hidden Hazards here ediscoverychannel.com/2025/09/01/bellingcat-challenge-august-2025hidden-hazards/ #CTF #Bellingcat #OSINT #ExplosiveStuff
1/ As Moldova approaches a crucial parliamentary election, the Russian official responsible for election interference there has reportedly been sacked and replaced. An investigation is said to have been opened into the theft of funds designated for vote-rigging. ⬇️
I’d add two pretty obviously dubious claims in the PE report (read it carefully and you’ll see weasel words creeping in to hide the weaknesses): (1) that the (express) agreement to incorporate the ECHR into NI law with access to courts and remedies doesn’t mean “ECHR as interpreted by the ECtHR);
i would argue the two aren't mutually exclusive, I'd say what you're describing is a result of a tension between the old information system and new information system, and the hollowing out of democracy has limited the ways in which institutions can respond to the issues.
Zuckerberg is as bad as Musk, just quieter
I think there's been a significant change in the information system our society exists within from a top down, gatekeeped model, to a peer-to-peer, many-to-many model which is exacerbating some of the worst elements of what you describe.
The problem with this is that these policies end up being very unpopular once enacted. And then the voters get rid of the party that put the policies in place. www.npr.org/2025/08/29/n...
When it tries so hard to capture an audience through emotion (us admin) but even that lacks a coherent core, can we call it vibe-chasing?
That's a good term
Politics today is less driven by ideological conviction and more by parties chasing votes based on a distorted picture of public opinion, one filtered through algorithms that amplify emotionally engaging content. This incentivises performance over substance and erodes democratic deliberation.
Putin spoke at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit. He blamed the West for the "Ukrainian crisis" and said that "the root causes of the crisis" must be removed in order for peace to come. Looks like Putin has made his choice: he's going to continue the war.
If Labour, with a bazillion majority and a former human rights lawyer as PM knee jerks itself into seriously opening the door on leaving the ECHR (for absolutely no reason at all) then they’re absolutely cooked for me. One of the most significant achievements of post-war Britain eroded by the day.
With each passing day I feel like I’m losing my sanity on this.
JUST IN: Judge Sooknanan ordered the government to file a status report by 4 pm to address whether the children have been deplaned. DOJ blew the deadline. Now she orders them to show cause why they didn’t file the report in time — and sets new 6:30 pm deadline.
Cringed so hard while reading this terrific @jessicaelgot.bsky.social story I think I ruptured something. Who at GMG do I need to sue?
When QAnon emerged publicly in August 2018, the media was totally blindsided. Most had either no knowledge, or had actively ignored it. There's no excuse now. The president is sharing insane prophecy cult memes, and it needs to be covered. It's not normal.
Replacing reason with superstition is a feature of religion and totalitarianism. Thank you for coming to my TED talk on the madness of RFK, Jr. and MAHA.
The headline calls this unexpected consequences, but I would call this extremely expected consequences.
Aces
Almost certainly correct: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/29/i...
A shameful sourdough
We always get emails like that, but there's been an uptick, with at least one person saying ChatGPT told them to contact us.
I'm getting the impression ChatGPT is recommending people who have mental health issues and believe they're part of, or have uncovered, dark conspiracy reach out to Bellingcat for assistance.
Every authoritarian regime that embraced this aesthetic inflicted violence and chaos on its society
(An outlet translated "Бэионэта" as "Beyonce". Maybe they don't play enough video games to know the reference.)
Here's what it looks like in Pinpoint with OCR-ed text. You have to read a *lot* of the diary to pick up how vowels in particular are transliterated. For example, highlighted word below is "continuing" I've seen a major outlet mis-"translate" a key word or two in their coverage.
Another point that didn't make it into the article, but is fairly obvious, is that the shooter was suicidal, and frequently mentioned wanting to die and while taking out as many people as possible in the process.
In sum: the church/school were chosen because of an obsession with hurting and killing children (this was extremely disturbing to read in the diary), and it being a soft target compared to a Trump rally or a political assassination (Trump/Musk/Nazis/"execs of greedy megacorps" are mentioned).
The shooter considered many targets, including a Trump rally, mosque, synagogue, grocery store, and theater. The first plan was to attack a music venue in Minneapolis, with detailed plans on the layout, how to approach, etc. This was later abandoned for the church/school target.
The vast majority of the writing is not at all interesting -- it's the same tropes you see in every manifesto, diary, etc. from mass shooters. It was written in what was described as a light "cipher" -- English transliterated into mistake-filled Russian, and a few Russian words.
The diaries of the Minnesota school shooter go for over 250 pages. I've spent the last few days reading them. The writing is full of self-hatred, detailed planning, and obsessions with inflicting pain & suffering. From Julie Bosman, me, and Jeff Ernst: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/u...
🔴 Footage from a factory in China was found on the camera of a Russian “Gerbera” drone downed in Ukraine, likely recorded during device testing. This was reported by serviceman and radio technology expert and consultant Serhii Beskrestnov.
I will never forget saying to a group of professional JD Vance loyalists shortly after the 2024 election that his fortunes largely depend on how Trump is perceived by voters after another 4 years and some of them got legitimately mad at me lol thehill.com/homenews/adm...
here we go. Wired alleges that the contract says Chorus members can't *disclose* the relationship without permission, but what it actually says is *publicize.* not the same thing!
hmm. one of the creators mentioned in that Wired piece about liberal donors funding influencers strongly disputes most of the assertions www.instagram.com/reel/DN3xSpI...
New work by @brendannyhan.bsky.social & @jasonreifler.bsky.social shows further evidence of positive impact of prebunking This is why EIP wrote What to Expect rumor guides for certain periods in elections! And it’s why election deniers reframe this as “brainwashing” www.science.org/content/arti...
Kari Lake, the Trump administration official tasked with dismantling the Voice of America, sent termination notices to more than 500 employees at the broadcaster and its parent agency Friday night.
Senator Bernie Sanders ( @sanders.senate.gov) pens New York Times op-ed calling for RFK Jr. to resign: "Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of health and human services, is endangering the health of the American people now and into the future. He must resign." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/o...
This is what I've got. He hasn't been seen but may have posted about the tariffs yesterday?
Anyone have any idea why the Trump death speculation reached quantum levels last night?
Trump needs to post an unhinged, hateful all caps screed as proof of life
According to press pool, Trump had meetings at the WH yesterday. Although they haven’t seen him physically.
Continuing anyway is probably the funniest possible way to admit this is not really sincere?
Tiny non-turnouts at the Wolverhampton Brittania when it was listed as a protest location on July 22nd (a handful) and August 6th (6 people). But was listed again for last night Protest fails to happen as counter-protestors gather (July 27th) www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-countr...
There is one video on X flags being raised in Altrincham, where there is a weekly 6pm Friday protest. A few dozen people are present; it looks smaller than a fortnight ago. "I thought more people would be there" says one regular attendee, replying to the video.
One of the largest protests this summer was in Dudley on August 17th. It was much smaller last weekend. But there don't yet seem to be any tweets, news reports of the protest at 6pm last night, beyond those listing it as a potential location.
One supporter of the Leeds protest has posted 4 pictures from last night: looks like a few dozen people. Can't see other tweets or reports.
New study by @brendannyhan.bsky.social, @jasonreifler.bsky.social & colleagues demonstrates that prebunking election fraud rumors — by warning about anticipated false claims & filling conceptual gaps that those claims exploit — helps to reduce belief in falsehoods: www.science.org/content/arti...
Amazing story: one of the organisers of the group putting Union Flags up around Manchester previously did time for being part of a people smuggling gang. manchestermill.co.uk/manchester-f...
"Fears of mass unrest" over the appeal court over-ruling the high court. The Independent says police "braced" (again). There is once again a list of 23 locations where protests will be attempted. These v underwhelming (30-300 people) when previous protest "waves" announced last weekend & in July
BREAKING NEWS: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., delayed enforcing its decision, which is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Exclusive: Meta has appropriated the names and likenesses of celebrities — including Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez — to create dozens of flirty social-media chatbots without their permission, Reuters has found reut.rs/3JWb00R
BREAKING: Social Security Administration chief data officer and whistle-blower Charles Borges has resigned after bombshell report that SSA put highly-sensitive data at risk. He sent out an email to colleagues moments ago. Here is the text of his email shared with me:
This entire article can be summed up as, “Steve Witkoff is an ignorant motherfucker.” www.politico.com/news/2025/08...
Finding key information shared at council meetings takes time and effort. Today, we've launched a tool that allows you to search verbatim quotes from council meetings in the UK and Ireland, without the need to watch long recordings or sift through extensive notes. council-search.bellingcat.com
This is one of the ways that white supremacy weaponizes civility: by implying that certain people get to be served, and other kinds of people (you know what kinds) need to be grateful, without interrogating it.
🧵 In the wake of numerous reports of interactions with AI chatbots that resulted in deadly consequences, the Center for Democracy & Technology's Dr. Michal Luria says AI firms should stop designing products that pretend to be human.
yo this guy is cooking
Zelenskyy also noted that several countries, including some unexpected ones, are considering sending troops, although no firm commitments have been made.
President Zelenskyy said Russia's two-week deadline to respond to US-proposed talks, reportedly suggested by Donald Trump, expires Monday. He added that Ukraine expects strong follow-up from Washington if Moscow stays silent.
The New York Post claims Trump has begun to use Russ Vought's "pocket rescissions" gambit to override Congress' power of the purse. nypost.com/2025/08/28/u...
We're very pleased to announce Bellingcat and @texasobserver.org won this award- congratulations to @tristanl.ee and @stevanzetti.bsky.social for their hard work on this series of reporting. The winners of the category 'general excellence in an online newsroom' will be announced in September.
JUST IN: President Donald Trump revoked Kamala Harris’ Secret Service protection on Thursday, according to a copy of a letter reviewed by CNN.
"We’re looking at a battle between RFK Jr. and Elon Musk for who has racked up the most deaths around the world. We’re not talking about the hundreds or thousands, but potentially even millions." On the pod @donmoyn.bsky.social is fantastic on CDC mess and Leavitt BS newrepublic.com/article/1998...
* TRUMP REVOKES KAMALA HARRIS' SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION -- CNN @reuters.com
The problem is, if people quit from institutions because they balk at the demands made on them it just results in them being replaced by loyalists, but if they aren't loyalist some excuse is used to get rid of them.
In healthy democracies, discourse is shaped by Verification, Deliberation, and Accountability (VDA). These guardrails help societies sort truth from falsehood and keep power in check.
The problem with figures like RFK Jr. isn’t just that they spread bad information. It’s that they sustain disordered counterpublics, spaces where falsehoods are reinforced through imitation of legitimate democratic processes.
📣AI propaganda factories🏭 are now operational. My study shows how small, open-weight models can run as fully automatic generators in influence campaigns. mechanising personas, engagement, cadence. Possible for State, non-state, and micro-actors, including and bedroom ones.
Here, @lewisgoodall.com really describes the essence of how Labour (like other social democrats in Europe) contributes to the normalization of the far right and to shaping public opinion against immigration. Because they have given up on challenging far-right narratives...
Want to know who new CDC head Jim O’Neill is and what he stands for? Look no further. @jesshamzelou.bsky.social put together this very timely in-depth profile for you. www.technologyreview.com/2025/06/30/1...
The Russian Federation is a fourteen year old boy in the body of Yuri Andropov
Having played online games since the 90s this isn't the first time I've been called gay, but it's the first time it was by a nation state.