Charlotte Leslie

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has NOT overcome it.” And NEVER WILL. No matter how dark it gets. #KeepShining #MerryChristmas !

New York City’s Secret Weapon in the War on Rats: Katie the Dog She roams Brooklyn’s parks and streets in search of prey. It’s not hard to find.

Katie, a 4-year-old dog who lives in Brooklyn, is New York City’s secret weapon in its war on rats. She has found an endless supply of prey, killing nearly 500 rats this year. For some reason, her most productive day of the week is Thursday.

Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury II: unified heavyweight championship – live updates * Heavyweight rivals meet for WBA, WBC and WBO titles * Britain’s Moses Itauma wins by TKO 1 in co-main event * Bluesky Bryan at @BryanAGraham or email him Our man at ringside checks in as we count down the minutes to the main event: Moses Itauma…

Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury II: unified heavyweight championship – live updates

Ah. Selling #RoyalMail after a national security review. What could possibly go wrong?

Start-up putting ammo vending machines in grocery stores plans to grow Dallas-based American Rounds says it makes selling ammo safer and more convenient, but some public officials and health experts worry about impulse bullet buying.

Candy, ice and lottery tickets have long been impulse items sold at checkouts in American grocery stores. Now bullets are joining the list of merchandise peddled to consumers as they exit at a growing number of stores around the country.

The Syria report came 45 mins into the bulletin. It was preceded by reports on:
1. Putin calling for the “strengthening” of Russia
2. War in Ukraine
3. Putin awarding medals
4. Next week’s Putin phone-in/press conference
5. Western ‘myths’ about Russia
6. Putin awarding more medals
7. Then Syria

A week after Assad’s fall, Russian state TV’s flagship news show talks about “The Syrian Tragedy”. Nothing about Assad in Moscow; almost nothing about the Russian bases.

Two Russian tankers sink in Black Sea spilling 4,300 tonnes of oil Ukraine accuses Moscow of recklessness amid risk of ecological damage to marine environment Two Russian tankers carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of oil products have sunk in the Black Sea amid stormy conditions, threatening an ecological disaster. The…

Two Russian tankers sink in Black Sea spilling 4,300 tonnes of oil

TikTok influencers flee Romania amid tax probe into their election role Romanian tax authorities are now investigating ultranationalist Călin Georgescu and the TikTok activists who promoted his campaign.

Romanian TikTok influencers who helped propel an ultranationalist, pro-Putin candidate to the brink of the presidency have fled the country, pursued by tax authorities investigating their alleged role in swaying the election.

What on earth were our SIS doing letting a spy get anywhere NEAR the Royal Family? Honestly. We are an International laughing-stock. The so-called Wilsonian Doctrine ensures Politics too is wide-open to our enemies.

China’s spy masters want to ensnare disgraced royals because they want to ensnare EVERYONE Reports of the sinister and the preposterous

Hi, I’ve done a piece explaining that China’s spies don't just want a deadbeat royal they want everyone. The scale of the espionage effort appears ridiculous. Who cares about Prince Andrew? But its ubiquity isn’t funny at all.
nickcohen.substack.com/p/chinas-spy...

CMEC @charlotteleslie.bsky.social was at the #DohaForum, as the #Assad regime crumbled before our eyes. Here’s the #podcast - thanks Chris Doyle @caabu.bsky.social , Victoria Prentis, Nicholas Hopton, Tobias Ellwood, Amr Al-Azm cmec.org.uk/insights-ana...

Damn right. 😉

The first financial scandal/crisis to defeat all attempts at satire. There's nothing to say

"Trauma Factories": How paralysed family courts are destroying lives Children’s lives are on hold, families are broken, and abusers are exploiting delays in the badly overworked, badly underfunded legal system.

Unbelievably powerful piece on the collapse of the family courts system by @zoegrunewald.bsky.social - 100,000 children stranded in our court system

open.substack.com/pub/theleadu...

Up to 100 ‘suspicious incidents’ in Europe can be attributed to Russia, Czech minister says Czech foreign minister says Europe ‘needs to send a strong signal to Moscow that this won’t be tolerated’ A senior European diplomat said that up to 100 “suspicious incidents” in Europe this year could be attributed to Russia, as western officials…

Up to 100 ‘suspicious incidents’ in Europe can be attributed to Russia, Czech minister says

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Lord Soames announces CMEC’s new Advisory Board: cmec.org.uk/discover-cme...

Vested interest alert - I am Director of @cmec.bsky.social - give us a follow if you prefer light not heat in thinking about #TheMiddleEast & #NorthAfrica and world affairs.

CMEC - The Conservative Middle East Council - is on Bluesky! In a world of ever-increasing tribalism & polarisation, we aim to a de-polarising force. Light not heat. Www.cmec.org.uk

Chris Wormald is back!

Early readers of Schools Week may remember his memorable education select committee performances where he once avoided questions by saying “I’ll have to reflect on that” THIRTEEN times.

Very interesting thread and below figure, huge decline — absolute and relative — trust in police in UK

Essential reading by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the prospect of Musk bankrolling the Reform Party.

As Peter has been arguing for years, Britain's electoral laws are decades out of date.

That has left our democracy wide open to plutocratic capture.
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/musks-100m...

Ah. In a world of expletive-inflation, what word is genuinely naughty and shocking, reserved for the most extreme of circumstances, that is not just hateful & nasty? I miss when F*#k had force.

Earls Court on the District line is perhaps the most hostile environment in the UK for foreign visitors.

Elon Musk publicized the names of government employees he wants to cut. It’s terrifying federal workers | CNN Business When President-elect Donald Trump said Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would recommend major cuts to the federal government in his administration, many public employees knew that their jobs could be on ...

Elon Musk shamelessly publicized the names of gov’t employees he wants to cut

Several current federal employees told CNN they’re afraid their lives will be forever changed – including physically threatened as Musk makes behind-the-scenes bureaucrats into personal targets www.cnn.com/2024/11/27/b...

Give Now Donate to help end animal abuse

actnow.thehumaneleague.org.uk/page/160166/...
If this doesn't change how / if you eat & buy chicken, I don't know what will. @thehumaneleague.bsky.social

DHL cargo plane crashes near Lithuania airport Officials say one person dead and three injured after plane crashed into house on approach to landing at Vilnius

“Germany is investigating several fires caused by incendiary devices hidden inside parcels at a warehouse in Leipzig earlier this year, the country’s prosecutor general said in October.”

www.theguardian.com/world/2024/n...

Tammy Duckworth on Tulsi Gabbard: "I think she's compromised ... Russian controlled media called her a Russian asset."

A restaurant board sign that reads: “we are not all in the same boat. We are in the same storm. Some have yachts. Some have canoes. And some are drowning. Just be kind and help when you can.

I love this.