More details in this very good article by @jamesrball.com 👇👇

I can't imagine a job i'd like to do less. Managing an organisation held to a ludicrous standard by roaring idiots on a daily basis, while the main mediums it uses are all in decline and it's starved of resources.

We are so far through the looking glass that the man who tried to overthrow an election becomes president, the people who attacked the Capitol are turned into martyrs, & it's the BBC that gets punished - cheered on by the worst news outlets in the UK & the two most dishonest politicians of our age.

This accidentally turned into a short thread. Bit of a rage-thread I'm afraid. Please read to the end if you can. Thanks

Note that still in post at the BBC is Robbie Gibb, who helped set up GB News, and John McAndrew, formerly director of news and programmes at GB News.

1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️

🕯️ Remembering Paul Ritchie CMG OBE A dedication by Dr Huw Dylan from @kcsi.uk: kcsi.uk/kcsi-insight... @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @warstudieskcl.bsky.social

New post just out: Why the criminal justice system should be top of No. 10's "shit list". No part of the public sector is more broken or brings with it greater political risk. As we saw these past two weeks. It desperately needs a new approach. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/f...

Technological progress is often equated with shiny gadgets: rockets, robots and AI. But many of history’s most important innovations have been 'boring', and that has big implications for those working on innovation for social good. Nesta's Laurie Smith explores how dull can change the world:

Appalling

Russian propaganda, infiltration and Quislings in the High North. www.thebarentsobserver.com/news/apparen...

This is the talk I gave at the Engelsberg Seminar in June. I had 15 minutes and had prepared a speech but abandoned it and spoke off the cuff, using the three props I had brought along. It felt a bit precarious and I ran out of time, but I think it is one of the best talks I have ever done.

Russia's fast-growing greyzone aggression has many guises. One factor unites them: they're costing the companies/organisations/cities/agencies attacked a lot of money. Russia is trying to bleed us dry. Building resilience is vital. www.politico.eu/article/russ... Me @politico.eu. No paywall.

“There are some people who hate London, and hate New York,” Mayor Sadiq Khan told me, on Bloomberg TV. “There's a reason why they demonize London, and now, indeed, New York. Why? Because we are progressive cities. We are liberal cities. We are multicultural cities. And we are incredibly successful.”

What are the origins of devolution? What can we learn from the '70s? How long should we wait between referendums? In @dodspolintel.bsky.social's latest collaboration with @qmulsse.bsky.social, @drjoshwells.bsky.social talks to Tom Chidwick about his forthcoming book, Now or Never! shorturl.at/93ISv

A cheering story for once!

Where America stands, one year after the election. A fascistic movement controls the government; they are building an authoritarian state; but they have not been able yet to extend authoritarian rule across society. A democracy no more, but not a consolidated autocratic regime yet. New piece:

Our webinar on "Whatever it Takes: The Policy Implications of Supporting Ukraine" is now online. Starring @evieaspinall.bsky.social, @elkeschwarz.bsky.social, @patporter76.bsky.social and @drjamesstrong.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUvQ...

Russian intelligence uses GenAI for the same reason companies do - productivity. The difference? Their output is disinformation and cyber attacks. And they use YOUR AI tools because they can't build their own. My latest for KCSI Insights: kcsi.uk/kcsi-insight... @kcsi.uk @warstudieskcl.bsky.social

"The state’s exclusive control over the legitimate use of force is quietly eroding—apparently with its own consent." Eroding Sovereignty in the Age of “War as a Service”. An op-ed opinion piece I wrote with @rbarretttaylor.bsky.social for @opiniojuris.bsky.social opiniojuris.org/2025/11/03/e...

📅From cyber-attacks to supply chain concerns, the UK faces a spectrum of economic security challenges. Join us for the launch of a new report from the Business and Trade Committee, with Liam Byrne MP, addressing these threats and proposing essential reforms.

Reform has lost 1 in 20 (5%) of the 677 councillors it gained in May elections In Kent alone, it has lost 14% of its councillors... -11 have been expelled -6 suspended -9 have left the party -1 has defected to UKIP -9 have resigned from the council altogether www.politicshome.com/news/article...

A powerful debate today showing the strong bipartisan support for Ukraine - because it’s in the UK’s national interest. I made two main points. First, a ceasefire will only come when Putin concludes that pressure on Russia is jeopardising his hold on power. 1/6 www.parliament.uk/business/new...

In which I explain how Trump’s announcement on nuclear testing was based on a misunderstanding of what Russia is up to, and why the US would be unable to start testing immediately even if it made any sense to do so. (£/free trial), open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...?

The Cabinet Office has relaxed the rules on civil servants speaking in public. The government is still too defensive about who can speak, but this is a positive step, say @alexgathomas.bsky.social and @drhannahwhite.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/welc...

SCOOP: The decorated rear admiral who was heading the critically important Office of Naval Research, and who brought lengthy experience in Navy tech-leadership to the job, "is being replaced by a 33-year-old former DOGE employee with no apparent naval experience." www.thebulwark.com/p/scoop-trum...

👇Head over to our website now to read 'UK Energy and Russian Aggression – Challenges for the UK' by Dan Marks!

South Sudan, the poorest country in the world, hosts over 600,000 refugees. Another among the poorest, Chad, hosts almost *1.5 million*. Meanwhile, the richest country in the world… What does it say on the Statue of Liberty? “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…”

Me in the Economist on the inert postmodernism of Trump's ballroom, Ceausescu's palace, Jacob Zuma's swimming pool. (£) www.economist.com/culture/2025...

📢 Check out the latest publications by Team @kcsi.uk 👇

🎉 Exciting news for the KCSI team 📖 Viking (@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social) has acquired “Our Man in Prague” by our Co-Director @drichterova.bsky.social More details: www.thebookseller.com/rights/vikin...

Absolutely right. That's DFID abolished & the aid budget slashed; BBC World Service shrunk; and British Council in crisis. Leaving a nice vacuum for China & other geopolitical rivals to fill.

📄 From the impact of growing digitalisation on intelligence to Czechoslovakia’s complex relationship with Middle Eastern revolutionaries, our KCSI members have been busy with sharing their expert insights in several publications this month. 🔗 All publications can be found here: kcsi.uk/publications

I'm pleased to share my open access article in International Security on the role of allies in U.S. space power. direct.mit.edu/isec/article...

Farage: epic grifter

a great education from one of the best civ-mil experts —>

Over 5% of the Reform councillors elected in May have now either resigned or been fired. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

GPS interference in the Baltic Sea region (and elsewhere) is reaching extraordinary levels. That has implications for air travel everywhere. A truly sinister form of aggression. The world's law-abiding nations should call out the perpetrators. foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/27/a...

📅War rages in Europe, Sudan faces humanitarian crisis, and the Middle East teeters on uncertainty. Join the directors of the leading UK defence and foreign policy think tanks on 19 November as they dissect these critical foreign policy challenges and the UK's response.

What was inside a top secret regional #KGB spy museum in 1960? @socintelhist.bsky.social Find out in my new article based on the ongoing archival research of #KGB documents at @hooverinstitution.bsky.social. #spies #intelhistory #coldwar The link: tinyurl.com/y6v3by35

The role played by strong historical memories in shaping a nation’s sense of identity and values, and how these are now challenged by the right, is explored by @samfr.bsky.social. WW2 and its aftermath no longer seem so relevant to younger generations. samf.substack.com/p/never-again

It's not lost on me that the part of the White House we are destroying is the part that has to do with women's history in the White House.

@forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social #skystorians #MilHistory #EarlyModern

@jrovner.bsky.social, @rorycormac.bsky.social, and @lmaschmeyer.bsky.social's new article is a super read on an important but neglected area of covert action: www.cambridge.org/core/service...

“Russia is protecting its nuclear submarines in the Arctic with an undersea surveillance system built using high-tech equipment acquired from U.S. & European companies through a secret procurement network, according to newly uncovered financial records, court documents & Western security officials.”

In the latest RUSI Commentary, Charles Parton provides a critical analysis of the current Labour government's approach to China, arguing that the policy lacks clarity and consistency despite the stated goal of a long-term and strategic approach.

My new article on Substack! "Death and the Maidens: How Two Polish Sisters Deceived Soviet #Counterintelligence in Post-WWII Vilnius" Based on my ongoing research of #KGB files at @hooverinstitution.bsky.social. #intelhistory #SMERSH @socintelhist.bsky.social The link: tinyurl.com/3cubry5e

📅Chinese money laundering organisations have evolved into multi-billion-dollar operations, serving transnational crime groups. Join us on 12 November as we examine whether this should be considered a 'state threat'. Don't miss this crucial discussion.

"‘Whatever It Takes?’ The Policy Implications of Supporting Ukraine". What does supporting Ukraine mean in practice? What are the implications for national security, tax policy, EU relations, energy security & more? 28 Oct 12:00 at @mileendinstitute.bsky.social. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...