Darkening Skies

Darkening Skies

@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Septuagenarian relocated to South Lanarkshire, where it's wet , windy and wonderful, though I didn't expect quite so much wind! Longtime advocate of geothermal as a baseline energy resource in the UK as part of a mix with solar/wind with battery storage.

201 followers163 following1.1K posts

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

The BBC's devotion to #Reform without fact checking or providing right of reply to those they disparage is both weird and , surely, against their own charter's rules. The Beeb seems to have become, at times, a slave to reporting sensationalist controversy which does not serve us well. #BBC

Zoe Williams@zoesqwilliams.bsky.social

I get that the media is slow to catch up with things. I'm in the media, I am slow to catch up with things. But the week Reform's crowd looks like this, the BBC chooses _this week_ to go live to Farage's endless remarks on the budget; makes absolutely no sense

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Israel Election Day. About 75-80% of the young voters self-define as conservative vs. only 20-25% as liberal, so , sadly, I don't have much hope for the outcome but Netanyahu is very likely to be ousted and hopefully he'll stand trial and be convicted of , at least, fraud if not war crimes. #Israel

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Free Democratic Election in Israel ? Abbas' United Arab List says activists arrested, ballot slips removed; files complaint with elections committee #Israel #Election www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

haaretz.comIsrael Election 2026 • Israelis head to polls amid reports of voter tracking, missing Arabic ballotsCentral Election Committee: Voter turnout reaches 16.68 percent by 10 A.M., up from 15.9 percent in 2022. Former PM, opposition leader Lapid casts ballot in Tel Aviv. Abbas' United Arab List says acti...
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

If businesses don't profit from AI, they won't use it. “AI does not understand accountability, trust, culture, unwritten rules, ethical trade-offs or fairness, all of which shape reputational risk and ultimately drive revenue growth and profit margins.” www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...

tomshardware.comBig Tech is cashing in on AI while the rest of corporate America sees no financial returns — report outlines how rising token costs threaten to squeeze corporate profit marginsApollo data shows the Magnificent Seven widening their revenue-per-employee lead over the S&P 493 between 2019 and 2026, highlighting the growing productivity gap between Big Tech and the broader mark...

Darkening Skies reposted

NOELREPORTS
@noelreports.com

❗️Elon Musk approached Trump with the idea of slowing Starlink in Ukraine, The Telegraph reports, citing four sources. One source said Trump agreed, clearing the way for the Pentagon to restrict Starshield. Trump and Musk have both denied responsibility for the slowdown. #Ukraine

Darkening Skies reposted

Alina Pereverzieva 🇺🇦
@perevaa.bsky.social

Here's a map of the "unknown" attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea since Jul 2026. Seven of the eight incidents occurred in October, mostly in Romanian and Bulgarian maritime zones. The latest attack took place on Oct 15. A floating cargo ship? Clearly an existential threat to Moscow.

Alina Pereverzieva 🇺🇦@perevaa.bsky.social

SEVEN ships attacked by "unknown" drones near Romania and Bulgaria in 11 days. Three sank, two sailors killed, 28 missing. Oct 5 – Royad Mammadov Oct 6 – Alfa Watan, Able Oct 13 – Chelsea 3, HS Dignity Oct 14 – Yara J Oct 15 – Wine Trader How about calling those drones what they are – Russian?

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Because the U.S. is no longer dependable. The solution is obvious: Europe must create its own defence alliance — and Ukraine must be part of it. Not after the war. Not “when conditions allow.” Now. Because Ukraine is not just defending itself. It is defending Europe. www.euinsider.eu/news/ukraine...

euinsider.euA Think Tank's New Case: Europe Can't Defend Itself Without UkraineA new Wilfried Martens Centre paper argues the real question is no longer whether Ukraine can join the EU, but whether Europe can defend itself without Kyiv's battlefield experience and drone-innovati...

Darkening Skies reposted

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Replying to @specialkhersoncat.bsky.social

In the light of the President & his mafia mob acting so traitorously to Ukraine, The US has become not just unreliable but acting as if an enemy. We therefore need a new “European Defence Treaty” that includes the UK, Ukraine & reliable friends like Canada. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

theguardian.comUkrainian military’s access to Starlink satellite internet suddenly restrictedLaunch of Russian ballistic missiles on Ukraine, with no US warning, coincides with outage of Starlink managed by Musk’s SpaceX
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

America undermined the Budapest Memorandum in it's message to Belarus in 2013. By explicitly stating it had no legal standing, it directly signalled Russia that there would be no consequences in invading Crimea in 2014.

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Are we blithely innovating our way to a very real sci-fi nightmare, ignoring the blunt warnings of the very people that started it all? Is this what the free market will finally deliver if not held to account? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

theguardian.comAI in your oven? Anthropic warns models ‘months away’ from self-replication on smart devicesResearchers say ‘AI worms’ could soon infiltrate internet-connected devices amid calls for increased guardrails
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

This is a terrible decision if it goes ahead. Heat pumps are a proven technology whilst CCS is an invention of the fossil fuel industry. Either way, this is all due to the Trump/Putin created turbulence that the entire planet is having to endure. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.comMinisters preparing to slash heat pump subsidies to fund defence spendingExclusive: Some of £2bn savings needed from energy budget expected to come from boiler upgrade scheme, sources say
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

The American poison that's being exported to England. The same old fascist racism dressed up in a new suit. The fear and the failure of globalisation may be genuine but protectionist ultra nationalism is not the easy answer. These are Trump's chumps. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

theguardian.comChristian nationalism in Britain driven by people who seldom go to church, says reportResearch challenges the notion that the growing visibility of crosses and other symbols reflects a revival of Christianity
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Trump the fantasist - and a dangerous one as he holds America's purse strings as if they were his personal property to do with as he wishes. Where on earth are America's "checks and balances" that protect democracy? It's a mafia country with an unhinged godfather www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

theguardian.comTrump fumes over Nobel peace prize snub and criticizes NorwayPresident complains about not winning prize in year he started war with Iran and says: ‘We will not forget, Norway’
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

“There’s about a 50% chance we all die because of the development of smarter-than-human AI systems” says Geoffrey Irving. I really don't like those odds and I don't like Altman's free and easy attitude to the potential for harm. It's not like eggs and omelettes. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

theguardian.comAccept ‘bad things’ in return for benefits of AI, says Sam AltmanBoss of OpenAI calls for a regulatory light touch because of the ‘good stuff’ the technology can deliver
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

I think this is a mistake. Zionism is understand differently by different generations and outlooks. My mum (d.2017) saw it through the lens of 1945 socialism - the necessity for Jewish safety. She could not see the result - settler colonialism and oppression. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.comGreen party votes to adopt policy that equates Zionism with racismMotion calling for single Palestinian state, which is opposed by most Green MPs and expected to be challenged, passes by 1,022 votes to 813
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Just to be clear: 1/ Jewish trauma is real and must be honoured 2/ Palestinian trauma is real and must be honoured 3/ The Israeli right advances a supremacist ideology rooted in ethno‑nationalist fascism 4/ American Christian Zionism enables this by providing political, financial & ideological cover

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Remember David Icke ? I wondered what had happened to him. In a 2013 survey in the United States by Public Policy Polling, 4% believed that "'lizard people' control our societies" That would mean 12.8 million American citizens believed this crap. Isn't that incredible?

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

There's no hope for America when people like this are made White House advisors. This "faith advisor" has a history worth looking at.

Hoodlum 🇺🇸@nothoodlum.bsky.social

Marco Rubio: “Iranians are radical religious lunatics.” Also: Have you met Paula White, the White House faith advisor?

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Isn't this an obvious war crime? Not content with diverting the rivers that fed Palestine , Israel completely and purposefully destroyed all sources of drinkable water for Gazans. It is an incredibly cruel and callous thing to do to an entire population. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.comIsrael facing water shortages caused by destruction of Gaza’s treatment plantsFive desalination plants shut down for days, while Gaza remains in grip of severe water and sanitation crisis

Darkening Skies reposted

MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦
@maks23.bsky.social

🇱🇹🇺🇦 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Russia: In all but name, Russia has already lost the war. Yet, its leadership does not allow itself to admit defeat, fearing international legal accountability and possible revenge from its own people. Kremlin regime increasingly finds itself cornered.

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

It would not surprise me to learn that Russia was behind both the boat traffickers and the right-wing anti-migrant movements. A relatively cheap and low risk way to destabilise the UK, but also Europe, along with the rest of the hybrid warfare going on. #Russia www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.comFar-right activist Daniel Thomas slashes dinghy in Channel with blade while rescue worker onboardThomas called followers to protest against arrival of asylum seekers in Gosport, but Border Force instead transported them to Dover
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Can you believe this guy? Some ally! He hates Canada, hates UK, hates Europe but adores Putin , and would rather fund Russia's lapdog, Belarus, than come to terms with America's closest friends. He is ruining America and bringing down the rest of us. #Trump www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.comTrump seeks ‘massive’ Belarus fertiliser deal amid Canada trade warTrump’s announcement on Russia ally comes as he steps up his trade war with Canada, a long-term US ally and top supplier of potash
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Trump seems to always move the blame away from himself and his own failures. If he'd backed Ukraine from the start and not been Israel's dupe in attacking Iran, he wouldn't have doubled the cost of diesel at home. #Trump #Ukraine #Iran www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

theguardian.comTrump set to press Zelenskyy at UN to agree energy ceasefire with RussiaPresident to meet Ukrainian counterpart in New York as Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian energy sector
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

He's one mean mothertrucker. Grrrrrrr, what a man. A man's man. He loves gasoline and big trucks and playing with the big boys. Solar panels and windmills are for pussies. Drill, Baby, Drill ! You gotta grab life by the throat and put pedal to the metal. Everyone loves a man's man.

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Water is a natural monopoly. When it’s privatised, there’s no competition to keep it honest and no regulator strong enough to stop financial engineering. Thames Water is the proof: debt‑loading, under‑investment, and sewage everywhere. Public ownership is vital. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.comMPs urge ministers to break off Thames Water talks with US hedge fundsEfra committee calls for emergency legislation enabling government to take public control of the company
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

If government steps in now, the one thing it must not do is hand it back to private owners. That’s exactly how we got here. A monopoly with no market discipline will always be run for extraction, not service.

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

If ever there was a story showing the complexity of history and people, this is a good example. A repressed people, a righteous cause, seemingly good people doing bad things in dark times. Justice must be done but Kosovo will be in pain over this. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.comKosovo’s former president jailed for 25 years over war crimesHashim Thaçi, 58, was convicted by The Hague for crimes committed while he was senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Family homes of Naza directors targeted and calls for them to have their citizenship revoked. Netanyahu condemned the film as “intolerable”, saying it portrayed the IDF as war criminals. They are. He is. I support the brave film directors & hope they stay safe. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...

theguardian.comNetanyahu seeks to strip citizenship from Israelis as threats to NAZA film directors intensifyIsraeli prime minister to pursue new laws as directors of Guardian-produced film face threats from far-right officials and activists
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Erdogan is aiming to boost birthrates ... by suppressing gay rights? "in a country with a large and concerning record of domestic violence, many cases of child abuse and murders of women, the protection of the family cannot be focused on LGBT people.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

theguardian.comTurkey detains dozens in crackdown on LGBTQ+ activists and journalistsProtesters teargassed as minister claims widespread raids and arrests under obscenity laws were to ‘protect families’
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

There's talk about how much the NHS depends on Israeli drugs, so I found this revealing Board of Deputies report from 2015 which says: "The high dependence of the NHS on Israeli ethical (?) drugs ...has the power to overcome the focus of diplomacy on settlements and Gaza" bod.org.uk/bod-news/the...

bod.org.ukThe Israeli drug company which is taking on the worldOne of my favourite statistics about surging British-Israel trade is that one out of every seven prescriptions filled by the NHS is sourced from Israeli
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

The blatant methods of the pro-Israel camp to silence those that support the creation of a state of Palestine is both anti-democratic and a reminder of the extent of the insidious influence of the Israeli State . Ed Sheeran should not bow to this pressure. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

theguardian.comAll supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with MacklemoreFour openers and live band for Sheeran’s tour depart after removal of Macklemore over ‘free Palestine’ comments
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Is Donald Trump deliberately complicit in accelerating the end of life on Earth? He wants zero controls on AI and it's "Burn Baby Burn" for oil and gas. How can the world just stand by and watch as he kills us all? www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.comUS ends limits on coal and gas plant emissions, removing key tool to battle climate crisisTrump’s EPA strips itself of regulation ability, gutting Clean Air Act in what experts say is a gift to planet polluters
Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

Trump has said today "Ukraine has agreed not to hit Russian Energy targets. Russia has agreed to do, likewise! The World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran." He's lying again to deflect attention away from his failing war on Iran by blaming Ukraine. #Trump

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

This is how Russia 'liberates' people from the "Nazi regime in Kyiv". It's very similar to the same liberation of Ukraine they did before in the Holodomor ("to inflict death by hunger") in the 1930's. A lesson learned by Putin from his hero , Stalin.

OneTeaWithPutin@1-tea-with-putin.bsky.social

russian "liberation" after having to invade to "protect" the people of Donbas and "Novorossija":

Darkening Skies
@disturbedsleep.bsky.social

This is a remarkably in-depth overview of the current state of the Russian aggression in Ukraine AND , towards the end of the video, in Europe and also Africa. There is no doubt that Russia is engaged in sabotage and disruption in Europe and the UK. #Ukraine #Russia #hybridwar

OneTeaWithPutin@1-tea-with-putin.bsky.social

It's actually looking quite bad for russians north of Lyman, the northern end of the Ukrainian fortress belt in Donbas. Not only are their gains of the last half a year or so across the river being pushed back. It seems like they are really under pressure holding the east shore of the river.

youtube.comUpdate from Ukraine | Big News! Ukraine Has Crossed the Main River and Wants to Cut SuppliesYouTube video by Denys Davydov