David Mac Dougall

That's quite a picture to paint! And I say that as someone who's spent a lot of time exploring Saddam Hussein's gin palaces!

𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝@sundaedivine.lol

“Trump’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened up a Cheesecake Factory.” - Barack Obama in Ohio.

I just saw the weather forecast for Friday and it says specifically where I am, as much rain today as we would normally get in the whole of October! Better look out my wet weather gear!

rapporteur.comTHE HACK: Beijing’s AI invite to BrusselsIn today's edition: CSAR legality, quantum moonshots, ENISA

Beijing invites Brussels to join its AI initiative?

Rapporteur@euractiv.com

sfgate.comAnti-trans protesters were at the WNBA Finals. Valkyries fans shut them down."I wanted to make a statement to them that was direct and confrontational."

Proof that good things also happening in the world, not just bad things! In California, anti-trans protesters showed up at the WNBA finals (for some reason!) and were verbally attacking a trans fan in the crowd until Golden State Valkyries fans shut them down. www.sfgate.com/valkyries/ar...

I am not much of a reader, but a few people have raved about this book, so I jumped on the bandwagon...

bbc.co.ukTrump and Zelensky appear at loggerheads despite Oslo optimismThe Ukrainian leader's hug with Steve Witkoff in the Norwegian capital is unlikely to dispel misgivings about US policy towards his country, writes Paul Adams.

With Finland and Norway involved it definitely gives me more hope. The situation is clearly not a bed of roses. But the Nordic nations have such strong track records in working for peace it gives a glimmer of positivity. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Saw someone else posting this same test, and thought I would give it a try too. I wondered what AI-detection products would say about an article I wrote, so I picked a recent piece which was published in a national newspaper, and plugged it into three free-to-use AI detectors.

I specifically used the version of the article before it went to editors, because I had full control of it and knew absolutely that I had written the words myself. The results certainly varied! Quillbot and Scribbr got it right, but TextGuard was wildly wrong.

Today we rescued someone else's lost ball in the park. The dog feeling very pleased with herself!

And by "rescued" I mean "have now taken home to add to the collection"

iltalehti.fiKirja: Kolmekymppinen Jasmine Pajari kysyi Hjallis Harkimon ikää – Hjallis valehteliJasmine ja Hjallis Harkimo muistelevat suhteensa alkua Riku Siivosen kirjoittamassa elämäkerrassa.

My favourite story today in #Finland: 30-year-old Jasmine Pajari asked Hjallis Harkimo his age. He said he was in his 50s. Gurrl... perhaps use some of his fortune to buy new glasses because you were clearly blinded by money, I mean love. Love. He's in his 70s. www.iltalehti.fi/viihdeuutise...

euronews.com'They hit and robbed us,' say Euronews crew in Paris after assaultEuronews correspondents in Paris covering the protests reported being targeted by masked individuals on Saturday’s major nationwide demonstrations following calls on social media to target media outle...

My friend Estelle and her colleague were attacked by looters in Paris today. [Questions aside of whether Euronews provided adequate security: they didn't] Please try to remember folks, if you're having a riot or pillage or whatnot, journalists are not your target. www.euronews.com/2026/10/17/e...

Good morning, huomenta, god morgon! Starting our Saturday with a nice long walk in the forest, which is sensory heaven for a Labrador! ☀️🐾🌲🍂🍁🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇫🇮

Life choices. Not everyone majoring in journalism at university goes on to become a journalist. From my master's class at Stirling Uni, I'm the only working journalist. From my undergrad classes in the US, one classmate has gone on to be a coach at an NFL team with a salary up to $6m per year.

For the avoidance of any doubt: The football coach made the right choice not to go into journalism! 😂

This week we had a good reminder, as journalists, to not take anyone's claims at face value. When President Zelenskyy suggested Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian data centres had resulted "less hate, less division, and fewer provocations because there were fewer bots" it was too good to be true.

motherjones.comDrone strikes didn’t take out a Russian bot farm, but we were primed to believe itA viral rumor illustrates people’s hunger to make sense of the division we see online.

Mother Jones: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

tomshardware.comRussia's Yandex bot traffic nearly eliminated overnight after Ukraine drone strikes cripple multiple of 'Russia's Google' data centers — Ukraine intensifies bombing of Yandex data centers in response ...The world is getting a break from Russian bots thanks to Kyiv.

Not true - but looks credible. (This one seems more like wishful over-thinking rather than delierate disinfmation... but it's a tricky line to walk and that's the whole point of this thread!) www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...

theguardian.comDid Ukrainian strikes on Russian datacentres reduce online disinformation?While some viral online graphs suggest less bot activity, Zelenskyy’s claims of improved social media discourse do not entirely pass muster

Guardian: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...

dw.comFact check: Misleading graph about alleged Russian bot activityDid attacks on Russian data centers reduce bot activity around Germany's AfD? A viral graph claims they did. But it contains significant inconsistencies and provides no evidence to support the claim.

DW: www.dw.com/en/fact-chec...

rferl.orgZelenskyy Says Yandex Strikes Crippled Pro-Kremlin Bots But Tech Experts Question EvidenceUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine's recent attacks on Russian tech giant Yandex’s data centers have resulted in fewer Internet bots promoting pro-Kremlin hate, a claim that...

Radio Free Europe: www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-...

yahoo.comExamining claim Ukraine's strikes on Yandex servers took out Russian botsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there were "fewer bots" online after Ukraine struck three of Yandex's servers.

Snopes: www.yahoo.com/news/world/a...

Similar claims sprang up online, variously saying that pro-MAGA accounts, or pro-Reform UK accounts, had gone down at the same time as the Russain data centres were hit. But investigations have dubunked this.

bbc.co.ukIs Zelensky right to say data centre strikes have taken down Russian bots?Experts say there is no evidence that Russian trolls have been affected by Ukraine’s Yandex attacks.

BBC Verify: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A Polish scientist claimed to have data showing bot activity supporting Germany's far-right AfD party had slumped; and a Czech politician seemed to back this claim saying "So much talk about German patriotism…then the connection from Russia goes down."

Got to love the student journalist standing up for her rights! Journalism is not a crime.

Baltimore Banner@thebaltimorebanner.com

Republican Rep. Andy Harris incorrectly told a reporter they were breaking the law as the reporter and others recorded an exchange with him last night. Harris had just wrapped up a debate with Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz.

The dog + a steam train this morning on our walk. She was not interested in the slightest!

news.stv.tvSNP MSP not named on baby loss certificate as he lives in ScotlandGlasgow MSP David Linden was not allowed to be named on the certificate after his partner Cat Smith miscarried in June

When devolution works, it really works well. When devolution doesn't work, it doesn't work in some of the worst ways. This is a heart-breaking story, and I hope Mr Linden and Ms Smith are the catalyists to solving the issue very quickly indeed. news.stv.tv/scotland/snp...

oliveoiltimes.comFinland Wins World Olive Picking Championship in Croatia | Olive Oil TimesCompetitors from ten countries gathered on the Croatian island of Brač for a celebration of traditional olive harvesting, with Finland taking the top prize.

Suomi mainittu! Torille?

Discovering Finland@discoverfinland.bsky.social

Finland Wins World Olive Picking Championship in Croatia www.oliveoiltimes.com/world/finlan...

Good morning, huomenta, god morgon! Beautiful autumn light for our walk - a warm sunny start, but there's rain in the forecast (as always!) 🤷‍♂️🐾🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇫🇮🍂🌲

thetimes.comQueen Elizabeth’s customised Bentley goes under the hammer

I'm not really a "car person" but this Bentley is a thing of beauty. If only I had a spare £340,000 and the money for fuel to run it! Oh, and a chauffeur. Of course.

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com

Modified to include a handbag holder, the Bentley Mulsanne, sprayed in the late monarch’s favourite Barnato green, has a low estimate of £340,000

David Mac Dougall reposted

Rapporteur

@euractiv.com

Finns press for EU ban on Russian travel visas

dlvr.itFinns press for EU ban on Russian travel visasHelsinki wants a EU-wide crackdown on Russian visas, as security fears shift the debate in Brussels

dallas.culturemap.comChipotle restaurant chain is testing drone delivery starting in DallasNational restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing drone delivery, starting here in Dallas. The company is partnering with Zipline, the world's largest autonomous delivery system, on a new se...

This is the 21st century I've been waiting for! Imagine a world where the skies buzz with drones delivering breakfast tacos... dallas.culturemap.com/news/restaur...

hs.fiMedia | Sanna Marin sanoo italialaislehdessä, että palaa politiikkaan, jos Venäjä hyökkää SuomeenSanna Marin kertoo italialaisen Corriere della Sera -lehden haastattelussa uskovansa, että Venäjä suunnittelee hyökkäystä Eurooppaan.

I'm not sure which is the bigger threat to Finland: concerns over a Russian attack, or Sanna Marin promising to return to domestic politics... (of course I'm joking, people!) #politiikka www.hs.fi/politiikka/a...

bbc.co.ukUK weather: Remnants of hurricane Isaias to help bring warm weather this weekClose to record-breaking warm nights are possible this week as warmer air heads for the UK.

Always happy to be on the receiving end of the "good" part of a hurricane! www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

Of all the in-depth articles I have been reading online in the last 24 hours, none has been more information than something the Daily Mail published: "What happened to the cast of Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman?" www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/ar...

thetimes.com‘My game inspired The Traitors. They betrayed me’Philippe des Pallières claims the parallels between a card game he co-created and the BBC show are tantamount to plagiarism

Until last week, I had never seen an episode of Traitors on television. Even though you can't escape what a huge cultural phenomenon it has become. But now that I started watching it, I am addicted. This article says 300,000 people applied as contestants! www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

politico.com‘Tell Us Where We’re Wrong’: The Outgoing Head of a UN Commission Challenges IsraelNavi Pillay says the United States and other countries have a responsibility to stop the war in Gaza.

Nahal is on a roll at the moment. She just won an award for her reporting on US foreign policy / diplomacy last week. Very proud that we were colleagues in the AP bureau Islamabad back in the day for a few years, and of what a stellar career she's had since then. This article is another great read.

Nahal Toosi@nahaltoosi.bsky.social

From the archives: I interviewed Navi Pillay, who just was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a year ago about Israel, Gaza, etc: www.politico.com/news/magazin...

🧵Thread/Lanka: Over the last week there's been a flood of breathless reporting in (some sectors of) the Finnish media about possible threats from Russia, and MPs claiming there were signs someone had been in their home, although there were no signs of break-ins. 📸Lassi Rinne

Mutta ihmiset ovat niin turtuneita kaikkiin pieniin, merkityksettömiin tarinoihin, että he lakkaavat kiinnittämästä huomiota tärkeisiin asioihin. Ja ehkä se olikin suunnitelma alusta alkaen?

www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/ar...

hs.fiMedia | Vaaniiko Venäjän mörkö median sängyn alla?Otsikot kansanedustajien häirinnästä ja merestä löytyneistä esineistä luovat mielikuvaa siitä, että Venäjä ehtii kaikkialle. Median tuntijat pohtivat, pelaako media Vladimir Putinin pussiin.

Hengästyttävä uutisointi ruokkii mielikuvitusta. At this point the Russians don't need to do anything, because Finnish media outlets are going to report every light left on, window opened or toilet set lifted.

Ehkä ne jopa liioittelevat jokaisen pienen yksityiskohdan merkitystä? Siihen pisteeseen asti, että triviaaleja spekulaatioita on niin paljon, ettei todellisia ongelmia huomata, ja jotain aidosti pahaa alkaa tapahtua.

In this week's Helsingin Sanomat media column I wrote about why we need to be even more careful as responsible journalists to not to let the narrative get ahead of the facts.

If AI hasn't wiped out all of humanity by next March we've got something very exciting to look forward to!

TrekCore.com 🖖@trekcore.com

The second season of #StarTrek #StarfleetAcademy returns to Paramount+ in March 2027

I had a bunch of vaccines yesterday (or "jags" as we say in Scotland) and last night was rough, but today they are really kicking my arse... 🥵🥶🤒🤢💉

🎉 Today is the dog's 11th birthday and one of us is celebrating with cake! Hyvää syntymäpäivää, pentu! 🐾🥰🇫🇮🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎉🎂

Lunchtime walks are underrated 🥰 🐾🍁🌤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇫🇮🌲