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Nick Donovan

@nickpdonovan.bsky.social

720 followers 760 following 3.6K posts

Corruption, conflict finance, investigative journalist. Winner of Fetisov journalism prize.

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · Jul 14

Got a problem? Kill them. Thread on two cases from my Economist article on assassinations in South Africa: 1, a corruption case which domino-like, has just led to the suspension of the police minister; 2, a cop killing which may reveal a military death squad.

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www.economist.com/middle-east-...

Got an enemy? Hire a killer

In South Africa, contract murders are spreading from gangland into wider society

www.economist.com

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Reposted by Nick Donovan

Department of Shoe @shoe.bsky.social · 5h

We had to let kids die in Africa so we could give money to Milei to something something.

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 22h

These guys don’t know how to coup pt 2

bsky.app/profile/chad...

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 1d

The US military stops getting paid from next week.

White House has, for now, ruled out legislative fix for military pay

Over 1 million military paychecks could go unfulfilled on Oct. 15.

www.politico.com

Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 23h

How’s it going? I still have a secret pilgrim to go, but feeling a bit daunted by A Perfect Spy…

Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 1d

And this one builds on some of the others:

thesentry.org/reports/suda...

The RSF's Business Network in the UAE - The Sentry

October 2025 Download the full alert A team of businessmen with ties to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia set up a network of companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) including jewelers,...

thesentry.org

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 1d

It’s too late, I’m not changing now.

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 2d

Stephen Lawrence would have been 51 this year, likely worrying about his teenagers doing their GCSEs or A levels and getting his eyes tested. So much life was taken from the Lawrence family.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 2d

After 32 years & six months, one of those who killed Stephen Lawrence acknowledges his participation in the murderous gang in public for the first time (having been convicted in 2012), during a public parole hearing.
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Redirect Notice

www.google.com

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Reposted by Nick Donovan

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 2d

Redirect Notice

www.google.com

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 3d

My favourite kind of leak. A brilliant colleague spotted a Zimbabwean spy chief’s notes during a parliamentary hearing- sparking investigations into the agency’s off budget businesses:

bsky.app/profile/nick...

Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 3d

Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst noticed that Bondi flipped open a file during the Senate hearing and he zoomed in.

Inside were her crib notes for attacking the senators.

The GOP now practicing Cliff's Notes Fascism

In other words, under oath Bondi was purely a performance.

Bondi senate hearing had a folder full of notes for attacking the senators

Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 4d

I hope your kids inherit the cassette!

Actually I slightly misremembered- it was this LC song, also a chefs kiss

Cover of double a side 12 inch single by Lynn Collins and Sweet Charles

Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 4d

I bought this back in 1988 ish on a reissue, along with….

m.youtube.com/watch?v=5sRs...

SWEET CHARLES SHERRELL - YES IT'S YOU

YouTube video by Limu013

m.youtube.com

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 5d

Am reading the Dogs of War by Freddy Forsyth. So far it’s 95% admin - pages and pages of sentences like “the superfluous lubricating oil was poured into smaller containers and saved for the ship’s use.”

Once you put it down you can’t pick it up again.

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 5d

Second, actually

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_...

Hitler Has Only Got One Ball - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 5d

A pub sign in Wiltshire.

A pub sign for the Rose and Crown featuring Prince William and Kate Middleton. Will has a lot of hair.

Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 7d

Certainly did. Thank you.

Reposted by Nick Donovan

OSINT Industries @osint.industries · 8d

🌍 Conflict Gold Exposed

New from @thesentryorg.bsky.social: Sudan’s RSF built a shadow business empire in the UAE — gold traders, logistics fronts & sanctions evasion.

OSINT Industries’ platform helped trace the networks.

📖 Read the report 👇
thesentry.org/wp-content/u...

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 7d

Could have been worse:

…feel the love. ❤️ THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER

Reposted by Nick Donovan

Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 8d

took a break from blocking people on social media to write a post about some places in Jewish London that I love:
open.substack.com/pub/naomiald...

just because you know. it is nice to think about some lovely parts of my culture and heritage.

Jewish London: a celebration in 13 places

a very non-impartial, non-comprehensive guide to some stuff I like

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Nick Donovan

Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 15d

Kids looking at vegetables they’ve left until last:

Gilbert White @gilbertwhite.bsky.social · 15d

1776: Some swallows remain.

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Reposted by Nick Donovan

Chris Towers is in Offseason Mode @cptowers.bsky.social · Aug 3

Austin Hays is the most 1950s-looking player in baseball. Looks like his nickname should be “tugboat” and he should be sponsored by a cigarette company

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 11d

These guys don’t know how to coup.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11d

Hegseth: "It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the secretary of war can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations and see fat troops. Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals."

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Nick Donovan @nickpdonovan.bsky.social · 11d

Related: the cars who slowly edge further and further into a main road from a side street, forcing cyclists to a) wonder if they will get hit and hurt, b) to swerve into the main traffic flow to create enough buffer. Hate it.

Alex Hern @hern.bsky.social · 11d

Three weeks into the school run and my new radicalising thing is cars ever so gently rolling forward as my daughter scooters over the zebra crossing. What are you doing. Take your foot off the accelerator there’s a fucking four year old in front of you