Francis Collings
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franciscollings.bsky.social
Francis Collings
@franciscollings.bsky.social
Foreign News Correspondent (Freelance)
A Paris based, Gibraltar raised,
much-travelled journalist.
Ex BBC, TRT World (and a few others…)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-collings/
Very interesting, James Ball claiming that the leaked, internal Prescott report that says the BBC edited Trump words to convey a different meaning - itself edited Trump’s speech selectively. Something very rotten at the heart of this story. #bbc #trump

www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Prescott himself doctored Trump quote in his anti-BBC report
A report alleging Panorama broadcast misleading Trump quotes contains misleading quotes itself
www.thenewworld.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 12:18 PM
'It is the slow burn depth charge beneath his Presidency'
Beautifully put by
@simonmarksfsn.bsky.social #trump #epstein www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVx...
Trump ‘spent hours’ at Epstein’s house with victim, email alleges
YouTube video by LBC
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
'It is the slow burn depth charge beneath his Presidency'
Beautifully put by @simonmarksfsn.bsky.social
#trump #epstein
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVx...
Trump ‘spent hours’ at Epstein’s house with victim, email alleges
YouTube video by LBC
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:35 PM
It’s an issue that won’t go away, which is why the Trump admin., fears the subject. Unlike most issues, the White House cannot control the narrative here. + It’s a scenario that could do irreparable harm to the Trump presidency. #epstein #trump

news.sky.com/story/trump-...
Trump latest: Epstein wrote US president 'knew about girls', emails show - but White House condemns leak as 'smear'
New emails have been released by House Democrats about the relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. A vote could also end the longest US government shutdown in history tonight. Watch and...
news.sky.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
An excellent appraisal of the legal matters facing the #BBC in light of the Trump threat. It includes the lines, "A confident BBC would admit a mistake and move on without admitting legal liability. But we do not have a confident BBC". Well worth a read emptycity.substack.com/p/a-close-lo...
A close look at Trump's $1 billion claim against the BBC
The litigation letter is weak, but his underlying practical position is not weak
emptycity.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Utterly compelling. No better people than these 3 to discuss the madness that is criticism levelled at the BBC. In the words of an insider (who was one of many) talking to them. There has been a ‘coup’ at the #BBC. The whole situation is bizarre. youtu.be/mzT7j3FkDO0?...
Inside the BBC: What really went on
YouTube video by The News Agents
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Clumsy edit yes. And a one sentence voice over would have covered them. You wonder who was overseeing this edit, but he still issued the words. There have been worse media crimes. #bbc
www.theguardian.com/media/video/...
Side-by-side comparison of BBC-edited Trump speech from day of Capitol attack with original – video
A selectively edited clip by Panorama has resulted in the BBC being accused of making it appear clearer that the US president encouraged the Capitol attack
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:07 PM
French TV and assorted media avidly awaiting the return of Nicolas #Sarkozy to his house at the16th arrondisment of Paris. Forbidden by the courts from having any contact with the Justice ministry. Interesting
November 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
The NFL in Berlin this weekend. I love that stadium, lived nearby and it was my regular jogging route. Saw the 49’ers play the Bears in the summer of 1991 there. Troubled history but a magnificent venue that has seen such drama. #berlin #olympiastadion shorturl.at/xTxzn
Adolf Hitler, Jesse Owens and Berlin’s Olympiastadion: The complicated history of an NFL venue
The NFL’s first regular-season game in Berlin will be played in Europe's most contentious sporting venue. It has a complex history
shorturl.at
November 7, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Fascinating and so sad. I spent so much time in Yarmouk. A thriving and very welcoming Palestinian community. Loved it there and knew it well. Utterly tragic to see it now. Superb report by @ClaireBillet @Olivier jobard
#yarmouk #syria

www.google.com/gasearch?q=f...
November 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Never fail to be cheered by the views of Paris. Even from the M6 metro (from Bir Hakim), beautiful, on a murky day. #paris #seine
November 3, 2025 at 3:39 PM
The Epstein saga is the story of our time. The courage of Virginia Guiffre has brought down a prince & neither the King of England or the US President cannot halt the aftershocks from coming. And this is an excellent listen. Just superb coverage
#epstein #guiffre
"We breed this family to be our head of state and it screws them up time and time again. It is a litany of sadness and torment."

Can King Charles make the "brutal" changes needed to make sure the Royals survive?
October 31, 2025 at 8:32 PM
The Louvre heist story keeps on giving. 4 suspects arrested - queueing for a Paris FC v Lyon game at the Jean-Bouin stadium, in the 16th arrondissement. A 5th person was arrested later in La Courneuve, Seine-Saint-Denis in the north of paris. #louvre #paris
www.europe1.fr/Police-Justi...
Cambriolage du Louvre : le troisième membre présumé du commando interpellé faisait la queue pour assister à un match de football
Parmi les cinq personnes interpellées mercredi soir pour le cambriolage au musée du Louvre, quatre d'entre elles se rendaient au match de football opposant le Paris FC à l'Olympique lyonnais, au stade...
www.europe1.fr
October 31, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Quite amazing news. Known only as Andrew Windsor from now on.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
Prince Andrew to lose 'prince' title and move out of Royal Lodge
He will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor - Buckingham Palace says
www.bbc.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Looks a lot like the King of Spain behind him.
(Runner up in the silly hats competition...?)
#royalfamily #princeandrew #privateeye
October 29, 2025 at 9:51 AM
One of the remarkable things about Antonio Tejero (who died this week in Valencia) was that he’d already been convicted of planning a coup in Spain in 1980, was jailed … and then kept his military rank. Remarkable.
Leading to the short lived Spanish coup in 1981. Faced down by King Juan Carlos.
Muere Antonio Tejero, el exteniente coronel que lideró el intento de golpe de Estado del 23-F - Área Costa del Sol
Antonio Tejero Molina, exteniente coronel de la Guardia Civil y principal responsable del intento de golpe de Estado del 23 de febrero de 1981, ha fallecido
www.areacostadelsol.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:33 PM
More than one deluded friend of Prince Andrew is always leaping to his defence on TV. If, as they say, he’d never met Virginia Guiffre, why was he allegedly touting her social sec. no. & birth date, instigating a smear campaign, + accepting he may have met her, & that the photo may be legitimate?
October 19, 2025 at 4:10 PM
The horrors of the Syrian war will last for decades, clearly Bashar al Assad had become the epitome of evil, along with his acolytes. We can but hope he and others face justice one day This is brutal reading. #syria #assad www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Exclusive: Assad government secretly moved mass grave to cover up killings, Reuters investigation finds
From 2019 to 2021, Syria’s authoritarian government carried out a secret operation to move tens of thousands of bodies from the exposed Qutayfah mass grave to a hidden site in the desert east of Damascus. The goal of the clandestine reburial was to hide evidence of atrocities as Bashar Assad tried to regain international standing
www.reuters.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This is an utterly compelling interview. If you believe in the Middle East, and the future of Israel and Palestine then you must watch or listen to gershonbaskin.bsky.social Gershon Baskin talking on Channel 4 (Uk) #israel #palestine #gaza

youtu.be/JH3mRptJHEw?...
Inside the Israel and Gaza peace deal - what happens next?
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
youtu.be
October 13, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Slightly amazed that the BBC doesn’t have an Arabic speaking journalist on hand with the admirable Lyse Doucet, to translate the press conference from Egypt. Hoping this was just a technical issue. #trump #sisi #egypt
October 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
These words from Ben de Pear are so worth reading. The lack of credit given to Gaza’s journalists (who have died in their hundreds) with the implication that we don’t know what is happening without international media who will enter soon. Well, we do. #gaza #bbc
www.linkedin.com/posts/ben-de...
October 12, 2025 at 11:11 AM
French politics gets crazier still. #Macron reappoints #Lecornu as French PM after days of turmoil www.bbc.com/news/article...
Macron reappoints Lecornu as French PM after days of turmoil
www.bbc.com
October 10, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Kamala Harris was correct about Trump and what he would do in power. As she admits, she didn’t expect the capitulation. Perhaps the fightback is beginning ? #kamala #trump www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Francis Collings
You don’t have to be called Steve or Stephen to work at Blackpool, but it does help.
October 5, 2025 at 7:57 AM