Alistair Bunkall @AliBunkallSKY Twitter profile

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

8 months

Do follow me on Instagram though, if you want explainers/videos/news/pictures from the Middle East. For example:

Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

8 months

I’ve already noticed less engagement with my tweets in recent months (although maybe that’s just me being uninteresting) but don’t think most people will both to pay subscription fees.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

I gather all Ministers were asked to tweet support for Cummings today. One Minister, who didn’t, texted me: “a piece of you dies every time you see a friend or colleague tweet their support, after they’ve given you an entirely different view of Cummings in private”

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

The first victim of Wednesday’s tragic incident in The Channel has been named tonight as Mariam Nouri Hamadameen, a 21 year old Kurdish from northern Iraq.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Video has emerged of soldiers on a shooting range in Kabul firing at a target of Jeremy Corbyn. MOD confirms it as legit:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Open this photo. Extraordinary global respect the Queen commands. When she speaks, the world listens. Every US news network aired it. Via @PhilippeCorbe

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Jess Phillips impassioned tonight, on last night’s expulsion of Tory MPs.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Five weeks away from my wife. Just called for daily FaceTime chat: “Do you mind if we speak another time? Ocado are just about to release new delivery slots.”

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Often overlooked, 1.5 million soldiers from pre-partition India fought in WW1. 74,000 were killed and 11 Victoria Crosses awarded.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

The Russian Ambassador to the UK accused Bellingcat of being an arm of the “British deep state”. This is the moment I challenged him to prove that:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Some of the supportive tweets by senior Cabinet Ministers before @PippaCrerar ’s latest revelation that Cummings paid a SECOND visit to County Durham:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

GENEVA: Western diplomats walk-out en masse from a virtual speech made by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

UKRAINE: fear amongst western officials now is that Russia will start bombing Ukrainians indiscriminately and even with thermobaric weapons, if their progress continues to be impeded.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Spoken to Gavin Williamson. He swore on his children’s life to me that he didn’t leak the Huawei news and neither did his staff. Said he believes this is the settling of a vendetta between him and Mark Sedwill

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

So if you donate to Donald Trump’s legal fund to challenge the election, it seems from the small print that the first 60% of your money goes towards paying down his campaign debt:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Jamie, an NHS Doctor has recorded his own version of Frozen’s Let It Go, called Stay At Home. This is great, please share!

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Sunrise over Gold Beach, Normandy

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

We rightly question and scrutinise the politics, timing and dire consequences of the NATO withdrawal, but we can’t question the professionalism, bravery and compassion of the soldiers from @16AirAssltBde who were sent to make it happen. They’re on their way home now.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

7 months

Israel claims Hamas are preventing people from leaving their homes in northern Gaza. Our team in Gaza say they’ve seen no evidence of that. I asked for the IDF surveillance footage that proves the Israeli claim, 24 hours ago, but not received yet.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

Mariam had recently travelled to Germany and onto France, hoping to join her fiancé who already lives in Britain. She was a student and newly engaged – she left her studies early to be with her fiancé.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Mass co-ordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats: US - 60 Czech - 3 Ukraine - 13 Lithuania - 3 Latvia - 1 Poland - 4 Germany - 4 France - 4 Good day for Downing St.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

Switzerland has just announced it will forgo its traditional neutrality and sanction Russia. Oligarchs seen Switzerland as a safe haven for their cash - an estimated $11bn kept here. This will hurt.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

First wave of Paras en route to Kabul @16AirAssltBde

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

11 days

Beautician in Jerusalem to my wife today, as she had nails done: “better to kill them (Palestinians) as babies now before they grow up to become terrorists”

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

I’m told it happened in the last few days. Here is the MOD statement:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

UKRAINE: I’ve been told by a senior Ukrainian official that Ukrainian Special Forces carried out the operation on a Russian airbase in Crimea yesterday.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Bit harsh.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

AFGHANISTAN: I hear there’s a mad scramble to find RAF aircraft from operations around the world so they can go to Kabul to help with repatriations. Initial plans were to start evacuating people on Thursday, that’s been scrapped. It’s a case of ASAP now

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

The new Prime Minister looks shocked.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

“Here mother and father are totally devastated,” her cousin told us this evening. “The situation is just awful. She was a woman in the prime of her life. It’s a total tragedy and the whole family are in shock.”

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

“I know South Korea better than anybody...do you know how many people are in Seoul? Do you know how big the city of Seoul is? 38 million people.” It’s actually 9.9 million.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Valentine's Day card conundrum:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Probably the first photo ever of Philip Mountbatten meeting a young Princess Elizabeth at Dartmouth Naval College. Looks like it was taken secretly over a wall:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

“I agree with what Boris said” - now @MattHancock implies he would get rid of Sir Kim Darroch from Washington. “Why should any civil servant want to work for you in any department if you’re not going to back them up doing their job?” asks @adamboultonSKY

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Interesting: Twitter has now started labelling certain news organisations as state-affiliated-media. Here are examples from @SputnikInt @RT_com and @CGTNOfficial

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Many of the images from Syria were too horrific to put in my report tonight. Children, dead in stairwells, frothing at the mouth. To them it makes no difference if it was chlorine or sarin that killed them, or even who dropped the bombs.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Given that members of the royal family, like politicians, often choose to ignore questions thrown at them, that Prince William decided to engage in this speaks volumes.

Roya Nikkhah

@RoyaNikkhah

3 years

BREAKING The Duke of Cambridge has today hit back at accusations of racism from #HarryandMeghanonOprah Prince William said: “We’re very much not a racist family” adding he’s not yet been in touch with Harry: “No I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.” #HarryandMeghan

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Very sad to hear that Field Marshall the Lord Bramall has died aged 95. Chief of the Defence Staff, DDay veteran, Lord Lieutenant of London, President of the MCC. One of the great men of our time.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

I’m told there are simulated paint rounds, not bullets. But “this is a terrible look” as one senior defence source just said to me.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Body parts of Jamal Khashoggi have been found in the garden of the Saudi Consul General's home, @AlexCrawfordSky is reporting from Istanbul.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

A list of the 19 different and contradictory narratives Russia has given for the Salisbury poisoning, as being discussed in the UNSC right now:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

22 days

After an Israeli air strike collapsed an Iranian consulate building in Damascus and killed seven Iranian military officers, violating the Vienna Convention. Sure, Iran’s response might have been disproportionate, but this strike was why Iran attacked Israel.

Eylon Levy

@EylonALevy

22 days

Iran has been waging a shadow war against Israel, and now it has stepped out of the shadows.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

I’ve booked two travel PCRs today to fly tomorrow - UK: £145 Israel: £20 How can there still be such a vast difference in price?

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

Mariam was most commonly known to her family and friends informally as Baran. Another relative has confirmed to us she was among Wednesday’s victims.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

The Taliban in the Presidential Palace tonight. You can debate the rights and wrongs of the withdrawal, but this was not an image the White House or Downing St expected:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Downing St has stopped British Ministers attending the Munich Security Council this week. Given attendees include Macron, Trudeau, Pompeo, Stoltenberg, Zuckerberg etc, this seems like a miss and not very Global Britain.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

It’s estimated seven Russian fighter jets were destroyed and others damaged. They were fuelled and ready to fly.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Sat in an Italian restaurant by myself. Feel cannelloni.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

They arrived from Russia, on Russian passports, with visas obtained in Russia and then returned to Russia. But yeah, suppose they could have been Madagascan.

Al Ayr Force 67

@AlOxon67

6 years

@AliBunkallSKY how do u know they were Russian?

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

London Bridge: There are now trauma packs strategically based in office buildings around the city of London area, with trained private workers, to respond to major attacks. One of the lessons learnt from 2017.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

There are images of celebrities on the range, but as VIPs to be protected rather than shot at.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

When May eventually goes, watch her rivals fall over themselves to say how admirable she was in impossible circumstances. Fact is whoever became PM after Brexit was doomed. Everyone thinks they could have done the job better but when it came to it, none were willing to try.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

My youngest daughter called my wife to the sitting room today. “Mummy, mummy, come quick. Daddy’s on TV!” It was Matt Hancock.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Can someone explain to me how parliament can decide to go on holiday five days early, eight days before they were due to go on holiday anyway? Now that really is out of touch with how normal life works.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

NATO statement on Russian spy investigation:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Just spent three days in Kabul with @GavinWilliamson . Was notable how he spent every moment he could with the troops, ate dinner with them, sat with them on flights and took an interest in what they were doing. Very different to his predecessors.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

@GNev2 Are you multiplying?

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Amazing photo of rockets being fired from Gaza on the right, and Iron Dome intercepting on the left. 📸 @AFP

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

SYRIA: British Special Forces are involved in the operation to retake Gweiran prison in NE Syria, multiple sources have confirmed to me. Islamic State is still in control of pockets of the prison.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

I’ve rarely seen a serving Cabinet Minister take failure so personally. Wallace is a soldier, he knows the sacrifices made by his comrades in Afghanistan and he has been commendably honest in his criticism of the US withdrawal:

LBC

@LBC

3 years

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace breaks down admitting to @NickFerrariLBC "some people won't get back" from Afghanistan.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 months

Whether or not the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza has actually started (I don’t think it’s that clear) I’m hearing from contacts in Jordan and Iraq that people there assume it has, and that might or might not trigger a response

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

7 years

I can't help but have a bit of admiration for this.

Sky News

@SkyNews

7 years

The acting chief of the French air force has been accused of using a fighter jet to commute home at weekends

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

The range is in the loft of New Kabul Compound in Afghanistan. Soldiers practice 'guardian angel' drills here - protecting VIPs.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

1 year

IF this turns out to be Russian missiles, and not stray Ukrainian air defence missiles: * Unlikely to be a deliberate attack on Poland, (although that doesn’t lessen the tragedy of two who’ve died). * More likely to result in NATO Article IV consultations rather than Article V

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Sonic boom: two RAF Typhoons were launched from Coningsby to intercept a private jet that lost communications. Jets authorised to fly supersonic hence boom over Cambridgeshire area. Jet escorted safely into Stansted. Incident now over.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

10 years

The most withering, brutal political cartoon I can remember by @mortenmorland in today's Times: http://t.co/VKMAnOVM9j

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

V low key, no crowd control - this was no manufactured photo-op:

Isabel Webster

@IsabelWebster_

3 years

BREAKING: The Duchess of Cambridge has been paying tribute to #SarahEverard at the band stand on Clapham Common - close to where she was last seen. Her Royal Highness paused to read the notes and look at the many flowers that have been laid.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Question for my many Russian trolls: There is CCTV of two men arriving from Russia, visiting Salisbury twice in 48hrs, and then flying back to Moscow. If those men weren’t GRU agents, then what were they doing that weekend, the very same weekend the Skripal’s were poisoned?

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Breaking: The PM will announce the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the UK. Not as many as in 1971 but “significant” I’m told.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

AFGHANISTAN: I’m told the U.K. is considering sending more troops to Kabul if needed. Focus is currently on securing the airport and perimeter - US forces leading the operation and have control of air traffic control tower.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Airspace over Pakistan completely clear:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

He’s not a journalist!

MFA Russia 🇷🇺

@mfa_russia

5 years

#Zakharova (on the sentence of #journalist and civil activist Tommy Robinson): We will continue to closely monitor this case, mainly from the perspective of #Britain ’s declared commitment to the immutability of high human rights standards.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

The British soldier killed in Iraq last night has been named as Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon. She was 26 years old

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Journalists should agree to ask the same question four times over.

Paul Kelso

@pkelso

5 years

Jeremy Corbyn's refusal to take questions one at a time - today it's groups of 4 (FOUR) - is infuriating but effective. Enables him to swerve answers and deliver speeches

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Finally able to reveal that Sir Alex Younger, Chief of MI6 is my latest podcast guest. It is the first time ever that a serving Chief has given a recorded interview. He tells me about life as a young spy, the challenges facing the world today:

‎Off the Record with Alistair Bunkall on Apple Podcasts

‎Education · 2020

podcasts.apple.com

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

The poignancy of what we didn’t see: The haunting echo of a lone bagpiper as the camera cuts away and allows the Queen a final private moment with her husband’s coffin as it lowers into the vault.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Interesting which Cabinet Minusters haven’t tweeted support for Cummings, including @BWallaceMP and @trussliz

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

7 months

ISRAEL: IDF update as of 0745 this morning: * IDF has taken back control of 29 incursion points along Gaza fence. * Still 8 points of engagement in southern Israel but not same severity as yesterday. * Focus is on searching and clearing areas in the south now.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Yesterday General Nick Carter said the Taliban were “country boys” who should be given a chance and there was no evidence of violence against women. @ramsaysky is in Kabul, looking them in the eye, and this is what he thinks:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

All bases covered. Silverstone, Lords, Wimbers. Do not disturb.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

#WeWillRememberThem #LestWeForget

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Priti Patel met her French counterpart with a mask, outside. And then it was removed inside. No wonder people are confused. 😷

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Also the first US President to have lost the popular vote, twice.

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

3 years

71,000,000 Legal Votes. The most EVER for a sitting President!

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

24 days

Confirmed by sources: RAF has been involved in the defence of Israel tonight:

Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

24 days

Rumours, not confirmed, that RAF Typhoons from Akrotiri, Cyprus are involved in protecting Israel tonight. I have been told though that more Typhoons were sent to Akrotiri on Friday in anticipation of an Iranian attack.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

What happens when the ⁦ @RoyalAirForce ⁩ are scrambled to intercept an aircraft and cleared to go supersonic? Watch this extract from my documentary a few years ago:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Streatham terrorist, Sudesh Amman, was 17 when he started collecting terror material. He encouraged his girlfriend at the time to behead her own parents. He was convicted in 2018, news article here:

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Cummings drove from London - parents farm in Durham - Barnard Castle - Farm - London. And never needed to fill up?

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

7 years

Strongest statement I've ever known from a UK intelligence agency.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

On Children In Need night, it’s probably the moment to reveal that I was once Pudsey Bear in my younger days on work experience at the BBC.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Now the operation is over, I can report that the SBS has retaken control of the ship in the Thames Estuary.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Defence Sources: UK military have increased their security and readiness at bases in the Middle East region following Soleimani killing.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

1 month

The killing of seven aid workers last night is getting a lot of international attention because at least 5 of them were foreigners. But since October 2023 at least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed, most of them Palestinian. Last night’s incident was not the first.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Missing sub: An Argentinian pilot greets a British pilot on the tarmac in Argentina - the first time an RAF plane has landed in Argentina "in living memory" I'm told. The Voyager has flown in supplies for the ongoing search:

Rumi 🇦🇷 🇮🇹

@NJLxx

6 years

Argentina e Inglaterra por el #ARASanJuan

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Argentina has accepted the British offer for help finding the missing submarine. HMS Protector is on her way and should be in the search area later today.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Having Sunday lunch with my family in a London pub. Every table around us made up of groups that clearly don’t live together (obv by the way they arrived at different times and openly greeted one another) - if this is indicative of the norm, quite clear Govt has lost public will

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

4 years

Patel confirms new counter-terror related measures will be announced by the government tomorrow. Sounds like they’ll legislate to stop terror offenders being released early from prison unchecked.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

2 years

UKRAINE: The regional governor of Luhansk has told us that at least 70% of Severodonetsk is now under Russian control but the fighting is ongoing. This morning that figure was said to be 50%.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Foreign Sec @Jeremy_Hunt on sentencing of Matthew Hedges: “I am deeply shocked and disappointed by the verdict today. “Today’s verdict is not what we expect from a friend and trusted partner of the United Kingdom“

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

INF Treaty was signed in 1987 by Reagan and Gorbachev. Prevented US and Soviet ground base missiles in Europe with a range of 500km - 5,000km

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

3 years

Only a few weeks ago, Chief of the Defence Staff Nick Carter slammed journalists for being pessimistic about Afghanistan’s future. Sadly those journalists saw what was coming and Carter didn’t.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

6 years

Breaking Death Row Dog news: I'm hearing the dogs' future will be safe. Believe Gavin Williamson gave assurances to the dog handlers this morning.

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Alistair Bunkall

@AliBunkallSKY

5 years

Thermal image of @RoyalMarines (42 Commando) fast-roping from a Wildcat helicopter to detain an oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar in the early hours of the morning.

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