Thomas Lowe

Asia Pacific video desk w/ AFP in Hong Kong. French/Russian/Spanish speaker, bicycle fan. plays a mean trombone. All round good guy.

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@SJpapabear Ha! Love this photo Sam

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Hard to think of a more cynical state than Russia

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@ksenia_shkh Just tasty? Tasty and that's it?

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Excellent WSJ video on those in Russia willing to run huge risks to make an anti-war statement - and highlight the absurdities of Moscow's security crackdown @ksenia_shkh https://t.co/v2EtKUiQeO

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@JohnSaeki Fairly sausage-homogenous across the map though I fear

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

A final, devastating piece of writing by a young Ukranian mathematician prevented from leaving Russia https://t.co/fgsg5OuX1w

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Wow

[Andrei Soldatov @AndreiSoldatov]

Putin appears to be truly unhappy with the FSB in Ukraine: he attacked the 5 Service SOiMS (FSB's foreign Intelligence branch). Sergei Beseda, head of the Service, and his deputy Bolukh, head of the DOI, placed under house arrest, according to my sources inside.

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

... after US blocks oil purchases from Russia and officials fly in to kindle ties with Caracas - which controls one of world's largest reserves

[Axios @axios]

JUST IN: Venezuela frees Americans Gustavo Cardenas and Jorge Fernandez from detention
https://t.co/kyy4U38tl5

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Someone on my former Moscow neighbourhood's general FB page asks where the bomb shelter's are nearby and what state they are in. "Is there a service one can call to find out," she asks.

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Bellingcat head @christogrozev thinks it could well be real

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Quite a thread. Purported FSB analyst on how little prep went into invasion, mounting difficulties for Ru military in Syria, Kadyrov anger, and no way out for Kremlin, which has cornered itself

[Igor Sushko @igorsushko]

🧵My translation of the analysis of the current situation in Russia by an active FSB analyst. Buckle up for a long thread and definitely please share far & wide. The full text is over 2000 words. This is a highly insightful look behind the curtain - covers many subjects.

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

For all those calling for a ban on RT in the UK - yes there'd be a feel good factor, but consider that its viewership is negligible. BBC Russian - an excellent service that has recently tripled its audience - would likely be banned in response. https://t.co/3pZceXKfVU

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@Andrew__Roth Ahhh of course

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@Andrew__Roth What's a туб?

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Can anyone explain this?

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@Andrew__Roth I know that park. Not sure about the samurai

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Russia pubs could boost their ranking sneakily like that but don't seem to:

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

Am I right in thinking only US publications rank countries by how many medals they've won in total - not by number of golds - and so putting the US first?

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@rachelblundy @England As per AFP video this morning: Euro 2020: 'Gutted' England fans 'proud of the boys' despite losing final

[Thomas Lowe @ThomasJLowe1]

@marcbennetts1 That no.17 is phenomenally tall