It seems harsh to describe the entire parliamentary #LabourParty “intellectually arid” as this @thetimes.com leader does. But it does view geopolitics as a spectator sport, rather than as essential to national sovereignty and individual liberty. It is a fatal flaw in Labour’s world view.

Strong piece from @ivodaalder.bsky.social here, on US decoupling from Europe and its implications for #NATO deterrence policy. www.politico.eu/article/defe...

Pretty powerful signal that a) declarations of spending increases lack credibility in many countries and b) the money needs to go into drones, missiles and AI, less into the old platforms and providers. www.ft.com/content/1fa6... European defence stock rally goes into reverse on funding concerns

He does not have the political clout to move the needle on the defence spending settlement. By definition, @danjarvismp.bsky.social has accepted being the frontman for a disaster of a defence policy, and will be there only as long as #Starmer himself.

Both #Starmer and #Reeves need to go. The problem is not just the outcome. It is the totally incompetent process (again) that led to it. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Bring it on. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

A call here, for an AI disarmament treaty between the US and China. It’s a good piece from Martin Wolf. www.ft.com/content/8724... Why the world must agree to regulate AI

Terrific piece by Niall Ferguson on why #AI frontier models like #ClaudeMythos are destroying strategic stability and may provoke short-term action by #China on #Taiwan www.hoover.org/research/art...

June 6, 1944. D-Day. Always try to remember you live in freedom because of the sacrifice of others. www.iwm.org.uk/history/seco...

Some important detail on what forces are to be cut from those earmarked for Europe in the event of a crisis or conflict. www.ft.com/content/a217...

Am I the only person thinking this is all heading to state ownership/control of #AI? The recursive self-improvement described in this piece, if it succeeds but causes serious security threats, will just be too powerful to be left in private hands. www.ft.com/content/7cc7...

Interested in Russian under-sea cable operations? Here’s a good summary of their equivalent activity in space. theconversation.com/how-russia-i... via @aleixnadal.bsky.social

Great piece here by @gabrielgavin.bsky.social and his colleagues @politico.eu This gets right to the heart of the Russian war machine. www.politico.eu/article/russ...

Another strong piece from @StevenErlanger. This adds to the growing chorus of voices suggesting that the #Trump Admin is inviting Russian brinkmanship by weakening the #US conventional defence of #NATO territory. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/w...

Important piece from Celeste Wallander here. Recent US announcements on the conventional side are setting the Trump Admin on a dangerous course of over-reliance on #nuclear weapons in Europe, and could invite Russian conventional action. www.foreignaffairs.com/russia/comin...

Free weekend update just released. People surprised that the Ukrainians are taking the initiative just were not listening. For many months the Ukrainians were open on what they wanted to do (I told you in January). Listen to them not the western press. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Good piece from @bbcverify on impactful Ukrainian “logistics lockdown” strategy here. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #ukraine #russia

Europe’s psychology of dependence runs deep. “a kind of European “hunger games” — a scramble in which countries compete against one another to secure a scarce U.S. military force presence.” warontherocks.com/europes-dang...

Not sure this is the picture Keir #Starmer supporters wanted to expose. #ukpolitics #labour

Don’t agree. Story-telling is the most powerful force on earth. Educating cultural leaders about security is a good idea. Using the power of story to help defend our freedom and democracy is a good idea. And no writer or film-maker has to accept an invitation. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

A first concrete US move away from Europe since the split over Iran emerged. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Very good review of the state of #NATO and transatlantic relations this morning from @katbbc.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Just one week after the EU lost one pro-Russian prime minister in the Council, it is now set to get another one. Exit polls say Rumen Radev's party has won just under 40% of today's vote in #Bulgaria. The big question: will he form a coalition with pro-EU or pro-Russian parties?

#Zelensky using very strong language again here. In his remarks on Sunday, Zelensky said "every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war" in Ukraine. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“The IEA said earlier this week that Russia’s energy revenues had nearly doubled in March, to $19 billion, from $9.75 billion in February” as a result of the sanctions waiver. Ukraine responds with drones. edition.cnn.com/2026/04/18/e...

Psychologically hard for Europeans to take. But national security has to be built on worst case scenario planning, or it is naivety dressed up as strategy. observer.co.uk/news/interna...

“I wonder what the hit to global GDP would be if a nuclear weapon hit London,” said Bessent. The problem with balancing off that question against the economic damage caused by the war, is that no serious assessment had Iran imminently close to having the bomb. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Please help share what must be one of the best jobs ever. We are looking for a writer to join @ourworldindata.org to work with our fantastic team including @maxroser.bsky.social and @hannahritchie.bsky.social. £80k - £120k / ideally full time / location flexible ourworldindata.org/hiring-write...

It’s going to be a long journey but as someone once said, it starts with the first step.

Is the US going to try to stop Chinese ships heading to/from Iranian ports? I’m not sure China is going to let that happen.

Yes. More on this below. The cyber-security insurance industry is probably about to go through a meltdown. At a minimum, risk pricing is about to be transformed on huge sectors of the economy that are vulnerable to cyber-attack. Infrastructure for a start. simonwillison.net/2026/Apr/7/p...

“NATO’s 2025 Annual Report, presented on 26 March 2026, said European Allies and Canada increased defence spending by 20 percent compared with 2024, and for the first time all Allies reported defence expenditure at or above the old 2 percent of GDP benchmark.” www.nato.int/en/news-and-...

“ Even if U. S. forces were to succeed in capturing parts of the southern Iranian coast, Iran could still launch drones and missiles from deep within its territory.” moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/04/04/i...

Thoroughly enjoyed this series, @barbaranadel.bsky.social! www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Such a moving rendition of Love of My Life in my old home town of Sheffield, with Freddie Mercury’s Mum in the audience too. Awesome. open.spotify.com/track/38n9gB...

Great introduction here, to the work of @adamweymouth.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/royallit...

Great idea! www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

This is the piece of fiction writing that wiped $200bn off the markets earlier this week. It is not only another example of narrative economics, but also a clear illustration that story-telling is the most powerful force on earth. open.substack.com/pub/citrini/...

This charity gives out books at foodbanks. It is a brilliant idea. Please support it if you can. www.bookbanks.co.uk

Very little time left for this offer. Do take advantage of it!

Just 7 weeks of funding left for the BBC World Service. It’ll be catastrophically short-sighted if a serious funding plan isn’t worked out. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I absolutely endorse this and repeat it on behalf of myself and every author who has worked long and hard at their craft. If you do this, it’s no different from taking my wallet and helping yourself to the contents.

The Climate Fiction Prize 2026 longlist is here! 🤩📚 This longlist shows the limitless scope of climate fiction, from gripping thrillers to experimental literary works, folklore and reimagined myths to science fiction and generational family saga. Full list here: climatefictionprize.co.uk

I can’t believe no one told me about this crime fiction in translation catalogue from @bitterlemonpress.bsky.social! It’s brilliant! www.bitterlemonpress.com/collections/...

Mankell was deceptive. Easy to think it’s just ‘he did this, then he did that…’. But then you realise he beautifully dissects the world, whether it be a Latvia trying to escape the legacy of communism or the Boers trying to sabotage the negotiated end to Apartheid. This one’s well worth a read.

A good cause well worth supporting. www.justgiving.com/page/tim-har...

A meditation on both non-human and artificial intelligence, on what it means to be human, and on the scale of the challenge involved in inter-species communication. A really good read from Ray Nayler.

Can’t recommend this series of interviews by @johnwilson14.bsky.social enough. He really gets under the skin of the writers, actors and artists he interviews. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

Happy Christmas. The greatest Christmas song ever recorded. youtu.be/j9jbdgZidu8?...

Lovely, thoughtful interview with Ian McEwan here. On his new book, What we Can Know, and much else besides. Courtesy of @newyorker.com podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...