“I am told that in all practical ways, Trump’s leadership team is still engaging with the agency privately, while lambasting it publicly. This plays to his Maga base who need a foreign enemy to attack, while also ensuring the US has the necessary global intel on health risks that the WHO holds.”

“.. the gloriously idiotic festival of ridiculously fast-moving humans and ridiculously slow-moving stones …” — Andy Zaltzman, BBC Radio 4 www.theguardian.com/sport/galler...

“.. the gloriously idiotic festival of ridiculously fast-moving humans and ridiculously slow-moving stones …” — Andy Zaltzman, BBC Radio 4 www.theguardian.com/sport/galler...

"I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people" is not an apology

In a last-minute pitch to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Davie said the uncertainty came as news organisations were cutting their international reporting and disinformation was “flooding the digital sphere at an incredible speed”. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...

"Trump is so far silent on Shiffrin. She is too big, too popular, too respected, too all-American for him to silence or bully. She symbolises the American ideal, reaching her station by dint of hard work and talent, as opposed to the great wealth and manipulation that greased Trump’s passage."

there are still no consequences for the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Nothing. The killers are walking freely, still doing their "job" as if nothing ever happened.

I've never seen an ice skating relay race before. That mixed final was something to behold

In 2025, as Bluesky grew from 25M to 42M users, we took actions to keep it welcoming, using proactive design to reduce toxic content by 79%.  Our 2025 Transparency Report shares how we're building a safer platform while keeping a transparent and human-centered approach: bsky.social/about/blog/0...

v1.116 is rolling out now! For all the overthinkers and perfectionists out there, we're launching Drafts.

Classic dilemmas of trade agreements. 1. Bilateral or group agreements discriminate against non-participants. 2. Preferences for the poorest countries can be eroded by trade barriers lowered for others, and they can be withdrawn. 3. Multilateral deals are fairer, but difficult to conclude

WTO agriculture talks continue, amid zero public interest since they have not moved for years. Two new papers landed in Jan, sadly circulated as secret by Indonesia and the African Group—not that anyone would look at them even if they were public. Another failure at next month’s big meeting? Maybe.

New, but so niche the @wto.org didn’t bother with a news story (just a post on LinkedIn). Tonga is the 161st country to ratify the WTO #TradeFacilitation Agreement. No big deal for most, but important for Tonga. Plus, 4077 days after the decision, the deal is 4 short of applying to the whole WTO.

Somehow, I was reminded of this…

It’s obvious that most political correspondents are trained in - or have as their bread and butter - day-to-day political or interpersonal machinations. A “week is a long time in politics” view of the world. They’re not so good on the longer term constitutional structures that underpin it all. /1

Cancelled www.cia.gov/stories/stor...

Switzerland will soon vote on a polular initiative to cut media licence fee that would basically slash public broadcasting as an infrastructure of democracy. What a timely exposition @unil.bsky.social on «La télévision en Suisse: 75 ans sous tension» tvsoustension.ch

Ive watched this about 100 times. This is why the internet was invented. Right here. Peak content.

Some parts of the world are full of pots calling others black without sensing any irony. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/f...

a good analysis with a classic @alanbeattie.bsky.social quip: "If a trade deal doesn’t cause riots in France you have to wonder what the point of it is.”

I was riding the London Tube (subway system) today, and saw among the advertisements a poem written by the British poet, W.H. Auden, in January 1939: “Epitaph on a Tyrant”. Auden had lived in Berlin when Hitler was consolidating his power. The poem is timeless, but it could not be more timely.

It's not about Epstein or pickle juice, but I sent this email to today @ bbc . co . uk yesterday. #R4Today

Boris Johnson demands that we recognise the betrayal of our country by... Boris Johnson. #R4Today

Interesting turn of events. After Trump complained the Panama Canal was controlled by China through Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, it will now be controlled by the parent country of Greenland.

Filing under "Don't know whether to believe this although the cited sources are usually reliable." Curtis Jones to Inter Milan: Liverpool midfielder in ‘direct talks’ for shock deal : www.thisisanfield.com/2026/01/curt...

The bottles available from the 2025 vintage will be lighter, less tannic and lower in alcohol www.theguardian.com/food/2026/ja...

pot meet kettle: "In my investment career, I've seen what happens when a technocrat tries to pivot and become a politician. It never really works out well," he said. btw unlike Bessent, Carney was elected. And polls show him being very popular with Canadians

Killing them softly, with his grammar.

a civilized country would be deeply embarrassed that this man has a platform

Keep in mind that after the killing of Renee Good, Trump went out and egged on ICE to be a force for "RECKONING AND RETRIBUTION" in Minnesota. It was no accident that Alex Pretti was executed, it was almost inevitable because of Trump's actions. He is to blame, no one else.

Just sent out this free piece. The response to the execution of Alex Pretti reveals how we have gotten into this mess. The anger is not directed at Trump, who caused this whole situation. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

🔊 ‘We can see Pretti on his right hand holding a phone ... He has nothing on the left hand.’ Listen to how Reuters analysis of the videos of Alex Pretti’s shooting contradicts officials' version of events on the Reuters World News podcast reut.rs/4bNzwNK

More members of Liz Truss's cabinet are in Reform than in Badenoch's shadow cabinet...

Financing & Governance at a Restructured World Health Organization: A Primer on the 158th Executive Board Meeting #EB158 WHO is calling for a multi-stakeholder, inter-agency process for reforms in the Global Health Architecture. genevahealthfiles.substack.com/p/financing-...

This is absolutely right - as I argued in detail in my chapter on EU relations here policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/british-lega..., the options are either the government’s approach of step-by-step deals (à la Suisse, but keep quiet about that) or full blown application for membership.

“SM/CU membership” is not an option: horribly complex to negotiate, and almost certainly not on offer on any remotely acceptable terms. If you want membership (and that is what proponents of such ideas really want, for very good reasons), go for it, and fight and win the political battle.

🧵⬇️

The Guardian overlaid the White House photo with the Noem photo and found that the law enforcement agents in both pictures line up exactly, confirming they are the same image. There are other similarities between the photos. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

It's a complete mystery as to why anyone thinks the Emperor's New Board, in which the Chair has absolute and arbitrary power, is in any way a rival to the UN, or that it could work with the UN.

You can't be my Canadian girlfriend anymore. I'm breaking up with you first.

Here's a thought. We don't have to read or listen to Trump's Davos speech. Just read this: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

42m users by tomorrow at this rate. Time to dot the i's and cross the t's on your celebration plans.

The EU's latest proposal on WTO reform is here: docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages... The paper refers to report on consultations by the facilitator, Norway’s ambassador Petter Ølberg, which can be found here: tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2025/12/15/w...

The new move will see the BBC make content primarily aimed at YouTube's digital-native younger audience, although it may also be made available on the BBC's iPlayer and Sounds platforms. The new programmes will feature adverts when viewed from outside of the UK. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

With his #Davos speech @mark-carney.bsky.social has become not less than the leader of the free world, in the philosophy of Václav Havel. European leaders should now build a strong alliance with him and ramp up common decisions on security, trade and the values of multilateralism. Merz, aufwachen!

Oh yeah. Going to be real easy to keep my mind off the news today

I normally think of the World Economic Forum as an event whose importance is overblown. This year's is turning out to be quite interesting.

It's so exhausting to to be constantly told by American leaders that the defining policy of the 80 odd years during which the US became the most wealthy and powerful country in the history of the world was a grossly unfair failure for them.

"Do you think that President Trump is amenable to rational argument" @evanhd.bsky.social asks a British minister. "Yes," replies the minister. BBC Radio Four #PM.