Poland, Malta, Greece, Bulgaria (in that order)

It’s one of those weeks when I’m reminded the always globally minded title I work for is actually a UK newspaper too

Is Ukraine decoupling/ derisking from the US? "One of Ukraine’s leading weapons manufacturers says it launched two satellites this year and plans “dozens” more in 2027, as the country seeks to lessen its reliance on the US government and western tech companies." @christopherjm.ft.com

Read this piece on Iran's "mosquito fleet" - a key part of Tehran's toolkit in this asymmetric conflct: "They don’t have to hit every ship going through Hormuz, they just have to hit enough to keep the insurance market on edge. It’s the US which has to protect almost every vessel going through.”

Yo momma so old, Labour MPs speculate about her standing down to create a vacancy for Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham has crossed the Trent

„A time-honoured New York ritual is playing out again as millionaires and billionaires threaten to flee the global financial capital where they own luxurious second homes.” as.ft.com/r/f480661b-c...

people are making fun of this but what if he pulled out the most badass speech out of his ass, huh? he looks at the speech on the podium and RIPS it up, and his advisors are like "Mr Starmer what are you DOING" and he's like "something I should have done a LONG TIME AGO" then he gets out a guitar

Good to see the LibDems gradually rebuilding the Kingdom of Wessex one shire at a time under King Ædward of Davey. Just Hamtunscīr, Wiltunscir and the Vale of Teste to conquer before the kingdom is reunited to fight back the Reforme hordes of Mercia and Essex

Waking up this morning to Britain’s new political rainbow… (do rainbows have this much blue in them?)

The media is just a few steps away from tying us to chairs and prying our eyes open to force us to watch podcasts instead of simply listening to them.

Reeves responded angrily by telling Bessent she did not work for him and disliked how he had spoken to her.

The official White House account posted an AI slop American flag with only 11 stripes

Just got this text from my Moscow mobile operator: “During preparations for & the holding of holiday events May 5-9 temporary restrictions to mobile internet & text messaging are possible in Moscow & Moscow region. This may cause difficulties with cashless payments, use of ATMs & GPS services.”

Looking at the Iran War, it's clear someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes, and you have to start asking who has the most to gain from this instability and disruption:

I've never been one of those "it's getting too dangerous for Jews to live here" people but this is getting really fucking scary. Not that there's anywhere better to go.

There has been an appalling attack on two Jewish Londoners in Golders Green. The police have made an arrest and I’d like to thank all the emergency services and heroic volunteers from Hatzola and Shomrim in the area for their swift response to this horrific incident.

as.ft.com/r/0a0cc48e-f... Trump administration launches Disney probe after Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania joke

Major news from Syria: The first public trial of senior figures from the former Assad regime has commenced, attended by the Republic’s Public Prosecutor, Judge Hassan Al-Turba. The proceedings are being held at the Palace of Justice in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Canada is contributing $8 million for urgent repairs to the Chornobyl New Safe Confinement following damage caused by a Russian drone strike.

Janan Ganesh: “Even if it is true that Pete Hegseth will never trouble the admissions panel at Mensa, brilliant predecessors have fared worse. The big brains of Robert McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld did not help them in Vietnam and Iraq.” as.ft.com/r/e6495a6a-b...

US Navy secretary fired amid Iran blockade ft.trib.al/L2FcfGi

as.ft.com/r/dfbbae55-5... Impact of Iran war will hurt US even after conflict ends, economists warn

⚡️Bulgaria's ex-president leads Russia-friendly party to victory in snap parliamentary elections, exit polls show. Progressive Bulgaria, the Kremlin-friendly coalition led by former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, is on track to win 37-38% of the vote, according to exit polls on April 19.

Voting in Hungary is underway. Opposition leader Péter Magyar, leading in polls, has cast his vote. Turnout at 7am is 3.46%—a record, twice as high as 4 years ago. Early data shows opposition areas overperforming, while Fidesz strongholds are lagging. Follow me for updates on the #HungaryElection

How the fallout from the Iran war will be felt in the Hamptons, the Berkshires, and the Vineyard.

Janan Ganesh: The tragedy of leisure as.ft.com/r/62d2536d-4...

Joan Jett, ca. 1976

Investors sought to pull $20bn from private credit funds in first quarter as.ft.com/r/0f944cfe-f...

Here we go again… Why do all ceasefires have to be “fragile”? Why can’t they be conditional, or tenuous, or brittle? Or just leave the adjective off? #journalese #rant

Tucker Carlson: "It's vile. It begins w/ a promise to use the US military to commit a war crime. Those people who are in direct contact w/ the president need to say 'No. I'll resign. I'll do whatever I can do legally to stop this, bc this is insane. And if given the order, I'm not carrying it out'"

Trump’s war against Iran is costing the US hundreds of millions of dollars a day — and about a tenth of that is the price of military equipment destroyed in the fighting, according to recent analysis. Read more: ft.trib.al/ksBT0LQ Image: U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters

"The president warned that the US had a plan 'where every bridge in Iran will be decimated' and 'every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again' within hours of his deadline passing." as.ft.com/r/73e0e3c9-a...

“There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.” as.ft.com/r/6cd388e0-7...

can't stop thinking about the american pope beefing with the american government

These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of April 4, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Iran Imposes New ‘Cash, Grass, Or Ass’ Fee For Strait Of Hormuz

The Iran war has laid bare a growing global battle for supplies of chemical elements with crucial industrial uses from car-making to computer chips. The Gulf conflict has disrupted shipments of substances such as helium, sulphur and aluminium. Our updated visual story: www.ft.com/content/de4d...

London’s viral video crisis: “London has fallen” content has become so pervasive globally that Sadiq Khan held a meeting with the foreign office and British ambassadors to discuss how to convince foreign investors/tourists to ignore it and come to London. www.londoncentric.media/p/sadiq-khan...

🚨 EXC: The captain of one of Britain’s nuclear-armed submarines has stepped back from his role this week after being investigated over his relationship with Joani Reid, the Labour MP whose husband has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China as.ft.com/r/dfb74254-8...

Scoop from my FT colleagues: Pete Hegseth’s broker looked to buy defence fund before Iran attack as.ft.com/r/11b90ddb-2...

Ed speaks to Trump more often than I speak to my mum.

Blimey. Even a plurality of *Reform voters* say that the US has had a negative impact on the world in recent years: Positive: 30% Mixed: 30% Negative: 35% Source: YouGov

“To be honest with you, my favourite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the US say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people.” @edwardluce.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/81a6c2cd-5...

Astrud Gilberto was a housewife in 1964 when saxophonist Stan Getz decided he wanted his hit “Girl From Ipanema” to be sung in English — something her husband, Joao, who sang the original track, couldn’t do. Sold 2 million copies. Born today in 1940. 💕

40 years after the world's worst ever nuclear accident, Chernobyl still poses a threat to Ukraine - and potentially the world too. Yes, you read that right. Read our report on the hole in the plant's steel "arch", made by a Russian drone - and the push to repair it. as.ft.com/r/e500b463-1...

Ok step one is to make them look less delicious

AI Iran Propaganda Videos Flood Social Media Scoring Millions Of Views With No Social Media Bans