Returned to Cairo after almost 15 years. Had my favourite meal (Kosheri). Didn’t have to pay because a stranger who sat next to me in the restaurant spontaneously decided to invite me. I ❤️ Egypt.

Seriously? Whole nut and Hazelnut chocolate bars branded health risk because nuts not listed on ingredients list in English….give me a break. www.thesun.co.uk/news/3717758...

Happiness is…

I believe the possible impact of a Trump-style onslaught on institutions and the rule of law is massively underestimated in the UK. Yet that’s seems what we’re heading for.

Just wondered how old the tea sieve I’m still using actually is. Turns out you can use things like this for longer than I thought—and it’s still good. Happy Tag der Deutschen Einheit! 🇩🇪

How is it that Zia Yusuf can falsely claim Starmer ‘incited violence’ against Farage and not even be challenged?

With the weather in London, the state of the world, and an urgent need for comfort food, I hereby declare Sunday Roast Season officially open.

Listening to Nicola Sturgeon on the @newsagents.bsky.social criticising Starmer for legitimising Farage’s claim about immigration being the main issue and not offering real solutions made me contemplate her own core promise of what would solve Scotland’s problems and how grounded it is in reality.

A lady on Sky News' Immigration debate just suggested that "if it was 1942 and we had the people that we currently have coming accross the channel in small boats, we would not have hesitated to deploy the navy and to line our shores with soldiers to protect us" and no one really challenged that.

That was a very lengthy way of saying: „I don’t know what a free press is there for.“

Imagine an EU-UK-summit in Brussels and the PA and BBC are not allowed in…well that’s the equivalent of what is going on here at the moment. Sounds like things are going very well with this reset.

The FPA is dismayed by Sir Keir Starmer's press accreditation policy for the EU-UK Summit of Monday 19th May. The vast majority of EU news outlets have been denied access. We have written to @10DowningStreet to urge him to reconsider. @EUdelegationUK, @EU_Commission, @RSF_inter

This won't help the final talks on the UK-EU summit www.instagram.com/p/DJug3ifou8...

So we have a big EU-UK reset summit on Monday in London, but most of the European correspondents accreditations were rejected ? (ARD’s too) What exactly is this about ? @cabinetofficeuk.bsky.social

Unpopular opinion? The UK better get itself a written constitution that can’t be changed without a two-thirds majority—sooner rather than later.

Bluebell-sunset

Sounds like the UK being at the back of the queue, eh?

Had exactly the same thought!

It’s bluebell season! 🥳

I can’t let the recent buzz around tariffs pass without highlighting the intriguing etymology of President Trump’s favorite word. “Tariff” is actually an Arabic loanword, derived from “تعريف” (taʿrīf), meaning “notification”.

“A group of barren, uninhabited volcanic islands near Antarctica, covered in glaciers and home to penguins, have been swept up in Donald Trump’s trade war, as the US president hit them with a 10% tariff on goods.”

How to protect a democracy from its enemies:

Giving voice to the despair about events in the us, @tribelaw.bsky.social , an icon amongst teachers of constitutional law worldwide www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Danish foreign minister giving JD Vance a lesson in diplomacy: "This is not how you speak to your close allies"

What Trump‘s „Gulf of America“-row with AP is really about. 👇🏼

Ist eine der angeblich schlimmsten Serienmörderinnen Großbritanniens in Wahrheit Opfer eines furchtbaren Justizirrtums? Meine Story zum Fall Lucy Letby.

Latest issue of Germany’s “Focus” magazine

#BREAKING: German Greens vow to block constitutional changes needed for CDU/SPD plans to invest massively in military and infrastructure.

Chaos oder System? Weitsichtige Analyse von @ianpkearns.bsky.social zur außenpolitischen Positionierung der Trump-Regierung:

This is me asking people in the UK about Brexit roughly five years ago.

1,3 million people were deported to Auschwitz. Among some 400,000 people registered as prisoners, there were 131,000 #women: 82,000 Jewish, 31,000 Polish, 11,000 Roma as well as Russian, Belorussian, German, French, Czech & Yugoslavian. #InternationalWomensDay

While the world’s attention is directed elsewhere reports of horrible scenes are emerging from Syria. Hundreds of civilians are reportedly being killed by supporters of the new government despite promises by Syria’s new leadership to respect human rights.

I’ve never liked Americano anyway.

Over the last few weeks I've become completely incapable of answering the question 'how are you' like a normal human being. I just sort of end up staring emptily at the person. Like, how the fuck do you think I am? I am full of hate and horror and moral purpose. How are you?

Brilliant as ever!

In 2025 it is still allowed to expose children to violence in England under the pretext of “reasonable punishment”.

Hope.

Trump is often described as transactional. What does he gain from Putin in exchange for his concessions and niceties?

The Apprentice: my SKETCH of Today in JD Vance, Four-dimensional Diplomatic Genius. thecritic.co.uk/the-...

No. 10’s insistence that the UK and the U.S. are 'completely aligned in securing a strong and durable peace in Ukraine' masks a growing divergence regarding whether Ukraine should remain democratic and independent or fall under Russian control.

Reposting something I wrote from a couple of weeks ago about the new US/Russia axis and where it comes from. It isn’t just transactional, it’s ideological. It’s bleak but it’s reality. goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/were-wakin...

Although Merz’s analysis of what took place in the Oval Office is presumably correct, I wonder whether it is wise to say so publicly, given that Germany is more reliant on U.S. defence capabilities than most other allies. thehill.com/policy/inter...

One of the very few good things about all the turmoil across the pond is that this place increasingly resembles the old Twitter. 🥰

Starmer attending the EU leader's summit in Brussels on Thrusday is also very much what I gathered from yesterday’s Lobby briefing although it wasn’t confirmed.

What completely debunks Vance’s argument is the fact that they are seeking a close relationship with Putin. For U.S. economic interests, it thus makes no difference who controls Ukraine. They would still be able to exploit the rare earths in a Russian-dominated Ukraine just as easily.

Here I react to the shameful encounter between American leaders and media and the Ukrainian president. No doubt there were more, but I saw five failures on our side: of hospitality, decency, democracy, strategy, and independence. Please watch and share. snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...

To everyone criticizing Zelenskyy's performance during that heated exchange: Imagine having this kind of conversation in a foreign language, on camera, against two native speakers who hold all the power. If you only speak English, you have no idea what that means.

Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.

Trump and Vance are not selling out Ukraine because of anything Zelenskyy said to them. Trump and Vance are selling out Ukraine because of things Putin and Musk said to them.

I’ve asked myself this as well. Where has the old America gone?