A rare defeat for Putin in Western politics tonight. I suppose he can console himself with thoughts of Farage’s projected success next month.

Was it only four days ago The Telegraph comment pages were gazing into their tea leaves ?

Good time to re-up this 🎉

I’m sorry to be so cynical, but is there any chance that Magyar has just been allowed to win by Putin as part of a generational transition? (I really want to believe this peaceful transition is actual democracy at work, but it feels so off brand for authoritarianism.)

JD Vance, are you free in October

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is doing something a decade of subsidies and mandates struggled to achieve: making millions of people want an EV who previously discounted them. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

🇭🇺🇺🇸 Each of these photos gave Orban minus 2-3 points…

The result is huge. Vast in its consequences. Orban was the inspiration to all those who came after him. He served as Putin's puppet, undermining Europe from within and Ukraine from without. He funded a vast network of fascists around the world. It's all vulnerable now, or falling apart entirely.

JD Vance is on a historic roll: He campaigns for AfD in Germany - they lose. Invited the Pope to come to US for Trump’s big event - Pope refuses. Leads peace negotiations with Iran - fails miserably. Campaigns in Hungary for Orbán - who gets smoked.

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The world is just memes now x

When Angela Rayner underpaid £40,000 stamp duty on her flat, Richard Tice said it was "morally completely indefensible” and she should immediately resign if she had “any moral decency”. Now we learn he personally made £91,000 in excess payments by failing to pay the tax his company legally owed

🌳 First ever Friends of Holyrood Park event was a great success. If you have an interest in the park please join us: bit.ly/FOHPmembership

I’m shocked since we sent our best negotiators.

Recreate your own Artemis splashdown with three Tunnocks teacakes and a Nespresso pod

‼️🇭🇺🇪🇺 Here is a potted timeline thread marking some of the key milestones that built Prime Minister Viktor Orban's illiberal democracy in Hungary over his 16 years in power. His tenure looks likely to end tomorrow. The table stakes for Hungary and Europe could not be higher 1/

I've been making lots of prints this week and my shop's pretty well stocked up, so if you're looking for a little handmade gift... www.etsy.com/shop/SarahRo... 😊 #shopindie #UKGiftHour #UKGiftAM #linocut #handmade

The Scottish Ornithologists' Club @scottishbirding.bsky.social app “Where To Watch Birds In Scotland launched 7 years ago today. It’s an app I still use and find it very useful finding new places to visit. If you haven’t downloaded it yet I highly recommend you do.

The wrong question is dominating the energy crisis debate. Every interview starts the same: where do we find replacement fossil fuels and what happens to prices? In this BBC interview I push back. This is the moment to talk about escaping fossil fuel dependence - not the daily market noise.

The brave Hungarians who died fighting for freedom in 1956 would be proud of these people and utterly ashamed by Orban's government.

The Daily Mail is running a story about North Sea oil this weekend. It says Britain is sitting on a goldmine and Ed Miliband is blocking it. The story is false in every material respect, and the falseness is not complicated. 1/4

You won’t believe who has nominated Reform UK’s HMO managing Wigan candidate Lee Moffitt? RAY and JUNE that just won the Nigel Cut My Bills competition. You cannot make it up. #NigelCutTheCrap

It only takes a few minutes to register to vote. But the consequences of next month's election could last a lifetime. Take your future into your own hands. Register today. 👉 www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Government extends Tees Valley’s best value notice The government extends Tees Valley oversight notice, denting Houchen’s hopes for funding freedom and further devolution northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...

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Notice how the most celebrated and successful space mission in *decades* was run by at least 50% “DEI hires”—not all white men? And not even all Americans. Maybe diversity *is* strength . . .

Least surprising story of the day: fossil fuel lobbyist of two decades (who was PM before that), lobbies for fossil fuels www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

🗼WELL I NEVER🗼 Would you believe that Ray and June, who won the Reform UK energy bills prize, go back all the way to the Brexit Party with Farage? Here they are with Farage, Widdecombe and Bull [a truly awful supernatural detective thriller]. Images — Fylde 2019 Full story: x.com/donmcgowan/s...

To reduce disease, we all need to make some urgent but simple changes to how we feed our garden birds. See our website for the latest guidance: brnw.ch/21x1t4w

Definitely nothing to see here.

The electrical revolution is happening - across several domains - faster and further than almost anyone dared predict. And any country that does not embrace it will be left in the fossil age.

Why France is now Europe’s most targeted country (after Ukraine) by foreign disinformation campaigns. And how the country has become “best in class” for detecting and exposing fake news economist.com/europe/2026/...

For the first time ever, heat pumps outsold gas boilers in Germany in 2025. 48% of all new heating systems installed last year were heat pumps. Gas fell to just 39%. A decade ago, heat pumps had a 7% market share. The transformation has been remarkable.

The Iran Crisis. America’s current position:

Ipsos find that a fifth of Scots would be happy to see Reform influence who forms the government - ranking 4th/5 on that question behind Greens, Labour and LibDems [with SNP not asked as lead polls]. A majority (52%) would be unhappy if Reform had an influence, ahead of the Conservatives (40%)

Donald Trump may have declared ‘total and complete victory’ after a ceasefire with Iran. But this morning's Russian newspapers don’t agree. One writes: “Only the feverish mind of the American president himself can consider this a triumphant victory.” #ReadingRussia

I made a whole BBC TV series (2020) about the remarkable resilience of the people of Iran and their culture over centuries of threat and callous rule. You can watch it right here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

1st sightings for me yesterday in 2026 of orange tip, holly blue, speckled wood & green veined white butterflies, all in a small area between Holyrood park & Bawsinch reserve. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @scotwildlife.bsky.social #Edinburgh #butterflies #wildlife #Scotland

Obviously it's going to be a grim set of elections for the main parties. For Labour exactly how bad matters a lot - both for Starmer personally and whether they lose dominance of the left bloc to the Greens. The Tories will, if anything, do worse. But weirdly they don't seem to care much anymore.

Today’s #German roleplay: Christian and Katrin are talking about their favourite foods as kids.

Do you care about Scotland’s seas? 🌊 With the election coming up, this is your chance to be heard. Download our Advocacy Toolkit to find out more on how you can take action: https://bit.ly/advocacy-toolkit-bl #ScottishElections #OceanProtection #ScotlandsSeas

Imagine if jill Biden did this

📌 ICYMI — How the US Christian Right and Anti-Abortion Lobbyists are Reshaping NHS Policy A new investigation exposes a global network of anti-abortion groups and US Christian nationalists using UK courts to target bodily autonomy

Before posting, don't forget to let Reform Ltd & Nigel Farage know your heart-felt feelings about them all over the leaflet ... meme via Paul Hodgson

Despite the ceasefire, it's worthwhile remembering that an evil regime is still in power and the Iranians aren't much better either.

Be good if Justin Webb addressed this. #r4today

The Art of War 1. Start war 2. Kill people 3. Fail to achieve strategic objectives 4. Declare victory 5. Agree ceasefire

Iran's 10 point plan seems to put them in a better position than they were in before the war www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...