Italy has ruled out being a part of Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace”. Turning into quite the embarrassment for him.

Omnishambles. The Murdoch lackey burns down the house then runs away.

The Iran protests are not done. Merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar where the original protests broke out in late December are calling on shopkeepers nationwide to take to the streets on Feb 17–18.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating Reform over the potential breaking of electoral law in the Gorton & Denton by-election. The party sent out election materials without identifying they were the promoter. If Reform won the election the result could be overturned in court.

“Thinking people naturally recoil from conspiracy theories, the favourite hobby of the unthinking. But here is a conspiracy where the evidence is laid bare.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán: “As long as Ukraine demands that Hungary be cut off from cheap Russian energy, Ukraine is not simply our opponent — Ukraine is our enemy.”

ICE blamed this guy’s eight skull fractures on a brick wall. They actually beat him with the same metal rod they used to smash car windows. “There was never a wall.”

WTF is Trump envoy Steve Witkoff wearing for his tour of USS Abraham Lincoln?

Netanyahu is meeting Trump in DC on Wednesday to discuss Iran.

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias: “Let me give you an example of how much Europe has let its defences down: “We are a midsize, maybe even a small country. Yet the number of tanks we have is more than the tanks of the UK, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands combined.”

The US is run by traitors.

Tried to find a pub that wasn’t showing rugby, within any luck.

“Thinking people naturally recoil from conspiracy theories, the favourite hobby of the unthinking. But here is a conspiracy where the evidence is laid bare.”

The US State Department plans to fund Far Right (and pro-Russia) think-tanks and charities in Europe to promote American policy positions and oppose European online speech regulations, the FT reports. America’s biggest export: fascism.

F-22s aren’t going to be doing the Superbowl Flyover due to “operational assignments”.

Morning Bluesky.

More in Common Scottish Westminster poll: SNP: 28% (-3) RFM: 23% (+2) LAB: 20% (+3) LDM: 12% (+1) CON: 11% (=) GRN: 6% (=)

Telling.

This is an immensely significant document that continues to get virtually no attention in US media—but lots abroad. In Jul 2015, Epstein arranged a meeting between a known highest-level Russian intel operative, Sergey Belyakov and Peter Thiel,

From France with love - The cartoon that appeared this week on the front page of France’s most influential national newspaper, Le Monde. Brilliant work by the cartoonist, Guffo.

When you show you hate Europe don’t expect a kiss on both cheeks. What seemed like the whole stadium at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony booed JD Vance when he appeared on the big screen.

Klaxon.

By the time he’s done it will be the United States of Trump. Any serious opposition should be planning to remove his name from everything.

The Royal Airforce has deployed 10 typhoons, 6 F-35s and two tankers to Cyprus.

The Washington Post has laid off every reporter and editor covering the Middle East and Ukraine. Looks like Trump doesn’t want any reporting of those critical areas.

It was not some low level, staffer mark my words bsky.app/profile/patr...

Good piece on how the shingles vaccine slows aging and cuts dementia risk.

Taylor Swift’s just released her video for Opalite. Filmed in Croydon, Brits.

Trump has deleted the Truth Social image of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. A White House official said that a "staffer erroneously made the post.” Or the message is already out to the base. One or the other.

Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz: “I have left X. That network is a place of hate. “We are not vassals of Elon Musk or Trump.”

In the office. And it’s still light out. Spring is on the way.

Police now raiding Mandelson’s house.

If Starmer goes the last UK Prime Minister to complete a full term was David Cameron in 2015. So much for those who say proportional representation leads to instability.

I love how Liz Truss has recognised her thankfully short stint as UK Prime Minister is below running some dodgy YouTube channel.

France has become the first EU country to set up a consulate general in Greenland as Europe continues to strengthen its presence there. Senior Diplomat Jean-Noël Poirier takes office today as Consul General in Nuuk.

The US issues a new Leave Iran Now alert. Talks between the two countries are planned for Oman today.

Nowhere is safe.

Morning Bluesky.

I can't stop laughing about the Tomatometer/Popcornmeter gap on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Epstein Files fallout continues well away from America. Norway’s economic crime police unit Oekokrim is investigating former prime minister and Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjørn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption based on information revealed in the latest files drop.

IMDB has flagged Melania the documentary for “unusual voting activity”. Someone is trying to pump up the viewer ratings after critics said it was a worthless piece of shit.

As expected, Trump working hard to get Hungary’s Viktor Orbán re-elected.

One of the king’s little helpers.

Trump: Anytime you mention the word coal, C-O-A-L. Anytime you mention it, it has to be preeceded by two words: clean and beautiful.”

Former MI6 Chief Richard Moore at the Institute of Politics, Harvard Kennedy School: “China will impact the United Kingdom over the next 50 to 100 years more than any other state.”

Two C-5s and a C-17 on their way to Ramstein Air Base and then the Middle East.

Trump to NBC on the Fed: “I mean in theory it’s an independent body. But I think, you know, I’m a smart guy. “I know the economy better than almost everybody.” Too stupid to know he’s stupid. A prime example of Dunning-Kruger, like many of his followers.

Morning Bluesky.

This is clearly in mind.