Incredible, eh? And this is The Economist. Hardly alarmist central.

Thursday 8 January, 2026:

“Astonishing” doing a lot of obfuscatory work there, Mr Mason.

For some reason I'm reminded of this. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out."

“…the panel found that in many cases Border Patrol officers were discharging their weapons out of frustration, rather than to guard their safety. It also suggested that officers were purposely placing themselves in front of moving vehicles, and then shooting at them.” www.npr.org/sections/the...

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻and even more 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Nicholas Lyndhurst as Philip Schofield next plz

💸 Financial intelligence isn’t just for the finance world—it’s a powerful tool for disrupting crime, terrorism, and corruption. My course, Introduction to Financial Intelligence, is live.

No new pictures where are you mentally.

Trump isn't kidding on Greenland, I wish people would stop thinking he is. Whether or not he's insane enough to think he can get away with it, like all the other crazy stunts he's gotten away, with and decide that NATO is as weak and impotent as we have been is the only question that matters.

Lots of talk again about China, the US, and Russia dividing the world into spheres of influence. One problem with this idea is that after 30 years of trying, Russia's sphere is limited to Belarus, Georgia, and 20% of Ukraine. Another is that if China has a sphere, it includes Russia.

“It was not clear what legal authority the Trump administration would operate under to oversee Venezuela’s sales of oil.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/b...

I really resent past Stephen for deciding to write tomorrow’s newsletter on the Keminaissance, because once I start thinking about Badenoch’s strategy, I start getting a migraine.

Erdogan: The Western world is gradually losing, one by one, all the arguments it has used for years to threaten other countries. We are now in the very center of a ruthless struggle for division, where those not at the table are placed on the menu.

US fines for dirty money drop 61% as Trump retreats from enforcement www.ft.com/content/4682... (via @financialtimes.com)

"In the same week the Bella 1 adopted a Russian flag & a new name, a second tanker operating in Venezuela, the Hyperion, made a similar change. At least three additional oil tankers that operated in Venezuelan waters...have similarly switched to Russian flags" www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/w...

Exactly this.

Who will back down, the protesters or the regime? Matt Frei is joined by Professor Ali Ansari, a leading voice on Iran’s modern history, and Doctor Sanam Vakil, director of Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham house

Thinking about Napoleon's line about the impact of world events on 20 year olds, and then thinking about that current cohort of young people and what they make of today's world. And worrying.

As a new villain, Ronald Dump, I hope.

Incredible how little attention this is getting outside Germany. "In its third full day, a ... power failure in Berlin resulting from an arson attack...tens of thousands...making do without heat, electricity, cellphone service & warm food or drinks." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/w...

He probably thinks he's been followed by the one from the UN.

Migration can buy the UK, EU and other wealthier economies time until the 2050s, but it won't make the challenges of demographic change for the British and global economy go away

A timely and very good discussion. Iran expert Afshon Ostovar explores the strategic dynamics, military developments, and geopolitical tensions shaping Iran and its partners, rivals, and interests in the Middle East and beyond 🎙️🎧 warontherocks.com/episode/the-...

How likely is ‘likely’? Does ‘likely’ have a higher probability than ‘probable’? I put together a quick quiz so you can see how you interpret probability phrases, then see how you compare with others: probability.kucharski.io

‘It’s important the swimmers provide a counter-narrative’

Did they just feed this to ChatGPT? www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/war/sev...

👏👏👏🤣🤣🤣

Trivialisation of huge geopolitical changes, yer think, BBC? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The UK govt needs to urgently find a better line to take on "is it a bad thing that one of our NATO allies is threatening to invade another?" than "we're not giving a running commentary". They've had nearly a year to get it right, since Trump has been threatening this for most of his 2nd term.

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

UK Gov needs to have an answer by the time Russia and China motion for a censure against the US at the UNSC…

Russia is no longer a great power and whatever is left of Moscow's regional power status is being destroyed in fields around Donbas

Pathetic, @kajakallas.bsky.social.

The Maduro regime is awful. The Ayatollah is awful. Kim Jong Un is awful. But if you want to live in a world guided - however imperfectly - by norms and laws, you have to apply the same standards of treatment to them that you wish to see applied to yourself.

Alternative financial systems were once a pipe dream, but are now a reality: "through the development of new clearing systems, central bank digital currencies, stablecoins and other forms of innovation...

Weak.

I have spent three years researching the weakening of norms in “acceptable” interstate behaviour, and I’m sorry - however bad a foreign leader might be, dumping on your supposed values in order to “deal” with them is stupid. Others will naturally ask “if you can do this, why can’t we?”

Trump isn’t predictable or consistent, but this particular action *would* be consistent with the emergence of a G2+1 order where Washington and Beijing, with Moscow as a junior partner, give each other free rein in their purported spheres of influence.

Make a sick, angry, frightened 12 year old boy Commander in Chief and see what happens.

Oj. I wonder how related this is to the spheres of influence Trump, Putin and Xi have agreed on? If so, Cuba and Nicaragua should be next in line.

Good Morning and welcome to another episode of regime change by the USA. The US seems to be militarily trying to get rid of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro right now. There are reports of US ground forces in action. However, watch the Cubans too. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Good morning to all the "I voted for Trump because I wanted America out of all those wars abroad" people.

“and in other news, President Trump has ordered the bombing of Venezuela” “Caracas?” “not according to his doctors”

“Coming up next, Ted Rogers, Dusty Bin and the Brian Rogers Connection set more challenges in 3-2-1.”

@ruthdeyermond.bsky.social thread. So worth reading 👇🏻

I think @bylinetimes.bsky.social are onto something with their investigation of links between Epstein and Farage.