Hungary election: Viktor Orbán ousted after 16 years in power as opposition heads for landslide - follow live The long-serving prime minister concedes defeat to Péter Magyar, who has promised closer EU ties and an anti-corruption drive.

What a moment. Immeasurably happy. 🎉

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c2...

Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again - 1973 (Subtitles PT/ENG) YouTube video by Irineu Damo - Traduções 2

Another weekend lost to assignments.

Friends, family, life.....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlQt...

I gave up a five-year streak, re-started over Christmas out of boredom and now I can't be bothered. It's made unnecessarily difficult for non-paying subscribers, so I reckon I am about to quit again.

I would love to review the procurement strategy for this contract, particularly the justification and risk sections.

NEW

How Palantir captured the Ministry of Defence

How a close read of public domain documents show how MoD was commercially colonised by Palantir

By me, at FT

www.ft.com/content/5207...

This Hungarian veto is poised to trigger outrage because:
- The loan was agreed at the highest level by EU leaders
- Hungary secured an opt-out through enhanced cooperation
- Ukraine needs the money no later than April
- Von der Leyen and Costa will be in Kyiv next week for the fourth anniversary

He's not taking it well you guys

Trump’s Epic Loss on Tariffs Is Even Worse for Him than You Think The Supreme Court’s stunning invalidation of most of the president’s tariffs is another sign that Trumpist populist nationalism is in crisis.

The Supreme Court's remarkable ruling against tariffs is another sign that Trumpist nationalism is in crisis. Tariffs and deportations are key pillars of Trumpism. Both are major fiascos. Both have caused his approval to crater.

Trumpism is failing.

New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2068...

It's disgusting! 🤮

Choose your own adventure.

We advance the moderate bull case for the international role of the euro.

But of course, euro internationalsation faces clear limits. The euro’s Achilles heel is the lack of a deep capital market. The world also cannot simply convert existing dollar reserves into euros.

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Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin faced GB News complaint over colleague’s claim of ‘inappropriate comments’ Exclusive: Nigel Farage understood to have known of grievance against byelection candidate, whose lawyer described it as resolved ‘minor workplace matter’ of miscommunication

Sources tell Guardian they were aware of the woman’s complaint against Goodwin and that GB News had undertaken an inquiry.

One source said: “She was very upset at the time, and her colleagues were upset on her behalf that she was so distressed by the situation.”

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Donald Trump suggests the Supreme Court is a conspiracy of traitors:

"They're very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution. It's my opinion that the Court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think."

What comes next if SCOTUS strikes down Trump’s tariffs? If the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS, or the Court) strikes down President Trump’s tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), ...

Useful piece on what comes next after the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's tariffs

blog.freshfields.us/post/102mig3...

Le Canada et l’Europe resserrent leur alliance Face à un ordre mondial bousculé, Ottawa et Bruxelles coopèrent davantage en matière de sécurité.

Interest in Canada in the partnership with the EU seems to be definitely growing. Here is an article in Canadian newspaper Le Devoir (from Quebec, so in French) with a few comments from me on the EU-Canada Security and Defence Partnership and what the participation in SAFE could mean:

Poland prepares to mine Russian border after exit from Ottawa treaty Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has unveiled the Bluszcz weapons system, saying Warsaw could lay mines along its eastern border with Russia within 48 hours.

Poland's prime minister announces his country intends to place land mines along its eastern border with Russia as Warsaw today officials exits the Ottawa Convention. www.euronews.com/2026/02/20/p...

Though constituency polls always need to be taken with a lot of salt, this does fit with what I've heard from campaigns - that's it's three-way toss up and no one can call it.

Woah.

UK reports record-breaking budget surplus of £30.4bn in surprise boost for Rachel Reeves Largest January total since records began in 1993 is sharp reversal from December’s £11.6bn deficit * Business live – latest updates The UK government has posted the biggest ever budget surplus, official figures show, after a large boost in self-assessment and capital gains tax receipts. In a boost for the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in the run-up to her spring statement next month, public sector finances recorded a surplus of £30.4bn at the start of the year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was £15.9bn higher than the surplus recorded in January 2025. Continue reading...

UK reports record-breaking budget surplus of £30.4bn in surprise boost for Rachel Reeves

The absolute arrogance.

Jenrick is such a hilariously inept buffoon.

Yesterday, those who teach Intro to Sociology at Florida colleges (as opposed to universities) received a ready-made curriculum from the state and were ordered to teach it.

Yes, you read that correctly. The *state* is enforcing a curriculum on college profs, complete w/ the following restrictions:

The photographer’s finger hovers over the red-eye reduction button in the editing software.
Just this once, maybe not, he thinks.

March 27, 1936: Portraits of the Führer are raised on official buildings across Berlin. This one at the Potsdamer Railway Station reads "Freedom - Peace"

🧵👇(1/5)
The Global Human Rights Clinic & Immigrants' Rights Clinic at
@uchicagolaw.bsky.social recently submitted a complaint to two UN special rapporteurs "regarding systemic and rapidly intensifying violations of the rights of immigration attorneys, judges, and non-citizens" in the U.S.

😬

Ossoff: "If you live in a major democracy, and the nation's spy chief is showing up at raids on sensitive election sites, something has gone wrong."

What is misconduct in public office? An ancient offence under English common law, its modern incarnation dates back to a 2004 case

What is misconduct in public office?

New explainer, by me at New Statesman

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Two of my favourite topics!

The last senior royal to ever be "arrested" was Charles I in 1647.

So Andrew has at least provided us with a pub quiz question after all these years of "dedicated public duty".