Referendum defeat brings Italy’s Meloni crashing down to earth The opposition senses the high-flying prime minister can now be beaten in an election expected next year.

Reading this, the RuPaul slapping meme springs to mind, with Italia delivering the smack and Meloni taking it.

www.politico.eu/article/ital...

Five contracts awarded and handover over to internal customers, bringing my total down to a much more manageable eight. And ... breathe.

‘It beggars belief’: MoD sources warn Palantir’s role at heart of government is a threat to UK’s security Experts say that claims UK data remains under government ownership miss the point that the company has the capability to build its own detailed picture of the British population, and even infer state ...

NEW: Two senior MOD whistleblowers with inside knowledge of Palantir's systems have come forward to @thenerve.news to say government ministers are ignorant of the grave national security risks the technology poses.

Hugely important by @charlienotold.bsky.social
www.thenerve.news/p/palantir-t...

Scene from Hungary tonight as crowds rally against the Russian-backed Orban regime.

Ein paar Gedanken zu den europäischen Reaktionen auf den US-Angriffskrieg gegen #Iran.

From FT comments

Iceland locks in on date for EU referendum | Euractiv As a member of the European Economic Area, Iceland is already aligned with much of the bloc's legislation

The Iceland referendum on EU accession is now slated for 29 August this year.

Note: The referendum will first only be on restarting the negotiations, but clearly a sign of shifting geopolitical thinking.

Donald Trump fires controversial homeland security secretary Kristi Noem DHS leader was seen as responsible for the administration’s heavy-handed immigration crackdown

Donald Trump fires controversial homeland security secretary Kristi Noem:

www.ft.com/content/e223...

Binyamin Netanyahu is the big winner from the Iran war, for now To avoid a row with Donald Trump, Western allies are endorsing Israeli theories of war

A giant gamble is underway in Iran. The result may take years to be known. An early winner, though, is Israel. Fearing a fight with Donald Trump, allies from Germany to Australia are endorsing Israeli rules of war, notably the killing of enemy govt leaders. My column

economist.com/internationa...

When he said that I nearly spat out my coffee.

Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks

Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks:

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Keir Starmer criticised over stance on US-Israel strikes on Iran UK prime minister has adopted a much more ambivalent approach than other western allies

Lord Peter Ricketts, former head of the Foreign Office:

“If you’re going to attack a country you have to show it is in self-defence and that there is some kind of imminent threat. You can’t make that case here…An indifference to international law is dangerous.”

www.ft.com/content/b988...

Krieg: Merz weist auf Risiken der Angriffe auf den Iran hin Nach den Angriffen der USA und Israels auf den Iran sucht Deutschland nach einer Haltung dazu. Der Kanzler kann seine Skepsis nicht verbergen, will die USA und Israel aber auch nicht belehren.

Wow - Merz openly now saying forget about international law

"Legal assessments under international law will achieve relatively little in this regard, and this applies all the more if they largely remain without consequences... "

www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/krie...

Mastercard hires Whitehall veteran to bolster push for key UK contract Sir Jon Thompson to chair UK subsidiary Vocalink as it prepares to compete to build a new payments platform

Mastercard hires Whitehall veteran to bolster push for key UK contract.

Sir Jon Thompson to chair UK subsidiary Vocalink as it prepares to compete to build a new payments platform.

www.ft.com/content/aee1...

Iranian state media confirms that Khamenei has died.

In short, the US and Israel have started this war with vague and unachievable objectives, with no int law base, and little or no support from Gulf states or other US allies. If Iran succeeds in hitting US/Israeli targets or disrupts oil exports, Trump will find using mil force is not risk free. End

(S+) Meinung: Meinung: Friedrich Merz in Peking – so wird es nichts mit dem Weg aus der China-Illusion Die drittgrößte Volkswirtschaft der Welt macht sich klein: In Peking schrumpft der Kanzler den Krieg mitten in Europa zur »Ukraine-Frage«. Auch sonst wählte Friedrich Merz bei Xi Jinping zu weiche Wor...

The world's third-largest economy is downplaying its role: In Beijing, the Chancellor reduced the war in the heart of Europe to the "Ukraine question." Friedrich Merz also chose overly lenient words when speaking to Xi Jinping.

www.spiegel.de/ausland/mein...

*inhales deeply*

This is not good.

Insulting his constituents, Matt Goodwin does the most Matt Goodwin thing. Blaming others for failing to see his brilliance. Academics first, now voters. This sentiment is driving his radicalisation. Maybe even people at Reform will realise that it‘s a very bad quality for a politician to have.

Green majority of more than 4500, Labour in third place. Absolute calamity for Keir Starmer.

And a complete failure of McSweeney’s electoral philosophy. The idea of relying on an anti-Reform vote coalescing behind Labour just collapsed entirely.

EU’s anti-fraud agency set to investigate Peter Mandelson Probe into former commissioner for trade is expected to be wide-ranging

Exclusive

The European Commission has requested that the EU’s anti-fraud agency investigate Lord Peter Mandelson’s actions while he was serving in Brussels as the British commissioner for trade between 2004 and 2008. 

www.ft.com/content/85b9...

Hungarian opposition groups quit to make way for Orbán challenger Péter Magyar is calling on remaining parties not to ruin chance for regime change

Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is running almost 8 percentage points ahead of ruling Fidesz according to an average of all available polls, but one poll this week showed Magyar 20 points ahead.

www.ft.com/content/8521...

Hungary's leader orders extra security at energy sites, claiming Ukraine plots disruptions Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordered extra security at critical energy infrastructure sites after claiming Ukraine was attempting to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.

Viktor Orban is now 20 points behind in the polls - and so he has ordered the military to guard “key energy facilities” against a possible Ukrainian “attack.” Hungarians fear he plans a fake national security emergency or false-flag incident before the April 12 election
apnews.com/article/hung...

Tactical voting ‘to hand SNP stunning Holyrood majority’ An MRP poll suggests collapse in support for Labour could result in a landslide for the Nationalists and a mandate for a second independence referendum

Tactical voting ‘to hand SNP stunning Holyrood majority’

www.thetimes.com/article/fc72...

Commons Speaker told police Mandelson was a flight risk Lindsay Hoyle admits his tip to police prompted arrest of Peter Mandelson

Commons Speaker told police Mandelson was a flight risk

www.ft.com/content/65ee...

Such great news — congratulations! 🎉

After four years of urging China to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has now signed a G7 statement that omits any criticism of Russia itself. Remarkable stuff

Singapore's Changi is next level: butterfly garden, movie theatres, swimming pools, and amazing dining options. 👌

Merz in Beijing: A chance to flip China’s “stability” narrative – European Council on Foreign Relations Merz’s trip is less a bilateral tour than a signal setting moment: his words and stance will influence whether Europe pivots to a more assertive China strategy

Merz's trip to China may re-shape the narrative on Beijing's role in global stability — and signal a tougher European stance on trade and strategic dependencies.

ecfr.eu/article/merz...