Ricky

❗️“The EU must learn from Viktor Orbán’s behaviour and switch to qualified majority voting,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “I consider the transition to qualified majority voting in foreign policy to be an important way to prevent the kind of systematic blocking we have witnessed in the past. We should seize this momentum now and push this issue forward.”

How many frigates and destroyers does the UK have at its disposal? Defence Secretary John Healey can't seem to tell @NickFerrariLBC with any certainty.

Usain Bolt is sitting somewhere knowing his record isn’t safe. Gout Gout running 10.04 at 16 is mental. Adidas has signed him already and he’s shattered all Australian records at this age 😭 His coaches say he has not reached his top speed yet😂😂

In today’s Russian papers: “Iran events show that Russia can’t rely on any diplomatic agreements with the US.” Plus, criticism of Hungary’s leaders in 1956 uprising: “You mustn’t cross red lines. A red line was you mustn’t threaten USSR geo-political interests.” #ReadingRussia

📽️ From Donald Trump to Britain's wind power trade body, there's a growing coalition calling for more drilling in the North Sea. Raising the question: if we DID encourage more exploration, how much oil & gas could we actually get? Our MEGA primer on the North Sea👇 Ps it's longer than usual, but it turns out this topic has SO MANY misconceptions. Time to put some of them right. Let me know what you think

The Trump administration has offered varying explanations for why it's at war with Iran. Here's 3 minutes on the different statements we've heard. bbc.co.uk/news

@Delillahall The moment you get burns for life when others stand by and watch…

The biggest flip of my life 😩😩

The chaos in the world is a direct consequence of the Russian attack on Ukraine, said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. "The explosive situation in the Middle East and drones in the skies over Cyprus are not separate conflicts, but a direct result of the destruction of international law. It all started in Ukraine, when Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, cynically violated the borders of a neighboring country and signaled to the entire world that the rules no longer apply," Meloni remarked in an interview with Tg5. The war in Europe is already underway, and to consider these events "distant" is a dangerous illusion. Without restoring the rule of law, which has been destroyed in Ukraine, the chaos will only worsen, she added. Ukraine Now

🇮🇹 The speech that all of Italy heard. And that the world must hear. In a country that will host the Olympic Games, Italian Senator and Vice President of the Human Rights Commission Filippo Sensi took the floor and said what should have been said out loud long ago. He called it a disgrace that the International Olympic Committee disqualified Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych. Not for doping. Not for violating fair play. But for… memory. For a helmet bearing the faces of Ukrainian athletes — his friends, colleagues, champions — killed by Russia. The IOC stated that the helmet “did not comply with regulations.” And then Sensi asked a question that brought silence to the chamber: Does aggressive war comply with regulations? Is there a separate technical protocol for it? The correct angle of a missile strike? The permissible size of a crater? An athlete prepares for the Olympics for years. A Ukrainian athlete trains between air raid sirens, in shelters, under news of the dead. He overcomes fear, exhaustion, and loss. And he steps to the start line not only for a medal — but for the right to exist. And he is suspended… for remembering. Because memory is the most dangerous substance. It is hard to add to a prohibited list. But apparently, someone would very much like to. The senator named names. Just a few among more than 650 Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia: ▪️ Yevhenii Malyshev, 19, biathlete — killed in Kharkiv. ▪️ Mariia Lebid, 15 — missile strike in Dnipro. ▪️ Dmytro Sharpar, 25, figure skater — killed in Bakhmut. ▪️ Volodymyr Androsiuk, 22, track and field athlete — also Bakhmut. ▪️ Daria Kurdel, 20 — missile strike in Kharkiv. ▪️ Alina Perehutova, 14 — standing in line for water with her mother in Mariupol. ▪️ Maksym Halinichev, 22, boxer — killed defending Luhansk region. ▪️ Viktoriia Ivashko, 9, judoka — missile strike in Kyiv. ▪️ Kateryna Diachenko, 11, gymnast — airstrike on Mariupol. ▪️ Karina Bakur, 17, world kickboxing champion — shielded her father with her body. These were the faces Heraskevych wanted to carry with him to the start line. So that they would “compete” alongside him. So that their dream would not die with them. And for that, he was punished. Because it turns out that the faces of murdered athletes violate regulations. But their absence on the track does not. In his speech, Sensi said the most important thing: The Olympic Committee did not lose an athlete. It lost its most valuable medal — its conscience. Sport without memory is just a show. Sport without humanity is just decoration. Sport that fears truth is not about peace. The Olympic movement was born from the ideals of honor, dignity, and unity. Yet today Ukrainian athletes must prove not only their strength — but their right to remember their fallen. And if memory becomes a violation of regulations — then the problem is not the helmet. The world must hear this. Because silence is also a position. And indifference is also a choice. Memory cannot be disqualified. And conscience cannot be added to a prohibited list. 🇺🇦 We remember every one of them. And we will not allow their names to be erased.

#NEW: 76% of Canadians support the idea of CANZUK 🇨🇦 A proposed partnership between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK that would allow visa-free work and travel while boosting trade and economic ties! 🇳🇿🇦🇺🇬🇧

Powerful video showing the Ukrainian athletes depicted on Vladyslav Heraskevych’s helmet who were killed by russia.

Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors. Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise. This is certainly not about the principles of Olympism, which are founded on fairness and the support of peace. I thank our athlete for his clear stance. His helmet, bearing the portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes, is about honour and remembrance. It is a reminder to the whole world of what Russian aggression is and the cost of fighting for independence. And in this, no rule has been broken. It is Russia that constantly violates Olympic principles, using the period of the Olympic Games to wage war. In 2008, it was the war against Georgia; in 2014 – the occupation of Crimea; in 2022 – the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And now, in 2026, despite repeated calls for a ceasefire during the Winter Olympics, Russia shows complete disregard, increasing missile and drone strikes on our energy infrastructure and our people. 660 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia since the full-scale invasion began. Hundreds of our athletes will never again be able to take part in the Olympic Games or any other international competitions. And yet, 13 Russians are currently in Italy competing at the Olympics. They compete under “neutral” flags at the Games, while in real life publicly supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories. And they are the ones who deserve disqualification. We are proud of Vladyslav and of what he did. Having courage is worth more than any medal.

🧵The best response to the bogus decision by the IOC @Olympics to ban the helmet of @heraskevych and silence the memory of Ukrainian athletes murdered by russia, is to see their faces, learn their names and share it with the world! They want it gone, we’ll show it everywhere!🇺🇦

Trump hates Obama because he’ll never be half as good as him

If a man stops arguing it means..

@Tiana_Celine_23 I used to be a gymnastics coach, and you have to be 100% focused. There are some serious injuries in this sport for both the athlete and coach 🤕 great skills on show here 🥇

Best Gymnastics Saves 👍

We want strong trans-Atlantic ties. But Europe needs to adapt to new realities. It is no longer Washington’s primary centre of gravity. It’s time for Europe to step up and act with urgency. We must strengthen our instruments, end fragmentation, close our gaps and join forces with our partners. Extract of my speech at @EUDefenceAgency conference ↓

🚨 WATCH: Keir Starmer's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping: - Xi said China and the UK must "rise above their differences" as it is now "imperative" for world peace - He said relations have gone through "twists and turns that did not serve the interests of our countries", but should now build an alliance that will "stand the test of history" - "As long as it is the right thing that serves the fundamental interests of the country and the people, then as leaders we should not shy away from difficulties and we should press ahead with fortitude" - Starmer said it had been "far too long" since a British PM visited China and that it was "vital" for the UK to build a "more sophisticated relationship" - "It is with the British people in mind that I am here today. I made the promise 18 months ago when we were elected into Government that I would make Britain face outwards again. Because as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, to prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel" - "But we must also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas we disagree - that is the only way to make progress"