Mike Higgins

"The Houthis do not have the same theological and reporting relationship with Iran as Hezbollah does or other Shiite militias in the region." @almuslimi (@CH_MENAP) on whether the Houthis in Yemen will fight alongside Iran against the US and Israel, via @AJInsideStory⤵️

@ShippersUnbound Thanks for this, just finished Game, Set, Match, loved the scenes with Tante Lisl and all the evocative Berlin history in that trilogy, will try Winter next on your recommendation

Very sad to learn of the death of Len Deighton, who was one of the two greatest spy thriller writers of all time and in some regards was Le Carre’s superior. Anyone who has not read Deighton should try Funeral in Berlin, Bomber or SSGB. Most of all they should seek out Berlin Game, the start of an epic 10 book Cold War series focused on Bernard Samson. Deighton’s writing was sharp, satirical, gripping and often amusing. His office infighting in the intelligence services was delicious and his characters are beautifully drawn. The Samson cycle starts with a meticulously plotted run of five books (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, Spy Hook and Spy Line) which all stand alone but tell one big story from the jaded but dedicated perspective Bernard a brilliant field operative. Len’s genius idea was to use the sixth, Spy Sinker, to retell the whole cycle from the perspective of everyone else, exposing what Bernard didn’t know and misunderstood. There is then an origin story about Bernard’s dad during the war, Winter, and then a concluding trilogy of Faith, Hope and Charity, which is not as high quality but deals with the fallout from the events of books 1-5. It’s an epic achievement and the greatest long series in spy fiction, accepting that the Smiley series is the greatest short series. Do yourself a favour, give it a try

As Lucy Ash reports in her excellent piece for @TheWorldToday, the confidentiality of confession is even in doubt as the Russian Orthodox Church reinforces its support for Putin's war upon Ukraine👇

The tragedy of the present moment is that the historic opportunity many Iranians hoped for arrived before the political architecture necessary to seize it was built. Read @SanamVakil’s analysis on the failure of Iran’s opposition via the @nytimes. nytimes.com/interactive/20…

China's next Five-Year Plan is due to be confirmed this week. What are they for? Watch China expert @Yu_JieC's excellent one-minute primer👇- then read her article in @TheWorldToday @CHAsiaPacific

My piece and a 🧵 on the war and what's ahead for Iran and the region: An ebullient Trump embarked on this attack as a decisive campaign to eliminate what he called a longstanding threat to the US, one that he argued previous US presidents had been unwilling to confront directly. 1/ theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

The excellent-sounding event mentioned here is TOMORROW - open to all

The elephant in the room is ‘ trumpeting loudly’. @bronwenmaddox on Rubio and the West v the West at the @MunSecConf

Time’s running out. Just two months left to save Crystal Palace Climbing Centre - Sign the Petition! c.org/cgS2pF7tCr via @UKChange

Have been too shattered to write this but for the sake of clarity — I have also been laid off by the Post. I was one of the few journalists still working inside Russia. My last story went on the front page and featured rare testimonies from wounded soldiers criticizing the war.

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of having these remarkable Washington Post foreign correspondents on my team. Nearly all lost their jobs this week. Any news organization would be tremendously fortunate to hire any of them. Feel free to contact me for references. 1/

@annafifield This is terrible news, Anna, I’m very sorry to hear it

I was laid off as Asia editor of the Washington Post today. It was an absolute privilege to work with people who are not only incredible journalists but also wonderful humans. My heart breaks for everyone who lost their job today - and for the readers who will be the worse for it

Video | A roadmap for Haiti? @ChrisSabatini joined Laurel Rapp (@CH_Americas) to discuss the options available for the international community in aiding 🇭🇹 emerge from its security crisis. Read our research➡️bit.ly/4a7hvrg

Deep Dive: #Iraq’s underestimated role in the rise of #Yemen’s #Houthis @CH_MENAP @ChathamHouse amwaj.media/en/article/dee… My most recent piece for @amwajmedia.

I’m a former Foreign Office Minister in the UK. I cannot tell you how much all with ministerial responsibility need fair and honest reporting from exceptionally brave correspondents who often put their life on the line to bring a free public the truth. Lose them at your peril.

"This does mark the end of the Western alliance." Director @bronwenmaddox on the impact of Donald Trump's economic approach and foreign policy on the trans-Atlantic alliance. Watch in full➡️bit.ly/3NqZLzm

Director and Chief Executive @bronwenmaddox previews the Director’s Annual Lecture 2026. Date📅: 13 January Time⌚: 18:00 Register for the lecture➡️bit.ly/45JSFMy

Europe may be edging foward on security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasfire, but does it have a unifying doctrine? No, writes @GLandsbergis in @TheWorldToday, and it urgently needs one to counter the Kremlin's own chathamhouse.org/publications/t…

On @BBCRadio4 and @BBCSounds today, 11am. bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00…

Podcast🎙️| The World in 2026 @higginsmike and @IonaAllan_ (@TheWorldToday), are joined by @tighistiamare, @Orysiaua, @SanamVakil, Creon Butler and Laurel Rapp to discuss the trends, flashpoints and areas for diplomacy facing the world next year⤵️