iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Lucy Fisher @lucyfisher.ft.com · 25/09/2026

People briefed on discussions say Burnham’s team is taking soundings on whether he should signal — either at conference or in “10-year plan” later this year — that the party’s next manifesto cd remove block to UK rejoining a customs union, single market or EU itself W/ @georgewparker.bsky.social

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Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"Trump and Xi represent rival nations. But, unfortunately, the two leaders have many of the same flaws — narcissism, nationalism, narrowness of vision. The world needs far-sighted leaders. That is not what is on offer." @gideonrachman.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/aa1d...

ft.com

Trump and Xi are the wrong men at the wrong time

The world needs far-sighted leadership but the US and Chinese leaders are unlikely to provide it

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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 16/09/2026

superb trolling, no notes

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FT Edit @ftedit.ft.com · 16/09/2026

America’s ultra-rich are overwhelmingly backing Donald Trump’s Republicans in this year’s midterms, with 16 of the country’s 20 biggest donors ploughing the best part of $1bn into the campaign. These elites “have an outsized effect”, said an analyst. Read the story on #FTEdit 👉 ft.trib.al/obGUcrq

Bar chart showing the biggest US political donors in the 2025-26 election cycle. George Soros leads with $102mn supporting Democrats, while most other top donors shown support Republicans. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz gave $96.2mn, Jeff Yass $91.3mn and Elon Musk $90.5mn.

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Theo Delaney @theodelaney.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Who better to evaluate international football than the Financial Times Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator @gideonrachman.bsky.social ? On @LifeGoalsTD we pay tribute to the precocious talent of Jude Bellingham who features on Gideon’s excellent goal list. Out now! theodelaney.com/life-goals-lin…

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Francesc Trillas Jané @francesctrillas.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

@gideonrachman.bsky.social: "Rampant crime, poverty and weak institutions make Latin America susceptible to Trumpism. But in the more prosperous and established democracies of Europe, the Maga message is falling flat" www.ft.com/content/2304...

ft.com

Trump’s plan for Europe is falling apart

The US president has a genius for alienating existing and potential allies

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DBdant @dbdant.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Trump and the failure of the Fafo doctrine The president’s flawed decision-making is finally catching up with him. @gideonrachman.bsky.social

ft.com

Trump and the failure of the Fafo doctrine

The president’s flawed decision-making is finally catching up with him

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Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Very interesting by @gideonrachman.bsky.social. Drone warfare gives the defender an edge -- all the more so for Taiwan, an island protected by 100 miles of water. Drones also make it difficult to enforce a blockade. China risks making Putin's mistake: assuming away the agency of a smaller neighbour.

ft.com

Trump and Xi will not determine Taiwan’s fate

China assumes that the island would be helpless without American support — that is a dangerous mistake

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Emma Jacobs @emmavj.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

as.ft.com/r/26bbed23-1... Nigel Farage’s accounts challenge claim that he paid for £1.4mn house with TV fee

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AG @anthonycgreen.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

I have definitely experienced the rise of grievance politics over the last decade as residents stop talking to their geographical neighbours and retreat into social media communities who reinforced their views.

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

As @gideonrachman.bsky.social points out a weakened Trump has fewer bargaining chips at this summit, which spells danger for Taiwan as Xi would welcome the US signalling that it opposes Taiwanese independence www.ft.com/content/b2db...

ft.com

A weakened Trump arrives at Xi’s court

China holds the cards — and might settle for flashy but empty announcements while playing a long game

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Robert Shrimsley @robertshrimsley.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

100 per cent this. It’s really not that difficult.

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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

A guess a lot people will be spending a lot of today checking some slowly changing numbers on a BBC webpage. If you enjoy that sort of thing and want it to be a more than annual occurrence - can I recommend getting into county cricket?

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 06/05/2026

“Where we cannot match Russia in terms of manpower, we come up with technical solutions. A drone cannot replace an infantryman, but it can save an infantryman’s life. And it can kill more Russian infantrymen.” Dmytro Kuleba on @gideonrachman.bsky.social Review www.ft.com/content/9675...

ft.com

Ukraine’s ‘existential’ battle with Russia

The Iran war has empowered Putin but Kyiv is fighting back

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Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

To add another reason the Iran war was such a strategic blunder, the reconstruction of Syria (and Gaza) was predicated on Gulf money. That was ambitious prior to the war given how overstretched Gulf budgets already were. Now there's less money and a need for it at home. Major regional implications.

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Anders H. Eide @anderseide.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Excellent interview by @gideonrachman.bsky.social with former 🇺🇦Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on “The Rachman Review” 4/4 podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

Ukraine’s ‘existential’ battle with Russia

Podkastepisode · The Rachman Review · 30. april · 27 min

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Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

This poem that I wrote aged 15 in 1970 was published in my school magazine. I was thrilled when a TV producer picked it up and made a short film of it (on BBC Look North, I think).

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Richard Haviland @rfhaviland.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Striking listening to this @gideonrachman.bsky.social interview with two US policy people from ‘normal’ times how naive they both are about how the world now sees America. As if Trump were just a hiccup rather than a malodorous belch that clears the room for good. open.spotify.com/episode/1AEZ...

open.spotify.com

Trump finds it’s easier to start a war than to end one

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Leo Visser @leovisser.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Interesting i/v by @gideonrachman.bsky.social about how to end the US-Iran war. Critical note: telling detail that Trump’s global toxicity hence political dangers for allies for being associated with T’s war is not valued by the Americans. USfirst => USalone podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

Trump finds it’s easier to start a war than to end one

Podcastaflevering · The Rachman Review · 22 april · 31 min.

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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Would love to play that one for the jury in the defamation case.

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Across the world, regardless of skin colour, the successful playbook is IMV always 'I'm awesome! You're awesome! This is an awesome country! I will avoid where possible talking about racism!' and not....this.

“That’s why I said this individual can just fuck right off, because I know I belong in my own country. You’re not going to be able to do that to me,” she said.

She said there was an aspect of racism to the claims. “I do think there is that element of it, which is: ‘How dare you, a brown woman, say a thing that we white liberals think you’re not allowed to say?’ Well I’m saying it.”

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Ross Macfarlane @rossmacfarlane.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

"Financial markets ended last week on an upswing — apparently convinced that the worst of the crisis is over. That assumption looks complacent." @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

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Brad Simpson @bradleyrsimpson.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

If this actually happens, it may rank as the single most corrupt act in the history of American politics. I cannot believe this is even under discussion.

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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

“Orbán’s banishment is a blow to the fatalism that has become so fashionable in western democracies. There’s nothing inevitable about the march of the populist-oligarch right.” My Swamp Notes with @gideonrachman.bsky.social. Free to read. as.ft.com/r/a16fea82-8...

as.ft.com

Auguries from Hungary

Orbán’s election defeat is a blow to Trump and Maga

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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

"The economic impacts of the war were cushioned for a while b/c a lot of Gulf oil/gas was already at sea when the US & Israel attacked Iran in Feb. But the effects of the strait’s closure & Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy are now kicking in." @gideonrachman.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/2f1c...

ft.com

Why time is on Iran’s side

A global energy crisis is only just beginning. Political turmoil will follow

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Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Quite a flex to turn up at the presidential palace, get him to confirm you as prime minister, call him unfit to serve with no moral authority, tell him to resign, and then pose for a picture

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Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Negotiating an end to the war — and the energy crisis it is causing — will require strategic vision, patience and an ability to understand trade-offs and to build alliances. All qualities that Trump lacks @gideonrachman.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/2f1c...

ft.com

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Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Hungary chose to be a member of the EU. And Hungarian voters overwhelmingly rejected Orban’s anti-EU stance. MAGA can’t get its head around this.

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Tim Crane @timcrane.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Incredible result. An amazing achievement for Magyar and also for the people of Hungary. All is not lost!

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Simon Edmonds @sjsedmonds.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Listening to this podcast I was left wondering why Baroness Cathy Ashton isn’t either our Foreign Sec, a senior Minister or a Special Envoy with all her EU and global foreign policy experience. Another great podcast episode. @gideonrachman.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

Is it possible to negotiate with Iran?

Podcast Episode · The Rachman Review · 8 April · 33min

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Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

"Armageddon is off . . . for now" - @gideonrachman.bsky.social here on the ceasefire and how peace talks might play out www.ft.com/content/1843...

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Niko Jaakkola @nikoecon.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Philip Gordon of @brookings.edu, interviewed by @gideonrachman.bsky.social, sums up total failure of Trump admin to think strategically: "US military presence did deter the closure of the Strait of Hormuz because we said 'we're going to use massive military force against you if you close it'..." 1/2

ft.com

Trump says the Iran war may be ending soon: mission accomplished?

How to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains an open question

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Alex Turnbull @alexbhturnbull.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Escaping through literature was not the escape I had hoped for.

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 02/04/2026

Quite the numbers… “In the first 16 days, the US, together with coalition forces, burned through more than 11,200 munitions, according to RUSI. Among these were more than 1,200 RTX Patriot missile-defence systems, hundreds of its long-range Tomahawk missiles and more than 300 Thaad interceptors.”

In the first 16 days, the US, together with coalition forces, burned through more than 11,200 munitions at an estimated cost of $26bn, according to research published by the Royal United Services Institute.

Among these were more than 1,200 RTX Patriot missile-defence systems, hundreds of its long-range Tomahawk missiles and more than 300 Lockheed-built Thaad interceptors.

“The number of offensive and defensive missiles that are being expended in the current operation is, frankly, scary,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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François Heisbourg @fheisbourg.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Indeed. It was worth listening to him yesrday evening live on Al Jazeera spelling out the chapter and rhe verse. A calamitous US defeat if Trump follows through

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Zsuzsanna Vegh @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Two more weeks until the Hungarian election! We discussed with @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com if this will bring the end of Orban's rule, why the opposition is on the rise, what Fidesz's close ties with Russia means for Europe and what may be different. 🎧 www.ft.com/content/ef9b...

ft.com

Hungary’s pivotal election

Could this be the end of the Orbán era?

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Gerrit van Ginkel @gerrit4society.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

#Podcastvandedag Viktor Orbán has been a thorn for the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections. But this is not a done deal! @gideonrachman.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/t...

podcasts.apple.com

Hungary’s pivotal election

Podcastaflevering · The Rachman Review · 26 maart · 30 min.

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Juurd Eijsvoogel @juurd.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Analysts like Citrinowicz believe that the biggest long-term strategic threat to Israel is not Iran — but the potential loss of the American support on which Israel relies. The erosion of that support is now well under way, schrijft @gideonrachman.bsky.social giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

giftarticle.ft.com

Netanyahu is gambling with Israel’s future

Perpetual war and fading American popular support is a formula for disaster

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Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

There seem to be two possible outcomes for Hungary’s election: - Orban loses, refuses to accept defeat, and Trump backs him, threatening retaliation if he does not stay in power - Orban wins thanks to Russian and US interference I hope the EU is prepared www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...

washingtonpost.com

To tilt Hungarian election, Russians proposed staging assassination attempt

To aid Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a friend of Russia, in his election, operatives proposed “the Gamechanger” — a staged assassination attempt to stir supporters.

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Mujtaba Rahman @mijrahman.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

One thing struck me in chats in Bxl today on EU not helping Trump over Iran One senior EU official noted EU leaders had become somewhat “immune” to Trump's threats. They've been so many (tariffs, NATO, Ukraine, Greenland, against Starmer etc) that the impact has sort of worn of

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Dominic Manchee @dpmanchee.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Transcript of a podcast b/w @gideonrachman.bsky.social and Jack Watling, author of ‘Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World’, is very illuminating. - Trump admin ignored risk of Strait of Hormuz being closed - Threat to shipping won't go away any time soon www.ft.com/content/a530...

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