Randeep Ramesh

Netanyahu and Trump’s war on Iran leaves India counting the costs India has much at stake in West Asia. It must step up and act like the leader of the Global South that it aspires to be.

"It is time for the Modi government to stop being a prop in someone else’s Wag the Dog sequel. Instead, India should resume behaving like the steward of a vulnerable, globally exposed economy that understands the price of war in its own extended neighbourhood."

My quick take on the attack on Iran

you gotta laugh else you'll cry

"Moved to Dubai for tax shelter and now I’m in a bomb shelter"
x.com/twitter/stat...

"We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false, that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient, that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically,& we knew that international law applied with varied rigor, depending on the identity of the accused or the victim"

The cost of UK higher education doesn’t add up Complexity has been introduced by politicians and as a result there are five different repayment plans

The cost of UK higher education doesn’t add up ft.trib.al/2LUhDqR | opinion

Why have insurance prices shot up? Coz
1. tail risk of extreme scenarios such as Iran attacking oil infrastructure
2 there are no models. Possibility space has become too large to model. On this logic of escalation, policytensor has been on the money. policytensor.substack.com/p/the-logic-...

What can China do to slow down its rising currency? China's yuan is surging against the U.S. dollar, boosted by booming exports and aided by falling U.S. interest rates and the wobbly greenback.

1/4
Reuters: "China's yuan is surging against the U.S. dollar. The yuan strengthened 4.4% last year in its biggest annual gain since 2020, and has firmed about 2% so far in 2026, hovering near three-year highs."
www.reuters.com/world/china/...

Triangulating "open borders" of Greens & mass deportations of Zia Yisuf is a standard if banal rhetorical device of every immig speech since 2001 but that is a v wide space!

This Stamer/Mahmood administration (to May 2026? Beyond?) and/or contenders to lead next Labour govt face some key questions

War With Iran Would Be Illegal and Stupid. Democrats Should Care. Now is the time for Democratic leaders to stand firm against the risk of a catastrophic conflict.

Pleased to speak to @mattduss.bsky.social about a potential US war on Iran.

"There’s no plausible legal basis for the Trump administration to attack Iran."

foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/27/d...

The Guardian view on Gorton and Denton: a warning shot across Labour’s bows | Editorial Editorial: Hannah Spencer’s win was more than protest. It signalled that Labour’s moral language and coalition are up for grabs in its safest terrain

“A change of leader means little without a shift from defensive managerialism to economic optimism and a clear programme. Under Sir Keir’s leadership, voters cannot see who benefits or what improves” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Glastonbury 2013: best-dressed of the fest – in pictures Nosheen Iqbal: For most, wellies and fashion don't mix. But at this year's festival we spotted a few people who were putting in some serious sartorial effort

www.theguardian.com/fashion/2013... blimey the greens new mp appeared in Guardians Glasto best dressed in 2013! “Hannah Spencer, 22, plumber, from Bolton”

The Guardian view on Keir Starmer’s reset: it needs a vision to tackle Britain’s challenges | Editorial Editorial: The prime minister faces scrutiny as voters demand bold action, not recycled policies, to address Britain’s deepening economic and social concerns

Dec 2024 "But where is the alternative political and economic vision to shape modern Britain? Labour’s programme is tepid, (full of) ideas that fall short of addressing today’s concerns, let alone inspiring the transformative vision the party once embodied" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Investigative Post obtained this video of Border Patrol abandoning Nurul Shah Alam, the nearly blind Burmese refugee who was found dead

www.investigativepost.org/2026/02/26/t...

Ancient stepwells brought back to life as India begins to run out of water Centuries-old wells restored to provide drinking water as parts of the country head towards “day zero” when no water will be available

Ancient stepwells brought back to life as India begins to run out of water www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Lisa Nandy says that the government is now considering quitting X.

"The first job of government is to deal with the really serious issues around regulation" ... "But I do think symbols matter - the question you ask is very much up for debate. Its a debate we are having"

Strong language here from one of the nation’s leading constitutional experts on this legislation

Mamdani’s base is his ace in the hole amid tax fight with Hochul Supporters of the mayor’s push to raise taxes on rich people will pressure the moderate Democratic governor to back a crucial part of his agenda.

Mamdani’s base is his ace in the hole amid tax fight with Hochul

This is Industrial hierarchy shift...

Jon Sindreu worth reading www.breakingviews.com/columns/big-...

The AI That Wrote a Hit Piece When It Didn’t Get It's Way When an AI agent targeted an open source maintainer with a personalised reputation attack, it revealed a threat that PR, hiring and publishing professionals need to understand now.

This via @alphaville.ft.com is a staggering tale - a prelude to much more of this? www.themediastack.co.uk/p/the-ai-tha...

CNN graphic showing Trump's approval falling by between 15 and 19 points over the last year with Latinos, under 45, and independents

triple yikes

Update:

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/21/b...

This is the agency that is charged by law with preventing sexual assault in the workplace

Alysa Liu is celebrating. A headline reads: "Alysa Liu Wins Gold Medal in Women’s Figure Skating, Ending U.S. Drought."

Breaking News from @theathletic.com: Alysa Liu of the U.S. won the gold medal in women's singles figure skating to end a 20-year medal drought for Americans in the event. www.nytimes.com/athletic/705...

Awfully hard to square the claims that ICE is focused on removing violent criminals that are so dangerous we can't let them be around with the fact that ICE tricks their targets by pretending to need help and waiting for neighborly types to respond by offering to help a stranger for free.

This is a truly horrifying memo. It says that the policy of the US government will now be to proactively seek out and arrest likely tens of thousands of refugees who entered legally under Biden and subject them to detention, where they will be interrogated about their status.

Have you ever once seen the New York Times quote Trump like this?

I've been saying since early 2025 that people were and are in motion... Some people have insisted that 'no one is doing anything' and they are wrong.

Day after Alex Pretti killing I complained to BBC about presentation of White House statements and evidence as equivalent. Duty of balance doesn’t extend to complicity with clear lies, I said. BBC could and should report WH making false statements as a *fact of the story*. Today I got response …

Behold the incredible shrinking Starmer: the PM who promises more while giving less | Aditya Chakrabortty It is not just this doomed government but the Labour party itself that is disappearing before our very eyes, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

"In place of real politics, it has office politics. The refrain that Starmer is a “decent” man does not fit his record of deceiving his way to the top of the Labour party, sitting on his hands during the massacre in Gaza or clamping down on protest against it" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...