True story: I have a family friend who hates football. A few years ago, she mentioned off the cuff to my dad that she'd only been to one football match in her life and she didn't get what all the fuss was all about. My dad asked her which match it was, but she couldn't remember at first. (1/5)

🧵 Imagine you're in your eighties or nineties, you have dementia and you're in a care home. Then your life savings, which have been covering the cost of your bed at £1,000 per week or more, start to run out. It could be the most vulnerable moment of your life. (1/13)

When Ed Miliband stopped the UK from bombing Syria's Assad regime in 2013, did it change history for better or worse? I interviewed the man who was US Ambassador to Syria at the time, Robert Ford, for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/miliban...

I was US ambassador when Miliband blocked Syria strikes. He must handle Trump better

Robert Ford explains why the Foreign Secretary made a 'bad decision' on Assad and how he must deal with a President who 'has no f**king idea what he's doing'

inews.co.uk

Miguel Maduro joined Fifa hoping to clean up the organisation - yet was sacked just months later for standing up to Gianni Infantino Describing his experiences, Maduro tells me why he is "deeply skeptical of any likelihood of any reform" My interview for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/chaired...

I chaired Fifa's top committee - Infantino will do anything to keep power

After being sacked, Miguel Maduro has become 'deeply frustrated' to see Gianni Infantino consolidate power and fears no one will be able to unseat him

inews.co.uk

Ahead of England v Argentina, two sport psychologists tell me how players prepare mentally - after years of training their minds to cope in big matches So interesting to hear how visualisation techniques work and their takes on Tuchel My article for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/tuchel-...

How Tuchel's brutal honesty gives England the psychological power to win World Cup

The manager's criticism didn't seem to go down well with Jude Bellingham, but sports psychologists say it could build the 'resilience' the team needs

inews.co.uk

Ohhh OF COURSE even the man behind Count Binface studied Classics at Oxford www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

The surprisingly moving story behind Count Binface, the man taking on Farage

As the main political parties refuse to take part in the Clacton by-election, only one candidate has stepped forward to challenge Farage – and he’s dressed as an alien and dons a tin bin. Katie Rossei...

independent.co.uk

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Under Armour clothes made by abusive factories expected to be seized by US authorities in response to my investigation for @theipaper.com Details about the story in thread and link below... 🧵1

This took far too long! We are grateful that there are still dogged journalists like @robhastings.bsky.social who follow stories and are committed to bring the abuse we're conditioned to see as intrinsic to the sector to light.

Rob Hastings@robhastings.bsky.social · last mo.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Under Armour clothes made by abusive factories expected to be seized by US authorities in response to my investigation for @theipaper.com Details about the story in thread and link below... 🧵1

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Under Armour clothes made by abusive factories expected to be seized by US authorities in response to my investigation for @theipaper.com Details about the story in thread and link below... 🧵1

"Things will never change if people don’t chip away.” @bonitamersiades.bsky.social speaks to @robhastings.bsky.social about FIFA, Infantino, whistleblowing and much more. inews.co.uk/sport/footba...

I'm a Fifa whistleblower - here's how Infantino keeps his grip on football

Football's world governing body remains unethical a decade into Gianni Infantino's reign, argues Bonita Mersiades, who exposed corruption in World Cup hosting bids

inews.co.uk

We *love* football and #WorldCup2026 is delivering in spades (Cape Verde anyone?!) but there's still plenty wrong with the way it is run. Article from @robhastings.bsky.social inews.co.uk/sport/footba... #RebootFIFA

I'm a Fifa whistleblower - here's how Infantino keeps his grip on football

Football's world governing body remains unethical a decade into Gianni Infantino's reign, argues Bonita Mersiades, who exposed corruption in World Cup hosting bids

inews.co.uk

After raising concerns about Fifa World Cup bid corruption, @bonitamersiades.bsky.social lost her job and was threatened Ten years into Gianni Infantino's leadership of Fifa, Mersiades is angry at continued ethical failings My interview for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/sport/footba...

I'm a Fifa whistleblower - here's how Infantino keeps his grip on football

Football's world governing body remains unethical a decade into Gianni Infantino's reign, argues Bonita Mersiades, who exposed corruption in World Cup hosting bids

inews.co.uk

Great piece on the courageous FIFA whistleblower @bonitamersiades.bsky.social who explains exactly how Gianni Infantino keeps his iron grip on football & what @fairsq.bsky.social's "Reboot FIFA" campaign is doing about it. By @robhastings.bsky.social inews.co.uk/sport/footba...

I'm a Fifa whistleblower - here's how Infantino keeps his grip on football

Football's world governing body remains unethical a decade into Gianni Infantino's reign, argues Bonita Mersiades, who exposed corruption in World Cup hosting bids

inews.co.uk

Our reporter @joeduggan1.bsky.social has been shortlisted for the Paul Foot Award for his life-saving reporting on young stonemasons contracting silicosis from cutting kitchen worktops.

Attempts to assassinate the US President dominate the news, but former Secret Service agents Jeffrey James and Paul Eckloff warn that political violence is spreading more widely across America, which could leave authorities "overwhelmed" My article for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/world/g...

I've guarded Trump for the Secret Service. It's harder than ever to protect him from assassins

Operations to guard the President and other political figures risk being swamped by the growing menace of political violence, warns former agent Jeffrey James

inews.co.uk

📰 An encouraging read about the value of good journalism: pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/d...

Times 'fewer, better stories' strategy leads to run of audience growth

The Times says its “fewer, better stories” strategy has led to three consecutive months of record-breaking global audience growth.

pressgazette.co.uk

@philwisden.bsky.social Loved your piece on my boyhood hero's 207 - so well told, great job

🚨 I have interviewed Igor Salikov, a senior Russian officer who defected after being horrified by the invasion of Ukraine He has provided evidence to the International Criminal Court about war crimes he witnessed or learnt about His story, shared with @theipaper.com, is astonishing... (🧵 1/13)

Scoop 🛳️: The Royal Navy will have to lead a NATO task force from a German frigate next month because it doesn’t have enough destroyers to fulfil its commitment Read here in @theipaper.com inews.co.uk/news/politic...

UK ‘runs out’ of warships - leaving Germany to take over key Nato mission

The failure of the UK to provide a military presence in the Atlantic will reignite criticism of the decline of British defence capabilities

inews.co.uk

An Epstein survivor calls on British police to question her alleged groomer about any victims potentially trafficked through UK Teresa Helm, who was abused in the US in 2002, said authorities must contact Sarah Kellen, one of the convicted paedophile’s closest associates inews.co.uk/news/world/j...

At least Kinsky lasted 17 minutes tonight, one poor Peruvian lad in here was taken off after 13 www.theguardian.com/football/200...

The Knowledge: Rubbish goalkeepers substituted before half-time

The Knowledge: Plus: John Sitton's legendary outbursts; the longest-distance European fixture (2); and why German hat-tricks are different to English ones.

theguardian.com

If anyone should welcome Trump's war on Iran's regime, it's ex-US embassy hostages - yet two tell me it's "insane", "moronic", "a huge screw-up" It was an honour to interview Barry Rosen & John Limbert, among 52 held in awful conditions for 444 days, for @theipaper.com inews.co.uk/news/world/a...

I was an American hostage in Iran for 444 days. Trump's war is absolutely moronic

Barry Rosen and John Limbert were among 52 people held at the US embassy in Tehran from November 1979 to January 1981

inews.co.uk

Inside the nuclear prison where Putin tortures Ukrainians trib.al/0VtReue

Inside the nuclear prison where Putin tortures Ukrainians

This is the brutal reality of what is happening at Europe's biggest nuclear power plant

inews.co.uk

🥸 For nearly three years, Joe Augustyn ran the CIA unit that arranges new identities for defectors escaping from Russia, to shield them from attacks. He spoke to me for @theipaper.com about protecting some of the world's bravest - and most unusual - people: inews.co.uk/news/world/c...

Annie Farmer, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, spoke to me for @theipaper.com - the phrase that stood out was "ubiquitous misogyny” inews.co.uk/news/crime/e...

Epstein abused me aged 16 - I'm disgusted by millionaires who flocked to him

Annie Farmer, who gave key evidence at Ghislaine Maxwell's sex-trafficking trial, says survivors have been warning of Jeffrey Epstein's web of power for years

inews.co.uk

Iranian dissidents in the UK are often afraid to reveal their names and faces because of regime threats, but now they're coming out of the shadows Three of them spoke with me for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/iranian...

Iranians like us have faced deadly threats on UK streets - but we're not afraid

After years of plots by Tehran's regime against the British Iranian community, protesters now feel emboldened by demonstrations back home

inews.co.uk

In a 2024 interview with The i Paper, the former chancellor spoke about his concerns over immigration After he announced his defection to the Reform Party, take a look back over that interview trib.al/ncCcMzE

"I certainly keep open the possibility that Putin could suddenly disappear" Bit late in posting but was great to interview the UK's last ambassador to the USSR, Sir Rodric Braithwaite, about the risks facing the Kremlin and the chances of peace, for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/news/world/u...

I was the UK's last Soviet Union ambassador - here's how Putin can lose

These are dangerous times for Putin, according to Sir Rodric Braithwaite, a former British diplomat who has seen firsthand how Russia can unexpectedly turn on apparently powerful leaders

inews.co.uk

🇷🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦 “Putin looks at Trump and sees a weak guy, vain, with huge ego” I interviewed the CIA's former Moscow chief of station, Rob Dannenberg, for @theipaper.com about how he believes the Russian dictator is manipulating Trump, and risks this poses for Ukraine and the West inews.co.uk/news/world/i...

I was CIA's top agent in Moscow - Putin has trained to manipulate men like Trump

Rob Dannenberg was the US spy chief in Russia early in Vladimir Putin's rule - and believes he understands the dictator better than most

inews.co.uk

It was so interesting to visit the old Cornish clay pit set to become the UK's first lithium mine, reducing reliance on China for the mineral - which is vital to the production of batteries for EVs and tech products You can read my feature for @theipaper.com here: inews.co.uk/news/busines...