Sebastian Borger

Correspondent for Der Tagesspiegel, Der Standard and others // “Ach ja, die Ironie! Hüten Sie sich vor der hier gedeihenden Ironie, Ingenieur!” L. Settembrini

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

This supposed terrorist attack on RAF base has all the makings of a national embarrassment.
The 5 suspects released on police bail. That means the police didn’t oppose bail so no need to go before a judge. Not credible if they really were suspected terrorists.
No explosives found in the vans.
They were clearly up to something. But a terrorist attack?
Looks increasingly unlikely.

[Paul Maxin @PaulMaxin]

Oh dear Sharron. I do love the idea that a retired couple spending three winter months in Spain to avoid Britain’s heating bills will return to find a Labour council operative changing the locks.

Sadly for this particular dystopian fantasy, that isn’t how it works.

If the government were to base their idea on Manchester’s own definition of an “empty property” is a home where nobody lives and there is no furniture. A furnished property that is only occasionally occupied is classed differently. And the Council’s actual policy is about bringing genuinely long-term empty properties back into use — not confiscating the homes of pensioners who have gone to Spain for the winter. (Manchester City Council⁠)

So by all means rage against Labour, socialism, Stalin and the politics of envy if you must.

But perhaps first establish whether Stalin has actually been dispatched to confiscate Brenda and Dave’s two-bedroom semi in Stockport.
He hasn’t.
He’s probably still waiting for his EasyJet flight to Alicante.

[German Embassy London @GermanEmbassy]

With €8 billion invested so far in 2026 and 10 new unicorns, Germany's startup ecosystem is gaining momentum, driven by defence and deep tech investments. #ResearchInGermany

[Andrew Gimson @AndrewGimson]

The triumph of hope over experience: my piece for @ConHome on the Labour Conference https://t.co/Mwl9y9VXOk

[Alex Deane @ajcdeane]

The PM is absolutely right to aim to reform the Triple Lock & the parties of the right should not hesitate to back him on it.

[Al Carns @AlistairCarns]

Falklands = UK
UK = Falklands

[Lee David Evans @LeeDavidEvansUK]

Labour MPs clapping like seals about a policy which could see them negotiating with the likes of Corbyn and Polanski to form a just-about majority government.

[Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 @jurgen_nauditt]

Belgium will hand over three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year – Zelenskyy.

Three!

To date, Belgium has not handed over any operational F-16s to Ukraine. As of late September 2026, no Belgian fighter jets have yet arrived in Ukraine.
Originally, 30 aircraft were planned; Belgium now speaks of transferring its entire remaining fleet of approximately 53 F-16s by the end of 2029—depending on when its own F-35s arrive.

However, approximately 200 billion euros in Russian assets remain held in Belgium—assets that Belgium simply refuses to make available to Ukraine.

200 billion euros!

[Joerg Lau @joerglau]

Beeindruckende Zahlen in dem neuen Buch von Martin Schulze Wessel, dass ich gerade angefangen habe zu lesen @MSchulzewessel

[German Embassy London @GermanEmbassy]

A new Piccadilly line train was on show at a Berlin expo last week.

The walk-through & air-conditioned trains will replace the existing fleet introduced in 1975.

🇩🇪 engineering giant Siemens Mobility is manufacturing 94 trains for @TfL, with 80% of the order assembled in Goole.

[Michael Crick @MichaelLCrick]

I'm often very critical of leaders' speeches at coconferences. But that was superb by Burnham - full of ideas & policy, inspirational & very emotional, honest & risky. Bold on social care, electoral reform & EU. Yet hard to see sums adding up. Memorable & maybe historic.

[Sir Greg Hands @GregHands]

Is Germany in breach of the Kensington Treaty, signed July 2025.

British arrivals in Germany were promised by Starmer & Merz then that eGate use would be “phased in” from August 2025.

There has been no discernible change in the last 15 months - just long passport queues.

1/

[Andrew Neil @afneil]

It was your own SNP leaders that repeatedly described it as such, including then First Minister Alex Salmond and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon.
Salmond used the phrase in his foreword to the Scottish Government’s official independence white paper, Scotland’s Future (November 2013): a “rare and precious moment… a once in a generation opportunity to chart a better way.”
The document itself stated that “it is the view of the current Scottish Government that a referendum is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
Sturgeon said the same on several occasions.

[Dan Neidle @DanNeidle]

Amazing investigation by TaxWatch into an offshore tax advice network that appears to be linked to Craig Whyte, the disgraced former owner of Rangers.

The network may be fake. The advice is bogus. Anyone following it is going to end up in a bad place.

[Fraser Nelson @FraserNelson]

Britain's first reservoir for 30 years has been delayed another five years.

Now, Heathrow 3rd runway delayed until 2039

Why? The regulatory purgatory that imprisons UK growth - and will imprison Burnham unless he reforms.

My Times column:-
https://t.co/Dg1rQSoFsn

[Gabriel Pogrund @Gabriel_Pogrund]

EXCLUSIVE: The former bodyguard of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, was given asylum and citizenship in the UK — then “plotted” huge foiled terror attack targeting Jews in Europe last year

Mr X had legal anonymity for 100 years: Sunday Times quashed this
https://t.co/tPc4azc7df

[Milos @milos_gis]

Every French🇫🇷 passenger train, on an ordinary Tuesday, from first departure to last

[Mark Urban @MarkUrban01]

The risks of trouble at RAF Fairford, from where USAF bombers have been hitting Iran have been clear for some time. Whether this would be a direct attack, using explosive laden drones or a large scale protest, base authorities had been preparing 1/ https://t.co/QwktsFv98V

[Wolfgang Ischinger @ischinger]

Das sollten alle die auswendig lernen, die ständig Verhandlungen mit Moskau fordern. Der dt AM muss sich von niemanden, jedenfalls nicht von einem russischen Minister verhöhnen lassen, der zuhause in Moskau Zero Einfluss hat.

[Bob Seely @IoWBobSeely]

Well, that’s a surprise (not). 😐

“The change in investigative focus means that Cambridge may never publicly address questions about how it vetted Dr. Arday for a senior teaching job and why it repeatedly downplayed concerns about his work and biography.”

Cambridge Abandons Plans to Fully Investigate Its Hiring of Jason Arday https://t.co/oj2PIDhKdr via @NYTimes