Mark Lowen

BBC News Presenter and Correspondent (on paternity leave). Previously in Rome, Istanbul, Athens, Belgrade & lots in between. Dad. Heart belongs to a Portuguese.

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

Time for happy breaking news: the arrival of our gorgeous son, carried by the same incredible altruistic Canadian surrogate who delivered our daughter in 2022. I'll be taking some time off work to enjoy our little boy, second fatherhood, and our completed family. @PedroZegrePenim

[Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 @PollTracker2024]

WaPo: Trump appointees push $250
banknote with his portrait

The printing director who resisted the effort said she was reassigned last month. "The buck stopped here," she wrote in her goodbye.

https://t.co/1drb9IBSV2

[Financial Times @FT]

FT Exclusive: Four months after its establishment, the organisation’s financial fund set up by the World Bank has received no money from donors, according to four people familiar with the matter. https://t.co/yzANaf2mVN

[Bi Bak! @haberebibak]

TRT'nin Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu'na ayırdığı süre:

- 2023 seçim süreci: Toplam 32 dakika
- Bugün yaptığı açıklama: Kesintisiz 28 dakika

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

Iran is beating Trump at the art of the deal via @FT
https://t.co/AFNuJQVHiw

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

A photo from one of the CHP protests in Turkey. A widely-held belief for some time.

[Selin Girit @selingirit]

Erdogan shuts down major university on Thursday, then reopens it on Sunday.: “The presidential decree that had canceled the university's operating permit was annulled by another presidential decree”

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

Silence from Turkey’s western allies as the government pummels the main opposition party. It’s too important a country to face any criticism.

[İstanbul Büyükşehir Haber @ibbhaaber]

An itibarıyla polisler, plastik mermilerle CHP Genel Merkezi’ne giriş yaptı.

Milletvekilleri, CHP Genel Başkanı Özgür Özel’i koruyor.

[Laura Rozen @lrozen]

Trump communications director on Mike Pompeo, Trump first term secretary of state and CIA director

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

Turkish court removes head of main opposition CHP, Özgür Özel (a thorn in President Erdogan’s side) and replaces him with Kemal Kilicdaroglu (who poses no threat to Erdogan and has repeatedly lost to him). Turkey’s opposition is dealt another blow. https://t.co/JUTXCLv3Sv

[Marcos Agustín @marcosagusstinn]

Spain is set to overtake Italy and become the EU’s 3rd-largest economy within the next 15 years.

From 2023 to 2025, Spain’s GDP expanded by 9%, while Italy grew only 2.3% — meaning Spain grew almost 4x faster.

And the European Commission expects the gap to continue in 2026, with Spain growing 2.4% versus only 0.5% for Italy — almost 5x faster.

The demographic gap is just as important:

Spain’s population and labour force are still growing, while Italy’s are declining.

Latin Americans account for almost 48% of Spain’s immigrant population, Europeans for around 27%, and together they represent roughly three-quarters of all immigrants in Spain — while Italy faces one of Europe’s deepest demographic declines.

If Spain maintains a nominal growth advantage of 2–3 percentage points per year, it could overtake Italy around 2036–2040.

Even under a more conservative scenario, with a smaller but sustained growth advantage, Spain could still overtake Italy around 2041–2045.

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

World leaders take note: Hungary’s new PM travels by commercial flight, with a connection, and then by train. No private jet, no 20 car convoys.

[Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) @magyarpeterMP]

I am on my way to my first official visit to Poland as Prime Minister.

We are arriving in the beautiful city of Kraków on a commercial flight via Vienna, from where we will continue by train to Warsaw later this evening.

Joining the prime ministerial delegation are Foreign Minister @_OrbanAnita, Minister for the Economy and Energy István Kapitány, Minister for Transport and Investment Dávid Vitézy, Minister of Defence Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Minister for Social Relations and Culture Zoltán Tarr, and Minister of Agriculture and Food Szabolcs Bóna.

We will hold official talks with the Prime Minister of Poland. I will also meet the President of Poland, as well as the Marshal of the Sejm and the President of the Senate.

As of today, in the event that both Deputy Prime Minister Anita Orbán and I are simultaneously unable to perform our duties, I am appointing Minister Dr Bálint György Ruff as Deputy Prime Minister.

On Thursday morning, I will travel from Warsaw to Vienna, where I will also hold official talks with the Austrian Chancellor and President.
On Thursday evening, I will return to Budapest by train.

"Polak, Węgier, dwa bratanki
I do szabli, i do szklanki
Oba zuchy, oba żwawi
Niech im Pan Bóg błogosławi. "
"Lengyel-magyar két jó barát
Együtt harcol s issza borát
Vitéz s bátor mindkettője
Áldás szálljon mindkettőre."

[Peter Baker @peterbakernyt]

At a time of war in the Middle East, the US has no ambassador in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq or Kuwait. At a time of war in Europe, there is no US ambassador in Russia or Ukraine. Altogether some 115 of 195 ambassador posts are vacant. @RobbieGramer https://t.co/MWF0wJSvE6

[Pedro Sánchez @sanchezcastejon]

España lidera por primera vez el Rainbow Map de derechos y libertades LGTBI en Europa.

Un reconocimiento a los avances sociales y legislativos de nuestro país, y a todas las personas que se dejaron la piel para vivir con igualdad y sin miedo.

Frente a quienes se esfuerzan por llevarnos al pasado, seguimos adelante con fuerza, dignidad y alegría.

Orgullo de país. 🌈

[James Heale @JAHeale]

One for Radio 4's 'The Reunion'

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

Yes I know everything is a bit messed up. But a baby pineapple is growing in our Lisbon garden, so it’s all good.

[Mark Lowen @marklowen]

Decided we definitely need to open a BBC bureau in the Seychelles. What a country. What a holiday.

[Margherita Stancati 🌸 @margheritamvs]

An extraordinary moment in Italian politics - Trump managed to unite the politicial left and right in denouncing his attack on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. https://t.co/uSDUg7cOFi

[Selin Girit @selingirit]

Coming soon: BBC Global Eye - Turkey episode. Watch it on 20 April on BBC Two, followed by the News Channel and YouTube

[Yaroslav Trofimov @yarotrof]

How Tehran views Trump going from threats of complete annihilation to accepting Iran’s 10 demands as the basis of negotiations. Many of America’s friends in the Middle East hold a similar view.

[Paul Adams @BBCPaulAdams]

“He has gone insane, and all of you are complicit.” Arguably the furthest any former staunch supporter of the president has gone.