| Donald Trump says he told Volodymyr Zelensky that America taking over Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants would be the "best protection" for the country. The Ukrainian president told the FT the pair only discussed control of the Zaporizhzhia plant, which is in territory controlled by Russia. British arms manufacturers will be excluded from the new €150bn EU defence fund unless the UK government signs a separate security pact with Brussels. The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme is designed to encourage governments to "buy European", says The Daily Telegraph, stipulating that components representing 65% of the cost of weapons must originate in the EU, Norway or Ukraine. Finland is the happiest country in the world for the eighth year running, according to the annual World Happiness Report. Costa Rica and Mexico entered the top 10 for the first time, while the UK has slipped down to 23rd place (one spot behind Germany, but one ahead of the US), with an average happiness rating of 6.73 out of 10. | | |  | Trump and Orbán at the White House in 2019. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty |
| "The student has become the master" | Just two months into Donald Trump's second term, says Ruth Marcus in The New Yorker, we're already in a "constitutional crisis". Last Saturday, the Trump administration openly ignored an emergency order by a federal judge to stop its deportation of 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members – a direct and unprecedented challenge to judicial power. When Trump later described the judge as a "Radical Left Lunatic" and called for his impeachment, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, George W Bush appointee John Roberts, made a rare public intervention. "For more than two centuries," he said, "it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." | This is all part of the "illiberal democracy" playbook pioneered by Viktor Orbán, says Sylvie Kauffmann in Le Monde. Like the Hungarian prime minister, whose approach has been closely studied by Trump's team, the administration is "carpet bombing" three key pillars of society: "the judiciary, the media and universities". With the media, non-Trumpist outlets are repeatedly criticised and threatened, and highly political decisions are being made about which publications and journalists can cover White House goings-on. On education, the pro-Trump conservative intellectual Christopher Rufo explained recently that it was necessary to dismantle the Department for Education entirely, not just cancel controversial programmes, to prevent staff from waiting out the Trump administration then going back to their old tricks. Across the democratic apparatus, the Trump mantra is to "tear it down in order to change it once and for all". And with the opposition still "groggy" from November's election defeat, he and his team are getting things done much faster than Orbán ever managed. "The student has become the master." | | | | Advertisement | | Exclusive to The Knowledge readers – Use code TKBAMB for free delivery! Introducing the ultimate comfort sock for men, crafted from 65% bamboo viscose for a wonderfully soft feel. These socks are highly absorbent, keeping your feet fresh and comfortable all day long. This versatile five-pack features a stylish mix of colours, ensuring the perfect match for any trouser and shoe combination. Made exclusively for Peter Christian, you won't find this unique colour selection anywhere else. Shop now and enjoy this exclusive offer! |
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| | | Wales-based artist Kate Kato creates elaborate paper sculptures of flora and fauna, says Messy Nessy. In her "Observer Books" series, old reference books are covered in their subject matter: butterflies, mushrooms, wild flowers and bees. See the rest of her work here. |
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| | | | You're missing out… | The rest of today's email includes: | 😻 Dominic Cummings's wife on what finally "tamed" him
🐟 Why the world's ugliest fish gets a raw deal
🤖 Chatbots get anxiety too | |
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