Trump’s Russian Fuel Deal: Strategic Masterstroke or Dangerous Betrayal?

Oct 10, 2026 | In this video, we break down President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily lift U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies in exchange for millions of tons of diesel fuel. Following a military conflict with Iran that drove average U.S. diesel prices to $6.28 a gallon, the administration turned to Moscow for relief. But analysts warn this move is a diplomatic disaster that funds Russia's war machine without providing lasting relief at the pump.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

Rob Groves: The Tories Are Dying and the Numbers Prove It

Oct 10, 2026 | Kemi Badenoch told the Tory conference that nobody will ever pay inheritance tax on their family home. Her own party puts the cost at £6 billion a year, funded largely by welfare cuts. So who benefits, who pays, and are the Tories really a government in waiting? This video fact-checks the speech, then tests the "Tory comeback" story against the polling.

Even though an ex-colleague once called me a “dyed-in-the-wool” Conservative voter, I finished voting for that party long ago. After the fiasco of Brexit, I shall never vote for them again. I am a European with every fibre of my being, and that party took my European rights away from me (and everyone else, of course), and has impoverished my home country in so doing. So, as far as I am concerned, the curtains have closed on that party.

Then, after that disastrous Brexit referendum, along came Rishi Sunak, spending public money like a drunken sailor! He also introduced the undemocratic idea of a “generational smoking ban”, which I vehemently disagree with and for a number of good reasons. However, in short, one can say that it is not the job of government to tell people how to live their lives. Doing so is both illiberal and undemocratic. Furthermore, there are far more important things for governments to concentrate on if people’s health is their goal. But in fact, I don’t really think that politicians give a tinker’s toss about people’s health. What they care about is money. How much is smoking costing the NHS in treatment. But I have news for them: smokers contribute approximately £12 billion to the state coffers. To treat smoking-related diseases in the UK, it costs the treasury between £1.9 and £2.5 billion per annum. Clearly, smokers more than pay for any treatment they get on the NHS.

But I digress… another reason why I would never vote Tory again is because the party is so anti-EU. AND because the party wants to exit the ECHR. Leaving the ECHR would be a disaster.

Kemi Badenoch radiates neither magic nor sparkle for me, I’m afraid. Her vision for this country is diametrically opposed to mine. What she wants to do with this country is re-hash Thatcher’s policies. But it is high time that the Tories retired her policies. It is time for them to get creative. In any case, it was Thatcher and her sidekick Reagan, who sowed the seeds of the ginormous wealth gap in the West. So, do we really want to increase the gap between the have-nots and the superrich even more?

In my opinion, once upon a time, the Conservative Party was the only sensible party to vote for. But then the party started destroying itself, it started committing suicide in slow motion. The self-harm continues apace! — © Mark Alexander

Constantin Schreiber — Gesellschaft: Das Zeitalter des Westens endet

Oct 9, 2026 | Die westliche Vorherrschaft prägte die Welt über Jahrhunderte – doch ihre Zeit könnte sich dem Ende nähern. China, Indien und andere Mächte steigen auf, während Europa und die USA an relativer wirtschaftlicher, demografischer und geopolitischer Dominanz verlieren. Doch der Westen verschwindet nicht: Seine Ideen, Institutionen, Wissenschaft und Kultur könnten die Welt noch lange prägen, selbst wenn die Macht längst weitergewandert ist. Die entscheidende Frage lautet deshalb nicht, ob das Zeitalter des Westens endet – sondern was von ihm bleiben wird.

Le commissaire européen au Commerce veut du « concret » de ses entretiens en Chine

Cette capture d'écran provient de cet article du Figaro. | Bruxelles menace de prendre des mesures de protection en l’absence d’actes tangibles et significatifs de la part de Pékin. Benoit Tessier / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Le commissaire européen au commerce Maros Sefcovic attend des « résultats concrets » lors des entretiens qu'il a engagés jeudi à Pékin sur le déséquilibre des échanges commerciaux entre la Chine et l'Union européenne, a-t-il dit sur les réseaux sociaux. Maros Sefcovic a redit sur X jeudi soir œuvrer « activement à rééquilibrer les relations commerciales », objet d'un dialogue en cours depuis plusieurs mois entre Bruxelles et Pékin. Il dit « crucial » que cette phase des discussions « débouche sur des résultats concrets », à la suite d'entretiens avec le ministre chinois du Commerce Wang Wentao. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 9 octobre 2026

It's 'Appalling' How US Treats Allies, Yellen Says

Oct 6, 2026 | Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Canada should retaliate against US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. “I think it’s appalling, and I understand exactly why you feel betrayed by the United States and are so angry about it,” Yellen said in response to a question from former Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland during an interview for Bloomberg Television's Wall Street Week.

Trump doesn’t care about the ‘little people’; Trump cares only about the people at the top, and he cares most especially about himself, his family, and his cronies. In addition, he sucks up to dictators, especially to Vladimir Putin — he loves him, and is determined to destroy any semblance of democracy in the USA. Most of it has already been destroyed anyway. Furthermore, Trump has turned his back on America’s traditional allies for a purpose: it is part of his covert plan to destroy totally the world order status quo ante. Donald Trump, apart from being geopolitically ignorant, is the most dangerous US president in my not-too-short lifetime. The sooner Americans wake up to what Trump is up to and rid themselves of him, the better for them and the better for the rest of the civilized world. — © Mark Alexander

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 8, 2026

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‘Another Coup d’état’: Fears Grow as Flávio Bolsonaro Vows to ‘Re-democratise’ Brazil

THE GUARDIAN: After a surprise first-round victory, critics suggest son of disgraced ex-president could seek to continue his father’s authoritarian project

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Flávio Bolsonaro 45, goes into the 25 October runoff as favourite after a first-round win against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday. Photograph: André Borges/EPA
Flávio Bolsonaro, the far-right frontrunner to become Brazil’s next president, has vowed to “re-democratise” the South American country, increasing fears about a move into authoritarian rule if he wins power.

Brazil was re-democratised in the 1980s after a brutal 21-year dictatorship that Flávio’s father, the disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, has long praised.

Last year, Jair Bolsonaro, a former soldier who served under that military regime, was jailed for 27 years for trying to engineer a coup after he lost the 2022 election to the current leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Flávio, 45, beat Lula, 80, in Sunday’s presidential election first round and goes into the runoff on 25 October as favourite. On Tuesday, the rightwinger vowed to capitalise on the hugely increased far-right presence in congress after the election to change the constitution and “re-democratise this country”.

“The only thing standing in the way of Brazil becoming a barbarity is called Flávio Bolsonaro as president,” he claimed at a campaign event in Goiânia, a city near the capital, Brasília.

The incendiary comments caused outrage among historians and opponents of Bolsonaro’s radical populist movement, who have accused him of co-opting the language of democracy to disguise an illiberal shift. » | Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro | Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 7, 2026

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Brazil: Between Violence and Lust for Life | ARTE.tv Documentary

Oct 7, 2026 | Brazil is a divided country facing a landmark election: President Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president, are the frontrunners in the contest. This episode of Tracks East traces the fault lines in Brazilian society: Vibrant fashion is coming out of the favelas, violence persists from both gangs and the police, and indigenous peoples continue to fight for their land and culture.

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Papers Silent on the 20th Anniversary of Journalist's Murder

Oct 7, 2026 | 20 years ago today Anna Politkovskaya, one of Russia’s most prominent investigative journalists, was murdered in the stairwell of her apartment block. In today’s Russian newspapers I found no mention of this anniversary.

It Never Made Any Sense’ | Justin Wolfers Tears into Trump’s ‘Foolish’ Trade Wars

Oct 6, 2026 | Economist Justin Wolfers joins Maddie Hale to discuss Trump’s emergency action on soaring diesel prices, rising inflation and business costs, the decline in US manufacturing jobs despite tariff promises, stalled trade negotiations with India and Canada, and why Trump’s trade wars have achieved zero progress.

Trump’s Recent Statements on the Economy Are Even More Bonkers Than Usual

THE GUARDIAN: Our ‘genius’ president is revealing his ignorance of economics, fueling concerns about the threat he poses to the world

Donald Trump recently made a bold claim about his abilities, writing on Truth Social: “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”

But in the days before and after that post, Trump made one mind-boggling statement after another, including one that raised the possibility of cutting off all trade with dozens of the US’s trading partners. The president’s statements had many experts questioning not just his intelligence, but also whether he – and the outlandish policies he was proposing – were a clear and present danger to both the US economy and the world economy. Public respect for Trump’s economic sense has fallen so low that just 7% of Americans think he should take the lead in regulating AI, according to a recent WSJ poll.

Responding to Trump’s reckless statements, one prominent advocacy group, Republicans Against Trump, derided him as “Dumbest. President. Ever.”

Economists and corporate executives were especially alarmed by two Trump statements. First, he wrote on Truth Social: “I’ll stop trading with countries with which we have a deficit” if the Federal Reserve doesn’t cut interest rates.

The second disconcerting statement was: “If we stopped Trading with every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them, we would make, at least, 1.5 Trillion Dollars a year.”

Not only is Trump’s arithmetic childishly silly here, but any college student who took Econ 101 knows that if a trade-dependent nation like the US suddenly ended all trade with dozens of countries, that would lead to economic disaster. What’s more, it was worrisome that Trump views himself as almighty emperor with the power to singlehandedly halt hundreds of billions of dollars in trade. » | Steven Greenhouse | Monday, October 5, 2026

Dr Bandy Lee Deconstructs Trump's Insane TIME Magazine Interview

Oct 5, 2026 | Psychiatrist Dr Bandy Lee returns to The Weekend Show to assess how rudderless Republican voters might behave in the midterms as Trump destroys the US economy and their trust? Plus she deconstructs his insane Time Magazine interview, exposing Trump’s obsession with his own media coverage, despite regularly abusing and banning journalists from the White House.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

Steve Rosenberg: What Are Russian Newspapers Saying about Reports of a Potentially "Dangerous Infection" in Irkutsk?

Oct 5, 2026 | Today one Russian paper claims “Russia’s military has been given political blank cheque to carry out full demilitarisation & deindustrialisation of Ukraine.” But there's nothing in the papers from Irkutsk, where in recent days there have been reports of a potentially “dangerous infection.” I quote local TV, though.

Can Yemen Turn the Tide against the Houthis? | DW News

Oct 4, 2026 | Yemen's government has announced a major military campaign to retake Houthi-held territory just as the rebels claim to have launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities. With the Houthis making gains near a key Red Sea shipping route and regional powers increasingly involved, concerns are growing that the conflict could spill far beyond Yemen's borders.

“The Bottom Is Falling Out in the US” w/ Ryan Grim

Oct 2, 2026 | The brothers welcome Ryan Grim of Drop Site News to the show to discuss shifts in the American political landscape, the growing disillusionment with Israel and how AIPAC has become an index of political corruption, the contradiction between donors and electoral base in Democratic Party politics, Abdul el-Sayed’s political maneuvering ahead of the Michigan senate vote, and Trump’s embrace of the legacy of early modern piracy.

Brazil Heads to General Election with Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro as Front-runners | BBC News

Oct 4, 2026 | Brazilians have begun voting in a general election, where the most prominent candidates are current president, left-wing leader Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, and right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro.

The election has raised questions about US influence, trade tariffs, organised crime and Brazil’s sovereignty.

Here’s what you need to know about Brazil’s general election, and the two candidates leading the polls.

U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Vladimir V. Putin brought up a sale of Russian energy assets with President Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, pushing a deal that raises new questions about conflicts of interest.

The Trump administration’s talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The deal, which is contingent on approval from the U.S. government and the Kremlin, is for a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world owned by Lukoil, one of Russia’s biggest energy companies.

The leading group seeking the deal includes an American investor, Todd Boehly, who has donated $2 million to President Trump’s political causes; two Middle Eastern groups that have done business with Mr. Kushner or Mr. Witkoff’s family; and an arm of the U.S. government itself.

The monthslong negotiations, which were described by eight people familiar with them, shed new light on Mr. Trump’s latest approach to settling a four-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations. » | Anton Troianovski and Eric Lipton | Reporting from Washington | Saturday, October 3, 2026

LESEN SIE AUCH:

Ölfelder, Tankstellen, Raffinerien: Putin soll Trump-Unterhändlern Lukoil-Deal angeboten haben: An dem möglichen Käuferkonsortium sind laut einem Bericht ein milliardenschwerer Trump-Spender, Investoren aus Katar und Abu Dhabi sowie eine US-Entwicklungsbank beteiligt. »

Donald Trump propose de verser 90 dollars aux 20 millions de personnes âgées, inscrites au programme d’assurance maladie Medicare

Cette photo provient de cet article du Figaro. | Selon la Maison-Blanche, la plupart des seniors éligibles recevraient ce versement sous forme de virement direct de 90 dollars début octobre. Nathan Howard / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : À l’approche des élections de mi-mandat de novembre, le parti républicain détient une courte majorité au Sénat comme à la Chambre des représentants, mais sa cote de popularité est faible.

Donald Trump a annoncé ce vendredi soir sur son réseau Truth Social que le gouvernement américain verserait 90 dollars à plus de 20 millions d’Américains inscrits à Medicare, le programme d’assurance maladie destiné aux personnes âgées. Il propose de les aider à compenser le coût de leurs cotisations mensuelles d’assurance.

Le président américain a indiqué que ces versements proviendraient du Fond d’amélioration de Medicare, auquel, selon lui, le Congrès avait alloué 2 milliards de dollars. Cette annonce s’inscrit dans une série de promesses financières faites par le dirigeant républicain aux électeurs à l’approche des élections de mi-mandat de novembre, lors desquelles le contrôle du Congrès sera en jeu. » | Par Le Figaro avec Reuters | dimanche 4 octobre 2026

C'est lamentable ! Des milliards pour les ultra-riches, et 90 dollars pour les personnes âgées ! C'est sûrement une blague. Et une blague de très mauvais goût, qui plus est ! Vu la hausse des prix en Amérique, les personnes âgées ont besoin de bien plus que 90 dollars pour compenser leurs pertes. — © Mark Alexander

Announcement

MARK ALEXANDER: For your information, my blogs were hacked tonight. All manner of strange things have been going on on the blog: some posts have been doubled; several posts were deleted. As a result, I have had to repost many items which I had posted earlier today. I have also had to make a number of other changes, too.

I wish these awful, pesky people would run away and play with their toys instead!

Sorry about this. Let us hope that everything will settle down now.

Best wishes to all.
Mark