Audi Boss Under Fire in Germany for Trump Rally Appearance

THE FUARDIAN: Gernot Döllner criticised for in-person announcement of major investment in US days before midterm elections

Donald Trump and the Audi CEO, Gernot Döllner, on stage at a rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters
The head of the luxury carmaker Audi is under fire in Germany for appearing at a rally with Donald Trump just days before the US midterm elections, to announce billions of dollars of investment in battleground state Georgia.

Gernot Döllner joined Trump on stage after the US president gave a speech criticised by the head of an elected body of employees at Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, as being full of “racism, sexism, transphobia [and] contempt for democracy”.

Daniela Cavallo, the head of the VW works council, added that anyone who heard Trump’s speech and then saw that Döllner had become an active participant in the event must “sink into the ground with shame”, according to internal company communications released to German media.

She said the investment deal and Döllner’s appearance showed VW’s management had allowed itself to be “turned into a puppet in the propaganda show of a highly dubious political figure”.

Isabel Cademartori, the transport spokesperson for Germany’s Social Democrats – part of the country’s ruling coalition – called Döllner’s actions a “disgrace”. She added this was particularly so “in view of the history of the Volkswagen Group”, in an apparent reference to VW’s founding as a showcase company under the Nazis. » | Deborah Cole in Berlin | Monday, October 26, 2026

Stiefelleckerei! Etwas Lukratives und Großzügiges, das dazu beiträgt, den Faschismus weltweit zu stärken! — © Mark Alexander

The Richest 12 People Own More Than Half the World - landscape

Ocober 26, 2026

We can blame that country across the Pond for this debacle! — © Mark Alexander

How Did Brazil Veteran-leader Lula Upset Bolsonaro? • FRANCE 24 English

Oct 26, 2026 | Two days shy of his 81st birthday… Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerging as the comeback kid. Coming from behind in the polls after a bitter campaign where he often showed his age, Lula becoming the first candidate since Brazil’s return to democracy in the 1980s to win the presidential runoff after trailing in the first round.

How did the Workers Party leader turn a 2-point-2 million vote deficit against the far-right's Flávio Bolsonaro into a 4-point-4 million vote win? Reminder that three short weeks ago, most races at the federal and state level broke the way of conservatives and the far-right? More broadly, how did Lula break the right’s winning streak in the Americas?

While blasting Meta and accusing the US and its tech titans of meddling, the incumbent managed to turn around his own digital campaign the time of a runoff campaign. We'll ask about Congressman André Janones who organized in a hurry on Meta-owned WhatsApp. How does the powerhouse of Latin America walk the line between the United States, its top trading partner China and the rest of the planet?

Speaking of the rest of the planet, it can be tempting to draw conclusions from Brazil's surprise result... this as the Middle East holds its breath over Tuesday’s general election in Israel, as the campaign gets nastier ahead of next week’s US midterms… with big elections coming up in Spain, Italy, Poland and here in France. Each case is of course different. So what can Lula's Brazil teach us?

Trump und die US-Wirtschaft: Warum viele Amerikaner unzufrieden sind | ntv

Oct 26, 2026 | Steigende Preise, schwächerer Arbeitsmarkt und wachsende Schulden: Kurz vor den Midterms steht die US-Wirtschaft im Fokus. Sandra Navidi von BeyondGlobal ordnet ein, warum viele Amerikaner mit der wirtschaftlichen Lage unzufrieden sind und welche Rolle die Politik von Donald Trump dabei aus ihrer Sicht spielt.

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines

October 26, 2026

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Lula's 'Extraordinary Victory' Faces Growing Middle Class, Deeply-entrenched Bolsonarismo & Big Tech

Oct 26, 2026 | Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Dr Felipe Krause, Political Scientist, former Diplomat and Departmental Lecturer in Latin American Studies at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies. Beneath Lula's electoral triumph lies a more complex political reality: the Brazilian hard right has consolidated its influence across state governments and legislative institutions, raising fundamental questions about the balance of power and the future of progressive governance. Lula will be focusing more on "working to keep things from eroding" rather than advancing his progressive agenda, explains Dr. Krause. 'There is more need for economic measures that support the growing middle class."

Lula Wins Brazil’s Presidency, in Stunning Blow to Latin America’s Right

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva triumphed over Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of the right-wing leader he defeated four years ago.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil in São Paulo after winning the presidential runoff election on Sunday. Credit: Andre Penner/Associated Press
Brazilian voters on Sunday handed the leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a fourth term in office and a surprise victory over Flávio Bolsonaro, his right-wing challenger, in a striking rebuke to a conservative surge sweeping Latin America.

Mr. Bolsonaro refused to accept the outcome and said it was the result of foul play, increasing the risk of unrest over the election result.

The rejection by voters of Mr. Bolsonaro, the son of a former president jailed for attempting a coup four years ago, is also a loss for President Trump, who had embraced the Bolsonaro family and the region’s rising right.

Mr. Lula, in contrast to many world leaders, has often and defiantly clashed with Mr. Trump, and his victory suggests that Latin America’s left-wing forces still wield influence despite a string of losses across the hemisphere. This is the first leftist victory following seven straight wins by right-wing leaders in the region over the last 18 months.

“I would like to thank the Brazilian people for the generosity they have shown me for a long time,” Mr. Lula said, during a victory speech in São Paulo, flanked by his wife, running mate and allies. » | Ana Ionova and Adam B. Ellick | Ana Ionova reported from Brasília and Adam B. Ellick from São Paulo. | {ublished: Sunday, October 25, 2026. Updated: Monday, October 26, 2026

LESEN SIE AUCH:

„Was heute geschehen ist, war nicht normal. Es war inakzeptabel“: Flávio Bolsonaro erkennt den Ausgang der Stichwahl in Brasilien nicht an. Er will diese wegen einer verlängerten Abstimmungszeit anfechten. »

À LIRE AUSSI :

La joie des partisans de Lula face aux larmes de ceux de Bolsonaro: le Brésil divisé par la victoire de la gauche : Déjouant les pronostics, le président brésilien de gauche Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a été réélu dimanche, décrochant un quatrième mandat inédit, mais son rival conservateur Flavio Bolsonaro a annoncé son intention de faire annuler le scrutin. »

“Musk”: Alex Gibney on New Film, Legal Threats & Elon Musk Spending $366M to Help GOP in Midterms

Oct 13, 2026 | We speak with the Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney about his new documentary Musk, an expansive, nearly four-hour examination of the world’s first trillionaire and how he has amassed unprecedented power in business, technology and politics. The film traces Elon Musk’s early ventures and the rise of SpaceX and Tesla, examining the role of government support in their growth. It also explores his acquisition of Twitter, now X; his alliance with President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement; and his role in the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, whose cuts devastated federal programs, including USAID.

Gibney says Musk has carefully crafted an image of a “polymath” who can solve the world’s most pressing problems, but that he is really “kind of a ruthless businessman” willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, including “a series of elaborate cons” to win government support for his companies.


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We Can't Let Big Tech Oligarchs Replace the Human Race

Oct 17, 2026 | Senator Bernie Sanders is the senior senator from Vermont. He is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).

Bernie Explains Trump's Playbook

Oct 25, 2026 | For 50 years, wealth has been transferred from the bottom 90% to the top 1%.

Trump wants you blaming immigrants, trans people and other scapegoats instead of the billionaires who are rigging the economy.

That is how demagogues operate.

Steve Rosenberg: Moscow Perceives Trump Criticism of Ukraine "as a Mandate to Continue Military Pressure."

Oct 25, 2026 | How is Donald Trump’s criticism of President Zelensky interpreted in Moscow? “Moscow perceives these words as a mandate to continue military pressure,” writes one Russian paper. I ask Muscovites to name one word that’s important to them and read what Russian schoolchildren are taught about “defence of the Motherland.”

Alex Gibney on the Myth of Elon Musk

Oct 16, 2026 | Elon Musk is the world's richest man and one of the most powerful and polarizing figures on the planet. But how much of his carefully cultivated image as a visionary genius is actually true?

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney sits down with Katie to discuss his new documentary, Musk, which takes a hard look at the reality behind some of Musk's most celebrated accomplishments, his increasingly consequential role in American politics, and the enormous power he's accumulated along the way.

They discuss troubling revelations about Tesla, Musk's relationship with Donald Trump, and the questions his extraordinary influence raises about money, power, and accountability.


TW: Strong language alert!

Bernie Takes on Elon and Trump

Oct 24, 2026 | Elon Musk and his fellow billionaires think they can buy our democracy. They are wrong. Together, we will defeat oligarchy.

I have said it already UMPTEEN times before, but I will say it again: This is the man who should be POTUS, not that corrupt, crude, cruel ignoramus who currently resides in the White House. Bernie Sanders is in politics for the right reasons, not to line his own pockets. Bernie Sanders’ raison d’être is to improve the lives of the people. — © Mark Alexander

Can the World Still Trust America? | Martin Wolf on the US Midterms | Financial Times

Oct 24, 2026 | As Americans prepare to vote in the November 3 midterm elections, FT chief economics commentator Martin Wolf asks what the result will mean for Donald Trump, the future of US democracy and America's place in the world.

1952 - 1953: The Cold War in Europe - ARTE

Oct 24, 2026 | 1952/53: Europe is divided by the Iron Curtain. In the East, Russia determines the development of its satellite states. In the West, the capitalist democracies embark on a difficult path, under pressure from the Americans: they are to show unity against the East. The biggest obstacle in the way is the relationship between West Europeans and West Germany.

Trump Desperate as Approval Drops to 31% and Mental Health Collapses

Oct 24, 2026 | Facing steep political headwinds, with national polls showing Democratic congressional candidates maintaining an 11-point generic ballot lead and Donald Trump’s approval rating plummeting to a record low of 31%, who are the 31% of voters that think he is doing a good job?

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here »

« C’est le moment » : Marco Rubio appelle ceux qui veulent un changement à Cuba à coopérer avec la CIA

Le secrétaire d’État américain Marco Rubio à Mumbai, le 20 octobre 2026. Kylie Cooper / REUTERS
LE FIGARO : Le secrétaire d’État américain a invité vendredi les Cubains désireux d’un « changement positif » sur l’île à nouer un «partenariat discret» avec la CIA.

Le chef de la diplomatie américaine Marco Rubio a appelé vendredi « ceux qui veulent un changement positif à Cuba » à se tourner vers la CIA, sur fond d’intensification des pressions de Washington sur l’île communiste voisine. « À ceux qui souhaitent apporter un changement positif à Cuba : c’est le moment ou jamais », a écrit le secrétaire d’État américain sur X. « Face à la déception suscitée par les promesses non tenues, la corruption et le mode de vie privilégié d’une poignée de personnes, saisissez cette occasion de créer le changement que vous souhaitez grâce à un partenariat discret avec la CIA », a-t-il ajouté. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | Samedi 24 octobre 2026

The Lincoln Project: Build

Oct 23, 2026 | Republicans control every branch of government and what did they give you? Higher gas prices. Higher cost of living. Higher healthcare costs. Higher inflation.

William Hague Declares Trump 'Worst' President of His Lifetime

William Hague declares Trump the worst president of his lifetime, and struggles to see how anyone could have a different opinion.

“You have to go back into the 19th century, Andrew Jackson and people like that, to find a worse president.”

William Hague doesn’t mince his words when he speaks of Trump and his deplorable presidency.
This is the presidency you get when you allow a felon to take charge and lead your country, giving him the keys to the White House, when you should have been turning the key to his cell in a penitentiary to lock him up!

Alas, the powers-that-be lacked the courage to do the right thing. So, the result of all this—if I am not greatly mistaken—will be World War III. Many countries are already preparing for such a bleak scenario.

If war does break out, Trump will be the cause; Trump will be to blame. However, it should not be overlooked that the American electorate will also have to share some of that blame, for being so uncircumspect, reckless, and unwise as to elect such an unqualified man to the highest office in the land!

***

Dies ist die Präsidentschaft, die man erhält, wenn man einem vorbestraften Kriminellen erlaubt, die Führung des Landes zu übernehmen – wenn man ihm also die Schlüssel zum Weißen Haus in die Hand gibt, anstatt den Schlüssel zu seiner Gefängniszelle umzudrehen, um ihn hinter Gitter zu bringen!

Leider fehlte den Verantwortlichen der nötige Mut, das Richtige zu tun. Das Ergebnis all dessen wird – wenn ich mich nicht sehr irre – der Dritte Weltkrieg sein. Viele Länder bereiten sich bereits auf ein solch düsteres Szenario vor.

Sollte es tatsächlich zum Krieg kommen, so wird Trumps mangelhafte Führung die Ursache sein; Trump trägt dann die Schuld. Man darf jedoch nicht übersehen, dass auch die amerikanische Wählerschaft einen Teil dieser Schuld auf sich lädt – dafür, dass sie so unüberlegt, leichtsinnig und unklug war, einen derart unqualifizierten Mann in das höchste Amt des Landes zu wählen!

***

Voilà le genre de présidence que l’on obtient lorsqu’on laisse un criminel prendre les rênes du pays et en assumer la direction — en lui remettant les clés de la Maison-Blanche, alors qu’on aurait dû, au contraire, tourner la clé de sa cellule dans un pénitencier pour l’y enfermer !

Hélas, les dirigeants en place n’ont pas eu le courage nécessaire pour agir comme il se devait. Résultat : si je ne m’abuse, nous risquons fort de nous diriger vers une troisième guerre mondiale. De nombreux pays se préparent d’ores et déjà à un scénario des plus sombres.

Si une guerre venait à éclater, la gouvernance défaillante de Trump en serait la cause ; c’est lui qu’il faudrait blâmer. Cela dit, il ne faut pas oublier que l’électorat américain porte également une part de responsabilité : en faisant preuve d’une telle imprudence, d’une telle légèreté et d’un tel manque de discernement, les électeurs ont porté un homme aussi incompétent à la plus haute fonction du pays ! — © Mark Alexander

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 22, 2026

Witkoff telling Putin that he’s a “humanitarian” is enough to make any decent person want to vomit! — © Mark Alexander

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