Michael Lambert: Trump's $700 Billion Disaster | Why He Thinks He's Greater Than Alexander

May 22, 2026 | Donald Trump, the coiffured orange buffoon, has started a war that's cost the world $700 billion — and he genuinely believes history will remember him alongside Alexander the Great.

In this video I explain why the exact opposite is true. From his delusions of imperial grandeur — a Versailles ballroom, an Arc de Trump, his face on banknotes and passports — to a cabinet of sycophants and a Treasury Secretary who couldn't tell the truth about who pays tariffs, this is the story of a president who has lost his grip on reality.

And it gets worse. His war on Iran has thrown the Middle East into chaos, blocked the Strait of Hormuz, and the economic fallout is hitting Britain too — higher petrol prices, disrupted trade, all on top of the damage already done by Brexit.

Meanwhile, his biggest cheerleader in the UK is Nigel Farage — the same man who gave you Brexit and told you we'd have £350 million a week for the NHS. If you think Trump's America is a disaster, imagine Farage's Britain. …


I loved Michael Lambert’s colourful description of the failed president as the “coiffured orange buffoon” in the White House! It caused me to burst into laughter!

I totally agree with Michael’s synopsis. Both of the situation in America and of the situation in the world under Trump, and of the distinctly possible scenario of Britain under our very own home-grown buffoon, Nigel Farage.

His assessment of the situation is absolutely spot-on, but oh so depressing! All we can hope for, I suppose, is a miracle to help us avert total and utter disaster. — © Mark Alexander

Investitionen, Zölle, Rohstoffe: Mexiko und EU besiegeln neues Abkommen

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Mehr als 90 Prozent des Handels sollen künftig ohne Zölle abgewickelt werden. Gegen die Ratifizierung mobilisiert ein Bündnis aus Gewerkschaften und Umweltgruppen.

Die Europäische Union und Mexiko wollen am Freitag in Mexiko-Stadt ein modernisiertes Handels- und Partnerschaftsabkommen unterzeichnen. Der neue Vertrag soll nach Ratifikation das seit dem Jahr 2000 geltende Globalabkommen ersetzen. Das Dokument wird die Unterschriften von Mexikos Präsidentin Claudia Sheinbaum, EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen und Ratspräsident António Costa tragen.

Vorgezogenes Handelsabkommen noch 2026

Parallel wollen beide Seiten ein vorgezogenes reines Handelsabkommen unterzeichnen, das vor dem Gesamtpaket in Kraft treten soll. EU-Handelskommissar Maroš Šefčovič sagte beim Unternehmergipfel am Donnerstag laut der Tageszeitung El Universal, dieses Interimsabkommen solle noch 2026 wirksam werden. Nötig seien dafür noch die Ratifizierung durch den mexikanischen Senat und die EU-Seite. » | Peter Steiniger | Freitag, 22. Mai 2026

« Leur système économique ne fonctionne pas » : les États-Unis se disent «déterminés» à imposer un changement à Cuba

LE FIGARO : Marco Rubio, lui-même d’origine cubaine et farouche opposant au gouvernement communiste, a cependant dit que les États-Unis espéraient éviter le recours à la force et privilégier « une solution diplomatique ».

Le secrétaire d'État américain Marco Rubio a averti jeudi Cuba que les États-Unis étaient « déterminés » à imposer un changement dans l'île communiste, au lendemain de l'inculpation par la justice américaine de l'ex-président cubain Raul Castro. « Leur système économique ne fonctionne pas. Il est défaillant, et on ne peut pas le réparer avec le système politique actuel », a déclaré Marco Rubio aux journalistes depuis sa ville natale de Miami.

« Ce à quoi ils se sont habitués toutes ces années, c'est simplement de gagner du temps et d'attendre que nous nous lassions », a-t-il ajouté. « Ils ne pourront ni faire traîner les choses ni gagner du temps. Nous sommes très sérieux, très déterminés. » Le chef de la diplomatie américaine, lui-même d'origine cubaine et farouche opposant au gouvernement communiste, a cependant dit que les États-Unis espéraient éviter le recours à la force et privilégier « une solution diplomatique ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 22 mai 2026

Je ne suis absolument pas un partisan du communisme, mais affirmer que le système économique cubain ne fonctionne pas est aussi ridicule que stupide. Pour que le système économique cubain puisse fonctionner, il faut le laisser tranquille. Aucun système économique, qu'il soit communiste ou capitaliste, ne peut fonctionner s'il est soumis à des sanctions permanentes et qu'on ne lui laisse aucune chance de se développer. Les déclarations dénonçant le dysfonctionnement du système économique cubain ne sont que des manœuvres de tromperie. La Maison Blanche le sait pertinemment, mais cela sert son discours belliqueux et son intention d'envahir l'île. — © Mark Alexander

Trump's Failure in Iran Has Turned US into a Global 'Loser' | Professor Robert Pape

May 22, 2026

Trump is a failed president! — © Mark Alexander

Exclusive Interview with the Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar

May 21, 2026 | After the change of government in Hungary, the new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, visited Austria and gave an exclusive interview to ORF’s Eastern Europe correspondent, Paul Krisai, about his plans and the future of Hungary in Europe.

What a delightful and sensible political leader! Very likeable indeed. A breath of fresh air after the corrupt Orbán with his antediluvian and fossilized ideas and thinking!

Was für ein entzückender und vernünftiger Politiker! Wirklich sehr sympathisch. Eine Wohltat nach dem korrupten Orbán mit seinen veralteten und versteinerten Ideen und seinem Denken!

Quel dirigeant politique charmant et sensé ! Vraiment très sympathique. Un vrai bol d'air frais après le corrompu Orbán et ses idées archaïques et dépassées ! — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: "Russia and Belarus Flex Their Nuclear Muscles," Reports Russian Paper

May 22, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: “nuclear muscle-flexing,” carrots and cabbages, “two scenarios” for Russia’s future and what a Russian singer said after getting an award from Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s Corruption Scandal Just Exploded

May 21, 2026 | Trump’s new financial disclosure shows thousands of individual stock trades in companies affected by his administration’s policies, raising serious questions about conflicts of interest, transparency, and whether he personally knew what was in his portfolio. Farron Cousins breaks this down.

So why are Americans tolerating Trump’s corruption? — © Mark Alexander

Inside the Broligarchy: Is Big Tech Running US Politics? | DW News

May 21, 2026 | From Donald Trump’s alliances with tech billionaires to the collapse of US media outlets, investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr says we are accelerating towards a "techno fascist future."

Why Cuban Cigars Are So Expensive | So Expensive

Jul 11, 2026 | Cuban cigars hold a reputation as the world's most opulent tobacco product. A box of good quality Habanos can cost thousands of dollars.

Every hand-rolled Cuban cigar goes through about 500 manual tasks from seed to cigar. But over the last 25 years, cigars made in other countries in the Caribbean and Central America have become comparable in quality, consistency, and cost.

Some experts suggest that up to 95% of all Cuban cigars in the US, which hasn't allowed the import of Cuban cigars since the 1962 embargo, are actually counterfeit.

So why are Cuban cigars so desirable? And is that why they're so expensive?

Guerre au Moyen-Orient : l’inflation va quasiment doubler en Europe cette année

LE FIGARO : La Commission prévoit désormais une croissance de 1,1 %, cette année, après 1,5 % en 2025. La projection a été abaissée de 0,3 point. L’inflation repart en forte hausse sous l’effet du choc énergétique. » | Par Anne de Guigné | jeudi 21 mai 2026

Steve Rosenberg: No Deal on Gas Pipeline at Putin-Xi Meeting

May 21, 2026 | Today one Russian paper says Russia is “on the verge of recession” & warns of “a large-scale bank liquidity crisis.” After Putin & Xi failed to reach a deal on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, another paper points out: “Chinese media ignored the topic of the gas pipeline.”

Clearly They Don’t Like…’: Kallas Blasts Vance, Trump for ‘Profound Hostility’ to Europe

May 18, 2026 | EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas torched Trump and Vance for their ‘profound hostility’ toward Europe, warning that divisions between the US and EU only benefit Russia and China. Watch the explosive exchange on Ukraine, Orbán, and EU unity.

Xi Says World Is At Risk of ‘Law of the Jungle’ as He Hails China-Russia Links

THE GUARDIAN: Chinese president hosts Putin in Beijing and welcomes relationship as stabilising global force

Xi Jinping said the world was at risk of regressing into the “law of the jungle” and hailed the China-Russia relationship as a stabilising global force as he hosted Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, just days after hosting Donald Trump.

The Chinese leader welcomed the Russian president with pomp and pageantry as the pair began talks in the Great Hall of the People.

Chinese soldiers stood in position as a military band played the Russian and Chinese national anthems for the leaders in central Beijing. Children waved Russian and Chinese flags and cheered: “Welcome, welcome!” in Chinese before the pair entered the Great Hall.

The scene was reminiscent of Trump’s high-profile meeting with Xi in Beijing last week, when the leaders of the world’s two largest economies discussed issues from trade and investment, to the Iran conflict and Taiwan. » | Alastair McCready in Taipei | Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Face à l’Occident, Xi Jinping et Vladimir Poutine affichent un partenariat énergétique « sans limites »

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le président russe a promu un projet de gazoduc lors de sa visite à Pékin. Un atout pour échapper au blocage du détroit d’Ormuz, malgré les divergences d’intérêts entre les deux pays sur le conflit en Iran.

Visage poupon, un jeune Vladimir Poutine pose avec un garçonnet asiatique face aux eaux turbides du lac Beihai, lors de sa première visite en Chine, en 2000. Un quart de siècle plus tard, un président russe aux traits émaciés a retrouvé l’enfant devenu ingénieur joufflu, ce 20 mai, à Pékin, en marge de sa visite auprès de son « cher ami » Xi Jinping, sur les pas de Donald Trump. Des retrouvailles nostalgiques avec ce diplômé de l’université de Moscou, mises en avant par la presse russe pour souligner l’ancienneté des liens tissés entre Poutine et l’empire du Milieu, où le chef du Kremlin a effectué sa vingt-cinquième visite, quelques jours après celle du président américain.

Alors que le régime communiste orchestre une timide détente avec l’Amérique, la Russie est venue serrer les rangs auprès d’un géant asiatique plus indispensable que jamais à son effort de guerre face à l’Ukraine. Les relations russo-chinoises ont atteint des « hauteurs sans précédent », malgré des « facteurs extérieurs défavorables », s’est félicité Poutine, sous les ors staliniens du Grand Hall du peuple. Son ambition est d’approfondir entre les deux pays le « partenariat sans limites » sur le plan énergétique, alors que l’offensive américaine contre l’Iran perturbe les approvisionnements de l’usine du Monde. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | mercredi 20 mai 2026

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Democracy Now! "Dictatorship in Action": David Cay Johnston on $1.8 Billion Slush Fund

May 20, 2026 | In a shocking and unprecedented move, the Justice Department issued a memo Tuesday saying the IRS is "forever barred" from investigating past tax returns of President Trump, his family, company and "related companies." It came just a day after the department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund to "compensate" people prosecuted for supposedly political reasons by the Biden and Obama administrations — a move expected to benefit January 6 insurrectionists, other Trump allies and even Trump himself. It's all part of an agreement between the Department of Justice and President Trump's personal attorneys in exchange for Trump dropping a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — President Trump's former personal attorney — will appoint the commission overseeing the Justice Department's new fund.

"This is dictatorship in action," says reporter David Cay Johnston. He calls the "anti-weaponization" fund "a slush fund to pay a criminal enforcement arm, a violent arm of Trump supporters to intimidate people" and says the order to not investigate the Trump family's dealings "screams that Donald Trump is, in fact, a criminal-level tax cheat."


As I stated below: Trump’s presidency is nothing but a SHITSHOW! This slush fund underscores my point perfectly. — © Mark Alexander

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Chris Hedges: Why You Should Hate the Rich Even More (w/ Rob Larson)

June 19, 2025 | The rich are severed from the rest of us — materially through gated communities and jets, and psychologically through the bubbles they exist within.

NB: I post this not because I agree with all viewpoints expressed therein; rather, I post this very interesting video for the insights it gives us all into the workings of the American élite. It should be noted well that Chris Hedges , despite being born into great wealth and privilege, is a socialist. I do not share his political and ideological bias in this matter, even though I have the greatest respect for his erudition and intellect.

My own political position is very moderate: I decide on each political issue based on its merits and demerits. That means to say that whether I am on the right or the left depends on what is being considered. So, in general, I am neither left nor right. As far as I am concerned. neither side has a monopoly on the truth.

In many ways, I despise this left-right divide in society, in the economy. The divide is very contentious and it is inclined to cripple the possibility of finding a sensible way forward.

The main thread in my political and economic thinking is that an economy should work for the good of all citizens, for the rich and poor alike. — © Mark Alexander

Jesse Dollemore: Trump Announces He’s Taking Orders from Saudi Arabia

May 20, 2026

TW: Very strong language alert!

The Trump presidency is nothing but a SHITSHOW! — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: Putin in China - What the Russian Papers Are Saying

May 20, 2026 | “Beijing welcomes Putin as an ally and reliable partner. It hosted Trump as a rival…” What the Russian papers are saying about Vladimir Putin’s visit to China.

Brit in Germany: Why Young Europeans Are Moving Away from Cars

May 17, 2026 | Driving used to be a given. Now, for a growing number of young people in Europe, it’s starting to feel unnecessary and maybe even irrational.

Rising costs are part of the story. But so are deeper changes — in how cities are built, what’s being prioritised, and what everyday life is starting to look like.

This video breaks down what’s really changing and what that means going forward. I write more about what these shifts mean on an individual level. …

Elon Musk scheitert mit Klage gegen OpenAI und Sam Altman

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Eine Jury hat die Klage von Elon Musk gegen OpenAI und Firmenchef Sam Altman abgewiesen. Die Geschworenen kamen einstimmig zu dem Schluss, dass Musk zu lange mit seiner Klage gewartet hatte.

Dieses Bild stammt aus diesem Artikel. | Elon Musk kommt vor dem US-Bezirksgericht in Oakland an.| © Godofredo A. Vásquez/dpa
Im spektakulären Rechtsstreit um die Zukunft von OpenAI hat Tech-Milliardär Elon Musk eine deutliche Niederlage erlitten. Eine Jury vor einem Bundesgericht im kalifornischen Oakland entschied am Montag zugunsten von OpenAI, Sam Altman und Mitgründer Greg Brockman.

Die Geschworenen urteilten einstimmig, dass Musk die gesetzlichen Fristen für seine Klage überschritten habe. Richterin Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers erklärte anschließend, sie werde das Urteil übernehmen und Musks Ansprüche abweisen. » | Alexander Schmalz | Montag, 18. Mai 2026

Steve Rosenberg: Drone Attacks Adding to "Increased Anxiety" amongst Russians

May 19, 2026 | Today one Russian newspaper reports “increased anxiety” in Russian society. Another paper claims joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear drills “send a signal to Ukraine…to EU & NATO’s eastern flank”. Plus, stinging criticism of Donald Trump for his social media posts.

« Cette visite témoigne de la solidité de l’axe russo-chinois » : après la venue de Donald Trump, Vladimir Poutine vient resserrer les liens avec Xi Jinping

Cette image est extraite de cet article du Figaro. | Vladimir Poutine et Xi Jinping lors du sommet de coopération de Shanghai, le 1er septembre 2025. SUO TAKEKUMA / AFP
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le voyage du président russe vise à afficher la ténacité de son partenariat, mais trahit l’anxiété de Moscou face au récent rapprochement sino-américain.

À peine Air Force One envolé que la Chine déroule le tapis rouge pour l’Iliouchine de Vladimir Poutine, surnommé le « Kremlin volant », ce mardi 19 mai. Après avoir tenu tête à Donald Trump à Zhongnanhai la semaine dernière, Xi Jinping accueille dans la foulée son « vieil ami » russe, en position de force dans le triangle mouvant Washington-Moscou-Pékin, secoué par le Moyen-Orient.

Sur les pas du trublion de l’Amérique d’abord, cette visite d’État de deux jours vise à afficher la solidité du « partenariat sans limite » scellé face à l’Occident par les dirigeants en 2022, mais consacre aussi l’ascendant du géant chinois face à un Kremlin anxieux du pas de deux sino-américain.

Il s’agit de la vingt-cinquième visite en Chine de Poutine, a rappelé la diplomatie chinoise, pointant un déplacement presque de routine sous le signe la connivence stratégique entre deux dirigeants qui se sont rencontrés à plus de quarante reprises. Alors que Trump était le premier président américain à fouler le sol de l’empire du Milieu depuis près d’une décennie, son homologue russe était aux premières loges sur la place Tiananmen, à la droite de Xi, le 3 septembre dernier, lors d’un spectaculaire défilé de l’armée populaire de libération (APL), aux avant-postes d’un front anti-occidental. » | Par Sébastien Falletti correspondant en Asie | mardi 19 mai 2026

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Germany's Multi-billion-euro Plan for Shelters, Hospital Beds and Emergency Vehicles | DW News

May 18, 2026 | Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Berlin has spent around €300 billion Euros on its military — but critics warn the country is still not ready to defend itself.

"Staggering Corruption": Rep. Raskin on Trump's $10B IRS Lawsuit, Stock Trades & Family Business

May 18, 2026 | Donald Trump on Monday dropped his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over a leak of his personal and business tax records, a bizarre case of a sitting president suing his own government and essentially acting as both plaintiff and defendant. This comes amid reports that Trump's Department of Justice was considering settling the case in exchange for the creation of a $1.7 billion fund to compensate victims of so-called weaponization of the DOJ under the Biden and Obama administrations. Trump allies who participated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol could file claims and be compensated.

"They want a $1.7 billion slush fund, which comes to a million dollars a head in terms of Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, the insurrectionists, with $100 million left over of taxpayer money to spread around in different ways," says Congressmember Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, who spoke with Democracy Now! shortly before news broke of Trump dropping the IRS lawsuit.

Raskin last week introduced the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which is geared toward curbing the president's profiteering from public office. "Corruption is the whole purpose of the Trump administration," says Raskin. "It's not like some eccentric peripheral thing; it's a vast money-making operation."


Trump and his cronies are rotten to their core. It defies belief that the American people put up with this CRAP! — © Mark Alexander

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

"Adolf Hitler war ein Linker" - Alice Weidel im Gespräch mit Nikolaus Blome | ntv

Jan 9, 2025 | Nach ihrem Gespräch mit Elon Musk auf dessen Plattform X stellt sich AfD-Vorsitzende und -Kanzlerkandidatin Alice Weidel den Fragen von RTL/ntv-Politikchef Nikolaus Blome.

Hitler war doch kein „Linker“! Er hasste Leute, die links orientiert waren. Wo er es nur konnte, hat er sie umbringen lassen! Hitler war echter Rechtsextremist! Mit dieser Aussage versucht Alice Weidel, die Leute zu verwirren. — © Mark Alexander

In Closed-Door Talks, U.S. Demands a Major Role in Greenland

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Greenlandic officials worry about the direction of the negotiations aimed at defusing President Trump’s threats to seize their island. But they have little leverage.

Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Ilulisaat, Greenland, a town where a Chinese state company nearly won a contract to build an airport in 2018. After U.S. officials pressured Denmark to step in, Greenland opted for a Danish company. | Ivor Prickett for The New York Times
With the conflict in Iran still smoldering, President Trump’s obsession with Greenland seems like a forgotten sideshow.

But for the past four months, negotiators from the United States, Greenland and Denmark, which controls Greenland’s foreign affairs, have been holding confidential talks in Washington about Greenland’s future.

The talks were meant to give Mr. Trump an offramp to his threats of a military takeover of Greenland and to scale back a crisis that risked breaking apart the NATO alliance. But Greenlandic leaders are worried about what is being proposed, which is a much larger U.S. role on the Arctic island. And they fear that if the conflict with Iran winds down, the president will swing his aggression back on them.

Some Greenlandic politicians say they have even circled a date on their calendars to be wary: June 14, Mr. Trump’s birthday. » | Jeffrey Gettleman, Maya Tekeli, Anton Troianovski and Eric Schmitt | Monday, May 18, 2026

Kim Jong-un: Grenze zu Südkorea soll zu „uneinnehmbarer Festung“ werden

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Nordkorea soll laut Kim Jong-un die Grenze zu Südkorea weiter verstärken. Bereits zuvor hatte er die Stationierung einer neuen selbstfahrenden Haubitze an der Grenze angeordnet.

Dieser Screenshot stammt aus diesem Artikel. | Kim Jong-un bei einem Treffen hochrangiger Militärvertreter | © KCNA via KNS/AFP
Der nordkoreanische Machthaber Kim Jong-un hat erklärt, dass Pläne zur Stärkung von Fronttruppen an der südlichen Grenze sowie anderer wichtige Einheiten für die „gründlichere Abschreckung vor Kriegen“ von zentraler Bedeutung seien. Die Grenze solle zu einer „uneinnehmbaren Festung“ werden, berichtete die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur KCNA.

Kim äußerte sich bei einem Treffen mit Befehlshabern der nordkoreanischen Armee. Er rief die Kommandeure dazu auf, wachsam gegenüber dem „Erzfeind“ zu bleiben – ein Begriff, den Pjöngjang laut Reuters für Südkorea verwendet. Er kündigte weiterhin an, das Ausbildungssystem zu reformieren und stärker auf Übungen auszurichten, die moderner Kriegführung entsprechen. Auch die militärische Organisationsstruktur solle überarbeitet werden. » | Anika Schlünz | Montag, 18. Mai 2026

Grèce : Alexis Tsipras, ex-premier ministre et figure de la gauche radicale, va lancer un nouveau parti

Cette capture d'écran provient de cet article du Figaro. | Alexis Tsipras, ancien premier ministre grec. AYHAN MEHMET / Anadolu via AFP
LE FIGARO : Alexis Tsipras a publié sur Facebook « Maintenant, c’est le moment », sans révéler le nom de sa nouvelle formation politique. Il avait été désigné premier ministre lors de la crise financière grecque en 2015. Après une défaite en 2023, Alexis Tsipras avait démissionné de la direction de son parti.

L'ancien premier ministre grec Alexis Tsipras, ex-figure de la gauche radicale et anti-austérité en Europe, a annoncé lundi 18 mai son retour en politique avec le lancement d'un nouveau parti le 26 mai, en vue des élections prévues l'an prochain. Alexis Tsipras, 51 ans, a publié sur Facebook une vidéo montrant le dos de deux garçons sur les gradins d'un stade de foot portant des maillots avec les numéros 26 et 5. « Maintenant, c'est le moment », a-t-il écrit sans révéler le nom de sa nouvelle formation politique. Alexis Tsipras avait été désigné premier ministre au pic de la crise financière grecque en janvier 2015, à l'issue d'élections législatives remportées par son parti, alors de gauche radicale, Syriza. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 18 mai 2026

Nobel Prize Recipient Dr Henry Abraham Warns of Donald Trump's Nuclear Risk to Humanity.

May 18, 2026 | Psychiatrist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient for the prevention of nuclear war, Dr Henry Abraham, joins Anthony Davis to warn of the risk of Donald Trump being in charge of America’s nuclear arsenal, and how his deteriorating mental health and penchant for violence is a grave risk to humanity - only on The Weekend Show.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Papers React to Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack

May 18, 2026 | What the Russian papers are saying about this weekend's massive Ukrainian drone strike: one paper calls it “audacious”, another says it is: “one of Ukraine’s largest aerial attacks.” “It’s increasingly difficult to cut the flow of weaponry to the Ukrainian army,” concedes another.

The Iran War Is Crippling One of the World’s Wealthiest Nations

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Iranian attacks and the stoppage of seaborne transit have paralyzed Qatar’s vital gas exports, stalling the economic pivots intended to anchor the country’s growth.

Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Qatar has tried to transform itself into a tourist destination and a hub for international business and finance. | Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
In Qatar, a desert peninsula protruding into the Persian Gulf, natural gas turned the country from a pearl-diving backwater into one of the world’s wealthiest nations.

Qatar spent three decades building supply lines, shipping tens of billions of dollars of liquefied natural gas each year through the Strait of Hormuz to ports across Asia and Europe.

The state, which derives more than 60 percent of its revenue from gas and gas-related exports, used that money to transform the peninsula into a gleaming metropolis. Unpaved desert roads were replaced by monolithic corporate skyscrapers, at the base of which irrigation systems water perennial blankets of grass and fuchsia flowers.

Gas wealth funded a metro system linking the capital, Doha, to Lusail, a northern city that is home to a Parisian-style mall and a theme park with artificial snow. The riches were also funneled into the world’s most expensive World Cup, and a $600 billion sovereign wealth fund with stakes in everything from Heathrow Airport in London to the Empire State Building in New York.

Then, in February, Qatar’s door to the world slammed shut.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz means virtually no gas has left Qatar’s shore for more than two months. The nation is also cut off from the sea routes through which it imports everything from vehicles to produce. Fears of regional instability have hurt tourism and eroded business sentiment. » | River Akira Davis | Reporting from Doha, Qatar | Sunday, May 17, 2026

You Can't 'Put Britain at the Heart of Europe' After Brexit

Michael Lambert explains why.
Our politicians are clueless. Hardline Brexiteers are too. — © Mark Alexander

To Critics, Trump Remarks Reveal a Billionaire Out of Touch

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president has never pretended to be an ordinary American, but a recent “truth bomb” has opened him to criticism that he doesn’t grasp the economic strain of his war with Iran.

Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | President Trump made remarks on Tuesday at the White House, ahead of departing for his trip to China. | Doug Mills/The New York Times
With his generational wealth, his 20-acre Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., and his lucrative family businesses around the world, President Trump has never purported to be an ordinary American.

Instead, he has argued that he could use his business savvy to help lift up the country’s forgotten men and women.

But in recent weeks, as Americans feel deep economic strain from the war he launched in Iran, Mr. Trump’s actions and words have opened him up to accusations that he is either out of touch with — or indifferent to — the lives of everyday Americans.

The costs are ballooning from his renovation, re-decoration and building spree in Washington, D.C., and at the White House. He goes on social media posting frenzies that often focus on his pet projects, gripes and personal triumphs, including a 22-year-old newspaper review of his television show, “The Apprentice.” But perhaps the most striking example came on Tuesday, when Mr. Trump was asked whether the economic hardship Americans are feeling would motivate him to make a deal to end the war.

“Not even a little bit,” he said.

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” Mr. Trump continued, a stunningly frank admission that came after weeks spent either downplaying the conflict’s economic toll or simply asking Americans to be patient. His only consideration, Mr. Trump said, was preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon: “That’s all.” » | Erica L. Green | Erica L. Green is a White House correspondent. She reported from Washington. | Sunday, May 17, 2026

To think that this grifting clown should have been locked up long ago! If only the then powers-that-be had had the balls to do the right thing! Think of how much better the quality of Americans’ lives would be today, and the quality of life of the rest of the world, too! And just think of how many innocent people have had to meet their Maker prematurely, long, long before their time, just to satisfy this jester’s fantasies!

Will the American electorate ever be forgiven for their wilful and selfish poor judgment. Will, indeed, America itself ever recover from this, with the ever more powerful China very clearly in the ascendancy?

Thinking about Donald Trump is puke-inducing; so is thinking about all his ill-thought-out, self-aggrandizing, self-enriching , corrupt schemes and policies which strip Americans of their individual and collective wealth, and have bereaved them of their rights and heritage.

The sooner Americans find a way to rid themselves and their country of this man, the better it will be for them and for us. — © Mark Alexander

The Pressure of Existing in Trump's Authoritarian America

May 16, 2026 | Trump’s opposition to climate policies have increased long-term energy, food, and housing costs by expanding fossil fuel dependence, complicated by his war in Iran. His abusive rhetoric towards immigrants and minorities creates a national anxiety, incompatible with the values of humanity. Then there's the criminalization of protest, free speech and opposition to his nationalist regime - all contributing to the pressure-cooker-like environment of Trump's America.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Cuba, un país a oscuras

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Estados Unidos cortó el suministro de combustible a Cuba, sumiendo a la ya empobrecida isla en una aguda crisis energética.

Los cubanos no son ajenos a las penurias, tras más de seis décadas de régimen comunista y hostilidad y embargo estadounidenses.

Pero la isla no había sufrido nada parecido a lo que está padeciendo ahora. Este año, el gobierno de Donald Trump cortó el principal suministro de petróleo de Cuba, procedente de Venezuela, tras decapitar al régimen de Caracas, aliado de La Habana. Cualquier medida para conservar la energía solo pospuso lo inevitable: las reservas de petróleo de Cuba se han agotado, según dijo el gobierno esta semana.

La escasez de combustible y el desmoronamiento de las infraestructuras han provocado apagones cada vez más prolongados; mucha gente solo tiene electricidad una o dos horas al día. Eso ha generado pequeñas protestas, incluidas algunas en las que la gente ha encendido hogueras en las calles.

Cuba se está deslizando hacia un estado preindustrial de ciudades y pueblos oscurecidos, donde la gente depende de las llamas y del músculo para sustituir el combustible ausente y la maquinaria que permanece inactiva.

Sin un suministro fiable de electricidad y gas, mucha gente ha vuelto a recoger leña y carbón para hacer hogueras al aire libre. » | Por The New York Times | viernes 15 de mayo de 2026

Read in English.

Visite de Trump en Chine : la délégation américaine a jeté tous les objets chinois avant de remonter dans l’avion

LE FIGARO : « Rien de Chine n’est autorisé à bord » d’Air Force One pour raisons de sécurité, a indiqué une journaliste américaine qui suivait la délégation.

Les cadeaux chinois n’auront pas passé les portes de l’avion. Selon une journaliste américaine envoyée par le New York Post en Chine pour y couvrir la visite de Donald Trump, la délégation américaine a jeté l’ensemble des objets offerts par la Chine « dans un panier » juste avant d’embarquer dans l’avion et de quitter le pays, ce vendredi 16 mai.

« Le personnel américain a pris tout ce que les officiels chinois ont distribué - accréditations, téléphones jetables du personnel de la Maison-Blanche, badges pour la délégation - les a collectés avant que nous montions à bord de l’AF1 et les a jetés dans un panier au bas des escaliers », a ainsi indiqué la correspondante à la Maison-Blanche Emily Goodin dans une publication postée sur X, qui a fait le tour de la toile. « Rien de Chine n’est autorisé à bord de l’avion », a poursuivi la reporter. » | Par Jeanne Durieux | samedi 16 mai 2026

Rob Groves: The Crypto Billions behind Farage & Reform UK

May 16, 2026 | Nigel Farage is under formal investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner after it emerged that Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne secretly handed him a £5 million personal gift. Just before Farage reversed his decision and stood for Parliament in 2024. He never declared it. But this isn't just a Farage story. Harborne has a remarkable track record of donating to right-wing British politicians and watching government money flow back toward his business interests. He gave Boris Johnson a million pounds, and two months later, Johnson's government handed an £80m MoD contract to a defence company where Harborne was the largest shareholder. His total donations to Reform UK now exceed £22 million. That's roughly two-thirds of everything the party has ever raised. And the timeline of Farage's sudden conversion to cryptocurrency evangelism tells its own story.

Michael Lambert: Starmer Going? - Will Andy Burnham Start to Reverse Brexit

May 16, 2026 | Since Brexit, Britain has had six prime ministers and is about to have a seventh — and not one of them has fixed the economy. Not one.

The ‘SS British Economy’ continues to sink, and changing the captain won't save the ship.

In this video I explain why: The UK economy is falling behind the economy of every major European nation.

Trump Looked ‘Nothing Like the Man We Know’ in Beijing

May 15, 2026 | Mark Logan, former Member of Parliament, and Vice-Chair All Party Parliamentary China Group, joins Maddie Hale to analyse Donald Trump’s two day trip to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping.

Großbritannien: Starmer unter Druck – Britisches Pfund fällt

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Hohe Energiepreise und innenpolitische Unsicherheiten belasten die britische Wirtschaft. Die Währung Pfund Sterling fällt.

Britische Staatsanleihen, Aktien und das Pfund Sterling sind am Freitag gefallen, wie die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters berichtet. Innenpolitische Unsicherheit und Sorgen um einen Inflationsschock infolge des Iran-Kriegs trugen dem Bericht zufolge dazu bei.

Das Pfund fiel laut Reuters auf ein Fünf-Wochen-Tief und verlor in dieser Woche fast zwei Prozent gegenüber dem US-Dollar. Damit steuert die britische Währung dem Bericht zufolge auf den größten Wochenverlust seit November 2024 zu. Zuletzt fiel der Kurs demnach um 0,3 Prozent auf 1,3364 US-Dollar, nachdem er zuvor mit 1,3335 US-Dollar den niedrigsten Stand seit über fünf Wochen erreicht hatte. » | Anika Schlünz | Freitag, 15. Mai 2026

Trump Worships Xi Jinping in Embarrassing China State Visit.

May 15, 2026 | Donald Trump spent years portraying China as America’s greatest enemy, yet during his Beijing summit with Xi Jinping he appeared far more comfortable admiring authoritarian pageantry than defending democratic values. The visit exposed a deeper contradiction at the heart of Trump’s politics: his hostility toward China has never really been about authoritarianism, but about competition with a system of centralized power he openly envies.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Great News!

MARK ALEXANDER: When I checked the visitor counter on Google last evening, I was delighted to find that we have already well exceeded 2,000,000 visits. In fact, it is already nearly 13,000 more than that as I write this short report This, of course, delights me. And it couldn’t have been achieved without YOU. For your loyalty and support, I thank you ALL kindly. Your loyalty and support are deeply appreciated. Naturally, I am already looking forward to clocking up the next million! With your help and support, we shall be able to achieve 3m very soon.

Kind regards to all,
Mark

Trump Hits Back after Xi Claims US Is ‘Declining Nation’

THE TELEGRAPH: Donald Trump has pushed back on claims made by Xi Jinping that America is a “declining nation”.

The US president accepted that “tremendous damage” had been done to the US in recent years but blamed his predecessor Joe Biden.

“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of the second day of talks. » | Emily Blumenthal. Connor Stringer Chief Washington Correspondent, Beijing. Allegra Mendelson Asia Correspondent, Taipei. Robert White | Friday, May 15, 2026

Xi Jinping is right, of course. A blind man could see that the US is in steep decline. The country shows all the signs of an empire in decline. It is rotting from within.

Trump is wrong, and very unfair to blame “Sleepy Joe” for the rot. The rot started for America long before Biden’s presidency. Fact is, America has never been the same since 9/11. That attack did more to damage America and its trajectory than is easy to describe in a few words. And when it comes to apportioning blame, Trump himself must share the lion’s share of the blame in recent years. His corrupt and ludicrous presidency has brought America’s decline forward. It has also brought it into sharp focus. — © Mark Alexander

Russia: New Restrictions on Reporting Drone Attacks, New Rules for Expelling Foreigners

May 14, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: new restrictions on reporting drone attacks, new rules for expelling foreigners, new local governors, new data shows financial situation worsens for ¾ of large Russian industrial companies. The joke at the end is about old lifts.

Xi Warns Trump of Potential "Conflict" over Taiwan in Beijing Summit on Iran, Trade, Tech & More

May 14, 2026 | U.S. President Donald Trump is in Beijing for a highly anticipated summit with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping. It is the first U.S. state visit to China since 2017, during Trump's first administration. Trade, the Iran war, artificial intelligence and the fate of Taiwan are some of the issues being discussed, although it's not clear if any new agreements are likely. Trump traveled to China with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with a delegation of top U.S. executives including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.

The summit comes after years of rising hostility between the two superpowers, but leaders recognize the importance of improving the bilateral relationship, says Zhao Hai, director of international political studies at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in Beijing. "This is a very critical historical moment [at] a crossroad, and both sides now are working together to establish a stable relationship that will have a global ramification," he says.

We also speak with Jake Werner, a historian of modern China and director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He says the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the resulting economic chaos have strengthened China's position.

"China has ties to all the countries in the region. It has acted in the past to help broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran," says Werner. "So it has some experience in this realm, sort of acting as a broker towards peace."


Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Back to the Future of Brexit

May 13, 2026 | Ten years after the vote to leave the European Union, the rise of populism and increasingly radical leftism could be a foretaste of the American political future.

One can but weep for this country! Brexit has put us into a fine old mess! Brexit has brought us impoverishment, no opportunities for economic growth, and nothing to look forward to. Britons’ rights as citizens have been stripped away, replacing them with a few feudal ‘rights’ as subjects of the King, and little else. Prior to that ridiculous, ill-thought-out Brexit, Britons had a decent future. They could move to any EU country and work there, start a business there, set up home there, avail themselves of free healthcare there, travel visa-free there, and for those who love their pets, because of the ‘EU Pet Travel Scheme’, they could even move there with their beloved dogs, cats, or ferrets! Now, just to travel there involves all manner of hurdles to jump. One could call it the steeplechase of the century!

One of the main architects of Brexit and all the troubles and travails that Brexit brought with it is, of course, that infamous, self-serving, self-enriching snake oil salesman, Nigel Farage. And how the naïve and ill-informed have been taken in by him! They have even gone and cast their vote for him in recent local elections, voting for the very man who has made them poorer! Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas, this was it! — © Mark Alexander

China’s Xi Warns Trump on Taiwan at Beijing Summit

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, told President Trump that Taiwan, if handled poorly, could lead to a clash with the United States. The two leaders are also expected to discuss trade and the Iran war at the two-day summit.

China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to President Trump as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.”

The two men met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with pageantry and pleasantries. But Mr. Xi’s warning was a stark reminder that Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, is a red line.

The two-day summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, could determine whether a détente that has prevailed between the two countries will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.

Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump on Thursday morning outside the Great Hall of the People. They shook hands before walking together past an honor guard and rows of cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed across Tiananmen Square.

Inside the Great Hall, Mr. Xi called for the two countries to work together to confront an increasingly “complex and turbulent world.”

“We should be partners, not adversaries,” he said.

Mr. Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Mr. Xi, and said the two leaders speak to each other on the phone to work out problems. “You’re a great leader,” he told Mr. Xi.

But Mr. Xi made clear that Taiwan had the potential to spoil the relationship. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,” he said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

One of China’s related priorities is persuading the United States to curtail its arms sales to Taiwan.

Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua. Details about the talks were not immediately released and there was little indication of whether there had been any breakthroughs. Live Updates » | Lily Kuo and David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger reported from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026

Labour Leadership Contest Could 'Plunge Country into Chaos', Says UK Chancellor | BBC News

May 14, 2026 | Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in an exclusive interview with the BBC that any Labour leadership contest would "plunge the country into chaos".

It comes as Angela Rayner, seen as a potential challenger to PM Keir Starmer, was cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs after settling £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty, saying she had been "exonerated" of the accusation she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".

On Wednesday, allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they expected him to launch a challenge as soon as today.

A Speech to Europe 2026 by Anne Applebaum

May 13, 2026 | For A Speech To Europe 2026, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum will address whether Europe’s time has come and what characterises this historic moment in her lecture:

»The European Moment«. Applebaum is among the most prominent voices on the rise of authoritarianism and the fragility of liberal democracy, and she puts the challenge squarely to her audience:

»This is the hour of Europe — but do the Europeans even know it?«

Since 2019, A Speech to Europe, initiated by the ERSTE Foundation, has provided a fundamental reflection on the present and future of Europe. The venue is Vienna’s Judenplatz, which serves as a reminder that Europe can only be understood in the mirror of its history. The speech will be held in English. This event is free of charge and takes place outdoors at the Judenplatz Vienna.


A wonderful and very important speech. Erudite, hard-hitting, informative, interesting, and inspiring. Thank you, Anne Applebaum! — © Mark Alexander

Face à un Donald Trump pressé par le temps, la Chine joue la montre

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Xi Jinping reçoit avec faste son homologue américain enlisé au Moyen-Orient, pour arracher un répit stratégique et des garanties sur Taïwan.

À Pékin, Xi Jinping offre un accueil impérial à Donald Trump, sans jamais déroger. Le président chinois accompagnera son hôte jeudi sur les dalles de pierre du Temple du Ciel, là où les empereurs accomplissaient jadis les rites confucéens en quête de récoltes propices et de certitudes face au chaos du monde.

Après la Cité interdite, en 2017, la Chine déroule à nouveau le tapis rouge au président américain, dans un autre haut lieu de son histoire, à l’occasion de la première visite d’un président américain depuis près d’une décennie, sur fond de rivalité stratégique au long cours.

Face aux caméras, la promenade des dirigeants projettera la force tranquille d’une seconde puissance mondiale tenant tête au trublion de l’Amérique d’abord, en pleine convulsion géopolitique au Moyen-Orient. La Chine entend travailler avec les États-Unis « sur un pied d’égalité » afin de développer la coopération, de gérer les différends et d’injecter « plus de certitude dans un monde instable et interdépendant », a déclaré Guo Jiakun, un porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères, à la veille de cette visite qui débute ce 13 mai. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | mercredi 13 mai 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Is the US Empire in the Middle of a Long Decline? | The Bottom Line

May 11, 2026 | When the United States threatens to take over countries and destroy civilisations, “these are the wild gesticulations of a sinking enterprise”, argues Richard Wolff, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Massachusetts.

Wolff tells host Steve Clemons that US leaders refuse to face the reality that the US empire is in decline. Around the world, he adds, people are “deeply internalising” the lessons from the US's inability to defeat Iran.

The people in the US are becoming “bitterly angry” at their situation, where the richest 10 percent of Americans own 80 percent of corporate stocks, making the stock market “utterly irrelevant” to the masses.


Trump is a dunce in clown’s clothing! — © Mark Alexander

Violent Tobacco Black Market Wipes $6b from Federal Budget

FINANCIAL REVIEW: The booming illicit tobacco market has wiped $6 billion from the federal budget bottom line in just five months and revenue from tobacco excise is now forecast to plummet to just over $2 billion a year by 2030.

The government raked in more than $16 billion from tobacco taxes in 2020, but the continued raising of the excise sparked a violent black market trade run by criminal gangs that has decimated the legitimate market and resulted in a massive fall in revenue.

The government is now spending hundreds of millions of dollars on dealing with the fallout, including $14 million in the budget to boost the ability of states to disrupt the illicit tobacco and e-cigarette markets.

In the mid-year budget update, the government expected to raise $5.5 billion in tobacco excise in 2025-26. Five months later, that figure is now $4.1 billion, or 24 per cent lower than expected, and will fall to $2.1 billion by June 2030.

Legal cigarettes cost about $50, of which $34 is tax and excise, while the readily available illicit product is priced at about $15. NSW Premier Chris Minns in 2025 called on Chalmers to consider lowering the excise, saying it was contributing to the illegal tobacco industry, while economist Chris Richardson has labelled the continued raising of the excise one of the worst policies this century.

“We’ve cratered the tax take, stalled the fall in smoking rates, and invited organised crime into the everyday lives of more than a million Australians,” Richardson wrote in The Australian Financial Review in April.

The budget expert said the failure by successive governments to do anything about the issue meant it would now be much harder to fix.

“Organised crime will fight tooth and nail,” he said. “They’ve been a huge success at that already: after all, they fought the law, and the law lost. Given we’re now handing them a tasty $5 billion a year in risk-free revenue, they’ll be cashed up and cranky if serious efforts are made to reverse course.” » | Ronald Mizen | Political correspondent | Wednesday, May 13, 2026

And so it will be here in the UK with Starmer's stupid, undemocratic, illiberal, and ridiculous generational smoking ban! Mark my words! That law will have to be REVERSED, REPEALED! Free up the people! You will enchain them at society's PERIL. — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: "Powerful Missiles" & "Downgraded Growth Forecasts" in Today's Russian Papers

May 13, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: • “The world's most powerful missile”; • Russia downgrades economic growth forecast; • Russians turn to cash due to mobile internet shutdowns & “rumours” regarding bank deposits.

Has the Iran War Destroyed Saudi Arabia’s Mega Project "Vision 2030"? | DW News

May 12, 2026 | Saudi Arabia promised its citizens a new kingdom - glass cities in the desert, ski slopes in the mountains, and an economy no longer dependent on oil. But one by one, the mega projects are being scaled back, suspended, or quietly buried. Now, with the Iran war closing the Strait of Hormuz and oil exports down, the kingdom is bleeding revenue while its deficits grow. Ole Alsaker talks to Karen Elliott House, a journalist who knows the Kingdom better than almost anyone - to ask whether Vision 2030 was ever real, and what happens if it fails.

US Borrowing Exceeds GDP: What Does It Mean for the Economy? | This Is America

May 6, 2026 | For the first time since World War II, the United States national debt has exceeded the size of its economy.

Now standing at around $39tn, decades of deficit spending have pushed borrowing to historic levels. The government is spending about $1tn a year just on interest payments. Economists warn the debt trajectory is unsustainable, with projections showing it will continue to rise.

Higher borrowing costs are already affecting Americans through mortgages and loans. There are also concerns that global investors could lose confidence in US debt markets. If that happens, it could trigger a financial crisis with far-reaching consequences. So, how serious is the risk, and can Washington bring the debt under control?

The US Empire Just Hit a Dangerous Turning Point | Jeffrey Sachs

May 12, 2026

Steve Schmidt: Trump Will Accelerate America's Decline

May 12, 2026 | Donald Trump is headed to China for the first time since 2017 to meet with Xi Jinping. Steve Schmidt explains why America has never been weaker and Trump bears the blame.

How Americans could have been so stupid and reckless as to elect, and even re-elect, this most unsuitable man into the White House is beyond belief! As I have said many times before, the man belongs in clink. And if Americans cannot bring themselves to incarcerate him, the least they should do is gag him, and enchain him to a rocking chair with a view over the ocean! Whilst this man holds the reins of power in the Occident, the Orient, and actually the whole wide world will remain unstable. — © Mark Alexander

Inflation Accelerates After Weeks of War in Iran

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, as increasing energy costs replaced tariffs as the driver of higher prices for Americans.

Consumer prices in the United States rose last month at the fastest rate since May 2023, as sharp increases in energy costs caused by war in the Middle East made life more expensive for American consumers.

The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday, up from a 2.4 percent annual increase before the conflict started in February and a 3.3 percent increase in March.

The increase was driven largely by energy prices, up 3.8 percent since the previous month. But the “core” index, stripping out volatile food and energy prices, also rose 2.8 percent over the year in April, up from 2.6 percent in March. Live Updates » | Lydia DePillis | Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Gericht stoppt Trump-Zölle: US-Regierung fürchtet Rückzahlungswelle

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Ein Urteil stoppt die globale Zehn-Prozent-Abgabe bislang nur für drei Kläger. Doch das US-Justizministerium warnt vor tausenden Erstattungsanträgen.

Die US-Regierung will das Urteil gegen Präsident Donald Trumps globale Zehn-Prozent-Zölle bis zum Ende des Berufungsverfahrens aussetzen lassen. Einen entsprechenden Antrag stellte das Justizministerium am Montag beim US-Außenhandelsgericht in New York. Darüber berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Wird dem Antrag stattgegeben, müssen die drei vom Urteil begünstigten Kläger die Zölle weiter zahlen, bis ein Berufungsgericht entschieden hat.

Urteil gilt bislang nur für drei Kläger

Das Außenhandelsgericht hatte die Zölle am 7. Mai mit zwei zu einer Stimme für rechtswidrig erklärt. Die Erhebung stoppte es zunächst aber nur für drei Kläger: die Importeure Basic Fun! und Burlap & Barrel sowie den Bundesstaat Washington. Für alle anderen Importeure gelten die Zölle laut Reuters weiter. » | Peter Steiniger | Dienstag, 12. Mai 2026

Britain’s Starmer Says He Will Not Resign

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to continue in office as he met with cabinet members. Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers had urged him to step down after heavy losses in local elections.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain dared his critics on Tuesday to formally challenge him if they had the support to do so, opening a high-stakes cabinet meeting by telling ministers that he intends to get on with the business of governing.

“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered,” Mr. Starmer said, according to a statement from his office. “The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet.”

Mr. Starmer was facing a fast-moving rebellion within his party after it suffered major losses in last week’s local elections in England, and in parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers have publicly urged him to set out a timetable for his resignation to allow a contest to find his successor.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, a junior minister, resigned from the government just as the cabinet meeting started, writing in a post directed at Mr. Starmer on social media that “the public does not believe that you can lead this change — and nor do I.”

But the prime minister appears unwilling to go quietly. In his remarks to his cabinet, he repeated comments from a speech on Monday in which he warned that a leadership fight would not be good for the country.

If Mr. Starmer refuses to quit under pressure, his critics would need to gather at least 81 Labour lawmakers to coalesce around a potential rival. That would formally trigger a leadership contest. It was unclear on Tuesday morning whether they had enough support to make that happen.

Some of Mr. Starmer’s fiercest critics do not want him to leave office immediately, but rather to announce that he will step down in the fall. That would give the party time to organize a contest to succeed him that might include Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who appears to have political momentum behind him. But Mr. Burnham would need to win a seat in Parliament first in a special election, something that was certain to take weeks if not months. Live Updates » | Michael D. Shear and Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Putin Hints Ukraine War "Is Coming to an End." Do Today's Russian Papers Agree?

May 12, 2026 | On Saturday Vladimir Putin seemed to suggest the war in Ukraine was “coming to an end.” Today one Russia paper claims that “trying to interpret what he meant is like fortune-telling.” And will there, or won’t there, be talks with Europe...?

Pressure on Starmer Mounts as Dozens of Labour Lawmakers Call on Him to Quit

THE NEW YOTK TIMES: The chances of a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared to rise sharply on Monday as several government aides announced their resignations.

Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday. “I get it. I feel it. And I take responsibility,” he said of last week’s results. | Carl Court/Getty Images
Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign on Monday, effectively rejecting their leader’s efforts to quell a mutiny in the party ranks and raising the likelihood of a bruising leadership battle.

Mr. Starmer began the day with a speech he hoped would quiet the brewing rebellion, acknowledging the anger expressed by voters last week when they overwhelmingly rejected Labour Party candidates in elections across England, Scotland and Wales.

“That hurts and it should hurt,” he said. “I get it. I feel it. And I take responsibility.”

But the speech appears to have done little to appease Labour Party members who blame Mr. Starmer’s deep unpopularity with voters for historic defeats in the contests for municipal council seats and control of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

By the end of the day on Monday, news organizations had tallied more than 70 Labour lawmakers who publicly said they wanted a fresh start. Several junior government aides resigned to protest his decision to stay on. » | Michael D. Shear | Reporting from London | Monday, May 11, 2026

What They Don't Teach You about the Roman Empire

Dec 20, 2011 | Michael Parenti on Lies, War and Empire at ‘The Center for Creative Change’, Antioch University, Seattle, WA. This video explores how empires, particularly the Roman Empire, are often portrayed in a positive light within literature and film, focusing on their perceived achievements. We examine common narratives that praise ancient Rome and its supposed peace and stability. The speaker encourages viewers to critically analyze this history of Rome and question the true impact of such vast powers.

The years have past by, but the core of Mr Parenti's message is just as valid today. It is well worth listening to this video all the way through. Listening to Mr Parenti's message helps to clarify and bring into sharp focus exactly what is going on with those who have a grip on the levers of power.

Die Jahre sind vergangen, doch die Kernaussage von Herrn Parenti ist heute genauso aktuell wie eh und je. Es lohnt sich, dieses Video vollständig anzuhören. Das Hören von Herrn Parentis Botschaft trägt dazu bei, die Machenschaften derer, die die Machthebel in der Hand halten, zu verdeutlichen und klarzumachen.

Les années ont passé, mais le message de M. Parenti reste d'une actualité brûlante. Il est donc essentiel d'écouter cette vidéo jusqu'au bout. Le message de M. Parenti permet de comprendre et de mettre en lumière les agissements de ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir. — © Mark Alexander

Former Republican Turned Anti-fascist Activist, Paul Lance exposes Trump’s Authoritarianism

May 11, 2026 | Former Republican turned anti-fascist activist, Paul Lance, joins Anthony Davis to expose Trump’s authoritarianism, racism and violence that attracts half of American voters to vote against their own best interests in their quest to ‘own the Libs’ - only on The Weekend Show.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

The Lure of St. Moritz - From Sleepy Mountain Village to Luxury Resort | DW Documentary

May 9, 2026 | St. Moritz is the birthplace of alpine winter tourism, as well of many winter sports. The village, with its magnificent location in the Swiss Engadin mountains, was already attracting celebrities in the last century.

St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive winter sports resorts in the world, with a burnished history. Located in the picturesque Swiss Engadin mountains, the village attracted many celebrities in the last century: including Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Andy Warhol and Herbert von Karajan. Coco Chanel sought refuge here, during the war. Alfred Hitchcock was inspired to write his first classic in one of St. Moritz’s grand hotels, and returned many times over the decades. The Shah of Persia temporarily ruled his empire from a chalet on the Suvretta slope.

Just 150 years ago, St. Moritz was still a simple mountain village. Then, adventurous Englishmen arrived, invented new winter sports and laid the foundation for the town's fame.

Five-star hotels sprang up in the village of 5,000 inhabitants, which suddenly became a winter hotspot for the rich and famous.

Numerous winter sports originated here, some of which are unique to this location: in Cresta, participants race headfirst down into the valley on low sleds - on the longest natural ice track in the world. The Cresta Club, founded over 100 years ago by Englishmen, is still one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.

In skijoring, skiers are pulled across the frozen Lake St. Moritz by horses. Winter sports, tradition and sophisticated lifestyle, luxury and cosmopolitanism characterize the history of St. Moritz.

Mass Layoffs in Iran as Businesses Buckle Under Wartime Pressures

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Iran was already struggling economically before 2026 brought widespread instability. A government-imposed internet shutdown has crippled an entire sector.

In mid-March, Babak, a 49-year-old Iranian product designer at a tech company in Tehran, was called into his boss’s office and told that his position was being eliminated.

Iran’s government had shut down the internet two weeks earlier, at the outset of U.S.-Israeli war on the country, throwing the country’s tech industry into chaos and making Babak’s job impossible.

“Throughout my career, I have worked hard, continuously learned, and tried to grow,” said Babak, who sent voice messages to The New York Times, and asked to be identified only by his first name to avoid government reprisal. “Yet at this stage of my life, I find myself in an uncertain and ambiguous position,” he said.

Babak’s experience has become increasingly common throughout Iran as companies have instituted round after round of layoffs in recent weeks, according to interviews with businesses and employees and Iranian news reports.

For the Trump administration, Iran’s severe economic struggles are part of a strategy to pressure the country into submission. “I hope it fails,” President Trump told reporters this month, of Iran’s economy. “You know why? Because I want to win.” Iranian officials insist that pressure will not work and that the country will not surrender. » | Leily Nikounazar. Photographs by Arash Khamooshi | Sunday, May 10, 2026

There is one quick, sure-fire solution to this tragedy: Remove the worst, cruellest, most egocentric president ever from office, and imprison him! That will stop all this suffering. — © Mark Alexander

Saudi Arabia Is Lifting the Alcohol Ban for Wealthy Foreigners

BBC: Saudi Arabia has quietly started to allow wealthy foreign residents to buy alcohol, a huge change after a 73-year ban. Commentators expect that the relaxation will eventually be extended to tourists, as Sameer Hashmi reports from Riyadh.

For decades, Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter has stood apart from the rest of the capital city – an affluent enclave of embassies and upscale residences, with shaded walkways, greenery and a café culture that draws young Saudis and expatriates alike.

Now, tucked inside a discreet, unmarked beige complex within the exclusive neighbourhood, a small store has become a discrete testing ground for one of Saudi Arabia's most sensitive policy shifts – the controlled sale of alcohol to wealthy non-Muslim foreigners.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's two holiest sites, banned the sale of alcohol in 1952. But as part of a broader effort to reshape its image, the kingdom has rolled out sweeping social and economic reforms in recent years, presenting itself as a more moderate and investment-friendly society.

Under the leadership of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, the kingdom has reopened cinemas, hosted major music festivals, lifted the ban on women driving, and curtailed the powers of the once-feared religious police.

But the quiet expansion of legal alcohol sales is arguably the boldest experiment yet.

The liquor shop first opened in Riyadh in January 2024, but entry was initially restricted to non-Muslim diplomats. Under new rules introduced without announcement at the end of 2025, wealthy, non-Muslim foreign residents can now also go there to purchase beer, wine and spirits.

To be eligible, an expat must either hold a Premium Residency permit, which costs 100,000 Saudi riyals ($27,000; £19,300) a year; or show that he or she earns at least 50,000 riyals per month.

The Premium Residency scheme has varying eligibility criteria, and is typically open to senior foreign executives, investors, and professionals with specialised skills.

In both the case of permit holders and those without, they will have to show their residence ID card to security guards at the door. This details their religion and residency status. » | Sameer Hashmi | Thursday, February 5, 2026