May 31, 2026
Billionaires Quietly Added THIS to Your Meat (And You’re Eating It Daily)
What Is Orange Wine? And Why Is It on Every Brunch Menu?
May 30, 2026 | Orange wine isn't made from oranges — and it isn't a trend. It's the oldest wine in the world, made for 8,000 years in Georgia using clay vessels called qvevri.
Today, it's on every brunch menu. So, is it worth the hype, or just expensive, amber-coloured marketing?
I taste three orange wines — the icon, the ancient original, and the supermarket version — and answer the questions people are too embarrassed to ask: what it is, why it's everywhere, and when NOT to order it.
I'm Anya Gariboldi — sommelier, wine judge, WSET Diploma. Stop ordering wine to impress. Start ordering wine you actually understand.
Today, it's on every brunch menu. So, is it worth the hype, or just expensive, amber-coloured marketing?
I taste three orange wines — the icon, the ancient original, and the supermarket version — and answer the questions people are too embarrassed to ask: what it is, why it's everywhere, and when NOT to order it.
I'm Anya Gariboldi — sommelier, wine judge, WSET Diploma. Stop ordering wine to impress. Start ordering wine you actually understand.
Valeurs sûres, grandes cuvées et découvertes : les 40 vins rosés favoris de la rédaction du Figaro pour l’été
LE FIGARO : NOTRE SÉLECTION - Après avoir sélectionné 100 domaines et dégusté leurs plus belles cuvées, Le Figaro dévoile son grand palmarès des 40 vins rosés sur lesquels miser en toute confiance pour vous accompagner tout l’été
Existe-t-il de grands vins rosés ? Une question légitime, à l’heure où la troisième couleur a toutes les peines du monde, malgré ses efforts, à prouver qu’elle n’est pas uniquement un prétexte au relâchement et à l’oisiveté de la saison chaude. Certains en doutent. D’autres savent qu’au-delà de sa robe cristalline et séductrice se cachent parfois de vraies prouesses de vinificateurs. « C’est le vin le plus difficile à faire », celui dont « les erreurs ne se récupèrent pas », a pour habitude de répéter Patricia Ortelli, la reine de Pontevès, dans le Haut-Var, où la vigneronne produit des rosés sincères et authentiques depuis 35 ans maintenant. Elle se sentait un peu seule, au départ. Mais depuis, le vin rosé a trouvé grâce aux yeux d’un bon nombre de producteurs, qui s’attachent à exprimer la notion de terroir, de faire des vins rosés qui ont, comme on dit, « la gueule de l’endroit ». Dans cette sélection, issue d’une dégustation de plus de 100 vins (eux-mêmes provenant d’une présélection très rigoureuse), certaines cuvées peuvent se targuer d’être un vrai grand vin. D’autres font figure de vraie pépite au rapport qualité prix de premier ordre. À travers la France entière, mais avec une domination nette et naturelle de la Provence, voici une sélection de vins rosés à tous les prix, qui ne décevront ni l’amateur de vin, ni l’amateur de vin rosé. Ces 40 vins pourraient même réconcilier ces deux profils de dégustateurs... » | Par Martin Lemaire et Frédéric Durand-Bazin | samedi 30 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
May 30, 2026
Trump Did What Hitler and Mussolini Couldn't Do | Ruth Ben-Ghiat
May 28, 2026 | Deception, Dogma, and Democracy.
In this interview, historian and authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat breaks down the subtle mechanics of modern political control. Moving past historical models of closed-media dictatorships, Ben-Ghiat explains how authoritarian environments form in the open digital age through "short-term coordination," mandatory party dogmas, and the intentional targeting of everyday citizens to induce widespread self-censorship.
She is joined by Pat Morrison to discuss the shifting American perspective on wealth, the emotional mechanics of modern propaganda, and why the ultimate goal of authoritarian rhetoric is to make citizens police themselves.
In this interview, historian and authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat breaks down the subtle mechanics of modern political control. Moving past historical models of closed-media dictatorships, Ben-Ghiat explains how authoritarian environments form in the open digital age through "short-term coordination," mandatory party dogmas, and the intentional targeting of everyday citizens to induce widespread self-censorship.
She is joined by Pat Morrison to discuss the shifting American perspective on wealth, the emotional mechanics of modern propaganda, and why the ultimate goal of authoritarian rhetoric is to make citizens police themselves.
Sommet de la « remigration » à Porto : quels partis en Europe soutiennent une politique d’expulsion massive d’étrangers ?
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Théorisée par les mouvances nationalistes radicales, la « remigration » gagne en visibilité sur le continent et trouve des relais dans certains partis politiques d’extrême droite.
Après Milan en 2025, c’est Porto qui accueille ce samedi 30 mai l’édition 2026 du « Remigration Summit », colloque organisé par plusieurs mouvements européens d’extrême droite. Moyennant 45 euros (et jusqu’à 325 euros pour un accès « premium »...), les participants pourront voir se succéder sur scène les principales figures continentales de la « remigration », concept défendu par les mouvances identitaires et nationalistes radicales, qui prône l’expulsion massive d’étrangers au nom de la préservation de l’identité nationale et culturelle.
Sur leur site internet, les organisateurs la définissent comme « un processus démocratique, légal et de longue haleine (20 à 30 ans) visant à renvoyer les immigrants clandestins et les migrants légaux nuisibles, et à exercer une pression sur les sociétés parallèles non assimilées afin de rétablir l’harmonie culturelle au sein de la nation ».
Issue de la même matrice idéologique que la théorie du « grand remplacement », la notion de « remigration » a acquis une visibilité particulière au cours de l’année 2025, popularisée sur les réseaux sociaux par l’administration Trump et par Elon Musk. Le terme est désormais repris par des militants identitaires, des groupuscules suprémacistes et diverses mouvances néofascistes. Mais aussi, plus marginalement, par certains partis politiques implantés en Europe, que Le Figaro a recensés. » | Par Adrien Bez | samedi 30 mai 2026
On y est encore ! La catastrophe des années 1930 et 1940 n'a visiblement pas suffi à ces extrémistes ! De toute évidence, ils veulent réitérer cette expérience désastreuse ! Concrètement, même s'ils y parvenaient, qui imagine-t-ils capable d'assurer le fonctionnement d'une économie florissante, alors que l'Europe connaît un vieillissement de sa population et une baisse alarmante de la natalité ? — © Mark Alexander
The Billionaire Derangement Syndrome that Is Destroying the World
May 23, 2026 | Journalist and political analyst Gil Duran joins The Left Hook to break down the growing influence of billionaires, tech oligarchs, and corporate power in reshaping American democracy, media, and public life.
Waj and Gil discuss how the billionaire class has consolidated unprecedented levels of wealth and influence while ordinary Americans struggle with rising inequality, political corruption, media consolidation, and economic instability.
From AI and surveillance capitalism to corporate capture and authoritarian politics, this conversation connects the dots on how concentrated wealth is transforming society — and why more people are beginning to push back against the oligarch era.
Waj and Gil discuss how the billionaire class has consolidated unprecedented levels of wealth and influence while ordinary Americans struggle with rising inequality, political corruption, media consolidation, and economic instability.
From AI and surveillance capitalism to corporate capture and authoritarian politics, this conversation connects the dots on how concentrated wealth is transforming society — and why more people are beginning to push back against the oligarch era.
May 29, 2026
Lula Says Brazil Will Not Be Treated Like ‘Tinpot Country’ after US Designates Gangs as Terrorists
THE GUARDIAN: Marco Rubio made announcement after meeting president’s far-right challenger Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazil will not be treated as a “tinpot country,” the country’s president, Luiz Inácio da Silva, said on Friday after the United States designated Brazil’s two largest criminal gangs, the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command, as foreign terrorist organisations.
The announcement, made by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, on Thursday, is being widely seen in Brazil as a setback for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president who had strongly opposed the designation – and a boost for Lula’s main challenger in October’s presidential election, the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
Chosen to run in place of his father, Jair Bolsonaro – the former president who is barred from running because he is in house arrest after being convicted of attempting a coup – Flávio spent this week in the US, where he met with Donald Trump and Rubio.
Lula said he was “very saddened” by the news that “the United States secretary, from North America, a certain Marco Rubio, said that our criminals here are terrorists and that Americans can intervene”, he said during a speech at an event in the state of Sergipe.
“We do not accept being treated like little boys. We do not accept being treated as if we were some tinpot country,” he added.
In a statement, he also called the Bolsonaro family “traitors” and “false patriots”. » | Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro | Friday, May 29, 2026
Brazil will not be treated as a “tinpot country,” the country’s president, Luiz Inácio da Silva, said on Friday after the United States designated Brazil’s two largest criminal gangs, the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command, as foreign terrorist organisations.
The announcement, made by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, on Thursday, is being widely seen in Brazil as a setback for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president who had strongly opposed the designation – and a boost for Lula’s main challenger in October’s presidential election, the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
Chosen to run in place of his father, Jair Bolsonaro – the former president who is barred from running because he is in house arrest after being convicted of attempting a coup – Flávio spent this week in the US, where he met with Donald Trump and Rubio.
Lula said he was “very saddened” by the news that “the United States secretary, from North America, a certain Marco Rubio, said that our criminals here are terrorists and that Americans can intervene”, he said during a speech at an event in the state of Sergipe.
“We do not accept being treated like little boys. We do not accept being treated as if we were some tinpot country,” he added.
In a statement, he also called the Bolsonaro family “traitors” and “false patriots”. » | Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro | Friday, May 29, 2026
"How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracies": Northwestern Prof Jeffrey Winters on Book "The Blind Spot"
May 27, 2026 | We speak with political scientist Jeffrey Winters about his new book, The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracies. Winters argues that democracy's failure to address wealth inequality is by design. While voters have a say on some issues, oligarchs, who succeed in maintaining economic inequality by fighting against wealth redistribution, have more power.
"Liberal democracies around the world are now among the most unequal societies ever to have existed in human history," says Winters.
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
"Liberal democracies around the world are now among the most unequal societies ever to have existed in human history," says Winters.
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Anthropic Tops OpenAI to Become the World’s Most Valuable A.I. Start-Up
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Anthropic raised $65 billion in new fund-raising that put its value at $900 billion, ahead of OpenAI’s last valuation of $730 billion, as the companies duel for A.I. dominance.
Anthropic, once the lesser-known artificial intelligence competitor to OpenAI, has been on an inexorable rise over the past few months.
The San Francisco company recently dueled with the Pentagon over the use of A.I. in warfare. It released a powerful A.I. model, Mythos, that it said was uncannily capable of finding and exploiting hidden flaws in software. And the company advised Pope Leo XIV on his papal encyclical delivered on Monday, in which he warned about safeguarding humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects.
On Thursday, Anthropic punctuated its ascent by officially passing OpenAI as the world’s highest-flying A.I. start-up. Anthropic said it had raised $65 billion in financing that values it at $900 billion before the inclusion of the new capital, a deal that puts it ahead of OpenAI’s last valuation of $730 billion.
The company also unveiled a new flagship A.I. model, Claude Opus 4.8, which is significantly better than its predecessor at generating computer code.
The new investment, which was led by investors including Greenoaks Capital, Sequoia Capital, Altimeter Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group, boosted Anthropic’s value to nearly two and a half times its previous valuation of $380 billion about three months ago. » | Mike Isaac and Cade Metz | Reporting from San Francisco | Thursday, May 28, 2026
Anthropic, once the lesser-known artificial intelligence competitor to OpenAI, has been on an inexorable rise over the past few months.
The San Francisco company recently dueled with the Pentagon over the use of A.I. in warfare. It released a powerful A.I. model, Mythos, that it said was uncannily capable of finding and exploiting hidden flaws in software. And the company advised Pope Leo XIV on his papal encyclical delivered on Monday, in which he warned about safeguarding humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects.
On Thursday, Anthropic punctuated its ascent by officially passing OpenAI as the world’s highest-flying A.I. start-up. Anthropic said it had raised $65 billion in financing that values it at $900 billion before the inclusion of the new capital, a deal that puts it ahead of OpenAI’s last valuation of $730 billion.
The company also unveiled a new flagship A.I. model, Claude Opus 4.8, which is significantly better than its predecessor at generating computer code.
The new investment, which was led by investors including Greenoaks Capital, Sequoia Capital, Altimeter Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group, boosted Anthropic’s value to nearly two and a half times its previous valuation of $380 billion about three months ago. » | Mike Isaac and Cade Metz | Reporting from San Francisco | Thursday, May 28, 2026
Why Peter Thiel Is Decamping to the End of the World
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The billionaire’s new roots in Argentina are said to be partly motivated by concerns about the future of the United States and shared beliefs with Argentina’s right-wing leader.
This screenshot has been taken from this NYT article. | Peter Thiel, right, arriving for a meeting with President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires in April. | Matias Baglietto/Reuters
The Saturday tournament at the Buenos Aires chess club hosted its usual lineup of players, including an accountant, a college student and schoolchildren. But this time, hunched over the club’s tiny wooden tables with them, was a new entrant: Peter Thiel, the right-wing tech billionaire and Trump donor.
Mr. Thiel — who, according to one of the participants, “did not play badly” and came in third — had recently decamped from his homes in Los Angeles and Miami to establish a foothold thousands of miles away in Argentina’s capital.
Over the past two months, Mr. Thiel has met with the country’s president, Javier Milei, and his ministers; purchased a mansion in one of Buenos Aires’ most exclusive neighborhoods; and hosted a dinner with local economists where he discussed the Antichrist, one of his favorite conversation topics, according to Argentine officials and people familiar with Mr. Thiel’s activities.
Mr. Thiel, who has a history of collecting backup countries as he hedges his bets against the United States, is considering making Argentina another Plan B, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Born in Germany and raised in the United States, he received citizenship in New Zealand in 2011, and applied for a passport in Malta in 2022.
His new roots in Argentina are partly motivated by his concerns about the direction of the United States, the people familiar with his thinking say, particularly California, where an initiative on November’s ballot could lead to a significant tax on billionaires.
Argentina, a nation relatively insulated from potential conflicts in the Northern Hemisphere, also fits as a potential escape hatch from other risks that Mr. Thiel has publicly warned about — nuclear war and runaway artificial intelligence.
But Mr. Thiel has also been energized by what he’s discovered in Argentina, finding harmony with Mr. Milei’s libertarian slash-and-burn governance and becoming enamored with Buenos Aires’ vibrancy, the people said. They, and others familiar with the billionaire’s activities and discussions about the country, spoke on condition of anonymity to share private conversations.
Mr. Thiel did not respond to a request for comment. » | Emma Bubola and Ryan Mac | Emma Bubola reported from Buenos Aires, and Ryan Mac from Los Angeles. |Thursday, May 28, 2026
Leer en español.
The Saturday tournament at the Buenos Aires chess club hosted its usual lineup of players, including an accountant, a college student and schoolchildren. But this time, hunched over the club’s tiny wooden tables with them, was a new entrant: Peter Thiel, the right-wing tech billionaire and Trump donor.
Mr. Thiel — who, according to one of the participants, “did not play badly” and came in third — had recently decamped from his homes in Los Angeles and Miami to establish a foothold thousands of miles away in Argentina’s capital.
Over the past two months, Mr. Thiel has met with the country’s president, Javier Milei, and his ministers; purchased a mansion in one of Buenos Aires’ most exclusive neighborhoods; and hosted a dinner with local economists where he discussed the Antichrist, one of his favorite conversation topics, according to Argentine officials and people familiar with Mr. Thiel’s activities.
Mr. Thiel, who has a history of collecting backup countries as he hedges his bets against the United States, is considering making Argentina another Plan B, according to two people familiar with his thinking. Born in Germany and raised in the United States, he received citizenship in New Zealand in 2011, and applied for a passport in Malta in 2022.
His new roots in Argentina are partly motivated by his concerns about the direction of the United States, the people familiar with his thinking say, particularly California, where an initiative on November’s ballot could lead to a significant tax on billionaires.
Argentina, a nation relatively insulated from potential conflicts in the Northern Hemisphere, also fits as a potential escape hatch from other risks that Mr. Thiel has publicly warned about — nuclear war and runaway artificial intelligence.
But Mr. Thiel has also been energized by what he’s discovered in Argentina, finding harmony with Mr. Milei’s libertarian slash-and-burn governance and becoming enamored with Buenos Aires’ vibrancy, the people said. They, and others familiar with the billionaire’s activities and discussions about the country, spoke on condition of anonymity to share private conversations.
Mr. Thiel did not respond to a request for comment. » | Emma Bubola and Ryan Mac | Emma Bubola reported from Buenos Aires, and Ryan Mac from Los Angeles. |Thursday, May 28, 2026
Leer en español.
May 28, 2026
États-Unis : l'administration Trump pousse pour un billet de 250 dollars à l’effigie du président
LE FIGARO : Un projet de loi qui permettrait à Donald Trump d’aller au bout de son projet a été présenté au Congrès en 2025 dans le cadre de l’anniversaire des 250 ans des États-Unis, objet de plusieurs évènements en juin et juillet. L’apparition d’une personne vivante sur un billet de banque est interdite depuis 1866.
L'Administration Trump fait pression pour que soit imprimé un billet de banque de 250 dollars à son effigie, ce qui serait une première dans l'histoire pour une personne vivante depuis plus de 150 ans, affirme Le Washington Post . Le projet s'inscrit dans une série de décisions visant à apposer l'empreinte de Donald Trump sur de nombreux bâtiments ou symboles des États-Unis, suscitant des accusations de culte de la personnalité. Le quotidien a interrogé des personnels actuels et anciens du Bureau de la gravure et de l'impression (BEP) de l'agence en charge de la monnaie nationale. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 28 mai 2026
Quelle que soit la valeur du billet de banque sur lequel figure sa grimace, la demande pour ces billets restera faible. — © Mark Alexander
L'Administration Trump fait pression pour que soit imprimé un billet de banque de 250 dollars à son effigie, ce qui serait une première dans l'histoire pour une personne vivante depuis plus de 150 ans, affirme Le Washington Post . Le projet s'inscrit dans une série de décisions visant à apposer l'empreinte de Donald Trump sur de nombreux bâtiments ou symboles des États-Unis, suscitant des accusations de culte de la personnalité. Le quotidien a interrogé des personnels actuels et anciens du Bureau de la gravure et de l'impression (BEP) de l'agence en charge de la monnaie nationale. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 28 mai 2026
Quelle que soit la valeur du billet de banque sur lequel figure sa grimace, la demande pour ces billets restera faible. — © Mark Alexander
How the 'Epstein Class' Fails to the Top | The Chris Hedges Report (w/ Anand Giridharadas)
Steve Rosenberg: “Unscheduled Repairs at Oil Refineries” Causing "Restrictions on Fuel Sales" in Some Russian Regions
May 27, 2026
UK Will Get No Special Treatment from EU, European Ministers Say
THE GUARDIAN: There will be ‘no cherrypicking’ of policies, EU says, after Starmer says he hopes to negotiate single market for goods
This screenshot comes from this Guardian> article. | Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
The UK will get no special treatment in its future economic relationship with the EU, European ministers have said, in a further blow to Keir Starmer’s hopes of negotiating a single market for goods.
The EU’s ministers for Europe, who met on Tuesday, said they wanted deeper cooperation with the UK, but this had to be in line with fundamental principles, including no cherrypicking of EU policies, according to three diplomatic sources, who spoke about the private discussions.
The Guardian revealed last week that the government had pitched the creation of a single market for goods between the UK and EU to Brussels, but the proposal was rejected by EU officials.
A single market for goods, long hinted at by the prime minister and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, would be a radical departure for the EU. Since the Brexit vote nearly a decade ago EU leaders have said that the single market encompassed four freedoms: free movement of goods, services, capital and people.
Europe ministers had no appetite for the British proposal of free movement of goods only, although the idea was only briefly mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting, EU sources said. “Member states reaffirmed the established legal framework underpinning the relationship and negotiations, with continued emphasis on the indivisibility of the four freedoms, balance of right and obligations, autonomy of EU decision making and the avoidance of cherrypicking,” an EU diplomat said. » | Jennifer Rankin and Lisa O’Carroll in Brussels | Wednesday, May 27, 2026
This is the kind of mess a country gets itself into when, instead of listening to reason and common sense, it listens to the rantings of a charlatan! We Brits didn’t recognize a good thing when we had it! All those opt-outs and all! Thatcher must be rolling over in her grave!
Now, we Brits will have to eat humble pie; and humble pie will indeed have to be eaten, however unpleasant and however unpalatable the taste. Our future depends on it. And Europe’s does, too.
In this tumultuous world, Europe must be united. It must function as one. This country’s place is in Europe. We should act as a brotherhood, seeking peace and prosperity. So, a half measure will not do in the long run. This country needs to regain full membership of the exclusive club. Only then will Britain, and Europe, begin to realize their full potential on the world stage. Long live Britain! Vive l’UE ! Vive l’Europe ! — © Mark Alexander
The UK will get no special treatment in its future economic relationship with the EU, European ministers have said, in a further blow to Keir Starmer’s hopes of negotiating a single market for goods.
The EU’s ministers for Europe, who met on Tuesday, said they wanted deeper cooperation with the UK, but this had to be in line with fundamental principles, including no cherrypicking of EU policies, according to three diplomatic sources, who spoke about the private discussions.
The Guardian revealed last week that the government had pitched the creation of a single market for goods between the UK and EU to Brussels, but the proposal was rejected by EU officials.
A single market for goods, long hinted at by the prime minister and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, would be a radical departure for the EU. Since the Brexit vote nearly a decade ago EU leaders have said that the single market encompassed four freedoms: free movement of goods, services, capital and people.
Europe ministers had no appetite for the British proposal of free movement of goods only, although the idea was only briefly mentioned at Tuesday’s meeting, EU sources said. “Member states reaffirmed the established legal framework underpinning the relationship and negotiations, with continued emphasis on the indivisibility of the four freedoms, balance of right and obligations, autonomy of EU decision making and the avoidance of cherrypicking,” an EU diplomat said. » | Jennifer Rankin and Lisa O’Carroll in Brussels | Wednesday, May 27, 2026
This is the kind of mess a country gets itself into when, instead of listening to reason and common sense, it listens to the rantings of a charlatan! We Brits didn’t recognize a good thing when we had it! All those opt-outs and all! Thatcher must be rolling over in her grave!
Now, we Brits will have to eat humble pie; and humble pie will indeed have to be eaten, however unpleasant and however unpalatable the taste. Our future depends on it. And Europe’s does, too.
In this tumultuous world, Europe must be united. It must function as one. This country’s place is in Europe. We should act as a brotherhood, seeking peace and prosperity. So, a half measure will not do in the long run. This country needs to regain full membership of the exclusive club. Only then will Britain, and Europe, begin to realize their full potential on the world stage. Long live Britain! Vive l’UE ! Vive l’Europe ! — © Mark Alexander
Global Supply Shortages Deepen, Threatening Jobs and Growth
THE NEW YORK TIMES: After three months, the fallout of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is spreading, with developing countries bearing the brunt of the shortfall.
At the onset of the war in the Middle East, industry officials and experts warned that the closure of one of the world’s most vital maritime waterways would trigger acute shortages of oil, gas and other critical commodities. Three months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, those warnings are materializing across the globe.
Before the war, roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne crude oil and a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. The region is also among the world’s largest suppliers of products derived from oil and gas, including fertilizer and naphtha, a liquid used in everything from plastic wrap to industrial inks.
Much of the world has largely experienced the crisis through price shocks. Physical supply shortages have afflicted economies across Asia. Developing countries everywhere, especially in Asia, have been hit the hardest, as shortfalls of oil, gas and their derivatives have strained everything from farming and cooking to medical imaging. Governments across the region have rationed power, drawn down emergency stockpiles and scrambled for alternative supplies.
“It’s not just a price shock, it’s explicit shortages,” said Krishna Srinivasan, a director at the International Monetary Fund. “In the context of shortages, industry scales back, people lose their jobs, and this has a secondary impact on growth,” Mr. Srinivasan said. » | River Akira Davis, Catie Edmondson, Eshe Nelson, Peter S. Goodman and Suhasini Raj | River Akira Davis reported from Tokyo, Catie Edmondson from Seoul, Eshe Nelson from London, Peter S. Goodman from New York and Suhasini Raj from New Delhi. | Wednesday, May 27, 2026
At the onset of the war in the Middle East, industry officials and experts warned that the closure of one of the world’s most vital maritime waterways would trigger acute shortages of oil, gas and other critical commodities. Three months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, those warnings are materializing across the globe.
Before the war, roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne crude oil and a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. The region is also among the world’s largest suppliers of products derived from oil and gas, including fertilizer and naphtha, a liquid used in everything from plastic wrap to industrial inks.
Much of the world has largely experienced the crisis through price shocks. Physical supply shortages have afflicted economies across Asia. Developing countries everywhere, especially in Asia, have been hit the hardest, as shortfalls of oil, gas and their derivatives have strained everything from farming and cooking to medical imaging. Governments across the region have rationed power, drawn down emergency stockpiles and scrambled for alternative supplies.
“It’s not just a price shock, it’s explicit shortages,” said Krishna Srinivasan, a director at the International Monetary Fund. “In the context of shortages, industry scales back, people lose their jobs, and this has a secondary impact on growth,” Mr. Srinivasan said. » | River Akira Davis, Catie Edmondson, Eshe Nelson, Peter S. Goodman and Suhasini Raj | River Akira Davis reported from Tokyo, Catie Edmondson from Seoul, Eshe Nelson from London, Peter S. Goodman from New York and Suhasini Raj from New Delhi. | Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Pope Leo Gets a Close Look at First Fully Electric Ferrari
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Why is Ferrari facing such a backlash to its first electric car?: The Italian marque has broken with the past with its four-door, €550,000 Luce and traditionalists are furious »
Ventilateurs, glaces, salades... Comment la canicule transforme les habitudes de consommation des Français
LE FIGARO : Face au dôme de chaleur qui étouffe la France, les achats de produits dits « météo-sensibles » s’envolent, provoquant déjà tensions et ruptures chez certains distributeurs.
La France suffoque sous un « dôme de chaleur », qui devrait porter les températures jusqu’à 39°C localement, selon Météo-France. Désespérant de se soustraire à cette chaleur écrasante, certains Français peu scrupuleux déboulonnent sauvagement les bouches à incendies dans les rues pour en faire jaillir un peu d’eau fraîche. D’autres adaptent leurs habitudes de consommation. Les premiers chiffres sont éloquents : glaces, sodas, boissons rafraîchissantes, mais aussi ventilateurs, climatiseurs ou encore piscines de jardin ont vu leurs ventes exploser ces derniers jours. Au point de mettre certains distributeurs sous tension.
Chez les principaux e-commerçants français - Galeries Lafayette, Darty, La Redoute, Leroy Merlin -, le basculement vers des achats estivaux est aussi brutal que précoce. Les produits dits « météo-sensibles » s’envolent, tirés par une quête simple : se rafraîchir. Sans surprise, les commandes de ventilateurs explosent de 196% par rapport à mai 2025, celles de climatiseurs grimpent de 61%, tandis que les piscines de jardin et les maillots de bain enregistrent des hausses respectives de 144% et 42 %, selon les derniers chiffres de la start-up Stockly, spécialisée dans la mutualisation des stocks des e-commerçants. La hausse la plus spectaculaire revient toutefois aux... machines à glace : +247 % ! » | Par Jean Kedroff | mercredi 27 mai 2026
La France suffoque sous un « dôme de chaleur », qui devrait porter les températures jusqu’à 39°C localement, selon Météo-France. Désespérant de se soustraire à cette chaleur écrasante, certains Français peu scrupuleux déboulonnent sauvagement les bouches à incendies dans les rues pour en faire jaillir un peu d’eau fraîche. D’autres adaptent leurs habitudes de consommation. Les premiers chiffres sont éloquents : glaces, sodas, boissons rafraîchissantes, mais aussi ventilateurs, climatiseurs ou encore piscines de jardin ont vu leurs ventes exploser ces derniers jours. Au point de mettre certains distributeurs sous tension.
Chez les principaux e-commerçants français - Galeries Lafayette, Darty, La Redoute, Leroy Merlin -, le basculement vers des achats estivaux est aussi brutal que précoce. Les produits dits « météo-sensibles » s’envolent, tirés par une quête simple : se rafraîchir. Sans surprise, les commandes de ventilateurs explosent de 196% par rapport à mai 2025, celles de climatiseurs grimpent de 61%, tandis que les piscines de jardin et les maillots de bain enregistrent des hausses respectives de 144% et 42 %, selon les derniers chiffres de la start-up Stockly, spécialisée dans la mutualisation des stocks des e-commerçants. La hausse la plus spectaculaire revient toutefois aux... machines à glace : +247 % ! » | Par Jean Kedroff | mercredi 27 mai 2026
Jeffrey Sachs an Bundeskanzler Merz: Verhindern Sie offenen Krieg mit Russland!
BERLINER ZEITUNG : Der Ökonom und Diplomat Jeffrey Sachs fordert Bundeskanzler Merz auf, mit Russlands Präsident Putin unverzüglich Gespräche über Frieden in Europa zu beginnen. Der Brief im Wortlaut.
Dieser Screenshot stammt aus diesem Artikel der Berliner Zeitung. | Jeffrey Sachs, hier beim Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025 in der Türkei, warnt vor einem Krieg in Europa und der Zerstörung der deutschen Wirtschaft. | © IMAGO/Emin Sansar
Offener Brief an Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz
Sehr geehrter Herr Bundeskanzler Merz,
als ich Ihnen vor einem halben Jahr einen offenen Brief schrieb, habe ich an Deutschland appelliert, die Diplomatie gegenüber Russland zu suchen, anstatt den Krieg zu normalisieren. Sechs Monate später hat sich die Lage in Europa dramatisch verschlechtert. Europa und Russland schlittern in einen offenen Krieg. In dieser Situation tragen Sie, Herr Bundeskanzler, eine einzigartige Verantwortung. Kein anderer europäischer Staats- und Regierungschef – weder in Paris, noch in Warschau, noch in Rom – verfügt über das Gewicht Deutschlands oder hat die Macht, die Sie persönlich besitzen, diese Katastrophe zu verhindern. Werden Sie sich für den Frieden einsetzen?
Sie selbst forderten im Januar 2026 gemeinsam mit Premierminister Meloni und Präsident Macron die Wiederaufnahme der Beziehungen Europas zu Russland und bezeichneten Russland als „ein europäisches Land“. Dennoch haben Sie die Diplomatie nicht verfolgt. Angesichts der Zukunft Europas, die auf dem Spiel steht, ist dies ein beispielloser Verzicht auf Ihre Führungsrolle. Haben Sie in Ihrer Zeit als Bundeskanzler auch nur einen einzigen substanziellen Dialog mit Präsident Putin versucht? Hat Ihr Außenminister jemals einen substanziellen Dialog mit Außenminister Lawrow versucht? Echte Gespräche, so wie jene, die den Kalten Krieg beendeten? Soweit die öffentlichen Aufzeichnungen belegen, lautet die Antwort: Nein. Nicht ein einziges Mal. Und nicht etwa, weil die Dringlichkeit nicht erkannt worden wäre. Lesen Sie den Brief weiter » | Michael Maier Jeffrey Sachs | Mittwoch, 27. Mai 2026
Offener Brief an Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz
Sehr geehrter Herr Bundeskanzler Merz,
als ich Ihnen vor einem halben Jahr einen offenen Brief schrieb, habe ich an Deutschland appelliert, die Diplomatie gegenüber Russland zu suchen, anstatt den Krieg zu normalisieren. Sechs Monate später hat sich die Lage in Europa dramatisch verschlechtert. Europa und Russland schlittern in einen offenen Krieg. In dieser Situation tragen Sie, Herr Bundeskanzler, eine einzigartige Verantwortung. Kein anderer europäischer Staats- und Regierungschef – weder in Paris, noch in Warschau, noch in Rom – verfügt über das Gewicht Deutschlands oder hat die Macht, die Sie persönlich besitzen, diese Katastrophe zu verhindern. Werden Sie sich für den Frieden einsetzen?
Sie selbst forderten im Januar 2026 gemeinsam mit Premierminister Meloni und Präsident Macron die Wiederaufnahme der Beziehungen Europas zu Russland und bezeichneten Russland als „ein europäisches Land“. Dennoch haben Sie die Diplomatie nicht verfolgt. Angesichts der Zukunft Europas, die auf dem Spiel steht, ist dies ein beispielloser Verzicht auf Ihre Führungsrolle. Haben Sie in Ihrer Zeit als Bundeskanzler auch nur einen einzigen substanziellen Dialog mit Präsident Putin versucht? Hat Ihr Außenminister jemals einen substanziellen Dialog mit Außenminister Lawrow versucht? Echte Gespräche, so wie jene, die den Kalten Krieg beendeten? Soweit die öffentlichen Aufzeichnungen belegen, lautet die Antwort: Nein. Nicht ein einziges Mal. Und nicht etwa, weil die Dringlichkeit nicht erkannt worden wäre. Lesen Sie den Brief weiter » | Michael Maier Jeffrey Sachs | Mittwoch, 27. Mai 2026
États-Unis : des morts et « plusieurs blessés graves » après un accident dans une usine
LE FIGARO : Une cuve contenant de la « liqueur blanche », une solution chimique contenant de l’hydroxyde de sodium et du sulfure de sodium utilisée dans la fabrication du papier, a cédé sur le site de la société Nippon Dynawave Packaging.
Plusieurs personnes sont décédées et d'autres ont été grièvement blessées lors d'une fuite de produits chimiques survenue dans une usine de papier de l'État de Washington, dans le nord-ouest des États-Unis, ont annoncé les autorités mardi.
Une cuve contenant de la « liqueur blanche », une solution chimique contenant de l'hydroxyde de sodium et du sulfure de sodium utilisée dans la fabrication du papier, a cédé sur le site de la société Nippon Dynawave Packaging, selon un communiqué publié conjointement par l'entreprise et les pompiers de Longview. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 27 mai 2026
Plusieurs personnes sont décédées et d'autres ont été grièvement blessées lors d'une fuite de produits chimiques survenue dans une usine de papier de l'État de Washington, dans le nord-ouest des États-Unis, ont annoncé les autorités mardi.
Une cuve contenant de la « liqueur blanche », une solution chimique contenant de l'hydroxyde de sodium et du sulfure de sodium utilisée dans la fabrication du papier, a cédé sur le site de la société Nippon Dynawave Packaging, selon un communiqué publié conjointement par l'entreprise et les pompiers de Longview. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 27 mai 2026
Steve Rosenberg: Russians Who "Harm Russia" from Abroad May Have Their Property Seized
At the Epicenter of A.I., Pope Leo’s Warnings Are Dismissed
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Pope Leo XIV’s spiritual message on artificial intelligence arrived as Silicon Valley’s A.I. enthusiasts pursue their own spirituality through technology.
When Pope Leo XIV presented a 42,300-word open letter to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Monday, calling for protections against the rise of artificial intelligence, he was joined by Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, which is one of the tech industry’s leading A.I. companies.
As Leo urged corporate executives, government regulators and other citizens of the world to safeguard humanity from the dangers of A.I., he included Mr. Olah as a symbol of the dialogue he hopes to foster between the leaders of the spiritual and technological worlds.
But for Jeremy Nixon, Monday’s gathering at the Vatican showed that those two worlds are far from aligned. While the pope said that A.I. was fundamentally not human, Mr. Nixon, a well-connected figure in the Bay Area’s frenetic A.I. scene, argued that Mr. Olah’s remarks seemed to hint at the opposite.
“They are not in dialogue,” Mr. Nixon said during an interview at A.G.I. House, a San Francisco “hacker house” with deep ties to many of the people who helped create the A.I. technologies discussed in the pope’s encyclical. “Their perspectives are distinct.”
The difference between the humanist’s view of A.I.’s risks and the technologist’s dream of what it could become is something that has long been discussed in Mr. Nixon’s community. “It is the reason the community exists,” Mr. Nixon said. “It is its underlying purpose.” » | Cade Metz | Reporting from San Francisco | Tuesday, May 26, 2026
When Pope Leo XIV presented a 42,300-word open letter to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Monday, calling for protections against the rise of artificial intelligence, he was joined by Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, which is one of the tech industry’s leading A.I. companies.
As Leo urged corporate executives, government regulators and other citizens of the world to safeguard humanity from the dangers of A.I., he included Mr. Olah as a symbol of the dialogue he hopes to foster between the leaders of the spiritual and technological worlds.
But for Jeremy Nixon, Monday’s gathering at the Vatican showed that those two worlds are far from aligned. While the pope said that A.I. was fundamentally not human, Mr. Nixon, a well-connected figure in the Bay Area’s frenetic A.I. scene, argued that Mr. Olah’s remarks seemed to hint at the opposite.
“They are not in dialogue,” Mr. Nixon said during an interview at A.G.I. House, a San Francisco “hacker house” with deep ties to many of the people who helped create the A.I. technologies discussed in the pope’s encyclical. “Their perspectives are distinct.”
The difference between the humanist’s view of A.I.’s risks and the technologist’s dream of what it could become is something that has long been discussed in Mr. Nixon’s community. “It is the reason the community exists,” Mr. Nixon said. “It is its underlying purpose.” » | Cade Metz | Reporting from San Francisco | Tuesday, May 26, 2026
May 26, 2026
"'Trump Has Engaged in Corruption More Than Other Presidents' as 'Slush Fund' Criticism Mounts
Trump reeks of corruption, How can Americans tolerate this? — © Mark Alexander
Bolivia: President Halves His Own Salary after Weeks of Protest and Unrest
May 26, 2026 | Bolivia is in crisis with violence, food and fuel shortages, and protests on the streets growing over President Rodrigo Paz.
Elected after decades of left-wing rule, Paz now faces accusations of governing for elites and failing to address rising economic hardship and inequality. His government, meanwhile, blames drug traffickers for fuelling unrest and destabilising the country - claims that experts say lack evidence.
In this episode of the breakdown, Channel 4 News speaks with Enrique Castanon Ballivian, a lecturer at University College London specialising in Latin America, to examine what started the escalating unrest in the country and how it could end.
LIRE AUSSI :
Bolivie : des affrontements à La Paz malgré les concessions du président »
Elected after decades of left-wing rule, Paz now faces accusations of governing for elites and failing to address rising economic hardship and inequality. His government, meanwhile, blames drug traffickers for fuelling unrest and destabilising the country - claims that experts say lack evidence.
In this episode of the breakdown, Channel 4 News speaks with Enrique Castanon Ballivian, a lecturer at University College London specialising in Latin America, to examine what started the escalating unrest in the country and how it could end.
LIRE AUSSI :
Bolivie : des affrontements à La Paz malgré les concessions du président »
Kuba: Insel unter Schock | ARTE Reportage
May 18, 2026 | Mit der Verhaftung von Venezuelas Präsidenten Maduro durch die USA verlor Kuba einen treuen Verbündeten und mit ihm auch die Lieferungen von venezolanischem Öl, das gut die Hälfte seines Bedarfs deckte – ein schwerer Schock für die von Krisen gebeutelte Insel.
Im letzten Quartal 2025 lieferte Caracas an Havanna noch täglich zwischen 30.000 und 35.000 Barrel Öl, 50% des Bedarfs. Ohne Maduro und mit dem verschärften Embargo der USA unter Donald Trump herrscht auf Kuba nun eine Energieknappheit, die die Wirtschaft ruiniert. Der Alltag der Kubaner wird täglich schwieriger, viele erinnern sich noch an die "Sonderperiode" der 1990er Jahre, gleich nach dem Zusammenbruch der UdSSR, damals kollabierte Kubas Wirtschaft.Das Fehlen des Verbündeten Venezuela und die US-Sanktionen verschärfen heute die Isolation des Landes und sie schüren eine wachsende Wut in der Bevölkerung. Unsere Reporter erkundeten, wie Exil-Kubaner in Florida schon eine politische Wende Kubas in Richtung USA vorbereiten. Und sie filmten auf Kuba, wie die Bevölkerung von der neuen Krise mit voller Wucht getroffen wird. Durchhalten, irgendwie, lautet die Devise…
Video verfügbar bis zum 19/04/2029
Ce documentaire peut être visionné en français ici.
Im letzten Quartal 2025 lieferte Caracas an Havanna noch täglich zwischen 30.000 und 35.000 Barrel Öl, 50% des Bedarfs. Ohne Maduro und mit dem verschärften Embargo der USA unter Donald Trump herrscht auf Kuba nun eine Energieknappheit, die die Wirtschaft ruiniert. Der Alltag der Kubaner wird täglich schwieriger, viele erinnern sich noch an die "Sonderperiode" der 1990er Jahre, gleich nach dem Zusammenbruch der UdSSR, damals kollabierte Kubas Wirtschaft.Das Fehlen des Verbündeten Venezuela und die US-Sanktionen verschärfen heute die Isolation des Landes und sie schüren eine wachsende Wut in der Bevölkerung. Unsere Reporter erkundeten, wie Exil-Kubaner in Florida schon eine politische Wende Kubas in Richtung USA vorbereiten. Und sie filmten auf Kuba, wie die Bevölkerung von der neuen Krise mit voller Wucht getroffen wird. Durchhalten, irgendwie, lautet die Devise…
Video verfügbar bis zum 19/04/2029
Ce documentaire peut être visionné en français ici.
Franco’s Spain in the 1950s: How the Dictatorship Gained Legitimacy | Full Documentary
May 22, 2026 | In the 1950s, Spain under Francisco Franco entered a new phase known as the “Leaden Age.” After years of international isolation following World War II in 1945, the regime began to regain legitimacy. Key agreements, such as the 1953 Pact of Madrid with the United States and the 1955 admission of Spain to the United Nations, marked a turning point in Franco’s foreign policy and international standing.
These developments brought economic opportunities and a sense of stability to the country. While Spain appeared to move forward, political opposition weakened and resistance largely disappeared. Behind this controlled progress, Franco’s dictatorship remained firmly in place. This period reveals how international recognition and economic change helped secure the long-term survival of one of Europe’s most enduring authoritarian regimes.
These developments brought economic opportunities and a sense of stability to the country. While Spain appeared to move forward, political opposition weakened and resistance largely disappeared. Behind this controlled progress, Franco’s dictatorship remained firmly in place. This period reveals how international recognition and economic change helped secure the long-term survival of one of Europe’s most enduring authoritarian regimes.
Trump Is Trapped
The Bankers Who Funded Hitler — And Who Were Never Punished | WW2
Feb 20, 2026 | In the spring of 1943, an American banker travelled freely through Nazi Germany, held meetings with Reichsbank officials in Berlin, and boarded a German escort vessel back to Switzerland. Nazi U-boats had standing orders not to sink his ship. His name was Thomas McKittrick, and he was the president of the most powerful international bank in the world.
This is not a conspiracy theory. Every institution, every document, and every name in this video is a matter of verified historical record — sitting in the National Archives, in declassified Treasury memos, and in the minutes of the Nuremberg proceedings.
What you won't find in most history books is the full story of how Wall Street bankrolled the economic conditions that brought Hitler to power, how Standard Oil shared critical war technology with Nazi Germany while withholding it from the US military, how Chase National Bank kept its Paris branch open under Nazi occupation and reported growing profits to Manhattan, how the Bank for International Settlements laundered looted Nazi gold throughout the war, how Prescott Bush — grandfather of two US presidents — had his assets seized under the Trading with the Enemy Act, and how a Swedish banking dynasty quietly played both sides and walked away to build a $60 billion empire.
Most of these men were never prosecuted. Most were promoted. And the systems they built are still running today. This is what economic history actually looks like.
This is not a conspiracy theory. Every institution, every document, and every name in this video is a matter of verified historical record — sitting in the National Archives, in declassified Treasury memos, and in the minutes of the Nuremberg proceedings.
What you won't find in most history books is the full story of how Wall Street bankrolled the economic conditions that brought Hitler to power, how Standard Oil shared critical war technology with Nazi Germany while withholding it from the US military, how Chase National Bank kept its Paris branch open under Nazi occupation and reported growing profits to Manhattan, how the Bank for International Settlements laundered looted Nazi gold throughout the war, how Prescott Bush — grandfather of two US presidents — had his assets seized under the Trading with the Enemy Act, and how a Swedish banking dynasty quietly played both sides and walked away to build a $60 billion empire.
Most of these men were never prosecuted. Most were promoted. And the systems they built are still running today. This is what economic history actually looks like.
”We Need a Wealth Tax on Billionaires.” Here's Why | Aaron Bastani Meets Gabriel Zucman
May 24, 2026 | Introducing a wealth tax on the very richest people in our society has never been more popular amongst the electorate, with recent polls showing 90% approval. This figure is basically unheard of when polling people on any form of policy proposal.
This week's guest, Gabriel Zucman, is a French economist who is a key inspiration for the UK's leading wealth tax advocate and friend of the show, Gary Stevenson.
This week's guest, Gabriel Zucman, is a French economist who is a key inspiration for the UK's leading wealth tax advocate and friend of the show, Gary Stevenson.
May 25, 2026
Bolivie : des affrontements à La Paz malgré les concessions du président
LE FIGARO : Les manifestants rejettent la politique économique du gouvernement, réclament des hausses de salaires et accusent les autorités d’avoir distribué une essence de mauvaise qualité qui aurait endommagé des milliers de véhicules.
Des affrontements ont opposé lundi manifestants et policiers à La Paz lors d’une marche de milliers de personnes exigeant la démission du président Rodrigo Paz, qui a annoncé réduire son salaire pour tenter d’apaiser la contestation sociale.
Le président de centre-droit fait face depuis début mai au plus important mouvement de contestation de son mandat, entamé en novembre, alors que le pays traverse sa plus grave crise économique depuis quatre décennies. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 25 mai 2026
LESEN SIE AUCH :
Proteste in Bolivien: Präsident Paz will eigenes Gehalt um 50 Prozent kürzen: Seit Wochen kommt es in Bolivien zu Protesten. Nun will Präsident Rodrigo Paz sein Gehalt und das seiner Minister deutlich kürzen. »
Des affrontements ont opposé lundi manifestants et policiers à La Paz lors d’une marche de milliers de personnes exigeant la démission du président Rodrigo Paz, qui a annoncé réduire son salaire pour tenter d’apaiser la contestation sociale.
Le président de centre-droit fait face depuis début mai au plus important mouvement de contestation de son mandat, entamé en novembre, alors que le pays traverse sa plus grave crise économique depuis quatre décennies. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 25 mai 2026
LESEN SIE AUCH :
Proteste in Bolivien: Präsident Paz will eigenes Gehalt um 50 Prozent kürzen: Seit Wochen kommt es in Bolivien zu Protesten. Nun will Präsident Rodrigo Paz sein Gehalt und das seiner Minister deutlich kürzen. »
Out of Gas, Cubans Cook With Charcoal and Wood to Survive
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The U.S. oil blockade has left millions without cooking gas. In Santiago de Cuba, the cradle of the Cuban revolution, apartment tower residents resort to charcoal and firewood.
On a recent night, Yusimi Castellano crouched over her squat iron stove, arranging charcoal and gently placing the Styrofoam and the plastic she used as kindling over it. She used a cigarette lighter to start a small fire.
Noxious smoke billowed through her 18th floor apartment, eventually sweeping out toward the former military barracks where the Cuban Revolution is said to have begun and the verdant mountains that wrap around Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city.
Slowly, the charcoal began to glow. She put a grill made of old coat hangers on top and boiled some spaghetti for her family’s dinner.
“I shouldn’t be cooking with charcoal,” said Ms. Castellano, 58, who has asthma and lately has been short of breath and coughing constantly. “But if I don’t cook, I die.”
Ms. Castellano’s crude cooking methods have become the norm across the complex of five 18-story buildings, each with 120 apartments, where she lives and that were once meant to showcase the revolution’s promise when they opened four decades ago.
Today, some people can’t even afford charcoal, and resort to chopping firewood to cook in their homes. » | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole González | Photographs by Lisette Poole González | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole traveled to the southeastern city of Santiago de Cuba to document the energy crisis engulfing the island. | Monday, May 25, 2026
This is a BLOODY DISGRACE! What the ORANGE MAN in the White House is doing to those poor people is nothing short of CRIMINAL! All in the name of IDEOLOGICAL WARFARE!
Trump can ponce around in luxury in Mar-a-Lago, and pilfer BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from the state’s coffers to line his own pockets, fill his banks accounts, and puff up his investment portfolios, yet he is happy to put his head on his pillow at night—when he is not writing on Truth Social—and rest, knowing that he is causing these poor people such distress and hardship. What manner of man can Trump be? And what sort of people can Americans be, allowing their leader to persecute innocent people like this, in their name?
The sooner the world turns its back on this regime, the better! This is nothing short of the behaviour of devils. Long live compassion! Long live Cuba! — © Mark Alexander
On a recent night, Yusimi Castellano crouched over her squat iron stove, arranging charcoal and gently placing the Styrofoam and the plastic she used as kindling over it. She used a cigarette lighter to start a small fire.
Noxious smoke billowed through her 18th floor apartment, eventually sweeping out toward the former military barracks where the Cuban Revolution is said to have begun and the verdant mountains that wrap around Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second-largest city.
Slowly, the charcoal began to glow. She put a grill made of old coat hangers on top and boiled some spaghetti for her family’s dinner.
“I shouldn’t be cooking with charcoal,” said Ms. Castellano, 58, who has asthma and lately has been short of breath and coughing constantly. “But if I don’t cook, I die.”
Ms. Castellano’s crude cooking methods have become the norm across the complex of five 18-story buildings, each with 120 apartments, where she lives and that were once meant to showcase the revolution’s promise when they opened four decades ago.
Today, some people can’t even afford charcoal, and resort to chopping firewood to cook in their homes. » | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole González | Photographs by Lisette Poole González | Ed Augustin and Lisette Poole traveled to the southeastern city of Santiago de Cuba to document the energy crisis engulfing the island. | Monday, May 25, 2026
This is a BLOODY DISGRACE! What the ORANGE MAN in the White House is doing to those poor people is nothing short of CRIMINAL! All in the name of IDEOLOGICAL WARFARE!
Trump can ponce around in luxury in Mar-a-Lago, and pilfer BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from the state’s coffers to line his own pockets, fill his banks accounts, and puff up his investment portfolios, yet he is happy to put his head on his pillow at night—when he is not writing on Truth Social—and rest, knowing that he is causing these poor people such distress and hardship. What manner of man can Trump be? And what sort of people can Americans be, allowing their leader to persecute innocent people like this, in their name?
The sooner the world turns its back on this regime, the better! This is nothing short of the behaviour of devils. Long live compassion! Long live Cuba! — © Mark Alexander
Why the Vatican Wants Tougher AI Rules | DW News
May 24, 2026
Hitler über Berlin - Der Aufstieg des Nationalsozialismus von der Weimarer Republik bis 1939 (1/5)
Sep 17, 2021 | Der Film zeigt Berlin und den Aufstieg des Nationalsozialismus von der Weimarer Republik bis in das Jahr 1939. Zitate aus der Zeit dokumentieren die Ereignisse, wie die Berliner diese Jahre erlebt haben. Das zum Teil stark beschädigte schwarz-weiß und farbige Originalmaterial wurde in einem Durchlauf mithilfe von künstlicher Intelligenz restauriert.
Zusammenschnitt der Irmgard von zur Mühlen Dokumentarfilme "Weltbühne Berlin" (1988), "Berlin unter dem Hakenkreuz" (1987), "Bomben auf Berlin" (1983) sowie CHRONOS-MEDIA Film- und Tonarchiv.
Zusammenschnitt der Irmgard von zur Mühlen Dokumentarfilme "Weltbühne Berlin" (1988), "Berlin unter dem Hakenkreuz" (1987), "Bomben auf Berlin" (1983) sowie CHRONOS-MEDIA Film- und Tonarchiv.
Sandra Navidi warnt vor Trumps Machtanspruch
Die Amerikaner müssen das dümmste Volk der Welt sein, um einen solchen Präsidenten zweimal zu wählen. Trump ruiniert die amerikanische Wirtschaft und das Gleiche tut er auch mit der Weltwirtschaft. Und trotzdem dulden die Amerikaner diesen Quatsch! — © Mark Alexander
Trump Is Setting His Sights on Restricting Legal Immigration
THE NEW YORJ TIMES: After a year focused on immigrants here illegally, the Trump administration is now making it harder for legal migrants to stay in the country. It is a risky pivot.
The Trump administration has pulled back its aggressive operations in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis after bad polling indicated the crackdown on illegal immigration was unpopular.
In its wake, however, a new approach is emerging on legal immigration, one that makes it harder for those abroad to enter the United States, and for those already here on a temporary basis to stay. In recent months, Trump administration officials have discussed the legal immigration system as rife with fraud and abuse, and in need of wholesale reform.
The increasingly tough tack on legal immigration was underscored Friday when the Department of Homeland Security announced a policy requiring most immigrants seeking green cards to leave the United States while they wait long periods of time for their applications to be processed.
Green cards are granted to legal permanent residents who have been vetted by the government and are one step away from becoming citizens. The policy caused immigration attorneys to scramble to understand the scope of a process that had long avoided being targeted. » | Hamed Aleaziz | Reporting from Washington | Saturday, May 23, 2026
The Trump administration has pulled back its aggressive operations in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis after bad polling indicated the crackdown on illegal immigration was unpopular.
In its wake, however, a new approach is emerging on legal immigration, one that makes it harder for those abroad to enter the United States, and for those already here on a temporary basis to stay. In recent months, Trump administration officials have discussed the legal immigration system as rife with fraud and abuse, and in need of wholesale reform.
The increasingly tough tack on legal immigration was underscored Friday when the Department of Homeland Security announced a policy requiring most immigrants seeking green cards to leave the United States while they wait long periods of time for their applications to be processed.
Green cards are granted to legal permanent residents who have been vetted by the government and are one step away from becoming citizens. The policy caused immigration attorneys to scramble to understand the scope of a process that had long avoided being targeted. » | Hamed Aleaziz | Reporting from Washington | Saturday, May 23, 2026
May 23, 2026
Defiant After Bad Week, Trump Pushes Ahead on Politically Unpopular Ideas
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump continues to act like he’s politically all-powerful, even in the face of indications that he is not.
By pretty much any estimation, President Trump has had a very bad week.
New poll numbers show his approval rating has hit a second-term low. He is weighing whether to restart a bombing campaign in an unpopular war against Iran. Gas prices are high and inching higher heading into Memorial Day weekend. And his grip over Republican lawmakers is beginning to slip after he proposed a pair of deeply unpopular spending items, prompting an unusual revolt from the Senate.
When faced with such a backlash ahead of midterm elections, many politicians would pivot, redirecting their focus to issues they are on stronger footing with.
But Mr. Trump has decided to double down, presenting himself as politically all-powerful even in the face of indications that he is not.
Over the years, Mr. Trump has often appeared to have an air of invincibility. He survived assassination attempts and won re-election despite being under multiple criminal indictments. He has successfully exacted retribution on many a perceived enemy. Now, with less than three years left in office, he seems comfortable burning whatever political capital he has in order to leave his legacy, even if it drags his party down in the process. » | Luke Broadwater | Luke Broadwater covers the White House. He reported from Washington. | Saturday, May 23, 2026
EU and Mexico Seal Trade Deal to Reduce Reliance on US | DW News
Rob Groves: Would Burnham’s Labour Finally Kill Off Brexit?
Brexit could only have appealed to Brexiteers on an emotional level. It couldn’t possibly have appealed to them on an intellectual level. How can I say this? Because Brexit defied common sense and because it defied all sensible laws of economics.
Voters were manipulated and hoodwinked into voting for Brexit by the few that were going to make a killing from it. Those arch-Brexiteers who led the people to drink from the poisoned chalice couldn’t have cared a damn for the well-being of the electorate because there were simply no real, concrete benefits attached to exiting the European Union.
As a result of Brexit, the British economy has suffered greatly: it has suffered a serious contraction. And people have suffered, too: they are much, much poorer than they ever needed to be. They have also lost all their rights as European citizens. That means FA to the superrich, of course, because they can afford to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy back those lost privileges. But that is a luxury the average voter cannot afford.
Actually, Brexit brought with it a serious loss of rights and privileges. Here are just a few of them: Brits have lost the right to move to any EU nation to work, live, and retire; they have lost the right to move around Europe freely, and to stay for as long as they wanted; they have lost their right to free healthcare, even when on holiday, and in any EU nation; they have lost their right to vote in any EU election when living in an EU nation; and they have lost robust consumer protections as well. And all this just to fulfil and cater to the wet dreams of benighted europhobes and xenophobes! — © Mark Alexander
Why the Breath Is Leaving Trump's Regime | Steve Schmidt
Trump STINKS of CORRUPTION! How much longer are Americans going to tolerate this S***? Enough is enough! Don’t just lie down and play dead: Do something about it! This man is STEALING innocent, hard-working Americans’ tax dollars, their hard-earned money. — © Mark Alexander
May 22, 2026
UK Pitched Single Market for Goods with EU in Pursuit of Deeper Trade Ties
THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Top British official presented idea in Brussels but sources say it was rebuffed
This screenshot has been taken from this Guardian article. | UK government sources denied the EU had definitively rejected a single market for goods. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA
The UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU as the cornerstone of an ambitious attempt to reintegrate British trade back into Europe, the Guardian can reveal.
During recent visits to Brussels, the Cabinet Office’s top official on EU relations, Michael Ellam, presented the idea to deepen the UK’s economic relationship with the bloc.
But in a sign of the challenge Keir Starmer’s government faces in securing growth through a closer relationship with Europe, sources told the Guardian that EU officials rejected the idea – and instead suggested a customs union or economic alignment through the European Economic Area.
Those ideas are impossible under Starmer’s red lines. He said in 2024 the UK would not rejoin the EU, the single market or customs union in his lifetime. The EEA – a single market of 30 mostly EU countries – would also mean accepting free movement of people, another Labour red line.
UK government sources however, denied that the EU had definitively rejected a single market for goods and said it was among a range of options being discussed before a summit tentatively pencilled in for 13 July. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and Rowena Mason | Friday, May 22, 2026
The UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU as the cornerstone of an ambitious attempt to reintegrate British trade back into Europe, the Guardian can reveal.
During recent visits to Brussels, the Cabinet Office’s top official on EU relations, Michael Ellam, presented the idea to deepen the UK’s economic relationship with the bloc.
But in a sign of the challenge Keir Starmer’s government faces in securing growth through a closer relationship with Europe, sources told the Guardian that EU officials rejected the idea – and instead suggested a customs union or economic alignment through the European Economic Area.
Those ideas are impossible under Starmer’s red lines. He said in 2024 the UK would not rejoin the EU, the single market or customs union in his lifetime. The EEA – a single market of 30 mostly EU countries – would also mean accepting free movement of people, another Labour red line.
UK government sources however, denied that the EU had definitively rejected a single market for goods and said it was among a range of options being discussed before a summit tentatively pencilled in for 13 July. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels and Rowena Mason | Friday, May 22, 2026
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
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
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
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
Trump is a failed president! — © Mark Alexander
Exclusive Interview with the Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar
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 21, 2026
Trump’s Corruption Scandal Just Exploded
So why are Americans tolerating Trump’s corruption? — © Mark Alexander
Inside the Broligarchy: Is Big Tech Running US Politics? | DW News
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?
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
Clearly They Don’t Like…’: Kallas Blasts Vance, Trump for ‘Profound Hostility’ to Europe
May 20, 2026
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
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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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.
"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)
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
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 19, 2026
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. …
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
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
« 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
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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May 18, 2026
Germany's Multi-billion-euro Plan for Shelters, Hospital Beds and Emergency Vehicles | DW News
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