Peter Mandelson Arrested by Met Police

Feb 23, 2026 | The explosion of the Epstein files continues to reverberate through Britain, causing moments and images that might have once seemed impossible.

Last week the former Prince Andrew was arrested, Monday evening it was the turn of Peter Mandelson.

Lord Mandelson has held high office in the Labour Party, the British government, the European Commission and, until last September, the diplomatic service.

He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and led away from his home into an unmarked car as police searched his properties.
The former Labour minister has been accused of passing sensitive information onto the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary.

As he helps the police with their inquiries, where does his arrest leave the British establishment?

Steve Schmidt: Trump Will Not Rally

Feb 23, 2026 | JD and Usha Vance went on Lara Trump’s show to defend Donald Trump’s criminal behavior as his approval rating collapses. Steve Schmidt breaks down their delusions and promises that the MAGA bubble will pop.

Steve Rosenberg: How Four Years of War on Ukraine Have Changed Russia

Feb 23, 2026 | “For Russia, the consequences of its war on Ukraine are now harder to ignore.” We drive 350km from Moscow to see how the war is changing Russia.

Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique | Extravagant Royal Life

February 19, 2026

Peter Mandelson Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office

THE GUARDIAN: Video footage shows former peer being driven away shortly after being escorted from his London home by officers

Peter Mandelson has been arrested by detectives investigating claims he committed misconduct in public office during his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Video footage showed him being driven away from his home in an unmarked car shortly after being escorted from his home by officers.

The Metropolitan police have been investigating the alleged leaking by Mandelson of Downing Street emails and market-sensitive information to Epstein.

A police spokesperson said: “Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

“He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview.

“This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”

The former UK ambassador to the US is understood to believe he has not committed any offence. » | Guardian staff | Monday, February 23, 2026

En français :

Affaire Epstein : l’ex-ambassadeur britannique Peter Mandelson interpellé : L’ancien diplomate britannique a été arrêté par la police ce lundi. Il est suspecté d’avoir commis des «fautes dans l’exercice de fonctions officielles». »

How Andrew Funded His Life amid the Scandals 💰 | Prince Andrew: Where Did All the Money Go?

Feb 23, 2026 | Prince Andrew has been rocked by scandals. But how can he afford them? We take a deep dive into Andrew's finances, unravelling the intricate web of controversies and questions surrounding his wealth.

Prince Andrew: Where Did All The Money Go?: We take a deep dive into Andrew's finances.

This contains discussions of sexual abuse which some viewers may find upsetting

L'Iran prêt à répondre «avec férocité» à toute frappe américaine, même limitée, malgré le risque d’escalade

LE FIGARO : La crainte d’une éventuelle intervention militaire américaine en Iran a poussé plusieurs pays à exhorter leurs ressortissants à quitter ce pays, comme l’Inde qui a annoncé sa décision lundi.

Téhéran a averti lundi que toute frappe des États-Unis, même limitée, le pousserait à riposter « avec férocité », après que Donald Trump a évoqué une telle option en Iran, théâtre de nouvelles manifestations étudiantes contre le pouvoir.

Le président américain, qui tente d'arracher à l'Iran un accord portant notamment sur le nucléaire, a ordonné un déploiement naval et aérien massif au Moyen-Orient.

« Il n'y a pas de frappe limitée. Un acte d'agression sera considéré comme un acte d'agression », a déclaré le porte-parole de la diplomatie iranienne Ismaïl Baghaï, lors d'une conférence de presse à laquelle a assisté l'AFP. Il était invité à réagir aux propos de Donald Trump qui a dit vendredi envisagé une frappe limitée contre l'Iran si les négociations échouaient. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 23 février 2026

This Could Be the End of Bitcoin | Professor Steve Keen

Feb 19, 2026 | “I think that may be the beginning of the end of Bitcoin.”

Professor Steve Keen told The Tech Report’s Isaac Pound that if nothing else, the energy cost will be the end of bitcoin and the trading of Bitcoin on regulated markets through ETFs was a “mistake.”

Trump Lashes Out & Attacks Justices after Supreme Court Limits His Power to Impose Tariffs

Feb 23, 2026 | The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Friday in a 6-3 vote. The justices ruled that the tariffs — which were imposed by a series of executive orders — exceeded presidential powers under a 1977 law that gives the president authority to regulate commerce only in the case of international emergencies. Trump called the ruling a “disgrace” and responded Friday by announcing a new 10% global tariff — which he increased to 15% Saturday.

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Reform Would Create ICE-style Agency and End Leave to Remain, Zia Yusuf to Say

THE GUARDIAN: Nigel Farage’s party plans to deport up to 288,000 people a year on five flights a day and expand stop and search

Reform UK would create an ICE-style agency dedicated to deporting hundreds of thousands of people, as well as terminating the status of those with indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the party will say.

It would also ban the conversion of churches into mosques and fund a radical expansion of stop and search, the party’s new home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, will also say in a speech on Monday. The deradicalisation programme Prevent would also have its mandate redrawn to focus on Islamist extremism.

Labour said the plans were divisive and showed that Reform was planning “to deport people who have followed the rules, worked hard and built their lives here – our friends, neighbours and colleagues”.

The Labour party’s chair, Anna Turley, said the policies were “a direct attack on settled families and fundamentally un-British”. She added: “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse nation, which stands in opposition to the kind of divisive politics stoked by Reform.” » | Jessica Elgot | Sunday, February 22, 2026

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

February 23, 2026

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Andrew Neil: I Don’t Want American ‘Ethno-Christian Nationalism’ In the UK

Feb 23, 2026 | “There is a kind of ethno-Christian nationalism abroad in America that I wouldn't like to see coming to the United Kingdom.”

Andrew Neil says he is “deeply suspicious” of attempts to align church and state, as Reform UK announce that they want to restore Britain’s Christian heritage.

Trump’s Challenge to Free Market Capitalism

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Stakes in private companies. Handshake deals with chief executives. The president’s economic policy has drifted far from principles that long defined the Republican Party. Is it capitalism at all?

Fresh off clinching the Republican nomination for president in May 2012, Mitt Romney paid a surprise visit to the shuttered California headquarters of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer whose bankruptcy a year earlier had left taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars of federally guaranteed loans.

In Mr. Romney’s telling, the company’s failure was a textbook example of the perils of government meddling in the private sector. The free market is meant to reward companies for having the best ideas, the best technology, the best people, Mr. Romney said. Under President Barack Obama, however, companies were too often rewarded for knowing the right people.

“Free enterprise, to the president, means taking money from the taxpayer and giving it freely to his friends,” Mr. Romney said, before adding, “That is not the nature of how America works.”

Many economists at the time said Mr. Romney’s attack was unfair or exaggerated. Today, they use a different word to describe it: quaint.

Since returning to the White House last year, President Trump has gotten the government involved in the private sector in ways that Mr. Obama and other past presidents, of either major party, would never have considered.

The Trump administration has taken ownership stakes in corporations, intervened in business deals and negotiated a cut of the revenue of American companies’ overseas sales. Mr. Trump has unilaterally deployed tariffs and other policy levers to help industries he favors, like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, and to punish those he dislikes, like wind power. He has wielded the powers of the federal bureaucracy to pressure executives, sometimes in ways that blur the lines between his policy objectives and his personal business interests. » | Ben Casselman | Sunday, February 22, 2026

Lindsey Graham Berated Denmark’s Prime Minister (w/ Frank Dikötter) | Shield of the Republic

Feb 23, 2026 | Eric and Eliot debate the merits and deficiencies of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s attempt to present “Trumpism with a human face” at the Munich Security Conference before turning to the dilemmas Trump faces in Iran. They discuss the administration’s uncertain strategic objective, the failure to consult Congress and the public, and the potential for a much longer military engagement than Trump is accustomed to. In the second half of the show, they welcome Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Frank Dikötter to discuss his newly published book, Red Dawn Over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity. They explore the weakness of the communist movement before World War II; the extensive role Soviet support played in sustaining it and in equipping and training what would become the People’s Liberation Army; the deep Stalinist ideological impact on the party; and the extraordinary violence and barbarity the CCP inflicted on the Chinese populace in the territories it occupied.

The Sick Narcissism of Royal Elites - Prince Andrew's Biographer, Andrew Lownie

Dr. Andrew Lownie has been vindicated. After putting his reputation on the line with his investigations into rogue members of the British Royal family, Lownie faced a barrage of criticism aimed at discrediting him. A well-respected academic historian, he trusted the veracity of his sources and stood by their claims with regards to the disgraced royal, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Lownie's latest book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, has been flying off the shelves. It documents arguably the greatest crisis to grip the British Royal Family, following claims of corruption, criminal associations, and cover ups.

In this interview, we explore the wider ramifications of the Epste1n files on the state of liberal democracy. When elites are not held to the same accountability as the rest of society, what happens to the legitimacy of our systems? Where are the checks and balances? What can be done to regain trust?

This really feels like a moral reckoning, where justice must be meted out for the victims and accountability must be returned to public life. Our leaders must be beyond being bought.

Ben Hodges: Europe Has the Power — But Not the Political Will | DW News

Feb 20, 2026 | Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war is far from over — and its outcome remains uncertain.

DW’s Washington Bureau Chief sits down with retired U.S. General Ben Hodges for a blunt conversation about what went wrong and what comes next. Hodges criticizes U.S. leadership for lacking a clear objective, calls Trump’s negotiation strategy “doomed from the start,” and explains how NATO emerged stronger with the addition of Sweden and Finland.

He also delivers a stark message to Europe: the power to stop Russia exists — but the political will does not.

For Iran’s Rulers, Refusing U.S. Demands Is a Risk Worth Taking

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The government in Tehran sees capitulating to Washington’s demands on uranium enrichment and ballistic missiles as riskier to its survival than going to war, analysts say.

Facing high-stakes brinkmanship as American warships and fighter jets mass off its shores, Iran has refused to concede to President Trump’s demands on its nuclear program and weapons — a stance that has bewildered U.S. officials.

The authoritarian clerics who rule Iran see those concessions — which, in their view, could compromise their core ideology and sovereignty — as a greater threat to their survival than the risk of war.

A dangerous mismatch in perceptions between Iran and the United States is why efforts to negotiate a deal over Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities look increasingly fragile, experts say, and a new regional conflict seems almost inevitable.

“Avoiding war is indeed a high priority, but not at any cost,” said Sasan Karimi, a political scientist at the University of Tehran who served as the deputy vice president for strategy in Iran’s previous government. “At times, a political state — especially an ideological one — may weigh its place in history as heavily as, or even more heavily than, its immediate survival.”

U.S. and Iranian negotiators are struggling to break an impasse over their respective red lines.

The Trump administration says it wants Iran to agree to zero nuclear enrichment to ensure it cannot build a nuclear weapon. U.S. officials have also sometimes insisted on limiting the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles and ending the country’s support for allied militias across the region.

For Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, nuclear enrichment is a right that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, upholds and that his officials cannot abandon. And Iran sees possessing missiles that can reach as far as Israel as critical for self-defense. » | Erika Solomon | Monday, February 23, 2026

Island will offenbar Referendum über EU-Beitritt vorziehen

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Geopolitische Spannungen und Trumps Grönland-Drohungen beschleunigen Islands Pläne zur Wiederaufnahme der EU-Beitrittsgespräche.

Die isländische Regierung prüft offenbar, die geplante Volksabstimmung über die Wiederaufnahme von EU-Beitrittsgesprächen deutlich vorzuziehen. Statt wie ursprünglich angekündigt bis 2027 könnte das Referendum bereits im August stattfinden, berichtet Politico unter Berufung auf zwei mit den Vorbereitungen vertraute Personen. Das isländische Parlament werde voraussichtlich in den kommenden Wochen den Termin bekannt geben.

Hintergrund der Beschleunigung rund um einen möglichen EU-Beitritt sind wachsende geopolitische Unsicherheiten. Die Regierung von US-Präsident Donald Trump hat Zölle auf isländische Importe erhoben, und Trumps wiederholte Drohungen, Grönland zu annektieren, haben in dem kleinen Inselstaat für Unruhe gesorgt. Billy Long, Trumps Botschafternominierung für Island, scherzte zudem kürzlich öffentlich, das Land werde der 52. US-Bundesstaat – mit ihm selbst als dessen Gouverneur. „Ich denke, dass Island viermal in einer Trump-Rede beim Weltwirtschaftsforum in Davos erwähnt wurde, hat die Aufmerksamkeit geschärft“, sagte ein EU-Beamter gegenüber Politico. Das müsse „für ein kleines Land beunruhigend sein“. Vermutlich hatte es sich dabei jedoch um Versprecher Trumps gehandelt. » | Sophie Barkey | Montag, 23. Februar 2026

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83: II. Allegro appassionato

Sep 16, 2018 | Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83: II. Allegro appassionato · Krystian Zimerman · Wiener Philharmoniker · Leonard Bernstein · Johannes Brahms

℗ 1985 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
Released on 1985-01-01

Cuba accuse les États-Unis de vouloir provoquer une «catastrophe humanitaire» sur l’île

LE FIGARO : Ces dernières semaines, le président américain Donald Trump a intensifié l’embargo américain sur l’île communiste, en vigueur depuis 1962.

Le ministre cubain des Affaires étrangères a estimé lundi à Genève que l'« escalade agressive » menée contre l'île par les États-Unis visait à « provoquer une catastrophe humanitaire » dans le pays. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 23 février 2026

Denmark Rejects Trump’s Plan to Send Hospital Boat to Greenland

THE NEW TORK TIMES: Denmark’s defense minister said Greenland did not need health care assistance, a day after President Trump said he planned to send a “great hospital boat” to the island.

Denmark’s defense minister on Sunday rejected a plan by President Trump to send a “great hospital boat” to Greenland, the Arctic island and semiautonomous territory of Denmark that Mr. Trump has long sought to acquire.

The president said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday that the boat would “take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,” adding that it was “on the way!!!”

But Troels Lund Poulsen, the Danish defense minister, told Denmark’s public broadcaster, DR, that his government had not been made aware of the plan. He said that there was “no need for special health care efforts” in Greenland.

It was not clear why Mr. Trump planned to assist Greenland with its health care. Greenlanders have the right to health care that is free at the point of use, including prescription medications, according to the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark also appeared to respond to Mr. Trump’s announcement, though she did not mention Mr. Trump or the United States. “I’m happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health care for everyone,” she wrote in a post on Instagram on Sunday. “The same approach exists in Greenland,” she said. » | Ali Watkins and Amelia Nierenberg | Sunday, February 22, 2026

Michael Jackson : You Are Not Alone | Official Video

Oct 3, 2009 | Views on YouTube: 415,002,054

Islamisme, séparatisme... Le ramadan 2026 révèle les fortes divisions de la communauté musulmane en France

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Dans les mosquées, les fidèles témoignent d’un malaise profond. Alors que les responsables religieux cherchent à soigner l’image de l’islam, ils sont rattrapés par la force des courants islamistes, ciblés par l’État.

L’islam de France s’enfonce dans la division. Dernier épisode en date, une divergence sur le jour du début du ramadan. Pour les uns, c’était mercredi 18 février, pour les autres, le lendemain. Les différentes fédérations musulmanes se sont opposées frontalement sur ce sujet religieux, au désespoir des quelque cinq millions de fidèles.


Le premier ban a été publié par la Grande Mosquée de Paris, qui a décrété le mercredi 18 février comme début du ramadan. Le communiqué expliquait que cette décision reposait sur une « commission théologique » et sur « l’adoption du calcul scientifique et les données astronomiques universelles ». Mais le Conseil Français du Culte Musulman (CFCM) garantissait que d’autres « données scientifiques » fixaient le ramadan au jeudi 19 février. Les deux instances ont à nouveau justifié leur position par communiqués interposés ce week-end.

« Cette division sur la date du ramadan est une honte, tonne Abdallah Zekri, vice-président du CFCM, les musulmans sont en colère, les données les plus scientifiques convergent sur le 19 février. Le recteur de la Mosquée de Paris a un problème d’ego, il veut tout le temps se faire remarquer ». » | Par Jean-Marie Guénois | dimanche 22 février 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Pour l'amour du ciel, quand les politiciens cesseront-ils de parler d'islamisme ? L'islamisme n'existe même pas ! En réalité, il n'y a que l'Islam. L'islamisme est un concept que les politiciens occidentaux aiment utiliser pour se distancer du fanatisme. En fait, il n'y a qu'un seul Islam : le véritable Islam.

Um Gottes willen, wann werden die Politiker aufhören, über Islamismus zu reden? Islamismus gibt es je gar nicht! In Wirklichkeit gibt es nur Islam. Islamismus ist ein Konzept, welches westliche Politiker genießen zu gebrauchen, um Distanz zwischen Islam und Fanatismus zu bringen. Fakt ist, dass es nur einen Islam gibt: Der wahre Islam.

For God's sake, when will politicians stop talking about Islamism? Islamism doesn't even exist! In reality, there is only Islam. Islamism is a concept that Western politicians like to use to distance themselves from fanaticism. The fact is, there is only one Islam: the true Islam. — © Mark Alexander

El Pastificio de Nicola: Homemade Pasta with Traditional Argentine Meat Sauce — Tallarines con Tuco

Aug 26, 2025 | There are dishes that carry the taste of home and family gatherings. In Argentina, few meals are as iconic as fresh pasta served with tuco — our traditional meat sauce. This recipe combines the warmth of Italian roots with Argentine flavor, made al uso nostro (in our own way).

In this video, we prepare homemade tagliatelle and a slow-cooked meat sauce that brings out the essence of comfort food.

Whether you know it as pasta with ragù, meat sauce, or tuco, this dish is a true classic that has been passed down through generations.

Join me as we roll out the dough, simmer the sauce, and serve a meal that will make you feel right at home.


For the full list of the ingredients, please click here. then click on ‘more’.

US Deports Gay Asylum Seeker to Another Country Where Homosexuality Is Illegal

INDEPENDENT: Same-sex relationships are punishable in Cameroon by up to five years in prison

Farah, a 21-year-old gay Moroccan woman, is now in hiding in her home country after being deported by the Trump administration.

She had sought asylum in the U.S., fleeing brutal family violence in Morocco, where being gay is illegal and punishable by three years in prison.

Her ordeal began when her family and her partner's family discovered their relationship, leading to severe beatings. Kicked out, she fled with her partner, but her family tracked her down and attempted to kill her, she claimed.

Desperate, Farah and her partner secured visas for Brazil, then trekked through six countries to the U.S. border, requesting asylum. Despite U.S. immigration judge protection orders, she faced a third-country deportation by the Trump administration – to Cameroon, where homosexuality is also illegal.

Now back in Morocco, Farah lives in constant fear. “It is hard to live and work with the fear of being tracked once again by my family,” she said. “But there is nothing I can do. I have to work.” » | Monika Pronczuk | Sunday, February 22, 2026

Sarah Ferguson Checked into Mental Health Clinic after Epstein Emails Surfaced

THE TELEGRAPH: Ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stayed at £13,000-a-day wellness centre in Zurich, say reports

Sarah Ferguson checked into one of the world’s most expensive wellness clinics after the Epstein scandal broke, it has been reported. Ms Ferguson, the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is understood to have booked a stay at the £13,000-a-day Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland.

She was last seen in public on Dec 12, after the christening of her granddaughter Athena at St James’s Palace in London. Reports of her stay at a clinic follow the arrest of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor in Norfolk on his 66th birthday.

A Swiss source told the Daily Mail: “Sarah left for Zurich just after Christmas, and stayed until the end of January. She always feels at home at Paracelsus, and knows she’ll get love and attention there, as well as expert health treatment when she’s feeling at her most vulnerable.”

Another said she was “absolutely crushed” when email exchanges between her and Jeffrey Epstein were made public, adding: “Sarah has built up a strong relationship with Paracelsus, so it was the obvious place for her to get away from everything.” » | Liz Perkins | Saturday, February 21, 2026

Vijay Prashad Exposes The "Narco Rubio" Hypocrisy

Feb 21, 2026 | Historian and journalist Vijay Prashad breaks down the decades-long blockade on Cuba and argues the latest escalation is designed to suffocate the country’s energy and infrastructure.

Groenland: l'armée danoise évacue un membre d'équipage d'un sous-marin américain

LE FIGARO : Selon le communiqué, «un membre d’équipage avait besoin d’un traitement médical d’urgence» et a été transporté à l’hôpital de Nuuk. L’évacuation a été réalisée par un hélicoptère.

Le Commandement arctique a annoncé samedi avoir évacué un membre d'équipage d'un sous-marin américain, au large de Nuuk, la capitale du Groenland.

« Le Commandement arctique a évacué cet après-midi un membre d'équipage d'un sous-marin américain », a indiqué l'organisme sur les réseaux sociaux, chargé de surveiller et de protéger la souveraineté du Royaume du Danemark dans l'Arctique. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 22 février 2026

„Viele kranke Menschen“: Trump will Lazarettschiff nach Grönland schicken

BERLINER ZEITUNG US-Präsident Donald Trump kündigt an, ein Lazarettschiff nach Grönland zu schicken. Dort gebe es viele Kranke, die „dort nicht versorgt werden“, erklärte Trump.

US-Präsident Donald Trump hat angekündigt, ein Lazarettschiff nach Grönland zu entsenden. Auf seiner Plattform Truth Social schrieb Trump, er arbeite gemeinsam mit dem Gouverneur von Louisiana, Jeff Landry, daran, „ein großartiges Krankenhausschiff“ nach Grönland zu schicken, um den „vielen kranken Menschen“ zu helfen, „die dort nicht versorgt werden“. Der US-Präsident fügte hinzu: „Es ist auf dem Weg!“

Weder das Weiße Haus noch das Büro von Gouverneur Landry beantworteten laut der Nachrichtenagentur Reuters Nachfragen zu dem Vorhaben. Unklar blieb, ob Dänemark oder Grönland das Schiff angefordert hatten, welche kranken Menschen gemeint waren und welche konkrete Verbindung Landry zu dem Vorhaben hat. Auch das US-Verteidigungsministerium äußerte sich zunächst nicht. » | Anika Schlünz | Sonntag, 22. Februar 2026

Mort de Quentin Deranque : la France convoque l’ambassadeur américain Charles Kushner

LE FIGARO : Le ministre de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères Jean-Noël Barrot a dénoncé ce dimanche les commentaires de l’administration Trump au sujet de la mort du jeune étudiant nationaliste.

L’ambassadeur américain Charles Kushner en poste à Paris va être convoqué au ministère français des Affaires étrangères en raison des propos tenus de l’administration Trump sur la mort de Quentin Deranque, a annoncé dimanche le chef de la diplomatie.

« Nous allons convoquer l’ambassadeur des États-Unis en France, puisque l’ambassade des États-Unis en France a fait un commentaire sur ce drame (...) qui concerne la communauté nationale », a déclaré Jean-Noël Barrot, invité sur France Info/France Inter/Le Monde. « Nous refusons toute instrumentalisation de ce drame (...) à des fins politiques », a-t-il ajouté, estimant que la France n’avait « aucune leçon s’agissant de la violence, en particulier à recevoir de l’internationale réactionnaire ». L’entourage du ministre, interrogé par l’AFP, n’était pas immédiatement en mesure de préciser la date de la convocation. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 22 février 2026

What Russia Was Like Before the Revolution?

Feb 17, 2026 | Before the Bolsheviks, before Lenin and Stalin, before the Soviet Union even existed, Russia was a different world. It was the last absolute monarchy in Europe, ruled by a Tsar who claimed divine right, where peasants still lived in conditions barely changed since medieval times, and where revolutionary ideas were spreading among workers, intellectuals, and soldiers exhausted by war. Understanding pre-revolutionary Russia is essential to understanding why the revolution happened at all.

This video explores what life was actually like in Imperial Russia before 1917. We examine the rigid class system: the tiny aristocracy living in luxury, the growing middle class in cities, and the vast majority—peasants who had only been freed from serfdom in 1861 but still lived in poverty, illiteracy, and desperation. We look at Tsar Nicholas II's autocratic rule, the brutal secret police (Okhrana), and a government that violently suppressed dissent while refusing meaningful reform.

We explore the industrialization that was transforming cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow, creating a new working class crammed into slums, working 12-hour shifts in dangerous factories for barely enough to survive. We examine the growing revolutionary movements—Social Democrats, Social Revolutionaries, anarchists—who debated how to overthrow the system, and the 1905 Revolution that nearly succeeded before being crushed.

We also look at World War I's catastrophic impact: millions of Russian soldiers killed or wounded, food shortages in cities, inflation destroying what little wealth people had, and a government completely unprepared for modern war. By early 1917, Russia was collapsing—and the revolution became inevitable.

This is about understanding the powder keg that exploded into revolution, the old world that was dying, and why so many Russians were ready to tear it all down.

Bernie Sanders Unleashes Fury on Musk & Billionaire Class, Demands Wealth Tax Now

Feb 21, 2026 | Sen. Bernie Sanders warned that despite huge gains in productivity and technology, American workers are earning less than they did more than 50 years ago after inflation, while the richest Americans prosper. He argued that this crisis is driven by a “massive concentration of ownership,” noting that just four Wall Street giants, BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity, and State Street, are now major shareholders in about 95% of U.S. corporations.

Bernie Sanders is the man who should be president. Now this man really would make America great again! If only the American voter could be more clear-eyed! Were Bernie Sanders made president, we’d see a nation emerge which is far more at ease with itself, and it would be, of course, eminently fairer. An America governed by Bernie Sanders wouldn’t put a stop to the accumulation of wealth—nobody should want to do that—but an America governed by Bernie Sanders would endeavour to give every American a chance to succeed in life. Let us pray that Americans will one day see the light! — © Mark Alexander

Inside Iran’s Preparations for War and Plans for Survival

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has entrusted Ali Larijani, the top national security official, to ensure the Islamic Republic endures any military attacks and targeted killings.

In early January, as Iran faced nationwide protests and the threat of strikes by the United States, the nation’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, turned to a trusted and loyal lieutenant to steer the country: Ali Larijani, the country’s top national security official.

Since then, Mr. Larijani, 67, a veteran politician, a former commander in the Revolutionary Guards Corps and the current head of the Supreme National Security Council, has effectively been running the country. His rise has sidelined President Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon turned politician, who has faced a challenging year in office and continues to say publicly that “I’m a doctor, not a politician,” and that no one should expect him to solve the multitude of problems in Iran.

This account of Mr. Larijani’s ascent and the decisions and deliberations of Iran’s leadership as the Trump administration threatens war is based on interviews with six senior Iranian officials, one of them affiliated with Ayatollah Khamenei’s office; three members of the Revolutionary Guards; two former Iranian diplomats; and reports from the Iranian news media. The officials and members of the Guards spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss internal government matters.

Mr. Larijani’s portfolio of responsibilities has grown steadily over the past few months. He was in charge of crushing, with lethal force, the recent protests demanding the end of Islamic rule. Currently, he is keeping a lid on dissent, liaising with powerful allies like Russia and regional actors like Qatar and Oman, and overseeing nuclear negotiations with Washington. He is also devising plans for managing Iran during a potential war with the United States as Washington amasses forces in the region.

“We are ready in our country,” Mr. Larijani said in an interview with Al Jazeera when he visited the Qatari capital, Doha, this month. “We are definitely more powerful than before. We have prepared in the past seven, eight months. We found our weaknesses and fixed them. We are not looking for war, and we won’t start the war. But if they force it on us, we will respond.” » | Farnaz Fassihi | Farnaz Fassihi has covered Iran for three decades, living there and traveling extensively throughout the country. | Sunday, February 22, 2026

Tucker Confronts Mike Huckabee on America’s Toxic Relationship with Israel

Premiered on Feb 20, 2026 | The Mike Huckabee interview, and the truth about America’s deeply unhealthy relationship with Israel.

Combative Carlson-Huckabee Interview Reveals US Right’s Chasm over Israel

THE GUARDIAN: Parts of Maga view Israel with suspicion, but US ambassador continues to believe in its divine right to much of the Middle East

Parts of the Maga right may be souring on Israel – but a hardline form of Christian Zionism seems to remain unofficial Trump administration policy, if a heated debate between Tucker Carlson and Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, is any indication.

On Friday, Carlson released a confrontational video interview with Huckabee, conducted at Ben Gurion airport in Israel, that vividly illustrated a gaping divide between two factions of the Republican party. On one side is a Christian nationalist stream of the Maga movement, which views the United States’s close relationship with Israel with increasing suspicion. On the other is an older Christian conservative establishment that views that alliance as a totem of US foreign policy – and in some cases believes that Israeli Jews possess a divine right to a large swathe of the Middle East, US public opinion be damned. » | J Oliver Conroy | Saturday, February 21, 2026

Huckabee’s Israel Land Remarks Condemned as ‘Dangerous’ as Controversy Rumbles On

THE GUARDIAN: Arab and Islamic governments issue joint statement denouncing the comments made on Tucker Carlson podcast

Arab and Islamic countries jointly condemned remarks by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who suggested Israel had a biblical right to a vast swath of the Middle East.

Huckabee, a former Baptist minister and a fervent Israel supporter, was speaking on the podcast of Tucker Carlson.

In an episode released on Friday, Carlson pushed Huckabee on the meaning of a biblical verse sometimes interpreted as saying that Israel is entitled to the land between the Nile River in Egypt and the Euphrates in Syria and Iraq.

In response, Huckabee said: “It would be fine if they took it all.”

When pressed, however, he continued that Israel was “not asking to take all of that”, adding: “It was somewhat of a hyperbolic statement.”

The backlash widened sharply on Sunday as more than a dozen Arab and Islamic governments – alongside three major regional organisations – issued a joint statement denouncing the US diplomat’s comments as “dangerous and inflammatory”. » | Agence France-Presse | Sunday, February 22, 2026

MAGA Men Are ‘Submissive Queens’ - Jennifer Welch on Epstein, Israel, and Useless Democrats

As one of the co-hosts of the massively popular podcast ‘I’ve Had It’, Jennifer Welch has made a name for herself as a sharp-witted, foul-mouthed, uncomfortable-truth-bomb-dropping political commentator. Whether you’ve seen social media clips of her ranting about Donald Trump’s poorly applied makeup or watched her eviscerate Sen. Cory Booker on AIPAC during their viral interview, Jennifer is shaking up the way liberal media thinks about political punditry. Now, she joins Mehdi on ‘We’re Not Kidding’ to talk about her political journey and rise to fame.

Once an “MSNBC liberal” from the Bible Belt, Mehdi and Jennifer discuss her evolution on issues like corporate influence on the Democratic party and Israel-Palestine. They also get into the recent dump of Epstein files, including Elon Musk’s “pathetic” attempt to get an invite to Epstein’s island on Christmas, and how Joe Biden and the Democrats once again fumbled the ball. “Merrick Garland had these files for four fucking years and didn't do anything with it!” Jennifer says.

"A Broken, Finished Man" | King's Friend on "Duty of Care" Charles Feels for Andrew

Feb 16, 2026 | King Charles's biographer and friend Jonathan Dimbleby tells BBC Newsnight's Katie Razzall that he "would strongly believe" that the monarch "would very much like" his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to testify in the US in relation to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Interview broadcast on Friday 13th February 2026.

When asked whether the King would be feeling "pressure" over the allegations, Dimbleby said: "I think that he will be feeling the pain of this" and be "appalled by the allegations".

Dimbleby added that Charles would be "sensing the need to give duty of care" to Mountbatten-Windsor, describing Andrew as "a broken, finished man at best".

Last week, Buckingham Palace said it was ready to support the police as they consider allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor. Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

God Bless America: How the US Is Obsessed with Religion | ENDEVR Documentary | Reupload

Jan 23, 2022 | Despite being an officially secular country, religion is everywhere in the United States. 70% of Americans are Christians and the majority of them voted for Trump. Evangelicals mobilized in their masses to get Donald Trump elected and they similarly geared up to do the same in the most recent election. Evangelicals have even created their own Bible-themed attractions, boldly rewriting the science books to educate their children. In Kentucky, an actual-size Noah’s ark has been built along with a museum that supports the theory that the universe was created in just six days. In this documentary, we dive into the religious world inside the United States.

What a load of bollocks! Americans are true suckers. They’ll believe anything. — © Mark Alexander

Donald Trump Says "I Can Destroy the Country" in Scary White House Tantrum against Supreme Court!

Feb 21, 2026 | Jesse discusses Donald Trump's astonishing White House tantrum over yesterday's 6-3 Supreme Court ruling against his unconstitutional tariff policy. Trump flipped out and said, "I am allowed to cut off any and all trade… I can destroy the trade, I can destroy the country, I'm even allowed to impose a foreign country-destroying embargo… I can do anything I want to do to them… I'm allowed to destroy the country." He also accused the 6 Justices who ruled against him of being loyal to foreign influences, rather than to the country and the United States Constitution.

The sooner this man is kicked out of office, the sooner the world will be able to get back to normal. — © Mark Alexander

How Epstein Could Bring Down The Royal Family

How does the Royal Family survive the Epstein scandal?

Andrew Arrest Is Extraordinary and Crown Could Be Heading for ‘Terminal Crisis’

Dan Snow gives us his opinion.

Droits de douane : Donald Trump relève la surtaxe mondiale de 10% à 15%

LE FIGARO : Le président américain annonce ce samedi une hausse de ses droits de douane mondiaux de 10 à 15% au lendemain du revers majeur infligé par la Cour suprême à sa politique commerciale agressive, jugée en grande partie illégale.

Donald Trump a annoncé samedi faire passer ses nouveaux droits de douane mondiaux de 10 à 15% « avec effet immédiat », en réponse au revers majeur infligé la veille par la Cour suprême à sa politique commerciale agressive. « En tant que président des États-Unis d’Amérique, je vais augmenter avec effet immédiat les droits de douane mondiaux de 10%» annoncés la veille «au niveau pleinement autorisé (...) de 15 % », a-t-il écrit sur son réseau Truth Social. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 21 février 2026

Ce président ridicule, instable et capricieux ! — © Mark Alexander

The Socialist Symbol of Unity, the Fraternal Kiss

COMRADE: There once was a gesture that symbolised the height of friendship across the Communist world. The fraternal kiss, a special form of greeting between leaders.

Screenshot taken from this article. | Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev kissing East German leader Erich Honecker, (1979), Berlin, East Germany. | Credit: Helmut Lohmann
There once was a gesture that symbolised the height of fraternal friendship across the Communist world. The socialist fraternal kiss, a special form of greeting between Communist leaders, demonstrated the unique bond between socialist countries. This ritual consisted of an embrace and a mutual kiss to the cheeks or, in rarer cases, to the mouth.

The practice had its roots in early Christian and Russian Orthodox traditions, and was later adapted by Communist regimes as a secular display of comradeship. As it evolved, the socialist fraternal kiss became a nuanced diplomatic tool, with its execution closely observed during meetings between Communist leaders.

The omission or refusal of this embrace spoke volumes about international relations. Following the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, Chinese officials pointedly refused to embrace their Soviet counterparts. Even when relations normalised decades later, Chinese protocol stubbornly maintained a "handshake, no embrace" policy. This stance extended only to Soviet leaders, as Chinese officials continued to exchange fraternal kisses with leaders from other Communist countries. ` » | Comrade | Undated

Whoever said life was boring and drab behind the Iron Curtain? It looks as if life must have been rather gay and colourful to me, at least for the leaders! 😊 — Mark Alexander

Forbidden or Free in Socialism? | History of Homosexuality and LGBT in the Soviet Union

Dec 7, 2024 | Welcome to the Soviet Journey. In this video, I have shared with you the history of homosexuality in the Soviet Union and information about LGBT in a documentary style. You will be interested in the historical review of homosexuality in the USSR, which we divided into periods, and the LGBT movement topics. Enjoy watching!

Trump Trademarked "Donald J. Trump International Airport" Just Before Florida Airport Renaming!

Feb 21, 2026 | Jesse talks about the insane news related to the upcoming renaming of a Florida airport to "Donald J. Trump International Airport." Just days before the bill passed by Republicans in the Florida House, Trump registered that with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for "intent to use" the names "President Donald J. Trump International Airport," "Donald J. Trump International Airport," and "DJT."

What a disgusting, corrupt country, and what a disgusting, corrupt president! — © Mark Alexander

The Stasi and the Berlin Wall | DW Documentary

Aug 11, 2021 | For one group, at least, the erection of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961 was a stroke of luck. Over the following decades, the Wall would be the lifeblood of the East German secret police, known as the Stasi. By the time the Wall fell, in 1989, thousands of Stasi agents were employed with a single goal: to make the Wall insurmountable.

The film tells the story of this existentially symbiotic relationship from the perspective of the Stasi under its notorious leader Erich Mielke. It’s the first time this most sensitive chapter of East Germany's history has been told in such an exemplary and coherent way: including the deaths that took place at the Wall, and the cover-up and concealment of many of those murders.

We learn about the arrests and imprisonment of tens of thousands of refugees, as well as the Stasi’s elaborate construction of tunnels and underground listening stations to track down tunnel diggers. From the billion-dollar business of selling GDR prisoners to West Germany, to the "filtering" of Western traffic at border crossings to recruit unofficial collaborators, Mielke's specialists were everywhere.

We see how Mielke's power grew, as the Wall and the border system were perfected, and how the walling-in of the population created more and more work for the Stasi. The Wall became the Stasi’s main field of activity, and its daily bread.

The fall of the Wall brought an abrupt end to both East Germany and its security apparatus. An irony of history is that, on November 9, 1989, it was a Stasi man who opened the first barrier on Bornholmer Strasse and thus initiated the fall of the Berlin Wall.