Wednesday, April 22, 2026
America Needs a New Name — I Got Some Ideas...
Steve Rosenberg: Russian Press Slams Internet Restrictions and Decision to Ban a Street Protest
Condom Prices Could Rise 30% due to Iran War, Says World’s Top Producer Karex
THE GUARDIAN: Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as the NHS
The world’s top condom producer, Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive has said.
Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
“The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive … We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers,” Goh said.
Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as national health systems such as the UK’s NHS and global aid programmes run by the United Nations. » | Reuters | Wednesday. April 22, 2026
Karex produces 5 billion condoms per annum. Good God! There must be a hell of a lot of bonking going on! Perhaps I should turn my attention to bonking rather than blogging! 😊 From an economic standpoint, it will be interesting to find out just how elastic the demand for rubbers truly is! 😊 My best guess is that demand is highly inelastic. 😊 Bonking will go on unabated. — © Mark Alexander
The world’s top condom producer, Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive has said.
Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
“The situation is definitely very fragile, prices are expensive … We have no choice but to transfer the costs right now to the customers,” Goh said.
Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as national health systems such as the UK’s NHS and global aid programmes run by the United Nations. » | Reuters | Wednesday. April 22, 2026
Karex produces 5 billion condoms per annum. Good God! There must be a hell of a lot of bonking going on! Perhaps I should turn my attention to bonking rather than blogging! 😊 From an economic standpoint, it will be interesting to find out just how elastic the demand for rubbers truly is! 😊 My best guess is that demand is highly inelastic. 😊 Bonking will go on unabated. — © Mark Alexander
Le Parlement britannique adopte une loi interdisant la vente de cigarettes aux personnes nées après 2008
LE FIGARO : Toutes les personnes nées après le 1er janvier 2009, et qui ont donc actuellement 17 ans ou moins, ne pourront jamais acheter légalement de cigarettes au Royaume-Uni.
Le gouvernement britannique a salué mardi l'adoption «historique» par le Parlement d'une loi visant à faire du Royaume-Uni un pays sans tabac en prohibant la vente de cigarettes à toutes les personnes nées après 2008. Il s'agit, selon plusieurs médias, du deuxième pays au monde à instaurer une interdiction générationnelle après les Maldives, qui ont prohibé en novembre la vente de tabac aux jeunes nés après le 1er janvier 2007.
Les députés de la Chambre des Communes et les Lords de la chambre haute, se sont entendus lundi sur une version finale du texte, qui doit désormais recevoir l'assentiment royal - une formalité. Wes Streeting, ministre travailliste de la Santé, a estimé qu'il s'agissait d'un « moment historique », avec une « première génération sans tabac protégée d'une vie entière de dépendance et de dommages ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 22 avril 2026
Related material here, here, and here.
Le gouvernement britannique a salué mardi l'adoption «historique» par le Parlement d'une loi visant à faire du Royaume-Uni un pays sans tabac en prohibant la vente de cigarettes à toutes les personnes nées après 2008. Il s'agit, selon plusieurs médias, du deuxième pays au monde à instaurer une interdiction générationnelle après les Maldives, qui ont prohibé en novembre la vente de tabac aux jeunes nés après le 1er janvier 2007.
Les députés de la Chambre des Communes et les Lords de la chambre haute, se sont entendus lundi sur une version finale du texte, qui doit désormais recevoir l'assentiment royal - une formalité. Wes Streeting, ministre travailliste de la Santé, a estimé qu'il s'agissait d'un « moment historique », avec une « première génération sans tabac protégée d'une vie entière de dépendance et de dommages ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 22 avril 2026
Related material here, here, and here.
The Joyless, Wooden Starmer and His Killjoy Cronies Announce the Death of Cool...
Proposed Lifetime Smoking Ban to Become Law in Britain
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The proposal, which was approved by Parliament on Tuesday, will ban the supply or sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or after, permanently.
Britain aims to raise a “smoke-free generation” by permanently banning the sale or supply of tobacco and vape products to anyone born in 2009 or after, with a bill that was approved by Parliament on Tuesday.
The bill applies to people currently 17 years old or younger and aims to keep them from ever picking up the habit in their lifetime. The proposal is expected to soon go into law after the final formality of approval by King Charles III.
Lawmakers say that in practice, the measure means the age of sale for tobacco products will rise over time as the targeted demographic group grows older and could lead to a smoke-free society. The law will apply in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The people covered by the law will be “part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” said Wes Streeting, the health secretary, on Tuesday. “Prevention is better than cure.” » | Ephrat Livni | Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Related video and links to articles here.
Britain aims to raise a “smoke-free generation” by permanently banning the sale or supply of tobacco and vape products to anyone born in 2009 or after, with a bill that was approved by Parliament on Tuesday.
The bill applies to people currently 17 years old or younger and aims to keep them from ever picking up the habit in their lifetime. The proposal is expected to soon go into law after the final formality of approval by King Charles III.
Lawmakers say that in practice, the measure means the age of sale for tobacco products will rise over time as the targeted demographic group grows older and could lead to a smoke-free society. The law will apply in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The people covered by the law will be “part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” said Wes Streeting, the health secretary, on Tuesday. “Prevention is better than cure.” » | Ephrat Livni | Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Related video and links to articles here.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Schumann: Piano Concerto / Daniil Trifonov, Boian Videnoff - Mannheimer Philharmoniker
Daniil Trifonov, Piano
Boian Videnoff, Conductor
Mannheimer Philharmoniker
Jeffrey Sachs Predicts the Next Steps of America Iran War & What Might Be Trump's Next Move
NYT: Trump Extends Cease-Fire With Iran: The pause in hostilities had been set to expire within hours. The president said Pakistan, which is trying to mediate an end to the war, requested he hold off any attacks. »
Steve Schmidt: Trump Will Regret Launching This War
Americans elected FOOLS to lead them. America is finished. Any so-called leader who wages an illegal war deserves to lose it. — © Mark Alexander
Smoking Ban for People Born after 2008 Agreed in the UK | BBC News
Apr 21, 2026 | Children aged 17 or younger will face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes in the UK, as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill clears Parliament.
Both the Commons and Lords have settled on a final draft of the "landmark" legislation, which aims to stop anyone born after 1 January 2009 from taking up smoking by making it illegal for shops to sell them tobacco, to create a smoke-free generation.
When it gets royal assent, ministers will also have new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging. I
t is part of a series of measures aimed at tackling the health effects of smoking, one of the UK's leading causes of preventable death, disability and ill health.
This is legislation thought up by undemocratic fools! No party that voted in favour of this will get my vote. This is totally undemocratic and unworkable. Furthermore, it is a gift for criminals and blackmarketeers. A person enjoying a conventional cigarette is the least of our concerns today. Young people are into far worse that tobacco these days. Moreover, this doesn't just impact children; everyone as he/she ages will be impacted by this undemocratic nonsense. It's a pity that these stupid, nanny-state-inclined politicians couldn't find more important things to do. — © Mark Alexander
NIGEL FARAGE: Reform will repeal the generational smoking ban: The puritanical spirit of Oliver Cromwell again stalks the land »
THE GUARDIAN: Bill banning people born after 2008 from buying tobacco clears UK parliament: Ministers hope tobacco and vapes bill, which will become law next week, will create a ‘smoke-free generation’ »
Both the Commons and Lords have settled on a final draft of the "landmark" legislation, which aims to stop anyone born after 1 January 2009 from taking up smoking by making it illegal for shops to sell them tobacco, to create a smoke-free generation.
When it gets royal assent, ministers will also have new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging. I
t is part of a series of measures aimed at tackling the health effects of smoking, one of the UK's leading causes of preventable death, disability and ill health.
This is legislation thought up by undemocratic fools! No party that voted in favour of this will get my vote. This is totally undemocratic and unworkable. Furthermore, it is a gift for criminals and blackmarketeers. A person enjoying a conventional cigarette is the least of our concerns today. Young people are into far worse that tobacco these days. Moreover, this doesn't just impact children; everyone as he/she ages will be impacted by this undemocratic nonsense. It's a pity that these stupid, nanny-state-inclined politicians couldn't find more important things to do. — © Mark Alexander
NIGEL FARAGE: Reform will repeal the generational smoking ban: The puritanical spirit of Oliver Cromwell again stalks the land »
THE GUARDIAN: Bill banning people born after 2008 from buying tobacco clears UK parliament: Ministers hope tobacco and vapes bill, which will become law next week, will create a ‘smoke-free generation’ »
How Apple Became a $4 Trillion Company Under Tim Cook
THE NEW YORK TIMES: If the Steve Jobs era was defined by technological innovation, the Tim Cook period was one of exceptional financial growth.
When Tim Cook took over Apple in 2011, leaders from Silicon Valley to Wall Street predicted that the company’s best days were behind it. They feared that without Steve Jobs, Apple’s innovative chief executive, the company would falter.
They were wrong.
Over 15 years, Mr. Cook has engineered Apple’s rise from a Silicon Valley darling worth $350 billion into a cash-generating giant worth $4 trillion. The company’s annual revenue quadrupled, and its profits rose fourfold. The iPhone became ubiquitous, the Apple Watch proliferated, and the company developed credit cards and TV shows.
Apple’s growth is a testament to how Mr. Cook turned the iPhone into one of history’s best-selling products. Introduced by Mr. Jobs in 2007, the iPhone started the smartphone revolution, changing the way people work, socialize and travel. But Apple was selling only 72 million iPhones a year when Mr. Jobs died and Mr. Cook took over.
Two years later, Mr. Cook struck a deal with China’s largest wireless company, China Mobile. By the end of that year, Apple had more than doubled the number of iPhones it sold, and China was cementing itself as the company’s largest market after the United States. » | Tripp Mickle and Karl Russell | Tripp Mickle reported from San Francisco, and Karl Russell from New York. | Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Related article here.
When Tim Cook took over Apple in 2011, leaders from Silicon Valley to Wall Street predicted that the company’s best days were behind it. They feared that without Steve Jobs, Apple’s innovative chief executive, the company would falter.
They were wrong.
Over 15 years, Mr. Cook has engineered Apple’s rise from a Silicon Valley darling worth $350 billion into a cash-generating giant worth $4 trillion. The company’s annual revenue quadrupled, and its profits rose fourfold. The iPhone became ubiquitous, the Apple Watch proliferated, and the company developed credit cards and TV shows.
Apple’s growth is a testament to how Mr. Cook turned the iPhone into one of history’s best-selling products. Introduced by Mr. Jobs in 2007, the iPhone started the smartphone revolution, changing the way people work, socialize and travel. But Apple was selling only 72 million iPhones a year when Mr. Jobs died and Mr. Cook took over.
Two years later, Mr. Cook struck a deal with China’s largest wireless company, China Mobile. By the end of that year, Apple had more than doubled the number of iPhones it sold, and China was cementing itself as the company’s largest market after the United States. » | Tripp Mickle and Karl Russell | Tripp Mickle reported from San Francisco, and Karl Russell from New York. | Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Related article here.
Nicaraguas Präsident Ortega zu Iran-Krieg: Trump hat „den Verstand verloren“
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Lange hatte sich Nicaraguas Präsident Daniel Ortega zum Iran-Krieg zurückgehalten. Nun wirft er US-Präsident Trump „geistige Instabilität“ vor.
Nicaraguas Präsident Daniel Ortega hat US-Präsident Donald Trump scharf für ein KI-generiertes Bild kritisiert, das den US-Präsidenten als heilenden Jesus Christus zeigt, berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur AFP. Trump hatte die Aufnahme auf seiner Plattform Truth Social veröffentlicht. Auf dem Bild trägt Trump laut eine weiße Tunika und einen roten Umhang und berührt die Stirn eines offenbar Kranken.
„Wie viele hat er tatsächlich geheilt?!“, fragte Ortega bei einer von staatlichen Medien übertragenen Veranstaltung in Managua am Montag, wie AFP berichtet. „Die Menschen werden ihn zur Rechenschaft ziehen und herausfinden, wie viele er getötet hat.“ Der Auftritt markiert einen Tonwechsel: Bislang hatte sich Ortega zum Iran-Krieg vergleichsweise zurückhaltend geäußert, wie die Zeitung The Straits Times schreibt. » | Lea Brüggemann | Dienstag, 21. April 2026
Nicaraguas Präsident Daniel Ortega hat US-Präsident Donald Trump scharf für ein KI-generiertes Bild kritisiert, das den US-Präsidenten als heilenden Jesus Christus zeigt, berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur AFP. Trump hatte die Aufnahme auf seiner Plattform Truth Social veröffentlicht. Auf dem Bild trägt Trump laut eine weiße Tunika und einen roten Umhang und berührt die Stirn eines offenbar Kranken.
„Wie viele hat er tatsächlich geheilt?!“, fragte Ortega bei einer von staatlichen Medien übertragenen Veranstaltung in Managua am Montag, wie AFP berichtet. „Die Menschen werden ihn zur Rechenschaft ziehen und herausfinden, wie viele er getötet hat.“ Der Auftritt markiert einen Tonwechsel: Bislang hatte sich Ortega zum Iran-Krieg vergleichsweise zurückhaltend geäußert, wie die Zeitung The Straits Times schreibt. » | Lea Brüggemann | Dienstag, 21. April 2026
« S’il vous plaît ne leur faites pas de mal! » : Donald Trump serait « très reconnaissant » de la libération de femmes menacées d’exécution en Iran
LE FIGARO : Le président américain a demandé ce mardi aux dirigeants iraniens de libérer plusieurs femmes, jugeant que ce geste serait un « très bon début » pour les négociations entre Washington et Téhéran.
Donald Trump a demandé mardi aux dirigeants iraniens de « libérer » plusieurs femmes, selon lui menacées d'exécution, en jugeant que ce serait un « très bon début pour les négociations » qui doivent reprendre entre Washington et Téhéran. « Aux dirigeants iraniens, qui vont bientôt négocier avec mes représentants: je serais très reconnaissant de la libération de ces femmes. (...) S'il vous plaît ne leur faites pas de mal! Ce serait un très bon début pour les négociations!!! », a écrit le président américain sur son réseau Truth Social en commentaire d'un message qu'il reproduit. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 21 avril 2026
Il est rare que je sois d'accord avec les décisions de Donald Trump, mais je soutiens sa demande de libération des femmes condamnées à mort en Iran. Cependant, je suis certain que M. Trump n'ignore pas qu'il y a actuellement environ 47 femmes dans le couloir de la mort aux États-Unis. Dès lors, ne devrait-il pas libérer ces femmes également ? Il pourrait même aller plus loin et exiger des Iraniens la libération de tous les homosexuels condamnés à mort. — © Mark Alexander
Donald Trump a demandé mardi aux dirigeants iraniens de « libérer » plusieurs femmes, selon lui menacées d'exécution, en jugeant que ce serait un « très bon début pour les négociations » qui doivent reprendre entre Washington et Téhéran. « Aux dirigeants iraniens, qui vont bientôt négocier avec mes représentants: je serais très reconnaissant de la libération de ces femmes. (...) S'il vous plaît ne leur faites pas de mal! Ce serait un très bon début pour les négociations!!! », a écrit le président américain sur son réseau Truth Social en commentaire d'un message qu'il reproduit. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 21 avril 2026
Il est rare que je sois d'accord avec les décisions de Donald Trump, mais je soutiens sa demande de libération des femmes condamnées à mort en Iran. Cependant, je suis certain que M. Trump n'ignore pas qu'il y a actuellement environ 47 femmes dans le couloir de la mort aux États-Unis. Dès lors, ne devrait-il pas libérer ces femmes également ? Il pourrait même aller plus loin et exiger des Iraniens la libération de tous les homosexuels condamnés à mort. — © Mark Alexander
For This Blog and Me, It’s a Red Letter Day!
MARK ALEXANDER: Early afternoon today, when I checked the visitor tally on Google, I was delighted to find that we have already well exceeded 9,000,000 visits. This, of course, delights me. This couldn’t have been achieved without YOU. For your loyalty and support, I thank you all kindly. Your loyalty and support are deeply appreciated. Naturally, I am already looking forward to clocking up the next million! With your help and support, we shall be able to achieve 10m soon.
Kind regards to all,
Mark
Kind regards to all,
Mark
EU’s Top Court Finds Hungary’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Breach of Key Values
THE GUARDIAN: ECJ says law passed in 2021 is discriminatory and ‘contrary to the identity of the union’, in early test for new PM
Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | A Pride parade in Budapest in July 2021, the year Hungary passed its so-called child protection law. Photograph: János Kummer/Getty Images
The EU’s highest court has found Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law to be discriminatory, stigmatising and in breach of basic democratic values, setting up an early test for the incoming government when it takes power next month.
In a wide-ranging judgment, the European court of justice said the 2021 law that bans content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and primetime TV was at odds with a society based on pluralism and fundamental rights, such as prohibition of discrimination and freedom of expression.
Péter Magyar won a landslide election victory last week after promising to root out corruption and improve living standards, but the incoming prime minister has been muted on whether he will roll back the anti-LGBTQ+ policies introduced by Viktor Orbán, who was defeated after 16 years in power.
He has vowed to “bring home” EU funds intended to help Hungary develop its economy, some of which were frozen over the anti-LGBTQ+ law. A larger part was suspended over risks to academic freedom, breaches of the right to asylum, and concerns about corruption and lack of judicial independence. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, April 21, 2026
The EU’s highest court has found Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law to be discriminatory, stigmatising and in breach of basic democratic values, setting up an early test for the incoming government when it takes power next month.
In a wide-ranging judgment, the European court of justice said the 2021 law that bans content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and primetime TV was at odds with a society based on pluralism and fundamental rights, such as prohibition of discrimination and freedom of expression.
Péter Magyar won a landslide election victory last week after promising to root out corruption and improve living standards, but the incoming prime minister has been muted on whether he will roll back the anti-LGBTQ+ policies introduced by Viktor Orbán, who was defeated after 16 years in power.
He has vowed to “bring home” EU funds intended to help Hungary develop its economy, some of which were frozen over the anti-LGBTQ+ law. A larger part was suspended over risks to academic freedom, breaches of the right to asylum, and concerns about corruption and lack of judicial independence. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Hungary's Magyar Says He Would Carry Out ICC Warrant against Netanyahu
El programa ‘Visión 2030’ de Arabia Saudita reevalúa sus prioridades
THE NEW YORK : Las autoridades de Arabia Saudita anunciaron una nueva estrategia para el fondo soberano del país, de aproximadamente 1 billón de dólares, y enfatizaron que en el futuro se centrarán en la “eficiencia”.
Imagen tomada de este artículo | El príncipe heredero saudí, Mohammed bin Salman, en Washington el pasado otoño. Los planes y ambiciones del príncipe han crecido más rápidamente que la capacidad financiera del Estado. | Credit... Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
Hace 10 años, un príncipe de 30 años llamado Mohammed bin Salman anunció planes ambiciosos para transformar Arabia Saudita, al declarar que pondría fin a su “adicción” al petróleo.
Desde entonces, una cascada de cambios ha sacudido el conservador reino islámico. Las mujeres —que antes tenían prohibido conducir— ahora conducen ellas mismas a sus trabajos como camareras, dependientas y capitalistas de riesgo. El desempleo ha disminuido a medida que los saudíes se incorporan a empleos de bajos ingresos que antes ocupaban extranjeros. Y la policía religiosa del reino prácticamente ha desaparecido.
Sin embargo, la dependencia de Arabia Saudita del petróleo ha resultado más difícil de superar. Cuando los precios del petróleo subieron en 2021 y 2022, aumentando los ingresos del gobierno, se produjo una avalancha de espléndidos proyectos: una ciudad de esquí de montaña, un rascacielos en forma de cubo, una nueva liga de golf. Y cuando, luego, los precios del petróleo cayeron, con lo que se puso a prueba las finanzas del gobierno, los funcionarios empezaron a buscar ahorros, cancelando, retrasando y reduciendo planes que habían resultado ser demasiado grandiosos. » | Por Vivian Nereim | Reportando desde Riad, Arabia Saudita | martes 21 de abril de 2026
Read in English.
Hace 10 años, un príncipe de 30 años llamado Mohammed bin Salman anunció planes ambiciosos para transformar Arabia Saudita, al declarar que pondría fin a su “adicción” al petróleo.
Desde entonces, una cascada de cambios ha sacudido el conservador reino islámico. Las mujeres —que antes tenían prohibido conducir— ahora conducen ellas mismas a sus trabajos como camareras, dependientas y capitalistas de riesgo. El desempleo ha disminuido a medida que los saudíes se incorporan a empleos de bajos ingresos que antes ocupaban extranjeros. Y la policía religiosa del reino prácticamente ha desaparecido.
Sin embargo, la dependencia de Arabia Saudita del petróleo ha resultado más difícil de superar. Cuando los precios del petróleo subieron en 2021 y 2022, aumentando los ingresos del gobierno, se produjo una avalancha de espléndidos proyectos: una ciudad de esquí de montaña, un rascacielos en forma de cubo, una nueva liga de golf. Y cuando, luego, los precios del petróleo cayeron, con lo que se puso a prueba las finanzas del gobierno, los funcionarios empezaron a buscar ahorros, cancelando, retrasando y reduciendo planes que habían resultado ser demasiado grandiosos. » | Por Vivian Nereim | Reportando desde Riad, Arabia Saudita | martes 21 de abril de 2026
Read in English.
Sicherheitsexperte Neumann sieht Trump in Sackgasse und warnt vor massiven Folgen | ntv
Apr 21, 2026 | Neumann: USA in der Klemme
Kaum geöffnet, schon wieder dicht: Die Straße von Hormus sorgt erneut für Chaos. Der Politikwissenschaftler und Sicherheitsexperte Peter Neumann warnt vor massiven Folgen - von steigenden Ölpreisen bis hin zu einer möglichen Weltwirtschaftskrise - und sieht Trump in einer Sackgasse.
Kaum geöffnet, schon wieder dicht: Die Straße von Hormus sorgt erneut für Chaos. Der Politikwissenschaftler und Sicherheitsexperte Peter Neumann warnt vor massiven Folgen - von steigenden Ölpreisen bis hin zu einer möglichen Weltwirtschaftskrise - und sieht Trump in einer Sackgasse.
King Charles Pays Tribute to Queen Elizabeth on What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday
MADAME FIGARO : Le vibrant hommage de Charles III à la reine Elizabeth II, sa «chère maman», pour les 100 ans de sa naissance : Elizabeth II aurait eu 100 ans ce mardi 21 avril. Pour l’occasion, son fils, le roi Charles III, lui a rendu un vibrant hommage, se souvenant «d’une souveraine qui comptait tant pour nous tous». »
Ingénieur, champion de natation... Qui est John Ternus, l’homme qui va succéder à Tim Cook à la tête d’Apple ?
LE FIGARO : PORTRAIT - Cet ingénieur quinquagénaire, entré dans le groupe californien en 2001, a vu ses missions évoluer en 2025 et a été davantage mis en avant dans les conférences d’Apple.
De l’ombre à la lumière. Depuis l’automne dernier, son nom est sur toutes les lèvres dans la Silicon Valley. John Ternus, vice-président senior de l’ingénierie produit d’Apple, va succéder en septembre prochain à Tim Cook à la tête du groupe, selon un communiqué de la firme publié lundi soir.
Après quatorze ans à la tête de la firme à la pomme, celui qui avait succédé en 2011 à Steve Jobs quelques mois avant sa disparition va donc passer le flambeau à la fin de l’été 2026. Tim Cook va devenir président du conseil d’administration. » | Par Keren Lentschner | lundi 20 avril 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Related article here.
De l’ombre à la lumière. Depuis l’automne dernier, son nom est sur toutes les lèvres dans la Silicon Valley. John Ternus, vice-président senior de l’ingénierie produit d’Apple, va succéder en septembre prochain à Tim Cook à la tête du groupe, selon un communiqué de la firme publié lundi soir.
Après quatorze ans à la tête de la firme à la pomme, celui qui avait succédé en 2011 à Steve Jobs quelques mois avant sa disparition va donc passer le flambeau à la fin de l’été 2026. Tim Cook va devenir président du conseil d’administration. » | Par Keren Lentschner | lundi 20 avril 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Related article here.
Strategic Autonomy: Can Europe Break Free from the US?
Aug 20, 2026 | Europe is reassessing its place in a rapidly destabilizing world.
A stark warning from Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney — that reliance on the United States has become a “weakness” — is now echoing across Europe, where leaders are confronting growing uncertainty about Washington’s long-term commitments.
At a key meeting in Poland, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk discussed deeper defense cooperation, including nuclear deterrence coordination and joint military projects.
The push reflects a broader debate over “strategic autonomy” — Europe’s ability to defend itself and act independently on the global stage — as tensions with Russia persist and divisions widen over conflicts such as the war involving Iran.
But how realistic is Europe’s ambition to become a true geopolitical power? And can it reduce its dependence on the United States without weakening its own security?
We speak to Steven Everts, director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies.
A stark warning from Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney — that reliance on the United States has become a “weakness” — is now echoing across Europe, where leaders are confronting growing uncertainty about Washington’s long-term commitments.
At a key meeting in Poland, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk discussed deeper defense cooperation, including nuclear deterrence coordination and joint military projects.
The push reflects a broader debate over “strategic autonomy” — Europe’s ability to defend itself and act independently on the global stage — as tensions with Russia persist and divisions widen over conflicts such as the war involving Iran.
But how realistic is Europe’s ambition to become a true geopolitical power? And can it reduce its dependence on the United States without weakening its own security?
We speak to Steven Everts, director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies.
Liebe im Schatten des Krieges – Remarque & Dietrich | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE
Apr 18, 2026 | In seinem Welterfolg "Arc de Triomphe" verarbeitete der Schriftsteller Erich Maria Remarque seine eigenen Exilerfahrungen und die folgenreiche Begegnung mit Marlene Dietrich. Die Dokumentation rekonstruiert die bewegende Entstehungsgeschichte dieses stark autobiografischen Romans, der heute als ein Schlüsselwerk der europäischen Exilliteratur gilt.
Was bedeuten Flucht und Vertreibung für die Betroffenen? Das beschreibt der Bestsellerautor Erich Maria Remarque in seinem zweiten großen Welterfolg ʺArc de Triompheʺ. Der Roman erzählt die Liebesgeschichte eines verfolgten deutschen Emigranten, der unmittelbar vor Ausbruch des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Paris eine geheimnisvolle Frau trifft. Eine Amour fou, wie Remarque sie selbst mit der Hollywood-Diva Marlene Dietrich erlebt hat – und zwar zu einer Zeit, in der ein Leben im faschistischen Deutschland für beide Weltstars ausgeschlossen war.
Die Dokumentation rekonstruiert die Parallelen zwischen dieser realen Liebesgeschichte und der fiktiven im Roman. In ʺArc de Triompheʺ verarbeitet Remarque nicht nur den Schmerz seines eigenen Heimatverlusts, sondern auch seine über zehn Jahre währende, aufreibende Beziehung zu Marlene Dietrich. Entlang der Lebensstationen des Paares und auf der Grundlage von biografischen und historischen Dokumenten sowie Filmausschnitten – 1947 wurde ʺArc de Triompheʺ in Hollywood mit Starbesetzung verfilmt – begibt sich der Film auf eine mitreißende Zeitreise.
Von Paris und Antibes nach Los Angeles und New York rekonstruiert er die Entstehungsgeschichte dieses stark autobiografischen Romans, der heute als Schlüsselwerk der europäischen Exilliteratur gilt – als literarisches Vermächtnis einer langjährigen Leidenschaft zweier Weltstars.
Dokumentation von Hedwig Schmutte und Rolf Lambert (Deutschland 2025, 53 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 30/06/2026
Was bedeuten Flucht und Vertreibung für die Betroffenen? Das beschreibt der Bestsellerautor Erich Maria Remarque in seinem zweiten großen Welterfolg ʺArc de Triompheʺ. Der Roman erzählt die Liebesgeschichte eines verfolgten deutschen Emigranten, der unmittelbar vor Ausbruch des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Paris eine geheimnisvolle Frau trifft. Eine Amour fou, wie Remarque sie selbst mit der Hollywood-Diva Marlene Dietrich erlebt hat – und zwar zu einer Zeit, in der ein Leben im faschistischen Deutschland für beide Weltstars ausgeschlossen war.
Die Dokumentation rekonstruiert die Parallelen zwischen dieser realen Liebesgeschichte und der fiktiven im Roman. In ʺArc de Triompheʺ verarbeitet Remarque nicht nur den Schmerz seines eigenen Heimatverlusts, sondern auch seine über zehn Jahre währende, aufreibende Beziehung zu Marlene Dietrich. Entlang der Lebensstationen des Paares und auf der Grundlage von biografischen und historischen Dokumenten sowie Filmausschnitten – 1947 wurde ʺArc de Triompheʺ in Hollywood mit Starbesetzung verfilmt – begibt sich der Film auf eine mitreißende Zeitreise.
Von Paris und Antibes nach Los Angeles und New York rekonstruiert er die Entstehungsgeschichte dieses stark autobiografischen Romans, der heute als Schlüsselwerk der europäischen Exilliteratur gilt – als literarisches Vermächtnis einer langjährigen Leidenschaft zweier Weltstars.
Dokumentation von Hedwig Schmutte und Rolf Lambert (Deutschland 2025, 53 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 30/06/2026
Monday, April 20, 2026
«Notre politique étrangère est en totale déconfiture» : Israël face à l’érosion du soutien occidental
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE – En quelques mois, l’État hébreu a vu ses relations se dégrader simultanément avec l’Europe et les États-Unis. Un basculement stratégique qui fragilise Israël.
En quelques mois, Israël a vu se fissurer deux piliers de sa diplomatie : l’Europe, qui durcit le ton, et les États-Unis, où le soutien s’effrite dans l’opinion. Jamais la relation entre Israël et l’Europe n’a semblé aussi abîmée. Le signal le plus fort est venu de Madrid. Mardi, l’Espagne doit demander à l’Union européenne de rompre son accord d’association avec Israël, en vigueur depuis 2000 et conditionné au respect des droits humains.
Les relations entre Israël et le Vieux Continent ont durablement été abîmées depuis le début de la guerre à Gaza, mais, ces derniers jours, les mesures hostiles à l’État hébreu se sont multipliées et accélérées. La France a interdit le survol de son espace aérien aux avions américains transportant des munitions à destination d’Israël. En Hongrie, le nouveau premier ministre, Péter Magyar – qui a remplacé Viktor Orban, aux positions très pro-Israël – a annoncé vouloir réexaminer la relation avec l’État hébreu au cas par cas. Même Giorgia Meloni – pourtant réputée proche de Benyamin Netanyahou – a suspendu le renouvellement automatique d’un accord de défense. « Jamais depuis les années 1980 les relations avec l’Europe n’ont été aussi mauvaises », tranche l’ancien diplomate Yigal Palmor. » | Par Stanislas Poyet, correspondant à Jérusalem | lundi 20 avril 2026
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En quelques mois, Israël a vu se fissurer deux piliers de sa diplomatie : l’Europe, qui durcit le ton, et les États-Unis, où le soutien s’effrite dans l’opinion. Jamais la relation entre Israël et l’Europe n’a semblé aussi abîmée. Le signal le plus fort est venu de Madrid. Mardi, l’Espagne doit demander à l’Union européenne de rompre son accord d’association avec Israël, en vigueur depuis 2000 et conditionné au respect des droits humains.
Les relations entre Israël et le Vieux Continent ont durablement été abîmées depuis le début de la guerre à Gaza, mais, ces derniers jours, les mesures hostiles à l’État hébreu se sont multipliées et accélérées. La France a interdit le survol de son espace aérien aux avions américains transportant des munitions à destination d’Israël. En Hongrie, le nouveau premier ministre, Péter Magyar – qui a remplacé Viktor Orban, aux positions très pro-Israël – a annoncé vouloir réexaminer la relation avec l’État hébreu au cas par cas. Même Giorgia Meloni – pourtant réputée proche de Benyamin Netanyahou – a suspendu le renouvellement automatique d’un accord de défense. « Jamais depuis les années 1980 les relations avec l’Europe n’ont été aussi mauvaises », tranche l’ancien diplomate Yigal Palmor. » | Par Stanislas Poyet, correspondant à Jérusalem | lundi 20 avril 2026
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Tim Cook Will Step Down as Apple C.E.O.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The longtime leader of the iPhone maker will be replaced by John Ternus, the company’s head of hardware engineering.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said on Monday that he would step down after nearly 15 years running an operation that rode the wild popularity of the iPhone to become one of the most influential and valuable companies in the world.
Mr. Cook, 65, will move into a new role as Apple’s executive chairman in September and be succeeded in the company’s corner office by John Ternus, the 50-year-old head of Apple’s hardware engineering.
The retirement of Mr. Cook will end one of the most successful management runs in the history of American business. During his tenure, Apple’s annual profit quadrupled to more than $110 billion, while its value ballooned more than tenfold to $4 trillion.
Mr. Cook replaced the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs shortly before Mr. Jobs’s death in 2011, having earned a reputation for perfecting the nuts and bolts of a global consumer electronics business. Apple has since defined how a modern technology company operates, with products assembled in a supply chain that stretches from the giant operations that Mr. Cook helped create in China to India and Brazil and a popular retail business that operates on five continents. » | Kalley Huang and Tripp Mickle | Reporting from San Francisco | Monday, April 20, 2026
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said on Monday that he would step down after nearly 15 years running an operation that rode the wild popularity of the iPhone to become one of the most influential and valuable companies in the world.
Mr. Cook, 65, will move into a new role as Apple’s executive chairman in September and be succeeded in the company’s corner office by John Ternus, the 50-year-old head of Apple’s hardware engineering.
The retirement of Mr. Cook will end one of the most successful management runs in the history of American business. During his tenure, Apple’s annual profit quadrupled to more than $110 billion, while its value ballooned more than tenfold to $4 trillion.
Mr. Cook replaced the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs shortly before Mr. Jobs’s death in 2011, having earned a reputation for perfecting the nuts and bolts of a global consumer electronics business. Apple has since defined how a modern technology company operates, with products assembled in a supply chain that stretches from the giant operations that Mr. Cook helped create in China to India and Brazil and a popular retail business that operates on five continents. » | Kalley Huang and Tripp Mickle | Reporting from San Francisco | Monday, April 20, 2026
Israeli Soldier Destroys Jesus Statue in Lebanon | BBC News
Apr 20, 2026 | There has been widespread condemnation after an image of an Israeli soldier apparently hitting a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon went viral.
Israel's prime minister said he was "stunned and saddened”. Its foreign minister said: "We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt."
Locals say the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel, one of the few villages where residents have remained during Israel's war with Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it viewed the incident "with great severity and emphasises that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops".
Israel's prime minister said he was "stunned and saddened”. Its foreign minister said: "We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt."
Locals say the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel, one of the few villages where residents have remained during Israel's war with Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it viewed the incident "with great severity and emphasises that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops".
Trump Has No 'Endgame' In Iran Conflict | Anne Applebaum
Apr 20, 2026 | “He’s always been somebody who in many ways has been unfit to be president.”
Donald Trump does not “think strategically” which is why he began the war in Iran without a clear set of goals, says Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and historian Anne Applebaum.
Donald Trump does not “think strategically” which is why he began the war in Iran without a clear set of goals, says Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and historian Anne Applebaum.
Prix cassés, plages désertes, hôtels fermés pour rénovation… À Dubaï, le tourisme à l’arrêt à cause du conflit au Moyen-Orient
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - La vitrine touristique du Golfe s’adapte difficilement au manque de clientèle étrangère depuis fin février.
Des spaghettis au caviar, les pieds dans le sable, dans un restaurant presque désert. Inga Brykulska, qui partage sa vie dubaïote à 10 000 followers sur Instagram, ne boude pas son plaisir. « Les hôtels et les plages privées multiplient les offres pour faire venir les clients, raconte cette trentenaire, directrice d’une agence immobilière spécialisée dans le luxe. Avant la guerre, c’était une lutte pour trouver une place dans les bons restaurants de la ville. Les prix étaient exorbitants, il n’y avait pas de place. Aujourd’hui on trouve la table que l’on souhaite à n’importe quel moment. »
Dubaï, même pendant le conflit au Moyen-Orient, n’a rien perdu de son côté bling-bling. La vitrine touristique du Golfe avait accueilli 19,6 millions de visiteurs internationaux l’an passé, un record. Depuis fin février, elle se désespère de ne plus attirer aucun visiteur étranger. Pas question de faire la promotion d’une destination située au cœur d’une région déconseillée aux voyageurs, sauf pour raisons impératives. L’Émirat vit au ralenti, avec pour seul soulagement l’été qui arrive : c’est traditionnellement la basse saison, les grosses chaleurs faisant fuir les touristes. » | Par Mathilde Visseyrias et Jorge Carasso | lundi 20 avril 2026
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Des spaghettis au caviar, les pieds dans le sable, dans un restaurant presque désert. Inga Brykulska, qui partage sa vie dubaïote à 10 000 followers sur Instagram, ne boude pas son plaisir. « Les hôtels et les plages privées multiplient les offres pour faire venir les clients, raconte cette trentenaire, directrice d’une agence immobilière spécialisée dans le luxe. Avant la guerre, c’était une lutte pour trouver une place dans les bons restaurants de la ville. Les prix étaient exorbitants, il n’y avait pas de place. Aujourd’hui on trouve la table que l’on souhaite à n’importe quel moment. »
Dubaï, même pendant le conflit au Moyen-Orient, n’a rien perdu de son côté bling-bling. La vitrine touristique du Golfe avait accueilli 19,6 millions de visiteurs internationaux l’an passé, un record. Depuis fin février, elle se désespère de ne plus attirer aucun visiteur étranger. Pas question de faire la promotion d’une destination située au cœur d’une région déconseillée aux voyageurs, sauf pour raisons impératives. L’Émirat vit au ralenti, avec pour seul soulagement l’été qui arrive : c’est traditionnellement la basse saison, les grosses chaleurs faisant fuir les touristes. » | Par Mathilde Visseyrias et Jorge Carasso | lundi 20 avril 2026
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Steve Schmidt: Kash Patel Is Dangerous
Related articles here.
How Trump's Speech Reveals Signs of Dementia: Psychologist | The Daily Beast Podcast Livestream
Apr 6, 2026 | Dr. John Gartner joins Joanna Coles for a livestream to examine a new round of Donald Trump’s late-night Truth Social outbursts, including a bizarre Easter Sunday post about Iran and a 1 a.m. attack on the Supreme Court that critics say reads as increasingly erratic.
Gartner, a psychologist and former Johns Hopkins University Medical School professor, breaks down what Trump’s language, fragmented phrasing, and escalating tone may reveal about cognition, impulse control, and stress, as other physicians publicly warn about possible signs of decline.
Gartner, a psychologist and former Johns Hopkins University Medical School professor, breaks down what Trump’s language, fragmented phrasing, and escalating tone may reveal about cognition, impulse control, and stress, as other physicians publicly warn about possible signs of decline.
Convoqué ce lundi devant la justice française, Elon Musk ne s’est pas présenté
LE FIGARO : L’homme d’affaires américain était convoqué ce lundi à Paris en audition libre dans le cadre d’une enquête sur de possibles dérives de son réseau social X.
Elon Musk, convoqué en audition libre à Paris dans le cadre d'une enquête sur de possibles dérives de son réseau social X, ne s'est pas présenté devant la justice française, a déclaré le parquet, sollicité par l'AFP, confirmant une information du Canard enchaîné. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | kundi 20 avril 2026
Elon Musk, convoqué en audition libre à Paris dans le cadre d'une enquête sur de possibles dérives de son réseau social X, ne s'est pas présenté devant la justice française, a déclaré le parquet, sollicité par l'AFP, confirmant une information du Canard enchaîné. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | kundi 20 avril 2026
'Mounting Questions' Over the State of Trump's Health | Former Ambassador
Apr 20, 2026 | “His judgement was always pretty shaky but he’s taken some terrible decisions in the course of the last few months.”
Former UK Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Darroch says there is “a lot of talk” in the American media about Donald Trump’s health since he is “certainly not physically or indeed mentally the man he was in his first term”.
Former UK Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Darroch says there is “a lot of talk” in the American media about Donald Trump’s health since he is “certainly not physically or indeed mentally the man he was in his first term”.
Democracy Now! "Into the Wood Chipper": Whistleblower's Inside Story of DOGE Shredding USAID, 14 Million May Die
Apr 16, 2026 | A new book tells the inside story of the second Trump administration's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID. Its author, Nicholas Enrich, worked at USAID for over a decade before he was pushed out of the agency in early 2025, when the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency summarily cut its staff and funding. An estimated 14 million people are projected to die "unnecessarily" over the next five years due to these cuts, and nearly a million, mostly children, already have, says Enrich. His new memoir, "Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID," is named after one of Musk's social media posts from that period, when the South African billionaire wrote, "We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper."
Since its establishment in 1961, USAID has saved the lives of tens of millions around the world by treating and preventing serious health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, malaria and more. By slashing the agency, the U.S. "pulled the rug out from under people around the world," says Enrich. "We broke promises to millions who were relying on USAID services, and left them hanging out to dry. We broke promises to governments and broke partnerships that will have lasting effects for years to come."
Trump and his cronies are wicked, evil people, as are those who were engaged in DOGE. These people are going to burn in Hell. — © Mark Alexander
Since its establishment in 1961, USAID has saved the lives of tens of millions around the world by treating and preventing serious health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, malaria and more. By slashing the agency, the U.S. "pulled the rug out from under people around the world," says Enrich. "We broke promises to millions who were relying on USAID services, and left them hanging out to dry. We broke promises to governments and broke partnerships that will have lasting effects for years to come."
Trump and his cronies are wicked, evil people, as are those who were engaged in DOGE. These people are going to burn in Hell. — © Mark Alexander
The Insider Trading Suspicions Looming Over Trump's Presidency | BBC News
Apr 20, 2026 | Throughout US President Donald Trump's second term in office, traders have been betting millions of dollars just before he makes major announcements.
The BBC has found a consistent pattern of spikes in trades and finical markets just hours, or sometimes minutes, before the president's most significant market-moving statements were made public.
Some analysts say it bears the hallmarks of illegal insider trading, whereby bets are made by people based on information that is not available to the general public.
While others say that some traders have become more adept at anticipating the president's interventions.
The BBC has found a consistent pattern of spikes in trades and finical markets just hours, or sometimes minutes, before the president's most significant market-moving statements were made public.
Some analysts say it bears the hallmarks of illegal insider trading, whereby bets are made by people based on information that is not available to the general public.
While others say that some traders have become more adept at anticipating the president's interventions.
Donald Trump : Psychiatric Emergency Continues (April 17, 2026)
L'Iran exécute deux hommes condamnés pour des liens avec le Mossad
LE FIGARO : Les deux hommes étaient « membres d’un réseau d’espionnage lié au Mossad », le service de renseignement israélien. Ils ont été condamnés pour le crime de « guerre contre Dieu» et pour «collaboration avec des groupes hostiles et le régime sioniste ».
L'Iran a exécuté lundi deux hommes condamnés pour des liens avec les services de renseignement israéliens, a annoncé la justice, dernière exécution d'une série depuis le début de la guerre avec Israël et les États-Unis. « Les peines de mort de Mohammad Masoom-shahi et Hamed Validi ont été appliquées à l'aube », a indiqué le site Mizan Online, organe du pouvoir judiciaire. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 20 avril 2026
L'Iran a exécuté lundi deux hommes condamnés pour des liens avec les services de renseignement israéliens, a annoncé la justice, dernière exécution d'une série depuis le début de la guerre avec Israël et les États-Unis. « Les peines de mort de Mohammad Masoom-shahi et Hamed Validi ont été appliquées à l'aube », a indiqué le site Mizan Online, organe du pouvoir judiciaire. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 20 avril 2026
Iran Vows Retaliation for U.S. Attack on Cargo Ship
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump said that a U.S. Navy destroyer had fired on an Iran-flagged vessel that was trying to evade a blockade. He also said an American delegation was heading to Pakistan for more peace talks, but an Iranian official said there were “no plans” for negotiations.
Iran on Monday toughened its threats to retaliate after the United States attacked and seized an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, an escalation that put pressure on the fragile cease-fire set to expire this week.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman also said Monday that there were “no plans” in place for the next round of peace talks in Pakistan, even as President Trump said American negotiators would arrive in the country in the evening for a second round of negotiations since the two-week truce went into effect on April 8. A White House official said Vice President JD Vance was expected to lead the delegation.
Esmail Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, accused the United States of engaging in actions that in “no way demonstrate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” according to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.
The comments from Iran echoed similar rhetoric from the run-up to the first round of talks, which took place over a week ago and ended without an agreement to end the war. At the time, Iran’s top negotiator had cast doubt on the negotiations even taking place just hours before the Iranian delegation arrived in Pakistan.
A U.S. Navy destroyer fired on the Iranian cargo ship on Sunday after it defied a weeklong American blockade of Iran’s ports, Mr. Trump said. Marines were searching the ship as officials weighed whether to tow it to Oman, a U.S. official said.
Iran’s armed forces warned that they would soon retaliate against the United States for what they called “armed piracy,” according to Tasnim, a semiofficial Iranian news agency. Iran War Live Updates » | Tyler Pager, Shirin Hakim, Sanam Mahoozi, Rebecca F. Elliott and Aaron Boxerman | Monday, April 20, 2026
Iran on Monday toughened its threats to retaliate after the United States attacked and seized an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, an escalation that put pressure on the fragile cease-fire set to expire this week.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman also said Monday that there were “no plans” in place for the next round of peace talks in Pakistan, even as President Trump said American negotiators would arrive in the country in the evening for a second round of negotiations since the two-week truce went into effect on April 8. A White House official said Vice President JD Vance was expected to lead the delegation.
Esmail Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, accused the United States of engaging in actions that in “no way demonstrate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” according to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.
The comments from Iran echoed similar rhetoric from the run-up to the first round of talks, which took place over a week ago and ended without an agreement to end the war. At the time, Iran’s top negotiator had cast doubt on the negotiations even taking place just hours before the Iranian delegation arrived in Pakistan.
A U.S. Navy destroyer fired on the Iranian cargo ship on Sunday after it defied a weeklong American blockade of Iran’s ports, Mr. Trump said. Marines were searching the ship as officials weighed whether to tow it to Oman, a U.S. official said.
Iran’s armed forces warned that they would soon retaliate against the United States for what they called “armed piracy,” according to Tasnim, a semiofficial Iranian news agency. Iran War Live Updates » | Tyler Pager, Shirin Hakim, Sanam Mahoozi, Rebecca F. Elliott and Aaron Boxerman | Monday, April 20, 2026
Steve Rosenberg: Who Are the Kremlin's Friends in the West?
Trump’s Presidency Is What Evil Looks Like: Absurd, Frightening, Cruel
THE GUARDIAN — OPINION: Commentators have said that the US president’s clownishness and lack of ideology somehow make him less dangerous. They’re wrong
Over the past few weeks, a random kaleidoscope of images has been flashing through my head. Some are characters from movies not seen since childhood. Others are snippets from literature or iconic art. What joins them all is an exaggerated, almost kitschy evil.
These images seem to be standing in for the real carnage my brain is trying to process: the bodies pulled from the rubble in Gaza, a school full of young pupils blown apart in Iran. The more than 1 million people in southern Lebanon expelled en masse from their homes. (Alex in the film of A Clockwork Orange appears, eyes clamped open as liquid is dripped into them, unable to blink away what is scorching his vision.)
What is so bewildering about the cruelty is how it has been allowed to pass, its casualness. Donald Trump hovers above the circus of death and chaos. (Billy, the clown-faced puppet in Saw, pops up rasping, “I want to play a game”.) Trump defies attempts to make his actions cohere with any particular strategy. His wars, killing of innocents, and indeed, the threatening of entire civilisations are reshaping the world, but without him even having orchestrated some master plan. He is animated by little more than momentary impulses and resentments. » | Nesrine Malik | Monday, April 20, 2026
It must surely have dawned by now on all sensible Americans that the man who leads them is not presidential material! The man is too unstable to be a politician, still less a political leader. That this man is supposed to be the leader of the free world, the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, and entrusted with the nuclear codes is more than just alarming, it is terrifying! The powers-that-be should remove this man from the White House immediately! — © Mark Alexander
Over the past few weeks, a random kaleidoscope of images has been flashing through my head. Some are characters from movies not seen since childhood. Others are snippets from literature or iconic art. What joins them all is an exaggerated, almost kitschy evil.
These images seem to be standing in for the real carnage my brain is trying to process: the bodies pulled from the rubble in Gaza, a school full of young pupils blown apart in Iran. The more than 1 million people in southern Lebanon expelled en masse from their homes. (Alex in the film of A Clockwork Orange appears, eyes clamped open as liquid is dripped into them, unable to blink away what is scorching his vision.)
What is so bewildering about the cruelty is how it has been allowed to pass, its casualness. Donald Trump hovers above the circus of death and chaos. (Billy, the clown-faced puppet in Saw, pops up rasping, “I want to play a game”.) Trump defies attempts to make his actions cohere with any particular strategy. His wars, killing of innocents, and indeed, the threatening of entire civilisations are reshaping the world, but without him even having orchestrated some master plan. He is animated by little more than momentary impulses and resentments. » | Nesrine Malik | Monday, April 20, 2026
It must surely have dawned by now on all sensible Americans that the man who leads them is not presidential material! The man is too unstable to be a politician, still less a political leader. That this man is supposed to be the leader of the free world, the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, and entrusted with the nuclear codes is more than just alarming, it is terrifying! The powers-that-be should remove this man from the White House immediately! — © Mark Alexander
I Know Why Trump’s ‘Mad King’ Act Is Spiralling | The Daily Beast Podcast
Apr 19, 2026 | Joanna Coles welcomes back Kurt Andersen to dissect what he argues may be Donald Trump’s most unhinged week yet, from surreal AI depictions casting himself as Jesus to a deepening spiral of contradictions, conspiracies, and political theatre that even long-time observers find startling.
Drawing on decades of watching Trump up close, Andersen revives his now-infamous “Venn diagram” of lies, ignorance, and instability—warning that the overlap is expanding in real time—while unpacking the bizarre collision of religion, ego, and power now shaping the MAGA movement.
The conversation covers the Pope’s unexpectedly deft pushback to the growing discomfort inside Trump’s own coalition, before zeroing in on RFK Jr.’s chaotic tenure, public health fallout, and a trail of denials that mirror Trump’s own reality-warping playbook.
As cabinet figures manoeuvre, allies hedge, and whispers of exits and fractures grow louder, Andersen paints a picture of a political universe edging toward something far more volatile than spectacle.
Drawing on decades of watching Trump up close, Andersen revives his now-infamous “Venn diagram” of lies, ignorance, and instability—warning that the overlap is expanding in real time—while unpacking the bizarre collision of religion, ego, and power now shaping the MAGA movement.
The conversation covers the Pope’s unexpectedly deft pushback to the growing discomfort inside Trump’s own coalition, before zeroing in on RFK Jr.’s chaotic tenure, public health fallout, and a trail of denials that mirror Trump’s own reality-warping playbook.
As cabinet figures manoeuvre, allies hedge, and whispers of exits and fractures grow louder, Andersen paints a picture of a political universe edging toward something far more volatile than spectacle.
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