Sunday, May 10, 2026
He Ended Orbán’s Grip on Power — Can Péter Magyar Change Hungary? | DW News
Danish Rightwing Leader Asked to Form Government after Frederiksen Fails to Form Coalition
THE GUARDIAN: Denmark’s king asks Troels Lund Poulsen to form government after PM struggles to gather support
The king of Denmark has asked a centre-right politician to try to form a new government after the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has failed to put together a ruling coalition.
The announcement on Friday night shook the political establishment as Frederiksen has been a staple of Danish politics for decades. Her left-leaning party, the Social Democrats, won the plurality of votes in parliamentary elections in March.
But despite winning the most votes, it was the Social Democrats’ worst electoral showing since 1903 and no party won a majority. » | William Christou | Saturday, May 9, 2026
The king of Denmark has asked a centre-right politician to try to form a new government after the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has failed to put together a ruling coalition.
The announcement on Friday night shook the political establishment as Frederiksen has been a staple of Danish politics for decades. Her left-leaning party, the Social Democrats, won the plurality of votes in parliamentary elections in March.
But despite winning the most votes, it was the Social Democrats’ worst electoral showing since 1903 and no party won a majority. » | William Christou | Saturday, May 9, 2026
Vladimir Putin Suggests Ukraine War Is ‘Coming to an End’
THE GUARDIAN: Russian president damns western support that has allowed Ukraine to hold out and asks for talks with Gerhard Schröder in remarks after diminished Victory Day parade
Vladimir Putin has said he thinks the Ukraine war is winding down – remarks that came a few hours after he had vowed to defeat Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.
“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since the second world war. He said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany’s former chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s economy. Russia’s relations with Europe are worse than at any time since the depths of the cold war.
Russian forces have so far been unable to take the whole of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine where Kyiv’s forces have been pushed back to a line of fortress cities. Russian advances have slowed this year, though Moscow controls just under one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Sunday, May 10, 2026
Vladimir Putin has said he thinks the Ukraine war is winding down – remarks that came a few hours after he had vowed to defeat Ukraine at Moscow’s most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.
“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since the second world war. He said he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, and that his preferred negotiating partner would be Germany’s former chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s economy. Russia’s relations with Europe are worse than at any time since the depths of the cold war.
Russian forces have so far been unable to take the whole of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine where Kyiv’s forces have been pushed back to a line of fortress cities. Russian advances have slowed this year, though Moscow controls just under one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Sunday, May 10, 2026
Why Welsh Voters Turned Their Backs on the Labour Party after 100 Years
THE GUARDIAN: Disregard from UK Labour and struggling public services are just some of reasons behind ‘astonishing’ collapse
This screenshot has been taken from this Guardian article. | Former first minister Eluned Morgan became the first leader of a government in the UK to lose their seat while in office. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
By Friday night, Keir Starmer and much of the Westminster Labour group were quietly relieved that the local election results in England hadn’t been quite as bad as feared. In Wales, however, Labour’s collapse in the Senedd was even more total than the most pessimistic predictions.
For more than 100 years, Welsh Labour was the democratic world’s most successful election-winning machine, but the political behemoth limped into third place this week with just nine seats in a 96-seat parliament. A new chapter in Wales’s political and cultural history has opened: pro-independence Plaid Cymru is set to form a minority government.
“For those of us who’ve only known Labour domination … the fact that it could collapse with such dramatic completeness – it’s quite hard to convey the shock. It was just astonishing. Labour was absolutely mullered,” said Richard Wyn Jones, the director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University.
“We’ve known Labour was in deep trouble in the post-industrial valleys … but the fact that Plaid could win half of the 12 seats in Cardiff? Genuinely everywhere you look, it’s hard to identify any solid territory they can actually rebuild on.” » | Bethan McKernan and Jamie Grierson | Saturday, May 9, 2026
By Friday night, Keir Starmer and much of the Westminster Labour group were quietly relieved that the local election results in England hadn’t been quite as bad as feared. In Wales, however, Labour’s collapse in the Senedd was even more total than the most pessimistic predictions.
For more than 100 years, Welsh Labour was the democratic world’s most successful election-winning machine, but the political behemoth limped into third place this week with just nine seats in a 96-seat parliament. A new chapter in Wales’s political and cultural history has opened: pro-independence Plaid Cymru is set to form a minority government.
“For those of us who’ve only known Labour domination … the fact that it could collapse with such dramatic completeness – it’s quite hard to convey the shock. It was just astonishing. Labour was absolutely mullered,” said Richard Wyn Jones, the director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University.
“We’ve known Labour was in deep trouble in the post-industrial valleys … but the fact that Plaid could win half of the 12 seats in Cardiff? Genuinely everywhere you look, it’s hard to identify any solid territory they can actually rebuild on.” » | Bethan McKernan and Jamie Grierson | Saturday, May 9, 2026
Saturday, May 09, 2026
Brésil : la Cour suprême suspend l'application d'une loi réduisant la peine de l’ancien président Jair Bolsonaro
LE FIGARO : Ce texte, adopté en décembre par un Parlement à forte majorité conservatrice, avait été censuré par le président de gauche Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva le mois suivant.
Un juge de la Cour suprême du Brésil a suspendu samedi l'application d'une loi prévoyant la réduction de la peine de prison de l'ex-président d'extrême droite Jair Bolsonaro, tant que des recours contre ce texte n'auront pas été examinés. Dans un document auquel l'AFP a eu accès, le juge Alexandre de Moraes a ordonné la « suspension de l'application de la loi » au nom de la « sécurité juridique », jusqu'à ce que des recours remettant en cause la « constitutionnalité » de cette loi soient traités en séance plénière par la Cour suprême.
Ce texte, adopté en décembre par un Parlement à forte majorité conservatrice, avait été censuré par le président de gauche Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva le mois suivant. Mais les parlementaires ont annulé ce veto présidentiel fin avril et la loi a finalement été promulguée vendredi. En septembre, Jair Bolsonaro a été condamné à 27 ans de réclusion par la Cour suprême, qui l'a reconnu coupable d'avoir conspiré pour se maintenir au pouvoir malgré sa défaite électorale face à Lula en 2022. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 9 mai 2026
Why Bizarre Melania Moves Have White House Alarmed | Inside Trump's Head
May 9, 2026 | Michael Wolff and Joanna Coles unpack a strange new chapter in the Trump orbit as Melania Trump publishes a cliché-ridden Mother’s Day op-ed, sparking questions about whether the first lady is quietly building a business identity separate from Donald Trump himself.
From Melania’s “strategic absences” and growing concerns within White House to Wolff’s update on his legal battle with the first lady, the discussion moves through media capitulation, Trump’s escalating attacks on ABC and the press, and a startling Virginia court decision that could reshape the 2026 midterms by giving Republicans a major structural advantage.
The episode also explores Britain’s political upheaval under the rise of Nigel Farage, mounting fears that Trump can manipulate the electoral system despite worsening political headwinds, and the eerie details surrounding Epstein’s death and purported suicide note, which Wolff says sounded disturbingly Trumpian.
From Melania’s “strategic absences” and growing concerns within White House to Wolff’s update on his legal battle with the first lady, the discussion moves through media capitulation, Trump’s escalating attacks on ABC and the press, and a startling Virginia court decision that could reshape the 2026 midterms by giving Republicans a major structural advantage.
The episode also explores Britain’s political upheaval under the rise of Nigel Farage, mounting fears that Trump can manipulate the electoral system despite worsening political headwinds, and the eerie details surrounding Epstein’s death and purported suicide note, which Wolff says sounded disturbingly Trumpian.
15 Heartthrob Leading Men Who Secretly Lived Together
Mar 4, 2026 | During the Golden Age of Hollywood, a leading man’s image was everything. The studio system manufactured the perfect, rugged, and completely available "bachelor" persona to sell millions of movie tickets to swooning fans. But behind the iron-clad contracts, the glamorous red carpets, and the watchful eyes of the studio fixers, many of the era's biggest heartthrobs were quietly sharing their domestic lives with other men.
In this video, we pull back the curtain to reveal the 15 Heartthrob Leading Men Who Secretly Lived Together. We explore the fascinating, hidden history of classic Hollywood to uncover the famous actors who shared homes, built secret lives away from the cameras, and navigated a deeply restrictive era.
From iconic duos who famously shared a Malibu beach house known to insiders as "Bachelor Hall," to the intense PR spin used by studio executives to disguise these living arrangements as "just two single guys saving money," this is the untold story of Hollywood's hidden domestic lives.
In this video, we pull back the curtain to reveal the 15 Heartthrob Leading Men Who Secretly Lived Together. We explore the fascinating, hidden history of classic Hollywood to uncover the famous actors who shared homes, built secret lives away from the cameras, and navigated a deeply restrictive era.
From iconic duos who famously shared a Malibu beach house known to insiders as "Bachelor Hall," to the intense PR spin used by studio executives to disguise these living arrangements as "just two single guys saving money," this is the untold story of Hollywood's hidden domestic lives.
„Nigel Farage galoppiert nun Richtung Downing Street“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Nach dem Debakel der Labour-Partei bei den Regionalwahlen in Großbritannien bekräftigt Regierungschef Swinney seine Forderung nach der Unabhängigkeit Schottlands. Sein Land müsse vor „der Wahl einer Farage-Regierung“ geschützt sein.
Nach dem Debakel der Labour-Partei bei den Regionalwahlen in Großbritannien hat der schottische Regierungschef John Swinney seine Forderung nach Unabhängigkeit für seinen Landesteil erneuert. „Nigel Farage galoppiert nun Richtung Downing Street“, sagte Swinney am Samstag mit Blick auf den Chef der rechtspopulistischen Partei Reform UK. Die Aussicht auf eine Regierung unter Führung der Reform UK sei sehr wahrscheinlich. „Wir müssen als unabhängiges Land davor geschützt sein, von der Wahl einer Farage-Regierung betroffen und beeinflusst zu werden.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Samstag, 9. Mai 2026
Hoffentlich irrt sich Herr Swinney! Großbritannien steckt wegen ihm und seinem unsinnigen Brexit schon genug in der Klemme! Ein paar Jahre unter seiner Führung würden die Zerstörung vollends besiegeln! Farage und seine Partei sind Großbritanniens Antwort auf MAGA. Das sagt doch alles! Farage und seine Anhänger würden dem Land immensen Schaden zufügen, wenn man ihnen die Chance dazu gäbe. Hoffentlich ist die britische Wählerschaft nicht so leichtsinnig, für eine Farage-Regierung zu stimmen! — © Mark Alexander
Nach dem Debakel der Labour-Partei bei den Regionalwahlen in Großbritannien hat der schottische Regierungschef John Swinney seine Forderung nach Unabhängigkeit für seinen Landesteil erneuert. „Nigel Farage galoppiert nun Richtung Downing Street“, sagte Swinney am Samstag mit Blick auf den Chef der rechtspopulistischen Partei Reform UK. Die Aussicht auf eine Regierung unter Führung der Reform UK sei sehr wahrscheinlich. „Wir müssen als unabhängiges Land davor geschützt sein, von der Wahl einer Farage-Regierung betroffen und beeinflusst zu werden.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Samstag, 9. Mai 2026
Hoffentlich irrt sich Herr Swinney! Großbritannien steckt wegen ihm und seinem unsinnigen Brexit schon genug in der Klemme! Ein paar Jahre unter seiner Führung würden die Zerstörung vollends besiegeln! Farage und seine Partei sind Großbritanniens Antwort auf MAGA. Das sagt doch alles! Farage und seine Anhänger würden dem Land immensen Schaden zufügen, wenn man ihnen die Chance dazu gäbe. Hoffentlich ist die britische Wählerschaft nicht so leichtsinnig, für eine Farage-Regierung zu stimmen! — © Mark Alexander
Guerre en Ukraine : Moscou et Kiev s'accusent mutuellement de violer le cessez-le-feu
LE FIGARO : Ce cessez-le-feu de trois jours, négocié par les États-Unis et annoncé hier par Donald Trump, aurait été violé une cinquantaine de fois selon le camp ukrainien. La Russie a aussi fait état d’attaques.
L'Ukraine et la Russie se sont mutuellement accusées samedi 9 mai de violer un cessez-le-feu de trois jours négocié par les États-Unis et annoncé par le président américain Donald Trump. « Depuis le début de la journée, le nombre d’attaques menées par l’agresseur a atteint 51 », a indiqué l’état-major ukrainien. L’aviation ukrainienne a fait état de 44 drones lancés par la Russie depuis 18H00 (15H00 GMT) vendredi, soit le niveau le plus faible depuis des mois.
De son côté, le ministère russe de la Défense a déclaré que « malgré la déclaration de cessez-le-feu, des groupes armés ukrainiens ont lancé des attaques à l’aide de drones et d’artillerie contre les positions de nos troupes », sans en préciser le nombre exact. Des victimes ont été signalées des deux côtés. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 9 mai 2026
L'Ukraine et la Russie se sont mutuellement accusées samedi 9 mai de violer un cessez-le-feu de trois jours négocié par les États-Unis et annoncé par le président américain Donald Trump. « Depuis le début de la journée, le nombre d’attaques menées par l’agresseur a atteint 51 », a indiqué l’état-major ukrainien. L’aviation ukrainienne a fait état de 44 drones lancés par la Russie depuis 18H00 (15H00 GMT) vendredi, soit le niveau le plus faible depuis des mois.
De son côté, le ministère russe de la Défense a déclaré que « malgré la déclaration de cessez-le-feu, des groupes armés ukrainiens ont lancé des attaques à l’aide de drones et d’artillerie contre les positions de nos troupes », sans en préciser le nombre exact. Des victimes ont été signalées des deux côtés. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 9 mai 2026
En Hongrie, Péter Magyar prend officiellement ses fonctions de premier ministre en conquérant
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Celui qui a évincé Viktor Orban aux législatives sera intronisé ce samedi à Budapest, sur fond de débandade du camp « orbaniste ».
On a vu Gyula Balasy plus flamboyant. Lunettes de soleil de luxe sur le nez et au volant de sa Ferrari, par exemple, ou prenant de haut les rares journalistes qui avaient réussi à l’approcher pour l’interroger sur ses juteuses affaires. Ce lundi soir, sur le plateau de la chaîne YouTube Kontroll, il a la voix chevrotante, parfois étranglée d’un sanglot et l’œil humide, d’où coule parfois une larme. « Je suis né dans ce pays, j’y ai vécu, ma famille est ici, je ne vois aucune raison de partir ailleurs », semble implorer le magnat de la com.
Il s’est rendu de lui-même sur ce média, lancé par le frère du bientôt premier ministre, Péter Magyar, pour faire une annonce fracassante : ses quatre sociétés de communication, il les cède à l’État, « dans l’intérêt public ». Elles vaudraient 80 milliards de forints (225 millions d’euros), seraient de top niveau mondial et, avec leurs 500 employés, pourraient parfaitement fonctionner dans un cadre étatique, plaide-t-il. » | Par Albert Kornél, à Budapest | samedi 9 mai 2026
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LESEN SIE AUCH :
Ungarns Parlament wählt Peter Magyar offiziell zum Ministerpräsidenten: Peter Magyar ist offiziell der neue Präsident Ungarns. Eine Mehrheit im Parlament stimmte am Samstag für ihn. »
READ ALSO :
Péter Magyar sworn in as Hungary’s prime minister to end 16-year Orbán era: Jubilation in Budapest as Péter Magyar becomes leader and invites people to ‘step through gate of regime change’ »
Waleed Asadi: Authentic Crispy & Fluffy Palestinian Falafel | فلافل فلسطينية، مقرمشة وهشة
Click here for the full recipe.
Waleed’s very own selection of spices can be found here. Don’t forget to use the code ZAWI10 for 10% off your first order.
Waleed’s favourite Lebanese olive oil, Les Cousines, can be found here. Don’t forget to use Waleed’s very own special introductory code for 15% off your first order.
Europas Sorge vor Frankreichs Rechtsextremen | Hintergrund | ARTE Info
En Rusia, el descontento se cierne sobre las festividades más grandes del año
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Mientras el país se prepara para el Día de la Victoria, la economía se estanca, aumentan las restricciones de internet y el Kremlin teme ataques ucranianos.
Banderas rusas rojas, blancas y azules ondean al viento por los amplios bulevares de Moscú. Los parques y paseos rebosan de flores recién plantadas. Cintas de San Jorge de rayas naranjas y negras, símbolos del valor militar ruso, adornan casi todos los escaparates.
Desde la época soviética, las “Fiestas de Mayo” —el periodo comprendido entre el 1 de mayo, Día Internacional de los Trabajadores, y el 9 de mayo, cuando Rusia celebra el papel soviético en la derrota de los nazis en la Segunda Guerra Mundial— han anunciado la llegada de la primavera.
Pero este año, el ambiente no es festivo.
Los precios y los impuestos suben a medida que la economía se esfuerza por soportar el costo de la guerra en Ucrania. Una nueva oleada de medidas represivas en tiempos de guerra ha dado lugar a restricciones de internet antes impensables, incluida otra ronda de apagones en Moscú y San Petersburgo esta semana. Las negociaciones para poner fin a la guerra se han estancado justo cuando las encuestas muestran un número récord de rusos cansados de la guerra que desean la paz.
Esta temporada de desfiles, la guerra está llegando a Moscú, la capital. Los parques se engalanan no solo con flores, sino también con detectores de metales. El desfile del 9 de mayo en la Plaza Roja —uno de los mayores acontecimientos del año, que se celebra en el corazón del poder del Kremlin— se ha restringido debido a la posibilidad de ataques de drones ucranianos. Ese riesgo se confirmó el lunes, cuando un dron se estrelló contra un edificio residencial de lujo en Moscú. El viernes por la noche, Ucrania lanzó 26 drones hacia Moscú, dijo el alcalde de la ciudad, Sergei S. Sobyanin. Todos fueron derribados, añadió. Sus afirmaciones no pudieron verificarse de forma independiente. » | Por Valerie Hopkins. Fotografías por Nanna Heitmann | Reportando desde Moscú | viernes 8 de mayo de 2026
Read in English.
Banderas rusas rojas, blancas y azules ondean al viento por los amplios bulevares de Moscú. Los parques y paseos rebosan de flores recién plantadas. Cintas de San Jorge de rayas naranjas y negras, símbolos del valor militar ruso, adornan casi todos los escaparates.
Desde la época soviética, las “Fiestas de Mayo” —el periodo comprendido entre el 1 de mayo, Día Internacional de los Trabajadores, y el 9 de mayo, cuando Rusia celebra el papel soviético en la derrota de los nazis en la Segunda Guerra Mundial— han anunciado la llegada de la primavera.
Pero este año, el ambiente no es festivo.
Los precios y los impuestos suben a medida que la economía se esfuerza por soportar el costo de la guerra en Ucrania. Una nueva oleada de medidas represivas en tiempos de guerra ha dado lugar a restricciones de internet antes impensables, incluida otra ronda de apagones en Moscú y San Petersburgo esta semana. Las negociaciones para poner fin a la guerra se han estancado justo cuando las encuestas muestran un número récord de rusos cansados de la guerra que desean la paz.
Esta temporada de desfiles, la guerra está llegando a Moscú, la capital. Los parques se engalanan no solo con flores, sino también con detectores de metales. El desfile del 9 de mayo en la Plaza Roja —uno de los mayores acontecimientos del año, que se celebra en el corazón del poder del Kremlin— se ha restringido debido a la posibilidad de ataques de drones ucranianos. Ese riesgo se confirmó el lunes, cuando un dron se estrelló contra un edificio residencial de lujo en Moscú. El viernes por la noche, Ucrania lanzó 26 drones hacia Moscú, dijo el alcalde de la ciudad, Sergei S. Sobyanin. Todos fueron derribados, añadió. Sus afirmaciones no pudieron verificarse de forma independiente. » | Por Valerie Hopkins. Fotografías por Nanna Heitmann | Reportando desde Moscú | viernes 8 de mayo de 2026
Read in English.
Rob Groves: Reform UK, Bringing the USA’s Project 2025 to Britain
Excellent synopsis. Reform UK is a motley bunch of frauds. It is to be hoped that they never get anywhere near the actual levers of power. — © Mark Alexander
Michael Lambert: Why Reform UK Won't Take Power Despite Farage's Rise
May 9, 2026 | As expected, Reform UK under Nigel Farage has triumphed in this week's local elections, but it will not win a general election, and Farage will never become Prime Minister.
In this video, I explain why. Many of the votes cast for Reform UK were protest votes from disaffected Labour and Conservative voters. Many are likely to vote differently in a general election.
In this video, I highlight some of the content of the party’s manifesto, or 'Contract with the People', much of which is clearly unachievable as confirmed by the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
Policies include massive tax reductions and reducing the NHS waiting list from 7.25 million to zero in two years.
I also quote details of some of the many Reform UK councillors who have appeared in the press for various offences such as racism and hate speech.
Finally, I comment on the most prominent members of Reform UK, such as Lee Anderson, Suella Braverman, Zia Yusuf, Richard Tice, Robert Jenrick, Nadhim Zahawi and Nigel Farage who acccepted a gift of £5 million from a crypto currency millionaire living in Thailand, and how Farage now promotes crypto currency.
Excellent synopsis. I laughed more listening to this video by Michael Lambert than usual. It’s his droll humour that dies it! 😊 Reform UK are such a motley bunch anyway, yet they all have several things in common, namely dishonesty, racism, fantasy, a love of Trump, and a hatred of the European Union. (I’m sure there are other characteristics which haven’t immediately sprung to mind.)
I hope Michael is right about the Party never coming to power. It would be a disaster.
Bottom line: I understand people’s protest votes; but I do not understand how so many people could possibly vote for a man who is the ultimate source of all that ails the country and its economy. — © Mark Alexander
In this video, I explain why. Many of the votes cast for Reform UK were protest votes from disaffected Labour and Conservative voters. Many are likely to vote differently in a general election.
In this video, I highlight some of the content of the party’s manifesto, or 'Contract with the People', much of which is clearly unachievable as confirmed by the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
Policies include massive tax reductions and reducing the NHS waiting list from 7.25 million to zero in two years.
I also quote details of some of the many Reform UK councillors who have appeared in the press for various offences such as racism and hate speech.
Finally, I comment on the most prominent members of Reform UK, such as Lee Anderson, Suella Braverman, Zia Yusuf, Richard Tice, Robert Jenrick, Nadhim Zahawi and Nigel Farage who acccepted a gift of £5 million from a crypto currency millionaire living in Thailand, and how Farage now promotes crypto currency.
Excellent synopsis. I laughed more listening to this video by Michael Lambert than usual. It’s his droll humour that dies it! 😊 Reform UK are such a motley bunch anyway, yet they all have several things in common, namely dishonesty, racism, fantasy, a love of Trump, and a hatred of the European Union. (I’m sure there are other characteristics which haven’t immediately sprung to mind.)
I hope Michael is right about the Party never coming to power. It would be a disaster.
Bottom line: I understand people’s protest votes; but I do not understand how so many people could possibly vote for a man who is the ultimate source of all that ails the country and its economy. — © Mark Alexander
Au Secret Service, les anges gardiens du président américain, prêts à se sacrifier pour changer le cours de l’Histoire
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - La troisième tentative d’assassinat déjouée contre Donald Trump, le 25 avril dernier à Washington, a remis en lumière le travail de ces hommes de l’ombre chargés de protéger le chef d’État le plus puissant du monde des menaces constantes dont il est la cible.
C’est une profession où le retard tue. Clint Hill, l’agent spécial du Secret Service et membre du dispositif de sécurité de John F. Kennedy le 22 novembre 1963, à Dallas, le savait mieux que quiconque. Toute sa vie, après avoir vécu en première ligne cette journée fatidique où l’assassinat du président par Lee Harvey Oswald a fait basculer l’Amérique, l’homme fut hanté par cette question : « Et si j’avais pu réagir plus tôt ? Oui, si j’avais réagi un dixième de seconde plus vite, peut-être une demi-seconde, j’y serais arrivé », se demandait celui que l’on voit, sur les images, s’accrocher à la voiture pour tenter de protéger Jacqueline Kennedy. « J’aurais pu prendre la troisième balle », confiait-il en 1975 en évoquant le troisième projectile qui, d’après la version officielle, porte le coup fatal.
Tout se joue en quelques secondes
Tenter de gagner ce dixième de seconde qui peut changer l’Histoire, c’est la raison d’être du Secret Service. Le soir du 25 avril dernier, quand Cole Tomas Allen s’introduit dans l’hôtel Hilton et ouvre le feu sur deux membres des forces de l’ordre à quelques mètres de la salle où se trouve Donald Trump, le temps et la chance étaient du côté des agents du Secret Service – et ce malgré des manquements flagrants dans le dispositif de sécurité. Quelques secondes de plus et l’incident qui a blessé deux personnes aurait pu se transformer en véritable drame. » | Par Vincent Jolly, pour Le Figaro Magazine | samedi 9 mai 2026
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Steve Schmidt: Trump Will Watch Himself Get Erased
Plaid Cymru Ready to Run Wales, Leader Says, after Labour's Historic Senedd Election Collapse
BBC: Plaid Cymru's leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says he is ready to run the Welsh government after a stunning Senedd election victory left his party the largest group in Wales' parliament.
The historic vote saw Reform UK come second, pushing Labour into third and ending a century-long run of election success in Wales.
Plaid fell short of a majority in the 96-member Senedd, but with 43 seats has a better chance than anyone of forming a government with the help of at least some opposition politicians.
Ap Iorwerth said he would begin the process of speaking to other parties, and that the pro-independence party would put him forward to be first minister.
The Senedd will need to confirm who will lead the Welsh government in a vote, which could happen as early as Tuesday.
The dramatic day of results saw the current first minister, Eluned Morgan, lose her seat and resign as Welsh Labour leader.
Labour has won every general election since 1922 in Wales and, until this week, every Cardiff Bay election since the Senedd's predecessor the National Assembly was established in 1999.
It had been in charge of the Welsh government for 27 years. » | David Deans, Wales political reporter and Adrian Browne, Wales political reporter | Published: Thursday, May 7, 2026. Updated: Friday, May 8, 2026
The historic vote saw Reform UK come second, pushing Labour into third and ending a century-long run of election success in Wales.
Plaid fell short of a majority in the 96-member Senedd, but with 43 seats has a better chance than anyone of forming a government with the help of at least some opposition politicians.
Ap Iorwerth said he would begin the process of speaking to other parties, and that the pro-independence party would put him forward to be first minister.
The Senedd will need to confirm who will lead the Welsh government in a vote, which could happen as early as Tuesday.
The dramatic day of results saw the current first minister, Eluned Morgan, lose her seat and resign as Welsh Labour leader.
Labour has won every general election since 1922 in Wales and, until this week, every Cardiff Bay election since the Senedd's predecessor the National Assembly was established in 1999.
It had been in charge of the Welsh government for 27 years. » | David Deans, Wales political reporter and Adrian Browne, Wales political reporter | Published: Thursday, May 7, 2026. Updated: Friday, May 8, 2026
Four Takeaways From the U.K. Elections
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Results from municipal and regional elections signaled major gains for the right-wing populist Reform U.K. and steep losses for Labour.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday faced his biggest electoral test since coming to power in 2024. Millions of Britons voted in elections to Parliaments in Scotland and Wales, and to municipalities in England. And they delivered a damning verdict on Mr. Starmer’s governing Labour Party.
Mr. Starmer took responsibility for Labour’s losses, saying that he would “not sugarcoat” voters’ scathing verdict on his 22 months in office. But he said he would not step down.
The main victor on Thursday was the right-wing populist Reform U.K. party, which gained more than 1,400 seats on municipal councils across England. The party took seats from the Conservative Party and from Labour and consolidated its status as the dominant party of Britain’s political right. But the left-wing Green Party also made gains at the expense of Labour.
The results shattered the grip on power long held by Labour and the Conservatives, and signaled a new political landscape in which at least seven parties are vying for votes across Britain. » | Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Friday, May 8, 2026
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday faced his biggest electoral test since coming to power in 2024. Millions of Britons voted in elections to Parliaments in Scotland and Wales, and to municipalities in England. And they delivered a damning verdict on Mr. Starmer’s governing Labour Party.
Mr. Starmer took responsibility for Labour’s losses, saying that he would “not sugarcoat” voters’ scathing verdict on his 22 months in office. But he said he would not step down.
The main victor on Thursday was the right-wing populist Reform U.K. party, which gained more than 1,400 seats on municipal councils across England. The party took seats from the Conservative Party and from Labour and consolidated its status as the dominant party of Britain’s political right. But the left-wing Green Party also made gains at the expense of Labour.
The results shattered the grip on power long held by Labour and the Conservatives, and signaled a new political landscape in which at least seven parties are vying for votes across Britain. » | Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Friday, May 8, 2026
The Funniest—and Most Ruthless—Political Memes Right Now
May 4, 2026 | “Get ready to laugh, cringe, and maybe question everything. In this video, we’re diving into the funniest—and most ruthless—political memes taking over the internet right now.
From savage roasts to painfully accurate takes, nothing is off-limits. Whether you're here for the humor, the chaos, or just to see how wild meme culture has gotten, this compilation delivers.
Warning: These memes pull no punches. If you like your comedy bold, edgy, and a little bit unhinged… you’re in the right place.
Look at that Oval Office! Surely, Madam's parlour in a classy brothel in an upscale part of town would be decorated in better taste than that! 😊 — © Mark Alexander
From savage roasts to painfully accurate takes, nothing is off-limits. Whether you're here for the humor, the chaos, or just to see how wild meme culture has gotten, this compilation delivers.
Warning: These memes pull no punches. If you like your comedy bold, edgy, and a little bit unhinged… you’re in the right place.
Look at that Oval Office! Surely, Madam's parlour in a classy brothel in an upscale part of town would be decorated in better taste than that! 😊 — © Mark Alexander
Friday, May 08, 2026
Americans Hail Pope Leo XIV as ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ One Year In, as Trump Clashes Linger
THE GUARDIAN: One year on the job, the first US pope wins support for his progressive views and his defiance of Donald Trump
This screenshot was taken from this Guardian article. | Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff, greets the crowd from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica following his election on 8 May 2025. Photograph: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images
As Pope Leo XIV concludes his first year as the first American pope on Friday, Americans shared with the Guardian how they feel about the 70-year-old pontiff who has increasingly found himself at odds with Donald Trump.
Several described his papacy as a “breath of fresh air” compared with earlier, more conservative eras of church leadership.
For Brock Horton, a 69-year-old retired public school teacher in San Antonio, Texas, the pope feels “authentic and not just an archaic mouthpiece for a failing religion”.
“Pope Leo is bringing Jesus’s teachings forward instead of church dogma … If you can’t welcome strangers and treat everyone with love and dignity, you have no place leading anyone. I will never become a Catholic, but with Leo, I see a loving person first, and a pontiff second,” Horton said.
“The fact that he lives in Donald Trump’s head is also a plus,” he added, referring to Trump’s latest attacks on the pope. » | Maya Yang | Friday, May 8, 2026
As Pope Leo XIV concludes his first year as the first American pope on Friday, Americans shared with the Guardian how they feel about the 70-year-old pontiff who has increasingly found himself at odds with Donald Trump.
Several described his papacy as a “breath of fresh air” compared with earlier, more conservative eras of church leadership.
For Brock Horton, a 69-year-old retired public school teacher in San Antonio, Texas, the pope feels “authentic and not just an archaic mouthpiece for a failing religion”.
“Pope Leo is bringing Jesus’s teachings forward instead of church dogma … If you can’t welcome strangers and treat everyone with love and dignity, you have no place leading anyone. I will never become a Catholic, but with Leo, I see a loving person first, and a pontiff second,” Horton said.
“The fact that he lives in Donald Trump’s head is also a plus,” he added, referring to Trump’s latest attacks on the pope. » | Maya Yang | Friday, May 8, 2026
Keir Starmer Under Pressure to Agree Exit Plan after Election Mauling
THE GUARDIAN: Senior Labour MPs urge prime minister to step down within year as party loses control of 25 English councils and humbled in Wales
Keir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year.
In a disastrous set of results, Labour had lost control of more than 25 councils and almost 1,000 council seats in England by Friday evening, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made large gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the south.
After more than a century of domination, Labour has faced near-wipeout in Wales, where the party’s first minister, Eluned Morgan, lost her seat. Labour could slump to third place in Scotland behind the SNP and Reform. In London, a Green surge meant Labour lost control of councils it had dominated, including Hackney and Waltham Forest. » | Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot | Friday, April 8, 2026
Keir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year.
In a disastrous set of results, Labour had lost control of more than 25 councils and almost 1,000 council seats in England by Friday evening, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made large gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the south.
After more than a century of domination, Labour has faced near-wipeout in Wales, where the party’s first minister, Eluned Morgan, lost her seat. Labour could slump to third place in Scotland behind the SNP and Reform. In London, a Green surge meant Labour lost control of councils it had dominated, including Hackney and Waltham Forest. » | Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot | Friday, April 8, 2026
Election Results: Have Polanski and Farage Finished Starmer Off?
May 8, 2026 | Labour is reeling after bruising local election results - losing ground to the Greens on the left and Reform UK on the right - and questions are now swirling around Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Is this just a difficult moment for Labour, or the start of something much bigger?
In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, former Keir Starmer Chief of Staff Sam White, and political strategist Scarlett Maguire to unpack what the results really mean.
Is Labour facing a voter backlash, a messaging problem, or a full-blown leadership crisis? And if pressure on Starmer continues to grow, what happens next? Could Labour really replace its leader - and who would even take over?
Is this just a difficult moment for Labour, or the start of something much bigger?
In this episode of The Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, former Keir Starmer Chief of Staff Sam White, and political strategist Scarlett Maguire to unpack what the results really mean.
Is Labour facing a voter backlash, a messaging problem, or a full-blown leadership crisis? And if pressure on Starmer continues to grow, what happens next? Could Labour really replace its leader - and who would even take over?
La chanteuse Bonnie Tyler placée en coma artificiel après avoir été opérée au Portugal
LE FIGARO : Star des années 1980, la chanteuse britannique Bonnie Tylerconnue pour son tube « Total Eclipse of the Heart », a été placée jeudi dans un coma artificiel après avoir subi une opération d’urgence au Portugal, a indiqué son agent vendredi.
« Les médecins de Bonnie l'ont placée dans un coma artificiel pour favoriser son rétablissement (...) Nous vous demandons de respecter son intimité en ces moments difficiles », a indiqué le porte-parole de la chanteuse, Judd Lander dans une déclaration transmise à l'AFP. Bonnie Tyler connue pour sa chevelure blonde et sa voix rocailleuse, a été admise mercredi à l'hôpital de Faro, où elle possède une résidence secondaire, pour une « opération intestinale d'urgence ». Son entourage avait dans un premier temps annoncé que l'intervention s'était « bien déroulée » et que la star était « en convalescence », sans donner plus de détails sur son état de santé. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 8 mai 2026
READ ALSO :
Bonnie Tyler in induced coma after emergency intestinal surgery: Spokesperson for Welsh singer shared further update on her health after she was rushed to hospital in Faro, Portugal »
« Les médecins de Bonnie l'ont placée dans un coma artificiel pour favoriser son rétablissement (...) Nous vous demandons de respecter son intimité en ces moments difficiles », a indiqué le porte-parole de la chanteuse, Judd Lander dans une déclaration transmise à l'AFP. Bonnie Tyler connue pour sa chevelure blonde et sa voix rocailleuse, a été admise mercredi à l'hôpital de Faro, où elle possède une résidence secondaire, pour une « opération intestinale d'urgence ». Son entourage avait dans un premier temps annoncé que l'intervention s'était « bien déroulée » et que la star était « en convalescence », sans donner plus de détails sur son état de santé. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 8 mai 2026
READ ALSO :
Bonnie Tyler in induced coma after emergency intestinal surgery: Spokesperson for Welsh singer shared further update on her health after she was rushed to hospital in Faro, Portugal »
The Craziest Political Memes Breaking the Internet Right Now
May 5, 2026 | Get ready to laugh, cringe, and question everything. In this video, we’re diving into the craziest political memes breaking the internet right now. From viral debate moments turned into comedy gold to completely unhinged edits that make you do a double-take, these memes are taking over every timeline.
We’ll react to the funniest, most savage, and downright absurd political memes circulating online, showing how the internet transforms serious headlines into pure entertainment.
Whether it’s clever satire or chaotic humor, nothing is off-limits. Warning: Some of these memes are so wild, you won’t believe they actually exist.
If you enjoy trending content, internet culture, and a bit of edgy humor, this video is for you.
We’ll react to the funniest, most savage, and downright absurd political memes circulating online, showing how the internet transforms serious headlines into pure entertainment.
Whether it’s clever satire or chaotic humor, nothing is off-limits. Warning: Some of these memes are so wild, you won’t believe they actually exist.
If you enjoy trending content, internet culture, and a bit of edgy humor, this video is for you.
U.S. Fires on Iranian Tankers as Tehran Accuses Washington of ‘Reckless’ Attacks
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Iran’s foreign minister accused Washington of undermining diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. expected to hear from Tehran on Friday.
The United States said it had fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers on Friday, as Iran’s foreign minister on Friday accused the United States of “a reckless military adventure” and of undermining diplomatic efforts to end the war.
U.S. Central Command said it had disabled the two tankers as they tried to reach an Iranian port. The latest strikes came a day after the U.S. military and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz — fighting that the Iranian military said was triggered by an earlier U.S. attack on another Iranian tanker.
They also came as Iranian officials have said Washington and Tehran are debating a one-page U.S. proposal for the sides to reopen the strait and cease hostilities for 30 days as they negotiate a comprehensive deal to end the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asked about the state of negotiations, said that the United States expected a “response” from Iran on Friday. And despite the exchanges of fire in recent days, both President Trump and Iran’s foreign ministry have insisted that their monthlong cease-fire was holding.
U.S. Central Command said on Thursday that “unprovoked Iranian attacks” on three American destroyers had involved missiles, drones and small boats. In response, the U.S. military said it had “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces,” including missile and drone launch sites.
The Iranian military said the United States had violated the cease-fire a day earlier by firing on an Iranian oil tanker trying to cross an American blockade. It said it had “retaliated by attacking U.S. military vessels.”
Mr. Trump, speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday evening, dismissed the Iranian attacks as a “trifle” and again warned that Iran “better sign their agreement fast,” an apparent reference to the one-page U.S. proposal. A key hurdle was the U.S. demand for advance commitments on the fate of Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, three senior Iranian officials said.
On Friday, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, questioned in a social media post whether the U.S. strikes were a “crude pressure tactic.” He added: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.” Iran War Live Updates » | Euan Ward, Leily Nikounazar, Farnaz Fassihi, Erica L. Green and Motoko Rich | Friday, May 8, 2026
The United States said it had fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers on Friday, as Iran’s foreign minister on Friday accused the United States of “a reckless military adventure” and of undermining diplomatic efforts to end the war.
U.S. Central Command said it had disabled the two tankers as they tried to reach an Iranian port. The latest strikes came a day after the U.S. military and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz — fighting that the Iranian military said was triggered by an earlier U.S. attack on another Iranian tanker.
They also came as Iranian officials have said Washington and Tehran are debating a one-page U.S. proposal for the sides to reopen the strait and cease hostilities for 30 days as they negotiate a comprehensive deal to end the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asked about the state of negotiations, said that the United States expected a “response” from Iran on Friday. And despite the exchanges of fire in recent days, both President Trump and Iran’s foreign ministry have insisted that their monthlong cease-fire was holding.
U.S. Central Command said on Thursday that “unprovoked Iranian attacks” on three American destroyers had involved missiles, drones and small boats. In response, the U.S. military said it had “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces,” including missile and drone launch sites.
The Iranian military said the United States had violated the cease-fire a day earlier by firing on an Iranian oil tanker trying to cross an American blockade. It said it had “retaliated by attacking U.S. military vessels.”
Mr. Trump, speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday evening, dismissed the Iranian attacks as a “trifle” and again warned that Iran “better sign their agreement fast,” an apparent reference to the one-page U.S. proposal. A key hurdle was the U.S. demand for advance commitments on the fate of Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, three senior Iranian officials said.
On Friday, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, questioned in a social media post whether the U.S. strikes were a “crude pressure tactic.” He added: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.” Iran War Live Updates » | Euan Ward, Leily Nikounazar, Farnaz Fassihi, Erica L. Green and Motoko Rich | Friday, May 8, 2026
Art Garfunkel : Bright Eyes | Reupload
Waleed Asadi: Palestinian Mujaddara with Crispy Caramelized Onions | مجدرة
Click here for the full recipe.
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Au Royaume-Uni, Keir Starmer fragilisé après la cuisante défaite des travaillistes face au parti de Nigel Farage
LE FIGARO : Le premier ministre exclut de démissionner, même si le Labour a subi de lourds revers dans ces élections locales qui avaient valeur de test et confirment la fragmentation du paysage politique britannique.
Les pertes sont lourdes, très lourdes même, mais le premier ministre britannique entend rester au front. Keir Starmer a promis de poursuivre le combat, afin de tenir sa promesse d’apporter le « changement » en Grande-Bretagne, malgré les revers subis par son parti aux élections locales. Mais il apparaît de plus en plus fragilisé, alors que le grand vainqueur du scrutin, le parti Reform UK de Nigel Farage, a souvent laminé les travaillistes dans leurs fiefs traditionnels.
Ces résultats du Labour pourraient être les pires jamais obtenus par un parti aux élections locales depuis le début du siècle. Le parti au pouvoir pourrait perdre quelque 1200 sièges en Angleterre, un résultat qui se rapproche des prévisions les plus pessimistes. En moyenne, le vote travailliste a chuté de 16 points par rapport à 2022, et même de 19 points par rapport à 2024. Cette baisse est particulièrement marquée dans les bastions du parti du centre et du nord de l’Angleterre ainsi que dans les quartiers à forte population musulmane. Plus de 5 000 sièges d’élus locaux étaient en jeu en Angleterre tandis que des scrutins renouvelaient les parlements gallois et écossais. La perte du contrôle du Pays de Galles pourrait être un revers historique. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | vendredi 8 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Ces résultats ne devraient surprendre personne. C'était un désastre annoncé. Keir Starmer semble ignorer l'essence même de la mentalité britannique, du mode de vie britannique. De ce fait, sa politique autoritaire ne reflète pas les aspirations de l'électorat. Si Starmer veut redresser la barre, il doit abandonner sans délai toutes ses politiques absurdes et intrusives, et surtout, il doit relancer une économie atone. Et ce, de toute urgence ! — © Mark Alexander
Les pertes sont lourdes, très lourdes même, mais le premier ministre britannique entend rester au front. Keir Starmer a promis de poursuivre le combat, afin de tenir sa promesse d’apporter le « changement » en Grande-Bretagne, malgré les revers subis par son parti aux élections locales. Mais il apparaît de plus en plus fragilisé, alors que le grand vainqueur du scrutin, le parti Reform UK de Nigel Farage, a souvent laminé les travaillistes dans leurs fiefs traditionnels.
Ces résultats du Labour pourraient être les pires jamais obtenus par un parti aux élections locales depuis le début du siècle. Le parti au pouvoir pourrait perdre quelque 1200 sièges en Angleterre, un résultat qui se rapproche des prévisions les plus pessimistes. En moyenne, le vote travailliste a chuté de 16 points par rapport à 2022, et même de 19 points par rapport à 2024. Cette baisse est particulièrement marquée dans les bastions du parti du centre et du nord de l’Angleterre ainsi que dans les quartiers à forte population musulmane. Plus de 5 000 sièges d’élus locaux étaient en jeu en Angleterre tandis que des scrutins renouvelaient les parlements gallois et écossais. La perte du contrôle du Pays de Galles pourrait être un revers historique. » | Par Arnaud De La Grange | vendredi 8 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Ces résultats ne devraient surprendre personne. C'était un désastre annoncé. Keir Starmer semble ignorer l'essence même de la mentalité britannique, du mode de vie britannique. De ce fait, sa politique autoritaire ne reflète pas les aspirations de l'électorat. Si Starmer veut redresser la barre, il doit abandonner sans délai toutes ses politiques absurdes et intrusives, et surtout, il doit relancer une économie atone. Et ce, de toute urgence ! — © Mark Alexander
Die Rückkehr des Bellizismus: Ein Plädoyer für Frieden, Vernunft und Entspannungspolitik
BERLINER ZEITUNG: 81 Jahre nach Kriegsende prägen Aufrüstung und „Kriegstüchtigkeit“ erneut die Politik. Die Autoren warnen vor Militarisierung und fordern einen neuen Friedensdiskurs.
Heute, am 8. Mai, dem „Tag der Befreiung“ von der Diktatur des Nationalsozialismus, heißt unsere Warnung: Schleichend, aber sehr wirksam hat in den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten ein militärisches Denken in unserer Gesellschaft die Überhand gewonnen, das die Zukunft durch die einseitige Betonung des Militärischen verdunkelt.
Dieser Bellizismus, der die Politik und die öffentliche Meinungsbildung dominiert, steht beispielgebend in dem Manifest „Neue Macht – neue Verantwortung“, das im Jahr 2013 von konservativen Sicherheitsexperten mit Unterstützung des damaligen Bundespräsidenten Joachim Gauck erarbeitet wurde. Dessen Hauptautoren werden heute in vielen Medien hofiert. Beschleunigt durch den russischen Krieg in der Ukraine ist unsere Zeit in die „Abschreckungslüge“ zurückgefallen und damit in die alten Denkweisen von Hochrüstung, Kalter Krieg und Konfrontation, die wir doch durch die Friedens- und Entspannungspolitik von Willy Brandt und Egon Bahr überwunden zu haben glaubten. » | Reiner Braun, Michael Müller | Freitag, 8. Mai 2026
Heute, am 8. Mai, dem „Tag der Befreiung“ von der Diktatur des Nationalsozialismus, heißt unsere Warnung: Schleichend, aber sehr wirksam hat in den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten ein militärisches Denken in unserer Gesellschaft die Überhand gewonnen, das die Zukunft durch die einseitige Betonung des Militärischen verdunkelt.
Dieser Bellizismus, der die Politik und die öffentliche Meinungsbildung dominiert, steht beispielgebend in dem Manifest „Neue Macht – neue Verantwortung“, das im Jahr 2013 von konservativen Sicherheitsexperten mit Unterstützung des damaligen Bundespräsidenten Joachim Gauck erarbeitet wurde. Dessen Hauptautoren werden heute in vielen Medien hofiert. Beschleunigt durch den russischen Krieg in der Ukraine ist unsere Zeit in die „Abschreckungslüge“ zurückgefallen und damit in die alten Denkweisen von Hochrüstung, Kalter Krieg und Konfrontation, die wir doch durch die Friedens- und Entspannungspolitik von Willy Brandt und Egon Bahr überwunden zu haben glaubten. » | Reiner Braun, Michael Müller | Freitag, 8. Mai 2026
Philip Caputo, Who Wrote Blistering Vietnam War Memoir, Dies at 84
THE NEW YORK TIMES: “A Rumor of War,” about his service as a Marine Corps infantry officer and published in 1977, relentlessly detailed “the things men do in war and the things war does to them.”
Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Philip Caputo in Canada, in 1987. | Frank Lennon/Toronto Star, via Getty Images
Philip Caputo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose best-selling, disillusioning memoir, “A Rumor of War,” about leading a Marine platoon through the sniper-riddled and booby-trapped jungles of Vietnam, entered the canon of wartime literature, died on Thursday at his home in Norwalk, Conn. He was 84.
The cause was cancer, his son Marc Caputo wrote in a social media post.
The Vietnam War, which cost the lives of at least one million Vietnamese and 58,000 American service members, generated an outpouring of fictional and nonfictional books, by some reckoning more than 3,500 titles.
A few works came to be widely regarded as classics because their authors captured unflinchingly the peculiar mix of boredom and terror in combat, the ambivalence about fighting a war that often seemed pointless and unwinnable, and the disheartening malaise that followed America’s first military defeat.
The standouts include works of fiction, including Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” (1990), and nonfiction ones like Michael Herr’s “Dispatches” (1977), Ron Kovic’s “Born on the Fourth of July” (1976) and Mr. Caputo’s “A Rumor of War” (1977), which sold two million copies and was translated into 15 languages.
“To call it the best book about Vietnam is to trivialize it,” the novelist and screenwriter John Gregory Dunne wrote in his review of “A Rumor of War” for The Los Angeles Times. “Heartbreaking, terrifying and enraging, it belongs to the literature of men at arms.” » | Joseph Berger | Friday, May 8, 2026
Philip Caputo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose best-selling, disillusioning memoir, “A Rumor of War,” about leading a Marine platoon through the sniper-riddled and booby-trapped jungles of Vietnam, entered the canon of wartime literature, died on Thursday at his home in Norwalk, Conn. He was 84.
The cause was cancer, his son Marc Caputo wrote in a social media post.
The Vietnam War, which cost the lives of at least one million Vietnamese and 58,000 American service members, generated an outpouring of fictional and nonfictional books, by some reckoning more than 3,500 titles.
A few works came to be widely regarded as classics because their authors captured unflinchingly the peculiar mix of boredom and terror in combat, the ambivalence about fighting a war that often seemed pointless and unwinnable, and the disheartening malaise that followed America’s first military defeat.
The standouts include works of fiction, including Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” (1990), and nonfiction ones like Michael Herr’s “Dispatches” (1977), Ron Kovic’s “Born on the Fourth of July” (1976) and Mr. Caputo’s “A Rumor of War” (1977), which sold two million copies and was translated into 15 languages.
“To call it the best book about Vietnam is to trivialize it,” the novelist and screenwriter John Gregory Dunne wrote in his review of “A Rumor of War” for The Los Angeles Times. “Heartbreaking, terrifying and enraging, it belongs to the literature of men at arms.” » | Joseph Berger | Friday, May 8, 2026
U.A.E. Expels Pakistani Workers, as Pakistan’s Peacemaking Creates a Rift
THE NEW YORK TIMES: As Pakistan mediates between the U.S. and Iran, its ties to the Emirates have deteriorated. Pakistani workers say they are now being sent home en masse.
Pakistan has been trying to help end the war in Iran, but that effort is now creating problems with one of its longtime partners, the United Arab Emirates.
The rich Persian Gulf country has started a large-scale expulsion of Pakistani workers, threatening to cut off a vital source of jobs for Pakistan.
The Emirates appears to be upset that Pakistan has not condemned Iranian strikes on the Emirates more forcefully while it is trying broker a peace deal between the United States and Iran. The Emirates has borne the brunt of those attacks and has been hit by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones strikes.
The New York Times interviewed more than 20 Pakistani Shiites who worked in the Emirates as employees of Emirati companies. All said they were suddenly arrested, detained and deported in the past month.
Eight people with businesses based in the Emirates said their Pakistani employees had been deported in recent weeks.
Shiite religious leaders in Pakistan estimate as many as thousands of Shiite Pakistanis have been deported from the Emirates since mid-April. Pakistan’s 35 million Shiites, who have deep spiritual ties to Iran, have often faced sectarian violence in Pakistan, where the majority of people are Sunni Muslims.
The reasons for the expulsions are unclear, and both countries claim their ties are strong. » | Elian Peltier, Zia ur-Rehman and Vivian Nereim | Elian Peltier reported from Islamabad, Pakistan; Zia ur-Rehman from Kohat District in the country’s northwest, and Vivian Nereim from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. | Friday, May 8, 2026
Pakistan has been trying to help end the war in Iran, but that effort is now creating problems with one of its longtime partners, the United Arab Emirates.
The rich Persian Gulf country has started a large-scale expulsion of Pakistani workers, threatening to cut off a vital source of jobs for Pakistan.
The Emirates appears to be upset that Pakistan has not condemned Iranian strikes on the Emirates more forcefully while it is trying broker a peace deal between the United States and Iran. The Emirates has borne the brunt of those attacks and has been hit by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones strikes.
The New York Times interviewed more than 20 Pakistani Shiites who worked in the Emirates as employees of Emirati companies. All said they were suddenly arrested, detained and deported in the past month.
Eight people with businesses based in the Emirates said their Pakistani employees had been deported in recent weeks.
Shiite religious leaders in Pakistan estimate as many as thousands of Shiite Pakistanis have been deported from the Emirates since mid-April. Pakistan’s 35 million Shiites, who have deep spiritual ties to Iran, have often faced sectarian violence in Pakistan, where the majority of people are Sunni Muslims.
The reasons for the expulsions are unclear, and both countries claim their ties are strong. » | Elian Peltier, Zia ur-Rehman and Vivian Nereim | Elian Peltier reported from Islamabad, Pakistan; Zia ur-Rehman from Kohat District in the country’s northwest, and Vivian Nereim from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. | Friday, May 8, 2026
"His Buffoon Highness": Inside Prince Andrew's Disastrous Royal Tours | Andrew: Downfall of a Prince
Thursday, May 07, 2026
Nein zur Wehrpflicht: Stoppt den neuen Bellizismus!
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Am Tag der Befreiung gehen Schüler in über 100 Städten gegen die Wehrpflicht auf die Straße. Ein klares Zeichen gegen Militarisierung und die neue Kriegslogik.
Der 8. Mai ist der Tag der Befreiung, an dem 1945 die Wehrmacht nach der größten von Deutschland verschuldeten Katastrophe kapitulierte. Damals endete das unfassbare Leid des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Europa mit Elend, Zerstörung und bis zu 80 Millionen Toten.
An diesem Tag findet die 3. Runde der Schulstreiks gegen die Reaktivierung der Wehrpflicht in über 100 Städten statt. Sie sind ein Ausdruck des wachsenden Widerstands junger Menschen gegen den neuen Bellizismus in unserem Land, der auch jüngere Jahrgänge in eine militärische Fremdbestimmung einbinden will. » | Reiner Braun, Andrea Hornung, Yanick Kiesel, Michael Müller | Donnerstag, 7. Mai 2026
Der 8. Mai ist der Tag der Befreiung, an dem 1945 die Wehrmacht nach der größten von Deutschland verschuldeten Katastrophe kapitulierte. Damals endete das unfassbare Leid des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Europa mit Elend, Zerstörung und bis zu 80 Millionen Toten.
An diesem Tag findet die 3. Runde der Schulstreiks gegen die Reaktivierung der Wehrpflicht in über 100 Städten statt. Sie sind ein Ausdruck des wachsenden Widerstands junger Menschen gegen den neuen Bellizismus in unserem Land, der auch jüngere Jahrgänge in eine militärische Fremdbestimmung einbinden will. » | Reiner Braun, Andrea Hornung, Yanick Kiesel, Michael Müller | Donnerstag, 7. Mai 2026
Putin Is Facing Growing Disenchantment among Russian Elites | Mark Galeotti
May 7, 2026 | “There is a sense that he’s really lost touch with the country.”
There is a “growing disenchantment among the Russian elites” with Putin’s war on Ukraine, says historian and director of Mayak Intelligence Mark Galeotti.
There is a “growing disenchantment among the Russian elites” with Putin’s war on Ukraine, says historian and director of Mayak Intelligence Mark Galeotti.
Stocks Are Exuberant. Bonds Are Subdued. Why the Divergence?
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Stock investors are betting that companies will make enormous profits, despite the war. But investors in bonds, including U.S. Treasuries, have other concerns.
The U.S. stock market has been splendid lately, while the bond market has wobbled. These two barometers of the global financial world have responded quite differently to the higher oil prices and increased economic risks induced by the war in Iran.
After a rough stretch in March, the U.S. stock market has regularly shrugged off risk — not only recovering its losses since the start of the war but going on to new highs, as investors bet that publicly traded U.S. companies would keep reaping enormous profits, regardless of what happened in the war.
Other international stock markets, which had performed marvelously before the war and took heavy losses in March, have also rebounded stoutly. International stock markets overall are ahead of the U.S. stock market since the start of the year.
But the bond market is another matter. Bond traders have maintained a much sharper focus on risk. Yields remain correlated with shifts in the price of oil. As oil prices have spiked and inflation has risen, yields have risen and bond prices, which move in the opposite direction, have fallen. » | Jeff Sommer | eff Sommer writes Strategies, a weekly column on markets, finance and the economy. | Thursday, May 7, 2026
The U.S. stock market has been splendid lately, while the bond market has wobbled. These two barometers of the global financial world have responded quite differently to the higher oil prices and increased economic risks induced by the war in Iran.
After a rough stretch in March, the U.S. stock market has regularly shrugged off risk — not only recovering its losses since the start of the war but going on to new highs, as investors bet that publicly traded U.S. companies would keep reaping enormous profits, regardless of what happened in the war.
Other international stock markets, which had performed marvelously before the war and took heavy losses in March, have also rebounded stoutly. International stock markets overall are ahead of the U.S. stock market since the start of the year.
But the bond market is another matter. Bond traders have maintained a much sharper focus on risk. Yields remain correlated with shifts in the price of oil. As oil prices have spiked and inflation has risen, yields have risen and bond prices, which move in the opposite direction, have fallen. » | Jeff Sommer | eff Sommer writes Strategies, a weekly column on markets, finance and the economy. | Thursday, May 7, 2026
Trump in ‘Real Trouble’ as the Tide Suddenly Turns on His Presidency
As U.S. Debt Hits a Worrying Milestone, Washington Barely Notices
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The debt is outgrowing the size of America’s economy. The president’s policies could accelerate the country’s fiscal headaches, experts say, unless policymakers intervene.
The U.S. government learned last week that it may have reached an unfortunate milestone: The size of its debt surpassed the nation’s total economic output.
It was a striking imbalance, according to early estimates, one that the country has experienced only in rare circumstances — briefly during the pandemic, and in the aftermath of World War II. But the development barely seemed to register in the nation’s capital, where few policymakers bothered to acknowledge the latest warning sign about the government’s poor fiscal health.
The root of the problem is well-documented and widely known. U.S. debt has soared in recent years because of a mismatch between federal spending and tax revenue, one complicated by a rapidly aging population, which has driven up costs across government.
For economists, the fear is that these conditions are inching the United States toward a fiscal crisis, one in which its debt is so great that the country can’t easily afford to pay the rising interest on it. But their warnings have long gone unheeded in Washington, calcifying the strains on the government’s balance sheet in ways that President Trump’s agenda is expected to exacerbate. » | Tony Romm | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, May 7, 2026
The U.S. government learned last week that it may have reached an unfortunate milestone: The size of its debt surpassed the nation’s total economic output.
It was a striking imbalance, according to early estimates, one that the country has experienced only in rare circumstances — briefly during the pandemic, and in the aftermath of World War II. But the development barely seemed to register in the nation’s capital, where few policymakers bothered to acknowledge the latest warning sign about the government’s poor fiscal health.
The root of the problem is well-documented and widely known. U.S. debt has soared in recent years because of a mismatch between federal spending and tax revenue, one complicated by a rapidly aging population, which has driven up costs across government.
For economists, the fear is that these conditions are inching the United States toward a fiscal crisis, one in which its debt is so great that the country can’t easily afford to pay the rising interest on it. But their warnings have long gone unheeded in Washington, calcifying the strains on the government’s balance sheet in ways that President Trump’s agenda is expected to exacerbate. » | Tony Romm | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, May 7, 2026
Steve Schmidt: Ted Turner's Legacy Deserves Better
READ ALSO:
Ted Turner, Creator of CNN and the 24-Hour News Cycle, Dies at 87: As one of the most important figures in media history, he oversaw a vast cable empire of news, sports and entertainment channels. »
Ted Turner Saw Himself in Atlanta, and Atlanta in Him: The city where he planted his empire came to embody his ambitions and his confidence. Mr. Turner died on Wednesday at 87. »
Ted Turner’s Legacy as a Landowner and Conservationist: The media mogul, who died this week, amassed roughly two million acres and revived entire ecosystems. »
Moguls Remember Ted Turner: ‘Changed the Media Industry Forever’: The CNN founder’s death was met with encomiums from leaders in the media industry, which he helped reinvent. “He will be remembered for generations,” said one. »
Espagne : 30 tonnes de cocaïne d'une valeur de 812 millions d'euros saisies par la justice
LE FIGARO : Parmi les personnes arrêtées, 17 sont de nationalité philippine, cinq sont Néerlandais et le dernier vient du Suriname.
La justice espagnole a confirmé jeudi une saisie record de 30 tonnes de cocaïne d'une valeur de 812 millions d'euros, une semaine après l'opération, qui a entraîné le placement en détention provisoire des 23 membres d'équipage du navire sur lequel la cargaison a été trouvée. Outre plus de 1200 ballots de drogue, la Garde civile a aussi mis la main sur « des armes à feu » à bord du bateau battant pavillon des Comores qui naviguait dans l'océan Atlantique, a détaillé dans un communiqué l'Audiencia Nacional, à Madrid.
Parmi les personnes arrêtées, 17 sont de nationalité philippine, cinq sont Néerlandais et le dernier vient du Suriname, selon cette source. Lundi, des sources du principal syndicat de gardes civils avaient annoncé cette saisie record à l'AFP, mais avaient alors évoqué une saisie de « 35 à 40 tonnes » de drogue, finalement un peu moindre, mais qui est tout de même la plus importante jamais réalisée par les forces de l'ordre espagnoles. Aucune confirmation officielle n'avait été donnée depuis. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 7 mai 2026
La justice espagnole a confirmé jeudi une saisie record de 30 tonnes de cocaïne d'une valeur de 812 millions d'euros, une semaine après l'opération, qui a entraîné le placement en détention provisoire des 23 membres d'équipage du navire sur lequel la cargaison a été trouvée. Outre plus de 1200 ballots de drogue, la Garde civile a aussi mis la main sur « des armes à feu » à bord du bateau battant pavillon des Comores qui naviguait dans l'océan Atlantique, a détaillé dans un communiqué l'Audiencia Nacional, à Madrid.
Parmi les personnes arrêtées, 17 sont de nationalité philippine, cinq sont Néerlandais et le dernier vient du Suriname, selon cette source. Lundi, des sources du principal syndicat de gardes civils avaient annoncé cette saisie record à l'AFP, mais avaient alors évoqué une saisie de « 35 à 40 tonnes » de drogue, finalement un peu moindre, mais qui est tout de même la plus importante jamais réalisée par les forces de l'ordre espagnoles. Aucune confirmation officielle n'avait été donnée depuis. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 7 mai 2026
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