Well researched. Well analysed. Well said. — © Mark Alexander
Saturday, November 14, 2026
Rob Groves: Why the Far Right Can't Let Go of Russell Brand
Well researched. Well analysed. Well said. — © Mark Alexander
Friday, November 13, 2026
No Future in Germany? Why Skilled Polish Workers Are Going Home | DW Documentary
Nov 1, 2026 | Ever more Poles are leaving Germany, while fewer and fewer are moving the other way. Why do they no longer see a future for themselves in Germany? What's drawing them back to Poland? And what does it all mean for German companies?
Philip Panek chose his university with a goal in mind: the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt on the Oder, right on the German-Polish border. When he began his studies, he planned to stay in Germany and build a career there. Now, he's planning to complete his legal traineeship in Poland. There, he says, he has more than just family and friends waiting for him — he also sees new economic opportunities.
Michael Sünkler can also see that Germany is losing its appeal for many Polish workers. The managing director of a transportation company has many employees from Poland. In recent years, however, many have left. For him, the departure of skilled Polish workers is not an abstract political issue — it's a tangible economic problem. One of those employees is Tomasz. The truck driver has worked in Berlin for over ten years, but rising living costs are taking their toll. Rent and groceries have become significantly more expensive, he says. As soon as his daughter finishes school, he plans to return to Poland with his family.
Kamila Gierko and her husband, Zbyszek Perzyna, have already done just that. Six months ago, they moved from Berlin to Szczecin. For years, Germany offered them favorable conditions for self-employment. But bureaucracy and a lack of digital services, along with high taxes and social contributions were increasingly weighing them down. Their experiences in Poland have been very different: More administrative processes are digital, and the tax burden is lower. Germany, they say, has lost its momentum.
This report follows people whose real-life decisions reveal more than statistics can. It profiles a law student who wants to start a career and a family in Poland, an entrepreneur fighting to retain every Polish employee he can, a truck driver reassessing the cost-benefit analysis of his life, and a couple who have already moved back to their home country.
Philip Panek chose his university with a goal in mind: the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt on the Oder, right on the German-Polish border. When he began his studies, he planned to stay in Germany and build a career there. Now, he's planning to complete his legal traineeship in Poland. There, he says, he has more than just family and friends waiting for him — he also sees new economic opportunities.
Michael Sünkler can also see that Germany is losing its appeal for many Polish workers. The managing director of a transportation company has many employees from Poland. In recent years, however, many have left. For him, the departure of skilled Polish workers is not an abstract political issue — it's a tangible economic problem. One of those employees is Tomasz. The truck driver has worked in Berlin for over ten years, but rising living costs are taking their toll. Rent and groceries have become significantly more expensive, he says. As soon as his daughter finishes school, he plans to return to Poland with his family.
Kamila Gierko and her husband, Zbyszek Perzyna, have already done just that. Six months ago, they moved from Berlin to Szczecin. For years, Germany offered them favorable conditions for self-employment. But bureaucracy and a lack of digital services, along with high taxes and social contributions were increasingly weighing them down. Their experiences in Poland have been very different: More administrative processes are digital, and the tax burden is lower. Germany, they say, has lost its momentum.
This report follows people whose real-life decisions reveal more than statistics can. It profiles a law student who wants to start a career and a family in Poland, an entrepreneur fighting to retain every Polish employee he can, a truck driver reassessing the cost-benefit analysis of his life, and a couple who have already moved back to their home country.
‘It Will End in Tears’: Andrew Neil’s Dire Warning on the US Economy
Nov 13, 2026 | One week after a historic Democratic midterm landslide, Donald Trump’s final two years in the White House look set to trigger political chaos, a Republican civil war, and a potential stagflation crisis. Gerard Baker is joined by Andrew Neil on The State of It USA to break down what the election results really mean for Trump, the GOP, the Democrats, and the global economy.
With Democrats flipping Mississippi for the first time in over 40 years and eyeing up to 56 Senate seats alongside an 80-seat House majority, Washington is entering uncharted territory. Gerard and Andrew examine whether Trump’s electoral appeal is dead, the looming clash between JD Vance and Reagan-era Republicans like Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz, and why the Federal Reserve could be trapped if the AI boom deflates while inflation stays high.
Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Andrew Neil, presenter of The Andrew Neil Report
With Democrats flipping Mississippi for the first time in over 40 years and eyeing up to 56 Senate seats alongside an 80-seat House majority, Washington is entering uncharted territory. Gerard and Andrew examine whether Trump’s electoral appeal is dead, the looming clash between JD Vance and Reagan-era Republicans like Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz, and why the Federal Reserve could be trapped if the AI boom deflates while inflation stays high.
Gerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street Journal Andrew Neil, presenter of The Andrew Neil Report
Michael Lambert: Why Stephen Miller Is the Most Dangerous Man in Washington
Nov 13, 2026 | Who is Stephen Miller, really — and why does he have such extraordinary influence over Donald Trump?
In this video, I look at Trump's chief of staff: his early extremist views at university, his role as the architect of Trump's harshest immigration policies including child separation and ICE raids, and the extraordinary irony of a man whose grandparents fled the Holocaust now calling for mass deportations.
I examine what his own uncle said about him in an op-ed and on CNN, why Hakeem Jeffries refuses to work with him, and how Yasmin Ansari described him as "truly an evil human being."
And then there's his speech calling left-wing violence "political terrorism" — urging law enforcement to disrupt, defund, de-bank, arrest and prosecute — before pledging his "absolute loyalty" to Trump.
Evil is as evil does. — © Mark Alexander
In this video, I look at Trump's chief of staff: his early extremist views at university, his role as the architect of Trump's harshest immigration policies including child separation and ICE raids, and the extraordinary irony of a man whose grandparents fled the Holocaust now calling for mass deportations.
I examine what his own uncle said about him in an op-ed and on CNN, why Hakeem Jeffries refuses to work with him, and how Yasmin Ansari described him as "truly an evil human being."
And then there's his speech calling left-wing violence "political terrorism" — urging law enforcement to disrupt, defund, de-bank, arrest and prosecute — before pledging his "absolute loyalty" to Trump.
Evil is as evil does. — © Mark Alexander
Israël : Gadi Eisenkot accuse Benyamin Netanyahou de mener une « campagne raciste » contre la minorité arabe
LE FIGARO : Les partis arabes israéliens, avec leurs 19 députés, sont devenus incontournables dans les négociations pour former un gouvernement. Gadi Eisenkot a pris leur défense vendredi face aux attaques du premier ministre sortant, Benyamin Netanyahou.
Le général Gadi Eisenkot, chargé de former un gouvernement en Israël, a dénoncé vendredi 13 novembre une « campagne raciste et agressive » que mène selon lui le premier ministre sortant, Benyamin Netanyahou, contre la minorité arabe du pays. Cette prise de position vigoureuse pour défendre les Arabes israéliens, qui sont aussi appelés Palestiniens d'Israël et représentent environ 20% de la population, est inhabituelle de la part d'un responsable politique juif de premier plan. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 13 novembre 2026
Le général Gadi Eisenkot, chargé de former un gouvernement en Israël, a dénoncé vendredi 13 novembre une « campagne raciste et agressive » que mène selon lui le premier ministre sortant, Benyamin Netanyahou, contre la minorité arabe du pays. Cette prise de position vigoureuse pour défendre les Arabes israéliens, qui sont aussi appelés Palestiniens d'Israël et représentent environ 20% de la population, est inhabituelle de la part d'un responsable politique juif de premier plan. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 13 novembre 2026
Hannah Arendt: Eine Jüdin im Pariser Exil | Doku HD | ARTE
Hannah Arendts Positionen zum Jüdisch-Sein, zum Verhältnis Israel-Palästina und zu autoritär-totalitären Systemen scheinen aktueller denn je. Mit dem Biografen Thomas Meyer begibt sich die Dokumentation in die Zeit ihres Pariser Exils. An der Seine legte sie die Grundlagen für ihre späteren Werke, durch die sie Weltgeltung erlangen sollte.
Vor 120 Jahren, am 14. Oktober 1906, wurde Hannah Arendt geboren. Die 1930er Jahre verbrachte die jüdische Publizistin auf der Flucht vor den Nationalsozialisten im Pariser Exil. Dort rettete sie Kindern und Jugendlichen das Leben, indem sie ihnen die Flucht nach Palästina ermöglichte. Arendts Analysen des Antisemitismus, ihre Forderung nach dem Recht, Rechte zu haben, wie auch ihre Auseinandersetzung mit der Assimilation von Juden an die Mehrheitsgesellschaft gründen in diesem Lebensabschnitt. Ebenso bildete sich ihre pro-zionistische Sicht auf die Gründung Israels heraus, die quer zu den Ansichten der rechten Strömung der Bewegung stand.
Die zum Bestseller avancierte Biografie von Thomas Meyer hat Arendts Zeit in Paris erstmals gründlich erforscht. Mit Meyer begibt sichdie Dokumentationzu den Wirkungsstätten der politischen Denkerin - so nach Gurs, einem Internierungslager im Süden Frankreichs. Nach Kriegsbeginn wurden hier auch deutsche Juden interniert, die sich in Frankreich aufhielten. In einem kleinen Zeitfenster wurden manche Häftlinge entlassen, nur knapp entging Arendt so der Deportation nach Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Erst in ihrer neuen Heimat New York erfuhr Hannah Arendt vom Holocaust und verfasste ihre eindrucksvollen Thesen zu totaler Herrschaft als Praxis vollständiger Entmenschlichung. Neben Biograf Thomas Meyer kommen in der filmischen Annährung an diese Jahre ihres Lebens der Philosoph Omri Boehm, die Trägerin des Adorno-Preises und des Hannah-Arendt-Preises für politisches Denken 2025, Seyla Benhabib sowie die französische Arendt-Expertin Martine Leibovici und Marina Touillez zu Wort, deren Darstellung von Arendts Pariser Exil-Umfeld in Frankreich intensiv diskutiert wurde.
Dokumentation von Christian Bettges (D 2025, 52 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 11/01/2027
Vor 120 Jahren, am 14. Oktober 1906, wurde Hannah Arendt geboren. Die 1930er Jahre verbrachte die jüdische Publizistin auf der Flucht vor den Nationalsozialisten im Pariser Exil. Dort rettete sie Kindern und Jugendlichen das Leben, indem sie ihnen die Flucht nach Palästina ermöglichte. Arendts Analysen des Antisemitismus, ihre Forderung nach dem Recht, Rechte zu haben, wie auch ihre Auseinandersetzung mit der Assimilation von Juden an die Mehrheitsgesellschaft gründen in diesem Lebensabschnitt. Ebenso bildete sich ihre pro-zionistische Sicht auf die Gründung Israels heraus, die quer zu den Ansichten der rechten Strömung der Bewegung stand.
Die zum Bestseller avancierte Biografie von Thomas Meyer hat Arendts Zeit in Paris erstmals gründlich erforscht. Mit Meyer begibt sichdie Dokumentationzu den Wirkungsstätten der politischen Denkerin - so nach Gurs, einem Internierungslager im Süden Frankreichs. Nach Kriegsbeginn wurden hier auch deutsche Juden interniert, die sich in Frankreich aufhielten. In einem kleinen Zeitfenster wurden manche Häftlinge entlassen, nur knapp entging Arendt so der Deportation nach Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Erst in ihrer neuen Heimat New York erfuhr Hannah Arendt vom Holocaust und verfasste ihre eindrucksvollen Thesen zu totaler Herrschaft als Praxis vollständiger Entmenschlichung. Neben Biograf Thomas Meyer kommen in der filmischen Annährung an diese Jahre ihres Lebens der Philosoph Omri Boehm, die Trägerin des Adorno-Preises und des Hannah-Arendt-Preises für politisches Denken 2025, Seyla Benhabib sowie die französische Arendt-Expertin Martine Leibovici und Marina Touillez zu Wort, deren Darstellung von Arendts Pariser Exil-Umfeld in Frankreich intensiv diskutiert wurde.
Dokumentation von Christian Bettges (D 2025, 52 Min)
Video auf YouTube verfügbar bis zum 11/01/2027
Trump vs Jesus
Dior and I — Christian Dior, Haute Couture, Fashion House, Raf Simons | Full Documentary
Jan 5, 2024 | Dior and I brings the viewer inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as its new artistic director—a true labour of love created by a dedicated group of collaborators.
Melding the everyday, pressure- filled components of fashion with mysterious echoes from the iconic brand’s past, the film is also a colourful homage to the seamstresses who serve Simons’ vision.
Melding the everyday, pressure- filled components of fashion with mysterious echoes from the iconic brand’s past, the film is also a colourful homage to the seamstresses who serve Simons’ vision.
Sieben Dinge, die ich erst in Deutschland kennengelernt habe | Meet the Germans
Mar 28, 2020 | Wir sind vernetzt wie noch nie, haben Freunde auf der ganzen Welt – und trotzdem gibt es immer wieder Aha-Erlebnisse, wenn man in fremde Länder reist. So erging es auch Rachel Stewart.
Sie wundert sich darüber, dass deutsche Autofahrer mehrmals im Jahr die Reifen wechseln, und widmet sich einer typisch deutschen Eisspezialität, die ausgerechnet wie ein Pasta-Gericht aussieht.
Die Britin Rachel Stewart taucht alle zwei Wochen für "Meet the Germans" in die Besonderheiten des deutschen Alltags und der deutschen Sprache ein. Seit 2016 lebt sie ständig in Deutschland und hat einen frischen Blick auf das Land und seine Bewohner.
Sie wundert sich darüber, dass deutsche Autofahrer mehrmals im Jahr die Reifen wechseln, und widmet sich einer typisch deutschen Eisspezialität, die ausgerechnet wie ein Pasta-Gericht aussieht.
Die Britin Rachel Stewart taucht alle zwei Wochen für "Meet the Germans" in die Besonderheiten des deutschen Alltags und der deutschen Sprache ein. Seit 2016 lebt sie ständig in Deutschland und hat einen frischen Blick auf das Land und seine Bewohner.
Mit dieser Strategie erobern die Rechten Europa
Alice Weidel, Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le Pen: Drei Frauen führen drei der erfolgreichsten rechten Parteien Europas. Parteien, die Frauenrechte einschränken wollen. Und trotzdem werden sie von immer mehr Frauen gewählt. Dahinter steckt eine Strategie, die einen Namen hat: Femonationalismus.
Le Pen hat ihre Partei, den Rassemblement National, "entdämonisiert". Weidel lässt die AfD als Ökonomin im Hosenanzug bürgerlich wirken. Und im Logo von Melonis Fratelli d'Italia brennt bis heute die Flamme der Neofaschisten. Auch auf Social Media sind alle drei erfolgreich: Auf TikTok haben sie Millionen Follower und erreichen junge Menschen, ohne dass ihnen dort ein kritischer Interviewer gegenübersitzt.
Ist es ein Fortschritt, wenn Frauen die Rechte anführen? Oder ändert sich die Politik dadurch nicht, sondern nur ihr Gesicht?
Redaktion: Selin Buran
Moderation: Stefan Lenglinger
Schnitt: Patrick Artner, Thomas Orth, Nicolas Hofbauer
Alice Weidel, Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le Pen: Das sind alles verfluchte Heuchlerinnen! — © Mark Alexander
Le Pen hat ihre Partei, den Rassemblement National, "entdämonisiert". Weidel lässt die AfD als Ökonomin im Hosenanzug bürgerlich wirken. Und im Logo von Melonis Fratelli d'Italia brennt bis heute die Flamme der Neofaschisten. Auch auf Social Media sind alle drei erfolgreich: Auf TikTok haben sie Millionen Follower und erreichen junge Menschen, ohne dass ihnen dort ein kritischer Interviewer gegenübersitzt.
Ist es ein Fortschritt, wenn Frauen die Rechte anführen? Oder ändert sich die Politik dadurch nicht, sondern nur ihr Gesicht?
Redaktion: Selin Buran
Moderation: Stefan Lenglinger
Schnitt: Patrick Artner, Thomas Orth, Nicolas Hofbauer
Alice Weidel, Giorgia Meloni, Marine Le Pen: Das sind alles verfluchte Heuchlerinnen! — © Mark Alexander
Italia Squisita: Costoletta alla Milanese — The Milanese Veal Cutlet at One of Milan's Oldest Trattorias | Masuelli since 1921
Nov 13, 2026 | To tell the story of the Milanese Cotoletta—or Vostoletta, named after the bone-in cut of veal from which it comes—we visited Trattoria Masuelli in Milan. It is one of the city's oldest restaurants, where three generations have honoured both Milanese and Piedmontese traditions, pairing time-tested recipes with modern technique and exceptional ingredients. Massimiliano Masuelli, chef and current custodian of this century-old institution on Viale Umbria, shares the history and step-by-step technique behind one of the best bone-in cutlets in Milan.
This episode on Masuelli’s costoletta alla Milanese also marks the YouTube launch of ItaliaSquisita’s brand-new book series, Piatto Forte – The DISH, dedicated to Italy’s most celebrated culinary traditions, one plate at a time.
This episode on Masuelli’s costoletta alla Milanese also marks the YouTube launch of ItaliaSquisita’s brand-new book series, Piatto Forte – The DISH, dedicated to Italy’s most celebrated culinary traditions, one plate at a time.
L’ex-patron de Nvidia Jensen Huang soupçonné d’une troisième relation extraconjugale, avec une autre employée
LE FIGARO : L’agence de presse Reuters rapporte que l’homme d’affaires américano-taïwanais, contraint à la démission jeudi, aurait entretenu une relation intime avec une deuxième employée de Nvidia, selon deux sources proches du dossier.
Le feuilleton se poursuit pour Jensen Huang. L’ex-patron de Nvidia, qui a démissionné jeudi 12 novembre après des révélations au sujet de deux relations extraconjugales, dont l’une avec une espionne chinoise présumée, est soupçonné d’un troisième adultère. Jeudi soir, l’agence de presse Reuters a ainsi rapporté que l’homme d’affaires américano-taïwanais aurait entretenu une relation intime avec une deuxième employée de Nvidia, selon deux sources proches du dossier. » | Par J.D.S. avec Reuters | vendredi 13 novembre 2026
Le feuilleton se poursuit pour Jensen Huang. L’ex-patron de Nvidia, qui a démissionné jeudi 12 novembre après des révélations au sujet de deux relations extraconjugales, dont l’une avec une espionne chinoise présumée, est soupçonné d’un troisième adultère. Jeudi soir, l’agence de presse Reuters a ainsi rapporté que l’homme d’affaires américano-taïwanais aurait entretenu une relation intime avec une deuxième employée de Nvidia, selon deux sources proches du dossier. » | Par J.D.S. avec Reuters | vendredi 13 novembre 2026
The Christian Right Lost Big in the Elections. Where Does It Go Next?
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The midterm election results were a stinging setback for the movement, setting off a scramble among activists to regroup ahead of the 2028 presidential contest.
Supporters pray before the start of a campaign event for President Donald Trump in Potterville, Mich., in 2024. Credit: Brittany Greeson for The New York Times
The Christian right suffered a crushing defeat in last week’s midterm elections, plunging the movement into frustration and uncertainty as it reels from its biggest losses since reaching new levels of power with President Trump.
Over the last decade, conservative Christians have hitched their ambitions to Mr. Trump’s, defending his leadership to advance their own goals, particularly around abortion. His causes in turn became theirs as they wove themselves into the MAGA coalition and infused its politics into the American church.
Now, his losses are theirs, too. The election results suggest that the movement’s grip inside Mr. Trump’s party has weakened, and religious conservatives are scrambling to regroup ahead of the 2028 presidential contest.
“What does the Christian right have today?” said Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project, a political advocacy group that has worked to defeat transgender rights measures. “We could have been actually passing laws that would have protected our kids, but instead we got the Iran war.”
Christian activists like Mr. Schilling said the Trump administration gave them few successes over the past two years beyond some executive orders, including one establishing the White House Faith Office and another on “anti-Christian bias.”
“There’s no signature achievement. There’s nothing,” Mr. Schilling said. “We squandered an opportunity.” » | Elizabeth Dias | Elizabeth Dias is the Times’ national religion correspondent and has reported on the Christian right’s political power for more than a decade. | Friday, November 13, 2026
Where does the Christian Right go next? Into oblivion, hopefully! — © Mark Alexander
The Christian right suffered a crushing defeat in last week’s midterm elections, plunging the movement into frustration and uncertainty as it reels from its biggest losses since reaching new levels of power with President Trump.
Over the last decade, conservative Christians have hitched their ambitions to Mr. Trump’s, defending his leadership to advance their own goals, particularly around abortion. His causes in turn became theirs as they wove themselves into the MAGA coalition and infused its politics into the American church.
Now, his losses are theirs, too. The election results suggest that the movement’s grip inside Mr. Trump’s party has weakened, and religious conservatives are scrambling to regroup ahead of the 2028 presidential contest.
“What does the Christian right have today?” said Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project, a political advocacy group that has worked to defeat transgender rights measures. “We could have been actually passing laws that would have protected our kids, but instead we got the Iran war.”
Christian activists like Mr. Schilling said the Trump administration gave them few successes over the past two years beyond some executive orders, including one establishing the White House Faith Office and another on “anti-Christian bias.”
“There’s no signature achievement. There’s nothing,” Mr. Schilling said. “We squandered an opportunity.” » | Elizabeth Dias | Elizabeth Dias is the Times’ national religion correspondent and has reported on the Christian right’s political power for more than a decade. | Friday, November 13, 2026
Where does the Christian Right go next? Into oblivion, hopefully! — © Mark Alexander
I Wrote Jensen Huang’s Biography. Here’s What Led to His Downfall.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: We live in the age of artificial intelligence — an age that Jensen Huang, perhaps more than any other single person, has made possible. The systems we are building with Nvidia’s equipment will transform our society and culture in ways we can’t imagine. But Mr. Huang’s unraveling is not a technology story. It is a timeless tale of masculine hubris, of a man undone by reckless overconfidence. Some things never change.
When I wrote my biography of Mr. Huang, I titled it “The Thinking Machine.” The name referred to the microchips that powered A.I., but also to Mr. Huang’s marauding, relentless intellect, which never slowed down or turned off. In the wake of his stunning departure, spurred by revelations that he carried on at least two affairs, one with a woman whom U.S. intelligence determined is a Chinese spy, and another with one of his direct reports, I should write a sequel: “The What-Were-You-Thinking?! Machine.”
Let’s start with Mr. Huang’s affair with Alice Huang, an executive who managed a Singapore-based company that owns data centers in Southeast Asia. These data centers are suspected of helping Chinese A.I. developers circumvent U.S. restrictions on sales of Nvidia equipment. A recent report in The Information suggests they were used as a way station to illicitly smuggle some $7 billion of equipment into China. Since U.S. intelligence captured evidence of Mr. Huang in a romantic relationship with Ms. Huang, it’s hard to believe that he did not understand what was going on.
Now consider Mr. Huang’s reported involvement with Kimberly Powell, an executive in the health care group at his firm and his direct subordinate. A former Nvidia employee told me this affair was common knowledge in the company — the same company that employs both of Mr. Huang’s children in executive roles. It’s a stunning and disrespectful display of arrogance. I asked the former employee why Mr. Huang would behave this way, right in front of his kids. The former employee said that it got him high — a narcissist’s high. » | Stephen Witt | Mr. Witt is the author of “The Thinking Machine,” a biography of Jensen Huang. | Thursday, November 12, 2026
Microsoft Users Hit by Global Tech Failure
THE TELEGRAPH: Microsoft is grappling with a major global tech blackout, leaving millions of users and businesses unable to access their emails and other programs, including Microsoft 365, Outlook and Teams.
Schools, the NHS, police services and businesses in the UK are all affected by the tech failure, which has dragged on for more than 14 hours since problems began at around 6pm GMT on Thursday.
The service blackout has spread worldwide, affecting Microsoft services in 74 countries and territories, including the UK, the US, Asia and Australia according to website-tracker Downdetector. The tech giant blamed the issue on an “elevated load” on its infrastructure after servers unexpectedly became unavailable, putting more pressure on its remaining systems.
Executives insisted there was “no indication” that the company had been hit with a cyber attack. An update on Friday morning said the recovery efforts were “ongoing”. » | Chris Price | Markets Editor | Friday, November 13, 2026
Schools, the NHS, police services and businesses in the UK are all affected by the tech failure, which has dragged on for more than 14 hours since problems began at around 6pm GMT on Thursday.
The service blackout has spread worldwide, affecting Microsoft services in 74 countries and territories, including the UK, the US, Asia and Australia according to website-tracker Downdetector. The tech giant blamed the issue on an “elevated load” on its infrastructure after servers unexpectedly became unavailable, putting more pressure on its remaining systems.
Executives insisted there was “no indication” that the company had been hit with a cyber attack. An update on Friday morning said the recovery efforts were “ongoing”. » | Chris Price | Markets Editor | Friday, November 13, 2026
Boxer on Death Row in Iran Vows ‘Not to Bow Before Oppression’ after Winning Rights Prize
THE GUARDIAN: Political prisoner Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, one of seven athletes at risk of execution in Iran, given prestigious Magnitsky humanitarian award
Boxing champion, coach and political prisoner Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, who has been sentenced to death three times. Photograph: Farashgard Foundation
A boxer and political prisoner on death row in Iran said he will “never surrender” as he accepted a prestigious human rights prize on behalf of “the generation that is paying the price of freedom with their lives”.
Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, an Iranian boxing champion, coach and political prisoner, has been sentenced to death three times and is one of seven athletes at risk of execution in Iran. He was given the Magnitsky award for outstanding human rights activist at a ceremony in London on Thursday night.
In a written message from Vakilabad prison in north-eastern Iran, he said: “I accept this award in the name of all those who, for the ‘crime’ of aspiring to a free Iran, have been imprisoned, tortured, threatened, or sentenced to death; in the name of my comrades in the resistance units and the generation that is paying the price of freedom with their lives.”
He added: “The regime demands repentance, televised confessions and surrender from us. But our answer is clear: ‘We will never surrender; we will never submit to humiliation.’” » | Sarah Johnson | Friday, November 13, 2026
A boxer and political prisoner on death row in Iran said he will “never surrender” as he accepted a prestigious human rights prize on behalf of “the generation that is paying the price of freedom with their lives”.
Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, an Iranian boxing champion, coach and political prisoner, has been sentenced to death three times and is one of seven athletes at risk of execution in Iran. He was given the Magnitsky award for outstanding human rights activist at a ceremony in London on Thursday night.
In a written message from Vakilabad prison in north-eastern Iran, he said: “I accept this award in the name of all those who, for the ‘crime’ of aspiring to a free Iran, have been imprisoned, tortured, threatened, or sentenced to death; in the name of my comrades in the resistance units and the generation that is paying the price of freedom with their lives.”
He added: “The regime demands repentance, televised confessions and surrender from us. But our answer is clear: ‘We will never surrender; we will never submit to humiliation.’” » | Sarah Johnson | Friday, November 13, 2026
Clashes Erupt in Spain as Thousands Join General Strike over Living Costs | BBC News
Nov 11, 2026 | Clashes have broken out between groups of masked men and police in Spanish cities, after hundreds of thousands of people took part in Spain's first general strike for 14 years, called by the country's main unions over housing and the high cost of living.
Some 120,000 people joined a demonstration in the capital Madrid and more than 50,000 turned out in Barcelona, where footage showed masked men setting fire to rubbish bins and smashing shop windows as police fired tear gas.
Transport and other public services across Spain faced serious disruption. Spaniards are due to vote in parliamentary elections on 29 November. The head of the big UGT labour union, Pepe Álvarez, said the strike was a success with "massive" participation, while Unai Sordo of the CC OO union said turnout was "very significant."
Earlier in the day there was major disruption in the capital, Madrid. The interior ministry said dozens of people were arrested and Spanish reports said estate agencies had seen attacks on their offices.
Rental prices in the capital have risen in recent years. The monthly cost of an average-sized apartment in Madrid is nearly half the average gross salary.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called snap elections last month after parliament failed to approve his plan for housing reform, and has publicly supported the right to strike over the issue. The conservative People's Party (PP), by contrast, has accused the government of attempting to weaponise the strike for electoral gain. Its leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has described the unions as “mafia" and "trash".
Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Nick Beake.
Some 120,000 people joined a demonstration in the capital Madrid and more than 50,000 turned out in Barcelona, where footage showed masked men setting fire to rubbish bins and smashing shop windows as police fired tear gas.
Transport and other public services across Spain faced serious disruption. Spaniards are due to vote in parliamentary elections on 29 November. The head of the big UGT labour union, Pepe Álvarez, said the strike was a success with "massive" participation, while Unai Sordo of the CC OO union said turnout was "very significant."
Earlier in the day there was major disruption in the capital, Madrid. The interior ministry said dozens of people were arrested and Spanish reports said estate agencies had seen attacks on their offices.
Rental prices in the capital have risen in recent years. The monthly cost of an average-sized apartment in Madrid is nearly half the average gross salary.
Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called snap elections last month after parliament failed to approve his plan for housing reform, and has publicly supported the right to strike over the issue. The conservative People's Party (PP), by contrast, has accused the government of attempting to weaponise the strike for electoral gain. Its leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has described the unions as “mafia" and "trash".
Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Nick Beake.
Thursday, November 12, 2026
Complete Amateurs’: Lord Ricketts Slams Trump’s Envoys
Nov 12, 2026 | “I'm afraid Whitcomb and Kushner are complete amateurs.”
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are “out of their depth”, whilst the Russians are “hardy professionals” who have been “playing these games for decades”, says retired senior British diplomat and former national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are “out of their depth”, whilst the Russians are “hardy professionals” who have been “playing these games for decades”, says retired senior British diplomat and former national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts.
THIS Is About the Most POWERFUL MESSAGE I have Heard in a Very Long Time! …
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