Monday, May 11, 2026
Red Square: Victory Day
Former Republican Turned Anti-fascist Activist, Paul Lance exposes Trump’s Authoritarianism
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Rhun ap Iorwerth to Become Wales' New First Minister within Days
BBC: Wales is set to be led by its first Plaid Cymru first minister, after three other Senedd parties indicated they would either back Rhun ap Iorwerth's nomination or not oppose him.
Plaid, with 43 seats, and Reform, with 34, are now the only big parties in Cardiff Bay.
In the Senedd vote, which could be as soon as Tuesday, ap Iorwerth needs more votes than any other candidate, rather than a majority of all Members of the Senedd (MSs), to be the winner.
Ken Skates, interim Labour leader after Eluned Morgan lost her seat, has indicated that his group will abstain, as will sole Liberal Democrat MS Jane Dodds.
But the Green Party, with two MSs, will back ap Iorwerth, meaning he cannot now be blocked. » | Adrian Browne | Wales political reporter | Sunday, May 10, 2026
Back to Autocracy - A Short-lived Win for Democracy in Tunisia | DW Documentary
May 10, 2026 | The Revolution of Freedom and Dignity took place in Tunisia in 2010. In 2024, President Kais Saied was re-elected by a large majority. In 2019, he was still seen as a man of integrity and loyal to the constitution. Today, Saied’s ruling style is autocratic.
In December 2010, the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sparked what became known as the Revolution of Freedom and Dignity. The spark spread throughout the region and became the starting point of the Arab Spring.
With the flight of Tunisian ruler Ben Ali in January 2011, a decade of hope began: free elections, an internationally praised constitution, and political pluralism that was exceptional for the region. But the democratic experiment faltered. Islamist influence, political infighting and an ever-deepening economic crisis caused the initial euphoria to fade. Disappointed young people took to the streets once again, chanting "work, freedom and national dignity".
In this politically-torn country, a reserved professor of constitutional law entered the scene: Kais Saied. His demonstrative independence from the political establishment and his supposed loyalty to the ideals of the revolution made him a beacon of hope for many. But after Saied's surprise election in 2019 and his overwhelming re-election in 2024, things took a drastic turn. Saied concentrated power in his own hands, brought the judiciary into line, marginalized the opposition and restricted press freedom.
Step by step, he undermined Tunisia's young democracy - while the international community focused primarily on protecting Europe's external borders and barely reacted.
This documentary hears from witnesses and airs previously unpublished archive material to paint a vivid picture of political change: from the enthusiasm of the revolutionary years to the authoritarian developments that, 15 years later, appear to be a definitive betrayal of the hopes of the Arab Spring.
In December 2010, the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sparked what became known as the Revolution of Freedom and Dignity. The spark spread throughout the region and became the starting point of the Arab Spring.
With the flight of Tunisian ruler Ben Ali in January 2011, a decade of hope began: free elections, an internationally praised constitution, and political pluralism that was exceptional for the region. But the democratic experiment faltered. Islamist influence, political infighting and an ever-deepening economic crisis caused the initial euphoria to fade. Disappointed young people took to the streets once again, chanting "work, freedom and national dignity".
In this politically-torn country, a reserved professor of constitutional law entered the scene: Kais Saied. His demonstrative independence from the political establishment and his supposed loyalty to the ideals of the revolution made him a beacon of hope for many. But after Saied's surprise election in 2019 and his overwhelming re-election in 2024, things took a drastic turn. Saied concentrated power in his own hands, brought the judiciary into line, marginalized the opposition and restricted press freedom.
Step by step, he undermined Tunisia's young democracy - while the international community focused primarily on protecting Europe's external borders and barely reacted.
This documentary hears from witnesses and airs previously unpublished archive material to paint a vivid picture of political change: from the enthusiasm of the revolutionary years to the authoritarian developments that, 15 years later, appear to be a definitive betrayal of the hopes of the Arab Spring.
The Lure of St. Moritz - From Sleepy Mountain Village to Luxury Resort | DW Documentary
May 9, 2026 | St. Moritz is the birthplace of alpine winter tourism, as well of many winter sports. The village, with its magnificent location in the Swiss Engadin mountains, was already attracting celebrities in the last century.
St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive winter sports resorts in the world, with a burnished history. Located in the picturesque Swiss Engadin mountains, the village attracted many celebrities in the last century: including Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Andy Warhol and Herbert von Karajan. Coco Chanel sought refuge here, during the war. Alfred Hitchcock was inspired to write his first classic in one of St. Moritz’s grand hotels, and returned many times over the decades. The Shah of Persia temporarily ruled his empire from a chalet on the Suvretta slope.
Just 150 years ago, St. Moritz was still a simple mountain village. Then, adventurous Englishmen arrived, invented new winter sports and laid the foundation for the town's fame.
Five-star hotels sprang up in the village of 5,000 inhabitants, which suddenly became a winter hotspot for the rich and famous.
Numerous winter sports originated here, some of which are unique to this location: in Cresta, participants race headfirst down into the valley on low sleds - on the longest natural ice track in the world. The Cresta Club, founded over 100 years ago by Englishmen, is still one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.
In skijoring, skiers are pulled across the frozen Lake St. Moritz by horses. Winter sports, tradition and sophisticated lifestyle, luxury and cosmopolitanism characterize the history of St. Moritz.
St. Moritz is one of the most exclusive winter sports resorts in the world, with a burnished history. Located in the picturesque Swiss Engadin mountains, the village attracted many celebrities in the last century: including Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Gunter Sachs, Andy Warhol and Herbert von Karajan. Coco Chanel sought refuge here, during the war. Alfred Hitchcock was inspired to write his first classic in one of St. Moritz’s grand hotels, and returned many times over the decades. The Shah of Persia temporarily ruled his empire from a chalet on the Suvretta slope.
Just 150 years ago, St. Moritz was still a simple mountain village. Then, adventurous Englishmen arrived, invented new winter sports and laid the foundation for the town's fame.
Five-star hotels sprang up in the village of 5,000 inhabitants, which suddenly became a winter hotspot for the rich and famous.
Numerous winter sports originated here, some of which are unique to this location: in Cresta, participants race headfirst down into the valley on low sleds - on the longest natural ice track in the world. The Cresta Club, founded over 100 years ago by Englishmen, is still one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.
In skijoring, skiers are pulled across the frozen Lake St. Moritz by horses. Winter sports, tradition and sophisticated lifestyle, luxury and cosmopolitanism characterize the history of St. Moritz.
Mass Layoffs in Iran as Businesses Buckle Under Wartime Pressures
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Iran was already struggling economically before 2026 brought widespread instability. A government-imposed internet shutdown has crippled an entire sector.
In mid-March, Babak, a 49-year-old Iranian product designer at a tech company in Tehran, was called into his boss’s office and told that his position was being eliminated.
Iran’s government had shut down the internet two weeks earlier, at the outset of U.S.-Israeli war on the country, throwing the country’s tech industry into chaos and making Babak’s job impossible.
“Throughout my career, I have worked hard, continuously learned, and tried to grow,” said Babak, who sent voice messages to The New York Times, and asked to be identified only by his first name to avoid government reprisal. “Yet at this stage of my life, I find myself in an uncertain and ambiguous position,” he said.
Babak’s experience has become increasingly common throughout Iran as companies have instituted round after round of layoffs in recent weeks, according to interviews with businesses and employees and Iranian news reports.
For the Trump administration, Iran’s severe economic struggles are part of a strategy to pressure the country into submission. “I hope it fails,” President Trump told reporters this month, of Iran’s economy. “You know why? Because I want to win.” Iranian officials insist that pressure will not work and that the country will not surrender. » | Leily Nikounazar. Photographs by Arash Khamooshi | Sunday, May 10, 2026
There is one quick, sure-fire solution to this tragedy: Remove the worst, cruellest, most egocentric president ever from office, and imprison him! That will stop all this suffering. — © Mark Alexander
In mid-March, Babak, a 49-year-old Iranian product designer at a tech company in Tehran, was called into his boss’s office and told that his position was being eliminated.
Iran’s government had shut down the internet two weeks earlier, at the outset of U.S.-Israeli war on the country, throwing the country’s tech industry into chaos and making Babak’s job impossible.
“Throughout my career, I have worked hard, continuously learned, and tried to grow,” said Babak, who sent voice messages to The New York Times, and asked to be identified only by his first name to avoid government reprisal. “Yet at this stage of my life, I find myself in an uncertain and ambiguous position,” he said.
Babak’s experience has become increasingly common throughout Iran as companies have instituted round after round of layoffs in recent weeks, according to interviews with businesses and employees and Iranian news reports.
For the Trump administration, Iran’s severe economic struggles are part of a strategy to pressure the country into submission. “I hope it fails,” President Trump told reporters this month, of Iran’s economy. “You know why? Because I want to win.” Iranian officials insist that pressure will not work and that the country will not surrender. » | Leily Nikounazar. Photographs by Arash Khamooshi | Sunday, May 10, 2026
There is one quick, sure-fire solution to this tragedy: Remove the worst, cruellest, most egocentric president ever from office, and imprison him! That will stop all this suffering. — © Mark Alexander
Royaume-Uni : face à la colère des travaillistes, Keir Starmer tente de sauver sa peau et d’éviter un putsch
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Après la déroute aux élections locales, le chef du gouvernement britannique organise sa riposte et a étonnamment nommé à ses côtés l’ancien premier ministre Gordon Brown.
Le premier ministre britannique est sous le feu. Après la retentissante défaite travailliste aux élections de jeudi, les appels émanant de son camp et appelant à sa démission se multiplient. Pour contrer la menace, celui qui a exclu de s’effacer tente de persuader qu’il va changer et a fait étonnamment appel à l’un de ses anciens prédécesseurs à Downing Street, Gordon Brown.
Tout le week-end, les cris d’alarme et de colère ont couru dans le camp travailliste, sous le choc de la déroute et de l’humiliation. Le Labour a été étrillé en Angleterre par le grand vainqueur du scrutin, le parti Reform UK de Nigel Farage. Il a perdu près de 1 500 sièges de conseillers aux élections locales, notamment dans les régions ouvrières du nord et du centre de l’Angleterre. Reform a gagné quelque 1 450 sièges, Nigel Farage célébrant « un tournant historique dans la politique britannique ». » | Par Arnaud De La Grange, correspondant à Londres | dimanche 10 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Saudi Arabia Is Lifting the Alcohol Ban for Wealthy Foreigners
BBC: Saudi Arabia has quietly started to allow wealthy foreign residents to buy alcohol, a huge change after a 73-year ban. Commentators expect that the relaxation will eventually be extended to tourists, as Sameer Hashmi reports from Riyadh.
For decades, Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter has stood apart from the rest of the capital city – an affluent enclave of embassies and upscale residences, with shaded walkways, greenery and a café culture that draws young Saudis and expatriates alike.
Now, tucked inside a discreet, unmarked beige complex within the exclusive neighbourhood, a small store has become a discrete testing ground for one of Saudi Arabia's most sensitive policy shifts – the controlled sale of alcohol to wealthy non-Muslim foreigners.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's two holiest sites, banned the sale of alcohol in 1952. But as part of a broader effort to reshape its image, the kingdom has rolled out sweeping social and economic reforms in recent years, presenting itself as a more moderate and investment-friendly society.
Under the leadership of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, the kingdom has reopened cinemas, hosted major music festivals, lifted the ban on women driving, and curtailed the powers of the once-feared religious police.
But the quiet expansion of legal alcohol sales is arguably the boldest experiment yet.
The liquor shop first opened in Riyadh in January 2024, but entry was initially restricted to non-Muslim diplomats. Under new rules introduced without announcement at the end of 2025, wealthy, non-Muslim foreign residents can now also go there to purchase beer, wine and spirits.
To be eligible, an expat must either hold a Premium Residency permit, which costs 100,000 Saudi riyals ($27,000; £19,300) a year; or show that he or she earns at least 50,000 riyals per month.
The Premium Residency scheme has varying eligibility criteria, and is typically open to senior foreign executives, investors, and professionals with specialised skills.
In both the case of permit holders and those without, they will have to show their residence ID card to security guards at the door. This details their religion and residency status. » | Sameer Hashmi | Thursday, February 5, 2026
Palestinians Demand Historical Reckoning ahead of Nakba Anniversary
Francophonie : « L'épicentre aujourd'hui de la langue française est sur les bassins du fleuve Congo », déclare Emmanuel Macron
Iran-Krieg leert weltweite Ölreserven in Rekordtempo
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Wie lange reichen die Vorräte noch, bevor an den Zapfsäulen und Flughäfen das Öl knapp wird? US-Analysten nennen konkrete Termine.
Der Iran-Krieg lässt die globalen Ölvorräte nach einem Bericht des Finanzdienstes Bloomberg so schnell schrumpfen wie nie zuvor. Die weltweiten Ölbestände seien zwischen dem 1. März und dem 25. April um rund 4,8 Millionen Barrel pro Tag gesunken, berichtete Bloomberg unter Berufung auf Schätzungen der US-Bank Morgan Stanley.
Das sei der stärkste Quartalsrückgang in den Daten der Internationalen Energieagentur (IEA). Rohöl mache knapp 60 Prozent des Rückgangs aus, raffinierte Kraftstoffe den Rest. Hintergrund ist die seit zwei Monaten weitgehend blockierte Straße von Hormus, durch die ein Großteil der Lieferungen aus dem Persischen Golf fließt. In mehreren asiatischen Staaten könnten demnach bereits in wenigen Wochen kritische Versorgungsengpässe auftreten. » | Sophie Barkey | Sonntag, 10. Mai 2026
Der Iran-Krieg lässt die globalen Ölvorräte nach einem Bericht des Finanzdienstes Bloomberg so schnell schrumpfen wie nie zuvor. Die weltweiten Ölbestände seien zwischen dem 1. März und dem 25. April um rund 4,8 Millionen Barrel pro Tag gesunken, berichtete Bloomberg unter Berufung auf Schätzungen der US-Bank Morgan Stanley.
Das sei der stärkste Quartalsrückgang in den Daten der Internationalen Energieagentur (IEA). Rohöl mache knapp 60 Prozent des Rückgangs aus, raffinierte Kraftstoffe den Rest. Hintergrund ist die seit zwei Monaten weitgehend blockierte Straße von Hormus, durch die ein Großteil der Lieferungen aus dem Persischen Golf fließt. In mehreren asiatischen Staaten könnten demnach bereits in wenigen Wochen kritische Versorgungsengpässe auftreten. » | Sophie Barkey | Sonntag, 10. Mai 2026
Waleed Asadi: Traditional Floral & Creamy Levantine Rice Pudding | Ruz bil Haleeb | رز بالحليب
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.
WIKIPEDIA: Mastic (plant resin) »
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
À LIRE AUSSI :
Guerre en Ukraine : Vladimir Poutine assure que le conflit « touche à sa fin » : Le président russe a assuré devant une assemblée de journalistes que la situation « restait grave ». »
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
À LIRE AUSSI :
Guerre en Ukraine : Vladimir Poutine assure que le conflit « touche à sa fin » : Le président russe a assuré devant une assemblée de journalistes que la situation « restait grave ». »
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
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