"Fire in Every Direction": Palestinian Author Tareq Baconi on Gaza, Zionism & Embracing Queerness

Nov 6, 2025 | Palestinian writer Tareq Baconi joins us to discuss his new memoir, Fire in Every Direction, a chronicle of his political and queer coming of age growing up between Amman and Beirut as the grandson of refugees from Jerusalem and Haifa. While "LGBTQ+ labels have also been used by the West as part of empire," with colonial projects seeking to portray Native populations as backward and in need of saving, "there's a beautiful effort and movement among queer communities in the region to reclaim that language," says Baconi. "I identify as a queer man today as part of a political project. It's not just a sexual identity. It expands beyond that and rejects Zionism and rejects authoritarianism, and that's part of my queerness."

Baconi also comments on the so-called ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City. "Palestinians are the ones that have to govern Palestinian territory, not this international force that comes in that takes any kind of sovereignty or agency away from the Palestinians," he says.


Democracy Now! can be supported here.

The Debate: Radical Change? Mamdani Wins New York as Voters Turn on Trump across US • FRANCE 24 English

Nov 6, 2025 | One year after a presidential election where Donald Trump swept swing states and secured majorities in both houses of the US Congress, a first test has produced a radically different result. 34-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani has blown past establishment candidates for mayor of New York, unveiling his transition team this Wednesday. We ask about Mamdani's win and the highest turnout in the city's municipal elections in more than half a century.

Argentina Marches for LGBTQ Pride, against Government-fuelled 'Hate' • FRANCE 24 English

Nov 2, 2025 |

Sen. Adam Schiff: Trump's Top 10 Lies on 60 Minutes, in 10 Minutes

Nov 6, 2025 | Donald Trump gave 60 Minutes’ worth of lies last weekend. Let’s break down his top ten lies about prices, tariffs, and his recording-breaking shutdown.

NEW LINCOLN PROJECT AD: Demolishing Democracy

Nov 6, 2025 | Trump has about as much respect for The White House as he does for the people he governs.

Afghanistan: la culture d'opium continue de baisser fortement

LE FIGARO : L’ONU constate une forte réduction des cultures de pavot dans le pays, tout en mettant en garde contre la montée du trafic de drogues de synthèse.

La culture de l'opium a baissé de 20% en 2025 en Afghanistan, qui était encore il y a quelques années premier pays producteur mondial avec une superficie de plus de vingt fois supérieure à celle d'aujourd'hui, a rapporté jeudi l'ONU, alertant sur l'essor parallèle de drogues de synthèse. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 6 novembre 2025

The Guardian View on Zohran Mamdani’s Victory in New York: The Democrats Can Build on an Uplifting Night

THE GUARDIAN — EDITORIAL: A historic campaign that focused on the theme of affordability can offer wider lessons to a re-energised opposition

Since the re-election of Donald Trump last November, a demoralised Democratic party has struggled to reverse a palpable sense of downward momentum. At a grassroots level, amid plunging poll ratings, there has been a yearning for renewal and a more punchy, combative approach in opposition. Against that bleak backdrop, the remarkable election of Zohran Mamdani to the New York City mayoralty is a moment for progressives to savour.

Mr Mamdani entered the mayoral race last October as a socialist outsider with almost zero name recognition. He won it with more than 50% of the vote after the highest turnout in more than half a century, and despite the best efforts of billionaires to bankroll his chief rival, the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, to victory. That achievement makes him the youngest mayor of the US’s largest city for more than 100 years and the first Muslim to occupy the role.

New York is a traditional Democratic stronghold and is in no sense a national bellwether. Nevertheless, faced with a Maga movement that has based its success on the support of working-class voters, the Democratic party can learn much from Mr Mamdani’s extraordinary triumph. Leaving culture-war politics to his increasingly desperate opponents, he campaigned relentlessly and almost exclusively on the theme of affordability. » | Editorial | Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Why Trump Is More Dangerous Every Day: Psychiatrist | The Daily Beast Podcast

Nov 6, 2025 | Dr. Bandy X. Lee, forensic and social psychiatrist, joins Joanna Coles to sound the alarm regarding President Donald Trump’s dire mental health problems. She explains how Trump’s paranoia, fear of exposure, and relentless need for power drive his behavior—from deploying guards to manipulating supporters—and how these patterns spread through society, creating true mental health contagion. Dr. Lee asks: How do we contain a leader whose fragility fuels his power?

Bandy Lee »

Bernie Explains the Senate Fight That's Doubling Healthcare Premiums While the Rich Get Tax Breaks

Nov 6, 2025

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Spain’s Former King Reveals How He Shot and Killed His Brother

THE TELEGRAPH: A bullet ricocheted and struck Alfonso ‘in the forehead’ while we played with a pistol, says Juan Carlos

Spain’s former king Juan Carlos has detailed for the first time how he shot his younger brother dead nearly 70 years ago.

The exiled royal, 87, who now lives in Dubai, published his memoirs this week, in which he wrote about the death of Alfonso.

Juan Carlos has remained tight-lipped since the 14-year-old was killed by a single bullet that struck his forehead on March 29 1956.

In the book, published in France under the title “Juan Carlos I d’Espagne: Réconciliation”, he said: “I will not recover from this tragedy. Its gravity will accompany me forever.” » | James Badcock in Madrid | Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Spain bans exiled king from attending his coronation anniversary: Snub for Juan Carlos is the latest humiliation since his reputation was tarnished by a series of scandals »

Disgraced former king of Spain’s memoir details ‘enormous respect’ for Franco: Memoir chronicles Juan Carlos’s anointment as heir to dictator and death of younger brother when playing with pistols »

Delia Smith's Winter Collection: Episode 5: Sunday Lunches

Nov 10, 2021 | Proper pudding and Sunday lunch’. Delia goes through the preparations for a traditional Sunday lunch. To finish off the meal she offers a choice of puddings.

Let Me Eat Cake

Mary Trump talks about America’s very own Marie Antoinette: Donald Trump! This is her take on it.
Strong language alert!

Donald Trump’s Insidious Lie

Father David’s words of wisdom.

Travel Back to New York City in 1911 - Restored Footage

Nov 1, 2025 | Restored footage from 1911 showing different areas around New York City such as City Hall Park, Chinatown, Herald Square, and Broadway filmed by cameramen working for the Swedish company Svenska Biografteatern.

Around this time, Svenska Biografteatern sent a team of cameramen around the world to film famous locations.

Footage frame rate increased, upscaled and “colorized” by HistoryColored using AI technology.

Footage originally from: New York 1911, Wikimedia Commons Music: With the Dawn / Megan Wofford / Epidemic Sound

„Ich bin Trumps schlimmster Albtraum“: Zohran Mamdani wird Bürgermeister von New York

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Der 34-jährige linke Demokrat Zohran Mamdani setzt sich in New York klar gegen Ex-Gouverneur Andrew Cuomo durch – und wird als erster Muslim an die Spitze der US-Metropole gewählt.

Der 34-jährige Zohran Mamdani hat die Bürgermeisterwahl in New York City gewonnen. Nach Prognosen von US-Medien setzte sich der Demokrat aus dem linken Spektrum der Partei am Dienstag deutlich gegen seine Rivalen durch. Nach Auszählung von 91 Prozent der Stimmen kommt Mamdani auf 50,4 Prozent. Damit wird er der erste Muslim an der Spitze New York Citys.

„Diese Stadt ist Eure Stadt, und diese Demokratie gehört auch Euch“, sagte Mamdani am Abend in seiner Siegesrede vor jubelnden Anhängern. In seiner Ansprache versprach Mamdani, dass New York nun „in diesem Moment politischer Finsternis“ das Licht sein werde. Im Wahlkampf nannte er sich selbst den „schlimmsten Albtraum“ von US-Präsident Donald Trump.

Trump reagierte auf Mamdanis Wahlsieg mit den Worten, er selbst habe nicht auf dem Wahlzettel gestanden. Auch der Shutdown sei daran schuld, dass die Republikaner nicht gewonnen hätten. » | Sophie Barkey | Mittwoch, 5. November 2025

«Ce n’est pas seulement une victoire pour les démocrates» : Mamdani triomphe à New York mais le parti recentre son message ailleurs

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le candidat socialiste a remporté comme prévu la mairie de New York, mais en Virginie et dans le New Jersey, les candidats démocrates ont remporté les élections sur des programmes débarrassés des discours woke.

L’élection de Zohran Mamdani à la mairie de New York a moins marqué le virage à gauche de l’Amérique urbaine qu’il n’a confirmé le discrédit qui entoure l’appareil du parti démocrate, représenté face à lui par l’ancien gouverneur Andrew Cuomo. Mais la victoire simultanée de deux démocrates centristes aux postes de gouverneurs de Virginie et du New Jersey, et le succès du référendum de redécoupage électoral décidé par le gouverneur de Californie Gavin Newsom, a parallèlement indiqué une autre voie que la gauche pour renouveler un parti à la recherche de ses repères.

Un an après la victoire de Donald Trump, ces premiers scrutins étaient attendus comme des oracles, en particulier par les démocrates. La campagne victorieuse de Mamdani a été saluée comme celle d’un populisme de gauche, mêlant des discours exaltants, un programme un peu vague, et des promesses de lendemains radieux. «Le soleil s’est peut-être couché sur notre ville ce soir… mais je vois poindre l’aube d’un jour meilleur pour l’humanité », a lancé le vainqueur de l’élection mardi soir dans un discours exalté, citant le syndicaliste et socialiste américain Eugene Debs. » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | mercredi 5 novembre 2025

Réservé aux abonnés

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

November 5, 2025

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Zohran Mamdani Press Conference

This is how a winner speaks.

Zohran Mamdani Says He's Ready for Donald Trump | The New Yorker Interview

Oct 10, 2025 | The Democratic candidate for mayor would be one of the youngest and the first Muslim in the job. He discusses threats from Donald Trump, and what socialism means in practice, with David Remnick.

Rama Duwaji: Who Is the Wife of NYC's Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani?

BBC: At 28, Rama Duwaji will be the youngest first lady New York City has ever had - thrust into the spotlight as her husband Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race on Tuesday night.

And in his victory speech, the mayor-elect had a special shoutout for his wife standing beside him.

"And to my incredible wife, Rama, hayati," he said, using the Arabic word for "my life". "There is no one I would rather have by my side in this moment, and in every moment."

Duwaji is a New York-based artist with Syrian roots whose work often explores Middle Eastern themes. Her work has appeared on BBC News, and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vice and London's Tate Modern museum.

"Rama isn't just my wife; she's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms," Mamdani wrote in a post on 12 May, announcing they had been married three months earlier.

"Omg she's real," Duwaji joked in a comment on that post.

The couple met on dating app Hinge, "so there is still hope in those dating apps," Mamdani said in an interview with The Bulwark. » | Max Matza | BBC News | Thursday, June 26, 2025. Updated: Wednesday, November 5, 2025