Als der Reichstag brannte | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Jan 27, 2026 | Vor 90 Jahren, in der Nacht vom 27. Februar zum 28. Februar 1933 steht der Reichstag in Flammen – und mit ihm die deutsche Demokratie. Der Brand dient Hitler, der einen Monat zuvor zum Reichskanzler ernannt worden war, als Vorwand für die Errichtung einer Diktatur. Binnen Stunden werden Tausende Oppositionelle interniert. Doch wer war für den Reichstagsbrand verantwortlich?

1928 steht Deutschland am Rande eines Bürgerkriegs. Kommunisten und Nationalsozialisten liefern sich Kämpfe auf den Straßen und an den Wahlurnen, um die Mehrheit im Reichstag zu erlangen. Wahl um Wahl erobern Hitler und seine Partei die politische Landschaft, während seine Braunhemden bei politischen Gegnern Angst und Schrecken verbreiten. Am 30. Januar 1933 wird Hitler dank einer wackeligen Koalition mit der nationalkonservativen DNVP Reichskanzler. Kurz darauf sorgt das Gerücht eines bevorstehenden Staatsstreichs für zusätzliche Verunsicherung.

Am 27. Februar 1933 werden mit dem Brand des Reichstagsgebäudes alle Befürchtungen wahr. In dem brennenden Gebäude wird ein Mann aufgegriffen: der 24-jährige arbeitslose Niederländer Marinus van der Lubbe, der als Kommunist gilt – in den Augen der Nationalsozialisten ein Bilderbuchtäter. Der Vorwand ist gefunden, über Nacht Tausende Oppositionelle zu verhaften und in den ersten nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslagern zu internieren. Darunter befinden sich auch drei bulgarische „Agitatoren“ und der Fraktionsvorsitzende der Kommunisten im Reichstag, die zu Komplizen des jungen Niederländers erklärt werden.

Binnen weniger Wochen wird Deutschland zur Diktatur: Der Kanzler erhält die volle Macht, während seine Milizen auf den Straßen im Namen der Partei Terror verbreiten. Außerhalb Deutschlands organisiert sich Widerstand: Die Kommunisten beschuldigen ihrerseits Goebbels, Göring beziehungsweise die SA, den Brand gelegt zu haben.

Die Nationalsozialisten reagieren mit einem Schauprozess gegen die mutmaßlichen Reichstagsbrandstifter. Drei Monate lang werden alle Verhandlungen aufgezeichnet. Mehr als 200 Zeugen und Sachverständige treten unter strenger Kontrolle der Propaganda in den Zeugenstand. Die Schuld von Marinus van der Lubbe scheint außer Zweifel zu stehen …

Dokumentarfilm von Mickaël Gamrasni (F 2022, 90 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 11/07/2026

Why You Should Try Salzburger Nockerln

Allow yourself to be delighted.

Anne Applebaum Says Europe Is Starting to Hedge against the US

America might not be our ally anymore.

Horrific Human Experiments of the Holocaust

Jan 27, 2026 | Adolf Hitler's regime of terror and destruction inflicted brutal horrors throughout the Third Reich. Ideas of making Germany great again and establishing a pure race indoctrinated the German people to support him indefinitely. The Nazi Regime under Adolf Hitler imposed some of the most insane forms of eugenics and medical experiments the world has ever seen.

It’s only a small step from MaGGA (Make Germany Great Again) to MAGA (Make America Great Again). And Hiter’s calls to make Germans a “pure race” again immediately remind one of Trump’s multiple utterances about immigrants “poisoning the blood” of America, for by implication, if Americans’ blood has been poisoned, it is no longer pure. What went on in Hitler’s Germany is so reminiscent of what is going on in Trump’s America. It truly is alarming. — © Mark Alexander

Ungarn wirft Ukraine Wahleinmischung vor – Kiew bestellt Botschafter ein

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Ungarn beschuldigt die Ukraine, sich in die bevorstehenden Parlamentswahlen einmischen zu wollen. Kiew spricht von „antiukrainischer Rhetorik“.

Das ukrainische Außenministerium hat nach eigenen Angaben am Donnerstag den ungarischen Botschafter Antal Geyser einbestellt, um gegen Behauptungen der ungarischen Regierung zu protestieren. Budapest hatte der Ukraine vorgeworfen, sich in die bevorstehenden Parlamentswahlen einzumischen, was die Ukraine zurückweist. Dem Diplomaten wurde mitgeteilt, dass die Ukraine es ablehne, von ungarischer Seite in den dortigen Wahlkampf hineingezogen zu werden, teilte das ukrainische Außenministerium mit. Ungarn werde aufgefordert, seine „aggressive antiukrainische Rhetorik“ einzustellen, um negative Folgen für das Verhältnis der beiden Nachbarländer zu vermeiden, hieß es. » | Anika Schlünz | Mittwoch, 28. Januar 2026

Indonésie : un couple flagellé à 140 reprises pour des relations sexuelles hors mariage

LE FIGARO : La femme s’est évanouie après avoir été flagellée et a été conduite à une ambulance. Il s’agit de l’une des sentences les plus sévères depuis l’entrée en vigueur de la loi islamique dans la province conservatrice d’Aceh en 2001

Un homme et une femme, condamnés pour des relations sexuelles hors mariage par un tribunal islamique de la province conservatrice d'Aceh, dans l'ouest de l'Indonésie, ont été flagellés à 140 reprises jeudi, a constaté un journaliste de l'AFP. L'homme et la femme, dont l'âge n'a pas été précisé, ont reçu chacun 140 coups d'un bâton de rotin dans le dos, 100 pour relations sexuelles hors mariage et 40 pour consommation d'alcool, a indiqué à l'AFP le chef de la police de la charia de Banda Aceh, Muhammad Rizal.

La femme s'est évanouie après avoir été flagellée et a été conduite à une ambulance. Il s'agit de l'une des sentences les plus sévères depuis l'entrée en vigueur de la loi islamique dans cette province en 2001. Quatre autres personnes ont été fouettées en public jeudi, dont un policier et sa partenaire féminine, condamnés également pour une trop grande proximité hors mariage. Chacun d'eux a reçu 23 coups de bâton. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 29 janvier 2026

Tout cela au nom de la miséricorde et de la compassion d'Allah, bien sûr. — © Mark Alexander

Melania Trump Documentary Pulled From South African Theaters

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The distributor, which was set to release the film on Friday, said it had canceled the theatrical premiere because of “recent developments,” but declined to specify.

“Melania,” the new documentary about the first lady, scheduled to open worldwide on Friday, has been pulled from theaters in South Africa after the film’s local distributor said on Wednesday that it would no longer release it.

“Based on recent developments, we’ve taken the decision to not go ahead with a theatrical release in territory,” said Thobashan Govindarajulu, the head of sales and marketing for the distributor, Filmfinity.

Mr. Govindarajulu declined to say what recent developments had led to the decision, but said that the company was not pressured or asked to pull the film. “That was our decision,” he said. The decision was first reported by the South African outlet News24.

The promotion of the film about Melania Trump has been as polarizing as her husband, President Trump, who has touted the movie as a “must watch.” But theaters have reported thin advanced ticket sales, despite Amazon investing $40 million for the rights to the film and spending tens of millions more on marketing, which industry analysts saw as a big risk. » | John Eligon | Reporting from Johannesburg | Wednesday, January 28, 2026

The Melania Film Is a 'Vanity Project' No One Will Watch | Josh Glancy

Jan 29, 2026 | "This is a sop."

The Melania film is "soap propaganda" but does show that the American commercial establishment has "bent the knee" to Trump, says associate editor of The Sunday Times, Josh Glancy.


Class and Trump are oxymorons, naturally, but I could not help but notice that the font that has been used for Melania's name in this vanity project film is the same font as the fashion House of Chanel uses! Chanel, of course, is synonymous with, the epitome of, class (and style) in the world of fashion. So, as Melania is so self-evidently a dedicated follower of fashion and behaves as the arbiter of style extraordinaire—she would almost certainly insist that she is a trendsetter rather than a follower—but nevertheless, I am convinced that the font that has been used for the name of this film has been used for subliminal purposes: they wanted the person reading the name of the film to associate Melania with class (and style) without realising that they are doing so! — © Mark Alexander

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Paper Concerned about "Off-switch for the Internet"

Jan 29, 2026 | With the FSB set to secure broad powers to cut communications, one Russian paper today criticises the idea: “It is impossible to imagine the functioning of a modern economy without a functioning Internet.”

Another paper looks at prices in 2026: “Vodka up 17%, cucumbers up 21.3%.”

”I Guess Tim Cook Doesn’t Think He Has the Power to Make a Difference.”

Tim Miller gives us the low down.

Lebanese Food Safari | Lebanese Cuisine | المطبخ اللبناني

Oct 6, 2017 | This week Maeve O'Meara goes in search of the fresh green flavours of Lebanese food when she visits one of her favourite Middle Eastern emporiums with master chef Greg Malouf. There, she discovers how to choose the best tahini, yoghurt, burgul, chick peas and spice mixes for use in the Lebanese kitchen. Later, Maeve visits Samira Saab whose tabouli is legendary and who has some simple tips on making it taste amazing.

Steve Schmidt: Why This Should Terrify Every American

Jan 28, 2026 | As new revelations expose the inner workings of ICE, DHS, and Trump-aligned operatives, Steve Schmidt breaks down the key players, calls out media failures, and warns that normalized cruelty and secrecy are pushing America closer to authoritarian rule.

The people mentioned by Steve Schmidt at the start of this video are America’s “deplorables”! America’s domestic terrorists, perhaps?

Just a simple question: Why are there so many bimbos in high office in America? And those who are not bimbos are damn nasty people. How so? — © Mark Alexander

Homosexuality in Europe Between Two Dictatorships I PART 2 | SLICE WHO

Jan 26, 2026 | Between the wars, being gay in Europe meant living under constant surveillance.

Through the personal memories of Pierre-Louis “Pilou”, this documentary traces a hidden life shaped by love, fear and repression.

From Paris to Italy, from quiet freedoms to fascist crackdowns, his story reveals how homosexuality was tolerated, medicalized, then criminalized. As Nazism and fascism spread, private lives became political threats.

Documentary : Snapshots Of History
EP:20 Pierre Louis ”Pilou”, Homosexuality in the Interwar Years
Direction : Delphine Deloget
Production : Bonne Compagnie


PART 1 can be watched here.

Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Massive Armada’ and Presses a Set of Demands

THE NEW YORK TIMES: U.S. and European officials say they have put three demands in front of the Iranians, including a permanent end to all enrichment of uranium.

President Trump sharply intensified his threats against Iran on Wednesday, suggesting that if it did not agree to a set of demands the administration had made of the country’s leaders, he could soon mount an attack “with speed and violence.”

Mr. Trump’s threat of a second direct attack on Iran by U.S. forces in eight months came as the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, along with other naval ships, bombers and fighter jets, took up positions in the region in striking distance of the country. Mr. Trump explicitly compared the buildup to the forces he amassed near Venezuela late last year, just ahead of the operation that seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife in the middle of the night early in January.

Mr. Trump gave no specifics about the deal he was demanding, saying only that a “massive Armada” was heading toward Iran and that the country should make a deal. But U.S. and European officials say that in talks, they have put three demands in front of the Iranians: a permanent end to all enrichment of uranium, limits on the range and number of their ballistic missiles, and an end to all support for proxy groups in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis operating in Yemen.

Notably absent from those demands — and from Mr. Trump’s post on Truth Social on Wednesday morning — was any reference to protecting the protesters who took to the streets in Iran in December, convulsing the country and creating the latest crisis for its government. Mr. Trump had promised, in past social media posts, to come to their aid, but has barely mentioned them in recent weeks. » | David E. Sanger, Tyler Pager and Farnaz Fassihi | David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager reported from Washington, and Farnaz Fassihi from New York.| Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Donald Trump is a warmonger. He thrives on conflict and chaos. Has there ever been a more belligerent, more obnoxious president of the USA? — © Mark Alexander

Ecuador Objects After ICE Agent Tries to Enter Minneapolis Consulate

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Video showed diplomatic staff blocking the agent from entering on Tuesday morning.

Ecuador’s foreign ministry said it lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the United States after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent attempted to enter the country’s consulate in Minneapolis without permission on Tuesday morning.

Employees of the consulate stopped the agent from entering, the Ecuadorean foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday night. Under the Vienna Conventions, to which the United States is a party, foreign consular buildings are off-limits to law enforcement from the host country without authorization from consular officials.

The incident comes amid an aggressive federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has prompted an outpouring of anger in the state and across the country.

Video footage verified by The New York Times shows a member of staff rushing to an entrance to the consulate, where an agent appears to have opened the door. The employee can be heard saying, “This is the Ecuadorean consulate, you’re not allowed to enter.” The agent responds by saying, “If you touch me, I’ll grab you.”

The consulate, in Northeast Minneapolis, has a clearly marked facade emblazoned with Ecuador’s national seal. » | Max Bearak and Ali Watkins | Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Budapest Mayor Charged over His Calls for People to Defy Hungary’s Pride Ban

THE GUARDIAN: Gergely Karácsony urged people to take to streets in June in pushback against Orbán government’s attack on rights

Prosecutors in Hungary have filed charges against the progressive mayor of Budapest, seeking to fine him months after hundreds of thousands of people heeded his call to take to the streets in defiance of the government’s ban on Pride.

The June march made headlines around the world after the ruling Fidesz party, led by the rightwing populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, backed legislation that created a legal basis for Pride to be banned, citing a widely criticised need to protect children.

The legislation, believed to be the first of its kind in the EU’s recent history, led Hungarian police to ban Budapest Pride. Soon after, however, the city’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, declared it to be a municipal event in an attempt to circumvent official authorisation. » | Ashifa Kassam, European community affairs correspondent | Wednesday, January 28, 2026

I am still trying to figure out which age Viktor Orbán has his roots in: the Stone Age; the Bronze Age; or the Iron Age? — © Mark Alexander

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

January 28, 2026

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Claudia Scheinbaum’s decision not to deliver oil to Cuba in Cuba’s hour of need is disappointing indeed. Prior to this news, I had held this lady in high regard. But her halo has truly slipped now! One doesn’t have to be a fan of Cuba’s economic system—I am not—to care about human beings who are suffering unnecessarily. Mexico’s help could have been a lifeline for the long-suffering Cubans. Maybe China will now step in to fill the void. — © Mark Alexander

Trump Exposed for Displaying Framed Photo with Putin on White House Wall | Sir Bill Browder

Jan 28, 2026 | Sir Bill Browder joins Maddie Hale to discuss reports the United States will only provide security guarantees to Ukraine if it gives up the Donbas to Russia, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin offers Donald Trump a way to receive a Nobel Peace Prize and a keen-eyed reporter finds a framed photo of the US President and Vladimir Putin hanging on a wall near the West Wing.

Portugal’s Forgotten Dictatorship: The Era Salazar | History Documentary

Aug 28, 2025 | For 48 years, António Salazar ruled Portugal with silent force. This documentary reveals how Europe’s longest right-wing dictatorship controlled a nation—and why the world barely remembers it.

Holocaust-Überlebende Friedman rührt Bundestag zu Tränen

Jan 28, 2026 | Vor 81 Jahren befreite die Rote Armee die verbliebenen Insassen im KZ Auschwitz. Die heute 87-Jährige Tova Friedman überlebte das Vernichtungslager nur durch einen Zufall. Im Bundestag berichtet sie von den damaligen Geschehnissen - und rührt viele Abgeordente zu Tränen. Credit: AFP