Saturday, May 16, 2026
Wie steht es um LGBTQ+-Rechte in Europa? | ARTE Europa - Die Woche
Affichant sa force, Xi tient en respect l’Amérique de Trump et promeut la stabilité
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le président américain a qualifié d’« incroyable » sa visite en Chine. Mais le bilan de son voyage reste maigre. Les démonstrations d’amitié entre les deux pays n’ont pas masqué leur rivalité stratégique, esquisse de l’émergence d’un monde bipolaire.
Surnommée « the Beast », la limousine blindée de Donald Trump s’est engouffrée entre les colonnes ocre du portail traditionnel protégeant le saint des saints de la Chine communiste, vendredi. Le président Xi Jinping a offert le thé à son homologue américain à Zhongnanhai, la résidence barricadée des dirigeants du Parti à Pékin, en point d’orgue d’une visite affichant une bonne entente de façade entre les deux premières puissances mondiales.
Des lieux familiers pour ce « prince rouge », élevé à quelques encablures de la Cité interdite à l’ère maoïste, et qui a tenu en respect le magnat de l’immobilier new-yorkais pendant cette visite de deux jours, placée sous la bannière de la stabilité, en s’affichant sur un pied d’égalité. « Nous devons être des partenaires et non des rivaux », a ainsi lancé Xi, qui a déployé un faste impérial pour son hôte, de la place Tiananmen au Temple du ciel, hauts lieux de la capitale chinoise. Et lui a offert un brownie au chocolat après des raviolis à la vapeur pour conclure leur ultime déjeuner de travail avant l’envol d’Air Force One. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | vendredi 15 mai 2026
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Surnommée « the Beast », la limousine blindée de Donald Trump s’est engouffrée entre les colonnes ocre du portail traditionnel protégeant le saint des saints de la Chine communiste, vendredi. Le président Xi Jinping a offert le thé à son homologue américain à Zhongnanhai, la résidence barricadée des dirigeants du Parti à Pékin, en point d’orgue d’une visite affichant une bonne entente de façade entre les deux premières puissances mondiales.
Des lieux familiers pour ce « prince rouge », élevé à quelques encablures de la Cité interdite à l’ère maoïste, et qui a tenu en respect le magnat de l’immobilier new-yorkais pendant cette visite de deux jours, placée sous la bannière de la stabilité, en s’affichant sur un pied d’égalité. « Nous devons être des partenaires et non des rivaux », a ainsi lancé Xi, qui a déployé un faste impérial pour son hôte, de la place Tiananmen au Temple du ciel, hauts lieux de la capitale chinoise. Et lui a offert un brownie au chocolat après des raviolis à la vapeur pour conclure leur ultime déjeuner de travail avant l’envol d’Air Force One. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | vendredi 15 mai 2026
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Friday, May 15, 2026
American Greatness Is a Lie We’ve Been Told Since Birth - Nationalist Propaganda!
May 15, 2026 | My trip to Europe made something painfully clear: America is not the “greatest country on Earth.”
That phrase is not patriotism — it’s nationalism. It’s a lie we are taught through flags, bald eagles, patriotic songs, military worship, gun culture, and the constant demand that we treat America like it is above criticism.
But loving your country does not mean worshipping it. Patriotism means wanting your country to be better. Nationalism means pretending it already is. When you look at what America actually leads the world in, the truth is ugly: gun violence, mass incarceration, military spending, and white supremacy.
Meanwhile, many European countries have universal healthcare, minimal gun violence, affordable or free college, stronger worker protections, and a better quality of life.
America has convinced people that freedom means struggling to afford healthcare, working yourself to death, fearing gun violence, and calling it liberty.
We traded quality of life for capitalism — and then called it greatness.
This video is not anti-American. It is anti-lie. If we actually love this country, we need to stop worshipping symbols and start fighting for the people.
That phrase is not patriotism — it’s nationalism. It’s a lie we are taught through flags, bald eagles, patriotic songs, military worship, gun culture, and the constant demand that we treat America like it is above criticism.
But loving your country does not mean worshipping it. Patriotism means wanting your country to be better. Nationalism means pretending it already is. When you look at what America actually leads the world in, the truth is ugly: gun violence, mass incarceration, military spending, and white supremacy.
Meanwhile, many European countries have universal healthcare, minimal gun violence, affordable or free college, stronger worker protections, and a better quality of life.
America has convinced people that freedom means struggling to afford healthcare, working yourself to death, fearing gun violence, and calling it liberty.
We traded quality of life for capitalism — and then called it greatness.
This video is not anti-American. It is anti-lie. If we actually love this country, we need to stop worshipping symbols and start fighting for the people.
Jesse Dollemore: Trump Sets Up Taxpayer Slush Fund to Pay for Private Insurrectionist Army
Why Americans didn’t do the right thing and put that despicable man in the slammer when they had the chance to do so is totally beyond my comprehension! The felon is ruining a once admired nation. — © Mark Alexander
Democracy Now! Nakba Day: Muhammad Shehada on Israel's Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza & Ongoing Palestinian Resilience
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
MESSAGE to MY VISTORS and to the HACKER’S MUMMY
MARK ALEXANDER: Someone is F*****G ABOUT with this, my blog. I take great pride in the aesthetics of this labour of love. And before posting anything, I try to ensure everything is in order.
However, in the past week or so, I have had some blog posts altered by someone unknown to me: a hacker. Even in the last hour or so, whilst I was eating my supper, someone has been fiddling with the HTML of the posts, causing script to be published as italics, where no italics are wanted. God only knows what is motivating this demented soul!
I have some advice for the hacker’s mummy.: For heaven’s sake, give the child a rattle to comfort him! And a dummy, too. Maybe a little honey dabbed on the nipple, or teat, of the dummy would be a good idea as well. It would help to sweeten him up! And hopefully, he might then refrain from bothering me.
Mark
However, in the past week or so, I have had some blog posts altered by someone unknown to me: a hacker. Even in the last hour or so, whilst I was eating my supper, someone has been fiddling with the HTML of the posts, causing script to be published as italics, where no italics are wanted. God only knows what is motivating this demented soul!
I have some advice for the hacker’s mummy.: For heaven’s sake, give the child a rattle to comfort him! And a dummy, too. Maybe a little honey dabbed on the nipple, or teat, of the dummy would be a good idea as well. It would help to sweeten him up! And hopefully, he might then refrain from bothering me.
Mark
STOP the WAR on SMOKING!
MARK ALEXANDER: All these stupid ideas come here from America! The home of most bad ideas and all clownery!
We Europeans follow those Americans like lemmings! Whatever stupid idea those clowns come up with, whatever the new trend is, we must follow! Stop this NONSENSE! AT ONCE!
We can all see just how stupid Americans can be. We now have proof aplenty! Need I say more?
This anti-smoking movement has gained a seemingly unstoppable momentum out of the self-righteousness of the exceedingly intolerant. It has lost all sense of reason and rationality. And politicians who are motivated and governed by having wet dreams about being liked, take the anti-smoking message, and run with it, hoping to become even more popular.
Were longevity and good health the goal, there would be plenty of things to be banned: alcohol, excessive sugar consumption, tattoos, and drug-taking. And plenty more things besides. But people who indulge in these things are allowed to live in peace. Politicians do not molest them with ever more restrictive laws!
As a person who has survived a few near-death experiences—I have kissed the angel of death on more occasions than I would care to recall—I view life differently from these lemmings. None of those near-death experiences, by the way, have been related to my one-time, very pleasurable, daily smoking habit. (I have been a non-smoker for more than four years now.)
All pleasures in these Puritanical days have either been banned or are in the process of being banned. All pleasures not yet banned soon will be. All pleasures have already been made too expensive to be enjoyed by anyone other than the superrich. All is possible for those people, of course.
And then come the proscriptions on smoking anywhere other than perhaps one’s own home.
Incompetent politicians have listened to the intolerant amongst us and have OUTLAWED the pleasure. Those clowns prefer the people to take drugs like cannabis, cocaine, ketamine, and whatever the hell else those people take. Because those substances are usually enjoyed in secrecy, and anyway, the people who take those substances are not compliant like the struggling middle classes.
Furthermore, without having any acceptable evidence, politicians have encouraged people to vape instead, So they have endangered the lives of children with those ridiculous, exotic, and enticing flavours. I would wager that vaping, in the long run, will be shown to be far more damaging to health than smoking ever was! And for reasons I can enumerate on another occasion. In my opinion, politicians have been IRRESPONSIBLE to encourage the habit as a healthier option, as a smoking substitute — a habit they cannot possibly know enough about to evaluate. People haven’t been vaping long enough for them to know a great deal about its long-term deleterious effects on health. So, we have yet to reap the consequences of politicians’ bad decisions.
It is high time that the people be liberated; it is high time for them to be unchained. If the worst that a person does in this life is enjoy a smoke twixt birth and death, then it can be said that that person really has lived a pretty clean life.
All Rights Reserved
© Mark Alexander
Steve Schmidt: The Real Cost of Trump’s Political Machine
Trump Looked ‘Nothing Like the Man We Know’ in Beijing
Michael Bublé : Haven't Met You Yet | Official Music Video
Blocus naval, pannes de courant... À Cuba, Donald Trump accroît la pression sur le régime castriste
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le directeur de la CIA a exceptionnellement fait le voyage de La Havane pour pousser les autorités cubaines à des réformes « radicales ».
Les Havanais ont aperçu, stupéfaits, un avion aux couleurs de l’US Air Force se poser jeudi sur les pistes de l’aéroport José-Marti de la capitale. L’événement, exceptionnel, a d’abord suscité l’inquiétude des Cubains. À bord, en provenance de la base d’Andrews, dans le Maryland, le directeur de la CIA, John Ratcliffe, accompagné d’une importante délégation de hauts fonctionnaires américains. Officiellement, les émissaires des deux pays ennemis ont évoqué des thèmes de coopération bilatérale, qu’il s’agisse de la lutte contre le trafic de drogue, de l’immigration irrégulière ou du terrorisme.
Puis, dans un bref communiqué, le Parti communiste cubain a précisé que « les échanges avec la délégation américaine ont clairement démontré que Cuba ne constitue pas une menace pour la sécurité nationale des États-Unis et qu’il n’existe aucune raison légitime de l’inscrire sur la liste des pays soutenant prétendument le terrorisme ». Une réponse à Donald Trump qui ne cesse de clamer, depuis un décret présidentiel de janvier dernier, que Cuba est une menace pour la sécurité nationale de son pays. » | Par Hector Lemieux | vendredi 15 mai 2026
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Les Havanais ont aperçu, stupéfaits, un avion aux couleurs de l’US Air Force se poser jeudi sur les pistes de l’aéroport José-Marti de la capitale. L’événement, exceptionnel, a d’abord suscité l’inquiétude des Cubains. À bord, en provenance de la base d’Andrews, dans le Maryland, le directeur de la CIA, John Ratcliffe, accompagné d’une importante délégation de hauts fonctionnaires américains. Officiellement, les émissaires des deux pays ennemis ont évoqué des thèmes de coopération bilatérale, qu’il s’agisse de la lutte contre le trafic de drogue, de l’immigration irrégulière ou du terrorisme.
Puis, dans un bref communiqué, le Parti communiste cubain a précisé que « les échanges avec la délégation américaine ont clairement démontré que Cuba ne constitue pas une menace pour la sécurité nationale des États-Unis et qu’il n’existe aucune raison légitime de l’inscrire sur la liste des pays soutenant prétendument le terrorisme ». Une réponse à Donald Trump qui ne cesse de clamer, depuis un décret présidentiel de janvier dernier, que Cuba est une menace pour la sécurité nationale de son pays. » | Par Hector Lemieux | vendredi 15 mai 2026
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Großbritannien: Starmer unter Druck – Britisches Pfund fällt
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Hohe Energiepreise und innenpolitische Unsicherheiten belasten die britische Wirtschaft. Die Währung Pfund Sterling fällt.
Britische Staatsanleihen, Aktien und das Pfund Sterling sind am Freitag gefallen, wie die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters berichtet. Innenpolitische Unsicherheit und Sorgen um einen Inflationsschock infolge des Iran-Kriegs trugen dem Bericht zufolge dazu bei.
Das Pfund fiel laut Reuters auf ein Fünf-Wochen-Tief und verlor in dieser Woche fast zwei Prozent gegenüber dem US-Dollar. Damit steuert die britische Währung dem Bericht zufolge auf den größten Wochenverlust seit November 2024 zu. Zuletzt fiel der Kurs demnach um 0,3 Prozent auf 1,3364 US-Dollar, nachdem er zuvor mit 1,3335 US-Dollar den niedrigsten Stand seit über fünf Wochen erreicht hatte. » | Anika Schlünz | Freitag, 15. Mai 2026
Britische Staatsanleihen, Aktien und das Pfund Sterling sind am Freitag gefallen, wie die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters berichtet. Innenpolitische Unsicherheit und Sorgen um einen Inflationsschock infolge des Iran-Kriegs trugen dem Bericht zufolge dazu bei.
Das Pfund fiel laut Reuters auf ein Fünf-Wochen-Tief und verlor in dieser Woche fast zwei Prozent gegenüber dem US-Dollar. Damit steuert die britische Währung dem Bericht zufolge auf den größten Wochenverlust seit November 2024 zu. Zuletzt fiel der Kurs demnach um 0,3 Prozent auf 1,3364 US-Dollar, nachdem er zuvor mit 1,3335 US-Dollar den niedrigsten Stand seit über fünf Wochen erreicht hatte. » | Anika Schlünz | Freitag, 15. Mai 2026
Donald Trump met en garde Taïwan contre toute proclamation d’indépendance
LE FIGARO : Le président américain a également déclaré vendredi avoir évoqué la question sensible de Taïwan avec son homologue chinois Xi Jinping lors de sa visite d’État en Chine, sans toutefois prendre d’engagement « dans un sens ou dans un autre ».
Donald Trump a mis en garde Taïwan contre toute proclamation d’indépendance, dans un entretien télévisé enregistré peu avant son départ de Pékin, où le président chinois Xi Jinping lui a tenu des propos particulièrement fermes à propos de l’île. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 15 mai 2026
Donald Trump a mis en garde Taïwan contre toute proclamation d’indépendance, dans un entretien télévisé enregistré peu avant son départ de Pékin, où le président chinois Xi Jinping lui a tenu des propos particulièrement fermes à propos de l’île. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 15 mai 2026
Waleed Asadi: Levantine Tray-baked Kufta — Kufta B'Siniyeh | كفتة بالصينية
Mar 11, 2026 | Kufta B'Siniyeh literally translates to "kufta in a tray." Siniyeh is the Arabic word for tray, and the "B" is short hand for "bil" which means "in". So literally ‘kufta in a tray’.
This is what a majority of people like me grew up with. Some sort of oven-baked kufta with potatoes, tomatoes, and. Sometimes, onions. It's the most basic way you can prepare kufta. So, for that reason, I think it's also a very, very easy way to step into the world of our cuisine.
It's really quite simple to do, so I hope you will give it a try.
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.
This is what a majority of people like me grew up with. Some sort of oven-baked kufta with potatoes, tomatoes, and. Sometimes, onions. It's the most basic way you can prepare kufta. So, for that reason, I think it's also a very, very easy way to step into the world of our cuisine.
It's really quite simple to do, so I hope you will give it a try.
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.
Leader of Reform U.K. Says £5 Million Gift Was ‘Reward’ for Brexit
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist right-wing party, had previously said the money was for personal security.
Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Nigel Farage during a campaign event in London in April. | Henry Nicholls/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Since news surfaced that Nigel Farage received a gift of 5 million pounds from a cryptocurrency billionaire, the leader of Britain’s populist right-wing Reform U.K. party has argued that the money was for his personal security.
On Thursday he offered another explanation, saying that it was “a reward for campaigning for Brexit.”
His comments, made in a video interview with the British outlet The Sun, came as the British Parliament’s standards watchdog confirmed that Mr. Farage was under investigation for not declaring receipt of the £5 million (about $6.7 million), which came from Christopher Harborne, a Briton who lives in Thailand.
Mr. Farage argues that the gift was unconditional, was made before he won a seat in the general election in 2024, and that there was no requirement to declare it. » | Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Since news surfaced that Nigel Farage received a gift of 5 million pounds from a cryptocurrency billionaire, the leader of Britain’s populist right-wing Reform U.K. party has argued that the money was for his personal security.
On Thursday he offered another explanation, saying that it was “a reward for campaigning for Brexit.”
His comments, made in a video interview with the British outlet The Sun, came as the British Parliament’s standards watchdog confirmed that Mr. Farage was under investigation for not declaring receipt of the £5 million (about $6.7 million), which came from Christopher Harborne, a Briton who lives in Thailand.
Mr. Farage argues that the gift was unconditional, was made before he won a seat in the general election in 2024, and that there was no requirement to declare it. » | Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Trump Worships Xi Jinping in Embarrassing China State Visit.
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.
États-Unis : le Texas procède à sa 600e exécution depuis 1982
LE FIGARO : Edward Lee Busby Jr. a été déclaré mort après une injection létale pour le meurtre, en 2004, de Laura Lee Crane, une professeure d’université à la retraite âgée de 77 ans.
L'État américain du Texas vient de réaliser sa 600e exécution depuis 1982, malgré l'appel des avocats du condamné à révoquer la décision en raison de son handicap intellectuel. Edward Lee Busby Jr. a été déclaré mort après une injection létale pour le meurtre, en 2004, de Laura Lee Crane, une professeure d'université à la retraite âgée de 77 ans. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 15 mai 2026
L'État américain du Texas vient de réaliser sa 600e exécution depuis 1982, malgré l'appel des avocats du condamné à révoquer la décision en raison de son handicap intellectuel. Edward Lee Busby Jr. a été déclaré mort après une injection létale pour le meurtre, en 2004, de Laura Lee Crane, une professeure d'université à la retraite âgée de 77 ans. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 15 mai 2026
Trump Hits Back after Xi Claims US Is ‘Declining Nation’
THE TELEGRAPH: Donald Trump has pushed back on claims made by Xi Jinping that America is a “declining nation”.
The US president accepted that “tremendous damage” had been done to the US in recent years but blamed his predecessor Joe Biden.
“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of the second day of talks. » | Emily Blumenthal. Connor Stringer Chief Washington Correspondent, Beijing. Allegra Mendelson Asia Correspondent, Taipei. Robert White | Friday, May 15, 2026
Xi Jinping is right, of course. A blind man could see that the US is in steep decline. The country shows all the signs of an empire in decline. It is rotting from within.
Trump is wrong, and very unfair to blame “Sleepy Joe” for the rot. The rot started for America long before Biden’s presidency. Fact is, America has never been the same since 9/11. That attack did more to damage America and its trajectory than is easy to describe in a few words. And when it comes to apportioning blame, Trump himself must share the lion’s share of the blame in recent years. His corrupt and ludicrous presidency has brought America’s decline forward. It has also brought it into sharp focus. — © Mark Alexander
The US president accepted that “tremendous damage” had been done to the US in recent years but blamed his predecessor Joe Biden.
“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of the second day of talks. » | Emily Blumenthal. Connor Stringer Chief Washington Correspondent, Beijing. Allegra Mendelson Asia Correspondent, Taipei. Robert White | Friday, May 15, 2026
Xi Jinping is right, of course. A blind man could see that the US is in steep decline. The country shows all the signs of an empire in decline. It is rotting from within.
Trump is wrong, and very unfair to blame “Sleepy Joe” for the rot. The rot started for America long before Biden’s presidency. Fact is, America has never been the same since 9/11. That attack did more to damage America and its trajectory than is easy to describe in a few words. And when it comes to apportioning blame, Trump himself must share the lion’s share of the blame in recent years. His corrupt and ludicrous presidency has brought America’s decline forward. It has also brought it into sharp focus. — © Mark Alexander
Russia: New Restrictions on Reporting Drone Attacks, New Rules for Expelling Foreigners
La neige en France, un 14 mai : les images surprenantes de flocons en plein printemps
LE FIGARO : VIDÉO - Des chutes de neige parfois spectaculaires ont été observées ce jeudi 14 mai dans plusieurs massifs français, en pleine période de l’Ascension.
C’est à s’y méprendre. Un temps de mars à quinze jours de l’été météorologique (le 1er juin). Des paysages d’hiver ont été observés sur les reliefs français ce jeudi 14 mai. Météo France a même placé en vigilance jaune neige-verglas cinq départements ce jour. Les Alpes, les Vosges, le Massif central et les Pyrénées ont été concernés par ce retour inattendu des conditions hivernales. » | Par Juliette Picard | vendredi 15 mai 2026
C’est à s’y méprendre. Un temps de mars à quinze jours de l’été météorologique (le 1er juin). Des paysages d’hiver ont été observés sur les reliefs français ce jeudi 14 mai. Météo France a même placé en vigilance jaune neige-verglas cinq départements ce jour. Les Alpes, les Vosges, le Massif central et les Pyrénées ont été concernés par ce retour inattendu des conditions hivernales. » | Par Juliette Picard | vendredi 15 mai 2026
Death in Venice by Luchino Visconti - Mahler Symphony No 5 | Reupload
Oct 26, 2023 | Death in Venice (Italian: Morte a Venezia) is a 1971 historical drama film directed and produced by Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti, adapted by Visconti and Nicola Badalucco from the 1912 novella of the same name by German author Thomas Mann.
It stars Dirk Bogarde as Gustav von Aschenbach and Björn Andrésen as Tadzio, with supporting roles played by Mark Burns, Marisa Berenson and Silvana Mangano.
It was filmed in Technicolor by Pasqualino De Santis, with a soundtrack featuring classical composers such as Gustav Mahler, Ludwig van Beethoven and Modest Mussorgsky.
It stars Dirk Bogarde as Gustav von Aschenbach and Björn Andrésen as Tadzio, with supporting roles played by Mark Burns, Marisa Berenson and Silvana Mangano.
It was filmed in Technicolor by Pasqualino De Santis, with a soundtrack featuring classical composers such as Gustav Mahler, Ludwig van Beethoven and Modest Mussorgsky.
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Steve Schmidt: Donald Trump Doesn’t Care about You
Trump Was Flattering, Xi Was Resolute. The Difference Spoke Volumes.
THE NEW YORK TIMES: In contrast to his rhetoric about China at home, President Trump spoke in conciliatory terms with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.
For President Trump, the first day of his visit to Beijing was all about the personal relationship between him and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.
“You’re a great leader,” he told his host, whom he has often said he admires for his “powerful” control over a nation of 1.4 billion people. “I say it to everybody.”
Mr. Xi, unsurprisingly, spent little time on flattery. Once the 21-gun salute and precision-marching by units of the People’s Liberation Army were finished, the disciplined Chinese leader plunged right away into setting boundaries for the two country’s relations. The red line was Taiwan, he said, making it abundantly clear that Mr. Trump’s effort at rapprochement could crash on takeoff if he interferes with China’s long-term effort to take control of the self-governing island.
“The U.S. must handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution,” he said according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency. The warning came just minutes into his public remarks in the Great Hall of the People, the center of power for the People’s Republic starting just a decade into Mao’s revolution. For Mr. Xi, it was all about setting boundaries, from the start.
The moment seemed to capture the new equilibrium between the two adversaries. Mr. Xi arrived highly scripted, leaving no doubt that for all of China’s problems — deflation, depopulation, the bursting of the real estate bubble — the moment when China acts as a peer superpower had arrived. » | David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents and their encounters with China, a subject of his latest book. He reported from Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026
For President Trump, the first day of his visit to Beijing was all about the personal relationship between him and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader.
“You’re a great leader,” he told his host, whom he has often said he admires for his “powerful” control over a nation of 1.4 billion people. “I say it to everybody.”
Mr. Xi, unsurprisingly, spent little time on flattery. Once the 21-gun salute and precision-marching by units of the People’s Liberation Army were finished, the disciplined Chinese leader plunged right away into setting boundaries for the two country’s relations. The red line was Taiwan, he said, making it abundantly clear that Mr. Trump’s effort at rapprochement could crash on takeoff if he interferes with China’s long-term effort to take control of the self-governing island.
“The U.S. must handle the Taiwan issue with utmost caution,” he said according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency. The warning came just minutes into his public remarks in the Great Hall of the People, the center of power for the People’s Republic starting just a decade into Mao’s revolution. For Mr. Xi, it was all about setting boundaries, from the start.
The moment seemed to capture the new equilibrium between the two adversaries. Mr. Xi arrived highly scripted, leaving no doubt that for all of China’s problems — deflation, depopulation, the bursting of the real estate bubble — the moment when China acts as a peer superpower had arrived. » | David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger has covered five American presidents and their encounters with China, a subject of his latest book. He reported from Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Los países del Golfo detienen a ‘traidores’ chiíes en medio de la guerra con Irán
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Decenas de ciudadanos del golfo Pérsico han sido acusados de pertenecer a células terroristas vinculadas a Irán mientras la guerra acelera un giro hacia un autoritarismo más profundo en la región.
En Kuwait, las autoridades detuvieron a seis personas que, según dijeron, conspiraban para asesinar a los dirigentes del país. En los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, las autoridades acusaron a 27 hombres de pertenecer a una organización terrorista secreta. Y en Baréin, el gobierno ha despojado a decenas de personas de su ciudadanía.
Las acusaciones pueden ser diferentes, y en muchos casos vagas, pero todos estos hombres tienen algo en común: son chiíes, miembros de una de las dos ramas principales del islam, según sus gobiernos y los activistas de derechos humanos.
Tras el inicio de la guerra entre Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán el 28 de febrero, este país tomó represalias lanzando miles de ataques contra los Estados del golfo Pérsico que albergan bases militares estadounidenses. Desde entonces, algunos de esos países han detenido a decenas de ciudadanos chiíes, tildándolos de traidores leales a Irán, país de liderazgo chiita.
Estudiosos y activistas de derechos humanos afirman que se ha producido un aumento de la retórica nacionalista en la región que tiene ecos de épocas pasadas en las que el sectarismo estaba más extendido. También subraya las formas en que la guerra ha acelerado un cambio hacia un autoritarismo más profundo en varias de las monarquías de la zona. » | Por Vivian Nereim | Reportando desde Riad, Arabia Saudita | jueves 14 de mayo de 2026
Read in English.
En Kuwait, las autoridades detuvieron a seis personas que, según dijeron, conspiraban para asesinar a los dirigentes del país. En los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, las autoridades acusaron a 27 hombres de pertenecer a una organización terrorista secreta. Y en Baréin, el gobierno ha despojado a decenas de personas de su ciudadanía.
Las acusaciones pueden ser diferentes, y en muchos casos vagas, pero todos estos hombres tienen algo en común: son chiíes, miembros de una de las dos ramas principales del islam, según sus gobiernos y los activistas de derechos humanos.
Tras el inicio de la guerra entre Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán el 28 de febrero, este país tomó represalias lanzando miles de ataques contra los Estados del golfo Pérsico que albergan bases militares estadounidenses. Desde entonces, algunos de esos países han detenido a decenas de ciudadanos chiíes, tildándolos de traidores leales a Irán, país de liderazgo chiita.
Estudiosos y activistas de derechos humanos afirman que se ha producido un aumento de la retórica nacionalista en la región que tiene ecos de épocas pasadas en las que el sectarismo estaba más extendido. También subraya las formas en que la guerra ha acelerado un cambio hacia un autoritarismo más profundo en varias de las monarquías de la zona. » | Por Vivian Nereim | Reportando desde Riad, Arabia Saudita | jueves 14 de mayo de 2026
Read in English.
Dänische Königin Margrethe II. im Krankenhaus
FRANFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Dänemark in Sorge: Noch vor wenigen Wochen feierte sie Geburtstag, nun muss Altkönigin Margrethe II. ins Krankenhaus. Sie ist laut dem Königshaus zwar müde, aber dennoch „bei guter Laune“.
Sorge um Dänemarks Altkönigin: Die dänische Königin Margrethe II. ist mit Herzproblemen ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert worden. Das gab das Königshaus in einer Mitteilung bekannt.
Den Angaben nach handelt es sich bei den gesundheitlichen Problemen um einen „Herzkrampf“. Der Nachrichtenagentur Ritzau zufolge ist damit die sogenannte Angina pectoris gemeint, die sich bei Betroffenen etwa mit Schmerzen in der Brust bemerkbar macht und häufig auf Verkalkungen in den Herzkranzgefäßen zurückzuführen ist. » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag, 14. Mai 2026
Sorge um Dänemarks Altkönigin: Die dänische Königin Margrethe II. ist mit Herzproblemen ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert worden. Das gab das Königshaus in einer Mitteilung bekannt.
Den Angaben nach handelt es sich bei den gesundheitlichen Problemen um einen „Herzkrampf“. Der Nachrichtenagentur Ritzau zufolge ist damit die sogenannte Angina pectoris gemeint, die sich bei Betroffenen etwa mit Schmerzen in der Brust bemerkbar macht und häufig auf Verkalkungen in den Herzkranzgefäßen zurückzuführen ist. » | Quelle: dpa | Donnerstag, 14. Mai 2026
Labour vs the People | Why Burnham, Streeting or Miliband Will Be a Disaster | Spiked Podcast
1944: Ohne Strafe, ohne Reue — So lebten diese NS-Verbrecher vor dem Kriegsende
May 14, 2026 | 1944 – das Jahr, in dem das NS-Vernichtungssystem seinen grausamsten Höhepunkt erreichte. Über 430.000 ungarische Juden deportiert, Gaskammern rund um die Uhr in Betrieb – und die Männer dahinter? Sie frühstückten, schrieben Berichte, planten ihre Karrieren. Mengele, Barbie, Eichmann, Stangl, Rauff: Wer waren diese Männer wirklich – und wie konnten sie jahrzehntelang frei leben?
In diesem Video rekonstruieren wir ihren Alltag im Jahr 1944 – und verfolgen, was danach geschah: Flucht, Verstecke, Prozesse und Straflosigkeit. Einer hingerichtet, zwei frei gestorben, das Recht jahrzehntelang blockiert. Wie funktioniert ein System des Völkermords – und warum versagte die Justiz so oft?
In diesem Video rekonstruieren wir ihren Alltag im Jahr 1944 – und verfolgen, was danach geschah: Flucht, Verstecke, Prozesse und Straflosigkeit. Einer hingerichtet, zwei frei gestorben, das Recht jahrzehntelang blockiert. Wie funktioniert ein System des Völkermords – und warum versagte die Justiz so oft?
En position de force face à Donald Trump, Xi Jinping agite la menace d’un « conflit » à Taïwan
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le président américain a salué une rencontre « extrêmement positive » sur le front économique, mais a esquivé le dossier taïwanais lors de la première journée de sa visite en Chine.
Sous les lambris dorés du Grand Hall du peuple, Xi Jinping s’est offert un détour par l’Antiquité grecque face à un Donald Trump subjugué par le faste impérial de sa visite en Chine. Sourire matois, le président chinois a mis solennellement en garde contre le « piège de Thucydide » qui pourrait se refermer sur les deux premières puissances mondiales, agitant la menace voilée d’un conflit dans le détroit de Taïwan, jeudi, à l’occasion de la première visite d’un président américain à Pékin depuis près d’une décennie.
Une référence à l’historien athénien de la guerre du Péloponnèse en guise d’avertissement à l’auteur de L’Art du deal, sommé de s’accommoder de la montée en puissance planétaire du géant asiatique, sous peine d’une périlleuse confrontation. » | Par Sébastien Falletti correspondant en Asie | jeudi 14 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Sous les lambris dorés du Grand Hall du peuple, Xi Jinping s’est offert un détour par l’Antiquité grecque face à un Donald Trump subjugué par le faste impérial de sa visite en Chine. Sourire matois, le président chinois a mis solennellement en garde contre le « piège de Thucydide » qui pourrait se refermer sur les deux premières puissances mondiales, agitant la menace voilée d’un conflit dans le détroit de Taïwan, jeudi, à l’occasion de la première visite d’un président américain à Pékin depuis près d’une décennie.
Une référence à l’historien athénien de la guerre du Péloponnèse en guise d’avertissement à l’auteur de L’Art du deal, sommé de s’accommoder de la montée en puissance planétaire du géant asiatique, sous peine d’une périlleuse confrontation. » | Par Sébastien Falletti correspondant en Asie | jeudi 14 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Xi Warns Trump of Potential "Conflict" over Taiwan in Beijing Summit on Iran, Trade, Tech & More
May 14, 2026 | U.S. President Donald Trump is in Beijing for a highly anticipated summit with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping. It is the first U.S. state visit to China since 2017, during Trump's first administration. Trade, the Iran war, artificial intelligence and the fate of Taiwan are some of the issues being discussed, although it's not clear if any new agreements are likely. Trump traveled to China with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with a delegation of top U.S. executives including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.
The summit comes after years of rising hostility between the two superpowers, but leaders recognize the importance of improving the bilateral relationship, says Zhao Hai, director of international political studies at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in Beijing. "This is a very critical historical moment [at] a crossroad, and both sides now are working together to establish a stable relationship that will have a global ramification," he says.
We also speak with Jake Werner, a historian of modern China and director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He says the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the resulting economic chaos have strengthened China's position.
"China has ties to all the countries in the region. It has acted in the past to help broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran," says Werner. "So it has some experience in this realm, sort of acting as a broker towards peace."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
The summit comes after years of rising hostility between the two superpowers, but leaders recognize the importance of improving the bilateral relationship, says Zhao Hai, director of international political studies at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in Beijing. "This is a very critical historical moment [at] a crossroad, and both sides now are working together to establish a stable relationship that will have a global ramification," he says.
We also speak with Jake Werner, a historian of modern China and director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He says the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the resulting economic chaos have strengthened China's position.
"China has ties to all the countries in the region. It has acted in the past to help broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran," says Werner. "So it has some experience in this realm, sort of acting as a broker towards peace."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
A Failed Experiment - The Prohibition Era in America [Colorized]
May 27, 2026 | Picture this: it was the roaring 20s, a time of jazz, flappers, and glitz. The nation was buzzing with excitement, and there seemed to be an endless flow of spirits to fuel the parties and revelry. But lurking in the shadows were the temperance crusaders, armed with a moral compass that pointed directly at the demon liquor.
These righteous souls managed to persuade the government that the best way to combat society's woes was to ban the very thing that brought joy to the masses. And so, on a fateful day in 1920, the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution was born, and Prohibition swept across the land like a wild firestorm.
At first, the dry crusaders rejoiced, believing they had achieved the impossible. They imagined a utopia free from the sins and temptations of the bottle. "No more drunken debauchery!" they proclaimed, raising their teetotaling flags high. But little did they know, the stage was set for an epic battle between law and desire, between the sober and the spirited.
As the ban took effect, bootleggers, those cunning entrepreneurs of the underworld, emerged from the shadows. They concocted schemes to quench the thirst of the thirsty masses, smuggling alcohol right under the nose of the authorities. Speakeasies, hidden establishments disguised as innocent shops or secret clubs, became the epicenter of clandestine revelry.
Eventually, the great realization dawned upon the nation: they missed their beloved booze. The people craved the camaraderie of the bar, the clinking of glasses, and the joyous spirit that flowed freely. The moral compass that had pointed toward sobriety now started wobbling, nudging the country toward sanity.
And so, after thirteen long and sobering years, Prohibition met its bitter end. The 21st Amendment emerged from the legislative battlefield, banishing the dry era to the annals of history. Bars opened their doors once more, and the sounds of revelry returned, drowning out the echoes of a failed experiment.
And so it will be with smoking! The generational smoking ban will eventually be seen as a failed experiment. People never learn. Intelligent, experienced politicians learn from history; stupid, inexperienced ones, the hard way! — © Mark Alexander
These righteous souls managed to persuade the government that the best way to combat society's woes was to ban the very thing that brought joy to the masses. And so, on a fateful day in 1920, the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution was born, and Prohibition swept across the land like a wild firestorm.
At first, the dry crusaders rejoiced, believing they had achieved the impossible. They imagined a utopia free from the sins and temptations of the bottle. "No more drunken debauchery!" they proclaimed, raising their teetotaling flags high. But little did they know, the stage was set for an epic battle between law and desire, between the sober and the spirited.
As the ban took effect, bootleggers, those cunning entrepreneurs of the underworld, emerged from the shadows. They concocted schemes to quench the thirst of the thirsty masses, smuggling alcohol right under the nose of the authorities. Speakeasies, hidden establishments disguised as innocent shops or secret clubs, became the epicenter of clandestine revelry.
Eventually, the great realization dawned upon the nation: they missed their beloved booze. The people craved the camaraderie of the bar, the clinking of glasses, and the joyous spirit that flowed freely. The moral compass that had pointed toward sobriety now started wobbling, nudging the country toward sanity.
And so, after thirteen long and sobering years, Prohibition met its bitter end. The 21st Amendment emerged from the legislative battlefield, banishing the dry era to the annals of history. Bars opened their doors once more, and the sounds of revelry returned, drowning out the echoes of a failed experiment.
And so it will be with smoking! The generational smoking ban will eventually be seen as a failed experiment. People never learn. Intelligent, experienced politicians learn from history; stupid, inexperienced ones, the hard way! — © Mark Alexander
Wes Streeting Quits Cabinet and Calls on Starmer to Resign
THE GUARDIAN: Streeting, who is on the party’s right, had long been rumoured to be gathering support for tilt at leadership
Wes Streeting has quit as health secretary and called on Keir Starmer to resign as prime minister, saying it would have been “dishonourable” to remain in post and that there should now be a contest for the Labour leadership.
But Streeting, who is on the party’s right, will not immediately launch a challenge and said he wanted to see a leadership contest with a broad range of candidates – a suggestion that the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, could fight in the contest.
Streeting had long been gathering support for a challenge and has spent the week asking MPs to nominate him. Allies have consistently said he did not want to challenge Starmer directly but hoped to be a candidate in a leadership contest if Starmer resigned.
The fact he is not challenging Starmer immediately suggests he does not have the requisite 81 MPs to mount a challenge directly.
A challenge would be likely to prompt bids from other potential candidates including the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband, the energy secretary. » | Jessica Elgot | Deputy political editor | Thursday, May 14, 2026
READ ALSO:
Wes Streeting’s resignation letter – what he said and what he meant: The key points in the former health secretary’s long letter to Keir Starmer decoded »
Wes Streeting has quit as health secretary and called on Keir Starmer to resign as prime minister, saying it would have been “dishonourable” to remain in post and that there should now be a contest for the Labour leadership.
But Streeting, who is on the party’s right, will not immediately launch a challenge and said he wanted to see a leadership contest with a broad range of candidates – a suggestion that the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, could fight in the contest.
Streeting had long been gathering support for a challenge and has spent the week asking MPs to nominate him. Allies have consistently said he did not want to challenge Starmer directly but hoped to be a candidate in a leadership contest if Starmer resigned.
The fact he is not challenging Starmer immediately suggests he does not have the requisite 81 MPs to mount a challenge directly.
A challenge would be likely to prompt bids from other potential candidates including the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband, the energy secretary. » | Jessica Elgot | Deputy political editor | Thursday, May 14, 2026
READ ALSO:
Wes Streeting’s resignation letter – what he said and what he meant: The key points in the former health secretary’s long letter to Keir Starmer decoded »
Back to the Future of Brexit
One can but weep for this country! Brexit has put us into a fine old mess! Brexit has brought us impoverishment, no opportunities for economic growth, and nothing to look forward to. Britons’ rights as citizens have been stripped away, replacing them with a few feudal ‘rights’ as subjects of the King, and little else. Prior to that ridiculous, ill-thought-out Brexit, Britons had a decent future. They could move to any EU country and work there, start a business there, set up home there, avail themselves of free healthcare there, travel visa-free there, and for those who love their pets, because of the ‘EU Pet Travel Scheme’, they could even move there with their beloved dogs, cats, or ferrets! Now, just to travel there involves all manner of hurdles to jump. One could call it the steeplechase of the century!
One of the main architects of Brexit and all the troubles and travails that Brexit brought with it is, of course, that infamous, self-serving, self-enriching snake oil salesman, Nigel Farage. And how the naïve and ill-informed have been taken in by him! They have even gone and cast their vote for him in recent local elections, voting for the very man who has made them poorer! Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas, this was it! — © Mark Alexander
Labour Leadership Contest Could 'Plunge Country into Chaos', Says UK Chancellor | BBC News
May 14, 2026 | Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in an exclusive interview with the BBC that any Labour leadership contest would "plunge the country into chaos".
It comes as Angela Rayner, seen as a potential challenger to PM Keir Starmer, was cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs after settling £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty, saying she had been "exonerated" of the accusation she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
On Wednesday, allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they expected him to launch a challenge as soon as today.
It comes as Angela Rayner, seen as a potential challenger to PM Keir Starmer, was cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs after settling £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty, saying she had been "exonerated" of the accusation she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
On Wednesday, allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they expected him to launch a challenge as soon as today.
Waleed Asadi: Arabic Stuffed Chicken — Djaj Mahshi | دجاج محشي
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.
La reine Camilla se serait opposée au mariage du prince William avec Kate Middleton, trouvant cette dernière « trop ordinaire »
MADAME FIGARO : Selon l’auteur Christopher Andersen, la reine Camilla estimait que Kate Middleton n’était « pas à la hauteur » pour épouser le prince William. C’est ce que le journaliste américain révèle dans son livre, Kate ! : The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen.
Certains membres de la famille royale semblaient avoir des a priori sur Kate Middleton lorsqu’elle est entrée dans la vie du prince William. Comme le raconte Christopher Andersen dans son livre, Kate! : The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen, publié le 5 mai aux États-Unis et en Grande-Bretagne aux éditions Gallery Books, la reine Camilla estimait que celle qui est aujourd’hui princesse de Galles était « trop ordinaire » pour épouser le fils aîné du roi Charles III. « Elle ne la trouvait pas à la hauteur, pour ainsi dire », a écrit l’auteur dans son ouvrage selon Page Six . « Elle n’était pas de la bonne famille. Elle n’avait pas de sang aristocratique. » Selon lui, lorsque le prince William a rencontré Kate Middleton à l’université St. Andrew, « le palais ne voulait pas vraiment » que la jeune femme intègre la famille. « Des personnes comme Camilla ne voulaient pas d’elle car elles estimaient qu’elle était trop simple pour être l’épouse d’un futur roi », a écrit le biographe, affirmant que l’épouse de Charles III « s’était opposée » à ce mariage à cause de son statut de roturière. » | Par Leonie Dutrievoz | mercredi 13 mai 2026
Zelensky affirme que la Russie a lancé au moins « 800 drones » sur l'Ukraine, faisant six morts
LE FIGARO : « On ne peut certainement pas qualifier de coïncidence le fait que l’une des attaques russes les plus massives et les plus longues contre l’Ukraine ait lieu précisément au moment où le président des États-Unis est arrivé en visite en Chine », a déclaré le président ukrainien.
La Russie a lancé au moins « 800 drones » sur l'Ukraine mercredi, faisant au moins six morts, a dénoncé le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky, accusant Moscou d'attaques menées délibérément le jour de l'arrivée en Chine du président américain Donald Trump. Ces frappes de drones russes, qui ont également fait plusieurs blessés à travers l'Ukraine, illustrent l'intensification des bombardements en pleine journée et dans des régions parfois très éloignées du front. « On ne peut certainement pas qualifier de coïncidence le fait que l'une des attaques russes les plus massives et les plus longues contre l'Ukraine ait lieu précisément au moment où le président des États-Unis est arrivé en visite en Chine - une visite dont on attend beaucoup », a déclaré Volodymyr Zelensky. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 13 mai 2026
La Russie a lancé au moins « 800 drones » sur l'Ukraine mercredi, faisant au moins six morts, a dénoncé le président ukrainien Volodymyr Zelensky, accusant Moscou d'attaques menées délibérément le jour de l'arrivée en Chine du président américain Donald Trump. Ces frappes de drones russes, qui ont également fait plusieurs blessés à travers l'Ukraine, illustrent l'intensification des bombardements en pleine journée et dans des régions parfois très éloignées du front. « On ne peut certainement pas qualifier de coïncidence le fait que l'une des attaques russes les plus massives et les plus longues contre l'Ukraine ait lieu précisément au moment où le président des États-Unis est arrivé en visite en Chine - une visite dont on attend beaucoup », a déclaré Volodymyr Zelensky. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 13 mai 2026
China’s Xi Warns Trump on Taiwan at Beijing Summit
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, told President Trump that Taiwan, if handled poorly, could lead to a clash with the United States. The two leaders are also expected to discuss trade and the Iran war at the two-day summit.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to President Trump as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.”
The two men met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with pageantry and pleasantries. But Mr. Xi’s warning was a stark reminder that Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, is a red line.
The two-day summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, could determine whether a détente that has prevailed between the two countries will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.
Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump on Thursday morning outside the Great Hall of the People. They shook hands before walking together past an honor guard and rows of cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed across Tiananmen Square.
Inside the Great Hall, Mr. Xi called for the two countries to work together to confront an increasingly “complex and turbulent world.”
“We should be partners, not adversaries,” he said.
Mr. Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Mr. Xi, and said the two leaders speak to each other on the phone to work out problems. “You’re a great leader,” he told Mr. Xi.
But Mr. Xi made clear that Taiwan had the potential to spoil the relationship. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,” he said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
One of China’s related priorities is persuading the United States to curtail its arms sales to Taiwan.
Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua. Details about the talks were not immediately released and there was little indication of whether there had been any breakthroughs. Live Updates » | Lily Kuo and David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger reported from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to President Trump as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.”
The two men met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with pageantry and pleasantries. But Mr. Xi’s warning was a stark reminder that Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, is a red line.
The two-day summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, could determine whether a détente that has prevailed between the two countries will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.
Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump on Thursday morning outside the Great Hall of the People. They shook hands before walking together past an honor guard and rows of cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed across Tiananmen Square.
Inside the Great Hall, Mr. Xi called for the two countries to work together to confront an increasingly “complex and turbulent world.”
“We should be partners, not adversaries,” he said.
Mr. Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Mr. Xi, and said the two leaders speak to each other on the phone to work out problems. “You’re a great leader,” he told Mr. Xi.
But Mr. Xi made clear that Taiwan had the potential to spoil the relationship. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,” he said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
One of China’s related priorities is persuading the United States to curtail its arms sales to Taiwan.
Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua. Details about the talks were not immediately released and there was little indication of whether there had been any breakthroughs. Live Updates » | Lily Kuo and David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger reported from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Farage Criticised for Backing Preacher Who Says Homosexuality Is ‘Abomination’
THE GUARDIAN: Reform UK leader records video with Essex pastor to support his battle against council banning order
This screenshot was taken from this Guardian article. | In the clip posted on his YouTube channel, Farage assures Clayden he is ‘fully on your side’ in the dispute | Photograph: Stephen Clayden/YouTube
Nigel Farage has been criticised for giving his full support to a Christian church leader who preached that homosexuality was an “abomination” and would lead to eternity in hell.
The Reform UK leader recorded a video with Stephen Clayden after Colchester council applied for a banning order to limit his street preaching.
In the clip posted on his YouTube channel, Farage assured Clayden that he was “fully on your side” in the dispute and offered to enlist the help of contacts at the Free Speech Union campaign group.
Clayden told Farage the council was objecting to the volume and some of the content of his preaching, including his references to hell and judgment. However, he has since acknowledged that the council raised concerns not just about the volume of his preaching but also his church’s warnings against homosexuality.
Footage of Clayden preaching last month, available on social media, shows him saying: “All adulterers, all fornicators, all sodomites, all drunkards, all thieves, all blasphemers, all liars, all mockers. Their home shall be in the lake of fire … we are here telling you what the word of God says.”
In the same session, he told passersby: “They hear about words in the Bible like judgment and sin and repentance. They don’t like hearing the holy words of God … they are offended by what the Bible says when the Bible says homosexuality is an abomination.”
His Bread of Life church also preached at Pride Week events in Essex last year and Clayden told a meeting the Bible described homosexuality as “vile, disgusting and wicked”, “a sin so wicked and detestable it was worthy of death”, and the “filthy conduct of the wicked”. » | Rowena Mason | Whitehall editor | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Clayden is such an ignorant man! Clearly, he knows NOTHING about HOMOSEXUALITY. And, seemingly, little about his favourite book, The Bible, either! He needs to do some serious studying of Christianity and its principles before going out PREACHING morals to others.
He talks about homosexuality being an abomination, and about homosexuals having to live in the next life in “eternal Hell”! (He would know, wouldn’t he?!) However, I have got some news for this poor, benighted soul: For many homosexuals in this world, for many homosexuals who have suffered the misfortune of being born in countries which have not yet been kissed by enlightened thought, their “eternal Hell” is in THIS LIFE, they do not have to wait for the NEXT life, wait for the HEREAFTER to experience it! Rest assured, in the Hereafter, God will take care of them for, after all, they, too, are God’s children, God's children who have been created in His image! If we are to believe the Christian message, God loves ALL of HIS CHILDREN — without exception and unconditionally.
Furthermore, there are many academics and theologians who believe that Jesus Himself might well have been gay. Over the years. There has been much speculation about this. This preacher should check out this Guardian article. This will be a good start for this man’s studies.
I should further like to add that Jesus came for ALL, but he was particularly concerned with the marginalised and the rejected. And over the centuries, gays have been nothing if not marginalised and rejected, even here in the Occident until recent years. Even today, in many countries they suffer great indignities, and in several countries which are ruled by the IGNORANT, the BENIGHTED, and the RUTHLESS, they are put to death! If that’s not Hell on Earth, I don’t know what is! — © Mark Alexander
Nigel Farage has been criticised for giving his full support to a Christian church leader who preached that homosexuality was an “abomination” and would lead to eternity in hell.
The Reform UK leader recorded a video with Stephen Clayden after Colchester council applied for a banning order to limit his street preaching.
In the clip posted on his YouTube channel, Farage assured Clayden that he was “fully on your side” in the dispute and offered to enlist the help of contacts at the Free Speech Union campaign group.
Clayden told Farage the council was objecting to the volume and some of the content of his preaching, including his references to hell and judgment. However, he has since acknowledged that the council raised concerns not just about the volume of his preaching but also his church’s warnings against homosexuality.
Footage of Clayden preaching last month, available on social media, shows him saying: “All adulterers, all fornicators, all sodomites, all drunkards, all thieves, all blasphemers, all liars, all mockers. Their home shall be in the lake of fire … we are here telling you what the word of God says.”
In the same session, he told passersby: “They hear about words in the Bible like judgment and sin and repentance. They don’t like hearing the holy words of God … they are offended by what the Bible says when the Bible says homosexuality is an abomination.”
His Bread of Life church also preached at Pride Week events in Essex last year and Clayden told a meeting the Bible described homosexuality as “vile, disgusting and wicked”, “a sin so wicked and detestable it was worthy of death”, and the “filthy conduct of the wicked”. » | Rowena Mason | Whitehall editor | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Clayden is such an ignorant man! Clearly, he knows NOTHING about HOMOSEXUALITY. And, seemingly, little about his favourite book, The Bible, either! He needs to do some serious studying of Christianity and its principles before going out PREACHING morals to others.
He talks about homosexuality being an abomination, and about homosexuals having to live in the next life in “eternal Hell”! (He would know, wouldn’t he?!) However, I have got some news for this poor, benighted soul: For many homosexuals in this world, for many homosexuals who have suffered the misfortune of being born in countries which have not yet been kissed by enlightened thought, their “eternal Hell” is in THIS LIFE, they do not have to wait for the NEXT life, wait for the HEREAFTER to experience it! Rest assured, in the Hereafter, God will take care of them for, after all, they, too, are God’s children, God's children who have been created in His image! If we are to believe the Christian message, God loves ALL of HIS CHILDREN — without exception and unconditionally.
Furthermore, there are many academics and theologians who believe that Jesus Himself might well have been gay. Over the years. There has been much speculation about this. This preacher should check out this Guardian article. This will be a good start for this man’s studies.
I should further like to add that Jesus came for ALL, but he was particularly concerned with the marginalised and the rejected. And over the centuries, gays have been nothing if not marginalised and rejected, even here in the Occident until recent years. Even today, in many countries they suffer great indignities, and in several countries which are ruled by the IGNORANT, the BENIGHTED, and the RUTHLESS, they are put to death! If that’s not Hell on Earth, I don’t know what is! — © Mark Alexander
Defiant Falklanders: We’re Bloody British – Back Off Milei
THE TELEGRAPH: We’re bloody British and always will be,’ a sixth-generation native tells The Telegraph
Trudi McPhee had just poured a couple of glasses of whisky when two RAF Typhoons roared over her windswept hilltop farm.
“We always love that sound, it’s the sound of freedom,” said the grinning Falkland Islander as she reclines in her seat, the dusty windows of her bungalow still rattling softly from the fighter jets.
“They roar overhead as if to say, ‘This is our place. You can go off somewhere else. You can stay clear. This is British territory, no one else’s.’”
The booming “freedom” flyby, as reassuring as it is for Trudi, may struggle to drown out the other background noise on the Falklands – the one coming across the water from Argentina.
Trudi McPhee had just poured a couple of glasses of whisky when two RAF Typhoons roared over her windswept hilltop farm.
“We always love that sound, it’s the sound of freedom,” said the grinning Falkland Islander as she reclines in her seat, the dusty windows of her bungalow still rattling softly from the fighter jets.
“They roar overhead as if to say, ‘This is our place. You can go off somewhere else. You can stay clear. This is British territory, no one else’s.’”
The booming “freedom” flyby, as reassuring as it is for Trudi, may struggle to drown out the other background noise on the Falklands – the one coming across the water from Argentina. » | Tom Cotterill | Defence Editor, Falkland Islands | Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Trudi McPhee had just poured a couple of glasses of whisky when two RAF Typhoons roared over her windswept hilltop farm.
“We always love that sound, it’s the sound of freedom,” said the grinning Falkland Islander as she reclines in her seat, the dusty windows of her bungalow still rattling softly from the fighter jets.
“They roar overhead as if to say, ‘This is our place. You can go off somewhere else. You can stay clear. This is British territory, no one else’s.’”
The booming “freedom” flyby, as reassuring as it is for Trudi, may struggle to drown out the other background noise on the Falklands – the one coming across the water from Argentina.
Trudi McPhee had just poured a couple of glasses of whisky when two RAF Typhoons roared over her windswept hilltop farm.
“We always love that sound, it’s the sound of freedom,” said the grinning Falkland Islander as she reclines in her seat, the dusty windows of her bungalow still rattling softly from the fighter jets.
“They roar overhead as if to say, ‘This is our place. You can go off somewhere else. You can stay clear. This is British territory, no one else’s.’”
The booming “freedom” flyby, as reassuring as it is for Trudi, may struggle to drown out the other background noise on the Falklands – the one coming across the water from Argentina. » | Tom Cotterill | Defence Editor, Falkland Islands | Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Trump in Peking gelandet: Xi empfängt US-Präsidenten mit großem Zeremoniell
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Donald Trump ist am Mittwochabend in Peking eingetroffen. Begleitet wird der US-Präsident von Tech-Managern wie Elon Musk und Nvidia-Chef Jensen Huang.
US-Präsident Donald Trump ist in Peking eingetroffen. Zum Auftakt seines zweitägigen Staatsbesuchs wurde Trump auf dem Flughafen mit militärischen Ehren, chinesischen Flaggen schwenkenden Studenten und einem streng choreografierten Empfang begrüßt, wie Reuters, BBC und AP berichten. Auf Bildern war zu sehen, wie Trump auf dem roten Teppich stehen blieb, in die Menge winkte und die Faust hob.
Die Präsidentenmaschine Air Force One landete am Mittwoch um 19.50 Uhr (Ortszeit, 13.50 MESZ) auf dem internationalen Flughafen von Peking. Trump wurde von Chinas Vizepräsident Han Zheng in Empfang genommen und bekam einen Blumenstrauß überreicht. Dann schritt er über einen roten Teppich, während 300 Jugendliche in Uniformen kleine chinesische und US-Flaggen schwenkten. » | Alexander Schmalz | Mittwoch, 13. Mai 2026
US-Präsident Donald Trump ist in Peking eingetroffen. Zum Auftakt seines zweitägigen Staatsbesuchs wurde Trump auf dem Flughafen mit militärischen Ehren, chinesischen Flaggen schwenkenden Studenten und einem streng choreografierten Empfang begrüßt, wie Reuters, BBC und AP berichten. Auf Bildern war zu sehen, wie Trump auf dem roten Teppich stehen blieb, in die Menge winkte und die Faust hob.
Die Präsidentenmaschine Air Force One landete am Mittwoch um 19.50 Uhr (Ortszeit, 13.50 MESZ) auf dem internationalen Flughafen von Peking. Trump wurde von Chinas Vizepräsident Han Zheng in Empfang genommen und bekam einen Blumenstrauß überreicht. Dann schritt er über einen roten Teppich, während 300 Jugendliche in Uniformen kleine chinesische und US-Flaggen schwenkten. » | Alexander Schmalz | Mittwoch, 13. Mai 2026
Procès du « financement libyen » : sept ans de prison requis en appel contre Nicolas Sarkozy
LE FIGARO : COMPTE RENDU D’AUDIENCE - Le parquet général s’est montré très sévère à l’encontre de la plupart des prévenus. La défense commence à plaider lundi prochain.
Sept ans de prison, 300.000 euros d’amende, 5 ans d’inéligibilité : le parquet général a requis mercredi devant la cour d’appel de Paris exactement la même peine à l’encontre de Nicolas Sarkozy que celle qu’avait demandée en première instance le parquet national financier (PNF) dans le cadre de l’affaire dite «du financement libyen». L’ancien président de la République avait été condamné par le tribunal en septembre dernier à 5 ans de prison assortis d’un mandat de dépôt différé que le PNF n’avait pas sollicité.
L’un des trois avocats généraux mobilisés pour cette audience, Rodolphe Juy-Birmann, a clôturé le réquisitoire à trois voix ouvert lundi. Quoique porté sur la citation littéraire à travers les siècles, de Platon à Hugo, le magistrat a conclu son propos en moins d’une heure. Il fustige d’abord « la fable qu’on vous raconte» à propos notamment du «patriotisme économique (de l’intermédiaire) Alexandre Djouhri » ou de « l’épopée romanesque de Brice Hortefeux dans le désert ». De même, M. Juy-Birmann déplore que les prévenus n’aient fait montre d’« aucune introspection» et n’aient formulé «aucun remords ». Ce qui eût été cocasse car tous se disent innocents. » | Par Stéphane Durand-Souffland | mercredi 14 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Sept ans de prison, 300.000 euros d’amende, 5 ans d’inéligibilité : le parquet général a requis mercredi devant la cour d’appel de Paris exactement la même peine à l’encontre de Nicolas Sarkozy que celle qu’avait demandée en première instance le parquet national financier (PNF) dans le cadre de l’affaire dite «du financement libyen». L’ancien président de la République avait été condamné par le tribunal en septembre dernier à 5 ans de prison assortis d’un mandat de dépôt différé que le PNF n’avait pas sollicité.
L’un des trois avocats généraux mobilisés pour cette audience, Rodolphe Juy-Birmann, a clôturé le réquisitoire à trois voix ouvert lundi. Quoique porté sur la citation littéraire à travers les siècles, de Platon à Hugo, le magistrat a conclu son propos en moins d’une heure. Il fustige d’abord « la fable qu’on vous raconte» à propos notamment du «patriotisme économique (de l’intermédiaire) Alexandre Djouhri » ou de « l’épopée romanesque de Brice Hortefeux dans le désert ». De même, M. Juy-Birmann déplore que les prévenus n’aient fait montre d’« aucune introspection» et n’aient formulé «aucun remords ». Ce qui eût été cocasse car tous se disent innocents. » | Par Stéphane Durand-Souffland | mercredi 14 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
A Speech to Europe 2026 by Anne Applebaum
May 13, 2026 | For A Speech To Europe 2026, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum will address whether Europe’s time has come and what characterises this historic moment in her lecture:
»The European Moment«. Applebaum is among the most prominent voices on the rise of authoritarianism and the fragility of liberal democracy, and she puts the challenge squarely to her audience:
»This is the hour of Europe — but do the Europeans even know it?«
Since 2019, A Speech to Europe, initiated by the ERSTE Foundation, has provided a fundamental reflection on the present and future of Europe. The venue is Vienna’s Judenplatz, which serves as a reminder that Europe can only be understood in the mirror of its history. The speech will be held in English. This event is free of charge and takes place outdoors at the Judenplatz Vienna.
A wonderful and very important speech. Erudite, hard-hitting, informative, interesting, and inspiring. Thank you, Anne Applebaum! — © Mark Alexander
»The European Moment«. Applebaum is among the most prominent voices on the rise of authoritarianism and the fragility of liberal democracy, and she puts the challenge squarely to her audience:
»This is the hour of Europe — but do the Europeans even know it?«
Since 2019, A Speech to Europe, initiated by the ERSTE Foundation, has provided a fundamental reflection on the present and future of Europe. The venue is Vienna’s Judenplatz, which serves as a reminder that Europe can only be understood in the mirror of its history. The speech will be held in English. This event is free of charge and takes place outdoors at the Judenplatz Vienna.
A wonderful and very important speech. Erudite, hard-hitting, informative, interesting, and inspiring. Thank you, Anne Applebaum! — © Mark Alexander
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