Monday, July 06, 2026
America Who Are You? (1/2) | ARTE.tv Documentary
Trumps Plan, die USA zu unterjochen | Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook
July 6, 2026 | Zweitausend Millionen Dollar – um so viel ist Donald Trump seit seiner zweiten Amtszeit reicher geworden. Und das sind nur die offiziellen Zahlen. Gleichzeitig höhlt der US-Präsident den eigenen Staat aus und streicht lebensnotwendige Hilfsprogramme für Millionen von Amerikanern.
Willkür, Gier oder ein teuflischer Plan? Wieso Trump die USA ausblutet, darüber sprechen wir mit Politikwissenschaftlerin und Autorin Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook. Ihr aktuelles Buch "Der amerikanische Weckruf" bespricht Wege zur "demokratischen Selbstverteidigung".
WIKIPEDIA: Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook »
Willkür, Gier oder ein teuflischer Plan? Wieso Trump die USA ausblutet, darüber sprechen wir mit Politikwissenschaftlerin und Autorin Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook. Ihr aktuelles Buch "Der amerikanische Weckruf" bespricht Wege zur "demokratischen Selbstverteidigung".
WIKIPEDIA: Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook »
What Drives Donald Trump’s Delusion that He Rules the World | 60 Minutes Australia
Fran Lebowitz Has No Smartphone, No Laptop, and No Filter | Compass
July 5, 2026 | New Yorker Fran Lebowitz has built a career skewering modern life. In a sharp, funny conversation with Benjamin Law, she reflects on a world in turmoil, covering everything from Trump to trad wives.
From her bestselling books, late night talk show appearances, and Martin Scorsese’s Pretend It’s a City, she has become one of America’s most distinctive voices.
Now in 2026, as democracy trembles and political chaos surges, Benjamin Law sits down with Lebowitz to ask: how does she make sense of what we are witnessing unfold in real time?
From her bestselling books, late night talk show appearances, and Martin Scorsese’s Pretend It’s a City, she has become one of America’s most distinctive voices.
Now in 2026, as democracy trembles and political chaos surges, Benjamin Law sits down with Lebowitz to ask: how does she make sense of what we are witnessing unfold in real time?
"United States Has Wedded to Idiocy”: Chris Hedges | Talk to Al Jazeera
If you ask me, America has gor FA to celebrate. The country is a total and utter disaster. — © Mark Alexander
Too Little Too Late – The Warming of Prince Williams' Tepid Agnosticism
NB: I have posted this video not because I agree with all of its content; I do not. Rather, I post it as food for thought. — Mark
Deadly Russian Strikes Hit Kyiv on Eve of NATO Summit
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ballistic missiles were fired into the capital of Ukraine, as Russia launched its second major attack in less than a week. At least seven people were killed, officials said.
Explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early on Monday, the eve of a NATO summit, as Russia mounted its second major attack on the city in days.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who is expected to attend the NATO summit in Turkey, had warned that Russia was preparing “a new massive strike” against the capital.
Loud blasts shook the city hours later. The regional military administration said ballistic missiles were flying, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters.
Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said that at least seven people had been killed. At least two dozen others were wounded. » | Cassandra Vinograd | Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine | Sunday, July 5, 2026
Explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early on Monday, the eve of a NATO summit, as Russia mounted its second major attack on the city in days.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who is expected to attend the NATO summit in Turkey, had warned that Russia was preparing “a new massive strike” against the capital.
Loud blasts shook the city hours later. The regional military administration said ballistic missiles were flying, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters.
Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said that at least seven people had been killed. At least two dozen others were wounded. » | Cassandra Vinograd | Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine | Sunday, July 5, 2026
Crowds Gather in Tehran for Ayatollah’s Funeral Procession
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Tens of thousands of Iranians have viewed the casket of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was exalted by some and despised by others. He was killed four months ago at the start of the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Huge crowds were amassing in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for the third consecutive day on Monday to mourn Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, who ruled his country for decades with an iron fist before he was killed in the war with the United States and Israel.
The ayatollah’s body is expected to be carried through the city in a public procession. Later this week, it will be borne to several cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq that are significant to Shiite Muslims, before being buried in his hometown, Mashhad.
Grieving supporters of Iran’s Islamic Republic have wept and called for revenge as they viewed the casket of the killed leader since the funeral ceremonies began on Saturday. On Sunday, tens of thousands of mourners, including senior Iranian officials, packed Tehran for prayers for the slain supreme leader.
Though he was exalted by many, Ayatollah Khamenei was also despised by numerous other Iranians for presiding over an authoritarian state that brutally crushed dissent. Earlier this year, Iranian security forces suppressed mass antigovernment protests, killing thousands, according to Iranian officials and human rights groups.
For Iran’s current leaders, the mass funeral has served in part as a show of national unity around the deceased leader. But his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been conspicuously absent from the ceremonies.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, who was killed when Israeli forces bombarded Ayatollah Khamenei’s compound on the first day of the war in late February. And his absence from the funeral ceremonies has emerged as a point of scrutiny for Iran’s leadership as they seek to project stability and continuity. Iran Live Updates » | Aaron Boxerman and Abdi Latif Dahir | Monday, July 6, 2026
The ayatollah’s body is expected to be carried through the city in a public procession. Later this week, it will be borne to several cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq that are significant to Shiite Muslims, before being buried in his hometown, Mashhad.
Grieving supporters of Iran’s Islamic Republic have wept and called for revenge as they viewed the casket of the killed leader since the funeral ceremonies began on Saturday. On Sunday, tens of thousands of mourners, including senior Iranian officials, packed Tehran for prayers for the slain supreme leader.
Though he was exalted by many, Ayatollah Khamenei was also despised by numerous other Iranians for presiding over an authoritarian state that brutally crushed dissent. Earlier this year, Iranian security forces suppressed mass antigovernment protests, killing thousands, according to Iranian officials and human rights groups.
For Iran’s current leaders, the mass funeral has served in part as a show of national unity around the deceased leader. But his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been conspicuously absent from the ceremonies.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, who was killed when Israeli forces bombarded Ayatollah Khamenei’s compound on the first day of the war in late February. And his absence from the funeral ceremonies has emerged as a point of scrutiny for Iran’s leadership as they seek to project stability and continuity. Iran Live Updates » | Aaron Boxerman and Abdi Latif Dahir | Monday, July 6, 2026
Trump’s $2bn Bonanza Heralds the Rise of Political Grifters across the West
THE GUARDIAN: With voters embracing leaders who brazenly monetise public office, experts say an ethical code is breaking down
Donald Trump came to office in 2017 after decades of bankruptcies and business failures. Yes, he was rich, but his latest financial disclosure, published this week, suggests he will depart billions richer.
In the first year of his second term, he made more than $2bn from Trump hotels, Trump golf courses, Trump cryptocurrency, Trump watches, Trump cologne, Trump Bibles and more.
That means Trump has accomplished something none of his predecessors achieved, at least not on this scale: transforming the American presidency into a moneymaking enterprise.
Politicians have always enriched themselves but the chutzpah with which Trump is doing so raises the possibility that an ethical code is breaking down. And not just in the US. Across the west, from Clacton to Queensland, a new type of leader is emerging: the political grifter.
Making public office a ticket to the high life while living standards fall might seem a hard sell to the electorate. Yet many voters seem prepared to put up with grifting, even happy to reward it.
Nigel Farage has traded on his fame and influence to become the best-paid MP at Westminster while maintaining an image as the champion of downtrodden Britons. He takes flights on the private jets of a billionaire benefactor, as does the Australian populist Pauline Hanson, who has repeatedly breached rules on declaring them.
“For decades, there was an implicit understanding that using public office for personal enrichment carried political and reputational risks,” says Tutu Alicante, a human rights lawyer based in the US and an expert in kleptocracy worldwide. “That restraint appears to be eroding.”
Alicante adds: “What feels different today is the brazenness.” The shift reminds him of places like his native Equatorial Guinea, where “corruption has become aspirational” as youngsters idolise the flashy kleptocrats who drive Lamborghinis and hang out with models.
“I worry we’re beginning to see echoes of the same phenomenon in parts of the west, where politicians who openly monetise public office – and the business figures and influencers who orbit them – are celebrated by some as symbols of success rather than cautionary tales.” » | Tom Burgis | Sunday, July 5, 2026
If Americans had had some spunk and balls, they would have incarcerated that orange, corrupt, slimeball long ago! The powers-that-be would have brought him down. Now, Trump will bring down the West instead. It seems as if the future may belong to Islam after all! No civilization can exist for long when it has lost its moral compass. This must surely be the start of the death of the West. Iranians have long chanted ‘Death to America’ (Marg bar Amrika). Perhaps the Iranians were more prescient than we ever gave them credit for. — © Mark Alexander
Donald Trump came to office in 2017 after decades of bankruptcies and business failures. Yes, he was rich, but his latest financial disclosure, published this week, suggests he will depart billions richer.
In the first year of his second term, he made more than $2bn from Trump hotels, Trump golf courses, Trump cryptocurrency, Trump watches, Trump cologne, Trump Bibles and more.
That means Trump has accomplished something none of his predecessors achieved, at least not on this scale: transforming the American presidency into a moneymaking enterprise.
Politicians have always enriched themselves but the chutzpah with which Trump is doing so raises the possibility that an ethical code is breaking down. And not just in the US. Across the west, from Clacton to Queensland, a new type of leader is emerging: the political grifter.
Making public office a ticket to the high life while living standards fall might seem a hard sell to the electorate. Yet many voters seem prepared to put up with grifting, even happy to reward it.
Nigel Farage has traded on his fame and influence to become the best-paid MP at Westminster while maintaining an image as the champion of downtrodden Britons. He takes flights on the private jets of a billionaire benefactor, as does the Australian populist Pauline Hanson, who has repeatedly breached rules on declaring them.
“For decades, there was an implicit understanding that using public office for personal enrichment carried political and reputational risks,” says Tutu Alicante, a human rights lawyer based in the US and an expert in kleptocracy worldwide. “That restraint appears to be eroding.”
Alicante adds: “What feels different today is the brazenness.” The shift reminds him of places like his native Equatorial Guinea, where “corruption has become aspirational” as youngsters idolise the flashy kleptocrats who drive Lamborghinis and hang out with models.
“I worry we’re beginning to see echoes of the same phenomenon in parts of the west, where politicians who openly monetise public office – and the business figures and influencers who orbit them – are celebrated by some as symbols of success rather than cautionary tales.” » | Tom Burgis | Sunday, July 5, 2026
If Americans had had some spunk and balls, they would have incarcerated that orange, corrupt, slimeball long ago! The powers-that-be would have brought him down. Now, Trump will bring down the West instead. It seems as if the future may belong to Islam after all! No civilization can exist for long when it has lost its moral compass. This must surely be the start of the death of the West. Iranians have long chanted ‘Death to America’ (Marg bar Amrika). Perhaps the Iranians were more prescient than we ever gave them credit for. — © Mark Alexander
Sunday, July 05, 2026
Why Iran's Unseen Leader Remains in the Shadows • FRANCE 24 English
Calls for Killing of Trump at Funeral of Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
THE GUARDIAN: New supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei still absent from public view as his three brothers stand beside father’s coffin
Beside the coffin of the assassinated former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei at a packed prayer hall in Tehran on Sunday there were calls for the killing of Donald Trump.
Iran is staging a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei, who was killed along with other members of his family on the first day of the US and Israeli war on 28 February. The funeral was delayed because of the war.
The funeral prayers for the former supreme leader and four other family members created a political spectacle at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla that melded grief with calls for revenge.
Many people had stayed in the mosque overnight or arrived well before dawn to be ready for the start of the prayer reading at 8am.
Holding Iranian flags and pictures of their martyred leader, and waving red flags symbolising vengeance the crowds were vastly larger and more militant than on Saturday, the first day of this elaborately conceived funeral designed to impress on the world that Iran has social resilience and determination to preserve its independence. » | Patrick Wintour in Tehran | Sunday, July 5, 2026
Beside the coffin of the assassinated former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei at a packed prayer hall in Tehran on Sunday there were calls for the killing of Donald Trump.
Iran is staging a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei, who was killed along with other members of his family on the first day of the US and Israeli war on 28 February. The funeral was delayed because of the war.
The funeral prayers for the former supreme leader and four other family members created a political spectacle at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla that melded grief with calls for revenge.
Many people had stayed in the mosque overnight or arrived well before dawn to be ready for the start of the prayer reading at 8am.
Holding Iranian flags and pictures of their martyred leader, and waving red flags symbolising vengeance the crowds were vastly larger and more militant than on Saturday, the first day of this elaborately conceived funeral designed to impress on the world that Iran has social resilience and determination to preserve its independence. » | Patrick Wintour in Tehran | Sunday, July 5, 2026
The Great Siege of Malta: The Battle That Stopped Suleiman I SLICE History | Full Documentary
July 5, 2026 | In 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent sent one of the most powerful armadas of the age against Malta, a small but strategic Christian stronghold at the center of the Mediterranean struggle between the Ottoman Empire and Habsburg Europe. Facing tens of thousands of Ottoman and Barbary troops, the island’s defenders, including the Knights Hospitaller and Maltese fighters, prepared for a siege that would test the limits of fortification, faith, and endurance.
From Fort Saint Elmo to the twin cities of Birgu and Senglea, this documentary follows the Great Siege of Malta as a clash of empires, religions, and military systems.
Documentary: Besieged Fortress EP:4 The Siege Of Malta Directed by: Marion Vaqué-Marti Production: ZED (2022)
From Fort Saint Elmo to the twin cities of Birgu and Senglea, this documentary follows the Great Siege of Malta as a clash of empires, religions, and military systems.
Documentary: Besieged Fortress EP:4 The Siege Of Malta Directed by: Marion Vaqué-Marti Production: ZED (2022)
Zum 250. Unabhängigkeitstag der USA haben viele wenig Lust zu feiern, so Sandra Navidi | ntv
Donald Trump ist der dümmste Präsident der USA, den es je gegeben hat. Der dümmste, der gierigste und der unehrlichste. Und die Einfältigen saugen das alles begierig auf. — © Mark Alexander
Waleed Asadi: The Weeknight Dinner | Rice and Ground Beef | أرز و لحمة | Also: أرز باللحم المفروم
July 5, 2026 | When people think of Levantine food, they often picture the dishes reserved for holidays and family gatherings. But the meals that quietly shape our culture are usually much simpler.
This week, I'm sharing one of the dinners I come back to time and time again: a simple bowl of 7-spiced-beef, buttery rice, fresh salad, and herb-filled yogurt that proves home cooking doesn't have to be complicated to feel like home.
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.
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.
Posh George: The Convicted Criminal Secretly Funding Farage
Jul 4, 2026 | A Sunday Times Insight investigation exposes George Cottrell — a British aristocrat and convicted fraudster known as "Posh George" — as the shadowy figure secretly bankrolling and advising Nigel Farage. Despite having no official role, Cottrell funded Farage's lifestyle, recruited his staff, and transformed his social media presence, all whilst being involved in a crypto gambling platform in Montenegro. The investigation raises serious questions about undeclared financial support and Farage's judgement.
Farage said the benefits did not require registration and that he could not comment on Cottrell's business affairs. Both deny wrongdoing.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “It comes as no surprise that the Sunday Times has chosen to publish this baseless and contrived story, covering a period of time when Nigel Farage was not even an active politician let alone an elected one, given that the newspaper backed the Labour Party at the last general election. Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken. We also understand The Sunday Times has a new podcast to promote, which it seems very excited about. Its agenda should be plain for all to see.”
Farage said the benefits did not require registration and that he could not comment on Cottrell's business affairs. Both deny wrongdoing.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “It comes as no surprise that the Sunday Times has chosen to publish this baseless and contrived story, covering a period of time when Nigel Farage was not even an active politician let alone an elected one, given that the newspaper backed the Labour Party at the last general election. Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken. We also understand The Sunday Times has a new podcast to promote, which it seems very excited about. Its agenda should be plain for all to see.”
More Sneaky Republican Tricks & the 'Save Our Bacon Act!'
There is but ONE solution to all this CRAZINESS. Kick Trump, Trump’s chumps, and Trump’s troupe of Trumpettes out of office with despatch! The nation will not begin to heal until the cancer has been excised. — © Mark Alexander
Up Where We Belong : Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
« Nous gouvernerons » : toujours plus forte et plus radicale, l’AfD affiche sa détermination à Erfurt
LE FIGARO : REPORTAGE - Le congrès annuel du parti d’extrême droite s’est tenu sans encombre en Thuringe ce week-end, malgré la tentative de blocage de plus de 30.000 manifestants.
10 heures tapantes. Parée de bleue et de huit drapeaux noir-rouge-or, la grande salle du parc des expositions d’Erfurt (Thuringe) s’anime. En commençant son congrès annuel à l’heure, malgré les tentatives de blocage, le parti d’extrême droite Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) vient de remporter sa première victoire de la journée. « Le congrès fédéral du parti a débuté comme prévu. Les délégués ont pu se rendre au parc des expositions sans encombre », a fait savoir la police de Thuringe, qui a bénéficié du renfort de milliers de policiers venus de tout le pays. La seule perturbation de la journée est finalement venue d’ailleurs. À de multiples reprises, un extrait de la Marche impérial de Star Wars a résonné dans la salle, suscitant l’amusement puis l’agacement des membres de l’AfD. Au bout de longues minutes, Le Figaro a aperçu des policiers en civil quitter les lieux en emportant plusieurs enceintes dans des sacs transparents.
Pendant ce temps, à l’extérieur, des dizaines de milliers de personnes ont manifesté pour marquer leur rejet de ce parti qualifié de « néfaste et fasciste » par une porte-parole des opposants. Provocation ultime, selon certains protestataires : le 4 juillet 1926, soit un siècle jour pour jour avant ce congrès de l’AfD, se tenait à Weimar, à 20 kilomètres d’Erfurt, un congrès du parti nazi. Coïncidence, assure l’AfD. « Ce n’est évidemment pas un hasard », réplique un élu thuringeois membre du Bundestag. Le temps d’un week-end, la d’ordinaire paisible Erfurt a donc pris des allures de ville assiégée dans un climat de haute tension. « Je reste fermé samedi. C’est trop le bordel », glissait vendredi après-midi un restaurateur installé dans le centre-ville. » | Par Aude Bariéty de Lagarde, envoyée spéciale à Erfurt (Thuringe) | samedi 4 juillet 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
LESEN SIE AUCH:
Gewalt gegen Journalisten und neue Machtverhältnisse: Das war der AfD-Parteitag in Erfurt: 10.000 Polizisten, Zehntausende Demonstranten und ein Parteitag, der trotz Blockaden planmäßig verlief: Die AfD hat die Weichen für die kommenden Wahlkämpfe gestellt. »
Protest gegen die AfD in Erfurt: Das war ein Kampf für die Demokratie mit undemokratischen Mitteln: Demonstranten argumentieren, im Kampf gegen die AfD sei alles erlaubt. Auch Gewalt. Wie kommt man auf eine solche Idee? »
Masked White Nationalists Descend on Washington DC
THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of balaclava-clad Patriot Front members march through capital on independence day chanting ‘reclaim America’
Hundreds of masked white supremacists descended on Washington DC ahead of July 4th celebrations on Saturday, marching through the city centre and riding on the city subway.
An estimated 400 members of a group called the Patriot Front met for a march in the US capital on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Dressed in khaki trousers and navy blue shirts, the marchers hid their faces behind white balaclavas, baseball caps and sunglasses.
One picture of the day, shared prominently on social media, shows a black woman sitting on a metro train surrounded by masked white men.
The group carried US and Confederate flags as it marched to a drum beat near the Capitol.
In a video posted on social media, two young men apparently associated with the group declared that the march was proof of the “total Aryan victory”.
According to videos posted on social media, members of the march chanted “Reclaim America” and “Life, liberty, victory!” » | Jörg Luyken | Sunday, July 5, 2026
This is what you get when you elect and then re-elect a racist and fascist as president. More especially when that fascist is a convicted criminal who is hell-bent on turning America white again! He is emboldening these despicable people to exercise their so-called fascist rights under the US Constitution. (Just because you can express your opinions doesn’t mean that you should, especially when other innocent people’s rights are threatened.) Trump is turning America and the rest of the world upside down. — © Mark Alexander
An estimated 400 members of a group called the Patriot Front met for a march in the US capital on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Dressed in khaki trousers and navy blue shirts, the marchers hid their faces behind white balaclavas, baseball caps and sunglasses.
One picture of the day, shared prominently on social media, shows a black woman sitting on a metro train surrounded by masked white men.
The group carried US and Confederate flags as it marched to a drum beat near the Capitol.
In a video posted on social media, two young men apparently associated with the group declared that the march was proof of the “total Aryan victory”.
According to videos posted on social media, members of the march chanted “Reclaim America” and “Life, liberty, victory!” » | Jörg Luyken | Sunday, July 5, 2026
This is what you get when you elect and then re-elect a racist and fascist as president. More especially when that fascist is a convicted criminal who is hell-bent on turning America white again! He is emboldening these despicable people to exercise their so-called fascist rights under the US Constitution. (Just because you can express your opinions doesn’t mean that you should, especially when other innocent people’s rights are threatened.) Trump is turning America and the rest of the world upside down. — © Mark Alexander
Rebel Catholics Defy Vatican’s Calls to Return to Mainstream Church
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Vatican has excommunicated the priesthood of a rebel Catholic faction. Many of the priests’ followers have refused to renounce them.
This screenshot has been taken from this NYT article. | A procession on Wednesday by the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X in Écône, Switzerland. | Credit: Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
When the Vatican excommunicated the priesthood of a rebel conservative faction last week, creating the biggest schism in Roman Catholicism in decades, it also hoped to drive the group’s many followers back to the mainstream church.
Instead, according to interviews with some of the faction’s followers in Argentina, Italy and Switzerland, the punishment has been met with defiance.
“It changes nothing,” said Blandine Guillaumin, 42, a teacher at a school run by the group in France. Ms. Guillaumin said she would remain part of the faction, called the Society of St. Pius X, even if the Vatican went ahead with its threat to excommunicate worshipers who stayed loyal to the breakaway group.
“We are sure we are doing God’s will,” Ms. Guillaumin said. It is the society, not the Vatican, she said, that represents “pure, authentic Catholicism.”
Ms. Guillaumin’s defiance embodied the climax of a 56-year-old impasse between the Vatican and the society, founded in 1970 to protest the Roman Catholic Church’s modernizing turn after the Second Vatican Council, which took place between 1962 and 1965.
The society bemoans the council’s change to the form of Catholic services. Though the council allowed priests to hold services in vernacular languages, the society still celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass, arguing it preserves a sense of reverence and mystery. » | Elisabetta Povoledo | Reporting from Écône, Switzerland, where the Society of St. Pius X consecrated new bishops in defiance of Pope Leo XIV. | Sunday, July 5, 2026
When the Vatican excommunicated the priesthood of a rebel conservative faction last week, creating the biggest schism in Roman Catholicism in decades, it also hoped to drive the group’s many followers back to the mainstream church.
Instead, according to interviews with some of the faction’s followers in Argentina, Italy and Switzerland, the punishment has been met with defiance.
“It changes nothing,” said Blandine Guillaumin, 42, a teacher at a school run by the group in France. Ms. Guillaumin said she would remain part of the faction, called the Society of St. Pius X, even if the Vatican went ahead with its threat to excommunicate worshipers who stayed loyal to the breakaway group.
“We are sure we are doing God’s will,” Ms. Guillaumin said. It is the society, not the Vatican, she said, that represents “pure, authentic Catholicism.”
Ms. Guillaumin’s defiance embodied the climax of a 56-year-old impasse between the Vatican and the society, founded in 1970 to protest the Roman Catholic Church’s modernizing turn after the Second Vatican Council, which took place between 1962 and 1965.
The society bemoans the council’s change to the form of Catholic services. Though the council allowed priests to hold services in vernacular languages, the society still celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass, arguing it preserves a sense of reverence and mystery. » | Elisabetta Povoledo | Reporting from Écône, Switzerland, where the Society of St. Pius X consecrated new bishops in defiance of Pope Leo XIV. | Sunday, July 5, 2026
En Autriche, un Lidl est construit sur le site d’un ancien camp de concentration nazi
LE FIGARO : L’Office fédéral des monuments historiques avait considéré que les ruines du camp étaient « insuffisantes » pour « justifier une protection ».
« Les dernières traces visibles de souffrance disparaissent sous des bâtiments industriels », déplore le membre d’une association locale. À Leobersdorf, au sud de Vienne, un centre logistique et un magasin Lidl vont s’implanter sur le site du deuxième plus grand camp de concentration pour femmes d’Autriche, le camp de Hirtenberg. Le maire de la commune, également promoteur immobilier, aurait vendu ce terrain à 15 millions d’euros, selon le Wiener Zeitung .
Le camp de Hirtenberg, dépendant de celui de Mauthausen, a été créé par les nazis en 1944 et a accueilli jusqu’à 400 femmes et jeunes filles provenant de Pologne, d’Italie ou d’URSS. Vivant dans des baraquements en bois entourés de barbelés électrifiés, elles étaient exploitées comme main-d’œuvre dans une usine de munitions voisine. Ce camp a été libéré par les troupes de l’Armée rouge le 2 avril 1945. » | Par Solène Vary | samedi 4 juillet 2026
« Les dernières traces visibles de souffrance disparaissent sous des bâtiments industriels », déplore le membre d’une association locale. À Leobersdorf, au sud de Vienne, un centre logistique et un magasin Lidl vont s’implanter sur le site du deuxième plus grand camp de concentration pour femmes d’Autriche, le camp de Hirtenberg. Le maire de la commune, également promoteur immobilier, aurait vendu ce terrain à 15 millions d’euros, selon le Wiener Zeitung .
Le camp de Hirtenberg, dépendant de celui de Mauthausen, a été créé par les nazis en 1944 et a accueilli jusqu’à 400 femmes et jeunes filles provenant de Pologne, d’Italie ou d’URSS. Vivant dans des baraquements en bois entourés de barbelés électrifiés, elles étaient exploitées comme main-d’œuvre dans une usine de munitions voisine. Ce camp a été libéré par les troupes de l’Armée rouge le 2 avril 1945. » | Par Solène Vary | samedi 4 juillet 2026
Jason Stanley: Ethnic Cleansing Is Coming to America | Amanpour & Company
The US Supreme Court is not worthy of its name. It appears to be the tool of America’s authoritarian leader. — © Mark Alexander
Nigel Farage’s Secrecy around Personal Finances Hurts the Whole Reform Party | Paul Scully
Jul 5, 2026 | “There will be millions of people up and down the country who won't read the finer detail of Gabriel's report… but they will know that there's a lot of money circling Nigel Farage in a hugely, deeply inappropriate manner.”
A Sunday Times investigation has found that Nigel Farage has been secretly funded by a convicted crypto-gambler known as ‘Posh George’, as scrutiny builds over the Reform UK leader’s personal finances that “do not pass the sniff test” for the average voter, says former Conservative minister, Paul Scully.
A Sunday Times investigation has found that Nigel Farage has been secretly funded by a convicted crypto-gambler known as ‘Posh George’, as scrutiny builds over the Reform UK leader’s personal finances that “do not pass the sniff test” for the average voter, says former Conservative minister, Paul Scully.
Trump 'Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday' Report Alleges
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Donald Trump Is No Patriot; He's a Deranged and Dangerous Megalomaniac.
Hitchens’ Most Fascinating Reply about God’s Existence
Thousands Evacuated as Soaring Temperatures Supercharge France Wildfires | DW News
Jul 3, 2026 | France is struggling to control an outbreak of early wildfires near its border with the Spain.
The fires follow a record-breaking Europe-wide heatwave where temperatures rose above 40C. The heat is having a devastating effect on the land and on those living there.
Is this now part of a pattern that comes with climate change?
We talk to a journalist in Paris and a climate expert in Germany to get the latest on the fires and to find out how France and Europe will have to adapt,
The fires follow a record-breaking Europe-wide heatwave where temperatures rose above 40C. The heat is having a devastating effect on the land and on those living there.
Is this now part of a pattern that comes with climate change?
We talk to a journalist in Paris and a climate expert in Germany to get the latest on the fires and to find out how France and Europe will have to adapt,
At Trump’s Direction, Federal Agencies Are Abandoning Discrimination Cases
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump has tried to scale back anti-discrimination regulations that date back decades. Federal agencies have heeded his call.
When Kenni Miller started as a shift manager in his local Sheetz convenience store in Altoona, Pa., he felt something that he rarely had as a Black man in the workplace.
He felt trusted. He felt appreciated.
When he was fired a few weeks later, in the summer of 2020 after a background check, Mr. Miller, then 27, was devastated. A nonviolent, felony drug conviction from his teenage years had never caused him to be denied a job before. And he already proved he could do the work.
“I was well spoken,” Mr. Miller told The New York Times in an interview. “They had me running the cash register, talking to people, all the customers. I’m doing these things, learning the whole store, so I’m equipped for the job. That’s not the issue here, right?”
In 2024, Mr. Miller was part of a class-action lawsuit against Sheetz filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that the company’s criminal background checks disproportionately screened out applicants of color.
But soon after President Trump took office, the E.E.O.C. abruptly dropped the case.
The agency cited an executive order by Mr. Trump that directed federal agencies to “deprioritize” cases like Mr. Miller’s, in which companies are scrutinized not for intentional discrimination, but for having policies that have an unintentional, “disparate impact” on minority applicants. » | Erica L. Green and Niko Gallogly | Erica L. Green is a White House correspondent and Niko Gallogly writes about business. | Sunday, July 5, 2026
Is this the behaviour of a man sent by God to save a nation? Has God such poor judgment that He would send a convicted criminal and sex offender to save a nation? What a joke! What a sick joke!
My heart bleeds for this young man, trying his best as he is to scratch a meagre living, and then Trump goes and screws it all up for him. How disgusting!
Trump is a racist, through and through. And those American wallies cheer him on. Go figure! — © Mark Alexander
Mourners Chant ‘Revenge’ at Funeral Prayers for Iran’s Slain Supreme Leader
THE NEW YORK TIMES: On the second day of public mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February, there was still no sign of his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.
This screenshot is from this NYT article. | Mourners gathered to pray for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s slain supreme leader, during the second day of funeral ceremonies at the Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran on Sunday.Credit...Atta Kenare/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Tens of thousands of mourners, including senior Iranian officials, packed Tehran on Sunday for funeral prayers for the slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as crowds chanted calls for revenge.
Among those in attendance for the second day of mourning for his death, according to footage broadcast on state media, were the brothers of the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. But the leader himself has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, who was killed at the onset of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February.
Ahmad Vahidi, the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also attended the prayers. He emerged from the sprawling Grand Mosalla mosque complex to mourners, many clad in black, who surged toward him.
“Revenge, revenge,” they chanted, a scene that was observed by New York Times reporters near him. Mr. Vahidi briefly greeted people before security personnel whisked him away. » | Abdi Latif Dahir | Reporting from Tehran | Sunday, July 5, 2026
Tens of thousands of mourners, including senior Iranian officials, packed Tehran on Sunday for funeral prayers for the slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as crowds chanted calls for revenge.
Among those in attendance for the second day of mourning for his death, according to footage broadcast on state media, were the brothers of the country’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. But the leader himself has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, who was killed at the onset of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February.
Ahmad Vahidi, the head of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also attended the prayers. He emerged from the sprawling Grand Mosalla mosque complex to mourners, many clad in black, who surged toward him.
“Revenge, revenge,” they chanted, a scene that was observed by New York Times reporters near him. Mr. Vahidi briefly greeted people before security personnel whisked him away. » | Abdi Latif Dahir | Reporting from Tehran | Sunday, July 5, 2026
German Riot Police Clash with Protesters Hoping to Block Far-right AfD Conference
THE GUARDIAN: Thousands of police deployed to Erfurt in central Germany as party holds conference on key Nazi date
Riot police have clashed with opponents of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on the streets of Erfurt in Germany, where thousands met to block roads and prevent AfD delegates from attending the party’s biennial national conference to elect its leadership.
Police reported 20,000 protesters were demonstrating in the eastern city, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as the party’s co-leaders in the run-up to crucial regional elections in which AfD could win power at state-level for the first time.
The protesters, led by the “Resistance” alliance, staged sit-in blockades in the city centre in an attempt to prevent the AfD’s approximately 600 delegates from reaching the conference grounds, with some abseiling from a motorway bridge and others gluing themselves to tram tracks to cause disruption. » | Donna Ferguson | Saturday, July 4, 2026
Ironically, Hitler was not a German, but an Austrian. His soul, however, lives on particularly in Germany. In fact, it lives on and on and on! Will it ever die? Will Germany ever be able to shake off Hitler’s deplorable and disgusting legacy, once and for all? Will Germans ever be able to purify their image and souls of that despicable man’s ghost and cruel legacy? For truly it seems that Hitler’s ghost keeps coming back to haunt Germans, generation after generation. — © Mark Alexander
Riot police have clashed with opponents of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on the streets of Erfurt in Germany, where thousands met to block roads and prevent AfD delegates from attending the party’s biennial national conference to elect its leadership.
Police reported 20,000 protesters were demonstrating in the eastern city, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as the party’s co-leaders in the run-up to crucial regional elections in which AfD could win power at state-level for the first time.
The protesters, led by the “Resistance” alliance, staged sit-in blockades in the city centre in an attempt to prevent the AfD’s approximately 600 delegates from reaching the conference grounds, with some abseiling from a motorway bridge and others gluing themselves to tram tracks to cause disruption. » | Donna Ferguson | Saturday, July 4, 2026
Ironically, Hitler was not a German, but an Austrian. His soul, however, lives on particularly in Germany. In fact, it lives on and on and on! Will it ever die? Will Germany ever be able to shake off Hitler’s deplorable and disgusting legacy, once and for all? Will Germans ever be able to purify their image and souls of that despicable man’s ghost and cruel legacy? For truly it seems that Hitler’s ghost keeps coming back to haunt Germans, generation after generation. — © Mark Alexander
Saturday, July 04, 2026
England Dan & John Ford Coley : I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
I am re-posting this music video because I have just noticed that somebody has been f*****g about with my posts. I posted it correctly, but somebody re-posted it with an incorrect heading and blurb.
Please be sure that if you see irregularities like that, it is not because I am losing it; rather, it is because some simpleton is f*****g about and trying to cause problems for me. — © Mark Alexander
Cool, Handsome, and Insouciant
Dans un podcast, le prince William révèle que le roi Charles III « déteste le football »
MADAME FIGARO : Connu pour être fan de l’Aston Villa, le prince de Galles s’est entretenu avec Travis Kelce au sujet de la Coupe du monde de football.
Le prince William révèle que son père, le roi Charles III, «déteste le football» lors d’une apparition dans le podcast de Travis Kelce diffusé vendredi, à seulement quelques heures de la célébration du mariage de la star de la NFL avec la mégastar de la pop Taylor Swift.
La Coupe du monde est le principal sujet de discussion de ce podcast avec le prince de Galles, connu pour être fan du club de Premier League Aston Villa. Lorsqu’on lui a demandé si c’était le roi Charles qui lui avait transmis cette passion, il a répondu : «Absolument pas. Mon père déteste le football». » | Par La rédaction avec AFP | samedi 4 juillet 2026
Moi aussi ! Le roi et moi avons cela en commun. — Mark
Le prince William révèle que son père, le roi Charles III, «déteste le football» lors d’une apparition dans le podcast de Travis Kelce diffusé vendredi, à seulement quelques heures de la célébration du mariage de la star de la NFL avec la mégastar de la pop Taylor Swift.
La Coupe du monde est le principal sujet de discussion de ce podcast avec le prince de Galles, connu pour être fan du club de Premier League Aston Villa. Lorsqu’on lui a demandé si c’était le roi Charles qui lui avait transmis cette passion, il a répondu : «Absolument pas. Mon père déteste le football». » | Par La rédaction avec AFP | samedi 4 juillet 2026
Moi aussi ! Le roi et moi avons cela en commun. — Mark
How Much Longer Must the World Tolerate the Orange Criminal?
Come Before Winter (2017) | Full Movie | Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Gus LynchGus Lynch
Apr 26, 2020 | Come Before Winter tells the true story of two longtime foes of Adolf Hitler: propagandist Sefton Delmer and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, two men who helped bring an end to the Third Reich.
Come Before Winter tells the true story of two longtime foes of Adolf Hitler: propagandist Sefton Delmer and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. During the dying days of the Third Reich these two men, in very different ways helped bring about the fall of Hitler's regime. In Germany, Bonhoeffer spoke boldly against the evil of Nazism and called the church to turn away from its complacency. In England, Delmer, ran a secret operation, transmitting "black propaganda" into Germany in order to demoralize the Nazis. The stories of these heroic men and their companions intertwine as they work to end the war. Filmed in Berlin, Buchenwald, Flossenburg and various locations in England and the United States.
Director: Kevin Ekvall
Writers: Hellmut Schlingensiepen, Rajeev Sigamoney
Starring: Gus Lynch, Aubrey Wakeling, Rebecca Summers
Come Before Winter tells the true story of two longtime foes of Adolf Hitler: propagandist Sefton Delmer and Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. During the dying days of the Third Reich these two men, in very different ways helped bring about the fall of Hitler's regime. In Germany, Bonhoeffer spoke boldly against the evil of Nazism and called the church to turn away from its complacency. In England, Delmer, ran a secret operation, transmitting "black propaganda" into Germany in order to demoralize the Nazis. The stories of these heroic men and their companions intertwine as they work to end the war. Filmed in Berlin, Buchenwald, Flossenburg and various locations in England and the United States.
Director: Kevin Ekvall
Writers: Hellmut Schlingensiepen, Rajeev Sigamoney
Starring: Gus Lynch, Aubrey Wakeling, Rebecca Summers
Piusbruderschaft kritisiert Exkommunikationen als „ungerecht und ungültig“
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Die katholische Kirche hat sechs Bischöfe der ultrakonservativen Piusbruderschafft exkommuniziert. Nur einen Tag später richten sie harte Worte nach Rom: Die Verurteilungen treffen, was ihnen am teuersten sei.
Die Piusbruderschaft hat die jüngsten Exkommunikationen als „objektiv ungerecht und ungültig“ zurückgewiesen. Die Bruderschaft werde „diese neuen Sanktionen nicht mit Verbitterung oder Aufruhr aufnehmen“, schrieb ihr Generaloberer, der italienische Priester Davide Pagliarani, am Freitag in einem offenen Brief an Papst Leo XIV. „Diese jüngsten Verurteilungen treffen, wie jene der Vergangenheit, das, was uns am teuersten ist: unsere Verbundenheit mit unserer Mutter, der römischen Kirche.“ » | Quelle: AFP | Freitag, 3. Juli 2026
Huge Crowds Mass in Tehran for Ayatollah’s State Funeral
THE NEW YORK TIMES: As days of public mourning ceremonies began, Iranians viewed the casket of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed four months ago at the start of the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Huge crowds of Iranians gathered on Saturday to view the casket of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at an elaborate state funeral for the Iranian supreme leader, who dominated Iran for decades before being killed in the U.S.-Israeli war in late February.
Tens of thousands of people began arriving at dawn at the Grand Mosalla mosque in the capital, Tehran, for the start of six days of public ceremonies. Millions are expected to participate in the funeral as Ayatollah Khamenei’s body is transported to cities across the country.
Journalists for The New York Times at the event saw grieving supporters erupt in tears at the sight of the caskets of Ayatollah Khamenei and of several family members who were killed along with him, including his daughter and two grandchildren. Encased in glass and draped in Iranian flags, the caskets were placed atop a stage, with the ayatollah’s coffin positioned above the others.
It is a turbulent moment for Iran, which has spiraled from crisis to crisis. Huge antigovernment protests earlier this year were met with a brutal government crackdown, followed by months of war with the United States and Israel. Israeli airstrikes killed Ayatollah Khamenei, along with other top Iranian leaders, on the first day of the conflict.
While Ayatollah Khamenei’s supporters mourn him, many other Iranians view the lengthy and expensive funeral program with anger. Over 37 years of authoritarian rule, he harshly repressed dissent and allowed economic mismanagement and corruption to fester.
His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been named the country’s new supreme leader. It is unclear whether the son would attend the funeral; he has not been publicly seen since his appointment.
The funeral ceremonies, which overlapped with America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, are taking place more than four months after Ayatollah Khamenei was killed, in the wake of a U.S.-Iran cease-fire signed last month. Analysts say the Iranian authorities were probably wary of organizing a mourning event featuring senior leaders when the threat of U.S. or Israeli attacks loomed.
After a procession in Tehran on Monday, his body will be taken to the city of Qom and then on to Karbala and Najaf in Iraq; all three cities hold sacred significance for Shiite Muslims. On Thursday, his remains will be buried in his hometown, Mashhad.
The event in Tehran was intended as a show of strength for Iran’s Islamic Republic, which survived despite U.S. and Israeli hopes for regime change. Conservative supporters of Ayatollah Khamenei said they had slept in their cars overnight to avoid missing the ceremony.
But there were signs of criticism from religious hard-liners who see the cease-fire with the United States as a capitulation. Some mourners carried a banner that read, “What happened to revenge for the blood of our martyred Imam?” a reference to the ayatollah, according to video posted by Iran’s state broadcaster. » | Abdi Latif Dahir, Aaron Boxerman, Yeganeh Torbati and James C. McKinley Jr. | Saturday, July 4, 2026
« Rejoindre l’armée revient à trahir notre mode de vie » : en Israël, la fronde des ultraorthodoxes fracture le pays
LE FIGARO : ENQUÊTE - Ils bloquent les autoroutes, bravent la prison et refusent les convocations militaires. Après deux ans et demi de guerre, le refus catégorique de haredim de rejoindre l’armée menace la coalition de Benyamin Netanyahou et révèle la peur d’un monde religieux de voir ses fils happés par la société laïque.
D’un bond, des dizaines d’hommes en noir déboulent sur le carrefour qui permet d’accéder à l’échangeur de Ganot dans le centre du pays. Les mains levées au-dessus de leurs chapeaux de feutre, ils courent entre les klaxons, et forcent les voitures à s’arrêter. Le blocage est en place. Ces juifs ultraorthodoxes, ou haredim (« craignant Dieu », en hébreu), s’assoient à même l’asphalte et chantent à tue-tête devant un bus immobilisé et une colonne de voitures. Les klaxons continuent de plus belle, couvrent leurs mélopées, sans les interrompre.
Ce jeudi, plusieurs des plus importantes factions du monde haredi ont appelé leurs ouailles (masculines) à bloquer les échangeurs de l’autoroute 1, qui traverse le pays d’est en ouest de Tel-Aviv à Jérusalem. En quelques minutes, ces milliers d’étudiants en talmud ont bloqué tout le centre du pays pour faire entendre leur refus de rejoindre l’armée.
« Nous devons montrer que nous sommes prêts à tout pour ne pas rejoindre l’armée. Rejoindre l’armée, pour nous, revient à trahir notre mode de vie, qui a toujours été protégé par Israël depuis sa création », assure Shai, 23 ans, venu de Bnei Brak, ville ultraorthodoxe de l’agglomération de Tel-Aviv. « Nous ne sommes pas contre l’idée d’une armée, le roi David lui-même avait une armée. Mais nous ne pouvons rejoindre cette armée laïque qui est hostile aux religieux », tempère Pryce, son aîné, âgé de 34 ans. » | Par Stanislas Poyet, correspondant à Jérusalem | samedi 4 juillet 2026
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 In F Minor, Op. 21: 3. Allegro vivace
Ina Garten's ‘Must Have’ Picnic Recipes 🧺☀️ Barefoot Contessa | Food Network
Deutschland — Constantin Schreiber: „Droht uns die Verarmung?“
Jun 1, 2026 | Immer mehr Menschen in Deutschland sind arm. Die Armutsquote ist in den vergangenen Jahren gestiegen und betrifft inzwischen rund 13 Millionen Menschen.
Besonders alarmierend ist, dass immer mehr Menschen trotz Arbeit armutsgefährdet sind und kaum finanzielle Rücklagen bilden können. Viele Beschäftigte arbeiten ihr gesamtes Leben, müssen aber dennoch befürchten, im Alter nur eine geringe Rente zu erhalten. Die steigende Nachfrage bei Tafeln und Lebensmittelhilfen zeigt, dass finanzielle Not längst nicht mehr nur Randgruppen betrifft.
Gleichzeitig wächst der Wohlstand in vielen anderen Ländern schneller als in Deutschland, während die deutsche Wirtschaft unter schwachem Wachstum, hohen Kosten und mangelnden Investitionen leidet. Immer mehr Menschen leben finanziell auf Kante und können unerwartete Ausgaben kaum noch bewältigen.
Besonders alarmierend ist, dass immer mehr Menschen trotz Arbeit armutsgefährdet sind und kaum finanzielle Rücklagen bilden können. Viele Beschäftigte arbeiten ihr gesamtes Leben, müssen aber dennoch befürchten, im Alter nur eine geringe Rente zu erhalten. Die steigende Nachfrage bei Tafeln und Lebensmittelhilfen zeigt, dass finanzielle Not längst nicht mehr nur Randgruppen betrifft.
Gleichzeitig wächst der Wohlstand in vielen anderen Ländern schneller als in Deutschland, während die deutsche Wirtschaft unter schwachem Wachstum, hohen Kosten und mangelnden Investitionen leidet. Immer mehr Menschen leben finanziell auf Kante und können unerwartete Ausgaben kaum noch bewältigen.
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