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

Noon Spice 😊

May 15, 2026 | Music For Men

Trump Worships Xi Jinping in Embarrassing China State Visit.

May 15, 2026 | Donald Trump spent years portraying China as America’s greatest enemy, yet during his Beijing summit with Xi Jinping he appeared far more comfortable admiring authoritarian pageantry than defending democratic values. The visit exposed a deeper contradiction at the heart of Trump’s politics: his hostility toward China has never really been about authoritarianism, but about competition with a system of centralized power he openly envies.

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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

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

Russia: New Restrictions on Reporting Drone Attacks, New Rules for Expelling Foreigners

May 14, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: new restrictions on reporting drone attacks, new rules for expelling foreigners, new local governors, new data shows financial situation worsens for ¾ of large Russian industrial companies. The joke at the end is about old lifts.

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

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.

Trump’s Chicanery

Father David explains.

Steve Schmidt: Donald Trump Doesn’t Care about You

May 14, 2026 | Donald Trump promised Americans they would get “tired of winning,” but rising prices, economic anxiety, and growing global instability are telling a very different story. What happens when voters decide they’ve had enough? Steve Schmidt lays out the warning signs — and the potential consequences ahead.

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

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.

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

Labour vs the People | Why Burnham, Streeting or Miliband Will Be a Disaster | Spiked Podcast

May 14, 2026 | Nick Tyrone, Fraser Myers and Georgina Mumford on Starmer’s crumbling premiership, the naffness of Wes Streeting and the pointlessness of Andy Burnham

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?

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

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."


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Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

May 14, 2026

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

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 »

Back to the Future of Brexit

May 13, 2026 | Ten years after the vote to leave the European Union, the rise of populism and increasingly radical leftism could be a foretaste of the American political future.

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.

Waleed Asadi: Arabic Stuffed Chicken — Djaj Mahshi | دجاج محشي

June 4, 2024

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 »

Cette capture d'écran est une image figée de cet article du Figaro, extraite de la vidéo qui l'accompagne. — Mark Alexander
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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

Thatcher, Major and Starmer? How the Mighty Fall | Gyles Brandeth

May 13, 2026 | “He chose to actually say put up or shut up.”

The Labour rebellion against Starmer echoes the fall of John Major as opposed to Margaret Thatcher who had election success after election success, says broadcasters and former whip under John Major, Gyles Brandreth.

Steve Schmidt: Kash Patel Will Never Recover

May 13, 2026 | Kash Patel is angry, affronted, and unstable. Steve Schmidt destroys Trump's FBI Director over his disastrous Senate hearing and promises Kash Patel will never recover from his humiliation.

Alla vostra salute!

🥂🥂 🥂

Face à un Donald Trump pressé par le temps, la Chine joue la montre

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Xi Jinping reçoit avec faste son homologue américain enlisé au Moyen-Orient, pour arracher un répit stratégique et des garanties sur Taïwan.

À Pékin, Xi Jinping offre un accueil impérial à Donald Trump, sans jamais déroger. Le président chinois accompagnera son hôte jeudi sur les dalles de pierre du Temple du Ciel, là où les empereurs accomplissaient jadis les rites confucéens en quête de récoltes propices et de certitudes face au chaos du monde.

Après la Cité interdite, en 2017, la Chine déroule à nouveau le tapis rouge au président américain, dans un autre haut lieu de son histoire, à l’occasion de la première visite d’un président américain depuis près d’une décennie, sur fond de rivalité stratégique au long cours.

Face aux caméras, la promenade des dirigeants projettera la force tranquille d’une seconde puissance mondiale tenant tête au trublion de l’Amérique d’abord, en pleine convulsion géopolitique au Moyen-Orient. La Chine entend travailler avec les États-Unis « sur un pied d’égalité » afin de développer la coopération, de gérer les différends et d’injecter « plus de certitude dans un monde instable et interdépendant », a déclaré Guo Jiakun, un porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères, à la veille de cette visite qui débute ce 13 mai. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | mercredi 13 mai 2026

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Is the US Empire in the Middle of a Long Decline? | The Bottom Line

May 11, 2026 | When the United States threatens to take over countries and destroy civilisations, “these are the wild gesticulations of a sinking enterprise”, argues Richard Wolff, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Massachusetts.

Wolff tells host Steve Clemons that US leaders refuse to face the reality that the US empire is in decline. Around the world, he adds, people are “deeply internalising” the lessons from the US's inability to defeat Iran.

The people in the US are becoming “bitterly angry” at their situation, where the richest 10 percent of Americans own 80 percent of corporate stocks, making the stock market “utterly irrelevant” to the masses.


Trump is a dunce in clown’s clothing! — © Mark Alexander

"This Is Chaotic" | Tim Stanley and Opposed Labour MPs Debate the Challenge to Keir Starmer

May 13, 2026 | We're joined by a loyal Labour MP, Andrew Lewin, and one who wants Sir Keir Starmer to go, Catherine McKinnell. Further analysis from The Telegraph's Tim Stanley and The New Statesman's Ailbhe Rea. Interview by Victoria Derbyshire.

The Princess of Wales Receives a Warm Welcome in Italy as Fans Gather for Her Two-day Royal Visit

May 13, 2026

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines

May 13, 2026

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

People Will Continue to Enjoy Their Cigarettes Regardless of Control Freaks!

Violent Tobacco Black Market Wipes $6b from Federal Budget

FINANCIAL REVIEW: The booming illicit tobacco market has wiped $6 billion from the federal budget bottom line in just five months and revenue from tobacco excise is now forecast to plummet to just over $2 billion a year by 2030.

The government raked in more than $16 billion from tobacco taxes in 2020, but the continued raising of the excise sparked a violent black market trade run by criminal gangs that has decimated the legitimate market and resulted in a massive fall in revenue.

The government is now spending hundreds of millions of dollars on dealing with the fallout, including $14 million in the budget to boost the ability of states to disrupt the illicit tobacco and e-cigarette markets.

In the mid-year budget update, the government expected to raise $5.5 billion in tobacco excise in 2025-26. Five months later, that figure is now $4.1 billion, or 24 per cent lower than expected, and will fall to $2.1 billion by June 2030.

Legal cigarettes cost about $50, of which $34 is tax and excise, while the readily available illicit product is priced at about $15. NSW Premier Chris Minns in 2025 called on Chalmers to consider lowering the excise, saying it was contributing to the illegal tobacco industry, while economist Chris Richardson has labelled the continued raising of the excise one of the worst policies this century.

“We’ve cratered the tax take, stalled the fall in smoking rates, and invited organised crime into the everyday lives of more than a million Australians,” Richardson wrote in The Australian Financial Review in April.

The budget expert said the failure by successive governments to do anything about the issue meant it would now be much harder to fix.

“Organised crime will fight tooth and nail,” he said. “They’ve been a huge success at that already: after all, they fought the law, and the law lost. Given we’re now handing them a tasty $5 billion a year in risk-free revenue, they’ll be cashed up and cranky if serious efforts are made to reverse course.” » | Ronald Mizen | Political correspondent | Wednesday, May 13, 2026

And so it will be here in the UK with Starmer's stupid, undemocratic, illiberal, and ridiculous generational smoking ban! Mark my words! That law will have to be REVERSED, REPEALED! Free up the people! You will enchain them at society's PERIL. — © Mark Alexander

Waleed Asadi: Parsley Salad — Tabbouleh | تبولة

Feb 15, 2026 | Tabbouleh is, in my opinion, the most well-known salad to come from the Arab world. It's very simple, made with just a handful of ingredients, but they're all very high-quality ingredients so their natural flavors really shine through. It's not labor-intensive at all, so you can prepare a huge batch in just 30 minutes and you'll be good to go.

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.

EU-Armee statt Nato-Abhängigkeit? Spanien geht auf Konfrontationskurs mit Trump

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Madrid drängt auf militärische Eigenständigkeit Europas. Doch der Vorstoß trifft auf ungelöste Fragen zu Macht, Geld und politischer Glaubwürdigkeit.

Dieser Screenshot wurde aus diesem Artikel genommen. | Sánchez fordert mehr europäische Eigenständigkeit und kritisiert Trumps außenpolitischen Kurs. | © Emilio Naranjo/imago
Seit dem Ende Februar begonnenen US-israelischen Angriff auf den Iran hat die spanische Regierung unter Pedro Sánchez einen zunehmend konfrontativen Kurs zu Washington eingeschlagen. Der sozialdemokratische Regierungschef verweigerte den USA die Nutzung der Militärbasen Rota und Morón sowie des spanischen Luftraums für Angriffe auf den Iran. Er warf US-Präsident Donald Trump vor, das Völkerrecht zu missachten und Alleingänge ohne internationale Abstimmung zu unternehmen.

Diese Verweigerung löste in den Folgewochen eine diplomatische Eskalation aus. Trump drohte Madrid daraufhin nicht nur mit empfindlichen Strafzöllen auf spanische Exporte, sondern stellte auch den Abzug der US-Truppen in Aussicht. Laut internen Pentagon-Mails prüft das Weiße Haus seither sogar die rechtlichen Möglichkeiten für einen Nato-Ausschluss Spaniens. » | Vassiliki Mantziou | Mittwoch, 13. Mai 2026

Steve Rosenberg: "Powerful Missiles" & "Downgraded Growth Forecasts" in Today's Russian Papers

May 13, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: • “The world's most powerful missile”; • Russia downgrades economic growth forecast; • Russians turn to cash due to mobile internet shutdowns & “rumours” regarding bank deposits.

Senegal President Signs Tough New Anti-LGBT Law Doubling Jail Terms

Screenshot from this BBC article. | Senegal has experienced a surge in anti-LGBT sentiment in recent months | EPA
BBC: Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has signed a new law doubling to 10 years the maximum prison term for sexual acts by same-sex couples.

The new law also criminalises the "promotion" of homosexuality, which includes any public representation and financial support by individuals or organisations, and provides for three to seven years in prison for those found guilty.

The legislation was a campaign promise of President Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and was approved by parliament last month.

UN rights chief Volker Türk has described it as "deeply worrying", saying that the anti-LGBT legislation "flies in the face of sacrosanct human rights".

The UN official and rights groups had urged the president not to sign it into law, but the government dismissed the international criticism, arguing that the measures reflected the views of Senegalese people.

It was taken to parliament after a wave of arrests over alleged same sex relationships, which were already banned under Senegalese law. » | Nicolas Negoce and Basillioh Rukanga | Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Where Homosexuality Is Punishable by Death

Source: STATISTA | Tristan Guadiiaut, Data journalist | Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Read all here.

The BBC’s First Homosexual - Lost BBC Documentary on Homosexuality Brought to Life in New Film

Mar 18, 2026 | While exploring the BBC’s written archives for research on the Beatles, an unexpected discovery revealed a hidden chapter of history. A file titled “Sexual Offences 1953–1954” opened a window into the BBC’s internal debates about homosexuality in the early 1950s, how it was understood, discussed, and ultimately suppressed.

At a time when information on homosexuality was scarce, the BBC considered producing a ground-breaking programme on the subject. Despite internal support, the broadcast was vetoed by Director-General Ian Jacob, leaving this story buried for decades.

This forgotten history inspired The BBC’s First Homosexual, a powerful stage production that explores the corporation’s attempt to document male homosexuality and its wider social impact. Blending fact with fiction, playwright Stephen Hornby weaves together the real struggles behind the broadcast with a moving story of a young man coming to terms with his identity in 1950s Britain.

Now concluding its UK tour at the Sir Robert Martin Theatre, the production has resonated deeply with audiences. Viewers have reflected on how attitudes have changed over time, while also drawing parallels with the continued challenges faced by LGBTQ+ communities around the world.

With moving performances and powerful storytelling, this production highlights both how far society has come, and how much further there is to go.


There is no doubt that huge strides forward have been made since the 1950s, but still, there is a long way to go. Even today, ignorance abounds on this matter in many quarters. Not forgetting, of course, that there is a vast difference between tolerance and total acceptance. And that’s in the West! God help those who live as closeted queers in Africa and the Middle East. Enlightenment is the answer. But it is difficult to enlighten the benighted! As the old saying goes: There are none so blind as those who don’t want to see! By extension, one can also say the following: There are none so ignorant as those who don’t want to understand! — © Mark Alexander