Putin Renames FSB Academy After Red Terror Architect Felix Dzerzhinsky - The Moscow Times President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree renaming the FSB security service’s academy after Felix Dzerzhinsky, the ruthless founder of the Soviet secret police.

Known as “Iron Felix,” the Polish-born Dzerzhinsky established the Cheka, the precursor to the KGB.

Viktor Orbán built a ‘propaganda machine.’ Hungary’s next leader must dismantle it | CNN As many in Hungary celebrated the defeat of Viktor Orbán last weekend, others, who have consumed little but state media for the past decade, felt crippling fear.

“When you only consume this news, you don’t have an opportunity for a reality check – it is your reality,” Panyi said. “You can’t be angry at that 80-year-old grandmother, because that’s what she sees of the world through her TV and her newspapers. CNN

These are the stories of animals harmed by Russia’s war in #Ukraine - ones I have written about over the years. Sadly, there are many more.

Do you remember them? Which story stayed with you the most?

The list is lengthening

Today I turn 89. I’ve seen this country at its best and its worst, and I know how much community matters. For my birthday, I’m asking you to stand with PFLAG and support the work that’s helped so many in the LGBTQ+ community, including me. give.pflag.org/page/95493/d...

In order to succeed, the Zeitenwende will need more political guidance than we see at the moment.

No “Fazit” this time, but my final words of our #SicherheitshalberLive in Mainz.

Finnish President Stubb:

Ukraine is killing 30–35k Russians a month; Russia can’t replace losses. About 95% of kills are by drones.

Ukraine is retaking ground and in March launched more drones/missiles at Russia than vice versa. This isn’t charity anymore — the West needs Ukraine’s know-how.

Giorgia Meloni:

"Italy will continue to promote,within the G7&the European Union,economic pressure on the Russia,which continues to show no concrete signs of progress in the negotiation process, persists in attacks against civilians,&continues to strike infrastructure essential for the population."

A warning from the Financial Time (which has economic, political and social implications)
"war in Iran has unleashed a torrent of inflation in the US that economists warn will linger long after the conflict ends, squeezing Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections"
#economy @financialtimes.com

No Cards, huh?

"Andere Länder sollten Fico nicht daran hindern, über ihr Gebiet nach Moskau zu fliegen.
Sie sollten ihm den Weg zurück nach Hause erschweren. Wir wären unseren Partnern sehr dankbar."

Don’t forget what they posted about a year ago. And Trump also just shortly after Francis passing told reporters in DC: "I'd like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice."

Mir scheint, so lange eine der Kriegsparteien Handelsschiffe beschießt und unter ihre Kontrolle bringt, brauchen wir uns über eine Mission deutscher Minensucher in der Straße von Hormus nicht wirklich Gedanken zu machen.

A photograph of a young boy's face and shoulders. His hair is short - two strands fall on his forehead. The photo is very blurry. You can see that he is wearing dark clothing. Behind him the outline of some building or fence is visible.

19 April 1935 | A French Jewish boy, Bernard Nugelman, was born in Paris.

He arrived at #Auschwitz on 21 August 1942 in a transport of 1,000 Jews deported from Drancy. He was among 817 people murdered in gas chambers after the selection.

Maybe part of what Iran objects to is the reuse of the Steve and Jared show, whose ignorance led to the latest round of attacks.

Trump greift den Papst an – und kann nur verlieren Es ist ein beispielloser Streit, der weit über Politik hinausgeht: Warum Donald Trump gegen Papst Leo XIV. ausgerechnet auf dem Feld moralischer Autorität versucht zu kämpfen – und eigentlich nur verl...

Es ist ein beispielloser Streit, der weit über Politik hinausgeht: Warum Donald Trump gegen Papst Leo XIV. ausgerechnet auf dem Feld moralischer Autorität versucht zu kämpfen – und eigentlich nur verlieren kann. Analyse @t-online.de

www.t-online.de/nachrichten/...

Every Shahed heading for Ukraine carries a Russian phone SIM. Ukraine blocked it. Some drones fly near border, rerouting the signal through Belarus, Poland and Romania.

ISW says Russia likely plans to exploit more European telecom loopholes.

🔗 euromaidanpress.com/2026/04/19/i...

Top trade partners of the European countries. Germany as a major exporter and major consumer market dominates this map.

Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology

Arrogance to achievement ratio approaches infinity
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/u...

Ukraine / Brève / Le SBU a annoncé la destruction de trois navires de la marine russe en Crimée, selon un communiqué des représentants du service spécial.

SPECIAL REPORT - Your Neighbour Canada Has Changed And You're Not Going to Like What is Happening The unvarnished truth about Donald Trump, Big Business, Big Media

Le Canada vient de se reconstruire, de se réarmer, de trouver de nouveaux alliés et de dire à Washington ce qu'il pense. Un an de Mark Carney, et plus rien ne sera jamais comme avant entre les deux pays.

Hungary’s Tisza party led by Peter Magyar has secured 141 of 199 seats, gaining a constitutional majority, while Fidesz dropped to 52 mandates, opening path for sweeping reforms and EU funding unlock. #Hungary

Kuwait Is Stripping Its People of Citizenship at an Unprecedented Rate Behind the language of legality, the new emir has pushed a political project to narrow national identity and roll back decades of democratic reform

Kuwait Is Stripping Its People of Citizenship at an Unprecedented Rate

newlinesmag.com/essays/kuwai...

Final results in Hungary show Peter Magyar’s Tisza wins 70.85% and 141 of 199 seats in parliament.

Facebook is drowning in bots too lately. Haven’t seen numbers, but my timeline has become more or less unusable due to “fan fic“ and other AI trash drowning out anything meaningful, despite me blocking 100s of bot accounts, for weeks on end.
edition.cnn.com/2024/09/03/t...

Responsible leaders must be honest with their societies.

Russia is already waging a war against Europe by systematically targeting civilian environment - the systems that enable everyday life. These attacks take concrete forms:⤵️

The Iran War Is a Win for China At a meeting with Xi next month, Trump will be on the back foot.

“Trump’s war of choice in Iran has come at the expense of the United States’ security umbrella in the Indo-Pacific, presenting an opportunity for Beijing,” write Andrew Miller and Michael Clark.

The pattern of Russia-affiliated tankers avoiding hostile south Baltic Swedish waters have strengthened.

No outbound tankers has passed north of Bornholm since Sat and today inbound tankers started showing the same pattern.

This is brand new behavior, at least since Jan 1 2026.

Portrait photograph of a teenage girl. The buttoned zswetter shows a six-pointed star with the word 'juif'. The girl has long, slicked-back hair reaching down to her neck. Behind her, a curtain of some kind is visible, or a veil.

16 April 1929 | A French Jewish girl, Ilda Malmed, was born in Saint Quentin.

She arrived at #Auschwitz on 9 August 1942 in a transport of 1.069 Jews deported from Pithiviers and Beaune-la-Rolande. She was among 794 people murdered in a gas chamber after the selection.