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Future of French far-right star in balance after antisemitism claims
After one of the most meteoric rises in the history of French politics, Jordan Bardella, the 31-year-old top ally of Marine Le Pen, is fighting for his political life after
Appleton Again Apple of Red Wings Eye
While penciling in potential lineups when the Detroit Red Wings first arrived for training camp about 10 days ago, many […]
Reform and the UAE – a threat to British politics
By Alex Carlen The United Arab Emirates likes to present itself as part of the solution to the climate crisis. The oil-rich Gulf state has committed to Net Zero by 2050, hosted COP 28, and even declared “championing climate action” as one of three strategic objectives for this week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly. But behind the scenes the UAE has quietly built one of its closest political relationships in Europe with the party most hostile to climate action in Britain: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. There is no evidence that the UAE is funding Reform. But a new FairSquare report, Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat, published today, documents a growing political relationship that should concern anyone interested in the integrity of British democracy. Reform’s leaders have embraced the UAE’s political model and promoted positions that align closely with the Emirati government’s priorities, while the UAE has given Farage and his party unusually warm access and public backing. What is emerging is not simply a relationship between British politicians and a wealthy Gulf state, but a channel through which an authoritarian government can cultivate political influence here, and abroad. Democracy for Sale relies on its readers. If you already support us, thanks so much. If you don’t, sign up to support fearless independent investigative journalism. Subscribe Back in January, Nigel Farage appeared at a GB News event in Dubai. On the 50th floor of a tower overlooking the luxury resorts and upscale residences of Palm Jumeirah, the Reform leader declared: “I want Clacton to look like this.” At the event – which Farage never declared on his official register of interests – senior Emirati officials mixed with British expats. Farage was keen to flatter. “We recognise you are our friends”, he said, assuring them that “a Brexit London, a Reform London, will remember you.” Controversy surrounding Reform’s finances and its susceptibility to foreign influence have centred around high-profile donations from billionaire crypto donors, and the jailing of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, for accepting bribes to give pro-Russia speeches. Far less attention has been paid to Reform’s blossoming new alliance with the UAE, an oil-rich authoritarian state with a track record of ruinous anti-democratic interventions. Farage wasn’t always so fond of the UAE. Back in 2023 he called it an “absolute monarchy with an abysmal human rights record.” Now Reform’s hierarchy calls the UAE home. Deputy leader Richard Tice splits his time between his constituency and Dubai and has called on the UK to learn from the UAE. The party’s treasurer Nick Candy runs a firm which has been in partnership with a UAE-state linked firm since 2024. Nadhim Zahawi sits on the board of an Abu Dhabi think tank alongside an array of the most senior UAE officials and is reportedly close to three brothers of the country’s despotic ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed. Reform’s leading lights have effusively praised the UAE’s governance model, defended it from criticism, and advanced its political agenda in the UK. GB News, whose two major shareholders – the Legatum Foundation and Paul Marshall – have strong links to the UAE, has been more than happy to broadcast UAE propaganda and was forced to pay damages in 2025 after airing a false claim about a UK charity by the UAE “disinfluencer” Amjad Taha. The UAE has responded in kind. When the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs conducted an official visit to the UK in May, Farage was the only non-government figure granted an audience. UAE state media publicised the meeting, and said that they discussed “the strategic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them in a manner that serves mutual interests.” For the UAE these ‘mutual interests’ largely concern its paranoia over political Islam, and in this regard the UAE-Reform alliance is part of a broad and troubling pattern. Following a crackdown on dissent at home in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the UAE has offered material and political support to a range of violent and authoritarian actors willing to oppose the Muslim Brotherhood with no regard for the consequences. Its meddling in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and most notably Sudan, have been devastating. The UAE’s strategy of seeking out partners on the political fringes who it believes will advance its interests is not unique to Britain – it extends beyond the Middle East to Europe and the US. In France, it has offered clandestine support to Marine Le Pen through secret meetings, as well allegedly funding trips to the region after which Le Pen returned with a renewed focus on the UAE’s perceived enemies – Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. Left-wing opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has accused the UAE of smearing him and of “encouraging discrimination, hatred or violence”. In the US, the UAE actively supported the rise of Donald Trump, establishing itself as a key ally during both his first and second terms. Around these relationships sits a wider ecosystem of figures willing to amplify UAE narratives, that even extends to Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson. Subscribe In Britain, the UAE has used a combination of aggressive diplomacy and illicit, disruptive tactics to achieve its policy goal of eliminating any perceived threat from political Islam. In 2012, for instance, it threatened to block billion-pound arms deals with the UK and stop inward investment if David Cameron did not act against the Muslim Brotherhood and rein in the BBC’s coverage of the group – going so far as to suggest, with no supporting evidence, that the group had infiltrated the BBC. It has financed smear campaigns against a high-profile UK charity and funded a mercenary to secretly surveil, and possibly assassinate, a British national on British soil. In Reform UK, the UAE has finally found an ally willing to not only ban the Muslim Brotherhood, but to publicly vilify the group and repeat the UAE’s claims that dangerous Muslims are a fifth column in British society, a narrative that aligns with the Islamophobia and anti-immigration sentiments that underpin Reform’s populist politics. The Rycroft review into foreign interference concluded that “hostile states and non-state actors have a clear incentive to attempt to undermine UK democracy.” The UAE’s network and alliance with Reform must be understood within that framework. It is a powerful, disruptive and deeply authoritarian actor with the resources and networks to intervene in our politics, and a track-record of doing so in a multitude of other countries. The evidence of the threat the UAE poses is overwhelming. The question is whether parliamentarians are willing to call the UAE out and demand action using the tools that the government has to respond. Placing the UAE on the “Enhanced Tier” of the Foreign Registration scheme alongside Russia and Iran would send a powerful signal to the UAE that its meddling will no longer be tolerated, and would place Farage’s next trips to the UAE under the scrutiny they deserve. Alex Carlen is research and advocacy manager at London based human rights organisation FairSquare and author of its new report Petro-populism: the UAE–Reform threat. Subscribe
A Shorter Apple Pencil Was Supposed to Launch Alongside iPhone Duo
A shorter Apple Pencil for the iPhone Duo was in development, but Apple scrapped it due to "technical problems ahead of mass production," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A shorter Apple Pencil for the iPhone Duo was in development, but Apple scrapped it due to "technical problems ahead of mass production," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Here's why Apple scrapped its shorter Apple Pencil designed for iPhone Duo: report
Leading into the iPhone Duo launch, we heard from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple was considering a new Apple Pencil...
Russia cannot sway French through 'intimidation', Le Pen says
Her comment comes after the Kremlin this week ordered the seizure of Russian subsidiaries of several major French businesses,
Far-right politician Éric Zemmour joins 2027 French presidential race
French far-right politician Éric Zemmour said on Friday that he would run in next year's presidential election, joining far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who was runner-up to President Emmanuel Macron…
Le Pen homecoming centres on housing ahead of 2027 race
The National Rally leader relaunches her campaign by focusing on domestic economic concerns
iPhone Duo is Missing These 10 iPhone 18 Pro Features
While the iPhone Duo is the first foldable iPhone ever and has some unique features like Duo FaceTime and forthcoming Apple Pencil support, the device lacks some other features available on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Below, we have listed 10 features that are missing on the iPhone Duo: A dedicated Telephoto camera with up to 8× optical zoom. Instead, the iPhone Duo's main 48-megapixel Fusion camera has "optical-quality" 2× zoom.
Apple completely revamped iOS 27’s controls and apps for the iPhone Duo
iPhone Duo is also the first iPhone to support Apple Pencil.
Foldable iPhone Duo to Come With Apple Pencil Support
Apple's foldable iPhone Duo will come with Apple Pencil support, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously claimed that Apple had prototyped a dedicated Apple Pencil for its foldable iPhone that was "stubbier than the versions for iPads" and "designed to magnetically attach and charge on the side of the device," but he said it was unlikely that the accessory would be released.
Apple reportedly considered launching a new Apple Pencil for iPhone Ultra
Apple’s first foldable iPhone should be making its debut in just over a week. In the development process, Apple was...
Apple Pencil for iPhone Ultra Was Tested
Apple has internally prototyped, tested, and considered launching an Apple Pencil for the upcoming foldable iPhone, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. However, he said it is unlikely that the accessory will be released. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the Apple Pencil tested for the foldable iPhone is stubbier than the versions for iPads. He said the Apple Pencil for the foldable iPhone was designed to magnetically attach and charge on the side of the device.
No reason to fear us, Le Pen tells business leaders ahead of presidential debate
Business leaders have no reason to worry about the National Rally's policy plans, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Thursday, ahead of a first, early presidential debate.
Campbell still trying to find answers for Lions offensive line
With a dozen days of training camp and one preseason game in the books, questions remain about the Detroit Lions offensive line starters. Coach Dan Campbell learned more about the line in the loss at Cincinnati on Thursday. While most starters did not play, including left tackle Penei Sewell, Campbell got a good look at right tackle, rookie Blake Miller and at center Seth McLaughlin who both started.
US Stand Up for Science movement expands to Europe
A grassroots movement by scientists in the US pushing back against threats to academic freedom is setting up a Swiss outpost to take the movement global. Stand Up for Science started in February 2025 to protest against politically-motivated grant cancellations by the Trump administration. Since then, it has organised numerous rallies by scientists and turned into a broader campaigning organisation, supporting “pro-science” political candidates and attempting to impeach Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the health and human services secretary the group accuses of advancing “quack” science. Now, Stand Up for Science is establishing a Swiss office to take some of its campaigning beyond the US, and its leader is urging European academics to organise similar pro-science groups in case they face similar threats in Europe. There will likely be “spillover” to Europe from what the Trump administration is attempting in the US, said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, who last month returned from a tour of Europe. “Are we going to see a Trump-style scientific [. . .] take over in the same way?” she asked.Delawalla, who is doing a PhD in clinical psychology, said she was driven to help found the organisation after the Trump administration started cancelling health research grants in politically taboo topics, such as transgender people, diversity and HIV, in early 2025. Since then, the administration has introduced several other measures that infringe academic and institutional autonomy.It threatened to cut Harvard University’s federal funding unless the university accepted a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to create “viewpoint diversity.” And this year, it proposed explosive new rules that would allow political appointees at research funders to screen grants to make sure they “advance the president's policy priorities.”US scientists have been at times stunned by the volume of announcements, and the country’s researchers were relatively unprepared. “We sit in front of the fire hose every day,” said Delawalla. For this reason, European scientists need to prepare now for similar assaults. “If you've got a little bit of extra time to start thinking through, and making those preparations and building community and solidarity,” then European researchers will “start five steps ahead of where we were.” She plans to return to Paris in September to share experiences with concerned French academics. Is Le Pen the same?During her European tour, Delawalla said that French academics were beginning to worry about a National Rally (RN) victory in presidential elections next year. She said there were “chilling similarities” between Trump and Marine Le Pen, the RN’s likely candidate. However, so far, the RN hasn’t proposed anything nearly as radical as the Trump administration has carried out. Its current manifesto is all but silent on university and research policy. Le Pen’s 2022 manifesto bemoaned a lack of French R&D spending, including in fundamental research, and promised to modernise labs and strip away grant bureaucracy. The party’s 2024 European election manifesto explicitly supported the Erasmus+ student exchange programme, scientific exchange and joint European technology projects. However, a Le Pen victory next year could see France drastically cut its contribution to the EU, which would hit the budget for science and innovation. Meanwhile, more restrictive immigration policies could hit university recruitment of faculty and students. Climate science denial?As heatwaves and wildfires have ravaged France, the RN has sought to distance itself from previous comments casting doubt on climate science.In the UK, the radical-right party Reform UK, now second in the polls, denied climate research in a draft of its 2024 election manifesto, but its leader, Nigel Farage, then appeared to quietly U-turn and said he was “not arguing the science.” By contrast, Trump has repeatedly and explicitly denied climate change science, in 2025 calling it “the greatest con job.” Like the RN, Reform UK has been light on research and university policy. However, it did say in its 2024 manifesto that universities should suffer “heavy financial penalties” for allowing “political bias or cancel culture” on campus, building on laws brought in by a previous Conservative government. Ahead of September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, the poll-leading Alternative for Germany has proposed abolishing gender studies and postcolonial studies, and promised money for “critical” climate research and studies of Islam. Starts with rhetoricEven if European radical right parties aren’t currently planning the draconian policy measures of the Trump administration, Delawalla said that academics should not be complacent, and fight even small funding restrictions or anti-science talk from the start. “It starts off with sowing distrust about institutions,” she said. “It starts off with these small things, and then all of a sudden it's there.” There are other, more established science and university advocacy groups in the US aside from Stand Up for Science. But the group stands out because of Delawalla’s refusal to attempt to appear politically bipartisan or conciliatory. “I firmly believe that the US is experiencing fascism,” she said. “We’re not trying to win over the super Maga people,” she said, “and we never have been.” The lesson of the US is that even if universities or other institutions capitulate to government demands, this doesn’t save them from cuts and restrictions. “It doesn’t matter what people do,” she said. Global “pseudoscience”Another aim of Stand Up for Science’s push into Europe is to better coordinate a campaign to protect people in poorer countries from what the group describes as “pseudoscientific exploitation,” trials outside the US used to build a case against things like vaccines. Earlier this year, the group sent an investigator to Guinea-Bissau to investigate a controversial, Danish-run Hepatitis B vaccine project funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The study would have withheld a proven vaccine from newborns, Stand Up for Science argued in a briefing it presented to Congress, risking their health. Significantly, the research group based in Guinea-Bissau, known as Bandim, focuses on the “non-specific effects” of vaccines: impacts on health beyond preventing the target disease. Related articlesEuropean researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationData corner: which fields of health science is the US curbing? The US ‘golden age’ science strategy: what Europeans need to know The suspicion is that the study was funded as part of an attempt to shop around for results that could help build a case against vaccines in the US, said Delawalla. “This is just code for vaccines cause autism,” she said.Bandim has put out a rebuttal of Stand Up for Science’s criticisms, arguing its work has uncovered a number of vaccine side effects, both positive and negative, which need to be taken into account in public health. However, Congressional Democrats took up the Stand Up for Science cause, and in February, Guinea-Bissau said it had permanently halted the study. WatchdogBut for Delawalla, this is not the end of the fight. Kennedy has made a number of health claims that scientists think lack evidence, such as the idea that seed oils cause inflammation, for example. Delawalla worries that more studies could be launched in poorer countries to fish around for evidence to support this agenda. Stand Up for Science is talking to African science organisations to create a kind of “watchdog” to scrutinise any further trials. “Outsourcing the investigation to some of the most vulnerable children in the world who are desperate [. . .] is fundamentally wrong,” she said.
Is PENN Entertainment (PENN) Undervalued After Its Alberta Online Gaming Launch?
PENN Entertainment (PENN) is in focus after launching theScore Bet Sportsbook & Casino in Alberta, along with standalone theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino apps, extending its Canadian online gaming reach across the province. See our latest analysis for PENN Entertainment. The Alberta launch lands while PENN Entertainment’s share price sits at $21.23, with a 7 day share price return of 5.2% and a 90 day share price return of 43.7%. This contrasts with a 1 year total shareholder return of...
Apple's 2026 Back to School Offer Just Went Live in Select Countries
Apple's annual Back to School promotion is now live in select countries in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The offer provides college students and educational staff with a free item with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad model. The exact offer varies by country, with options including a four pack of AirTags, AirPods 4, an Apple Pencil Pro, or an Apple gift card.
Apple plans new Apple pencils, expands iPhone tap to pay in stores: Report
Apple is reportedly planning new Apple Pencils with replaceable batteries while expanding iPhone-based Tap to Pay across its retail stores.
Two New Apple Pencils Reportedly Launching Next Year
Two new Apple Pencil models are in development for release alongside next-generation iPad Pro models next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, he said new versions of the lower-end Apple Pencil with a USB-C port and the higher-end Apple Pencil Pro are in the works.
Apple’s M6, M7 and M8 Chips Show How AI Is Reshaping the Company
Also: New Apple Pencils are coming.
‘Politicians have always been schemers’: upheld conviction fails to dent Le Pen’s popularity
Presidential bid by leader of far-right National Rally has no shortage of supporters in scenic Montargis
Marine Le Pen Bets on the Politics of Ankle Tags
The far-right leader doubtless senses it’s her last shot at a presidency she’s already tried and failed to win three times.
Marine Le Pen and Nigel Farage: will populists win anti-establishment gamble?
‘Parallels’ between the two leaders are ‘impossible to ignore’ as they take their message to the voters
Marine Le Pen ‘wants to talk politics’, but can she drown out the legal noise?
Viewed by some as a danger to democracy, the French far-right leader’s campaign is clouded in uncertainty under the shadow of an embezzlement case
Appeals court clears way for Le Pen's presidential bid
Marine Le Pen's conviction for misusing European Parliament funds has been upheld, but the leader of France's far-right National Rally will be able to run for president if she chooses.
Le Pen affirms presidential run after ruling
The French far-right leader will attempt to replace President Emmanuel Macron
Le Pen Launches Presidential Campaign, in a Twist for French Politics
The day after a court decided the far-right leader Marine Le Pen could run for office again, cheers and boos met her campaign kickoff in a rural stronghold.
Marine Le Pen Gives a Lesson in Power Politics
By Leo Klimm and René Pfister in Paris She saw her chance and wanted to seize it. Why wouldn’t she? For months it looked as though the French judiciary would rob Marine Le Pen of her dream of the French presidency, her dream of the Élysée Palace. It looked like the right-wing matriarch would be unable to run for the office – at precisely the moment her party leads the public opinion polls by a wide margin. But then, a French appeals court opened the door to another candidacy. It was just a crack, but the 57-year-old used the opportunity to kick the door wide open. DER SPIEGEL - The German View is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Political survivor Le Pen makes her boldest gamble yet for France's presidency
In launching her fourth bid for the French presidency, just hours after judges cleared her to run, Marine Le Pen portrayed herself as a fighter who had defied the odds to overcome a months-long legal battle that threatened to end her political ambitions.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen cleared to run for French presidency — but under a condition she rejects
An appeals court shortened the ban on Le Pen, 57, holding public office. But it ordered her to wear an electronic ankle tag for a year, making a presidential campaign politically and logistically difficult.
Marine Le Pen verdict live: France's far-right leader awaits appeal ruling with presidential race at stake
Marine Le Pen will learn from a Paris appeals court whether an electoral ban for illicit party financing will prevent her running in next year's presidential election.
A Long-Awaited Verdict for Marine Le Pen Could Reshape France’s Politics
A court will decide on Tuesday whether to uphold Ms. Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction. If it does, the far-right leader will probably be barred from running for the presidency next year.
Marine Le Pen’s political future at stake with ruling on electoral ban imminent
Leader of France’s far-right National Rally and a contender for the presidency to get appeal decision on Tuesday
In pictures: Marine Le Pen’s political rise and frustrated presidential ambitions
French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen could see her 40-year political career come to an end on Tuesday if French courts rule that she is guilty of embezzling public funds and ineligible to stand…
A timeline of Marine Le Pen's political career and the rise of the French far right
PARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s political fate is at stake Tuesday when a Paris appeals court is to rule on whether she may be barred to run in the 2027 presidential election.
A timeline of Marine Le Pen's political career and the rise of the French far right
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen's political future is on the line as a Paris appeals court rules on her eligibility to stand in the 2027 presidential election
Trump: NATO’s 'wildcard' in Ankara
Also, in Monday’s edition: Le Pen, Ukraine, EU migration Pact
Michael McDowell faces multiple penalties after three inspection failures
McDowell was forced to sit out NASCAR Cup qualifying in Chicago, the No. 71 Spire Motorsports car chief was ejected, and the team will face an in-race penalty on Sunday
New Jersey ranks last in regional business climate report for 8th straight year, while Pennsylvania scores best
The analysis looked at six factors, including a range of taxes and the minimum wage in seven northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
French left-wing’s Melenchon says he will run for president in 2027
Melenchon says he will make fourth bid for presidency with President Macron term-limited and Le Pen facing ban.
Le Pen, Bardella offer to slash red tape in overture to business leaders
French far-right leaders are on a mission to woo the business community ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Trump administration taps automakers to boost weapons production in WWII-style push
The Trump administration is turning to automakers and manufacturers to boost weapons production in a World War II-style Pentagon push, officials say.
4 Costco Tablet Accessories To Upgrade Your iPad Experience
Costco sells several accessories to upgrade your iPad, including the Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Keyboard, AirTag trackers, and Acer portable monitor.
How Bans on Corporate Political Donations Influence Campaign Platforms
Julia Cagé, Caroline Le Pennec, and Elisa Mougin discuss their recent research on France’s 1995 ban on corporate contributions to political campaigns. The ban pushed candidates to de-emphasize local politics in favor of national issues and, in many cases, adopt more extreme rhetoric.
4 Costco Tablet Accessories That Will Level Up Your iPad
Top Costco iPad accessory picks include the Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Keyboard, a 20,000 mAh power bank, and the latest AirTags for tracking.
Forget Le Pen. French politics has a new archvillain.
The far-right National Rally wants to build a firewall around the hard-left France Unbowed after the killing of Quentin Deranque.
Epstein files shed more light on Steve Bannon’s efforts to influence European politics
Donald Trump’s former adviser told Epstein in 2019 that he was ‘focused on raising money for Le Pen and Salvini’ before European elections
France’s Stubborn Political Turmoil Looms over Brussels
Marine Le Pen’s appeal begins while budget tensions and farmer protests cause fresh headache for Macron.
Le Pen's political fate hangs in the balance as French appeal begins
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen begins a crucial appeal in Paris this week that will determine whether she can run in the 2027 presidential election, after being barred from public office over a conviction for misusing EU funds.
Ikea Smartened Up Some of Its Artsy-Fartsy Lights
The Swedish meatball restaurant now sells RGB donut-shaped lamps and bendy dimmable pendant lamps with smart home functionality.
Winter Wonder Lab at DaVinci Science Center
William Oplinger, 2,of Phoenixville, plays with inflatable penguins Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in the Winter Wonder Lab exhibit at the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown.
Signing Day shakes up the sport: Chris Henry Jr. in play, Penn State in trouble
Chris Henry Jr.'s decision now stands to determine the race between USC and Oregon for the No. 1 class, while Penn State's collapse leaves the program facing a years-long rebuild.
I never expected to sell pencils. The brand I've built has grown into a $1.7 million sustainability business.
Michael Stausholm turned a simple plantable pencil into SproutWorld, a global brand inspiring sustainability one small idea at a time.