We explore Dortmund and are stunned/shocked by these conditions in the city. Run-down apartments, a changing cityscape shape everyday life. Join us for 3 days in the city and experience the transformation through an unflinching perspective.
British Press Investigates How Disgraced Former Prince Andrew Can Afford His Life of Luxury Without Visible Income
But his finances are shrouded in secrecy.
While disgraced former Prince Andrew leads a life of luxury, one question remains unanswered: how does he pay for it?
Political and media scrutiny is focusing on how he continues to bankroll his luxurious existence despite having no clear or transparent source of income.
British OK! Magazine tried to get to the bottom of it.
OK Magazine reported:
“Andrew, 65, has lived for decades in expansive, velvet-draped comfort, most notably at Royal Lodge, a 31-room Georgian mansion set within 40 hectares of Windsor Great Park worth around $40 million.
Yet since stepping back from public duties in 2019, following his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview about his association with the convicted s– offender Jeffrey Epstein, his visible income has appeared sharply at odds with his expenses.”
Always remember that Prince Andrew stepped back from Royal duties in 2019. For 3 years the UK taxpayer continued to pay for his security on top of paying £12 Million to his victim.
— Alexis is sowing discord in the West (@ArchewellBaby) January 6, 2026
From 2023, King Charles pays £3M a year "from personal income" for his pedophile brother. pic.twitter.com/RBVhmdCHqw
Andrew’s official income is a Royal Navy pension estimated at about $27,000 a year.
Needless to say, the amount is not enough to maintain Royal Lodge and purchase in 2014 of Chalet Helora in Switzerland for a reported $24 million.
His annual security costs alone range at about $4 million.
“Queen Elizabeth II is believed to have paid Andrew an allowance from her private wealth, estimated at $1.4 million a year, which King Charles reportedly ended last year as pressure mounted for Andrew to leave Royal Lodge.”
Andrew’s financial history remains obscured by secrecy.
Royal Biographer Andrew Lownie:
“’The prince was a useful idiot who gave him respectability and access to political leaders and business opportunities’, Lownie said about his link to the pedophile. ‘What drew Andrew to Epstein? An opportunity to join the super-rich and a lifestyle to which the duke had long aspired, a supply of available women, a chance to make money himself and someone who would bankroll his life… both men, ostensible friends, used each other but it was an unequal relationship.”
His links to ‘controversial dealings with foreign elites’ make some suspect the worst, but the full extent of his income remain impossible to ascertain.
EU Seeking ‘Farage Clause’ Penalty in Starmer’s Brexit Reset Deal to Punish Britain if Future Government Scraps Agreement
The European Union is reportedly demanding that the left-wing British government agree to a “Farage clause” in its so-called Brexit reset that would impose a financial penalty on the United Kingdom if a future government pulls out of the deal.
Brussels has been accused of attempting to undermine British democracy and Britain’s unwritten constitution after the globalist-aligned Financial Times reported that Eurocrats are seeking to include a termination penalty with a “high level” of financial restitution should a potential Farage-led government withdraw from the pending deal that would see a range of UK industries be bound by EU regulations.
A longtime opponent of Brexit, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been attempting to “realign” the British economy with Europe, and is currently in talks to see EU standards imposed on key sectors such as farming and food production and energy. The government has argued that doing so will reduce costs for UK businesses by removing the need to fill out the reams of paperwork demanded by the bloc of foreign importers, and it besides brings Britain as close to the EU as possible without taking the politically poisonous step of actually rejoining.
Opponents, such as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have claimed that the move would represent a “Brexit betrayal” by outsourcing sovereignty to Brussels and ceding control to the European Court of Justice, which would be granted authority to decide in trade disputes between British businesses and partners on the continent.
The Brexit boss has further argued that aligning the British economy with the EU’s Single Market rules and with Brussels’ green agenda regulations would squander the ability of the UK to take advantage of the freedoms provided by independence from the bloc and from taking competitive advantage of emerging markets throughout the world.
Mr Farage and Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch have both vowed to withdraw from the Labour Party-negotiated deal should either come to power after the next general election.
Describing the so-called “Farage clause” to mitigate against such a withdrawal, an unnamed EU diplomat told the FT that it was a “safety provision to provide stability and a deterrent for Farage and Co,” adding that the “EU wants an agreement long-term and not only until 2029, should a change happen at the next election.”
Responding to the report, Mr Farage said, “No Parliament may bind its successor and we will not honour any clause. If Starmer signs this, it’s a democratic outrage.”
Reform UK’s candidate for London Mayor, Laila Cunningham, said the reported demands demonstrate that Eurocrats are so “terrified of democracy” that “they actually want insurance against it!”
“Starmer’s the perfect puppet to deliver whatever the EU demands. We voted for Brexit for sovereignty, and Starmer’s giving it all back with his “Brexit reset”, without a mandate. It’s shocking that our PM just doesn’t represent Britain, he represents them,” she lamented.
Head of Policy for Reform UK, Zia Yusuf, added that “our Parliament is sovereign. Nobody can bind future governments in the UK, including and especially foreign bureaucrats. It’s time this country had a leader who negotiated for British people, not for foreign courts and foreign governments. That’s what Prime Minister Nigel Farage will do.”
Yusuf said that the real “Farage Clause” will come in the form of a Reform-controlled Downing Street demanding that France return the £800 million sent by Conservative and Labour governments to Paris in exchange for preventing illegal migration across the English Channel, which he argued has not been fulfilled by the Macron government.
The Reform policy chief said that another “Farage Clause” would be the immediate cessation of welfare payments to foreign nationals living in Britain, including EU nationals, which he said would save the British taxpayer £6.3 billion per year.
“Labour’s delighted to keep paying it, the Tories want to keep paying it. Reform will terminate these payments and put British people first,” Yusuf said.
A Labour spokesman said that it was “standard for agreements to have contingencies for termination and they would work both ways… Exit provisions are a basic staple of any international trade agreement. Pretending these routine legal contingencies constitute a democratic outrage is frankly exhausting.”
Switzerland: Sri Lankan migrant admits he feels ‘urge to grope young men’ as court hears case of repeat train assaults
A 63-year-old man originally from Sri Lanka has admitted in a Swiss court that he feels an urge to grope young men, as judges in Zurich hear a case involving repeated sexual assaults against teenage boys on public trains.
The accused is charged with carrying out a series of assaults on trains traveling from Zurich’s main station toward Olten and Aarau. Prosecutors say the attacks followed a clear and deliberate pattern and went on for years, according to Blick.
During questioning, the man told the Zurich High Court that he “occasionally feels the urge to touch young men” and claimed he was now prepared to take medication to suppress his sex drive. He also said he was willing to undergo therapy, despite earlier treatments having little effect.
The defendant already has three prior convictions for similar sexual offenses and continued committing assaults while on probation. Some of the incidents occurred even after he had already been arrested and released pending trial.
According to the indictment, the man would sit next to unaccompanied teenage boys, drape his jacket over both their laps, and then grope their legs and genitals underneath the cover. Victims described freezing in shock and being unable to react due to fear and shame.
In one case involving a 16-year-old boy, judges ruled that the conduct amounted to sexual coercion, noting the large age difference and the way the victim was taken by surprise and unable to defend himself, according to Watson.ch.
A lower court previously sentenced the man to 38 months in prison, suspended in favor of inpatient treatment, and ordered a five-year expulsion from Switzerland. The defendant appealed the ruling, asking to remain in the country and arguing that treatment should replace imprisonment.
The High Court has not yet issued a final verdict. Because the offenses took place under Switzerland’s old sexual offenses law, judges are reviewing which legal framework is more favorable to the accused.
Islamic Party reveals its goal: an Islamic Belgium
In an interview with a local media outlet, Radouane Aharouch, a member of a city council in Belgium representing the Islamic Party, expressed explicit support for establishing an Islamic state in Belgium.
He emphasized that this support includes the implementation of Islamic law. According to him, this is a long-term process expected to take decades.
“Our approach is different,” Aharouch said. “I think we need to go more slowly at first, raise awareness, and explain to people the benefits of Islamic leaders and Islamic laws. Then, it will be completely natural that eventually we reach an Islamic state.”
When asked if he meant Belgium, Aharouch replied, “In Belgium? Of course. I support it. It’s Islamic law. I support it. This is a long-term struggle. It will take decades, maybe a hundred years. But the process has already begun.”
חבר מטעם המפלגה האיסלאמית בבלגיה: "צריך לגרום לאנשים להתחבר לאט לאט לאיסלאם".
— צבי יחזקאלי (@tzviyehezkely) January 11, 2026
בלגיסטן? זה לא חלום רחוק, זה החלום של רוב המוסלמים בבלגיה. בעזרת אללה והדמוקרטיה. pic.twitter.com/JpPP8tKHWF
Second Polish Conservative politician flees to Hungary
The former justice minister with Poland’s pervious Conservative (PiS) government has become the second senior Polish politician granted asylum by Hungary.
That came after the ex-minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, was was indicted for alleged abuse of power by the present centre-left government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Ziobro’s deputy at the ministry, Marcin Romanowski, was granted asylum by Hungary following a similar indictment in late 2024. That led the Tusk government to recall Poland’s ambassador to Budapest.
Ziobro is alleged by prosecutors 0f having committed 26 offences while in office. The allegations included the establishment of an “organised criminal group”, which is purported to have misused €35 million from the Justice Fund, a State vehicle designed to help victims of crime.
According to the prosecutors’ allegations, the funds were instead channelled into projects linked to Ziobro’s political allies and used to purchase the controversial Israeli Pegasus spyware, which was allegedly later used to monitor PiS’ political rivals.
Ziobro denies the charges, claiming that all legal procedures with regard to the fund were adhered to and that the purchase of the Pegasus spyware was necessary and resulted in indictments against politicians close to Tusk.
In November 2025, the Polish parliament’s pro-Tusk majority voted to strip Ziobro of his parliamentary immunity, clearing the way for prosecutors to formally charge him and seek his detention. By this time he had already left the country for Hungary.
News about Ziobro being granted political asylum was given by his attorney Bartosz Lewandowski on today in a post on X. The lawyer stated that his client was granted asylum because of actions by Polish prosecutors and security services that, he claimed, amounted to “politically motivated repression”.
Ziobro himself thanked Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for the protection.
“I have decided to remain abroad until genuine guarantees of the rule of law are restored in Poland,” he wrote on X.
In his social media post, Ziobro framed his decision as an act of resistance against what he described as growing authoritarianism in Poland. He said he intended to continue his political struggle from abroad against what he sees as an erosion of the rule of law in his country.
The ex-minister claimed he was being targeted in a “manhunt and smear campaign”, adding that he had gone abroad to oppose what he called “political banditry and lawlessness” and a “creeping dictatorship” under Tusk’s government.
Ziobro further alleged that the Tusk administration was employing repressive tactics against political opponents as well as independent judges whose rulings do not align with the government’s political priorities.
The former minister, who is recovering from cancer of the oesophagus, accused prosecutors and the leadership of the justice ministry of pursuing political revenge against him for investigations into alleged corruption he initiated while in office. He also claimed that his wife Patrycja Kotecka had become a target of political attacks and so he had sought Hungary’s protection for her, too.
Kotecka is a former executive in Polish television and later in the publicly-owned State insurance company PZU. She is currently residing in Brussels while working in the European Parliament.
Ziobro indicated that a return home would only be possible if meaningful legal and democratic safeguards are restored.
His case closely resembles that brought by the Tusk government against his deputy Romanowski who was granted asylum by the Orbán government after claims of political persecution.
Orbán, who met Ziobro in Budapest last October, has accused the Tusk administration of launching a “political witch hunt” against the former minister and other PiS politicians.
The Hungarian PM and the former PiS government were allies on many issues within the European Union in past years. They disagreed, though, over the war in Ukraine and their parties are in two separate European Parliamentary groupings: Fidesz is in the European Patriots caucus whereas PiS is in the European Conservative Reformers group.
Ziobro’s and Romanowski’s bids for asylum in Hungary have not gone down well with parts of right-wing public opinion in Poland. They feel that the two have given Tusk and his party ammunition to claim they have fled because they are afraid of having to pay for their sins.
Former PiS prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki is indicted by the Tusk government for alleged abuse of power over an aborted attempt to conduct a postal ballot for the presidency during the pandemic in 2020. He told reporters that although he understood that the prosecution was acting politically he himself would not be seeking political asylum, preferring to “face the music” at home and argue his case.
The PiS-aligned President Karol Nawrocki has also gone on the record as saying that, although he “understood” Ziobro’ s reasoning, he “would not have left the country”.
Two People Critically Injured Following Immigrant Gang Attacks in Rome
By Thomas Dahlstrøm Nielsen – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121326665
Two brutal attacks occurred within the space of an hour near the Termini station in central Rome on Saturday night, December 10th. The violence left two people severely injured and prompted an immediate strengthening of the security presence at the central train station, with additional soldiers and police deployed, authorities said on Sunday.
The first attack came around 10:00 p.m., just a few meters from the entrance to Termini station. A 57-year-old Italian man was reportedly surrounded and beaten by a group of attackers. Surveillance cameras captured the brutal aggression, showing seven or eight people encircling the victim and repeatedly striking him, mainly in the face, before dispersing.
The violence was so severe that the man was left lying in the street, bleeding and apparently lifeless. Emergency medical workers rushed him to hospital, where he was admitted to intensive care with extremely serious, life-threatening injuries.
Police said the victim is an employee of the Ministry of Industry, also referred to as the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT).
Less than an hour later, at approximately 11:00 p.m., police were called again to a second attack near the Termini station. A bicycle courier was attacked and beaten and had to be taken to hospital. In earlier accounts, it was reported that the delivery driver managed to escape, but nevertheless the victim needed urgent medical treatment.
Investigators believe the two attacks are connected and were carried out by the same or related groups. A large-scale manhunt began overnight and continued into the morning, involving extensive searches and numerous identity checks. According to police headquarters, several suspects were identified and detained. Among those apprehended so far are a Tunisian man in his 20s and an 18-year-old Egyptian man, both with criminal records. The young Egyptian had already been expelled in early January as an illegal immigrant in Italy but nevertheless remained in Rome.
In connection with the second attack, a 22-year-old and an 18-year-old Tunisian were detained. Both are illegal migrants and are reported to be living on the streets of the Italian capital. Other individuals taken into custody include a 46-year-old man from Mauritius with a detention order and a 43-year-old Peruvian man previously accused of damaging a police car. In total, seven people were initially taken to the immigration office and four to the police station, while a subsequent security sweep ordered by the Ministry of the Interior led to the detention of sixteen more people.
The attacks also triggered strong political reactions.
Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-immigration Lega ruling party said
There are many, too many. (Let’s) give the authorities a free hand, send them back, iron fist and zero tolerance.
Luisa Regimenti, Secretary of the Rome chapter of Forza Italia party, also member of the coalition government, told reporters that the attacks are “causing great alarm and concern” among Rome’s citizens.
The renewed focus on security comes amid continued migration pressure. Last year, more than 66,000 migrants arrived in Italy, and a similar number landed on Italian shores in 2024, adding to the challenges faced by authorities in maintaining order and safety in key transport hubs such as the Termini station.
UK: Churchgoers vow to stop donating to collection plates if cash goes towards slavery reparations
Six in 10 Anglican churchgoers would divert their donations elsewhere if Church funds were allocated to slavery reparations, a new study has found.
The poll, conducted by Merlin Strategy among 500 practising worshippers, found overwhelming support for prioritising local parishes instead.
Some 81 per cent of respondents said Church money should benefit local congregations rather than fund slavery payouts.
When asked about spending priorities, 71 per cent favoured building repairs and maintenance, while 48 per cent supported funding regular services.
Training and recruiting parish clergy was backed by 41 per cent of those surveyed.
Only 24 per cent believed historic “injustice” reparations should take precedence.
The Church of England’s Project Spire initiative proposes spending £100million over nine years to address its alleged ties to transatlantic slavery.
Disgraced ex-Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby endorsed the scheme following research into the Church’s past.
A report revealed that a fund established by Queen Anne in 1704 to support impoverished Anglican clergy had invested in African chattel slavery.
Mr Welby said at the time: “I am deeply sorry for the links with transatlantic chattel slavery. That some within the Church actively supported and profited from it is a source of shame.”
A report published by Policy Exchange last February described the proposed reparations scheme as “historically uninformed” and potentially lacking a sound legal basis.
Conservative MPs and peers last month urged Dame Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop, to abandon the plan.
They argued the money can legally be spent only on churches and clergy wages.
The intervention has heaped pressure on Lambeth Palace – which has been accused in the past of being “captured by woke ideology” by the Christian Concern advocacy group – to rethink the scheme.
A survey also found that 64 per cent of respondents believe the Church should not be forced to atone for historical wrongs using its funds, regardless of any past involvement.
Despite the backlash, the Church Commissioners – which oversee the Church’s finances – are pressing ahead with the £100million payouts.
A Church of England spokesman said: “A record £1.6billion is being distributed over the next three years to support the mission and ministry of the Church of England, prioritising clergy wellbeing, the funding of local parishes in the country’s lowest income communities and encouraging the growth of congregations.
“The Church commissioners’ commitment to supporting disadvantaged communities affected by the legacy of transatlantic chattel enslavement is the result of forensic research by leading independent experts, which evidences our historic links to this fundamental wrong.
“Recognising this past is consistent with the Church’s responsibility for moral leadership.”
‘I Didn’t Know About Epstein’s Crimes Because I’m Gay’: Disgraced Former British Ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson Uses the ‘Gay Card’ To Try To Evade Responsibility
Mandelson thinks we are all gullible simpletons.
Disgraced former British Ambassador to the US, Lord Mandelson, has claimed to have been ‘kept in the dark’ about Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes ‘because he was gay’.
The Telegraph reported:
“The peer was sacked as ambassador to the United States last year after it emerged [that] he had urged the financier to fight for early release from prison.
Lord Mandelson claimed that, because of his sexuality, he was ‘kept separate from what [Epstein] was doing in the sexual side of his life’.”
He described Epstein as his ‘best pal’, but argues he was kept ‘at the edge of this man’s life’.
Mandelson had 'very close' links to Epstein.
— Goosey (@Goosey30111568) December 20, 2025
He nicknamed him Yum Yum.
How in God's name is he still in the Labour Party and House of Lords?
It stinks to high heaven.
“In his first interview since losing his job, Lord Mandelson refused to apologize to Epstein’s victims for writing to him after his conviction for sex offences, claiming he was not culpable for any of Epstein’s criminal activity.”
Even a Labour Cabinet minister was led to say he had been guilty of ‘deep naivety’.
Mas was this the extent of his guilt? Check this X post below:
In a BBC interview, Peter Mandelson just claimed he never saw young women on his visits to see Epstein.
— Evolve Politics (@evolvepolitics) January 11, 2026
Anyway, here’s a photo of Peter Mandelson alongside a scantily clad young woman during a visit to one of Epstein’s houses.
The lying is truly shameless. pic.twitter.com/6PImrpiQD7
BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg carried water for him, and asked whether he was never offered sexual favors by Epstein ‘because he was gay’.
“He replied: “Possibly, some people will think that because I’m a gay man, I was unsensitized, or I wasn’t attuned to what was going on. […] I don’t really accept [any guilt]. I think the issue is that because I was a gay man in his circle, I was kept separate from what he was doing in the sexual side of his life. […] I mean, he in a sense had three buckets of people in his life, the business and the financial, the political and the academic, and then what he was doing with young women.”
Trump: We’re considering very strong options on Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday night that the US is watching Iran closely and weighing possible responses as unrest in the country grows.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated that Iran is starting to cross his red line.
“There seems to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. We are looking at it very seriously, the military is looking at it and we’re looking at some very strong options,” he added, noting that he is receiving reports on the Iranian protests every hour.
He also warned Iran against attacking American bases in the region, stating that if they do, “we will hit them harder than they imagined.”
Trump’s comments came hours after the White House posted a cryptic message on social media amid the tensions with Iran and speculations that the US might launch strikes against the Islamic Republic.
“We have three things to say…GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS. GOD BLESS AMERICA. AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED,” the post said, alongside a picture of Trump with US troops in the background.
Axios reported earlier on Sunday, citing two US officials, that Trump is examining a range of possible steps to support the ongoing protests in Iran and apply pressure on the Iranian regime.
The report said discussions inside the Trump administration are taking place as demonstrations continue to spread across Iran and reports emerge of a rising death toll. Trump has publicly warned that the United States could use military force if the regime carries out mass killings of protesters.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that Trump had been warned by military commanders that additional time is needed to prepare for any potential strikes against Iran.