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Strawberries and cream (or Geek yogurt) are a British food that is popular in a different form in Japan as "furutsu sando." They are now adapted to make a Japanese version using soft white bread and include also fruits such as kiwi, clementines, to add color and flavors.

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Sadanand Dhume of the American Enterprise Institute and Arvind Panagriya of Columbia University, offer contrasting views on the performance of the Modi administration. There is a significant difference in the point of view. Dhume expresses the view of small business and some of the middle class hurt by demonetisation and the government move to check the growth in black money resulting in cooling off real estate prices. Panagriya cites the initiatives helping the poor and rural classes in an unprecedented way across the entire country.  Memories are short about the last 2 years of the Congress led government says Panagriya, when inflation was twice as high as it is now. Inflation then was 9.3% compared to 4.3% average for 4 years of the Modi government. GDP growth averaged 5.9% in the last 2 years of the Congress led government. The average GDP growth for the 4 years of the Modi government was 7.3%. Foreign investment dropped during the last 2 years of the Congress led government, and allegations of corruption in issuance of telecom licenses dominated the news. Indecision of the Congress led Manmohan Singh government led to a serious lack of sense of direction in government in 2013-2014. ...

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Milbank describes Jon Kyl's role in the U.S. Congress Supercommittee negotiations on deficit reduction.

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Defense Secretary Gates does not see Russia as the threat it was in the Cold War, first because Russia's conventional forces are a "shadow" of what they were during the Cold War, and Russia has adverse demographic trends that will diminish Russia's ability in conventional forces. He sees the Georgian war in the context of Russia's seeking to exorcize, as he puts it, past humiliations. And Gates sees opportunities in the relationship with Russia. Such things as Russia's willingness to work with the US on Afghanistan. Evidence of this is Russia supporting the renwal of the UN resolution on Afghanistan. Another indication is that Russia he says is very worried about the drugs coming out of Afghanistan, and has been supportive to provide alternative routes for Europeans to get equipment and supplies into Afghanistan. These views come across in an interview on December 17, with Charlie Rose, a five time elected Congressman, for the PBS Charlie Rose show. They are also reflected in an article in Foreign Affairs journal's current issue. Gates was a CIA analyst and has some insightful observations. Gates told Charlie Rose that he does not see the Islamic radicals and violent Islamic extremists as a threat in the same way as the threat in the Cold War years. This threat is not as big as the threat to freedom during the Cold War. He says the failure in strategic communications was huge as agencies of the US government engaged in activities in other countries, like the Agency for International Development and the US Information Agency, were neglected starting in the in the 1990's. Communications in other countries of what the US represented and stands for was left to the Pentagon, a role the Pentagon was ill-suited for. He sees the Islamic terrorism as more of an ideological conflict. Speaking at a town hall meeting at the Balad Air Force base in Iraq, in December, Gates pointed to these communications failures as a real challenge for the new administration. But he now sees a huge opportunity in this past failure, and ways of addressing it creatively, in addition to commiting resources and people to this effort. Walter Pincus wrote this article, and its part of the fineprint analysis effort at the Washington Post in which speeches, reports, and other documents are examined by people like Pincus, to catch the really important things, uncovering the fine print that really makes the headlines. Another aspect of this fineprint effort is that there are a huge number of reports, and speeches and documents that had a tone reminiscent of the Cold War during the Georgia war and yet they do not correctly reflect the real situation about Russia, as Gates sees it from his analysis of what is actually happening. Gates has used Foreign Affairs, the Dec 17 Charlie Rose Show on PBS in which he was interviewed, and the speech at the Balad Air Force base in Iraq, to communicate his views and analysis. They are important to underline and emphasize precisely because they show that all that cold war hysteria reporting and speeches may be misleading and lead to improper conclusions and mistakes in policy, wasted effort, wasted resources, and lost lives. And just as the US strategic communications was starved of resources and effort, so also this necessary work to retrieve and give emphasis to the important things is neglected. One additional link to this is the speech, discussion, and QA session in Washington DC at the time of the G20 summit in which President Medvedev and the new administration's elder statesman and diplomat Marilyn Albright, former secretary of state, expressed their hopes and plans for a new era in Russian-American relations. ...

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The French national assembly votes 551 to 6 with one abstention to extend for 3 months a national state of emergency imposed after the day of the Paris attacks in November 2015. Prime minister Manuel Valls says "the state of emergency, it's true, justifies certain temporary restrictions on liberties, but resorting to this gives us every chance to fully restore these liberties." Belgium is also taking strong action. The director of Carnegie Europe voices popular opinion when he says this is intended to regain some trust after the lax approach of Begian authorites, and lack of strong action in France in the past.

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India's handling -under the Modi government and ministries working together in a long range plan- of the Hormuz crisis, and keeping gasoline prices, gas for cooking prices, and diesel prices to below 8% increases is an achievement of tremendous proportions. Yet it is rarely if ever mentioned  in the media in the US and Europe.  It shows the huge importance of good governance in the lives of nations and people, when we are talking about 1.4 billion people, of massive impact. This report on India's handling of the Hormuz oil crisis by the Modi government in The Hindu shows how India kept prices of petroleum and gas, diesel, down to an 8% increase compared to 45% +  increases in other countries in Asia and Europe. By having all ministries work together, planning for petroleum needs years before he crisis, government absorbing the cost, renewables energy goals accelerated, and better preparation through its oil reserves, India was able to weather the Hormuz crisis. US and its ally in Venezuela have stepped in with Delcy Rodriguez's visit to India, Marco Rubio's visit to India to reassure India of supplies from their exports. Even as oil prices rose above $120 a barrel India was able to weather the crisis and show to the world and to the US, to the 1.4 billion people of India, how important a factor good governance can be in the life, survival and growth of nations and economies in the Modern World. In this report The Hindu shows petrol prices in India were up 7.5%, compared to Germany 14%, UK 19%, US 45%, Pakistan 50%, and Philippines 50%. FOr diesel UAE prices rose 85% in UAE itself, in India just 8%. Domestic cylinders of gas cost Rs 942, Ujjwala lower income and elderly benefiiciaries got it at Rs. 642 ($7). ...

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This report in the Washington Post says the cancellation of the Trump meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea was the result of a lack of detailed planning and lower level meetings before a top level meeting. The more that Trump mentioned "Libya" the more North Korea turned hostile leading to the cancellation by president Trump. North Korea has long seen the Libyan route where Moammar Khaddafi of Libya closed all nuclear facilities as leading to the fall of the dictator and his government.  Experts say the Trump unconventional way of diplomacy is not entirely disproven, yet this shows it has its limits in what can be accomplished. It is also one of highs and lows, moving in one direction and then in the opposite direction in a short period.

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The culture clash of Mike Lynch and managers at Autonomy with officers under CEO Meg Whitman, after the acquisition by H-P, leads to the departure of most of the Autonomy managers.

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Dominic Raab Britain's Foreign Secretary reflects on the period when Boris Johnson was in hospital for close to 1 month when he took over running the government in Johnson's place. Raab took over when Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital with coronavirus on April 5, 2020. With Mr. Trump admitted to Walter Reed Hospital the situation in Washington D.C brings back memories of the difficult days in April in London.

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German chancellor Merkel appeals to Christian Democrats in the German parliament to support the European Financial Stability Fund. Other 17 members of the eurozone will have to approve their share of the rescue fund's guarantees.

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See the BBC show geography of the Straits Hormuz of Iran and Saudi/Oman. Would Iran block the Straits of Hormuz, the narrow waters in the Persian Gulf where Oman, Saudi Arabia on one side and Iran on the other meet. At some points the corridor in the sea which is 20 miles wide at narrowest point, is 108 miles long, is only 6 miles wide for oceangoing tankers carrying a fifth of world oil supplies. The reason Iran woul be hesitant to do this are- Iran supplies China with discounted oil through these Straits. Iran central bank says $67 billion of its total oil exports go through the Straits Hormuz, 90% of it to China. China gets a third of its oil supplies from the Saudis/Iran through these Straits. India gets 40% of its oil supplies, Japan 75% and South Korea 60% of crude oil supplies through tankers plying this waterway. It would put China and  all industrialized countries in opposition to Iran. It would also cut Iranian oil exports and leave it's oil based economy unfunded.   ...

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How 13% unemployment is affecting Lawrence, Massachusetts, with a heavy Latino population, heavier concentration of foreclosures and poorly managed finances, and high rate of unemployment that affects those with high school diplomas, and younger people. Unemployment nationwide is 7.3% among whites and 10.9% among Latinos. And places like Lawrence have a young and undereducated population, with the unemployment rate for teenagers at 21.6% and for those without a highschool diploma at 12.6%. Surprising as it may sound the town was going through a revival before this happened suddenly without warning. It was a fading industrial city 25 miles northwest of Boston. A new $110 million high school, three new grade schools, and a renovated city hall. And a developer refurbished several abandoned mills along the Merricmack River, and leased out 1.4 million square feet to some 200 companies employing 2000 workers.

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Andy Burnham of Labour says "I am Ready." He also told Labour and the British Nation: "I have a Plan." Even before he assumes office The Burnham Programme is on the web. Burnham has implemented it in the North in the Manchester Region. He is now bringing it to the whole of Britain. What Thatcher did in Britain had reverberations in the US with Reagan. What Boris Johnson did in Britain had reverberations in the US with DJT. What Andy Burnham does in Britain will have reverberations in the US. At Lyrarc.com we had sections on Renewal America, Renewal Europe and Renewal India from its founding period. The US (and Britain) is on the cusp of a national renewal, so is India among the English speaking nations of the world. Modi's work in Gujarat state for industrialization and modernization is similar to the work for reindustrialization and modernization undertaken by Burnham in Manchester region. Like Modi Burnham can now take it to the whole country. For the countries UK and Britain that led the Industrial Revolution, and for India that adopted all the parliamentary and democratic processes of Britain and the UK, there is new hope amid the rubble of factionalism, corruption, and deindustrialization. ...

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Hillary Clinton narrowly loses the Michigan primary to Bernie Sanders in March 2016, as the Sanders campaign focusses on Clinton's support for trade agreements that hurt American workers and lead to loss of manufacturing jobs. About three fifths of voters in the Michigan primary considered this a major issue. Many less educated younger workers see their job prospects diminish and wages drop with free trade that hurts American manufacturing jobs. Bill Clinton signed the NAFTA agreement with Mexico, and as a member of the Obama administration Clinton supported the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement, later opposing TPP when she left the cabinet. Sentiment against trade that hurts manufacturing jobs in the U.S. is strongest in midwestern states such as Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. This was also a major issue benefitting the Liberals under Justin Trudeau who won in Canada's industrial Ontario province which has suffered hollowing out and loss of manufacturing jobs under the Conservative Harper administration. In the U.S. the issue goes back to the Clinton Administration for two decades. New jobs created by Apple, Google, and other tech companies pale in comparison with the industrial jobs created in another era that benefitted working class families. This issue and high unemployment or under employment, lower wages for working class families, was a major issue in the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. Widening wealth disparities, and lack of upward mobility, high tution and healthcare costs for ordinary families, dominated the campaign in the U.S....