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Is a Win-Win possible for the US/Israel and Iran possible with the US/Israel strikes and operations started March 1, 2026. Not just for the American and Israeli people, but for the people of the Arab countries and for the people of Iran, and for the people of Russia. Greg Ip in the WSJ, Marc Thiessen in the NYT, and Bret Stephens of the NYT have looked at this in this way and offer an alternative view of what might happen, even though the tendency of the WSJ and the Washington Post is to be skeptical and the NYT with an opposition to all things DJT offering pessimistic version. First, all the anticolonial writings that were read by Khamanei in Moshaad are no longer the case as the US is no longer acting to secure some benefit to itself as the British and French colonial powers did for themselves or their oil companies in pre1960's Iran. Second the US truly wants to learn the lessons of 30 years of troubles in the region at every level of the DJT administration which is to extend a true olive branch to the subdued foe as it did to Germany and Japan under generals Eisenhower and McArthur. Third moderates in Iran could emerge as in Germany ( Adenauer) and in Japan Shigeru Yoshida who worked to adopt the 1947 Japanese Constitution under Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Behind the student protests and now national protests there is a realization in Iran that living perpetually under sanctions is not the way to live, that it can increase oil production, get investment in its industry, and raise standards of living, by doing something different. That nuclear weapons development, supporting movements overseas, perpetual conflicts with Arab states, these things have been tried and are not working. That this is the last chance to build a prosperous Iran before fossil fuels are replaced by renewable energy over 10-15 years and which will make it that much harder to modernize and develop Iran for the benefit of Iran's future 110 million people. The gap with India will only widen as India catches up with China, the way China caught up with Japan. It is better to accept that these anticolonial writings that emerged from decolonizing Arab North Africa applied to the British and the French, and that the world is a different place today as the Indians and the Chinese have realized modernizing ancient societies with ancient religions is possible with the help of the Americans and the Europeans, working with the Americans and the Europeans. Theodore Roosevelt says in his Autobiography that one should be careful to judge people as the best have some negative aspects and the worst have some positive aspects, an experience he described in his dealings with progressives and those who opposed changes. Adenauer and Yoshida had contacts and dealings with earlier governments defeated in the war, but wanted to search for an entirely different path for rebuilding their countries having learned from experience. A thoughtful moderate Iranian outcome is possible as happened in Germany and Japan and which is beginning to develop in Venezuela.   ...

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Plaid Cymryu party wins 43 seats, Reform 34 seats in Wales, ending Labour's dominance in Wales in 2026 local elections for Council seats.

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Report from Smart Ageing Summit at Oxford 2026. It rejects the notion common in society that physical decline is inevitable with age. It puts the responsibility of good health on healthy living which means about 80% of the responsibility is on each one of us to maintain good health. Things that are important says this report are completely abstain from alcohol, avoid processed foods (what RFK Jr is telling us as Health Secretary), prioritize sleep, cultivating a "not-meat" mindset, not eating after 6.30 pm. Other studies such as the Oxford Population Health with half a million UK participants show environmental exposures and healthy living habits have far greater importance than biological ageing and inherited genetics. Which also supports this conclusion that it is upto each one of us to build a better quality of life as we age. We assume here that the society we live in is healthy and there are no natural disasters such as climate change or human made disasters such as wars and conflicts, human exacerbation disasters such as not investing in healthcare, education and infrastructure for good public services such as transportation, parks and recreation. Yet that cannot be taken for granted and it is also important for our own healthy living and our spiritual health to invest some of our time and put our money into making sure that this investment takes place in building a healthy society and environment to live in. We do this in our civic life, as parents at parent teacher meetings, as custodians of the environment, being active in our neighborhoods, in business practices, and in supporting and monitoring investments in education and healthcare for our communities. ...

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Even 4.5% will be hard to achieve for China's growth with disruptions in oil supplies, lack of discounted oil, and lack of trade ports logistics with US and European Union as these countries insist on a level playing field so that it does not destroy their industry.

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Macron's call for snap elections quickly is also a move to have the election for National Assembly when the National Rally opposition party has so little time to prepare by June 30 in  just 3 weeks. It comes after the National Rally of Le Pen won 32% of the vote in France in EU elections, about twice the 15% for Macron's En Marche party.

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Japan's LDP PM Sanae Takaichi wins 300 of 465 seats in 2026 snap election up from 198 seats for the LDP party, a super majority without its ally Japan Innovation Party.

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Jacket potatoes as part of food scene in England.  Jacket potatoes form part of the menu at pubs all over Britain, and are shown with their long history for street vendors in the nineteenth century.

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UK decides it wants to join single market in Europe.

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Guardian report about search for work in Grimsby a small town in England, vape shops no jobs. The situation in small towns lacking job opportunity. What the elites in the UK and the US don't get.

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In and Interview with The Times of London Andy Burnham said yesterday: “You have to rethink how we run things to get a different approach to public spending and running the economy which is much more focused on early investment, early intervention, setting people up for success and much less paying for failure." “A concept I will talk about tomorrow is a 10-year plan for the country. I think that’s what it needs. I’m not saying that means I’m setting out to say I’m going to be here for 10 years, it’s more that we’re not in the right place structurally. “You go round large parts of Britain and they’re in decline still. The path we’ve got to lay is quite a long one. It can’t be done overnight. You’ve got to show people where we’re going and the steps towards it.” At Lyrarc.com we have called for a 10 year Plan for the US, this is a right step for Britain.   ...

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From Warren Court 1953-1969 at 72% score for pro-Civil rights in Burger court 1969-1986 score of 52%, under Roberts it is same at 52% in 2026, basically a 50-50 rulings on civil rights and minorities. Even though it appears much has changed with appointment of new Justices by DJT not too much has changed, except a fair amount of skepticism added and more questions asked about the real impact of decisions and how they play out in real life. In real lifer some things work out differently than intended. Amy Coney Barrett is one of the Justices with no particular leanings as shown in the interview on C-SPAN by Rubinstein recently even though she is from Notre Dame and appointed by DJT with an enriched family life.

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US Tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 announced for July 24 2026 by Office of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to replace 10% tariffs that expire following a US Supreme court decision. In a few weeks another set of tariffs will be introduced to apply to goods from nations that subsidize excess manufacturing capacity. Was the media attention on the tariffs a good idea considering the main motive for it to be the US effort to get back its supply chain lost to China through the mistakes of previous administrations for 30 years? Not enough attention was paid to this and the importance for the US economy and for jobs in the different states in America of manufacturing jobs lost with the loss of the supply chain to China and from unfair trade practices of Japan, EU, Mexico, Canada and other countries. They are allies but trade matters to the wellbeing and the lives of many Americans particularly in the industries and the small towns across America over the last 30 years. ...

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Okamoto Tao wins Best Actress award at Cannes 2026 for Hamaguchi Ryusuke's film "All of a Sudden."

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Ed Balls Report for Harvard and Kings College says "the combination of Burnham, Healey and Rayner, is the best moment we had for this agenda" of regional productivity of Britain. It is the gap between regional productivity of southeastern Britain and the rest of Britain that has led to two economic growth in Britain. Underneath the "breathing room" for cost of living, Andy Burnham has put together the kind of team that in combination with the experience gained in Manchester gives the right start for Britain and the British people, an opportunity to hope knowing that all the right tried and tested basics are being put in place one by one.

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James Purnell Work and Pensions Secretary in 2008 Labour government selected for position of chief of staff to UK's Andy Burnham. He worked at a an advisory firm owned by Cinven. (Cinven stands for Coal Investment Nominees for Venture Capital with its funding base coming from British Coal, the Railway Industry and Barclays Bank). The advisory firm provided advice to companies like Apple, Amazon, Google and others. There is scrutiny within the Labou Party of his appointment and any connection to lobbying the government. Burnham served in the Labour government in 2008 and 2009- first as junior minister in the Departemnt of Health and in the Home Office in 2008, and in 2009 under Gordon Brown as chief secretary to the Treasury. Burnham and Purnell are friends.

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The issues were the same on Oct 31, 1936 when FDR gave this address at Madison Square Garden, similar to what president Biden faces today in the task "to win in this crusade to restore America to its own people."  FDR said: "On the eve of a national election, it is well for us to stop for a moment and analyze calmly and without prejudice the effect on our Nation of a victory by either of the major political parties.The problem of the electorate is far deeper, far more vital than the continuance in the Presidency of any individual. For the greater issue goes beyond units of humanity—it goes to humanity itself. In 1932 the issue was the restoration of American democracy; and the American people were in a mood to win. They did win. In 1936 the issue is the preservation of their victory. Again they are in a mood to win. Again they will win. More than four years ago in accepting the Democratic nomination in Chicago, I said: "Give me your help not to win votes alone, but to win in this crusade to restore America to its own people." The banners of that crusade still fly in the van of a Nation that is on the march. It is needless to repeat the details of the program which this Administration has been hammering out on the anvils of experience. No amount of misrepresentation or statistical contortion can conceal or blur or smear that record. Neither the attacks of unscrupulous enemies nor the exaggerations of over-zealous friends will serve to mislead the American people." ...

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Bangladesh elections after student protests and departure of PM Hasina- 900,000 unemployed and 700,000 university graduates entering labor pool annually. Not much has changed for the economy since Hasina's ouster in student protests which were also about job opportunities in addition to other grievances. Bangladesh now finds itself alone in the region as it struggles to address unemployment and lack of capital investment. Imports of capital machinery dropped by 25% in 2025 slowing industrial growth. 

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Russian shadow fleet and about 80% of Russian oil now sanctioned after US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil- Feb 2026. This is putting more oil onto a fleeet of vessels operating under Comoros, Sierra Leone and third nation flags, or even two flags, which the Americans and Europeans are tracking and diverting. Russia seeks to put this oil on an alternative tanker fleet it owns and which is insured by Russia, that goes from the Baltic and Black seas to the Mediterranean to refineries in Turkey, India and China. What thsi does is increases risks for Russia in shipping and for the Euroepans and Americans when ships fly Russian flags with military convoy. The overall effect of cutting Russian oil exports in addition to India committing to buy American oil and Venezuelan oil instead of Russian oil in its trade agreement with US, is that Russian economy may be in risky territory. Inflation is higher than official 6 percent at 16% interest rates, and this increases the risk. Budget needs within Russia may not be met as this continues. It is in Russia's interest now to conclude a peace agreement with Ukraine, now that the US has moved away from NATO/Europe to peaceful cooperation with Russia and competition with China. ...

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Nice mayor Eric Ciotti formerly of the Republicains in France, teaming up with Marine Le Pen.

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Saudi Investment Fund, the 10% owner of Electronic Arts (Madden NFL Battlefield video games), along  with Affinity partners (Kushner) and Silverlake Partners, takes Electronic Arts private with $20 billion loan from JP Morgan Chase. The deal is worth $55 billion and involves paying 25% premium on the going price of shares.

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France nuclear deterrance doctrine is extended to Germany and European security in 2026. This is supported by Le Monde, and it goes along with "burden sharing" with other countries in Europe including Britain and Germany, Sweden in building up conventional forces as conventional deterrance that comes before and works with nuclear deterrance.