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Shabana Mahmood UK Home Secretary  says -UK "will do whatever it takes to secure our borders," as the Labour Party seeks to meet the challenge from UK Reform Party. Across Europe, in the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany and UK public opinion is shifting for a tight immigration system. Shabana Mahmood plans to adopt some aspects of Denmark's tight immigration system for UK. Labour MP's in the Red Wall and in places in the Midlands and northern England see this as action needed to prevent UK Reform from winning in this region of England. This has one problem in that Labour has taken too much time to arrive at this point when opinion on illegal immigrants has shifted for many years starting in Denmark. Even Wilders movement in Netherlands is now three years old and DJT's in the US is in its second term going back to 2016 and in a new phase in 2025. One could say that patience is wearing thin among the people in Europe and the US with all forms of illegal immigration whether across the Rio Grande or across the English Channel or across the Mediterranean to Greece and Italy, or across Hungarian border to Germany.  ...

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Instead of a jinx much to the contrary the US economy outlook for 2030 in Feb 2026- a surge in investment spending in 2026-2030, new manufacturing investments and lower energy costs, moderating inflation, are likely to propel the US economy ahead to 2030.The effect of tariffs as a policy making tool has been muted because of exemptions, reversal of tariff rates once key objectives were secure for tariffs as a way to get action on foreign policy as with Indian purchases of Russian oil, deals with Japan, South Korea and China, India, UK and the EU. Some sources such as the Philadelphia Fed see price rises reaching 3% in some inflation guages more than the moderate 2.5% in the consumer price index for January 2026. These sources see the hiring slowing down just as layoffs begin to happen in the latter part of the year which is a possibility but less likely. At this point in Feb 2026 there is a tendency not to layoff and to hang onto employees, and hiring has been slow in 2025. January's report of 130,000 jobs added is the first sign of strengthening of the jobs market. Overall a cautious view would be to call it a soft landing after the inflation surge of the covid period. Another way of looking at is is more in line with the strategic direction of the US economy- freeing up the economy with investments in energy,  reducing the key costs of production, tax policy of Bessent's complete one shot depreciation of equipment increasing business investment, tariff policy making the world trading system fairer and now more attuned to US interests, all creating an investment and jobs surge in 2026-2027. There is an added benefit from US efforts to free up the world trading system from the stranglehold placed on it by China with its control over world manufacturing. A dominance and unwise concentration gained from the serious mistakes of the Bush-Clinton period of not putting in safeguards for US factories and jobs (that form the backbone for families in neighborhoods towns and regions across the US), and US business interests growing indifference to the very communities they were based in by outshoring to China destroying whole regions in America. Even where it is criticized or seen as negative there are huge benefits when the US acted. Tariff increase on India is a clear example- it built Indian resilient attitude in June-Feb 2026, and during this period it cut funding Russia's war in Ukraine by sourcing energy from other sources, the US policy led to India and EU+ Germany signing trade agreements to double their effort and double trade and scientific cooperation ( a goal secured for the US as it reduces concentration in China), was followed by US signing its own trade agreement with India within days, and increases world trade of US and EU and Germany in ways that will bring 2.5 billion people into a strong partnership that overshadows anything that happened in China in the Clinton-Bush-Obama years of failure. ...

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The FDA's investigation into the New England Compounding Center pharmacy shows glaring neglect of the most basic safety and quality practices. The contamination that occurred at the pharmacy's production lab for vials resulted in a U.S. meningitis outbreak affectin 14,000 people and 24 deaths. Regulators were also at fault because of lax regulation of the production site at the lab and because the contaminated vials were a result of grossly negligent practices that were never flagged by regulators.

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Storm Ciara and its jet stream effect at 260 mph made it possible for a flight from New York to London to reach over 800 mph. The British Airways trans-Atlantic flight made it in 4 hours 56 minutes, 80 minutes ahead of schedule setting a new record.

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Slowing car sales are expected for Detroit auto manufacturers as Japanese sales recover after the tsunami and earthquake. A major reason for higher sales was pentup demand. Sales reached an annualized 14 million level for 2012. Research firm Polk says the average time a new car was owned went up to 71.4 months, and used cars 49.9 months, in Feb 2012. This is 23% above the level of the third quarter of 2008.

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 Edward Jenner invented the small pox vaccine in 1796. Before this a method called variolation was used. Pieces of fabric or threads moistened with a sick person's small pox postules were pulled through incisions in a person's arm. This was effective until Edward Jenner invented the vaccine itself for mass vaccination efforts. Tom Parfitt of The Times writes about how Catherine Empress of Russia invited Dr Dimsdale from Britain to give her the inoculation against smallpox. She became the first person to be inoculated in Russia and had the courage to do so after this method had been tried and successfully tested in Britain. Catherine writes in this letter to Count Rumyantsev that she had only mild discomfort. She then championed smallpox inoculation for the Russian people and says "it does not call for huge expenditure." Today the Russian government is making its best efforts to vaccinate the Russian people, yet only 38% are fully vaccinated. The example of a medical revolution 200 years ago and how it was handled in Europe is new inspiration for renewed efforts. ...

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OPLAN is the German defense plan draft by Lt. Gen. Andre Bodeman which was started after chancellor Schulz's Zeitenwende "epochal change" speech in 2022. After that speech Schulz created a plan for $100 billion euros for defense of Germany.The intent is to prepare to defend Europe in case of clash with Russia. It goes back to a different era the Cold War of the 1960's. To improve infrastructure Gemany now plans to spend 166 billion euros, of which 100 billion euros go to railways, to update essential infrastructure. The new Merz of CDU government with SPD's Pistorius as Defense Minister is a relatively strong coalition government which plans to spend 500 billion euros for defense and upgrade the Bundeswehr for military readiness.

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Left party Syriza did better than the government parties in the EU elections. A new parliamentary election would have to be called if prime minister Samaras cannot find the 180 votes needed to elect a new president in Feb. 2014. Syriza is calling for writeoff of some of the massive 318.6 billion euros of debt owed, 85% of it to France, Germany and other foreign governments and IMF. To offset Syriza's popularity Samaras is likely to use the improved confidence of investors in Greece to raise funds on capital markets, and access funds from a Stability Fund. By exiting the IMF program early and not taking 12 billion euros of IMF funds due for 2015-2016, Samaras can take independent steps to revive the Greek economy and reduce the burden of cuts. Greece will run a primary budget surplus before interest payments in 2014, as it did in 2013. GDP is down about 25% and unemployment is at 26%. Anger in the early years reflected in Athens riots, is now replaced with anguish and despair among ordinary Greeks and some public suicides. The current debt repayments is for debt to be repaid to IMF in 10 years and the EU loans in 32 years, with 10 years of interest payments at 1.5%. Even then the debt is already at 178% of GDP, way above the initial target of 124% of GDP set by IMF-EU for 2020. As a backup strategy German officials including Asmussen and Schauble, and ECB's Draghi are meeting with Mr. Tsipras of Syriza to ensure a smooth transition if this becomes necessary, without the uncertainty in financial markets created by earlier Greece elections....

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Howard Luttnick became an expert in SPAC's to build his financial business. SPAC is a publicly listed shell company created to take a private firm public through a merger. Howard Luttnick, the nominee for Commerce Secretary, used his experience on Wall Street to form SPAC's which made money for the finance professionals who set them up as they secured ultra cheap shares, but which as this WSJ report shows did not do well for many investors. Luttnick has called SPAC's as private equity for the public market meaning the public can get access to new idea companies including new tech through shares- sports betting firm DraftKings or space tourism firm Virgin Galactic in which ordinary people and wealthy individuals or companies can invest. Luttnick's comapny Cantor Fitzgerald owns three companies two publicly traded worth $2 billion and paying out $37 million, according to the WSJ, and  a third company which offers investment advice to SPAC's. It helped SPAC's raise $19 billion to take companies public, No.2 in this business after Citigroup. ...

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Benny Gantz, a former Israeli army chief of staff, failed to take advantage of the situation Mr. Netanyahu finds himself in with corruption charges from the Attorney General and a sense that it was time for Israel to move on beyond the Netanyahu years. In a close election contest Mr. Gantz needs to put forward his own message which he is only now beginning to do. He says Mr. Netanyahu's office leaked news of a hack of his mobile phone by Iran which went on the Israeli television network. Mr. Gantz's view of the election is that a clean campaign would resonate with voters after the rough and tumble politics of the Netanyahu years.

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Amazon has 15,000 employees in Seattle from global employees of about 97,000. New towers being built in downtown Seattle will bring 12,000 new workers to Seattle. The development is similiar to that of other companies such as Twitter which are developing urban spaces to attract young employees with children. This means the city has to bring public schools and create residential space in the city. The area Amazon is using was bought by Microsoft founder Paul Allen for development that never started and is from the city's gritty maritime past. Northeastern University based in Boston has started a remote campus near Amazon buildings. A park next to the Museum of History and Industry provides green space. And the Museum itself was renovated with a contribution from Amazon founder Bezos. Amazon's head of global estate and facilities, John Schoelter, says the renewal of the area was apparent as soon as Amazon began work in South Lake Union area. Instead of driving through this area people now mingle in urban spaces here. ...

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EU leaders meeting in Brussels agreed on Dec. 12 for a single banking supervisor for large banks in the eurozone. The European Central Bank will act as the supervisor with powers to force banks to raise capital buffers and close banks it considers unsafe. The Federal Reserve, U.S.'s central bank, has similiar powers in the U.S. Germany's finance minister Schauble says the national parliaments would be able to ratify the new supervisor by Feb. 2013, and the new supervisor should be in place by March 2013. Differences between Germany and France on which banks should come under the supervision of the ECB were resolved by giving the ECB resposibility for banks that have over 30 billion euros in assets, are over 20% of a country's GDP, or operate in at least two countries. At least 3 banks in each country in the eurozone would come under ECB supervision. The remaining smaller banks would remain under national supervision as Germany had insisted earlier. The focus now is on coming up with a common resolution authority for winding down failing banks, a function performed by the FDIC in the U.S. These are two of the three major parts of the new European financial architecture to support the euro currency. The third is deposit insurance, which is provided by the FDIC in the U.S. system. It is a major step forward and clears the way for direct recapitalization of banks in Spain and Ireland, two countries affected by having to take on responsibility for failing banks. By breaking the link between sovereign debt and failing banks the new agreements makes it possible for these countries to return to economic growth....

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The riots in Athens as the Greek parliament voted to support the passage of an EU plan of austerity cuts, including a 22% cut in the minimum wage, pension cuts and large cuts in the number of government employees. The Popular Orthodox Rally party in the governing Greek coalition withdrew its support, 22 members of the Socialist party and 21 members of the New Democracy party in parliament opposed the measures. Elections are planned for April, 2012. Antonio Samaras, head of the New Democracy party, told parliament that he supported the measure only so that Greece could continue using the euro and have "the possibility tomorrow to negotiate and change the policy that is being imposed on us today."

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42 year old Jason Smith of Missouri will head the powerful House Ways and Means Committee in the US Congress. He is an ally of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and one of the youngest  persons in this position. He will help form new trade, tax and health policies for Republicans.

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Entrenched problems at South African energy utility Eskom and this bizarre story about CEO Ruyter. Rolling blackouts have affected South Africa and the company is in severe financial difficulties. It is entirely dependent on coal and 2 new coal plants are behind schedule. It lacks the funding needed for renewable energy conversion.

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Ukraine is running out of parts for its old Russian T-72 tanks and Ukraine is in need of new western tanks to defend itself, says this report in DW.com. German reporters give this report from a tank unit in the Bakhmut and Soledar area in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine withdrew from Soledar.

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US president Biden's State of the Union address comes at a new inflection point in history for the US, the European Union and India. The Ukraine crisis and setting the US response, as well as US response to the neglect of infrastructure, healthcare, social cohesion during the last two decades.

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The possibility that Marie Le Pen would support Jean-Luc Melenchon's France Unbowed party on the left for a no confidence vote against Francois Bayrou, the new PM of France appointed by president Macron. Socialists under Francois Hollande and the Greens say they will wait to see how Bayrou performs.

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Wind and solar energy are competitive without subsidies vs fossil fuels says IEA. A report in the Scientific American says wind and solar do not need subsidies to be competitive with fossil fuels. IEA shows wind and solar costs are about 50-60% of fossil fuels for new plants in 2025.

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UK joins Erasmus for 570 million pounds in 2027 one hundred thousand students benefit in first year. UK government says it will “create educational and training opportunities for British apprentices, further education students and adult learners, as well as those in higher education”. It is a new reset with the European Union and part of Labour's manifesto. This is one program that deserved support and has added great value to the community of Europe. It also opens up UK universities for EU students widening the impact to millions of students over a decade that understand the importance of the community of Europe. Shown here are students from UK at Humboldt University campus in Berlin.

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Tsai Ing-Wen is elected president of Taiwan by a landslide in the Jan. 2016 election. Tsai, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected with 56 percent of the vote, compared to 31 percent for the Koumintang candidate Eric Chu. The DPP won 68 seats out of 113 in Taiwan's parliament. Tsai told a news conference about Taiwan- China relations - "I also want to emphasize that both sides have a responsibility to find mutually acceptable means of interaction that are based on dignity and reciprocity."

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Ruffenach gives an excellent account of how many people describe their expectations and how it actually turned out in retirement, the good and the bad. He cites numerous examples to give as broad based a picture as possible. Health and active life, passions and interests, loss of self esteem in work for some and finding substitute interests, taking risks to try something new and the rewards. More people describe positive experiences in those surveyed. Health is the main concern for 41% in actual retirement, children and other things are all less than 10%. Travel should be planned early as it becomes harder as the years go by and one gets older. It is not as difficult as people think to make new friends in retirement, and this active social life with new friends can play a positive part in spending time. In addition there is the opportunity in retirement to take things slowly and leisurely, and spend time more on oneself and one's own interests.

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Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, grandson of founder Kiichiro Toyoda, assumes new role just as net revenue is down 38% for the second quarter 2009, and a loss of $819 million. Akio says he is extremely frustrated with the situtaion and wants to start again from the ground up. With the restructurings at GM and Chrysler and focussed effort at Ford, efforts of Korean carmakers, and new competition from China and India looming, Toyota expects severe competition in the American and global markets. About 40% of Toyota's senior management has been retired or reassigned.Four of five executive vice presidents are new to their jobs, and only one Takeshi Uchiyamada, the product development chief is left from former CEO Watanabe's team. The outward looking Akio, whose background includes an MBA from Babson college in Massachusetts, and overseas experience including America, is likely to give the relatively insular culture at Toyota, a jolt. Under the new arrangement each of the executive vice presidents has been put in charge of a global region. One of the biggest problems Toyota will face say experts is the mundane looking lineup of vehicles bought mainly for reliability, just as competitors are making big strides in quality and new design, with new technology reshaping what the automobile might look like. The focus on the Tundra truck and SUV's like FJ Cruiser now looks misplaced. Yoshimi Inaba, a Toyota executive with experience overseas, will take charge of the American operations. Inaba says that without N. America, Toyota is unlikely to come back to global proficiency....

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Osipova and Castle provide details about the personal life of Theresa May, the new British prime minister. May was only 25 when her father died in a car crash and her mother died soon after from multiple sclerosis. This has made her come closer to her husband Philip whom she met at Oxford, where they bonded over a love of cricket and debates at the university. She was interested in Tory politics from a young age, but has her own style of hard work and dislikes the chumocracy in British Conservative Party politics that prevailed under David Cameron. Unlike Cameron who was brash and confident to the point of making bold moves such as the decision to call a referendum as election year politics and did not consider carefully the impact of the austerity programs on Britain's working class; May is thoughtful and has been critical of the long period of deficit cutting austerity under Cameron and Osborne. She loves cooking and has a library of over 100 cookbooks, loves clothes and is carefully dressed for each event. Her matter of fact way to get on with it also has to do with her response to diabetes, with 4 injections a day her thought is "to just deal with it." She and her husband worked in investment banking, before her election as MP from Maidenhead, a constituency near London, on the third attempt. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph she has described the woman she is often compared to, Angela Merkel of Germany, as someone who doesn't get enough appreciaton. For May Merkel has actually achieved something significant by "steering Germany through a difficult time," and with her negotiation abilities during the eurozone crisis proved her resourcefulness, "hats off to her," says May. ...