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An assessment of the Iraq war after 5 years by one reporter.

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Cost of Living Crisis under Biden, Affordability Crisis under DJT, and the situation in Feb 2026 with 2.4% inflation and job creation at 130,000 jobs in January 2026. Is this a sign that the tariffs policy is greatly misrepresented and misunderstood? The flexibility in tariffs, attention to financial markets through Scott Bessent's keen sghts at the Treasury shared with the president, the cutouts for key countries such as India to exclude semiconductors and cell phonesand other products from tariffs. For instance under tariffs increase India actually increased its exports by diversifying its economy and signing a trade agreement with Germany and the EU, followed by the trade agreement with the US, so that it remains an enven stronger economic partner. The same is true for Japan where elections are leading to a parliamentary majority for PM Sanae Takaichi who wants to work with the US and build a strong economic partnership, and make the large investments in the US it has promised.  Japan and India are two of the five largest economies in the world (US, China, Japan, India, Germany). German Foreign Minister Wadephul for the CDU welcomed Marco Rubio's call for a "new Western Century" and for strengthening western civilization common heritage of the US and Europe. This means 4 of the 5 largest economies in the world are in sync for the future of world trade, and their economic future.  ...

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The Federal Reserve dropped the rate of growth of the U.S. economy from 2.3% to 2.1% in 2019. With slowing growth the Federal Reserve plans no interest rate increases in 2019. Sentiment on the Federal Open Market Committee is for one rate increase in 2020 and none in 2021. The Federal Reserve increased interest rates five times in five consecutive quarters to the current range of 2.25% -2.5%.

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How the American invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq has not produced good results. See related article on the mess it has created for the US in the Middle East.

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Mr. Giuseppe Conte, Italy's prime minister in the governing coalition of Five Star and Northern League parties was ignored by party leaders. He now finds himself leader of the Five Star Movement with which his views were aligned without being a member. In a new coalition of the establishment Democratic party and the Five Star party of Beppe Grillo after the earlier coalition collapsed Mr. Conte finds a new role as a leader.  Once an obscure lawyer who was looking for a job teaching job at Rome University even when he was prime minister Mr. Conte became popular with his speech in parliament strongly critical of Mr. Salvini.

This also gives Italy the chance to improve relations with the European Union.

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Protests in 5 of Turkey's largest cities with mayors from the CHP party, Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Izmir following the arrest of Imamoglu, Mayor of Istanbul, just before he was being nominated by his party to run against Erdogan for president of Turkey in 2028. Ekrem Imamoglu was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019, with 54% of the vote in a recount when Erdogan had been in power for 16 years starting in 2003. Erdogan also started his political career as Mayor of Istanbul. Erdogan became popular following mismanagement of the economy by the administration of the time. He increased growth with foreign investment in his first ten years. His popularity began to wane with tendencies for authoritarian rule. Without a strong candidate from the opposition Erdogan was elected again in 2020 with 52% of the vote. In 2024 Ekrem Imamoglu was relected a second time as Mayor of Istanbul.  In 2025 Turkey is a changed country- with countries around it Ukraine, Russia, Middle East, and the US, very different from the 2000 turn of the century period. CHP party in power in the cities is now in a position to run the country after two decades in the Opposition. As a result there is a shift in mood in the country seeking new leadership and the AKK party of Erdogan now faces a serious challenge from the Opposition CHP and Imamoglu. ...

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From 2010 to 2015 migration from Central American countries increased five fold because of recurrent drought hitting farms in the region. This is seen as an impact of climate change. 

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With the government goal of a $5 trillion economy in the next five years, India is expected to be the fourth largest economy in the world by 2026 after the U.S., China and Japan. India moved past France and Britain and will move past Germany by 2026, making the U.S. the only non-Asian economy in the top four. Britain is holding its own and its economy is expected to be larger than France's in five years.

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A new generation of players on the England cricket team in 2024 to play Australia.

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D66 and Rob Jetten win 27 seats in Dutch election to become the largest party and form new government. Geert Wilders Freedom Party comes second at 26 seats losing 18 seats from last election. Other centrist and left and right centrist parties came in the top five parties. Housing replaces migration as the top issue in Netherlands.

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The message of the Five Star Party of Beppe Grillo against cronyism, the older politics in Italy, corruption in government, unrestricted immigration, clearly resonated in the south of Italy with the party winning in southern Italy. FIve Star brings younger faces to the Italian parliament just as Macron's movement did in France. The Democratic Left Party under Renzi was a clear loser as it won about 20% of the vote compared to 32% of the vote and over 216 seats in parliament for Five Star. Renzi and the left parties clearly failed to gauge the voter's mood and frustration with economic conditions- 11% unemployment and 18 million Italians at risk of poverty reports BBC News. About 600,000 immigrants entered Italy from North Africa and other regions creating anti-immigration sentiment that shifted support to Five Star and the right wing Northern League under Salvini, which had broadened its appeal from its local base in Milan to all of Northern Italy under Salvini, 44 years old. The Northern League won in most of Northern Italy and with the Forze italia of Berlusconi won 37% of the vote. A coalition of Five Star and the Nrothern League would bring together 2 Euroskeptic parties. ...

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The pandemic's effects on children with one in three going hungry and one in five growing up stunted, according to a report by UN agencies- UNICEF, FAO and the World Food Programme, is shown in this report in The Guardian.

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About one in five people have diabetes in the Persian Gulf region countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, according to the International Diabetes Federation. High rates of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles are to blame for the epidemic.