(0429)(0514)

 

5. Beneath the Louvre

4. Op Ed on Gorton and Denton, Great Yarmouth

Reform has indicated (on X) its intention of contesting Great Yarmouth at the next GE. With Rupert currently on 40 to 60% approval over there, things can change for both sides. Meanwhile, in G&D:

“Thursday, 26 February 2026. It was triggered by the resignation of Andrew Gwynne, who was sitting as an independent following his suspension from the Labour Party in February 2025. Gwynne said his resignation was due to “significant ill health”, and advice from his doctor that it was unsafe for him to return to work.”

Labour is projected to run third, Greens and Reform seem the two but Advance have local boy Nick Buckley. Restore were formed too late to contest it. Naturally, there’ll be skullduggery in the count and it might end up a Green gain for that clown. The key is going to be more how Reform performs after the advent of Restore.

There’ll be no “merger” of Advance and Restore. 🍿🍿🍿🍿

3. DAD at 1301

a) Macron locking down key institutions with allies before elections… Criticism [of Macron] erupted following the nomination of budget minister Amélie de Montchalin, a close Macron ally, as head of the Court of Auditors, one of France’s most powerful and sensitive constitutional bodies….

b) The French National Assembly will again consider the creation of a right to assisted dying on Monday, February 16, 2026, with a formal vote scheduled for February 24. Supporters hope to see the bill passed before the summer….

c) Are we begining to see the end of Net Zero? [ Also d) ] The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has called on the UK Labour Government to scrap its ban on new North Sea exploration licences and bring the Energy Profits Levy to an orderly end….

d) PARIS: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright gave the International Energy Agency on Thursday a one-year deadline to scrap its support of goals to reduce energy emissions to net zero or risk losing the United States as a member….

2. Vox on Taiwan and related matters

… a most interesting analysis, e.g.

“What has mostly been suppressed is the cost of defending against Iran’s response. Iran launched roughly 550 ballistic missiles and over 1,000 drones during the Twelve-Day War. The official “90% interception rate” is a masterwork of selective statistics: it describes the success rate of attempted intercepts. Al Jazeera’s analysis found that of 574 missiles, only 257 were engaged at all. The remaining 317 were never intercepted. Of the 257 attempts, 201 succeeded, 20 partially, 36 failed.”

1. Steve

• Tennessee House Passes Bill Protecting Right to Decline Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage
• Hungary Blocks $106 Billion EU Loan to Ukraine Until Zelensky Allows Flow of Russian Oil Through Druzhba Pipeline To Resume
• US Forces Deployed to Nigeria in Response to Christians Being Slaughtered and Abducted
• Trump Defies ‘Anti-American’ Supreme Court, Raises Global Tariffs to 15% Effective Immediately
• FBI Internal Emails Reveal Biden White House Coordinated with DOJ on Mar-a-Lago Raid
• (JH: Read this in conjunction with the Vox post above) Trump Gives Iran Ultimatum, Demands Dismantling of Nuclear Program and End to Funding for Terrorist Proxies
• US Discussed Nord Stream Destruction Plan With Ukraine – German Media
• Disappeared In The West: How Ukrainian Children Are Taken To The US and Europe and Why They Do Not Return
• UK Puberty Blocker Trial Finally Halted Over Significant Safety Concerns
• Ford Carrier Group Enters Mediterranean To Join Biggest US Build-Up Since 2003 Iraq War
• Much more.