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Stories from Around the World that Affect Us All
The War With Iran Is Already About Energy
When the United States first sent rockets to Iran, I was hesitant to write about the climate connections.
But in the moments following the joint attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran last month, Trump’s reasoning for the conflict was notably murky. In a pre-taped, 8-minute video he shared online, Trump pointed to Iran’s nuclear weapons development as the main impetus to U.S. action. He ended by telling the Iranian people to rise up and “take over your government,” insinuating that global democracy was another potential motive. Unlike his comments after Venezuela, he didn’t once mention the country’s main export: black gold.
President Donald Trump has been presiding over a startling turn in U.S. policy on Cuba. In January, he announced that Washington would “work a deal” with Havana, which is facing one of its most severe economic crises in decades. Earlier this month, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed that talks were ongoing. Then, on Monday, the same day Cuba was hit with a total power grid collapse, Trump moved beyond dealmaking language.
Trump clearly believed that the initial decapitation strike would lead to the collapse of the Islamic regime and its replacement by a new leadership willing to work with the United States. He seems to have had Venezuela on his mind as a model, as he referred to it several times during the war’s first week. He and his associates failed to anticipate Iran’s capacity to strike back, as it launched rounds of missiles and drones at U.S. allies and bases in the region, disrupting Gulf economies and raising gasoline prices in the United States.
The Masterpiece that Didn’t Win an Oscar
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held its annual award ceremony. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was the big winner, taking home six awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Directing.
At the 1938 Academy Awards, the Oscar for Best Directing went to Leo McCarey for his movie The Awful Truth. When McCarey stepped up to receive the Oscar, he expressed his gratitude to the academy—and then added, “But you gave it to me for the wrong picture.”
McCarey made two great films in 1937, and the one for which he didn’t get the Academy Award (Make Way for Tomorrow) he considered to be his masterpiece. He is not alone in thinking so. It was one of John Ford’s favorite movies; Orson Welles said it would make a stone cry. It was the key inspiration for one of the greatest films ever made, Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953).
The reason I love lawyers is, because they always deliver on their promises - just two things:
· The chance of success will be small, and
· They will charge exorbitant fees.
- James King -
Top Stories from our favourite publications to stimulate your curious mind,
Has Lindsey Graham Lost His Mind?
On March 9, 2026, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina appeared on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo and delivered what can only be described as a geopolitical fever dream.
The Senator Marching Toward War While Trump Hosts Authoritarians for Peace, Senator Graham declared the United States is “marching through the world” to clean out authoritarian regimes — while President Trump’s Board of Peace is quietly filled with those regimes. This is not a paradox. It’s a policy crisis hiding in plain sight.clared the United States is “marching through the world” to clean out authoritarian regimes — while President Trump’s Board of Peace is quietly filled with those regimes. This is not a paradox. It’s a policy crisis hiding in plain sight.
“In art,” Kafka assured his teenage walking companion, “one must throw one’s life away in order to gain it.” As in art, so in life — so suggests the American Tibetan Buddhist nun and teacher Pema Chödrön. In When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (public library), she draws on her own confrontation with personal crisis and on the ancient teachings of Tibetan Buddhism to offer gentle and incisive guidance to the enormity we stand to gain during those times when all seems to be lost.
Jung Chang is the author of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister, as well as Mao: The Unknown Story, with her husband, Jon Halliday. Her latest book is Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China.
In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Jung Chang discuss how personal stories illuminate broader historical truths, the culture of mistrust that has characterized Chinese society across centuries, and why young Chinese people today are increasingly rejecting marriage and romantic relationships.
Why Boastful Pitches and Word Salads Dominate Your Inbox
Don't waste your time looking for adulation
Aren't you just sick and tired of opening your inbox, social media, and Substack–yes, Substack, to find a large percentage of the platforms stuffed with verbiage from people who insult your intelligence–telling you how successful they are and how much money they make each and every month?
Located in the city's Vršovice neighbourhood, the studio space was originally a neglected workshop, located in the inner courtyard of a bakery.
"We saw hidden potential in this space," BekArch architects Jan Bek and Martin Kříž told Dezeen. "We aimed to transform this 'invisible' and overlooked area into a fully functional and high-quality part of the residential building."
"The inspiration came from the opportunity to give new life to an old, distinctive structure and to turn it from a storage-like void into an inspiring place," they continued.
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James King Blog offers valuable resources for students of Arts and Humanities. Particularly those interested in Environments, Literature, Performing Arts, Visual Art, Philosophy, Travel, and Human Rights.
The articles provide insights into complex interactions between humans and their environments, and the ethical and moral dimensions of environmental issues. The Blog is relevant to students of all ages and those who are just fascinated by the Arts and Humanities.
Most Famous Superheroes – A Fascinating Look at the Best
The most famous superheroes have become a significant part of modern culture, capturing the imaginations of people of all ages. Since their inception, these extraordinary crime-fighting characters have influenced a multitude of narratives across several media platforms.
Thriller authors join forces in joint promotion campaigns to introduce themselves to readers.
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THE KENRIGHT CHRONICLES
The Kenright Chronicles is a psychological 6 book thriller series. Jack Kenright, a young investment banker gets involved in an international art swindle. which cripples his business and threatens his life and his family. He ends up a recluse, working for the FBI undercover and exposes massive corruption in South Africa's gambling world.
Phase two of the masterplan is in play and Jack’s partner Stuart Jeffries strikes a deal with the FBI. A murder is dressed up to implicate Jack. It looks like a cult killing or a botched job. But is it something more sinister? A whole host of corrupt officials and hardened criminals scatter as the international legal net tightens. Two wanted men vanish. One is presumed dead, the other a criminal mastermind on the run. The hunt is on, across three oceans. Will they find it, and will Network survive?
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