Rhys Davies

Iran names new Supreme Leader Hard-line cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as Iran's next Supreme Leader, the country's state media announced on March 8.

⚡️Iran names new Supreme Leader.

Hard-line cleric Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen as Iran's next Supreme Leader, Iranian state media announced on March 8.

Making it up as they go along Where does the war in Iran go from here?

“A bombastic celebration of military strength can only take you so far when there is no obvious strategy for bringing the war to a satisfactory conclusion.” @ldfreedman.bsky.social
samf.substack.com/p/making-it-...

👀 So it's true, it can be done!?

Spring forward... Fall back... whatever.

Can we just pick ONE & stick with it once & for ALL?!!! ⏰

A+ nickname

Regardless if energy, China dominating manufacturing (far in excess of what their GDP would suggest) is not globally sustainable as manufacturing is the only proven route to prosperity.

A new system of trade is required that ensures balanced trade outside of short term fluctuations.

China's supply chain dominance is a warning, no one is slowing down. They are diversifying.

China dominating manufacturing means the India, Turkey, Ethiopia, U.S., Jordan, Brazil should accelerate domestic energy build-out, not question the transition.

Going up any tower-building in Birmingham during the summer and looking around confirms this; Birmingham is basically a forest. Most of the single and double-storey buildings will be obscured by the tree canopy.

No drone has hit Dubai Marina. It was debris from a successful interception Everyone is ok.

No drone has hit Dubai Marina. It was debris from a successful interception Everyone is ok. Stay calm, everyone is safe.

No drone has hit Dubai Marina. It was debris from a successful interception

No drone has hit Dubai Marina. It was debris from a successful interception.

I wonder if a drone has hit Dubai Marina. Or whether it was just
debris from a successful interception.

If only loads of Dubai based accounts, including Isabel Oakeshott's, could tell me.

20 years occupying Afghanistan wasn’t enough to break the Taliban who are now stronger than ever, but sure the Iranian regime would surrender in a week and let DJT pick its leader. What were these people thinking.

Between the Storms #art

The death rattle of newspapers is sooo weird, a totally random PR story that someone put on a print product bought by the same number of people who live in Basingstoke, who are rapidly dying. And this will for some reason be discussed on national TV. No wonder the future is influencers.

Cities could not exist without their hinterlands. There are a few city-states that manage this, though they disguise their heavy dependencies (varied calories, energy, water, etc cannot all economically, securely, and sustainably be grown in a city, or transported huge distances)

*Hannibal, obvs

Strip away all the stats and the one that matters is Tesla sales down 40% this year on last.

Carma.

www.thetimes.com/business/com...

Also, cannibal crossed the Alps, but fought pitched battles on the plains.

This is something that all those graduates of Deepmind & similar should have been able to do, rather like AI in healthcare, which GB should do well.

But broadly, the commercial will doesn't exist. Much easier to keep your head down, get paid well and develop world-beating go AI.

Excellent and thoughtful piece. Hopefully, there will be more. I'd be interested to see your thoughts on the deeper systemic problems in the economy.

Britain Has Established Four Centers for Repairing Military Equipment in Ukraine; Fifth Will Begin Operating Soon For the first time, Great Britain has officially confirmed the operation of a network of its own centers for servicing and repairing military equipment directly in Ukraine.This was reported by […]

🔧For the first time, Great Britain has officially confirmed the operation of a network of its own centers for servicing and repairing military equipment directly in Ukraine.

militarnyi.com/en/news/brit...

Rare Earth logo and QR code link to BBC Radio 4 Rare Earth: Should we still have zoos?

Should zoos still exist? In 2026, how do the arguments about research, conservation and education stack up? This week's Rare Earth was a proper tennis match of ideas, with a brilliant panel. If you fancy some stimulating debate this weekend, listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East once again shows that reliance on volatile oil and gas exposes economies to price shocks.

Renewables, electrification and storage offer more stable long term energy costs and stronger energy security.

When I teach the session on the laws of armed conflict I begin by telling my students that LOAC does not forbid killing in wartime. It is a surprisingly overlooked and widely misunderstood point.

Got oil heating? Get a heat pump
cleanenergy.campaign.gov.uk/heat-pump/

Giving the effect of a street strewn with white petals ~- grape vines create this sun-dappled shade in the Calle Ciegos at the Bodega Gonzalez Byass winery, in Jerez, Spain

YouTube video by Inside Japanese Factories How Old Solar Panels Are Reborn Into New Materials at a Mega Recycling Plant

How Old Solar Panels Are Reborn Into New Materials at a Mega Recycling Plant | Inside Japanese Factories
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-qn...

Please tell me this isnt AI.

The law concerning the legality of a given war and the laws governing the practice of war are separate. There is a good reason for this. Even if the war itself is illegal, the combatants still have to obey the laws of war.

Sick, decadent country.

Pretty cool stuff that we let European chemicals start to die because energy and then went all in on a region that is extremely geographically vulnerable.

So I guess we have the cards after all.

And yes I do enjoy the irony of it .