American politics, especially the quadrennial presidential election, is closely followed by people world over, and with good reason. America is the world’s most dominant economy, and there are literally hundreds of millions who, given a chance, wish to immigrate to America or have relatives & friends living there. No doubt, American government policies do have global implications.

Democrats’ luck

It is interesting, even for a casual observer, to look back three decades, to see how American two-party political system has been evolving. It seems that Republican presidents have been dealt poorer hands than Democrat presidents. Republican George H.W. Bush was successful in driving Saddam Hussain out of Kuwait in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf War. At that time, even though American economy was humming along a respectable clip of 3.5% annual GDP growth, Democrats and the media convinced Americans that the economy was struggling, thereby helping Clinton defeat Bush. In 2001, only a few months after President George W. Bush took office, America was attacked on 9/11/2001, that led to long wars with Iraq and Afghanistan and partly causing the great depression of 2008. During Trump’s 2017 – 2019 leadership, economy was growing solidly, but then COVID-19 hit in 2020 and Trump lost his reelection bid in 2020. Democrats and the media were successful in using the pandemic in a couple ways to defeat Trump, who has maintained that the election was “stolen” from him, alleging that many states took advantage of lockdown to conduct election without proper controls.

On the other hand, look at Democrat Presidents. Bill Clinton benefited from the 1994-to-2000 dot-com boom. In 2009, Obama became president when the 2008 depression had run its course, and it had nowhere to go but up. It looks like Biden is going to benefit from economy’s revival as vaccine availability controls the pandemic.

Current State of American politics

Cynicism towards entrenched politicians and government has been growing and that’s what fuelled Trump’s surprise win in 2016. Trump, an outsider, promised to push conservative agenda of smaller government, self-reliance and draining the “swamp” in Washington. Of course, it upset the “establishment” comprising of traditional politicians and liberal media. So, Trump had a bulls-eye painted on his back and the establishment tried to get rid of him from day one. It appears that an Unholy Trinity – Democrats, liberal media and high-tech companies -has been consolidating for the past four years, and the Republican party will suffer in future elections.

Biden presidency

Biden, the oldest president in recent history, ran mostly a virtual campaign, but was propelled to victory as the media and Democrats vilified Trump. Biden has pledged to unify the country after the tumultuous years of the Trump presidency, and Democrats are vowing to use their control of the House, the Senate and the White House, for the first time in more than a decade, to enact a “bold” agenda. The disappointed supporters of President Trump fear that Biden’s bold agenda means undoing Trump initiatives AND imposing more liberal / progressive policy initiatives. And Biden has done just that! On his very first day in office, he issued several executive orders and directives to re-join Paris Climate Accord, World Health Organization and undo Trump’s immigration initiatives, to mention a few. The Congress is proceeding with its unprecedented plan to impeach Trump, with two goals. One, to ensure that Trump can never run for a public office again, and second, to send a message to future “Trumps” that outsiders are not welcome in the traditional political club.

With the unholy trinity dominating American politics, the country appears to be headed away from capitalism and towards socialism. Although, the country is crushing under a whopping national debt of $30 trillion and growing, nobody seems to be overly concerned about it as America’s creditworthiness, due to huge economy, is good and government’s power to levy and collect higher tax.

Many observers do not expect Biden to complete his full-term in office, due to his advanced age, thus propelling Kamala Harris to presidency and America to more socialism. Stay tuned!

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Toyo Tire Corporation said Mitsubishi Corporation has ceased to be a major shareholder after tendering its entire holding through a treasury share buyback, ending its status as the company’s largest shareholder.

The change took effect on 10^th August , 2026, following Toyo Tire’s acquisition of its own shares through off-auction trading (ToSTNeT-3). Mitsubishi tendered all its shares, excluding less than one unit, as part of the transaction.

As a result, Mitsubishi is no longer classified as a major shareholder or associated company of Toyo Tire, the company said.

Before the transaction, Mitsubishi held 30,822,206 shares, equivalent to 20.07 percent of total voting rights, and ranked as the largest shareholder. Following the change, its holding has effectively been reduced to zero.

The move follows Toyo Tire’s earlier announcement on August 7, 2026 regarding the termination of its capital and business alliance with Mitsubishi, alongside plans to repurchase its own shares.

Toyo Tire said the change would have no impact on its consolidated financial results.

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Linglong Tire has become the first Chinese tyre manufacturer to join the Global Data Service Organization (GDSO) as a full member, marking a step in the industry’s efforts to standardise and exchange tyre-related data globally.

The company joins the non-profit body as its fourteenth member. GDSO was established in January 2022 by Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli to facilitate the digital exchange of tyre data and develop common standards across the sector.

Moh Wahi, Head Of Truck And Bus Tyre Development at Linglong Europe, said: "By joining the GDSO as a Full Member and providing reliable data, we want to be the first Chinese tyre manufacturer to make a positive contribution to the further development of the tire industry and set new standards for the efficient processing of tire data in the digital age."

Riccardo Giovannotti, Secretary General of GDSO, said: "With Linglong Tire as a Full Member, GDSO is gaining one of the leading Chinese tire companies which is committed to digitalization and sustainability in the industry. Together, we will further make progress in developing standards for data processing and future-oriented solutions."

Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd., founded in 1975, operates seven research and development centres globally and employs almost 20,000 people. The company runs nearly 200,000 sales outlets and exports products to 175 countries.

It supplies tyres to more than 200 production bases for over 60 automakers and has manufacturing facilities across China, Thailand and Serbia, with plans to expand further overseas.

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TyreSafe, UK’s charity dedicated to raising tyre safety awareness, has joined forces with Sussex Police’s Road Safety Team to introduce a pioneering digital reference tool for frontline officers. The initiative equips police with immediate, device-accessible tyre safety data during roadside stops.

Developed as a local pilot, the application enables consistent vehicle examinations and improves driver communication regarding tyre dangers. It offers specific checklists for diverse vehicle categories, including motorcycles, cars, heavy goods vehicles, light commercial vans and towed trailers. The system further incorporates guidance on part-worn tyres, common queries and educational talking points.

Following its Sussex trial, the programme holds potential for nationwide adoption across UK police forces. This deployment underscores Sussex Police’s dedication to roadway innovation and reinforces the essential contribution of proper tyre maintenance to overall public safety.

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe Chair, said, “This partnership with Sussex Police is a landmark moment for tyre safety enforcement and education. By putting reliable, accessible tyre safety guidance directly into the hands of frontline officers, we can ensure safer vehicles on our roads and help prevent avoidable collisions and breakdowns. Sussex is leading the way, and we hope this model will soon be adopted nationally.”

Superintendent Jo Grantham, Head of Roads Policing, Sussex Police, said, “Our officers are committed to keeping road users safe, and having instant access to this tyre safety resource makes a real difference on the ground. It supports enforcement while also giving us the tools to educate drivers more effectively. We’re proud to be working with TyreSafe on this project and to be the first police force in the country to pilot it.”

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The UK Towing Safety Alliance (UKTSA) has published a comprehensive four-year analysis of incident data from National Highways’ Strategic Road Network, covering 2022 to 2025. The findings reveal a 23 percent rise in total towing-related incidents, driven primarily by a maintenance crisis affecting utility and commercial trailers. While traffic collisions involving towed vehicles decreased by 17 percent, mechanical breakdowns now constitute 77 percent of all towing-related incidents, highlighting vehicle and trailer condition as the sector's foremost challenge.

The data coincides with SMMT Motorparc 2025 figures showing Britain's vehicle fleet at its oldest recorded level, with average car age reaching 9.7 years. The summer harvest season has also arrived, bringing agricultural trailers back to roads after months of disuse. NFU Mutual research indicates collisions involving agricultural vehicles are 56 percent more likely between May and September, reinforcing the need for pre-journey roadworthiness checks.

Utility and agricultural trailers now account for nearly half of all towing-related callouts, surpassing 3,000 incidents in 2025. Regionally, the North West has overtaken the South East as the most incident-prone area, with trailer failures surging 60 percent since 2022, while the North East recorded a 55 percent increase. A growing divide exists between leisure and commercial towing sectors.

Leisure sector improvements, including fewer horsebox incidents and regional caravan reductions, suggest awareness campaigns are yielding positive results. However, utility trailer failures continue climbing, indicating maintenance standards across commercial and domestic sectors require greater attention. Regular servicing, correct loading and proper coupling remain essential to prevent avoidable incidents.

For working trailers, summer represents peak operational period, with agricultural and utility trailers seeing intensive use while rural roads become busier with tourists and cyclists. The Alliance emphasises that trailers stored for extended periods require thorough inspections before returning to service.

The UKTSA urges all towers to perform three essential checks covering tyres, load and connection before every journey. Tyres must be inspected for pressure, tread and deterioration; loads correctly distributed and couplings and electrical connections verified. The Alliance will place ‘The Working Trailer’ at the centre of safety campaigns, collaborating with industry partners to boost maintenance awareness and reduce preventable breakdowns across the Strategic Road Network.

A spokesperson for the UK Towing Safety Alliance said, “It’s encouraging to see fewer collisions involving towing vehicles, which suggests that drivers are becoming more aware of safe towing practices. However, that progress is being undermined by a growing number of preventable mechanical failures. The challenge is no longer simply about how people tow – it’s increasingly about what they’re towing and the condition it’s in. As both tow vehicles and trailers get older, regular maintenance has never been more important.”

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said, “Harvest season places extra demands on both vehicles and trailers, particularly those that may only be used for a few months each year. One of the most common issues we see is tyres that appear to have plenty of tread but have deteriorated through age, weathering or prolonged storage. Whether you’re towing a livestock trailer, plant trailer, horsebox or caravan, tyres should always be inspected for correct pressure, damage, cracking and signs of ageing before every journey. A few minutes spent carrying out these checks can prevent breakdowns and significantly improve safety for everyone using our roads.”

Sarah Smithurst MBE, COO, National Trailer & Towing Association (NTTA), said, “Across the NTTA network, we’re seeing a noticeable increase in enquiries from people looking to refurbish older trailers or source second-hand trailers, including imported models, as a more affordable alternative to buying new. While extending the life of a trailer is often entirely appropriate, it’s essential that owners understand that trailers are not maintenance-free. Many have been in service for years, sometimes decades, and components naturally deteriorate over time, even if the trailer has seen relatively little use. Every trailer should be thoroughly inspected before it returns to the road, with particular attention paid to tyres, brakes, bearings, couplings and lighting. Investing in regular servicing and maintenance is far less costly than experiencing a breakdown – or worse, being involved in an incident. The NTTA continues to help and advice new and old trailer users about safety and many are asking for help when towing, especially the reversing aspect of a trailer, now the B&E test was withdrawn. We are also seeing more trailers being repatriated from North America and Europe rather than purchasing new in the UK.”

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