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Three tankers held off the coast of Mumbai by India's Cost Guard have been sanctioned for carrying Iranian oil. India stopped buying Iranian oil in DJT's first term 2016-2020. In his second term DJT wanted India to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil as a way to reduce funding for Russia's invasion of Ukraine now in its fourth year. India has stopped buying Russian oil as part of the goodwill effort to reach trade agreements with the US, EU, and Germany. The seizing of the oil tankers is part of a new effort by India to support bringing Russia to the negotiating table to end the Ukraine war. Russia has demanded Ukraine turn over Donetsk region to end the war, which is a major stumbling block as Ukraine says there are Ukrainians living in Donetsk region. Germany's increase in its defense budget and investment in its armed forces has led to Germany+ (Germany plus UK and France) acting as the chief supporter of Ukraine, after the US has taken more of a neutral stand. The US basically wanting to end the war in 2026 so that the US can address the situation in the western hemisphere with drug and migrant trafficking gangs in Mexico, Venezuela and Columbia, and rebuild its economy to bring back manufacturing from China. For India the guiding principle of its foreign policy is Gandhiji's thinking and advice for fairness and peaceful coexistence - it does not believe in a British inspired NATO expanding on the borders of Russia, and at the same time does not see how a war on a neighboring Russian speaking region is in Russia's continued interest for a fourth year with bombing of energy infrastructure to leave Kviv in darkness. Non -alignment was Nehru's not Gandhiji's idea- the ideas of respect and fairness are basic to Gandhiji's thinking and India will remain true to his ideas in world relations. One aspect of this change in world affairs is missed by all and the media, that is that with the EU and US+ Japan, and India+ Indonesia there is a population of 1 billion of western peoples, and about 2 billion of Asian peoples, for a total of 3 billion people. This is a region three times the size of China, which with its access to capital and technology, labour and good governance is in a position to industrialize and reindustrialize, and bring manufacturing/science and technology to the core of this economic region by 2035. An industrialized India with 2X-3X the size of its current GDP will still be governed on Gandhiji's ideas for world relations in 2047. ...

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This report on Venezuela in the NYT cites the IMF to say that the Venezuela currency is almost worthless today with hyperinflation of 1 million percent. An article in the Washington Post confirms this that the IMF first predicted 13,000 percent but now has corrected this to say yes, 1 million percent. Three million refugees are said to have left the country because of severe shortages, and another 5 million expected to leave in 2019.

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What is it like crossing borders today in Europe during the coronavirus, and what are European cities like at this time. Two NYT journalists Kingsley and Vancon are finding out by driving 3700 miles by car across many European borders. The hardest they find is entering Germany from the Czech border, where they were stopped and questioned in every way. Germany has strict restrictions- you can only leave for 48 hours if it is longer than this one has to do 14 days in quarantine. Germany also has managed the coronavirus better than its other neighbors France, Switzerland and Eastern European countries.

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British prime minister, Boris Johnson, who succeeded Theresa May, is bringing in Dominic Cummings as a key adviser. Cummings ran the campaign for Leave in Britain's 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union. Cummings now joins Johnson in trying to tackle getting Britain out of the EU in 3 months by an October 31, 2019 deadline. Cummings is also the man he will rely on if a general election ensues following its loss of support in parliament. At present there is only a 3 vote majority for Johnson's government in parliament and lack of support from moderates in the ruling Conservative party.

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With Russia supplying 10% of the world's oil supplies and about 40% of Europe's natural gas supplies US sanctions on Russia's energy economy would only end up driving inflation higher and hurting the US and Europe. This leaves only a limited role for sanctions acting as a deterrent in the Ukraine crisis giving Russia more room to act in Ukraine.  

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The Vice Chief of the Indian Army explains in detail how the scheme that is rolled out for Agnipath is a pilot project and how the lessons learned will be incorporated over the next 5 years. He says the recruits leave with something like 24 lakhs rupees for a second innings at age 22, with the opportunity to get 13 lakhs in preferential basis loans in government assistance to start an enterprise. Others could choose to enhance their education and go on to get degrees under preferential educational setup. The idea is not to set them up for life but get them off to a good start as they are only about 22 years and with special technical skills acquired during their 4 years in the armed services. Technical skills acquired in the airforce could be even more advanced. Private industry in an India almost twice the size of the economy that exists today and the fastest growing economy in the world would easily absorb 30,000 of such highly trained disciplined people in the scheme who leave. The US GI Bill and other similar programs for the military have shown that this works and private industry is eager to take in these people on a preferential basis. These in fact have proven to be even more attractive opportunities using the example of the US experience than a government job. Lt. Gen. Raju says about the All India regiments replacing the homogenous units of the past. The Rastriya Rifles  and similar units in the Army have shown that the bonding happens for people from different parts of the country. He could have said that it is seen in the cricket teams where the bonding is between people from different regions and places. These units have performed very well says Raju in the LAC, in Kashmir, in border areas and in other situations. ...

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Kylian Mbappe was seen at his best recently as he scored France's only goal in a difficult game with Austria in the Nations League when it had fallen behind 0-1.

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Take a nice break at any time of the day or at night with this wonderful view of the autumn leaves and tents at 2100 metres in the northern Alps of Japan, in Nagano Prefecture. It will do you a world of good during the long days of fatigue in the pandemic. Among campers are coworkers, and a man who wanted to sleep in a tent with his small daugher age 5. For each day, during 72 hours in the northern Alps of Japan, NHK Television online spent time with campers with their little lights for the colored tents under amazing starry skies. The spirit of the little girl age 5 cannot fail to make us fell young and spirited again. The autumn leaves and sky give a sense of life outdoors reviving spirits at this time of being stuck indoors for long periods during the coronavirus.

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David Brooks in the NYT leaves out the issue of fairness in wages to American workers to meet a cost of living crisis. This is also about the soul of America as Mr. Biden has grasped, the two democracy and dignity of workers and families go together. Biden pointed out- for Trump manufacturing was a punch line, for Biden it was a once in a decade headline.

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Chaotic situations at the World Cup Soccer in Qatar as Germany exit even after a 4-2 win over Costa Rica which enables Spain to advance after a loss to Japan. Japan's goal was scored off a ball that is so close to crossing the line that it leaves everyone in utter confusion with delays in VAR- and is doubted by Spanish coach Enrique who believes it was outside.

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China's Xi has chosen to attend summits with a format in which China plays a dominant role such as the recent BRICS meeting in Johannesburg. He has chosen to skip the G20 Summit on September 9 in New Delhi and may even skip the November 12 APEC meeting in San Francisco. This leaves Xi without the opportunity to meet US president Biden on the sidelines of both summits.

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Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is for negotiating a Brexit deal that protects workers interests. Most of the Labour party supporters and the rest of the leadership is for Remain and a second referendum. Corbyn's position could help Labour in some ways as it brings support from some Leave voters who are unhappy with the way the Conservative party has handled it. Corbyn's manner of straddling between his party's position and his own could help the Labour party in the election because of is unrelenting focus on working class interests and the Brexit mess created by the Conservative party's Cameron and Johnson. 

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Cost of driving depends on where you live in the US- California (taxes and climate change fee), and mountain states (no inland supplies in West), Illinois taxes are much higher compared to the South and South East (close to refineries no taxes). Specific formulations add extra on the Eastern seaboard states  from New Hampshire to Virginia, and in the West California have requirements to reduce smog and pollution. At one time in the 1980's in Pasadena the smog would be so bad you could not see the green color on the leaves clearly. For most of the US gas prices on April 22, 2026 are around $3.62 or lower compared to $3.92 on average in March for the whole US and $5.83 in California, $5.00 in Oregon, $5.38 in Washington. Texas, Alabama, North and South Carolina at around $3.62 and Florida at $4.00. In Virginia to Maine in the North East it is around $4.00. A look at the map shows that talk of $5.00 gasoline hurting the Republicans in the midterms for Congress is incorrect because the Democrats are likely to hold on to California, Washington Oregon, their base with gas at close to $6.00 the very opposite of what they are saying. Much of it because of state policies against oil refining and climate change taxes, formulations of gasoline that cost more to address smog. The head of the distribution channel for gasoline in the US, Scott Berhang, head of fuel wholesalers marketing group Sigma says- “At some point, [the war] could translate into supply shortages. That could happen. But we’re not really there yet. I talk to my members all over the U.S. They’re not seeing any supply issues. There’s no problem getting fuel. Everything is normal.” State taxes can be as low as 9 cents in Alaska and 71 cents in California, 66 cents in Illinois. The price of gas in swing states Arizona $4.59, Pennsylvania $4.11, Michigan $3.78, Wisconsin $3.69, North Carolina $3.75, Georgia $3.57. If we use $3.61 price of Texas and most of South and close to this in all but mountain states and western states then we are slightly above the same price gasoline was sold at the pump in 2011-2014 of $3.51 per gallon. This is a significant fact considering the media talks about gasoline prices in the US as a significant cost of living issue. Which means saying Iran War is "crippling" US consumers at the pump is farfetched and totally incorrect.  ...