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Britain's effort to build its wind energy industry and objections from the European Union is the subject of this report in The Guardian. British government goal of 60% UK manufactured goods in supply chains including for large wind farms to power the UK.

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Simon Denyer's interview with Vinod Rai, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Rai has persisted in uncovering corruption in India. He was appointed by prime minister Manmohan Singh from India's Finance ministry five years ago, and runs an organization with 63,000 employees with accountants in all Indian states. Reports by his agency have uncovered giving away of natural resources and telecom licenses worth billions of dollars. He describes the amounts involved as huge and attributes the increase in accountability of politicians and ministers to active citizens groups. The Indian media and Supreme Court have supported efforts to increase accountability. The CAG has constitutional protection. Rai sees the CAG's role as examining government spending to uncover irregularities and make it accountable to parliament. India is rare in this respect compared to China, Russia and other emerging market countries because of its vibrant media and democracy. A 2010 report uncovered corruption in giving away mobile phone network licenses and a 2012 report uncovered allocation of coal land without a competitive auction, with loss in government revenues estimated at $30 billion. The reports showed prime minister Singh aware of the irregularities but unable or unwilling to call for transparency and proper process. Rai's six year term expires in May 2013. ...

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Australian PM Anthony Albanese sets May 3, 2025 for Australian elections. Labor party is in a tight race with Sutton's Liberal party coalition. Sutton proposes cuts in bureaucracy, and efforts to reduce cost of living pressures in the suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney, cut immigration and replace coal powered plants with small nuclear reactors.

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China's export performance is stalling. Chinese exports to the US fell by an annual 6.5%. The exports of China have risen by 8% over the prior year yet this was over 2022 when China was under a lockdown. South Korea and Taiwan which supply parts to Chinese factories had exports drop by 14% over prior year.

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Captain Kylian Mbappe of French Bleus team and coach Didier Deschamps in World Cup Soccer 2026- Kylian is only 2 goals behind Miroslav Klose's 16 goal record in World Cup competition after his 2 goals in the 3-1 win over Senegal. How does the 57 year old manage a player like Mbappe? Didier Descamps says his experience helps and he lets Kylian be Kylian, but also shields his players from all the media attention so as not make it a distraction. “My priority is to protect my players.” About his style as a coach he says- “I speak to [Mbappé] very often and he’s a world-famous player even in the US but it’s his life. He manages himself. Kylian is Kylian. The younger generation, the less younger, love him everywhere in the world, but that doesn’t mean he’s not normal when he plays and when he’s in the group. This has got nothing to do with why he is not here today.” (referring to a pre-game discussion with reporters). Kylian has stood up for the children growing up in the suburbs of Paris in working class suburbs in densely built housing and talked about how the game of soccer has offered them a window to the world. And about his personal experience -the dignity of soccer and the dignity of the players. ...

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Some of the memorable parts of president Biden's speech at the AFL-CIO campaign rally today June 17 that will go with the best of FDR and Lincoln about what America stands for were: "This is America we can do any damn thing we put our minds to. And guess what? We are not going back to the false promises of trickle down economics.  We are going forward. We are going forward." "I really mean. this. I know I'm called a cockeyed optimist, but this is based on history. We're the most unique country in history. We are organized on one notion. Every other country is based on ethnicity, religion, geography. But the United States is based on an idea. The only country in the world based on an idea. Think about it." "Why are we doing it. Because we said, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal" (applause)  "endowed by their Creator with some inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." "We've never met the goal. But we've never- other than the Trump administration- tried to walk away from that goal. And it gets better every time we push." ...

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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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Turning Manchester city into the hardest team to play is hard thought and hard won says this report in The Times. It says it does not run naturally with Pep Guardiola's idea of beautiful attacking football and his one of his finest achievements. This was seen in the game with Atletico Madrid with few shots on goal by Atletico Madrid. This could be decisive in the game with Liverpool.

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Ministers of foreign affairs and defense from the U.S. will visit India for the 2+2 India - U.S. Ministerial Dialogue. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Esper will meet Indian ministers Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh for closer ties on October 27. The American ministers will also visit Jakarta, Indonesia and Colombo, Sri Lanka. Their goal is for a open and free Indo-Pacific region through cooperation of the nations in the region.

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Peter Altmaier is director of the chancellery in Berlin, and is the person closest to Angela Merkel. This report in the Economist points out that Altmaier has played a critical role in steps taken by Merkel- as chief whip in parliament for the CDU during the Greece financial crisis and bailouts, as environment minister implementing the program away from coal based electricity, and in negotiating deals such as the deal with Turkey on refugees, and now with Brexit negotiations. Merkel has asked Altmaier to write her manifesto for the September 2017 election. A member of the CDU's liberal wing, Altmaier is known for being a scholar on German history, especially Bismarck, and a workaholic. Here he is mentioned as a bridge maker for the CDU to the Greens Party and was part of a group of CDU and Green Party politicians who met at an Italian restaurant in Bonn. As the moderates are now dominant in the Greens Party, a CDU coalition with the Greens could be shaped by Altmaier if the election results move in that direction. ...

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Plans of the incoming administration of president Lopez Obrador to increase renewable energy from wind, solar and other sources, in Mexico. Mexico's potential is for 8 times the current levels for wind energy and 75 times current levels for solar. Solar energy has not received much attention as Mexico increased reliance on coal and oil for energy. Mexico's supply of renewable energy is only 25% of total installed power capacity compared to 50% for other countries in Latin America.

The Obrador administration plans to cut Mexico's emissions by 6.8% a year. Solar energy in particular has high potential in Mexico.

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Patti Pope, CEO of Consumers Energy, a Michigan power company serving 7 million consumers, is moving to greener sources for energy. Consumers Energy retired 7 coal fired power plants and is shifting to solar farms, wind farms for energy, smart thermostats and meters, new infrastructure, taking advantage of the lower costs of renewable energy.

It plans to invest $25 billion over the next 10 years, including to add 6 gigawatts of solar power requiring 59 square miles of solar panels in its service area. Included are plans to help customers to produce and manage their own power as more users install solar panels in homes.

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The $369 billion climate and tax package that is coming out of a deal arranged by Schumer in the US Senate could be a path breaking action. It would enable president Biden to get close to the climate goals he promised last year of cutting US carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 over 2005 levels to combat effects of climate change. The $369 billion package would get the US to reduce carbon emissions by 40% in 2030 over 2005 levels.  Severe effects of climate change with fires and floods in the US, Europe, and Asia have brought a new spotlight to the issues facing the world and the fact that something needs to be done quickly with the US leading the way. Senator Manchin a holdout because he comes from a coal mining state was a holdout. He was persuaded to join as the new legislation provides for support for transmission lines and other investment during a transition period so that it does not affect the economy in his state. The transition period is now accepted as Europe now looks at gas and coal as a temporary resource following the cutoff of Russian supplies and the US will be shipping more LNG to Europe during this period. The vote for this legislation is planned under reconciliation so that the vice president MS. Harris can cast the deciding vote for Democrats in a 50-50 split Senate. Republicans oppose the legislation. Manchin now says it will reduce inflation. Briefly it will give $7500 to every buyer of an electric vehicle EV, and $4000 for a used EV. It would give rebates for heat pumps that increase home energy efficiency. Billions of dollars would be spent for clean energy industries, and for solar, wind, geothermal, other renewable energy projects. Democrats want to get the legislation through the Senate quickly by next week, and so secret were Schumer's negotiations that most Democrats did not know about it. Coming on the heels of the $280 billion CHIPS and Science bill for $280 billion investment in US semiconductor industry, this will be a big win for president Biden and shows the persistence and patience of Mr. Biden is paying off.   ...

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The WSJ offers this profile of a son of German immigrants who accumulated timber lands in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest of the US. George Weyerhaeuser's company made the diapers for store brands across America. He says he was shocked at seeing the land when the timber was taken and the area cleared and started the practice of reforestation now a major goal set by COP26 in Glasgow.

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Cost to reduce global warming to 1.5 degree centigrade goal set for climate change is estimated to cost $131 trillion. $116 trillion would be for electrification, new technologies, rebuilding electricity networks, efficiency. $24 trillion needs to be redirected quickly from fossil fuel investment to investment in reducing climate change by investing in other energy sources. 

The danger lies in 2.7 degree centigrade warming of the planet by the end of the century.

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At a meeting in Ostend, a Belgian port, the leaders of 7 European nations meet to combine work on their coastlines to develop wind energy on scale. It includes Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway.The goal to quadruple wind energy generation capacity by 2030, and tenfold by 2050. Strong winds and shallow water in the North Sea are highly suited to plant wind turbines. Denmark gets 25% of its energy from this source, Britain 15%.

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"250 million doses of vaccine Made in France, that's our goal," says French president Macron, as French firm Delpharm manufactures final vaccine products in vials of the Pfizer vaccine at its factory in France. This should boost France's vaccination drive which got off to a slow start.

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Scientific American says 8-11% impact larger emissions under the One Big Beautiful Act than the 61%-66% emissions cut under Biden IRA in 2035 over 2005. What is the reasoning behind DJT Republicans approach? 

Remember that the wealthiest House districts are now in the Democratic party and the working class, rural and poorer districts are now in the Republican party as shown in the recent WSJ analysis.  In this situation after  30-40 increase in the price of groceries, new and used cars, and housing costs 2019-2024 the argument is that American working families need relief. Another factor was the grasp of the fact that for climate change action to work China could not be allowed to build one coal plant a week (95GW of coal electricity capacity in 2024). In 2024 US represented only 12% of global emissions and EU only 6%, China, Russia, India, Brazil etc emitting the rest of 82%. 

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600,000 knee replacement surgeries a year in the US and 30 million suffering from osteoarthritis. The Wash. Post looks at new options which include use of coral that can repair the cartilage in a knee. The coral is part of Agili-C approved by US FDA and developed by CartiHeal. It is made from a calcium carbonate that is derived from exoskeletons of coral that act as a scaffold in the body to help regenerate bone and tissue, says the Washington Post in this article.

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More than 6.7 million persons are displaced inside Ukraine most of them from the war torn eastern part of Ukraine, and most of them women and children. In addition over 3 million are refugees in neighboring countries such as Slovakia and Poland. 

The war is now extending to the Donetsk region with about half of the population of the population in eastern Ukraine having left that region for safety in central and western Ukraine. The rolling farmland and old coal mines of the region, the destroyed infrastructure and industrial facilities, make the area of no use to Russian forces. A fraction of the Russian population in the area has also left says this report in the NYT. 

The scale of the damage and the refugee situation is hard to imagine and can be seen in the pictures in this NYT report. Boarding trains and buses civilians have poured out of cities in eastern Ukraine where the war has intensified.