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President Obama attends a filming of a show for "The View" hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and co-host Barbara Walters at ABC studios on Sept 24, 2012. This happens just as world leaders are greeted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as they arrive for a meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. And just as Tim Arango reports in the NYT that the situation in the Middle East is seeing spillover affects from Syria that affect the entire region, and Middle East tensions are rising.

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French and German support for Ukraine alongside the US is critical for the ongoing effort to restore security on the Black Sea ports for Ukraine and on either side of the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine front. This is also critical for world food supplies particularly for Egypt and North African countries. A UN sponsored agreement with Turkish help is what makes it possible to ship Ukrainian grain to these countries from Black Sea port of Odessa. Even more critical after the drought has impacted grain harvests worldwide.

At one point Odessa was the target of Russian forces. Ukraine seeks to regain the Black Sea region in 2022 as its outlet to the world and to support its economic independence as a food exporting nation.

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This report on Bangladesh politics and economy is from The Guardian July 14, 2019. In 2009 the Awami League party under Sheikh Hasina contested the election in a Grand Alliance with Gen. Ershad's Jatiya Party winning an absolute majority of the seats. Since then Sheikha Hasina has been prime minister through 4 elections maintaining economic growth through the garment industry till the pandemic and disrupted supply chains hit Bangladesh hard leading to its debt burden doubling in 3 years. This led to turning to the IMF in 2022  with reserves down to $23 billion and student protests over lack of jobs. A second wave of protests led to her ouster in August 2024. This report by Derek Brown in The Guardian shows the changing situation in Bangladesh in the 1980's and 1990's after independence in 1971 following the India-Pakistan 1971 war. Zia Khaled of the BNP and Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League were alternately in power with periods of rule by the Army under Ershad contesting elections as the Jatiya party when the two parties failed to govern effectively. This went on from 1996 till 2009 when Sheikh Hasina began what would be four terms in office for 15 years. The economy was improving by 2019. And then Covid hit - the pandemic had serious effects on the foreign exchange reserves of Bangladesh, Sri Lankan and Pakistan economies. Only in India with the efforts of prime minister Modi was the economy put on a sustained growth path, corruption prevented by the personal example of Modi's leadership, and a state led development focus achieved using the example Modi had set in Gujarat as its chief minister for 15 years. The rest of South Asia lacked such firm and decisive leadership that is similar in its focus to the transformation of first Japan and China into leading industrialized nations.  In 2022 Bangladesh followed Sri Lanka and Pakistan in going to the IMF. By 2023 the foreign exchange reserves had declined to $23 billion. In 2024 to $19 billion. Garment economy dependent Bangladesh was seeing the effects of supply chain disruption and decrease in earnings from exports. In 2024 student protests on joblessness and frustration at economic prospects led to the ouster of the Hasina government.  ...

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Brazil is turning to Canada to supply the potash it needs for fertilizer production after the disruption of supplies from Ukraine and Russia. The world is turning to Argentina for wheat, Canada for potash, South Africa for platinum, as the focus shifts to getting alternative sources of supplies.

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The second time around European leaders are more adept at handling a new DJT administration in the US. Scholz meets with Orban in Budapest. All European leaders meet in Budapest to assert a combined approach to Ukraine, to the US tariffs plans. European Union leaders feel confident they can come up with solutions acceptable to Europe, and assert Europe's interests without being dependent on the US.

Even the collapse of the Scholz German coalition government with the FDP party and Lindner defecting is taken in stride by saying that a new coalition will take its place. The loss of the FDP is not seen as critical as it is down to less than 4% in popular support in Germany. Orban and Hungary are also brought into the discussion to present a united Europe.

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Wounded or maimed veterans get psychological closure by visiting the scenes where theywere injured. Here wounded veterans visit locations in Dyala province under Operation Proper Exit, eight wounded men- five amputees and one blinded soldier- places tey left while unconscious or in agony. This is the second such trip and the results in development, stopping night tremors for the wounded men, and psychological closure have been phenomenal. Rick Kell, head of of Troops First, who got General Ray Odierno to agree to the idea says wounded soldiers said they wanted to go back, and he kept hearing it repeatedly. Sgt. Luke Wilson, 29, from Hermiston, Oregon. He lost his left leg above the knee in agrenade attack in Baghdad in 2004. Kell arranged that they fly in Business Class for the 13 hour flight so they could lie down or take their legs off. When they walked off the helicopters they walked under their own power to be greeted by American officers and soldiers, clapped on their backs and welcomed as old friends. All in uniform and none of their injuries or prostheses visible except up close. Sgt. John Hyland, 38, from San Antonio, who lost his left leg and sufffered back injuries when an improvised explosive device hit his Humvee in 2007, and Specialist Craig Chavez, 29, from Temecula, California blinded by a2006 I.E.D. blast that destroyed his face- which was reconstructed- injuries which meant losing his left eye and most of the vision in his right. Specialist Chavez says it was apoint of special pride for him to walk around the base without any help. And Sgt. Hyland was amazed by the silence, the silence from no sounds of mortar shells going off and exploding L.E.D. devices. In the memorial hall Sgt. Hyland pauses at a picture of Specialist Jonathan Rivadeneira, 22, from Queens, who saved his life in an Humvee attack on Sept. 11, 2007, only three days later Rivadeneira was killed. Sgt. Hyland began crying quietly and lowered himself in pain onto his right knee and began to pray. Outside he was still shaken by the experience and the other wounded soldiers gathered around him till he recovered ....

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The U.S. Agriculture Department cuts its estimate of corn crop yield per acre in the U.S. by 15.5%, as a result of the severe drought in 2012. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, says the situation for farmers is better this time than during the last drought in 1988. Now 85% of farmers have crop insurance compared to 25% in 1988. The Agriculture Department estimate is for a 3-4% increase in prices in 2013. Capital Economics says the impact on GDP in the U.S. will be about 0.1%. Because 40% of the corn crop goes into ethanol production there is renewed debate about the 2005/2007 Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires 13.2 billion gallons of corn based biofuel be made in 2012. Worldwide the bad weather conditions in Brazil, India and Russia are worsening the outlook for food supplies. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says global food prices increased by 6% in July 2012, with corn prices up 23%.

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mark Carney, the head of Canada's central bank and the head of the Financial Stability Board, says China is falling behind in its earlier committments made at G-20 meetings to move towards rebalancing the world economy. He pointed to the fact that consumption in China has moved from about half of China's GDP to about a third, in the last ten years. China's investment has also declined from half of GDP to about one third. Carney also raised concerns about the strength of the Canadian dollar for Canada's competitiveness. The report "China: 2030" by the World Bank and China's Development Reform Commission also calls for changes in the way China's economy has increased its dependence on state run companies.

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The US sends aircraft carrier group of the US 7th fleet with the aircraft carrier USS Reagan and destroyers on a freedom of navigation mission through the South China Sea. What is a freedom of navigation mission and what is the US goal? "Our presence in the Pacific is to demonstrate our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," says commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, Captain Fred Goldhammer. Seen on a map the Paracel Islands are far from China's coast. They lie on the waters further south in the South China Sea closer to the coast of Vietnam and between Vietnam and the Philippines. Till 1974 the Paracel Islands were part of Vietnam. In that year China took control of these islands after a war with Vietnam. The name Paracel is of Portuguese origin on maps in the 16th century. There are 130 islands or reefs with total area of about 3 square miles spread out over about 6000 square miles of ocean in the middle of the South China Sea near the coast of Vietnam. The French had  weather station there in 1932. After independence South Vietnam controlled the islands. In 1974 the islands were taken over by China from Vietnam. The result is that by taking over the islands China put itself in the position it is in Tibet. In Tibet it has put itself right across the Himalayas in a position that interferes with security on the border with India in the Himalayas that for centuries almost going back to Buddhist times 2500 years ago had very little and most of the time no Chinese presence. The passes in the Tibetan region are at heights over 15,000 feet that were mostly inaccessible except by yaks and other animals for transport for most of the 2500 year period. This is true also of the Paracel and other islands in the South China Sea as they are right in the middle of the seas of open navigation used by traders before the coming of the Europeans and for ocean going trade since 1500. Britain and the US have enjoyed free and open navigation in these oceans which connect past the Philippines into the Pacific to the Japanese islands and on to Hawaii and the US Pacific coast. What the US and European allies are saying is that the free and open navigation of the seas has always been the case for the last thousand years in the Pacific. The taking of the islands in 1974 by China from Vietnam now put it up against the US and European allies, and their Asian allies, as it interferes with navigation in the open seas essential for trade and travel between Asia and the Pacific. This is how the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the taking over of the Paracel Islands have put China into the position of interfering in the normally open and free areas in the Himalayas and the Pacific. This is where the Quad group shares a common interest in preserving what always existed in history-  a free and open Pacific and a free and open Himalayas. It brings together the US, Japan, India and Australia which stretch all the way from the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean uninterrupted all the way through Indonesia to Australia and Japan and the US. From the Mediterranean through Egypt into the Indian Ocean all the way to the Pacific and the US keeping free and open seas for trade and navigation. Or across the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean and the Pacific to the US. ...

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Consumer buying habits at Walmart in the last 6 months since the sharp downturn in the economy hit in October 2008. Executives in merchandising at Walmart, Target and other stores discuss trends with the WSJ. There is adisciplined shopper with less browsing on the aisles. FOod is up on the list. Private label groceries at lower cost are selling well. At Walmart sales are up for refrigerated pizza,lower grades of meat. Ground beef and chicken sell way better than steak and beef. And carbohydrates are doing better than protein foods, so that pasta is doing well. Staying at home and entertaining at home is the trend says Fleming of Walmart, from the take and bake pizza at $5 to the movie and popcorn. Which is why the luggage section and trvel is slow, and flat screen tv's are selling well. Vitamins, herbs and plants for vegetable gardens are up as customers try to plant their own vegetable gardens. Car maintenance and repair is big, sales of motor oil, filters and tires. are some of Walmarts big sellers. Whatever makes the car last longer is considered attractive by customers. And home repair items are selling well at Home Depot....

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The symbolism of the Ramstein Air Force Base is unique as US Defense Secretary Austin says this months meeting of Blinken and Austin at Ramstein with their European counterparts will be followed by monthly meetings. Lloyd Austin sees this as a monthly group on Ukraine self-defense. Ramstein Air Force base is the headquarters of the US Air Force in Europe, and of NATO Allied Air Command. For the first time the invasion of a free people and country in the middle of Europe is being taken seriously in Europe and the US.  In Germany Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck of the Greens have joined with Mr. Lindner of the Free Democrats to express the same views in the coalition government with the Social Democrats, making it clear that the German people are with the Americans and European leaders gathered at Ramstein base. The earlier symbolism of Merkel and Steinmeier and a German position of a bystander in the changes happening in the world in China and in Europe are now seen as having emboldened the Russian invasion of Ukraine. India and most Asian and Latin American countries and the UN Secretary General have called for an immediate end to the invasion.  ...

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Muhammadu Buhari wins the March 2015 presidential election in Nigeria winning 54% of the vote compared to 45% for incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan. The peaceful transition is another first for Africa for the size of a country like Nigeria. Buhari was a military ruler for 20 months following a 1983 coup. This is his fourth try running for president. This time he campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, and anti-terrorism campaign as Boko Haram insurgency is affecting the northeast of the country. He also campaigned for economic development and jobs, as Nigeria is sorely lacking infrastructure development such as road, water, electricity, especially in the Muslim north of the country where Buhari is from. Incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan failed to tackle the problems, and the situation deteriorated in 2014-2015 with the lack of security in the country, as the Boko Haram insurgency affected the northeast. In 2015 oil prices collapsed leading to a sharp depreciation in the value of the Naira, Nigeria's currency, and lower oil revenues, a significant setback....

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Messi uncertain if he will play for the World Cup in the US in 2026. It is 20 years since he played at the age of 18. The aging Messi says some days he feels good, on other days not so good, and it depends on his physical condition if he will play. He recalls with affection the chance to play in Argentina and score goals in the game against Venezuela 3-0 before retiring. He was thankful for the chance to play for Barcelona fans.

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There does not appear to be a noticeable shift in gasoline consumption, its gone up by half to one percent compared to 2005, even when gasoline prices are over $3.00 per gallon. This survey and the Pew poll were done about the time of the closing of BP's pipelines from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

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Robert Redford of 'The Natural' baseball tale -a bit of the essence of America shines through.

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Shows how the Republican views on the admission of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, those of Senator McCain and a lobbyist for Georgia, Randy Scheunemann who is McCain's top foreign policy advisor, all play a part in the American view of Russia and Georgia. McCain has a friendship with Saashkavili and made several trips to Georgia, and even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 in a letter cosigned by Senator Hillary Clinton. There is aslo disagreement among the Republican foreign policy advisors about Russia and about Georgia.

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Bernie Sanders with 46% of the delegates, 13.4 million votes, 22 states, and many of the young people in the U.S. behind him, told a news reporter at his home in the final sprint two weeks before the election- he plans to see the major planks of the Democratic platform implemented. He said Clinton is progressive on a number of issues, but the platform is more progressive with upward mobility a critical concern. Sanders played a critical role in shaping the platform. He says he opposes someone from Wall Street in positions of Treasury Secretary, Trade Representative, and will make known his views who would be best in these positions, including Attorney General. Sanders is supported in the Senate by Senators Sherrod Brown, Jeff Merkley, and Elizabeth Warren. Warren has campaigned with Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, and both support minimum wage, women's rights. WIth a win for Democrats in the Senate Sanders will become either the chairman of the Budget Committee, or with his preference chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. His main goal now is to see key economic Cabinet positions that affect upward mobility, intergenerational mobility, which is damaged today for the middle and working class, go to persons who would do the most to improve it.  ...

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This report in DW.com looks at the response of Germany to the coronavirus epidemic and says Germany may have let a window of opportunity to act quickly slip from its grasp. It says Germany's leader Merkel has not shown the leadership required by the health crisis. Germany DW.com points out recorded its first case on January 27, yet Merkel's first press conference on the subject of coronavirus came on March 11, when Italy was on lockdown quarantine for 2 days.  Germany lacks a quarantine and effective government action to mandate and require social distancing across the country to limit the spread. The steps this report points out pale in comparison with the actions taken in other neighboring countries. Spain earlier and Belgium on March 17th joined a lockdown in Italy. Merkel called on Germans to stay home, yet enforcement is lacking.  In this situation the calm and reacting with reason may be obsolete, a proactive approach being the right one. And a braver one because it would anticipate what happens a week two weeks from now based on experience of China and Italy, and act quickly with a lockdown and quarantine to prevent spread. Waiting in this manner risks too much says DW.com.  ...

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Scott Shane says no one including Mr Obama talked about Pashtun-land or Pastunistan which comprises 12 million people in Afghnaistan and 27 million on the Pakistan side of the border. This is basically where the war is being fought and the bases are on the Pakistani side. He points to the risks for an exit strategy, as this means shifting the balance in America's favor, which depends mainly on getting the popular nationalistic sentiment support for the Pastun Taliban to erode. With aweak partner alienating the Afghan people the chances for eroding that popular support are not good. Just compare Maliki and the Shiite majority support for the government and Karzai's corrupt and unpopular government, and you see the difference between one surge and the other. Compare the localized fight in Iraq's Anbar desert type flat open areas with a vast mountainous area and popular sentiment of supporting fellow Muslims of the Taliban in Pakistan, and one can see that the two are vastly different. ...

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Harney of the NYT provides a brief description of the differences between the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam. Shiites are based mainly in Iran and Iraq. Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Bangladesh, follow the Sunni sect in Islam.

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Nationally in the U.S. employment in the oil industry is down 21% in 2018 compared to 2014 even though production has reached new peaks. Artificial intelligence, automation and new technologies have led to digital oil fields cutting demand for roughnecks earning as high as $150,000 a year.