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Bowler Jayant Yadav, batsmen Mayank Agrawal and Shreyas Iyer, show India's incredible bench strength in cricket, says Abhishek Purohit in the Indian Express. Axar Patel was good at both bowling and batting. Every so may years these players get chosen for a Test Series and keep their skills in a state of readiness. Yadav was playing in a Test after 5 years in the second Test against New Zealand, at Wankhede stadium, where India won by its biggest margin- 372 runs. Captain Virat Kohli says of these players that to play Test cricket one needs "passion and intent" and Indian cricket is in safe hands when you have so many players who are eager to play Tests well.

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President Biden faces three potential crises this month -one in Ukraine with a buildup of Russian forces for potential invasion, Chinese actions with Taiwan, and potential collapse of Iran nuclear talks. Biden also convenes this week world leaders of democracies in virtual talks on how to respond to actions of Russia, China, Iran and other countries. Biden's goal is to ensure the US and its allies remain strong without provoking crises.

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The new data security law that went into effect Sept 1, 2021, limits the amount of sensitive information China will share with foreign companies, and investors. All data related activities are subject to government oversight says this report in WSJ, including collection, storage, use and transmission. Companies in China now are reluctant to share information.  Because the law is ambiguous about what is sensitive information this makes companies more reluctant. The result is a China that is more opaque than before. It is driven by antagonism in the US over the effect on American workers of manufacturing and supply chains shifted to China. The response of the Chinese government is to turn the country inward, looking to self sufficiency, data security, and an environment that looks at foreigners with suspicion, says this report in WSJ. The pandemic has increased this view of foreigners in China, after China's experience with a deteriorating trade relationship with the US. Xi Jinping has not left the country since the pandemic started in January 2020. China has also seen an alarming drop in passengers going overseas or coming into China from 50 million in the first 8 months of 2019, to 1 million in the first 8 months of 2021, a drop of 49 million passengers, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration. Government directives are to minimize foreign travel as a result of the pandemic. People in the US see the operations in China of companies such as Apple and now Tesla as a sign of how well the system of international cooperation is functioning without realizing that these companies never had the understanding of the history and culture of the country after two centuries of struggle against colonialism. When the situation takes a different turn as it has after Mr. Trump raised the issue of American workers and loss of manufacturing, and after the pandemic created unexpected distrust, there is very little these companies have to offer to keep the relationship between two of the world's population blocs, between North America and the closely related population of South America, with the people of China, a billion people on each side. This shows that the relationship cannot be left only to the business and private sector driven by profit and business interests, that all sections of the population in China and in the US need to be involved for a stable relationship with ongoing human and cultural contacts at all levels. ...

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Ajaz Patel comes from a humble background in Mumbai before moving to New Zealand as a child. Here he recalls the excitement of getting his first cricket spikes. His father worked at his brother's automotive shop in the new country and his mother was a schoolteacher.

Ajaz did the incredible feat of getting all 10 wickets with spin bowling at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai in his first innings bowling for New Zealand. Like Jim Laker 10 for 53 against Australia in 1956, and Anil Kumble with 10 wickets against Pakistan, Ajaz's effort is a result of hard work, patience, and knowhow, says this report in The Times. And in Azaz's situation he had less experience as his first Test match was played at age 30 years. 

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Putin's visit to India is intended to continue India Russia dialogue. One of the topics is trade. New trade deals are planned to take pre-pandemic trade from $11 billion to $30 billion by 2025. Trade would go beyond energy to include education, cybersecurity, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, railways, clean energy. By comparison US India trade for the same time period is $146 billion.

Afghanistan is a source of concern for both Russia and India and this will be part of the talks. Russia also participates in several forums with India including BRICS. 

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Joni Mitchell is honored for her work at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm six year ago. She said: "I think the polio was a rehearsal for the rest of my life." after receiving her medallion. Howard performed Mitchell's classic song "Both Sides Now."

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India wins the second Test at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai over New Zealand by 372 runs, its biggest run win in cricket history.

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Karl Lauterbach, a popular physician, is the SPD's and Olaf Scholz's choice for Health Minister in Germany. Lauterbach says he will strengthen Germany's health care system and its vaccination drive. Klara Geywitz will head the new ministry of Construction and Housing setup by the SPD and Scholz, one of 2 East Germans in the new Cabinet. The new government plans to build 400,000 new apartments every year to ease a massive affordable housing shortage. Hubertus Heil will remain Labor and Social Affairs Minister to reorganize the unemployment benefits system and raise pay of care home workers. SPD will take 8 of 17 Cabinet positions, with the other nine going to Greens and FDP. There will be an equal number of male and female ministers- one of Scholz's promises. Germany moves in a new direction with new hope for the future.

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This report in WSJ looks at the effectiveness of booster shots in vaccination. Different hospital systems in the US say booster shots are extremely effective, making it vital that everyone get a booster shot as soon as possible.

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In 2020 soccer at filled football stadiums in northern Italy acted as superspreader events. Here the NYT looks at conventions as superspreader events and one recent convention in New York City, Anime (Japanese animation) convention at Javits Center, in late November 2021, that potentially could have acted as a spreader event though not confirmed according to NYT. Dense atmosphere and large crowds increase the risk of a super spreader event happening say experts.This happens as the new omicron variant in South Africa is seen in several countries. 

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Dairy farmers struggle against a historic drought in the San Joaquin Valley in California, that is driving up cost of water and cow feed. This north coastal region produces 90% of the milk in California. Dairy is California's biggest farm industry, bringing $20 billion to California's economy.

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In the US Los Angeles and New York City are the two most expensive cities. In Europe, Paris, Copenhagen, Zurich and Geneva. Tel Aviv is ranked the most expensive city in the world. In Asia Osaka and Singapore. Expensive is not a desirable situation as these cities have seen costs soar and become overcrowded, with better alternatives for visitors.

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Azaz Patel of New Zealand becomes only the third bowler in international cricket to take 10 wickets in one innings in the second Test India vs. New Zealand. He joins Jim Laker of England against Australia in 1956 and Anil Kumble India against Pakistan in 1999.

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The problems of vaccine access in Africa affect us all - this is the simple truth. Here the NYT gives letters from people on the frontlines, healthcare workers in Africa who in one situation in the Sudan had over 4000 people arrive some by canoe through floods and had only 545 vaccines. Africa Centers for CDC show 79% of people in Africa will take the vaccination. Vaccine access for Africa is something that should be on the top of the list for Biden in the US, Johnson in UK, Modi in India, Scholz in Germany, and for all world leaders.

 

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For the regions hardest hit by the coronavirus and its variants- the US, Brazil, India, Europe, Russia, China and Africa, the researchers and the frontline workers in South Africa are doing an incredible job. This report by Stephanie Nolan in the NYT shows the work of researchers at KRISPS advanced medical research center and the frontline workers in South Africa, who are making a difference. Shown are researchers and scientists at KwaZulu Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform in Durban, South Africa on whom the world depends for stepping up the fight against the coronavirus- Dr Tulio de Oliveira, principal investigator of the national genetic monitoring network, and Saleem Abdul Karim, epidemiologist. On the frontline workers who visit patients homes to make sure immune compromised patients have access to their medications is Sizakele Mathe, community health worker. Stephanie Nolan has provided a much needed account of what work is being done on the frontlines to keep us all safe. ...