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Rafael Nadal makes a remarkable comeback to beat Medvedev after losing the first two sets in the 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament. The match lasted 5 hours till 1 am the next day. Nadal says "Being honest one month and a half ago, I did not know if I will be back on the tour plying tennis again... you don't know how much I fought to be here." Nadal is one of the of the most resilient players in sports having comeback from difficult situations repeatedly, as he gives his all down to the last point regardless of the score. 

 

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The Mallorcan showed unbreakable spirit has he battled Medvedev, changing his game with drop shots, says Jason Gay in this report from the Australian Open final. In one of the most staggering wins Nadal won 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

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The modernization of the Indian Air Force proceeds with the phase out in 2 years of all MiG 21's to be replaced with Rafale jets from France and new Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft AMCA which will be made in India with advanced technologies for the Air Force and the Indian Navy.

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 Iranian drone attacks and French British interception efforts - a report from the French armed forces staff about shortages in munitions. Drone attacks by Iran in first 2 weeks of Iran war are as follows- 590 on Qatar and Kuwait, 500 and 550 on Saudi and Israel, 1700 on UAE. A flood of low cost Shahed drones intended to overwhelm defenses is used by Iran. Drones can be launched from all parts of Iran including from the countryside in a country 3 times the size of France. The drones also cost little to produce in large numbers in Iran. Munitions cost and cost of aircraft usage, other costs of Navy, run to $12.7 billion for the US and US asks for another $200 billion from Congress. France uses 24 Rafale jets Britain 8 Typhoon jets in this report from French armed forces and French munitions supplies are an issue as the war progresses. France uses MICA missiles for interception made at a factory in Bourges central France, with limited supply.

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This report on Tory politics of the past 12 years looks back at how it has failed to bring upward mobility to British working families, widened disparities, and failed to make needed investments for the future for infrastructure and renewable energy. Mr. Sunak is seen as only the last of a series of prime ministers in a tired Tory party with internal divisions, that through its austerity policies has failed Britain and the aspirations of working families for a brighter future.

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The former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez says intensity with quick passes and taking chances, is a key part of coach Tuchel's strategy for Chelsea as it takes on Real Madrid in the semifinals of the Champions League soccer games.

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Nuclear arms control SALT treaties expire Feb 2026 - need for new negotiations as the treaties were obsolete, did not include China, smaller nuclear weapons, and weapons from space. The SALT arms limitation treaty was first signed in 1972 by Brezhnev with Nixon. These treaties went through a second version and were renewed. The US no longer thinks this is relevant as China is not included, and smaller nuclear weapons, ones from space are not included and new negotiations are the best way to conduct true arms limitation. An accompanying video in NYT by David Sanger goes into these aspects of talks. Rafael Gross, head of IEA International Atomic Agency, says- You wouldn’t negotiate the same treaty again. There are new technologies that are not covered by the treaty — hypersonic missiles, undersea nuclear weapons, space weapons. And there are many other countries that, for one reason or another, feel now as if they may need a nuclear arsenal of their own.” This is the reason. It also happens that in 2026 US and Russia could coordinate their efforts, so that new US weapons may be needed as other risks could emerge from other places. There are smaller nuclear powers and new nations that might develop nuclear weapons as the US nuclear umbrella may be seen as not fully dependable. This new thinking would be that US and Russia may not see themselves as adversaries but work together to prevent nuclear risks from other sources. This is also why the US (and Russia) may want to wind down smaller regional conflicts, reduce their reliance on their own alliances, so that nuclear cooperation between nuclear powers US, Russia, China, and India may lead to control of nuclear weapons in a larger sense from space and from smaller countries that might develop nuclear weapons as has happened in Iran, which might create new risks that cannot be managed. A belligerent North Korea could lead to South Korea and Japan developing a nuclear weapon. This is also why the Ukraine conflict has run its course and it is in no one's interest to let the Nordics or Britain continue the conflict. The US, Russia, China, India, Brazil should not let middle or smaller powers continue regional or historical conflicts, and promote settlement through peace talks of such conflicts, as it inevitably leads to damaging the interests of billions of people around the world in peaceful cooperation and tackling challenges that affect the quality of life. ...

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The debate in parliament on the no-confidence motion against the Modi government in India. The speech made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi criticized the Modi government for crony capitalism and the lack of transparency in the Rafale aircraft deal. The motion of no-confidence was initiated by the TDP, Telegu Desam Party in the state of Andhra Pradesh.  It was defeated with 325 against and 126 in favor of which the Congress party had 65.

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 Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, says he hopes the IAEA visit to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine can take place within days. Both Mr. Macron and Mr. Putin have agreed that the inspection visit by IAEA should take place. This nuclear plant is under Russian control but run by Ukrainians and connected to the Ukrainian grid. The fears were that Russia would somehow disconnect it from the Ukrainian grid leading to issues of safety and potential of an accident from lack of cooling systems.

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The Guardiola Klopp rivalry and yet the deep respect for each other comes across in this video and report in The Guardian about the two best coaches and teams in world soccer. Klopp says that like Guardiola he looks forward to a time when he and Guardiola could sit together and have some wine together. It is a heck of a good relationship for world soccer and a role model for the ages.

"He has told me when we are not in charge of any club anymore we will sit together and have a glass of wine, even though I am not a big wine drinker."

"" I am not Roger Federer and he is not Rafael Nadal,but they compete on the highest level and are still best friends. Pep and I are not best friends because we don't know each other, but I respect him a lot, and he respects what we are doing as well, and that's fine."

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French nuclear force Rafale jets have $6.6 billion annual cost 2025. German leader chancellor Merz is considering sharing French nuclear arsenal for defense of Germany. Macron has met Merz 3 times and the discussions go on. Germany has removed its debt brake in its Constitution setup by Merkel, so that $ 1 trillion can be spent on infrastructure including defense spending. This report in the WSJ looks at the 290 warheads of France and 250 of Britain on submarines as deterrents with additional deterrent from US NATO nuclear forces. US has asked for burden sharing on conventional forces not nuclear forces. Yet Europe sees the US as less of a reliable ally under DJT in 2025, and considering building its own nuclear deterrent.

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Rafael Behr of the Hamburg Police Academy says that it is too easy to let the authorites off saying the Christmas market attack could not have been prevented considering the number of risks the police have to tackle. He says it is too easy for people who want to escape detection to lose their identity papers and anonymize themselves. After his request for asylum was detected he was let off following 2 days of detention because without identity papers how was he to be deported. This is a weakness that has to be addressed says Behr. Other problems are the bureaucratic handling between state agencies, and within the EU different countries sharing information. Amri spent 4 years in Italian jails for arson attack on a school. Shouldn't Berlin police know about this asks Behr. And even if the German authorites have different criteria for no fly lists, shouldnt the fact that he was on a no-fly list of the U.S. authorites have come up on the police radar, asks Behr. These are legitimate questions that the authorites have to answer or come up with solutions and share with the public as part of prevention efforts. ...

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On the production side output has fallen to an estimated 1.6 million barrels a day(U.S. government and independent analyst estimate) from nearly 3 million barrels a day in 1998. But even this is an estimate, PDVSA says its daily output is about 2.2 million barrels a day, and plans to boost it 4 million barrels a day by 2012. PDVSA points out that the oil exports to the US have remained steady at 1.5 million barrels a day. The content links to oil policy are 1. PDVSA direct involvement in economic development and social goals. 10% of annual investment budget to go to socail programs or about $1 billion a year. For private oil companies in joint ventures with government 3.3% of the local investment budget is required to go to social programs. Oil service companies include community projects such as low income housing in their bids. And spend 5% of the value of the contract in hiring worker owned service companies. Adding road construction and subsidized food programs the spending approaches $8billion for 2005 according to PDVSA. quote: "its not easy... but there will be no more projects with their backs turned to our reality." Rafael Ramirez President of PDVSA told industry executives in June. 2. According to the WSJ PDVSA's diminished production has cut world output by more than 1 %. PDVSA's 2004 financial results show exploration investment was only a meager $60 million in 2004 down from a small $174 million in 2001. Current wells are so old that that the ir output declines by about 23% a year, drilling new wells only keeps production levels stable. This decline can be seen also in the backdrop of the major strike in late 2002 and early 2003. At the time Chavez fired 19000 employees of PDVSA who opposed his policies. The employment levels are only now back to pre-strike levels. ...