Provided it eschews grand institutional visions and concentrates on grand practical visions - for prosperity, in energy, fighting crime, in developing defence capability - it has a huge, even exciting future. Enlargement has been remarkable.
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All of us too can see how Russia has emerged under President Putin as a stronger, more confident nation. But it also knows it is a major power and we rely on its energy resources. India is making extraordinary strides in every way.

That way, they [Iran] put obstacles in the path to peace, paint us, as they did over the Israel/Lebanon conflict, as the aggressors, inflame the Arab street and create political turmoil in our democratic politics.

The director general of a Russian oil consultancy company has been killed in an apparent contract killing in Moscow, officials say. Ms Magomedov was the head of the National Oil Institute Fund, which seeks to develop small and medium-sized oil and gas producers.

Poland vetoed the launch of talks between the European Union (EU) and Russia on a new pact covering energy, trade and human rights yesterday, less than two weeks before an EU-Russia summit, effectively blocking the start of talks. Warsaw insisted at an EU foreign ministers' meeting that Russia should first commit to opening up its oil and gas pipeline network.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently refused to sign the protocol, which would require Moscow to open its gas pipelines to third parties, or ratify the treaty. Entering the treaty would force Putin to end the supply monopoly of state-controlled gas company Gazprom.

Russia supplies more than 25% of the EU's energy.

Solar panels are now compulsory on all new and renovated buildings in Spain as part of the country’s efforts to bring its building rules up to date and curb growing demand for energy, ministers said on Monday.

This means new homes have to be equipped with solar panels to provide between 30 and 70 percent of their hot water, depending on where the building is located and on its expected water usage.

New non-residential buildings, such as shopping centers and hospitals, now have to have photovoltaic panels to generate a proportion of their electricity.

Nato advisers have warned the military alliance that it needs to guard against any attempt by Russia to set up an "Opec for gas" that would strengthen Moscow's leverage over Europe.

Countries that refuse to join international efforts to cut greenhouse emissions – such as the US and China – should face a European carbon tax on their imports, Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, proposed on Monday.

The controversial proposal is likely to heighten suspicions that Europeans are using environmental arguments to justify protectionist restrictions on trade. It would require full European Union support to become reality.

“It’s not right that Europe should make considerable efforts while other major players do not,” one of Mr de Villepin’s officials told Le Monde. “China is fast catching up Europe in high technology; it must also make an effort on environmental issues.”

Edinburgh City Council has announced that it is to waive planning permission for such attachments [wind turbines], in an attempt to meet government targets for cutting pollution.

It is a move which could see the city become one of the greenest in the UK. With the effects of global warming becoming ever more evident (soon summer holidays in Spain will be a thing of the past as the hordes return to Porty on hot summer's days) it's not before time.

Vehicles causing the most pollution in central London are to face huge increases in the congestion charge, mayor Ken Livingstone has announced.

The daily charge for vehicles in carbon emissions band G, which includes some 4x4s, is to rise to £25 from 2009. In 2008, the charge will be removed for cars in Bands A and B which produce the lowest emissions, Mr Livingstone said.

Russia's future as an energy superpower has been called into question by claims that it will not produce enough gas next year to satisfy both foreign and domestic demand due to years of under-investment.

Russia boasts 26.6 per cent of the world's gas reserves and Gazprom, the state-controlled energy giant, is the world's largest producer of gas.

But a leaked report from Russia's Energy Ministry says gas is not being extracted as quickly or efficiently as it should be and next year, for the first time, there will be a small shortfall.