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An estimated 135,000 die in road accidents in India each year with the figure reaching 250,000 by 2025, according to experts. WIth 2% of the world's cars India has 12% of the road accident deaths.

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This editorial in the HIndu newspaper says more than the Rs. 2000 crore allocated for Ayushman- for covering 10.74 crore families with Rs 5 lakh health  coverage- is needed. This should have been setup earlier and it is now time to upgrade the public health infrastructure so that it can handle the much needed care of 40% of the population given free coverage upto Rs 5 lakh under PMJAY.

Not all states have joined. The challenge of tight cost control has to be met through defined treatment packages for which rates are prescribed so that the challenge of standardization of facilities and reasonable rates for procedures is met.

Prevention is also of great importance and here the 150,000 health and wellness centres across India of the National Health Protection Mission have a special role to play.

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Mr. McDonnell, says to loud applause at the annual Britain's Labor Party conference in Liverpool- "the greater the mess we inherit, the more radical we have to be." Mr. McDonnell told the Labor Party that the power balance had shifted against labor and workers in the last decade. The Brexit Secretary of the Labor Party left the option open for a second referendum on Brexit with the option "remain." Serious divisions have emerged within the ruling Conservative Party in Britain on the issue of withdrawal from the European Union. For the first time the Labor party conference endorsed the idea of nationalizing utilities, postal and rail companies and setting up a fund that would finance a $650 annual dividend for workers, with 10% of stock reserved for workers in companies with more than 250 employees. About a third of the seats will also be reserved for labor on company Board of Directors so that worker interests are better represented. Stagnating wages and low productivity is a major issue for the Labor Party in Britain. Mr. John McDonnell, as economic leader of the Labor Party, cited the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, critical of the current situation with stagnation and low wages, lack of upward mobility. ...

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Working America, an arm of the U.S. trade union the AFL-CIO, conducted conversations with 350,000 voters in 17 U.S. states. Here a representative of Working America, says the overwhelming response to the question "does it make a difference whether Democrats or Republicans are in power for my well being," is reflected in one of the responses- "does it even matter?"

The suggested approach here is for Democrats in particular who have represented working class voters in the past, to start with a fresh approach by creating new conversations with working class Americans.

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This letter in the New York Times questions the wisdom of the NYT report that Mr. Rosenstein suggested in 2017 Justice Department meetings the need for invoking the 25th Amendment for the removal of the U.S. president Trump. It says this would lead to departure of Mr. Rosenstein as Deputy Attorney General and leaves the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in U.S. elections without support from the Justice Department. Mr. Rosenstein says today he does not see a need for the invoking of the 25th Amendment

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Polls show support for the two main parties in Germany, the CDU and the SDU, Christian Democrats and Social Democrats at new lows. Part of the reason is that the Social Democrats have not reflected their working class base, and the Christian Democrats have dissensions going forward with the CSU. The AfD is stronger in east Germany as the situation evolves with smaller parties having more support.

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This article in the New York Times makes an extraordinary report about Rod Rosenstein, U.S. Deputy Attorney General and his views on president Trump following Trump's firing of FBI Director Comey. New York Times says it has based its report on meetings in which Rosenstein participated with Justice Department and FBI officials. Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Sessions, the Attorney General, attended a meeting at the White House last year with Mr. Trump in which he agreed to write the memo cited by Mr. Trump for firing Mr. Comey. Rod Rosenstein had no idea at the time that Mr. Trump would cite his memo, and felt afterwards that he had been used by Mr. Trump, according to this report in the NYT. Leading Democrats were very critical of Mr. Rosenstein for providing the memo that served as the basis for firing Mr. Comey. Mr. McCabe who succeeded Mr. Comey and others also left the Justice Department and the FBI, and the events of that time has created dissension in the FBI and the Justice Department, leading to the release of this information to the New York Times.  Mr. Rosenstein according to this report based on internal meetings with Justice Department officials, was concerned about the chaotic situation in the White House following the firing of Mr. Comey of the FBI. During this time it is reported here Mr. Rosenstein suggested recording of the president and invoking of the 25th Amendment. The 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides for removal of the President by the Vice President and cabinet officials on certain grounds such as when the president "is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." Mr. Andrew McCabe, who was head of FBI following Mr. Comey's firing was also fired, and he has memorialized his interactions with Mr. Rosenstein in memos that are now with the Mueller investigation.  Not everyone thinks this is a constructive step as a letter in the New York Times questions the wisdom of such a report leading to the departure of Mr. Rosenstein. Mr. Rosenstein is seen by some as defending the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. But even this may be overstated or in doubt as the criticism of Democrats leading to the the release of the report by the NYT on Rosenstein shows. Mr. Rosenstein says in response to the NYT report that he sees no need for invoking the 25th Amendment. ...

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With only 8% of the world's population Latin America has a third of the world's murders. Cities such as Acapulco once a tourist resort in Mexico are now seeing 953 violent deaths out of a population of 800,000. Daily tally for Brazil, Mexico, Central America and other countries in Latin America is 400 murder deaths and yearly 145,000 dead. One in four happens in Brazil, Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela. Mexico 31,174, Brazil 63,808. In China according to the UN it was 8,634. For European Union 5,351.

 

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The median age in Uganda is only 16 years, the second youngest population in Africa after Niger. Most of Africa is under leaders from another generation, as pointed out in this WSJ report.

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Automakers will have to ensure that 40 to 45% of a car's content is made by workers in the U.S. earning at least $16 per hour. If this is not met automakers pay a 2.5% tariff for cars brought in from Mexico. Mexico makes 2.3 million cars and Canada 1.8 million. Automakers invested tens of billions of dollars in Mexico turning it into a lower cost export hub. This has led to job loss in the U.S. Mr. Trump's efforts in the new trade deal with Mexico are designed to increase investment in the U.S. auto industry.

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President Trump pushes forward with a deal with Mexico so that it can be signed before the new Mexican administration of Lopez Obrador takes over. This means leaving Canada out and having a separate deal with Canada later on. Mr. Trump sees negative connotations in the term NAFTA and would like to call it the "United States - Mexico Trade Agreement." Terms for Canada to join the agreement would be tougher and the pressure on Canada to strike a separate deal was increased with Mr. Trump saying there could be tariffs on imported Canadian made cars. Mexico has accepted revisions to NAFTA that make it harder for Mexico to challenge U.S. trade penalties. Mr. Trump's negotiating position is based on his conviction that the eagerness of other nations to sell in the U.S. market gives the U.S. a lot of clout. Mr. Trump also faces pressure from within the Republican Party to show results not just by imposing tariffs and playing hardball on trade but to come up with new trade deals. Steps taken by Mr. Trump were to impose tariffs of 25% on imports of aluminium and steel, and 25% tariffs on a list of imports from China including solar panels. President Trump hopes to get support from Democrats by including provisions that support trade unions in Mexico and higher wages in Mexico. The provisions also require higher wage labor in the U.S. to build the required U.S. content and are designed to support American jobs and wages in the auto industry.   ...

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This Wall Street Journal editorial says the Trump-Lighthizer strategy is to blow up global supply chains and a political strategy to win Democratic votes. It is critical of the reduced protections for American business from expropriation, which it says is intended to keep American jobs at home. It is also critical of the attempt to leave NAFTA by setting up separate trade deals with Mexico, and later with Canada. Business has favored keeping the North American supply chains intact. The editorial praises the 16 year duration of the agreement with Mexico offering more certainty for investors.