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China's agriculture based on small farms is undergoing a change as the government pushes automated farming and large farms in the face of limited imports from the U.S. China put tariffs on agricultural imports from the U.S. in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports. China's Agriculture Ministry says it will build 254 "strong agricultural industrial towns" as models for the country. President Xi stated on a visit to northeastern province Heilongjiang, that "unilateralism and trade protectionism are rising, forcing us to take the road of self reliance." The yield per hectare in the U.S. for soybeans is about twice that in China. Mechanized farming is limited in China because it would eliminate many jobs in rural areas. As the state has ownership of land and farmers merely use land, farmers are less likely to take risks with large long term investments. It can be risky for farmers to rent their land use rights to others, which would lead to consolidation.  Now a separate "Made in 2025" plan makes upgrading farm machinery and equipment one of the 10 goals. China may lift ban on genetically modified seeds now that ChemChina has acquired Swiss seed company Syngenta. China plans to partner with Asian Development Bank to provide $6 billion of loans, grants and investment to fund a list of development projects in rural areas, to modernize agriculture. WSJ cites a project of consolidation into an 8200 acre farm in Shandong province that  has increased yields 43% by investing in new farm equipment and planting machines, pesticide spraying drones. Scaling up has made this possible.    ...

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Senator Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate Majority leader, and Speaker Ryan, achieved a win in the U.S. Congress which is expected to set a new trend of bipartisan cooperation, as the House passed the bill in Dec. 2015 for $1.1 trillion spending with a vote of 316 to 113, and the Senate with vote of 65 to 33. The persuasion on the Republican side was based on giving Speaker Ryan a strong hand in negotiations with the White House in 2016. Ryan secured a lifting of the oil export ban for the Republican side in return for flexibility in spending. Ryan deftly sent the issue of Puerto Rico having access to bankruptcy laws to the committe chairmen to come up with a plan in March to get the needed votes. Democrats had pushed for aid to Puerto Rico. Also included in the bill that passed is giving more voice to emerging market countries China and India in the running of the IMF.

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Immigration to the U.S. from Mexico declines by 2013, when China and India passed Mexico in the the number of immigrants from each country. About two thirds of people of Mexican origin are native born compared to two thirds of people of Asian origin being foreign born.

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Chidambaram in an interview with the WSJ says he thinks India can sustain 8% growth in 2008 and 2009 and keep inflation in control at the same time bringing it down to closer to 5%, both of which would be acceptable in the more difficult global environment.

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NATO Summit in Madrid comes right after the G7 Summit. Just days before the NATO Summit in Madrid a number of important steps are taken. The NATO Response Force is increased from 40,000 which lacked deterrence to 300,000. Additional military spending of $100 billion announced will increase spending by the amount of the entire Russian defense budget. Turkish backing for Finland and Sweden to join NATO was negotiated bringing more capabilities and a long border with Russia in the Baltic into the picture. The G7 Summit will be seen as setting the framework of close cooperation and understanding of leaders of western and eastern democracies in the world including Africa, Latin America and Asia. Invited were leaders of South Africa, Argentina, India and Indonesia, major parts of the Free World in the 20th century and now into the 21st century. NATO Summit in Madrid adds to these leaders the leaders from Australia and South Korea. The idea here is to address the changing situation in Asia with China's aggressive posture in the Himalayas, the South China Sea, and with Taiwan, and the close cooperation with Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. ...

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The world would need 3 Germanys to provide the resources that one Germany consumes today. Earth Overshoot Day looks at the sustainable resources and how much each country consumes of resources. By July 28 planet earth had already consumed all the natural resources it could sustainably regenerate for the year. Experts say Earth would need three quarters of another Earth to provide the amount of resources consumed by our planet today. Everything makes a difference as European Union plans to cut energy use by 15%. Drying clothes on a line instead of in the dryer, shorter hot water baths, turning off lighting for monuments in cities, changing household lights to LED's, lowering the thermostats by a few degrees in winter, cutting out meat for just one or two days a week. The way Overshoot Day works out the arithmetic 1970 was the year when Earth passed the line where sustainable resources that could be regenerated and the consumption of these resources were equal. From then on it was a wild spree in places like Germany and then China, and it is how countries like India take up the work of renewable energy and limiting use of valuable resources that will affect the future. ...

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Justin Lahart of the WSJ says the positive news from the May unemployment report comes as a complete surprise. No one expected the addition of 2.5 million jobs, and the reduction of the unemployment rate from 14.7% to 13.3% for May, as reported by the Labor Department. Lahart says that even though the response rate for the Labor Department survey measuring the jobless rate had only 67%- instead of the usual 82%- it is broadly reliable. About half of the jobs bounceback comes from the leisure and hospitality industry. Some of this from the creative ways restaurants responded by doing an active takeout business and bringing in some of the workers.  Other businesses also responded in creative ways to keep running. As long as the reopening of the economy can be done safely, more people can be back to work. The significant relief from the government for small business could also help these businesses weather the crisis. The Global Vaccine Summit recently opened provided more positive news. Plans are underway for India's Serum Institute to produce 400 million doses of the Oxford vaccine by December, providing more hope for recovery. ...

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A Hyundai shipyard can build a military ship for $600 million that would cost the US about three times that number -$1.6 billion. South Korea can control costs with its marine shipyard capacity to build 40 ships a year in shorter time frame by 20 months. Note that the US had 17 shipyards in 1970, by 2020 it had dropped to 5 ships. Why is this a problem? China has this type of advantage in cost and expertise so that it would be even with the US current capacity by 2030.  Naval power made it possible for first Britain and then the US to provide the structure for the Modern World based on science and technology to grow and improve living standards. Unlike in the colonial era the US has helped raise living standards in China, India, South Korea, Indonesia, all parts of the world.  An administration that has focus and concentration in its leadership and is based on a concept of the Modern World based on science and technology is best suited for the task of renewing America for its role for the next generation of Americans. ...

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Compare AI models for versions v2 v3 by DeepSeek that cost $5.6 million with Anthropic AI model that cost $100 million+, and one gets the order of magnitude in cost for the new DeepSeek China model vs its US counterparts.  The hundreds of billions of dollars that OpenAI and big spenders such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft would have to drain capital markets would be a disaster for workers and families in the US and the standard of living, the infrastructure improvements that don't get done, and the investments in transportation and other vital needs such as schools, education and healthcare that directly impact the cost of living and the standard of quality of life in America and other countries. This is where competing models from China, from India, and from European countries can get us back to where we want to be to continue improving the cost of living and standard of living, quality of life in America for workers and families. This is the choice workers and families made in 2020 and in 2025, rejecting the wasted resources in wars that serve no purpose, and rebuilding the Nation's infrastructure, its water, schools, transportation, healthcare, childcare.  ...

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The firing of Tata CEO Cyrus Mistry by Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Tata Group, leads to a prolonged crisis at the companies of the Tata Group. A vote is needed at Tata Motors and Tata Steel for Mistry to be ousted from these companies following a vote to oust him at TCS. The parent company's board of directors have voted to oust Mistry. The expert view is that the crisis will not last much longer as all Tata companies need the Tata name and will eventually fall in line with the wishes of Ratan Tata. Ratan Tata followed J.R.D. Tata, and Jamsetji Tata, both legendary leaders of the company. Though Mr. Mistry's family owns 18% of the company, much of the reputation of the company lies in the Tata name and the work of JRD and Jamsetji, so that the 660,000 employees of India's largest company are likely to see this as a temporary setback in the long term.

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OECD studies and views of experts show India's current inflexible labor laws hurt manufacturing workers by denying workers the benefits that would come from larger enterprises in a formal economy, and reducing job growth. Labor laws currently in place provide inducement to keep companies small, with less than 100 workers, the threshold at which labor laws on hiring and letting go of employees are enforced. The Modi government is implementing reforms as pilot programs in states where it is running the state government. Rajasthan is being used for this pilot overhaul of labor laws to attract manufacturing investment.The idea is to create competition between states to attract investment as one state gains in employment growth and good jobs.

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Ram Ramadorai of Tata Consultancy Services talks about his cross cultural experiences setting up the American offices of TCS in New York, his interest in western classical music, his love of reading, and taking long walks by the ocean in Mumbai with his wife who is a vocalist. His years at UCLA getting a Masters degree in Computer Science, making his first trip to Los Angeles from India in 1969. How he joined NCR as a programmer testing codes for computers. Being a fan of the UCLA Bruins. His return to India in 1972 and joining TCS as a programmer in Mumbai. How he found amentor in TCS founder Faqir Chand Kolhi. He has helped the company grow to where it now has 130,000 employees. He travels 6 months of the year and he says his wife often travels with him.

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Two German Patriot air defense systems are to be transferred to Ukraine and replaced by the US. The decision by Germany's Merz comes as Kyiv suffers a cruise missile attack that destroys an apartment block leading to 31 dead and 159 wounded on July 31, 2025. Five of 8 cruise missiles used evaded air defense systems.  The war brings ancient history important to Russia in the founding of the Russian state in European history before 1450 and complicated history after the Communist Bolshevik Russian revolution in the Ukraine region, the Cold War and Russia returning to its historic role of a Northern European Power. Russian commentary on Russian nationalism today suggests Russia seeks acceptance as a major European power without Wall Street's evaluation based on GDP of nations leaving Russia middling status. Wall Street gives disproportionate importance to China relative to India, Russia and Brazil three large nations on 3 continents for example. Witkoff is on the way as DJT emissary to Russia to seek some solution, but the war drags on as Russia sees itself making slow yet steady progress and seeks to end the war on terms favorable to it following huge loss of life estimated at hundreds of thousands. In August both sides including DJT are losing patience. DJT offers more sanctions but says at the same time that this may not deter Russia. Following SPD's Scholz frustrated yet restrained approach to the war, Chancellor Merz is investing in a rebuilding of Germany's defense forces and it's infrastructure. ...

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Black or illicit money in India is estimated to be $400 billion to $1 trillion, much of it in the domestic economy. About 30% of land transactions are in black money, and it is growing with 500 and 1000 rupee notes increasing in circulation by about 79% and 106% between 2011 and 2016, according to government sources. The Narendra Modi government has announced that 500 and 1000 rupee notes will no longer be accepted in transactions as of midnight. People have 50 days to exchange them at banks, and banks will keep records so that this money can be taken into account for taxes due. A senior official in the Department of Economic Affairs, Mr. Das, says-"You cannot have a shadow economy representing a substantial percentage of the real economy." Big banks will be closed on Nov. 9, and ATM's till Nov. 11, 2016. Mr. Modi, the prime minister said in a televised address: "In the last few years the specter of corruption and black money has grown." He cited "the challenges posed "by threat of terrorism, the challenge posed by corruption and black money." ...

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Efforts to ramp up the actions on stopping illegal migration in the EU after the US president describes the shaky situation in Europe. EU ministers agree on centralized list of safe states to return migrants- Bangladesh, India, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. EU plans to downgrade trade ties with countries that do not cooperate. The idea of return hubs outside the EU are proposed by Denmark. Denmark is now working with UK to help the UK develop a Denmark style policy that cuts down illegal migration after the unrest in Britain over asylum hotels. Failure to act quickly and have a comprehensive approach that works to reduce illegal migrants across borders can lead to governments such as the UK being voted out for other parties with strong anti-immigration stance as the mood shifts in Europe.

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This analysis from The Times of London provides critical information on the strategy for successfully tackling the coronavirus following the example of South Korea and progress in Britain.

The random community testing is key to getting an idea of the scale of infections in the community at large. The critical ratio called reproduction ratio tell one if the virus is under control and how lockdowns can be lifted. For Britain this 0.7 estimated by Imperial College. It has a 2 week lag. 1.0 or close to 1.0 is not good. Germany after being at about 0.7 has moved up to 1.0 with 2 week lag in information says the Robert Koch Institute. This means a lot of work ahead, it won't be easy.

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As a daughter of immigrants from Madras, India and Jamaica in the West Indies, and raised as the eldest daughter of a single parent her mother Shyamala Harris in Berkeley area near San Francisco, she was constantly around activists, and fighters for civil rights. This has shaped her during the period as prosecutor in Oakland, California, and in the political struggles to emerge as Attorney General and then Senator from California.  She chose to study at Howard University, a leading school for Black students and UC San Francisco School of Law. Much of her career is seen as struggling against racism as a black woman with Asian background trying to come out into a leadership position. As a result not much can be said about what she stands for in a political platform, according to this report and from her experience running as a presidential candidate against Biden and Bernie Sanders. By contrast Biden and Sanders being in the Senate for decades are better defined in terms of policies and positions.  ...

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The 22 states that formed the state of Rajasthan 22 months after independence in 1947 were part of the Rajputana Agency under the British Empire in India. It spanned 330,000 square kilometres with an agent under the Governor General in charge at Mount Abu. All had Hindu rulers except Tonk and most of them were Rajput except for Jat rulers in Bharatpur and Dholpur. These states were not affected by the 1857 revolt against British rule because they remained loyal to the British. Sardar Patel, deputy prime minister, headed the States Ministry with VP Menon as Secretary. The integration to form the new state happened in stages. The first union was the Matsya Union of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, at the eastern edge of the Rajputana Agency by March 18, 1948. Nine other states near Udaipur in the south east merged to form the Rajasthan Union by March 25, 1948. On March 30, 1949, Patel pulled in 4 states bordering Pakistan, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, and Bikaner into Greater Rajasthan. The Matsya Union was merged into this state. In 1956 under States Reorganization Act Ajmer was added from federal rule and Abu Taluk was integrated into Rajasthan. ...

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India wins a no confidence vote in Parliament by 275 votes to 256 a wider margin than expected and is expected to push forward with the nuclear deal with the USA. Elections will now be held in May 2009 for Parliament and Prime Minister.

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After the Epping protests on asylum seekers at hotels- 32000 asylum seekers housed in 210 hotels in UK- disturbing public safety, the UK Home Secretary is  in no mood to let illegal migrants disrupt the entire Labour program for reviving Britain's economy. Denmark is the model where Mette Frederickson has bravely fought the battle against illegal migrants and trafficking by smugglers of people across the Mediterranean and across the English Channel. Labour MP's in the north and northeast of England understand this with the option from UK Reform to end this whole thing about illegal migration altogether. Labour has to do soul searching on why it has taken so long to figure this out and why the plan to house immigrants in hotels was put forward in the first place and tougher action taken by Denmark for the last 8 years not adopted earlier. It shows a complete disregard and disrespect for the British system of parliamentary democracy of the 500 years or going back to Magna Carta itself, when the people of Britain and their public safety, their freedom to live in dignity without illegal migrants in their neighborhoods across Britain, is not respected by local and thenational government. This is something that even the people of India, of China, and other Asian countries, African countries, and Latin American countries who understand the contributions of the British parliamentary system to their own governance can readily grasp and respect- the freedom and dignity of the British people in their own neighborhoods to live in complete public safety. ...

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India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai says India will only give recognition to multilateral sanctions imposed by the United Nations. He said: We have accepted sanctions which are made by the United Nations. Other sanctions do not apply to individual countries. We don't accept that position." He was referring to the sanctions program of the U.S. government, under which countries would be granted exceptions and waivers from U.S. sanctions. Iran is the second largest source for India's oil purchases after Saudi Arabia. A multi-ministerial delegation from India is visiting Iran, and the delegation says Mathai will "work out a mechanism for uninterrupted purchase of oil from Iran and to work out a financing mechanism." South Korea which gets 10% of its oil from Iran plans to get an exception to U.S. sanctions under which it would reduce Iranian imports in 6 months from the date of a U.S. sanctions law.