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Oxford Biomedica is the company that is part of the consortium making the coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University's Jenner Institute.  Her Mr. Dawson describes the challenges he faced and cash crunches 4 times in 12 years, the last 4 years ago. The turning point he says was in 2012 when the cell and gene therapy was validated with a new drug developed for a form of cancer using this method. Oxford Biomedica is setting up a facility for manufacturing the vaccine in England at a 84,000 square foot former Royal Mail sorting facility in the city's business park called Oxpark. Dawson says cell and gene therapy is going to be big in health care. He did not see it coming till 2012. In 2014 he says during a cash crunch they had realized that what they had to do at Biomedica was to get to the time when it was going to be big. Today Astra Zeneca of the UK is organizing the effort and includes the use of British and Indian facilities for manufacturing, and Oxford University for research effort. ...

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T.S.R.Subramanium, India's most senior civil servant and his thoughts about Indian development, the civil service politicians and the judiciary, expressed in abook titled GovernMint in India. He was Cabinet Secretary under three prime ministers. He is interviewed here by the WSJ New Delhi Bureau chief, Paul Beckett. He talks about the timidity of the civil service in the face of political ineptitude and the political class using government to benefit themselves without the checks on them. He says the politicians have come to dominate the civil service , have no checks on what theydo, and are twisting the civil service for their own gain. He knows of three cabinet level ministers in the last government that made money from their positions, with nothing done about them. Proble here could be that the framers of the constitution had some tough problems to deal with. If they made the civil service all powerful, could it turn out that the civil service like in Japan would not bend to the wishes of the people? And if they made the civil service subject to the wishes of the people the politicians could use it for their own narrow purposes and affect the task of delivering essential services and progress to the people. They chose the latter. Its true that the British civil service was disciplined and honest but they did not have to respond to the wishes of the people. The only safety valve left by the framers was in the electoral process and the wisdom of the people in throwing out politicians who did not deliver. The problem of dignity and national purpose in politics had to be left to the people themselves, their leaders and the thinking public in the society. He sees the judiciary as having failed too, in controlling the politicians. And he sees part of the problem in that the judiciary stems from the same English educated class as the bureaucrats. Says T.S. R. Subramanium, the political class is the only one that is not constrained by checks and balances, follws no effective code of conduct, and considers itself king. Subramanium's solution of a messiah type figure, is quickly disapproved of by all his colleagues, and he takes pains to clarify that what he means is someone who can get the public backing to cleanse it. ...

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DJT was asked if China's celebration of Victory Day with Russia recently in Tianjin had any message for the US. He said he did not see it that way, that US has good relations with China. In this context the Smithsonian Museum exhibit on military history of the US shows a real aspect of the World War II in loss of life- Russia 17 million dead, China 11 million dead, Germany 10 million dead, Poland 5 million dead, Japan 2.5 million dead, US 1 million dead, UK 800,000 dead. Russian and Chinese losses of 28 million dead are 15 times the losses of US and UK combined of 1.8 million dead. With the scale of losses of such magnitude Victory Day celebrations in Tianjin can be seen in the context of this shared history and major losses overcome as much of the world knows with US help. A sobering view is that the colonial powers Imperial Japanese Army, French and British policies caused famines in World War II leading to 6-7 million deaths in India, Indonesia and Vietnam which is 4 times the 1.7 million US and UK deaths. Views of China in the Context of the Ukraine War and Russia are very different in US than in France and Europe and are widening in differences in 2025. In the US as in this report in the WSJ China is seen as a trade partner and competitor with certain issues, many of China's university leaders and experts question the prospect of a long term alliance with Russia, and for DJT Russia is a nuclear power with which US seeks good relations and a political settlement of the Ukraine War. In France as shown in the article in Le Monde adjacent to this the European attitudes towards Russia throughout European history since 1700 of regional rivalry between France and Russia, Germany and Russia since 1900, Britain and Russia since 1700. FDR led the alliance with Russia against the Nazis and Imperial Japanese in the 1930's and 1940's. Herbert Hoover led the effort to bring relief supplies and aid to Russian in the period of the Civil War after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. With China America kept the government in China functioning as it retreated from the invasion by the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1930's and 1940's and the only hope with Gen. Joe Stilwell in China alongside Chinese leaders. ...

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Changes to China's five year plan to include critical social goals, reduce income inequality, and provide a social safety net. The influence of local governments in distorting central government policy.

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All the regional groupings of countries and the post second world war institutions such as the UN, The Security Council, and the economic institutions IMF, World Bank, and the OECD, and the G-8, and the difficulty and controversy of inclusion or exclusion of emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India and China, as well as countries like Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa and so on. There are no easy answers but the gradual direction is for inclusion of emerging economies over time.

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A report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows growing income inequality in 34 OECD countries. OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurria says: "The social contract is starting to unravel in many countries. This study dispels the assumptions that the benefits of economic growth will automatically trickle down to the disadvantaged and that the greater inequality fosters greater social mobility. Without a comprehensive strategy for inclusive growth, income inequality will continue to rise." Countries with the largest ratios between incomes at the top and the bottom, are the United States, Turkey and Israel, roughly 14 to 1. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have ratios of 6 to 1, with their ratios up from the 1980's. Gaps in Chile and Mexico are at 25 to 1. The study covers the period from 1980 to 2008. Overall inequality went up by 25% in the U.S. from 1980. In 2008 the top ten percent in the U.S. earned $114,000, 15 times than incomes for the bottom 10%. The top 1% of Americans saw incomes go up from 1980 to 2008, increasing from 8 percent to 18 percent. The richest 1% having $1.3 million in after tax income, and the lowest 20% making $17,700. The trends have accentuated an increase at the highest end- the top 1% and top 10% of the people- and a sharp decrease for the bottom 20%, which can be grasped from the $17,700 and the $1.3 million, both at extreme ends. The study attributes the rise in inequality to a growing gap in wages for highly skilled workers as technology advances, a surge in foreign direct investment and a looser regulatory regime that reduces employee protections leading to wage premiums for financial jobs and smaller incomes for workers at the bottom. Income groups and professions and sectors that had the greatest influence in government were able during this period to get the greatest protection for incomes, and able also to maximize their incomes. Incomes in the financial sector increased dramatically in the last decade, as a result of deregulation leading to higher risk and speculative activities in the financial sector, leading to the financial crisis of 2008-2009. Financial crises further depress incomes at the lower end. Similiar income inequality trends can be seen for India and China. China has a Ginni coefficient of 0.5 according to researchers at Beijing Normal University, up from 0.3 three decades ago- a Ginni Coefficient above 0.4 is considered destabilizing. Another factor that played a part in these countries is corruption and lobbying by special interests for favored treatment of sectors or groups. Austerity measures taken in Europe and in the U.S. are likely to widen income gaps by depressing the lower end income groups, creating social unrest, especially in the absence of efforts to stimulate growth....

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How a bauxite project in Orissa, India, goes all the way to the Supreme Court over environmental objections. The uneven distribution of benefits of industrialization and the protests as India industrializes.

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Erdbrink describes the evolution of trade relations with China which helped Iran during the period of western sanctions. Because of trade with the U.S. and western partners, China was careful to use the Bank of Kunlun, created to handle financial transactions with Iran, for import of oil and export of automobiles and other products.

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India's plans to use its increasing production of wheat to fill the gap created by Ukraine and Russia not being able to meet the need of countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Arab countries, Africa and the Middle East. Stabilizing the price of wheat will be a great help for meeting the needs of people in these countries who are severely affected first by Covid and now by the increasing prices of essential supplies of wheat for their growing populations. Prudent agricultural policies and carefully meeting the needs of farmers should enable India to do this.

In this sense India could do what it has done with its vaccine supplies to countries in Africa and Asia- help meet essential needs during a health crisis and economic crisis for Asia and Africa.

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This obituary for FW De Klerk looks back at the dismantling of race based rule of Apartheid in South Africa in 1992, the release of Nelson Mandela, and elections in 1994 through universal franchise. This was done by the son of a schoolteacher in the Transvaal region who rose to the top through the provincial leadership. De Klerk took the actions to bring racial harmony after growing up as an Afrikkaner and working in the local politics of the National Party that introduced Apartheid rule. Before 1989 reforms in the Botha government left black people on 13% of the worst land in the country, tribal homelands in which they did not even live in, in a distorted form of representation. Limited representation was given to Indian ethnic minorities and colored people.  All this changed between 1992 and 1994 after De Klerk assumed leadership of the National Party and the government in 1989. This required great courage and statesmanship, and vision from De Klerk to set the foundations for a multiracial society that even Margaret Thatcher and Reagan failed to grasp and promote. De Klerk died in 2020. For Mandela the path was clear, for De Klerk the path had to be forged out of nothing and against the natural instincts of his own party. This saved south Africa to become a true multi racial society with respect for the rule of law and democracy. ...

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Bush's last news conference, or exit interview as he called it. He thinks about Katrina hurricane relief failure but says 30,000 people were lifted off rooftops. Iraq, the security council resolution 1441 did make it clear- disclose, disarm or face serious consequences. He thinks the "Mission Accomplished" banner on an aircraft carrier after liberating Iraq was a bad idea, and "Abu Ghraib", a big disappointment". But regarding Guantanamo Bay and Iraq he thinks it may be that the elite and some some countries in Europe find it unpopular. Some say that the moral standing of the US is damaged in the world. But he says go to Africa, go to India, and ask about their view of America. Go to China and ask. "But people still understand that America stands for freedom, that America is a country that provides such great hope."

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Minnesotan Franz Gastler sets up a soccer league for girls in the less developed northeastern Indian state of Jharkhand. It is called Yuwa, the Hindi word for youth. He put up some of his own money to pay for uniforms, equipment, and travel for the matches. Gastler got the idea while working for Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra, a nongovernmental organization focussed on economic development in Jharkhand. One day a girl told Gastler she wanted to learn to play soccer. Gastler thought this was an opportunity to teach young girls in a grass roots manner about things that would help them lead productive lives, and give them a sense of being able to accomplish things, build teamwork, confidence and a feeling of equality with men. It did not start out this way. Gastler, a 29 year old Boston University graduate, started out working for the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi, as a consultant in corporate responsibility, but after 6 months decided to join Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra.

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Krugman points to financial deregulation, cross border financial flows, private debt in dollars and depreciating currencies, and the U.S. Federal Reserve's low interest rate policies, as the main culprits for bubbles and the emerging market crises in the 1990's and 2013.

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Companies have to work hard to retainthe best young people and the best employees as good talent is scarce in India.

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Brazilians writing about Brazil in the Brazil Report. Brazil Report says Brazil has carefully avoided Chinese debt where it involves taking on debt that has risks for repayment. Brazil has not joined the BRI Belt and Road Initiative and it staking out its own debt free path to development like India. Xinhua in a recent article calls the "debt trap" a rhetorical trap set by the US and EU, arguing with World Bank figures that debt of Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina is 6.8%, 0.6% and 1.2% of GDP for these countries.  Here are the projects China has financed in Latin America using its technologies and manufacturing, $15 billion of greenfield investment in 2019, $12 billion in 2020-2022. Monterrey Metro and tram, Bogota Metro, Panama Canal fourth bridge Chancay megaport Peru Brazil- BYD EV plant, Santos port terminal, Curitiba 5G City, Cauchari solar plant Las Mambas copper mine, Lithium mines Argentina     ...

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US Universities awakening to the need to reduce costs after making college unaffordable to middle class. NIH says indirect costs are in the range of 60-70% at some elite universities, the proposal would cap this at 15% for all universities for federal funding. The purpose is to reduce administrative costs that are increasing and have universities take a hard look at finances not just increase salaries, hire more and increase prices for students to go to college. The savings generated could be $6.5 billion in this one action alone and some universities need to cut salaries and hire less to bring down their cost structure before a whole generation of young men are deprived of opportunities to go to college. Not everyone can be sent to apprenticeships and not all research needs to be funded. China and India and some European nations will be funding the same research with less. There is a Deepseek moment now not just for AI - for all research.

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Joydeep Gupta, director for South Asia at North Pole, environmental news site, says 2050 is important but even more important is what India does now. This is why what Modi promised at COP26 Glasgow for 2030 matters- achieving 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, improvements of 45% in reducing carbon intensity, and cutting carbon emissions by 1 billion tons. Here Gupta looks at what India will be doing, the obstacles and ways of achieving these goals.

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Karabell points out that Egypt ranks 137 in the world in per capita income (behind Tonga) and a population in the top 20. Two thirds of the population is under 30 years of age. The young in Egypt have no future with high rates of unemployment and little of the industrial development that you see in other large developing countries such as China, India, and Brazil. The 30 year rule of Mubarak also stifled any opportunity for public participation in the political process. During that rule Mubarak consciously decided to not pursue rapid economic development, something China has done even though it has a lack of public participation in the political process. As a result Egypt simply fell behind while the rest of the developing world improved opportunities in education, incomes and job opportunities.

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The results of a Wall Street Journal analysis of 11 countries shows the risk of a stretched out period of stagnation in the economies of the USA, the UK and Japan. Jobs is a critical area in which this is apparent. In Japan employment is down 3.3% from December 2007, in the UK 2% lower, and in the USA 4.8% lower from December 2007. U.S. household debt is down from 131% in early 2008 to 122%, and poses a big burden. In the UK the household debt is larger than in the USA. And Japan's deficits are over 200% of GDP, creating an overhang that depresses jobs and growth. S. Korea, Taiwan and Australia have benefitted from the recovery since 2008 in China, India and the rest of Asia.