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A law that is in the Must Have category for Parents, School teachers and Educated Children in the US, Canada, Britain and India, finally gets passed in Australia. Of huge benefit to Australian Parents and School Teachers- after December 10 2025 social media Meta Tik Tok and You Tube are required to remove all under 16 accounts. Chinese children and school teachers, parents have the benefit of such laws regulating the use of social media which in the current climate of license, of leaving childrens, parents and school teachers to fend for themselves, leaving young girls to fend for themselves, has not happened in other nations.

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Mexico sends 80% of its exports to the US, and China a significant $439 billion in additional exports to US, which makes it incredible that for so long it did not take effective action to stop fentanyl flows, and Mexico allowed migrant trafficking across it's borders through 2016-2024. Even in the face of this becoming an explosive issue in the US with DJT elected in 2016 and the Border Wall being built. A silent but still existing in plain sight idea that the US would tolerate such flows became part of the culture in media outlets in the US and Europe and China and other parts of the world, even when there was a storm of discontent building about manufacturing shipped overseas hurting communities in the US since 2010, with added burden of safety endangered in these neighborhoods from fentanyl, drugs and illegal migrants. What worsened this situation and pain in the US was the idea that somehow it was the US's fault, an incomprehensible disdain for the US, US that enabled the modernization of China, Mexico, and Canada's economies. China sends $439 billion in exports more than the US does to China (US exports $143 billion China $582 billion in 2024). It is only surface presentation of indignation of face saving that these trading partners are showing when the real facts point to an extraordinary and incomprehensible disdain for the US as a nation in decline. There is a feeling in parts of Europe of American disdain for  Europe, without mention of the disdain for the US in Europe, China, Mexico and Canada and other parts of the world. Particularly disdain for neglected communities in the US that have suffered for far too long under previous administrations of Clinton-Bush-Obama with shipping of manufacturing and jobs overseas and inaction on drugs and illegal migrant flows. The EU Canada retaliatory approach has not worked. When DJT proposed doubling the tariffs imposed by US in the face of Canada EU retaliatory steps, the EU and Canada pulled back. Part of the reason is that in the case of Canada it is an economy one tenth the size of the US. The other is that there are real concerns on the US side that Canada EU are not playing fairly in trade. And Canada, Mexico, China, have not stopped the flow of fentanyl into the US.  ...

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It is too early to say it is a playbook. Trudeau's action may be more effective in the long run. The issue of fentanyl from Mexico is different in 2025 from the first term of DJT in 2016, 8 years later with 490,000 deaths from fentanyl in the US, a part of America's younger generation- unprecedented in American history and since the settling of the American continent since 1600. Fentanyl smuggling into the US from Mexico is the biggest issue facing the US along with closing the US Border. This report in the WSJ says Sheinbaum tried to deflect 25% tariffs by making the offer of sending 10,000 troops to the US Border. This was similar to her predecessor saying he would send 28,000 troops to the Guatemala Mexico border to stop migrants. DJT raised the issue. The week before the Feburary 3, 2025 call between Sheinbaum and DJT the White House said Mexican drug-trafficking organizations “have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico.” These are aspects of the problem that the White House needs addressed in effective ways to stop the flow of fentanyl into the US. Action from the first term of DJT has not solved the problem so that DJT will have to find real effective solutions. The Canadian government followed its own approach. It set $140 million for a new unit to gather intelligence on organized crime. And appointed a head for an organization on stopping fentanyl from entering the US. Canadian PM Trudeau followed the US and DJT in labelling the Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations. Issues the US faces with Mexico that remain unresolved are the $150 billion deficit and bringing home US manufacturing in the auto industry back to the US.   ...

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A music enthusiast who played in a rock band, before studying political science at the University of Hanover, and running for parliament, Lars Klingbeil comes from humble roots in Saxony. He led the campaign which brought the SPD Social Democrats to power in 2020 federal elections, and also into an election where the SPD secured only 16% of the vote a new low in 2025. Klingbeil comes as much of a surprise in the way his amiable manner and personality convinced the CDU leader Merz to give him the Finance Ministry as well as the support for major investments in the German economy. This was a goal the SPD failed to accomplish under Scholz with his Finance Minister from the FDP Christian Lindner blocking investment plans for 4 years. The frustration in the SPD is intense and Klingbeil and Merz coming together on borrowing and massive investments in infrastructure and defense is something of a miracle after the Merkel years and the constitutional brake she put in place on spending.  Right from the start the SPD and the CDU realized that this was their last chance as Merz put it to get things right before the far right or some other party took over. Problems that require investment- in crumbling infrastructure and obsolete transportation, lack of investment in IT, problems in childcare and in cost of living could not be postponed. Risks had to be taken, and the 28% of the vote CDU had needed the 17% of the vote of the SPD with the Greens 12%, total 57% of the 2025 vote, to act fast and decisively. ...

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Dipti Deshpande writes in the Economic Times that how India's economy recovers depends a lot on how well the government tackles the problems of vaccine supplies, vaccination staff and incentives for vaccination to the public, vaccination logistics, and vaccination skepticism. Vaccination plays a large role in the reduction of fear and permits resumption of normal activity as seen in the US, UK and France. Government education of the public on vaccine safety should be conducted on an organized basis across the country starting now for the gaol of vaccinating the entire population by December 2021. In the 200 days remaining in 2021 the government would have to administer over 1000 million doses or at the rate of 5 million doses a day just for the single dose population, with the second dose meaning additional supplies and logistical effort, organized health staffing, all to be organized.  The thrust of this article is that the economy and especially laggard sectors such as services would gain a fully powered recovery if the problems of vaccine supplies and vaccination drives are resolved early with preparation, lessons learned, and proactive action all taking place immediately. The period after the decline in cases to below 50,000 a day which is fast approaching for India is one that needs to be used to take deep yogic breaths, and prepare the Indian mind for the next challenge for government and nation.   ...

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A stronger U.S. economy, gradual upswing in Europe and Japan, makes the stock market downturn in Jan. 2016 of a completely different nature than the one in 2008. Problems are seen in some emerging markets, including China. Oil price decline helps India and oil importing countries.

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The US oil embargo in 2022 is not a big decision for president Biden. The US only imports 3% of its oil and 1% of its coal from combatant nations in Europe's east. 70% of the oil from that region cannot find buyers because of sanctions risk says the WSJ. This WSJ view from the Editorial Board says Biden's policy of not boosting US fossil fuels production is contrary to what makes sense in the current situation of high oil prices. Seen from the point of view of US commitments at COP26 Glasgow and global warming effects on the planet, president Biden's commitment to boost renewable energy and use this as an opportunity to make the US less dependent on fossil fuels presents an alternate perspective. One that is needed looking beyond the situation that is faced in 2022.

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Cloud computing is a growing $300 billion business, with Amazon a key player having 28% of the market. It competes with Google and Microsoft in cloud computing. Andy Jassy has built the cloud computing business with $51 billion in sales. It generates 10% of sales in the final quarter of 2020 for Amazon but over half the profit. Renting out server space and software to customers is a profitable business compared to online retail. Sales of $12.7 billion in the final quarter of 2020 generated $3.6 billion in profit. And growth a brisk 28% over the prior year quarter.

Satya Nadella ran the cloud computing business at Microsoft before becoming CEO. IBM named a new CEO from this business that revived growth. Now Andy Jassy is promoted to CEO at Amazon in the sequence of new CEO's from cloud computing.

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In some countries such as Tanzania and Chad the vaccination drives have not even begun says this report in the DW.com. A new surge now underway in Africa as cases increase by 30% in June comes at abad time with African vaccination drives stalled. Only 31 million doses adminstered in Africa for a population of 1 billion people. Less than 1% of world vaccine supplies are going to poor countries in Africa and Latin America.

Vaccine companies chose to sell their vaccines to the highest bidders, putting Covax  behind. Aims of Covax are also coming down and watered down to vaccinating 20% or 30% of the population in poor countries, says this report in DW.com.

This means new variants could develop and move back to Asia and Europe, the US in 2022. It means the coronavirus could affect African economies in 2022 and beyond.

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After sanctions were lifted in 2016 on Iran India and China increased oil imports from Iran. China and India ramped up imports each country importing 900,000 barrels of oil per day in 2016. Since then China has reduced imports from Iran to 500,000 and India has reduced imports to 600,000 in anticipation of possible sanctions. India received a limited waiver from sanctions for oil paid in rupees before sanctions were lifted. 

Chinese officials say alternatives for importing oil are available, and that it is more concerned about the price of oil.

Oil prices affect development because as in the case of Indonesia and India reduced oil subsidies and savings can be diverted into infrastructure development in Asian countries. The recent surge in the price of oil adds to the pressure on budgets and fiscal deficits in developing countries.

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VW brings back the Scout brand to the US adding it to VW and Audi brands. VW will invest $1 billion initially to manufacture the Scout EV vehicles in the US with additional investments after preparing the ground for the manufacturing plant. VW acquired the Scout brand name with its acquisition of Navistar in 2020. Navistar was created in 1985 from the International Harvester Company which went out of business.

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Plans of the Biden administration to bring back workers to the workforce in 2023 by increasing worker benefits. The place seen where America is lacking is participation of younger women in the workforce and older people who chose to retire during Covid. Increasing child care and benefits for child care is one line of action. Other approaches are being explored by Brian Deese of Biden's National Economic Council.

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The effort by prime minister Modi under Rozgar Mela to create 1 million new jobs in 2023 to mitigate the effect of the lockdowns during the pandemic and its effects on jobs. 71,000 new job appointment letters were given in a virtual event. Modi emphasized that "transparency in recruitment and promotion inspires confidence in the youth."  He called the process streamlined and time bound to demonstrate good governance.

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Boris Johnson calls for expanded funding and increased capacity for procedures at the National Health Service. Britain's NHS will carry out a million more procedures in 2022 with the extra funding. A rise in national insurance contributions by one percent will fund the additional 10% increase in capacity at NHS to deal with Covid backlogs. This is in addition to 5.4 billion pounds injected into NHS earlier over the winter.

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The 2018 Supreme Court decision allowing sports gambling and betting has serious negative consequences for sports in America by 2024. So much so that the NCAA president Charlie Baker has called for a nationwide ban on the bets on the performance of college athletes. WSJ says a nightmare scenario emerged from the experience of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player Shohei Ohtani and the betting scandal related to his interpreter.

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The changes Har Ghar Jal Mission for clean safe drinking water for every rural household by 2022 is making a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of millions of people in India. Shown in this video on Har Ghar Jal is its implementation at the local level in India's largest state of Uttar Pradesh with a population of 228 million people near New Delhi.

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Cummins gets 5 wickets, England's top batsmen out for three ducks, two years of preparation show the tension, the need to throw the "million dollar fast ball" as bowler Harmison did in Brisbane in 2006 sending the ball straight to second slip. This time the first ball by Mitchell Starc dismisses Burns. This is the first day of the Australia England Ashes cricket series.

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China has made an astonishing turn away from covid restrictions. Yet this comes after three years that hurt growth which will affect the recovery says this column in WSJ. China is looking for 5% growth in 2023. Problems in the way are a public affected by the lockdowns, a covid surge, housing that will take time to recover, and diversification by Foxconn and other companies away from China to India, Vietnam.

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Overdevelopment of the office market in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, cities in Texas, presents a problem in combination with the increase in remote work. The office vacancy rate in Texas is 25% in the third quarter of 2023, according to Moody's Analytics, compared to 12% for New York and 17% for San Francisco. The oversupply of buildings for office space was decades in the making, says WSJ.

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The story told in The Times how England collapsed to a 4-0 loss in Ashes Cricket Tests against Australia in 2022. Lack of preparation, poor selection of bowlers, and a better prepared Australian team led to the debacle. There is also the history of performance in Australia- since 1990 England won only 6 Tests out of 45 Test played in Australia, and lost 32 Tests, with 7 drawn.

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Boeing reports a third annual loss in a row. As production problems and delivery delays for the Dreamliner 787 Boeing cost an additional $4.5 billon in the final quarter of 2021. Of this $3.5 billion is to compensate customers for the delays, and abnormal production costs forecast to be double than earlier estimated. Boeing expects deliveries to start in April and sees losses as behind it once deliveries start.

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India registers an amazing comeback feat of 75% vaccinated with two doses on January 30, 2022, without the resistance to vaccination seen in US and Europe. For over a billion people this is nothing short of extraordinary. India's experience is similar to that in other parts of Asia and Latin America where people trust health authorites, after years of dealing with many diseases requiring vaccination in the last 50 years.

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The Lula government in Brazil gets off to a good start. The economy grows by 1.9% in the last quarter and growth is expected to be 2.5% for 2023. New budget rules passed the conservative Congress providing funding for infrastructure and social programs. Brazilian cooperation makes it possible to add Argentina to the BRICS membership at the recent BRICS meeting in Johannesburg. Brazil also attended the recent G-7 meetings.

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The BBC shows pictures of the blue supermoon from different parts of the world including Brazil, Israel, Japan, Russia, US, England. It is a unforgettable sight in the night sky that people all over world were able to see on August 30, 2023. This one is over an old fort in Israel. Other pictures show it with a flower in Srinagar, India, and spectacular over the ancient temple of Poseidon in Greece.

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Huge orders made in 2023 for new planes from Boeing and Airbus now place India in the top ranks of the world civil aviation market. A large growing middle class is using air travel for business and tourism. The government is investing billions of dollars to build new airports in smaller and midsize cities in addition to Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore. A new aircraft industry is also coming up in Gujarat state.