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The stock market rally is due to government support and quantitave easing. Once that government support is withdrawn this recovery will not be sustained. There is a lot of liquidity that is driving this. About $332 billion has been withdrawn from money market funds yieding today .01% in interest. Quantitative easing is a significant part of the liquidity. Equity and bond markets have received a big boost from central banks creating money to purchase mostly government bonds.This keeps yields on Treasury bonds low, it is now 3.5% even though record amounts of debt are being issued.If this QE stops yields will rise and drive up borrowing costs. In this way it is a government sponsored bull market.

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The World bank president Robert Zoellick in an interview with Sudeep Reddy of the Wall Street Journal. He says its frustrating to see Europe respond to problems in banking, sovereign debt and competitiveness that have a chance to work, but only to find that the action is a bit late and a bit short every time. He says the Germans are right in insisting that credit cannot be given away freely, and that reforms have to be made. Yet these reforms in the case of Spain and Italy to increase competitiveness will take time and in the meantime both countries will need bridge financing. A direct recapitalization of European banks by the European Financial Stability Facility is needed to avoid this slow and continuous decline in confidence from negative news and uncertainty. Because the problem now is of a longer term nature with debt issues that will take time to resolve and energy price volatility, Zoellick says simply doing short term stimulus and monetary will not work, and a longer term plan needs to be implemented. Zoellick supported the China Development Report of the World Bank and China's DRC which called for a shift in the economy away from reliance on state owned companies and heavy infrastructure spending. Here he says the new stimulus plan for China was necessary because of slowing growth. Yet he hopes China's leaders keep this in mind as they develop solutions for the long term that avoid the rampant credit expansion and investment of the 2008 Stimulus, and come up with a new policy mix....

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India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar visits Sri Lanka. He says-  "We felt strongly that Sri Lanka's neighbors must take proactive steps to facilitate its recovery. India decided not to wait for others but to do what we believe is right. We extended financing reassurances to IMF to clear the way for Sri Lanka to move forward."  He emphasized the enormous renewable energy potential of the island nation which India supports. The larger region provides new possibilities for Sri Lanka to get the benefits of scale for energy development. He pointed out that India is " prepared to go the extra mile when Sri Lanka feels the need." India and Sri Lanka share a long history from the period of the first conversion by Mahinda from India of the island to Buddhism.

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A short biography of one of India's best leaders after Gokhale, Tilak, Vivekananda, Mohandas Gandhi. He may well be the best leader of India after 1950- who set India on the course to modernization and becoming one of the 3 largest economies in the world. Without him one would find it hard to imagine Modi having the opportunity to make the experiment of modernization in Gujarat state in 2000, that is now being carried out throughout India. Nehru's leadership held great promise but like Mao's failed to achieve the modernizaton and rapid economic progress that both the Indian and Chinese people sought and aspired to. Much of this is achieved through hard work, and ambitious efforts, steady planning and investment, in cooperation with America and Europe. China in 2025 is with it's efforts to bring Taiwan into the PRC, is a different China than the one that modernized working with US, Germany and Japan over 2 decades. India under the leadership of Vajpayee and now Modi is in a position to work in cooperation with the US and Germany, Japan for modernization and rapid economic progress to show the vitality and strength of the parliamentary systems that have evolved from the British model for 500 years since 1500 and the scientific advancement that happened after the Renaissance in Europe after 1600. ...

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Countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal are severely affected by the war in Persian Gulf region in other ways that access to oil and fertilizer supplies. They are affected when the Gulf economy collapses and expatriate workers are laid off or return. The situation is dire in these countties because as the DW.com says remittances exceed exports in the case of Pakistan. Is such a model viable asks DW.com. All these countries are also affected by internal strife, with new governments in place in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka after protests over economic conditions and jobs. The entire Middle East model for Gulf countries including Saudi, Iran are also facing a new situation as the Western countries, US and EU and Asia shift to nuclear energy, solar energy and find ways to conserve at an accelerated pace so that there will be less dependence on fossil fuels. Recently India announced on its national television channel that one third of peak demand is already being met by solar energy. India's PM Modi says in rallies across the country that he would make it possible for households to have zero electric bills because of solar panels on homes. Germany and Japan are further along on this path to create a renewable energy reliance and phasing out fossil fuels. ...

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Getting a women's perspective on the law and how it affects women is not easy, says Justice Chandrachud of the Indian Supreme Court. He himself he says, had a straitjacketed view till he sat beside a woman colleague. "Initially I viewed the matter where women were often subjected to the worst crimes and violations from a straitjacketed perspective, but sitting with a colleague who had a more diverse exposure to realities of gender gave me the necessary feminist perspective." He also said everyone, including himself have "a lot to learn in terms of how we perceive the law and apply social experiences." Justice Chandrachud says virtual hearings resulted in more women lawyers appearing in the court, and cited technology as an enabler for women. The new CJI says about the rule of law in India, that it is the responsibility of everyone, dependent on the political culture and the habits of citizens especially the young, and not just on the paper parchment that is in the legislation and the Constitution. "In a sense all of you are guardians of our constitutional and democratic traditions and to you is entrusted the responsibility of ensuring that the rule of law is not substituted by the rule by law." ...

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In a response to Mark Cuban about intelligent women around DJT Susie Wiles his co-campaign manager shares that she and Linda McMahon are two she can think of "Well, here we are." Very disciplined and to the point using just the right words, and getting her message across, Susie Wiles is a remarkable addition to DJT's team from the outset. She once worked for Reagan's political campaigns. Susie Wiles says- "You don’t have to shout to get noticed. I don’t want to be in the spotlight. I think it hampers your ability to be effective.” She comes from Florida and was introduced to DJT by a Republican lobbyist in 2015. She has handled Rick Scott's transition with Matt Gaetz, and also worked on the De Santis campaign in Florida. In 2016 and 2020 she has the remarkable achievement of turning Florida once a swing state into a core part of the Republican states in the southern US. Susie Wiles says- "You don’t have to shout to get noticed. I don’t want to be in the spotlight. I think it hampers your ability to be effective.” ...

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Victor Allis, CEO of software company Quintiq, in the Netherlands, describes his approach to managing in this exceptional interview with Adam Bryant of the NYT. He delves into personality when hiring, looking for aspects that show the person will take responsibility whatever hand he is given, and in the process be willing to tackle adversity. Respect for all people, no matter what their situation and work, is part of the culture he acquired from his dad, a plant manager at Fokker Aircraft. This extends to giving out 15% of profit to all employees, equally distributed so that the CEO receives the same as the receptionist. A math expert at a young age, Allis went into consulting and then starting a software company, instead of becoming a math professor. He has a 5 minute rule where he tells employees to look for help in the company, when they cannot figure out the solution to a problem after 5 minutes of thinking- the suggestions from outside could help or others can act as a sounding board. In selecting people for projects he looks for motivation as much or more than skills. Simple but powerful thoughts and practice expressed with astonishing clarity, coming from the Netherlands....

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Patrick Soon-Shiong Surgeon, medical businessman and LA Times Owner, bought the LA Times for $500 million in 2018 which is now incurring losses of $48 million. He wants to take the LA Times public with an IPO offering. Soon-Shiong made $6 billion with blood thinner heparin of APP Pharmaceuticals and Abraxis Biosciences chemotherapy drug Abraxane, both firms he founded.

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Activist investors such as Starboard Value hedge fund are pushing Yahoo to sell its Yahoo businesses and keep its investment in Yahoo Japan (35% stake valued at $8.6 billion) and Alibaba (16.5% stake valued at $35 billion). This would mean the sale of the Yahoo brand with 210 million visitors to its website each month. Yahoo's board has tried changing CEO's, and Marissa Mayer in office for 4 years has tried different strategies including acquisitions but failed to make a difference. Yahoo is not able to generate profits from its business the way Google and Facebook have done, and large investors are losing patience with Mayer. Mobile's importance has grown in recent years benefitting Facebook and Google but not Yahoo in generating more advertising revenues. Yahoo's content is seen as commoditized not commanding the advertising revenue of sites that help navigate the internet (Google) or social media sites (Facebook) that offer unique value to users.

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Google's Eric Schmidt on how new technology can provide an innovation advantage in the fight against organized drug trafficking gangs in Mexico.

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Three regional Fed bank presidents have expressed skepticism of the Fed plan to buy medium to long term Treasury bonds- they are Kocherlakota of Minneapolis Fed, Richard Fisher of the Dallas Fed, and Plosser of the Philadelphia Fed. There are 12 regional Fed banks, and five voting seats on the Federal Open Market Committee rotate for the 12 Fed bank presidents. Opposition to Bernanke will increase as these presidents take voting positions in the Fed Open Market Committee. The Wall Street Journal reports that there is deep skepticism about Bernanke's plan among some of his colleagues. Thomas Hoenig of the Kansas City Fed says that more expansive monetary policy was "a bargain with the devil." The Fed's plan is to take a measured approach with U.S. Treasury bond purchases with maturities between 2 and 10 years. A WSJ survey of private sector economists in October 2010 found that the Fed is expected to purchase about $250 billion of Treasury bonds each quarter, and continue till mid 2011, amounting to $750 billion in all. By pushing down Treasury yields the Fed hopes to have an impact on the federal funds rate of one-half to three-quarter percentage point impact for $500 billon of bond purchases, says Dudley, President of the New York Fed. Treasury yields on the 10 year note have fallen from 4% in April to 2.6% partly in anticipation of Fed's action. The previous Fed intervention in March 2009 was a program to buy $1.75 trillion of Treasury and mortgage bonds over 6-9 months. This time the approach will be careful and measured based on results, according to the Fed. Alan Blinder, former vice chairman of the Fed, says this is the tool less preferred and of unknown effectiveness, as fiscal tools would be the preferred choice. The deficit concerns, he says, have restricted the preferred option....

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De Plessis had this to say about Virat Kohli as he struggles to score well in the Indian cricket league. "Great players go through things like this. And great characters find a way through it." De Plessis led South Africa to a winning series against India on South African soil. He led a team of Dutch and English Afrikaaners, black players, and players of Indian heritage, and kept his team motivated and together winning the hearts of many South Africans of all races. In this way he knows a thing or two about how character can help cricketers through difficult situations.

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Chris Wormald to be replaced by Antonia Romeo as Cabinet Secretary in Feb 2026. The only way Keir Starmer can get a new start is to be himself and follow his convictions about what is right for the nation. It means getting a new team that will help him implement a plan of action. Antonia Romeo top civil servant in Britain's Home Ministry, is given the job of Cabinet Secretary replacing Chris Wormald. This means the PM will be getting better advice on making choices for the future compared to McSweeney and Wormald, political and civil servant members from the previous team that were overawed by people in powerful positions, and did not respect people of conviction and honesty regardless of where in Labour that they came from. The future of Britain and the US, and of Europe will be build by people of honesty and conviction, common sense, and willingness to learn, not by false notions of centrist and left or right that for too long have determined the nature and sway of politics. For this to happen Starmer must look deep within himself. ...

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Details of technical history of the 34 Dreamliners in Air India fleet and action taken by Indian authorites after the Dreamliner crash. Air India has 20 Dreamliners on order and 24 options to buy additional aircraft.

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Baker and Shear show the changes in president Trump's views on Islam and Islamic extremism following his meetings with leaders from the region since taking office. In his speech to leaders of the region Trump said "Islam is one of the world's great faiths" and said what was needed was "tolerance and respect for each other." He also said it was not about "conflict between religions, sects or civilizations." General McMaster calls it "learning" for Trump, something Trump has shown a capacity for when he badly needs to get it together and make a conscious effort. As a result the page on the travel ban on the Trump website has been taken down. This is an astonishing about face seen in one way because of Trump's rhetoric during the election and right upto the travel ban, yet it also shows Trump's business instincts and willingness to learn and be open, showing he has many personality traits and is a more complex person than he looks at first glance. This may also be how he survived in business bankruptcies, by adapting and learning. Contrast this with the views of Marine Le Pen during the French presidential election, and it shows that the business side and commercial instincts of Trump make a real difference. He can appeal to the cultural angst of followers, whether it be for Mexico or the Middle East, yet take a sensible approach to get on with it when needed. Trump needed to be careful about words and meaning following a month of media revelations on the relations between Flynn and Russia, and the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate Trump campaign connections with Russia. ...

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Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry is interviewed by The Hindu. Ali Sabry says he is "very, very confident" about the Adani Group's investments in Sri Lanka's renewable energy potential, and any drop in Adani stock value is not affecting the projects. Sabry says the Adani Group is already investing in its projects, which include the $700 million Colombo West Container Port Project. He met with India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi at the Raisina Dialogue Conference. He was asked about his role as Foreign Minister after working as Finance Minister.  "It is still a mix of both, as I still have to carry out some of the responsibilities in debt restructuring and economic diplomacy, because the President is the finance minister, and naturally he cannot travel as often as we would like." "We are not out of the woods but stabilized right now, and what we are looking at next is recovery, for which we need investment. So right now, what we are interested in with India is how to collaborate and how to integrate with the Indian economy, particularly with South India, in terms of investment, people to people connection, more tourists coming in. So that's the kind of thing it is it's a win win situation for all." ...

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George Washington's first Inaugural Address in 1789 from the National Archives speaks to us in 2024, for 2050, like the bells that toll from ancient cathedrals- "The circumstances under which I now meet you... refer to the great constitutional charter (US Constitution) under which you are assembled, and which, in defining your powers, designates the objects to which your attention is to be given. It will be more congenial with the feelings which actuate me, to substitute, in place of a recommendation of particular measures the tribute that is due to the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism of the characters selected to devise and adopt them. In these honorable qualifications I behold the surest pledges that on one side no local prejudices or attachments, no separate views nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests. So, on another, that the foundation of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens and command the respect of the world." "There is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. ...

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Budget pressures have taken an inordinate toll on the army, bringing troop levels and modernization below the levels needed for the U.S. Army to act in concert with its partners in the Armed Forces to maintain readiness and act as a deterrent. This is the conclusion of retiring Army Chief Gen. Raymond T. Odierno. It is now falling to 450,000 in Army forces. By reducing deterrance the cuts cost ultimately in American leves as new conflicts arise. He cites the example of losses in 1943 in North Africa and at the beginning of the Korean War. It is not enough to wish the world as we would wish it to be, says Odierno, we have to accept it the way it is, says Odierno.