ASIA: India is planning to extend its nation-wide lockdown after many state governments requested to extend the lockdown retaining all or most of the existing curbs. The likelihood of lifting the lid on mass transit such as trains, metros, and flights and on inter-state movement of people appears slim. India’s state governments are demanding help […]

ASIA: India’s policy makers are preparing a plan to carefully analyze a tough trade-off. They are considering a continued lockdown post-April 14, 2020, at the cost of longer-term economic devastation, or a rational “unlocking,” allowing India to return to work. Based on pre-COVID-19 projections of India’s GDP, the average daily GDP value for FY2021 was […]

ASIA:  The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee met today and announced a series of measures to counter the economic slowdown caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. The repo rate and reverse repo rate have been cut by 74 bps and 90 bps respectively. All commercial banks and lending institutions can allow a three-month […]

COMMENT: Hi Marty, No one has been more spot on before the deluge than you in calling these moves. Have you ever seen such idiocy in all your life as is on full display today with these politicians jockeying for position, cramming their pet projects into the bailouts and trying to without support for funding while the […]

QUESTION: You seem to always be against conspiracy theories except that it always comes down to government against the people. Why are most of the bankers Jewish? Do you have an explanation for that? JE ANSWER: If you simply knew your history you would realize that both the Catholics and the Arabs maintained it was […]

ASIA: India closed the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, to counter the COVID-19 virus outbreak in the country. India has so far managed to keep cases low by responding fast and aggressively to the coronavirus and urging people to practice social distancing. India has reported 125 cases of the coronavirus. India […]

ASIA: The Indian government on Monday prohibited entry of passengers from European Union (EU) countries, European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom into India as a step to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a circular that no airlines shall board passengers […]

ASIA: On Tuesday, India suspended issuing visas to citizens of France, Spain, and Germany until further notice. Such restrictions were already in place for citizens of China, Italy, Iran, Japan, and South Korea – the five countries worst hit by the outbreak of the virus. India has also closed a border with neighboring Myanmar to […]

ASIA: The Indian Bureau of Immigration announced that those flying in from Italy and South Korea will need a medical certificate saying they are corona-free to enter India. Italian and South Korean nationals who have been granted fresh India visas issued after March 5, 2020, and have been issued a medical certificate from the designated […]

ASIA: India’s central Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das told Bloomberg that he’s ready to act to shield the economy from the coronavirus and reiterated there’s room to cut interest rates if needed. The spread of coronavirus has raised the prospects of an emergency monetary policy action in India. India restored the social media access for people […]