"Britain on road to disaster": Cameron’s EU ‘debacle’ proves he is a threat to British economy, says Miliband

 David Cameron poses a “real and present danger” to the economy because his doomed bid to block Jean-Claude Juncker leads Britain towards an exit from the European Union that could put up to three million jobs and thousands of businesses at risk, Ed Miliband said today.

Note EU-Digest:  When will Britain understand that the "power" of the British Empire has come to an end and that their only chance to remain a valuable player on the world's political and economic scene is in participation with the other 27 members of the EU.

Read more: Cameron’s EU ‘debacle’ proves he is a threat to British economy, says Miliband | The Times

Soccer World Cup: Netherlands beat Mexico 2-1 to qualify for quarters

Netherlands qualified for the quarter-finals defeating Mexico 2-1 when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made the decisive goal on a penalty kick in extra time here on Sunday. Earlier, the first half ended goalless but just after the second half began Mexico made a breakthrough when Giovani dos Santos netted a goal in the 48th minute.

However, Wesley Sneijder leveled the score 1-1 just two minutes before the end and The Netherlands emerged victorious in the fourth minute during an extra time.

The Netherlands is the third team to reach the quarter-finals after Brazil and Columbia.

Read more: Netherlands beat Mexico 2-1 to qualify for quarters - thenews.com.pk

The Banking Industry:Out-of-control Central Banks are Buying Up the Planet - by Ellen Brown:

When the US Federal Reserve bought an 80% stake in American International Group (AIG) in September 2008, the unprecedented $85 billion outlay was justified as necessary to bail out the world’s largest insurance company.

Today, however, central banks are on a global corporate buying spree not to bail out bankrupt corporations but simply as an investment, to compensate for the loss of bond income due to record-low interest rates. Indeed, central banks have become some of the world’s largest stock investors
.
Central banks have the power to create national currencies with accounting entries, and they are traditionally very secretive. We are not allowed to peer into their books. It took a major lawsuit by Reuters and a congressional investigation to get the Fed to reveal the $16-plus trillion in loans it made to bail out giant banks and corporations after 2008.

What is to stop a foreign bank from simply printing its own currency and trading it on the currency market for dollars, to be invested in the US stock market or US real estate market?  What is to stop central banks from printing up money competitively, in a mad rush to own the world’s largest companies?

Apparently not much. Central banks are for the most part unregulated, even by their own governments. As the Federal Reserve observes on its website:

[The US Fed] is considered an independent central bank because its monetary policy decisions do not have to be approved by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government, it does not receive funding appropriated by the Congress, and the terms of the members of the Board of Governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms.

As former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan quipped, “Quite frankly it does not matter who is president as far as the Fed is concerned. There are no other agencies that can overrule the action we take.”

Read more: Out-of-control Central Banks are Buying Up the Planet | Alternet

EU Unity: U.K. Loses Big Vote On The Future Of Europe — Now What? - by Marilyn Geewax

The European Union made history Friday by bringing three of Russia's neighbors — Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova — under its economic tent.

The of trade agreements will push European influence deep into a region that Russia would like to dominate. In light of recent Russian aggression in Ukraine, that's a big deal.

But in Brussels, Belgium, generated a second major headline later in the day.

Leaders of the European Union's 28 member states voted on the next president of the European Commission, which serves as the EU's executive branch.

The president sets the policy agenda, enforces rules and represents Europe abroad — so it's the most powerful position in the EU. Friday's vote ended up 26-2 in favor of Jean-Claude Juncker, a former prime minister of Luxembourg.

But the outcome matters because the losing votes belonged to the United Kingdom and Hungary. And they were deeply, totally, seriously opposed to Juncker — so much so that his victory could trigger an eventual reconfiguring of the EU in ways not favorable to the U.S.

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron sees Juncker as a political fixer, a crony-type politician with a reputation for drinking too much and defending the EU bureaucracy too vigorously. And the U.K. and Hungary fear that Juncker wants to take away too many powers from sovereign states.

The 26 leaders who voted for Juncker insist that , they had to nominate the Luxembourger, who will now go on to get rubber-stamp approval from the European Parliament in mid-July.

After the vote, Cameron called the outcome "a serious mistake" and promised to . He said pushing reforms would involve "a long, tough fight."

EU-Digest

EU's new President Jean-Claude Juncker - Profile

Jean-Claude Juncker

Among EU government leaders only the UK and Hungarian prime ministers voted against him at an EU summit on 27 June.

Crucially Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel backed his bid - after some hesitation - as did the centre-left leaders of France and Italy.

There are many voices in the European Parliament too who argue that Mr Juncker should get the job. The parliament believes the choice of European Commission president now has to reflect the election result.

Yet he is a controversial figure in the EU, as a leading advocate of deeper EU integration, and is often called a "federalist"
.
A veteran of Brussels deal-making, he headed the powerful Eurogroup - the eurozone finance ministers - at the height of the eurozone crisis, when crucial decisions were taken about austerity and bailout conditions.

He was prime minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013 and one of the architects of the euro.

But according to Pierre Leyers, financial editor of the daily Luxemburger Wort, it is misleading to call him a "federalist". "He wants deeper integration, but not a European superstate," he told the BBC.

Mr Leyers argues that coming from a tiny country has enhanced Mr Juncker's influence in the EU, odd though that may seem to people unfamiliar with Brussels politics.

Luxembourg was a founding member of the community which became the EU and, sandwiched between France and Germany, "it had no choice but to try to be on good terms with its neighbours", Mr Leyers said.

 "So some Luxembourg politicians were always good negotiators and diplomats, to get France and Germany together."

The drive for post-war reconciliation shaped Mr Juncker's political views.

But some of his past remarks have raised eyebrows, suggesting a less than firm commitment to democracy.

Ahead of the French vote on the European Constitution in 2005 he said: "If it's a Yes, we will say 'on we go', and if it's a No we will say 'we continue'"
.
And in 2011 he said "monetary policy is a serious issue - we should discuss this in secret, in the Eurogroup... I am for secret, dark debates".

His greatest EU challenge has been shoring up the eurozone since the 2008 financial crash, when Greece's colossal debts, and those of other struggling eurozone countries, threatened the very survival of the single currency.

Mr Juncker is a strong advocate of a European "solidarity" union - an EU that strives to raise living standards in its poorest regions and sectors.

He has not explained how an EU-US free trade deal might impact on EU social protection policies, which currently cost the EU many billions through support for farmers and projects to help poor communities.

He claimed that such a deal would give each European an extra 545 euros (£443; $742) - an exaggeration, according to a fact check by Eurovision, which hosted the debate.

He has also defended the Common Agricultural Policy, saying agriculture employs about 30 million Europeans. But the UK government is among the many critics who say the CAP is wasteful and want more of the EU budget spent on digital technologies, research and investment in small businesses.

Mats Persson, director of the Open Europe think-tank, says Mr Juncker is associated with the EU of the 1980s and 1990s, echoing a criticism attributed to UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

After an election that saw a surge in support for Eurosceptic parties, that connection with past EU policies may be a disadvantage, Mr Persson told the BBC, adding that Mr Juncker was "sidelined quite a bit during the eurozone crisis" and "ran a vague election campaign".

However, Mr Juncker is not vague about the political risks of taking tough economic decisions. He once said "we all know what to do, we just don't know how to get re-elected after we've done it"

EU-Digest

Read more:

NSA Spy Scandal: Europe's High Court Will Look at Facebook's Possible Role in NSA Spying - by Carol Matlack

Did Facebook (FB) illegally let the U.S. National Security Agency spy on its European users? That question is to be considered by the European Union’s highest court, after an Irish judge questioned whether data that the social network transferred from Europe to its U.S. servers might have fallen into the hands of the spy agency.

In a ruling today, Irish High Court Judge Gerard Hogan asked the European Court of Justice to decide whether Irish regulators should investigate the data transfers, which have been permitted under a transatlantic agreement that assumes U.S. privacy protections are comparable to those in the EU.

 Privacy advocates, led by an Austrian law student named Max Schrems, contend that Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA’s Prism program showed that the agency conducted “mass and largely unsupervised surveillance” of Facebook users’ data.

Schrems took Ireland’s national data regulator to court after it refused to consider his complaint and dismissed his arguments as “frivolous and vexatious.” But Judge Hogan said Snowden’s disclosures had “exposed gaping holes in contemporary U.S. data protection practice” that could undermine the U.S.-EU agreement.

He asked the European court to determine whether an investigation of Facebook’s data transfers was warranted in light of the disclosures. The case was filed in Ireland because Facebook’s European operations are headquartered there.

Read more: Europe's High Court Will Look at Facebook's Possible Role in NSA Spying - Businessweek

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Terrorism: Jihadi supporters arrested in Spain, Germany

Eight people have been arrested in Spain and a further three in Germany for suspected links with jihadi groups, especially in Iraq and Syria, authorities said Monday.

A Spanish Interior Ministry statement said police detained the eight in Madrid early Monday on suspicion of recruiting jihadi militants for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
It said the cell was led by a person who lives in Spain but had previously been jailed in Guantanamo Bay after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2001.

Spain gave no immediate details on the nationalities of the arrested.

In Berlin, prosecutors' spokesman Martin Steltner said police on Saturday arrested a 30-year-old Frenchman suspected of "supporting a terrorist organization" by fighting in Syria for the group.

Steltner said the suspect, who wasn't named because of German privacy laws, was wounded in fighting. He has also allegedly appeared in ISIL propaganda videos.

A court will decide on his extradition to France in the coming weeks.

Read more: Jihadi supporters arrested in Spain, Germany | Boston Herald

EU Parliament: Conservatives propose Muslim for European Parliament President

The conservative ECR group has proposed Sajjad Haider Karim, who in 2004 became the first British Muslim MEP, to be the next European Parliament President. However, the candidacy appears to be a long shot.

Sajjad Karim, nominated as European Parliament Presidential candidate by the European Conservatives and Reformists’ group (ECR), has written to the leaders of all the main groups in the European Parliament seeking their backing.

He said that the image of the EU in the world had been tainted by the recent European elections, with the rise of extremist parties.

“I ask the group leaders: is it not now time to reinstate our values of tolerance, acceptance and diversity”, writes Karim, who was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, of Pakistani descent.  He adds he is relying on a track record of 20 years experience, as an elected public official, 10 of which have been served here in the European Parliament.

“I have served diligently working across groups and political divides always seeking consensus and delivery,” writes Karim, who was elected in 2004 for the Liberal Democrats, but joined the Conservative Party in November 2007.

Read more: Conservatives propose Muslim for European Parliament President | EurActiv

World Cup Soccer: Ruthless Dutch rip shell-shocked Spain to shreds - by Neil Maidmen

A rampant Netherlands team inflicted a heaviest World Cup defeat on holders Spain in over 60 years with a dazzling 5-1 demolition on Friday that sent shockwaves through the tournament.

The Dutch were nothing but brutal in a tetchy 1-0 final defeat by the Spaniards four years ago, but they set out to disrupt the champions' possession game and blew them away with two goals each from Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.

Only once before had Spain conceded five times in a World Cup game, in a 6-1 loss to hosts Brazil in 1950. The mauling was also the worst ever start for defending world champions.

"Spain were always going to come at us and we catch them on the counter. My players did it perfectly. It's far better than we ever expected," Dutch coach Louis van Gaal told reporters.

Dutch revenge looked unlikely when Spain, also 2008 and 2012 European champions, went ahead in the Group B clash with a 27th- minute Xabi Alonso penalty after Diego Costa was brought down.

Read more: Ruthless Dutch rip shell-shocked Spain to shreds - Football | The Star Online

Is EU Foreign Policy Weak or clever ?: A promise barely noticed- Charlemagne

America's retreat from the woes of the world is worrying its friends in the Middle East. Jihadists are surging through Iraq; Syria uses chemical weapons without retribution; and the latest American attempt to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has failed. Is it time for Europe to help fill the vacuum?

Europeans always dream of exerting global influence commensurate with their economic weight. The Middle East’s problems have a way of washing up on Europe’s shores, be it boat people landing on the Mediterranean coast, or terrorists returning after being hardened by jihad in one or other civil war. And yet Europeans are struggling to be heard.

Take this week’s visit to Israel by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. He expanded on what, in another time or place, would be a big promise: if and when the Israelis and Palestinians make peace, the EU stands ready to offer economic integration akin to that enjoyed by Norway and Switzerland. In Ukraine the power of a similar offer precipitated a civil war and geopolitical contest with Russia; in the Holy Land, though, the promise of “special privileged partnerships” was barely noticed. It is striking, that, separately, Israel chose not to vote in March on a UN motion sponsored by the West to condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

If America elicits less respect from Israel these days, Europe is the object of much scorn. Europe is remembered as a Jewish graveyard and, latterly, is regarded as an economic basket-case. Even collectively, it packs far less military punch than America. The French- and British-led intervention that toppled Muammar Qaddafi in Libya has left a violent mess.

The European Union’s 28 member-states are divided between big, small, old and new members and, when it comes to Israel, between the guilt-ridden (Germany) and the disapproving (Sweden).

As with much else, EU foreign-policy positions are finely balanced compromises, so even important moves are lost in woolly formulations. Seeking to keep Israeli-Palestinian peace talks alive after John Kerry, the American secretary of state, declared a “pause” in his mediation, Mr Barroso said the hiatus was “untenable in the long run”; peace with the Palestinians was in Israel’s best security interest.

America is of paramount importance to Israel’s security. But Europe makes several vital contributions. Its sanctions on Iran helped bring the mullahs to the negotiating table; its money keeps the Palestinian Authority alive as a negotiating partner for Israel; and Europe is central in managing the Syrian refugee crisis.

To be heard, Europeans need to speak clearly about what a two-state solution means: the end of Israeli occupation of land captured in 1967 (with agreed land swaps and a deal on Jerusalem), but also the end of further Palestinian claims on the Jewish state created in 1948. Palestinian refugees will, overwhelmingly, return to the new state of Palestine, not their old homes in Israel.

Read more:Charlemagne: A promise barely noticed | The Economis

EU Tax Planning : Fight against ‘aggressive tax planning’ key issue for EU, says Rehn - by Suzanne Lynch

The fight against aggressive tax planning by multinationals will be one of the “key issues” for the European Parliament over the next five years, EU economics and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn has said.

“If there was one unifying message in the European elections, at least based on my campaign trail, . . . [it] is that we have to continue to act intensively against tax fraud, against tax evasion and against aggressive tax planning by multinational corporations.”

While declining to comment on the details of Wednesday’s announcement by the European Commission that it is investigating the Republic, Luxembourg and the Netherlands about tax arrangements entered into with specific companies, Mr Rehn welcomed the move. “I think it is very important that the commission has acted here,” he said.

“In the European Parliament in the next five years this will be one of the key issues and will be one of the key challenges for the commission.”

Speaking at an event hosted by European Movement Ireland and BDO in Brussels yesterday, Mr Rehn, who was elected as an MEP for Finland in last month’s European elections, said the European public had sent a clear message on the issue during the elections.

Read More: Fight against ‘aggressive tax planning’ key issue for EU, says Rehn - Economic News | Ireland & World Economy Headlines |The Irish Times - Fri, Jun 13, 2014

Immigration: Cameron gets backing for action on EU immigration 'abuse'

British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with his German, Dutch and Swedish counterparts to tackle "abuse of free movement" in the European Union.

"We've agreed that we should work together to address the abuse of free movement," he said at a mini-summit on the European economy near Stockholm with Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Ministers Fredrik Reinfeldt and Mark Rutte.

"It is a right that people should be able to move across Europe to work but they should not be able to free ride on the back of welfare systems," he added

Read More: Cameron gets backing for action on EU immigration 'abuse' - Yahoo News

France - Economy: Hollande taps bank economist to steer economic policy - by Emmanuel Jarry

Francois Hollande has chosen a senior economist at a U.S. bank as his new top economic advisor, an official in the French president's office said on Tuesday, as France tries to sustain a sputtering economic recovery.

Emmanuel Macron is stepping down as Hollande's advisor and will be replaced by Bank of America Merrill Lynch's chief European economist, Laurence Boone, the official said.

Boone holds a doctorate from the London Business School and sits on the board of French luxury goods group Kering.

Before joining Merrill Lynch in London, she was an economist at Barclays in Paris and before that worked at the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Boone was not immediately available for comment, but in an earlier interview with Reuters, she said Hollande had little choice but to push ahead with his current policies.

 "Early elections would make his parliament majority collapse, switching to a policy completely focused on demand is not possible now in Europe, deeper reforms would not fit with the government’s strategy to keep the left of the party on board," Boone told Reuters on May 27. "This leaves the option of continuing like before, by default."

Read more: Hollande taps bank economist to steer economic policy - Yahoo News

The Netherlands: Client Friendly, Tech Savy - Koster Insurances Part of New Breed in Digitized Insurance Industry

Check out the free Summer edition of SURE!, an electronic publication of Koster Insurances BV,

SURE provides not only an in-depth look at a variety of issues of importance related to the global insurance industry, and the economic, social and political environment, but it also focuses on trends related to the ever increasing importance of digitized technology.

In this edition of SURE you will get further insights  into:

• Why progressive insurers and insurance advisers like KOSTER have adapted their operations and management to the new digitized world in order to guarantee their future success.
• How insurance companies, in order to succeed, will have to move away from old-fashioned conservative programs to more dynamic client-friendly service oriented programs.
• Updated Information related to the Solvency II consultations and draft guidelines. 
• The increased credit risk problems in Eastern Europe. 
• Now that the European parliamentary elections are behind us – what is next?
• And of course, a variety of news items related to other developments around the world, including; Britain, Germany, Malta, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey and the USA.

Alnere-Digest

Wiretapping: Vodafone discloses direct government wiretaps into its network

Vodafone has become the first telecoms company to voluntarily reveal the scope of government snooping on mobile phone networks. It comes at a time when spy agencies face greater scrutiny for their surveillance practices.

One of the world's largest cellphone companies, Vodafone, has painted the clearest picture to date of the lengths governments go to snoop on he mobile phone communications of their citizens, saying authorities in some countries have direct wiretaps into its networks.

In the company's "Disclosure Report," released on Friday, Vodafone outlined the scope of government surveillance in 29 European, African and Asian countries

Most explicit was the disclosure that a "small number of countries" demand unfettered access to an operator's network without securing a arrant.

"It is a reminder that as chilling as the NSA's capabilities are, there are many countries around the world that are less restrained in the surveillance they conduct," said Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow and privacy expert at the Cato Institute in Washington D.C.

"In those countries, Vodafone will not receive any form of demand for lawful interception access as the relevant agencies and authorities already have permanent access to customer communications via their own direct link," the report said. 

Vodafone, which has 400 million customers worldwide, did not list the countries by name for legal reasons. But it did say it was prohibited by law to  disclose any information about wiretapping in Albania, Egypt, Hungary,  India, Malta, Qatar, Romania, South Africa and Turkey.

Read moreVodafone discloses direct government wiretaps into its network | Business | DW.DE | 06.06.2014

EU-Economy: Quantitative easing: ECB getting closer to US Fed-style stimulus ( Lets hope not) - by David McHugh

The European Central Bank has deployed a raft of aggressive measures to boost Europe's economy, but stopped short of the one many economists insist would do the most to help: large-scale purchases of bonds.

That could change sooner rather than later, analysts say, if inflation remains low.

Purchases of bonds using newly created money — called quantitative easing — have been used with some success so far by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan. They can reduce market interest rates, making it cheaper for consumers and businesses to borrow, helping growth.

So why not in Europe?

To begin with, the ECB faces technical and practical challenges that other major central banks don't have. It has 18 different government bond markets, raising the question of whose bonds to buy and how many.

Beyond that, creating new money has long faced resistance in Germany, the biggest economy in Europe where central bank stimulus measures are looked upon with suspicion and have a prominent place in public discussions.

But after Thursday's meeting, things could be shifting.

At a press conference on Thursday, ECB President Mario Draghi held the door open to such bond purchases, suggesting Germany has at least softened its outright resistance. If inflation falls further, analysts think the ECB could start quantitative easing.

"Are we finished?" he said after the decision. "The answer is no." The ECB is keen to bring up the inflation rate, which at 0.5 percent is so low it raises fears the eurozone will fall into outright deflation, a crippling downward price spiral.

Note EU-Digest:  quantitative easing is the kiss of death for an economy and even though it creates some relief at first it will eventually come and haunt you, as the US is experiencing, but not speaking about. 

Read more: FRANKFURT, Germany: ECB getting closer to Fed-style stimulus - Business Breaking News - MiamiHerald.co

Ukraine's Burisma Hires Joe Biden's Son as Company Lawyer

Ukraine Energy company Burisma Holdings officially hired U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden as a lawyer after the companyof-Interest">appointed him to the board of directors in April. The White House said there is no conflict of interest, even though the administration is working with Ukraine during its crisis with Russia.

Hunter Biden's employment means he will be working as a director and top lawyer for a Ukrainian energy company during the period when his father and others in the Obama administration attempt to influence the policies of Ukraine's new government, especially on energy issues. There's no indication that Hunter Biden, his father or Burisma are crossing any legal or ethical lines, although ethics experts appear divided over the implications of Hunter Biden's new job.

However, Nikolai Zlochevsky, one of ousted Russia-backed President Viktor Yanukovych’s allies, owns Burisma. He was a member of Parliament for the Party of Regions, which was Yanukovych’s party.

Ukraine's Burisma Hires Joe Biden's Son as Company Lawyer

Medical Alert: Put Your 'ICE' Number On Your Cell Phone

In case you have not heard of your ICE number (In Case Of Emergency)  this might be of importance.

Since most of us carry cell phones also please include in your phone telephone directory an ICE number. This is an internationally recognized emergency identification symbol known to global emergency services/ambulances/police/hospitals,  as to who needs to be called if you are in a critical emergency situation and need to have a  family or friend alerted. 

With your ICE number listed on your phone the emergency services do not need to do any guess-work as to who to contact if you get involved in an emergency or life threatening situation. 

It will take you only a few minutes to put your ICE number in your cell phone but could save you and your loved ones lots of trauma.

EU-Digest

EU Presidency: Herman Van Rompuy: ‘A huge majority want to stay in the union and the eurozone’

The eurosceptic backlash in the recent European elections was a major shock to the EU establishment.

Large numbers of people voted for anti-European parties across the bloc. In France Marine Le Pen’s Front National won 25 percent of the ballot, while in Britain the UK Independence Party (UKIP) bettered that still, with 27 percent of the poll.

Against that backdrop euronews’ Isabelle Kumar spoke to Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council . In addition to discussing the political ramifications of the EU election result and what it means for Europe, Rompuy also spoke about the crisis between the EU, Ukraine and Russia, his future plans, and his love for Haiku poetry.

Play the video ( click on link below)  to watch the full interview

Press: Alternative Resources: Browsers - Search Engines - E-Mail Servers - News: Print, Radio and TV Services - by RM

There are other alternatives if you are you concerned about getting one-sided or doctored news from corporate owned or state controlled censored publications, radio and TV stations  ---- or that you are using search engines and e-mail services where you  really don't know what happens to your private and personal information.

Following below is a listing of alternative on-line services which provide you with more freedom of choice and where your personal data and privacy rights are presently not compromised.   

E-Mail Services
NEOMAILBOX
ECLIPSO

Search Engines 
Ixquick 

Browsers
Open source Tor Project

Alternative (unadulterated) News - Print, Radio, and TV

Aljazeera  (also in languages other than English)
BBC         (also in languages  other than English)
Deutsche Welle
EuroNews (also in languages other than English)
France24   (also in languages other than English)
LinkTV

Most of the above mentioned resources can also be downloaded as an APP for your smart-phone or computer.

In some countries where there is censorship some of these services won't work. In that case it is recommended to try using the Tor Browser to connect with them.

EU-Digest

The World's Most Competitive Countries

The United States is holding its own in first place. For the past 26 years, IMD, an international business school in Lausanne, Switzerland, has issued a list of the countries it says are the world’s most competitive.

\The U.S. had been in the No. 1 slot for more than a dozen years until the great recession knocked it from the top rung, in 2010. Though it regained the No. 1 slot in 2011, the hangover from the recession nudged it out of the top spot again in 2012. Once American financial markets recovered and business efficiency and profitability revived, it regained its dominant position last year. It’s in the No. 1 slot again this year.

IMD ranks 60 countries across the world, measuring a staggering 338 criteria in four broad categories—economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure. For one third of the ranking, IMD uses a survey of more than 4,300 international executives.

For the rest, it relies on hard statistical data from institutions like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which keep track of measures like direct investment, budget surpluses, revenues from tourism, and unemployment.

IMD also takes advantage of 55 “partner institutes” around the world, like Ireland’s development agency IDA Ireland, the Federation of German Industries, and the Mitsubishi Research Institute in Japan, who help gather statistics from national sources and distribute the executive surveys, which ran from January through March of this year.  (For more on IMD’s methodology, click here.)

Read more: The World's Most Competitive Countries

The Netherlands: Almere Municipality ends up with a budget surplus of euro 300.000 in 2013

Kings Birthday Almere

Almere's city council and their civil servants spent 10 percent less in 2013 than was budgeted for that year The Almere annual report shows that just over 300.000 euros were saved. That money now goes back to the general funds of the municipality..

In total, the city council spent 2.8 million euros last year. Of this total, EUR 1 million was spent on the salaries of civil servants working for the municipality. The elected councilors received almost 1.4 million in salaries and fees for their work during that period.

The Almere municipal council met 36 times last year.

Almere is considered the newest  (became a municipality in 1976)  and  most modern city in Europe and presently has about 200.000 inhabitants

Gemeenteraad Almere houdt 3 ton over - Nieuws

Tourism: Maine the closest US state to Europe offers many attractions and opportrunities for European businesses and tourists

Maine: a new found gem for European tourists

Maine, a favorite summer and autumn vacation spot for US tourist wanting to escape their own hot and humid summers elsewhere in the country, is also becoming more and more of a tourist and business location for Europeans

The new 'Nova Star' ferry service, recently starting its operations between Yarmouth Harbour in Nova Scotia, Canada and Portland, Main,  now makes it far easier for European tourists who fly into Halifax and rent a car, to also in include Maine into their itinerary.

Nova Star Cruises said they expect to reach a goal of 100,000 passengers this season.

Another potential tourist booster is the fact that among a dozen or so airports in the US, the state of Maine is sharing  more than $4 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to carry out various modernization projects, according to reports.

Bangor International Airport reportedly will be getting the biggest share of this grant amounting to $1.4 million mainly to install runway sensors, replace the public address system, improve the taxiway and repave the apron.

This airport modernization project has the potential to eventually turn Bangor airport into a so-called "hub" airport for passengers and freight, providing European and other aircraft a quicker turn-around  time and passengers the possibility to connect with local flights to any US destination,

"Freight handling, warehousing and transportation logistics from Bangor could become a very profitable proposition to foreign freight companies, who presently are faced with high costs and major congestion in the heavily populated, more southern located East Coast areas", say Earl and Carolyn Hamm, Galt Block Warehouse Owners in Bangor,

But there is also good news coming out of Eastport - the closest US Eastern Seaboard port to Europe, This historic Maine coastal town will host a U.S. Navy vessel during the Fourth of July and "Old Home Week".

In the wake of an earlier decision by the Navy to deny the Fourth of July Committee's request for a ship, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine announced that the USS Anzio (CG-68) will visit Eastport during the city's Independence Day festivities.

 "The Fourth of July, Old Home Week celebration is an iconic destination for Mainers and visitors alike," they said in a joint release. "We are pleased that the Navy will honor our state with a port visit, allowing those who serve in the U.S. Navy and the citizens they protect an opportunity to come together."

The ship is scheduled to arrive on Thursday, July 3, and depart on Monday, July 7. Two cruise ships are also expected to visit Eastport during the same time period, but the schedule should work so that they can all be accommodated. The 210-passenger Pearl Mist is stopping by on July 2, and the 88-passenger Grande Caribe will visit on July 6 but can dock at the fish pier. The USS Anzio will be at the breakwater.

  "It looks like we've pulled off all three," says Eastport Port Director Chris Gardner of the ability to juggle facilities and host three large vessels during the first week of July.

Almere-Digest