The Future Is Here Today

The Future Is Here Today
Where Business, Nature and Leisure Provide An Ideal Setting For Living

Advertise in Almere-Digest

Advertising Options

July 12, 2017

Denmark in the top ten of world’s best counties to be an immigrant Nordic neighbour Sweden in first place - by by Ray W

Denmark and its Nordic cousins are some of the best countries in the world to be an immigrant, according to a study complied by U.S. News and World Report.

The study looked at measures such as economic stability, income equality and job markets to create its list, using a survey of the opinions of more than 21,000 people from all walks of life.

Nordic Sweep: Sweden was number one, but Norway, Finland and Denmark also took places in the top 10, largely due to favourable perceptions about their economies and commitment to income equality.

Read more: Denmark in the top ten of world’s best counties to be an immigrant Nordic neighbour Sweden in first place

July 11, 2017

European Health: Majority of Europeans face risk of Cancer because of Alcohol Abuse – by Sarantis Michalopoulos

A new report has linked alcohol consumption in the EU to an increase in cases of digestive cancer and warned policymakers to take immediate action.

According to the World Health Organisation, some 3.3 million deaths around the world – 5.9% of all premature deaths – result from the harmful use of alcohol each year. Europe has the highest consumption rate of alcohol worldwide.

United European Gastroenterology (UEG) published a report last week, warning that the alarming alcohol consumption in Europe is linked to a rise in digestive cancers.

The report gathered the opinions of leading European digestive cancer specialists and focused on the impact of alcohol on this type of cancer.

UEG President Michael Manns stressed that despite the EU’s efforts to tackle the impact of alcohol on health, consumption remains higher than in the rest of the world and simultaneously, the incidence of alcohol-related digestive cancers is on the rise.

“We urgently require a focused multi-dimensional approach from policy and decision makers to dramatically increase public and healthcare professional awareness of the dangers of alcohol […] and strategies to reduce alcohol intake and the resulting incidence of digestive cancers,” Manns emphasised.

EU citizens consume an average of two alcoholic drinks per day. According to the report, drinkers face a 21% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, in addition to other digestive cancers.

The survey found that all EU countries had a ‘moderate’ average daily intake of alcoholic drinks, meaning between one and four drinks per day. “This places these citizens at a heightened risk of both colorectal and oesophageal cancer,” the report stressed.

Regarding ‘heavy’ drinkers or those who consume four or more drinks per day, the report stressed they were found to be at an increased risk of pancreatic, liver and gastric cancer.

Read more: Majority of Europeans face risk of digestive cancers due to alcohol, report claims – EURACTIV.com

Car Industry: Dutch authority suspects emissions fraud in Suzuki car - by Peter Teffer

Dutch car type-approval authority RDW said in a report, out on Monday (10 July), that “it seems” a Suzuki diesel passenger car with a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) engine contained “an illegal defeat device”.

RDW said it is suspected that the Suzuki Vitara has an emissions control system and its effectiveness is dependant on the amount of time the engine is running – something the Dutch authority called “impermissible”.
 

July 10, 2017

Britain - Saudi Arabia Relations: Hypocrisies abound as report highlights Saudi links to UK extremism

While Saudi Arabia accuses Qatar of aiding extremism, a think tank report released Wednesday said Riyadh was funding hardline Islamism in the UK. But with the British government refusing to release its own report, immediate answers seem unlikely.

Read more:Hypocrisies abound as report highlights Saudi links to UK extremism - France 24

July 9, 2017

G20: US contributes nothing positive to G20: "communique exposes divide with U.S. on climate policy" - by P. Carrel and N. Barkin

The final statement from Group of 20 leaders on Saturday exposed a divide between the United States and other G20 members on the Paris accord aimed at combating climate change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosting the two-day G20 summit, said she was pleased all club members besides the United States had agreed the Paris climate accord was irreversible.

"I think it's very clear that we could not reach consensus, but the differences were not papered over, they were clearly stated," Merkel told reporters at the end of the two-day meeting.

She said she did not share the view of British Prime Minister Theresa May who said on Friday she thought Washington could decide to return to the climate agreement.

In the final communique, the G20 leaders took note of the United States' decision to withdraw from the landmark accord.

"The leaders of the other G20 members state that the Paris Agreement is irreversible," the statement read.

On trade, another sticking point, the leaders agreed they would "fight protectionism including all unfair trade practices and recognize the role of legitimate trade defense instruments in this regard."

Trump, who on Friday found chemistry in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, congratulated Merkel on her stewardship of the summit.

"You have been amazing and you have done a fantastic job. Thank you very much chancellor," he said.

July 7, 2017

USA: Trump has made US politics ridiculous - E.J. Dionne Jr

The most corrosive aspect of Donald Trump’s presidency is its rousing success in making our politics ridiculous.

The political class (yes, including columnists) is obsessed with his most unnerving statements, especially on Twitter. These are analyzed as if they were tablets from heaven or the learned pronouncements of a wise elder.

Various kinds of strategic genius are ascribed to Trump. He’s getting us to focus on this because he doesn’t want us to focus on that . He’s shifting attention away from a Republican health-care bill that breaks a litany of his campaign vows. Maybe he posted that video of his imagined wrestling match with the CNN logo because he realized that in attacking MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, he strayed from his central, anti-CNN message.

Read more: Trump has made our politics ridiculous - The Washington Post

July 5, 2017

Turkey Election Fraud: Turkey’s opposition to challenge the referendum’s result at the ECHR

425 KM Protest March from Ankara to Istanbul
Turkey’s leading opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is challenging the April 16th constitutional referendum result at the European Court of Human Rights.

The referendum grants the President of Turkey, Recep Tayip Erdogan unprecedented power. The “Yes” campaign secured a 51,4% share of the vote, leaving Turkey politically polarized.

The leading opposition Republican Party (CHP) protests that the Turkish Supreme Election Board (YSK) decided to accept unstamped voting papers on the night of the vote, “unless it can be proved that they were brought from outside the voting room.”

CHP’s leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu signed a legal petition on Tuesday, on the occasion of the 20th day of his justice march in the northwestern province of Kocaeli. The 68-year-old Kılıçdaroğlu has organized a 425km march, which started on June 15 in Ankara and is heading to Istanbul.

The march protests the imprisonment of CHP lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for revealing the supply of Turkish arms to Syrian militant Islamists.

The spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Mahir Ünal, accused CHP of trying to create a “legitimacy crisis.” Ünal said he was confident that the ECHR would rule in line with Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Board (YSK).

Read more: Turkey’s opposition to challenge the referendum’s result at the ECHR