Arms Industry: USA arming the world: Inside Trump's “Buy American” drive to expand weapons exports - by Matt Spetalnick and Mike Stone

In a telephone call with the emir of Kuwait in January, U.S. President Donald Trump pressed the Gulf monarch to move forward on a $10 billion fighter jet deal that had been stalled for more than a year.

Trump was acting on behalf of Boeing Co, America’s second-largest defense contractor, which had become frustrated that a long-delayed sale critical to its military aircraft division was going nowhere, several people familiar with the matter said.

With this Oval Office intervention, the details of which have not been previously reported, Trump did something unusual for a U.S. president – he personally helped to close a major arms deal. In private phone calls and public appearances with world leaders, Trump has gone further than any of his predecessors to act as a salesman for the U.S. defense industry, analysts said.

Read more: Arming the world: Inside Trump's “Buy American” drive to expand weapons exports

EU does not agree with Trump Administration proposal as to new sanctions against Iran

Trump Administration burning Climate and Iran agreements

The European Union has not agreed  to Trump Administration proposed new sanctions against Iran amid fears that punishing Tehran for its missile program would not stop US President Trump from abandoning a separate nuclear deal.

The EU is eager to safeguard the nuclear pact, under which Tehran agreed to curb its ambitions for at least a decade, but Trump has been a fierce critic.

Commenting on the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, Free University of Brussels political scientist Firouyeh Nahvandian said that economic ties between some European countries and Iran are much more important than damaging reports on Iran's human rights record by the United Nations or the European Parliament.

Trump has threatened not to extend U.S. sanctions relief on Iran related to the nuclear agreement.

The deal sees the West mostly lifting extensive sanctions in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program

EU-Digest

Middle East - Syria: Limited U.S. military action leaves al-Assad looking like the winner - by Mark MacKinnon

U.S. President Donald Trump declared “mission accomplished” in the wake of Friday’s strikes against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad − but if anyone emerged as a winner it was Mr. al-Assad. 

In a video posted on Twitter by his office Saturday morning, Mr. al-Assad was shown walking calmly to work just hours after the cruise-missile strikes ended. Later in the day, the Syrian military announced it was in full control of Douma, the town on the outskirts of Damascus where Mr. al-Assad’s forces are alleged to have used chlorine gas and perhaps other chemical agents in an April 7 attack.

“All the terrorists have left Douma city,” the Syrian army said in its own “mission accomplished” statement, declaring an end to the five-year siege of the wider area known as East Ghouta. The Army of Islam militia that held Douma until the weekend said that it was forced to withdraw after the attack that killed dozens.

Read more: Limited U.S. military action leaves al-Assad looking like the winner - The Globe and Mail

EU Economy: A daunting task for the EU’s economic liberals

As the Brexit process grinds on, attention elsewhere in Europe is turning to the political dynamics of the EU without one of its most reliably free-market member states.

For many years, the UK, both because of its economic heft and the often under-appreciated skills of its civil servants, has led an informal economic bloc pushing for liberalisation in the single market and external trade. Some members, usually including the Nordic nations, have frequently relied on the UK to persuade other states.

A new counterweight to economic mercantilism is sorely needed. EU member states have, regrettably, been moving in a more protectionist direction in recent years. They have, for example, rewritten their laws on antidumping and antisubsidy duties, giving themselves more leeway to impose emergency blocks on imports.

Germany, traditionally the swing voter in the EU, has shifted more towards the protectionist end of the spectrum, dominated by France and Italy. In theory, the accession of Emmanuel Macron as France’s president, with his talk of freeing up markets to boost growth, should shift the centre of gravity back towards the liberal side.

In practice, Mr Macron’s commitments to liberalisation tend to stop at the French frontier. In order to buy some political space for his changes to labour law, Mr Macron has taken restrictive positions on cross-border issues including migration, foreign direct investment and signing trade deals that will endanger France’s perennially vocal farmers.

Read more: A daunting task for the EU’s economic liberals

Middle East: Syria: U.S. fires missiles at Syria in retaliation for suspected poison gas attack - by Bob Drogin and David S. Cloud

U.S. and allied warships and warplanes in the eastern Mediterranean launched a fiery barrage of missiles at multiple military targets in Syria to punish the Russian-backed government in Damascus for its alleged use of poison gas against civilians last weekend, President Trump announced.

Trump authorized the punitive attack against President Bashar Assad's government and sought to cripple its chemical and biological weapons facilities with what he called precision airstrikes. French and British forces joined the attack, Trump said in a televised address Friday night.

The Pentagon said about 120 missiles targeted a scientific center near Damascus that was used for research, development and production of chemical and biological agents; a chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs; and a separate chemical agent storage site and command post near Homs. Officials said no U.S., French or British casualties were reported.

"We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents," Trump said. Loud explosions and air raid sirens were reported in the Syrian capital as he spoke at 9 p.m. in Washington. It was before dawn Saturday in Damascus

Read more: U.S. fires missiles at Syria in retaliation for suspected poison gas attack

Electronic communications: go European and benefit from stricter personal privacy laws

Have you ever wondered  what happens to your e-mail data on servers owned by popular e-mail servers like Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook Earthlink, or other non-European based communication companies.

But here is the good news. It is called the European mode, and you don't have to be a European to benefit from the far stricter European personal privacy laws, and other regulations imposed on how companies make use of your personal data.

Here are two companies you might want to look intom if you want a secure European based e-mail account.

ECLIPSO

PROTON MAIL

In this context  FREENET  and  TOR , are also recommended networks, specially if you live in, or visiting a country where there is censorship, interception of electronic communications, and control over what you are allowed to see or not over the Internet.

It certainly is worth to look into, and best of all, they come for free, if you don't require their "premium" services.

EU-Digest 

EU Hourly Wages: Netherlands has 6th highest hourly wage in Europe - by Janene Pieters

The Netherlands had the sixth highest hourly wage in the European Union's business sector with an average of 38.80 euros last year. Denmark came in first place with 42,50 euros, according to European stats office Eurostat, ANP reports.

The public- and agricultural sectors are not included in these figures.

In addition to Denmark, employers in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and France also spent more on their employees' wages than the Netherlands. Bulgaria had the lowest hourly wage at only 4.90 euros gross.

The non-wage costs in the gross salary in the Netherlands amounted to 24 percent last year. That is exactly the EU average. In the Netherlands salaries rose by an average of 2.4 percent last year, just above the EU average of 2.3 percent.

Read more: Netherlands has 6th highest hourly wage in Europe | NL Times