Europe

Based on the world risk index, which takes into account not only the frequency of natural disasters in each country (known as exposure) but also how well equipped the country is to cope with and recover from the effects of a disaster, The Guardian reports Vanuatu is the riskiest country to live in, with natural disasters on average affecting more than a third of the population each year. If you want to be safe from natural disasters, move to Qatar (the lowest disaster risk country in the world)...

Source: The Guardian

TTIP—American Economic Imperialism

Paul Craig Roberts

Greenpeace has done that part of the world whose representatives are so corrupt or so stupid as to sign on to the Trans-Pacific and Trans-Atlantic “partnerships” a great service. Greenpeace secured and leaked the secret TTIP documents that Washington and global corporations are pushing on Europe. The official documents prove that my description of these “partnerships” when they first appeared in the news is totally correct.

Submitted by John Rubino via DollarCollapse.com,

The dollar is tanking lately - apart from today's biggest jump in 2 months. From a high of around 100 in December, the dollar index — which measures USD against a basket of foreign currencies — is down about 8%, and the decline is steepening. In counterintuitive currency war terms, that means the US is winning the latest battle.

Former US President Bill Clinton and former British prime minister PM Tony Blair are to join forces to fight against a possible British exit from the European Union. Mrs Clinton has already waded into the Brexit debate and thrown her weight behind President Obama who also advises that Britain should remain within the EU Mr Clinton is understood to be preparing a return to Britain to campaign with Tony Blair against Brexit.

Submitted by Constantin Gurdgiev via True Economics blog,

In a recent op-ed in FT, Wolfgang Mu?nchau raised a very valid point that globalisation, free trade and markets liberalisation do produce both winners and losers. Nothing new here. But the key point is that this realisation must be timed / juxtaposed against political and social realities on the ground...

Quoting from Mu?nchau (emphasis is mine):