The Declaration of Independence of the 13 United States of America: On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress, who convened at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in the colonial era capital of Philadelphia. I was in the US in 1976, the year of the bicentenary and I bought this commemorative plate. The United States was not born as a Christian Nation and it's bizarre that Donald Trump wants to make it. He is as devout as Putin. In recent months, Trump has said that elections won't be necessary starting in 20 ..read more

GDP per capita, current prices US dollars per capita The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April 2024 published a ranking of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The deep green on the map shows what are called 36 Advanced Countries. The first two are anomalies. In Luxembourg, almost half the workforce lives in neighbouring countries while Irish data are about three times the reality because of foreign multinational distortions. 1) Luxembourg: 131,38 thousand; 2) Ireland: 106.06; 3) Switzerland: 105.67; 4) Norway: 94.66; 5) Singapore 88.45; 6) United States 85.37; 7) Iceland: 84.90; 8) Denmark ..read more

A gunman at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania was killed by the Secret Service on Saturday, 13 July. Trump said later online that he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part” of his ear, at about 6.15 pm. The former president pumped his fists and shouted “Fight!” to the crowd before being driven away. President Biden spoke to Trump late on Saturday according to the White House. Biden said in a broadcast "There's no place in America for this kind of violence," the president said. "It's sick. It's sick. That's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country. You cannot all ..read more

Vienna again crowned as the world's best city for quality of life, in 2024 Time and again, Vienna, the capital city of Austria, has been voted the city with the best quality of life in the World. The City of Vienna Government says "At the beginning of 2023, 1,102,570 Viennese were of Austrian origin, while 879,526 were of foreign origin. The main countries of origin of Viennese who are foreign nationals or were born abroad have hardly changed over the past years: at the beginning of 2023, 100,199 people originated from Serbia, 75,907 from Turkey, 69,265 from Germany and 55,151 from Poland ..read more

In 2024 there are only 24 Full Democracies in the World — 15 of them are in Western Europe. There is one in North America (Canada) and Africa (Mauritius); Two in Latin America and the Caribbean (Uruguay and Costa Rico); and 5 in Australia/Asia (Japan; Taiwan; Australia; New Zealand; and South Korea). The far-right will have about 170 seats in the 720 European Parliament (about 24%). According to Parliament's rules, a political group shall consist of at least 23 Members elected in at least seven Member States. Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, or AfD) has 15 seats but needs ..read more

St Patrick's Street, Cork, in the 1950s Over 500,000 people left independent Ireland between 1945 and 1960.The 1961 Irish Census of population at 2,818, 341 was lower than the 1926 Census. The latter was the first Census of the Irish Free State. The 1950s: “It Was a Great Time in America” but "Between 1946 and 1961, 531,255 people, almost 17% of the population, left Ireland. Forty per cent of those between the ages of 10 and 19 in 1951 were gone by 1961. Most of the migrants went to Great Britain, but 68,151 left for America during and after World War II (1941–1961). This piece is an addendum ..read more

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564): His cities were Florence and Rome* IMD World Competitiveness Center (International Institute for Management Development is a business school with campuses in Lausanne, Switzerland and Singapore).  "Smart cities are a fast-growing species, and a fascinating field for new experiments in a number of critical areas, ranging from urban planning, sustainable energy, and transport strategies to social integration and talent attraction, to name a few.  As leaders and citizens around the world continue to assess, design, implement and improve on ..read more

Evacuation warnings issued by Israel to people in Gaza ahead of attacks contained a host of significant errors, BBC analysis has revealed. Warnings contained contradictory information and sometimes misnamed districts, making them confusing to Gazans seeking safety. Experts have said such mistakes could violate Israel's obligations under international law. Cato the Elder (234–149 BC) is said to have repeatedly uttered the line Cato the Elder (234–149 BC) is said to have repeatedly uttered the line "Carthāgō delenda est" / "Carthage must be destroyed" in the Roman Senate. The city was destroye ..read more

Raylyst Solar, a Prague-based solar panel distributor, heads the eighth annual FT 1000 ranking with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (%) of 824.4%. The company says "We are a leading distributor of photovoltaic products for the European region. We provide the highest quality solar panels falling into the Bloomberg Tier 1 category, as well as inverters and battery systems from verified manufacturers in the market." Adagio of France, primarily sells to the digital advertising industry. It was founded in 2012 and is ranked second with a CAGR of 582.6%, followed by an Italian digital ad agency. Bidb ..read more

ECB: (European Central Bank): Intangible assets of multinational enterprises in Ireland and their impact on euro area GDP The 20-country Euro Area has a population of about 348,000,000 and the EU is at 448,000,000. The Irish population in December 2023 is estimated to have been 5,330,000. Denmark in 2023 had a euro income per capita of €69,100. It is the most prosperous country in Europe (absent shenanigans). A phantom Contract Manufacturing /Goods for processing was to be among MNC (multinational) deductions made in 2017. It was to be deleted from the headline GDP to produce a Modified ..read more