RICH AND POOR REGIONS; MISSISSIPPI, OUTER LONDON, CALLAGHAN...

Breakfast in India.

"The differences between countries are often not as great as the disparities within them."

There are rich and poor regions in the USA, in Australia, in Europe, in the UK...

Which is richer - New Hampshire or Mississippi?

Average (median) income 2010

New Hampshire $65,028

Mississippi $35,693

The District of Columbia has a GDP per person five times higher than Mississippi.

In Mississippi only 19% of those aged 25 or over have a degree, compared 48% in the District of Columbia.

Italy - lowest level of regional inequality

"In an analysis of seven countries by The Economist, Italy was found to have the lowest level of regional inequality...

"China's phenomenal growth means that on a purchasing-power-parity basis, the municipality of Shanghai has a higher GDP per head than a quarter of the regions in Britain and Italy..."

Malta - Rich-poor gap grows wider - timesofmalta.com - Times of Malta

Where are the richest and poorest parts of Australia?

The Sydney suburb of Edgecliff and surrounding area is Australia's richest with an average income of more than $186,000 a year.

(http://www.news.com.au/money/money-matters/australias-richest-and-poorest-suburbs-named/story-e6frfmd9-1225845061248#ixzz1jzCopvnK)

In Callaghan, New South Wales, the average income is $27,388.

Zimbabwe has rich and poor areas.

Which is richer - Ireland or the UK?

(The figures below are GDP per capita 2010, in Euros)

Ireland 34,900

Iceland 29,900

United Kingdom 27,400

Iona

Which is richer - Scotland or the majority of regions in the rest of the UK?

(GDP PPP 2008)

Scotland 28,000
East of England 27,200
South West (England) 26,100
East Midlands (England) 25,100
West Midlands (England) 24,800
North West (England) 24,200
Yorkshire & the Humber 24,000
Northern Ireland 22,800
North East (England) 22,200
Wales 21,200

Thailand has rich and poor areas.

How does North East Scotland compare with most areas of England?

North Eastern Scotland 39,300

North Yorkshire 25,900
Greater Manchester 25,700
West Yorkshire 25,600
Herefordshire, Worcestershire Warwickshire 25,300
Outer London 25,300
West Midlands 25,100
Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire 24,000
Dorset & Somerset 24,000
Essex 24,000
Northumberland and Tyne & Wear 23,900
Kent 23,200
Lancashire 22,500
Cumbria 22,300
East Riding; Northern Lincolnshire 22,000
Devon 21,800
Shropshire; Staffordshire 21,800
South Yorkshire 21,500
Lincolnshire 20,500
Merseyside 20,300
Tees Valley & Durham 20,200

Berlin

It is possible to narrow the gap.

"GDP per head in Germany’s five poorest states (all in the east) fell by slightly less during the downturn than in the five richest.

"This continues the dramatic convergence of the past two decades, thanks partly to huge ... funds for infrastructure, Research & Development and education, as well as the transfer of some manufacturing jobs from factories in the western states to the east.

"In 1991, just after unification, Hamburg was five times richer than the poorest eastern region; now it is only 2.3 times richer."

Regional inequality: Internal affairs The Economist

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON MERKEL?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel refused to take part in the no-fly zone over Libya.

On 25 February 2011, it was reported that Merkel "sternly rebuked the Israeli prime minister ... in an unusually fractious telephone call... Netanyahu had done nothing to advance the peace process, Merkel said... Germany voted for a UN security council resolution condemning settlements that was vetoed by the US." (Merkel rebukes Israeli PM Netanyahu for failing to advance peace ... )

On 16 March 2011, Angela Merkel narrowly escaped a helicopter crash while travelling to attend an election rally. (German Chancellor escapes chopper crash)

Minutes after dropping Merkel off in Oldenburg, the helicopter got into difficulty.

At an altitude of about 1,600 metres, both rotors of the Superpuma 332 chopper broke down.

The helicopter fell from the sky.

A few metrers from the ground, the pilots managed to restart the engines.

German authorities are investigating how both rotors of the helicopter broke down simultaneously.

It was a brand new helicopter taken into the service of the federal police in December 2010.

Germany is the main trading partner in Europe for both Russia and China.

(BBC News - Merkel leads huge German delegation to Russia and China / German Business Moves Beyond Russia to China - NYTimes.com)

On 20 March 2011, in Libya, a three month old baby was buried.

The baby was a victim of Obama, Sarkozy and Cameron. (Libya: Gaddafi regime buries its dead )

At least 64 people are reported to have been killed so far (20 March) (Venezuelan president condemns Western-led bombardment of Libya )

Libya: MI6 warns: oppose Gaddafi or die

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Death for Nabucco?

.

The USA seems to be losing power.

The Nabucco gas pipeline, shown in red, is intended to run through Turkey and onwards to Austria.

The USA wants Nabucco to avoid Russian territory.

The gas could in theory come from places such as Azerbaijan, and even Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

According to the Fiancial Times (Will US ride to the rescue of Europe and Nabucco? ):

"Azerbaijan, which the EU has identified as the key supplier in the first instance, has never made a whole-hearted commitment to the project.

"The head of Azerbaijan’s state-owned energy company was in Moscow last month (March 2009) to sign a memorandum of understanding that pledges the gas from Azerbaijan’s two big new fields to Russia.

"The deal, though not yet irreversible, could sound the death knell for Nabucco."

Turkey occupies a strategically important position, partly due to oil pipelines.

Will Turkey become more friendly with Russia?

Will Germany feel it has to become more friendly with Russia?

At Voltaire Network, on 17 April 2009, F. William Engdahl has an article entitled:

Turkey, Washington’s geopolitical pivot

Among the points made:

1. If Turkey becomes more friendly with Russia, the Nabucco Pipeline may be blocked.

2. The USA wants to weaken German dependence on Russian energy flows.

3. Twice recently, the USA has reportedly got Ukraine's Viktor Yushchenko to arrange a cut-off of Russian gas flows to Germany and other EU countries. This is supposed to make Germany more wary of Russia.

4. Turkish membership of the EU is opposed by France and, less openly, by Germany.

5. US strategy is to extend NATO by bringing in Ukraine and Georgia.

6. Turkey has been allowed to win two key positions in NATO, including that of deputy secretary-general.

7. Obama supports Turkey's entry into the EU.

8. Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a four-day visit to the Russian Federation in February 2009.

Turkey imports 65 percent of its natural gas and 25 percent of its oil from Russia.

9. On 27 March 2009, a memorandum was signed between the Azerbaijani oil company SOCAR and Russia’s Gazprom.

The memorandum includes a statement about the delivery, beginning in January 2010, of Azerbaijani gas to Russia.

10. Russia has proposed an alternative to Nabucco called South Stream.

F. William Engdahl is an economist and author and the writer of the best selling book "A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order."

Long Live Barbara!

Barbara

In Germany, 'Barbara Emme was fired for allegedly stealing 1.30 euros (£1.16) worth of bottle deposits from her employer, Kaisers supermarket, after more than 30 years of service.'

She was punished so harshly 'while bankers who have lost billions stay in their jobs.' - Pilfered euro sparks German row

Kaisers has admitted it has no proof that Barbara stole anything.

A state labour court in Berlin upheld the grocery chain's right to dismiss Barbara.

Wolfgang Thierse, a vice president of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, called the ruling "barbaric."

Berlin's leading legal organization is calling on Thierse to resign.

Barbara suspects she was fired because of her union activity. - Supermarket Cashier Becomes German Anti-Capitalist Hero

AANGIRFAN says:

Sack the judges!

Boycott Kaisers!

Kick out Angela Merkel!

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