Award from booking.com

 I've just got this one from booking.com

It refers to the hosting business I carried out in 2024. 

https://www.quartastrada.com/

Hosting tourists can be considered "invisible export", due to the fact that it envolves international transactions related to travel agencies, hotels, and services like accomodation, restaurants and entertainment. It's an exchange of services rather than physical goods.

This job allows the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. 

This is the last weekend of March. Have a nice Sunday!

Stealing Gaza's gas reserves

While Western governments continue to cover up Israeli crimes, Gaza is being starved and bombed again. Why are we, Westerners, allowing it? That's so simple: Gaza could be one of the richest places on hearth if the development of the gas field off its coast would begin. The gas could also benefit the Palestinians of the West Bank whose electricity is bought from Israel at high prices. 

Unfortunately,  in late October, 2023, three weeks after Israel began its military attack on Gaza, Tel Aviv's  government issued 12 licences for gas exploration to six local and foreign companies. Obviously gas exploration off the Gaza coast violates international law. Easy to see that Israel is making a de facto annexation of Palestinian maritime areas. 

Glad to hear that some countries around the world refuse to surrender and accept injustice.

Day and night equilized

 

The spring equinox finally arrive this week, as from the 20th to the 21st of March day and night are equilized. From an astronomical poin of view the spring equinox Spring begins when the amount of sunshine is aproximately 12 hours. This happens when the sun crosses the equator from the southern emisphere to the northern emisphere. 

According to NASA, the equinox will occur at 4 a.m. on Thursday, 20th March, in the area located 6 hours behind the Greenwich Mean Time.

Many Judas-trees in the urban environment are already blooming. Those small deciduous trees show their beautiful pink flowers from late March to early May. In the language of flowers, the Judas-tree symbolizes betrayal.

Have a nice Spring season 🌺🌺🌺

EU-US full blown trade war

Since Trump got in office more than two months ago, he has been talking about restoring U.S.' manufacturing sector by rising tariffs on foreign goods. According to Trump's plan, tariffs can help boost production at home by making foreign goods more expensive. 

Obviously, if businesses were to make goods in the U.S., they wouldn't pay tariff for them. But if companies do as Trump asks, then the U.S.' government can't raise tariff revenue from them. Consequently America's public debt could rise, and American people could pay a high price for Trump's reciprocal tariffs. Not to mention of a country's ability to produce a particular good, such as wine, spirits, and food, at a lower cost compared to other nations. 

On the China front, while these measures may trigger concern over their economic impact, they are unlikey to undermine Beijing's long-term manufacturing dominance.

     Have a nice weekend!

Transatlantic partership or strategic autonomy

 

This morning the European Commission is launching a series of countermeasures to protect EU consumers from the impact of US tariffs of up to 25%. On March 12, the US imposed those tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium from European Union and other trading partners. 

That news reminds me a famous Heinz Alfred Kissinger's quote. As it is known, he was an American diplomat and political scientist, who also served as secretary of state. In 1968 he said: "It may be dangerous to be an America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal". 

Have nice Wednesday :-)

An empty suit and a Napoleon syndrome

On this sunny Sunday Italian newspapers show that we, Europeans, are at a crossroads in Europe history because of the insanity of two leaders: Macron and Starmer. Europe should not drag themself in Ukraine war, rather they should focus on diplomatic solution at any cost. The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, isn't snubbing anybody. She and other EU leaders are looking after their own people and their own coutries. They are not interested in helping weapons-makers to become richer by creating a never ending war in East Ukraine. 

I think some people pretend to forget that in 2021, before Russia's invasion, US & UK military drills took place three times on the Ukrainian ground, close to the Russian border. And now two European leaders want to do the same mistake. NATO troops in Ukraine for peace is an insane reasoning, as this was the reason the whole thing started. 

And last but not least, since yesterday Russians have been advancing sharply in the Russian region of Kursk. Consequently, I am sorry to see that Ukraine's sole territorial bargaining counter will disappaer soon, unfortunately. That's why Zelensky made a great mistake last week when he didn't agree on Washington ceasefire proposal. Last week at Washington' oval office he, the comedian, still had bargaing power. At present I am afraid Ukrainians have no choice but to lose Russian occupied territories. He will be judged by his own people. 

Brain drain

   

Since 2014 to 2024 more than one million Italians aged between 23 and 34 years have left their country.  It seems that  young  Italians think there is a lack of job recognition in their country, as they feel their skills are undervalued at home.      In this context, Italian government is trying to reverse the trend by incentivising the youth, as the brain drain is exacerbating Italy's demographic crisis. 

According to Eurostat, nine member states reported salaries above the EU average standing at € 37,863. And in six EU countries (Luxembourg, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Austria and Germany) average salary was above € 50,000. Finland, France and Sweden are also ranked above the EU average of € 37,863.

         

Many young Italians also look for better wages in Switzerland, which is not an EU member state. Furthermore, some Switzerland's cities, such as Zurich, Basel and Geneva, allow for a confortable lifestyle.

Have a nice 1st weekend of March! ⛅