The European Commission has referred The Netherlands to the EU's Court of Justice for failing to notify measures to stop discriminating against pensioners who live abroad when paying out an allowance for elderly taxpayers.
This results from a discriminatory condition under Dutch law for entitlement to the 'koopkrachttegemoetkoming oudere belastingplichtigen' (purchasing power allowance for elderly taxpayers).

Senior politicians, diplomats and industry leaders from around the world gathered at VILA VITA Parc last month (Nov 2012) for a high-level conference to discuss transatlantic relations after the US elections.
Speakers and guests at the conference - organised by the German-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation - included Paulo Portas, Portugal’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, Eka Tkeshelashvili; the former Spanish Foreign Minister, Ana Palacio; Elmar Brok, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament; the former German Defence Minister, Volker Ruehe; Klaus Welle, Secretary General of the European Parliament; and Danny Diaz, the US Republican Party’s national spokesman.

The professor of law, Karl Albrecht Schachtschneider is known to weigh his words with care. He is not an extremist. He got a decision from the German Constitutional Court against the Lisbon Agreement. Here is a summary of what he said recently.

Click HERE for a history of the world in pictures.

Contains flashing images.

More and more UK pensioners are now moving abroad yet remain dependent on the UK for their pensions and savings.  Many have pensions and other income taxed in the UK.
Large numbers also have close family and other cultural links.  Most are British Citizens - but not all! The question that becomes ever more insistent is Do they have a right to bring pressure on the 'home' government?

Helga is the proprietor of a bar. She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar.
To solve this problem she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later.