Martin Armstrong Warns "The Sun Is Cooling Faster Than Anyone Suspected"

Authored by Martin Armstrong via ArmstrongEconomics.com,

The danger from the Global Warming crowd is that they are misleading the entire world and preventing us from what is dangerously unfolding that sparks the rapid decline in civilization – GLOBAL COOLING.

I previously warned that this is not my opinion, but simply our computer. If it were really conscious it would be running to store to buy heating pads. This year will be much colder for Europe than the last three. It will also be cold in the USA. We are in a global cooling period and all the data we have in our computer system warns that the earth is turning cold not warm.

This cooling is very serious. This decline in the energy output of the sun will manifest in a commodity boom in agriculture as shortages send food prices higher. We will see famine begin to rise as crops fail and that will inspire disease and plagues. We will see the first peak in agricultural prices come probably around 2024 after the lows are established on this cycle. We have been warning that this rise would begin AFTER 2017.

Previously, I have reported that NASA confirmed we are going into a cooling period – not warming. They have put out a forecast of declining sunspot activity. Now NASA has come out confirming what our computer has been forecasting. They have reported that as the sun is experiencing a rapid decline in sunspots, it is also dimming in brightness or energy output. NASA’s Spaceweather station has recorded during 2017, 96 days (27%) of observing the sun have been completely absent of sunspots.

I have also previously warned that there is a 300-year cycle to this entire phenomenon. This cycle has aligned with the major turning point of the Economic Confidence Model 2015.75. During 2015, there were ZERO days observed without sunspots. The following year, 2016, came in with 9% of the days recorded without any sunspot activity. This jump to 27% here in 2017 is a substantial jump from 2015 that we cannot afford to ignore.

NASA launched a new sensor which is the International Space Station named TSIS-1. Its mission is to actually measure the dimming of the sun’s irradiance. It will replace the aging SORCE spacecraft and NASA has confirmed our computer forecast that the number of sunspots in this cycle will fall rapidly as it plunges into a date with its 11-year cycle minimum.

There was a sharp climate drop in 1916 creating a spike low in temperature. This 1916 spike low in our climate coincided with war. This was then combined with terrible influenza or flu pandemic of 1918 to 1919, which was the deadliest in modern history. This pandemic infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide or about one-third of the entire planet’s population. It killed an estimated 20 to 50 million victims.

This pandemic began in the spring of 1917 and some sources point to troops in France as being the center of the pandemic. A significant precursor virus, harbored in birds, mutated to pigs that were kept near the front. Others place it with troops in Austria. Nevertheless, influenza ran from mid-1917, became noticeable by January 1918, and continued into December 1920. The unusually deadly influenza pandemic shortened the overall life expectancy by 12 years. This influenza killed the strong rather than the weak since it thrived on the overreaction of the body’s immune system. The strong immune reactions of young adults fed the virus, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults resulted in fewer deaths, which was very unusual.

Across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, the sun’s output is declining. I personally hate cold. So this is not a forecast I want to see happen. Nevertheless, our computer has correlated this cooling trend with disease and it appears that famine also plays a role in this entire event. Additionally, a simple correlation with the energy output of the sun reveals that all major earthquakes occurred during strong solar minimums, which we are head smack into.

Consequently, there were 7 major earthquakes of 8.0 magnitude moving into the turning point in 2008-2010. Kiril Islands (Russia) twice- 8.1 (November 2006 & January 2007), Peru-8.0 (August 2007), Sumatra-8.5 (September 2007), Sichuan earthquake-8.0 (May 2008), Samoa-8.1 (September 2009), Maule (Chile)-8.8 (February 2010).

There are ways you can prepare. But do prepare. Do not wait until the very last second.

49 Countries Have Violated Sanctions On North Korea

A new report from the Institute for Science and International Security has found that 49 countries violated sanctions on North Korea to varying degrees between March 2014 and September 2017.

You will find more statistics at Statista

13 governments including Cuba, Egypt, Iran and Syria were involved in military violations, which as Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, includes either receiving military training from North Korea or being involved in the import and export of military equipment.

The range of nations involved in breaching non-military sanctions is much broader.

Those violations include importing and exporting sanctioned goods and minerals or aiding shipments by re-flagging vessels. Other instances include the involvement of front companies as well as other business activities like financial transactions. The list of nations violating sanctions non-militarily includes China, France, Germany and Japan.

13 other countries violated sanctions in a manner that seems completely inadvertent.

North Korea targeted countries including the Canada, Switzerland and the U.S. in an attempt to buy equipment which could potentially have military applications. This strategy has proven successful in the past, with the most famous example occurring in the 1980s when Pyongyang duped U.S. aerospace manufacturer McDonnell Douglas in order to illegally obtain 87 civilian MD-500 helicopters. The North Korean military later modified them to carry Susong-Po anti-tank missiles and these aircraft are still in active service today.

Visualizing The Massive Rise In UK MP Security Costs Since Jo Cox" Murder

Since the murder of MP Jo Cox last June as she was campaigning in her Batley and Spen constituency, the total expenses claimed by MPs for security assistance have increased on a massive scale.

You will find more statistics at Statista

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong details, from 2010/11 to 2015/16, the mean annual total was £73 thousand. In 2016/17 this rose to an astounding £2.55 million.

The figures, newly released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) reflect the reaction to the shocking attack.

In response, the IPSA has made it easier to get expenses, such as reinforced windows and bomb-proof letter boxes, signed off.

The U.S. Is Crushing Its Clean Energy Forecasts

Paris, schmarish...

In a February 2007 report, the United States Department of Energy made thirty-year predictions for the country"s energy usage and production. As Statista"s infographic below shows, using data from the non-profit international environmental pressure group Natural Resources Defense Council, these forecasts have so far been smashed.

You will find more statistics at Statista

Martin Armstrong details that actual CO2 emissions in 2016 have undercut the 2006 predictions by 24 percent.

In terms of the energy mix, power generated from coal was 45 percent beneath the forecast while clean(er) alternatives natural gas and wind/solar power saw overshoots of 79 and 383 percent, respectively.

Renewable energy infrastructure is also expanding at a much faster rate than was thought ten years ago. 2006"s prediction for installed solar was a massive 4,813 percent shy of the 2016 reality. The U.S now also has installed wind capacity of 82 gigawatts, 361 percent more than had been hoped for.

In fact, energy consumption in total was also 17 percent lower than expected... which is odd and perhaps a better indication of the recovery-less recovery"s reality?

WTF Chart Of The Day: America"s Youngest Child Brides & Grooms

Between 2000 and 2015, at least 207,468 minors were married in the United States.

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, despite an overall fall in child marriage since 2000 (25,583 to 9,247), there are still a shocking number of young children legally married in the country. Only 14 percent married other minors, meaning 86 percent wedded an adult.

As the infographic below shows, the youngest to marry since 2000 were three ten year olds.

You will find more statistics at Statista

According to Frontline, the three girls married men aged 24, 25 and 31 in Tennessee in 2001.

While certain conditions have to be met before a minor can marry, and consent from a parent or judge is usually required, every state in the U.S. allows children to marry to some extent.

In Oregon and Nebraska, for example, the lower limit is set at 17.

In 26 states, there is no minimum age for marriage.

Who Feels EU Membership Has Paid Off? (Spoiler Alert: Not Italy)

Amid the UK"s Brexit vote and rising right-wing populism across Europe, euroscepticism has never posed a greater threat to the EU.

Despite the turmoil, majorities in most countries feel they have benefited from EU membership. According to the European Parliament, 90 percent of people in Ireland feel their country"s decision to join the EU has paid off.

Back in 1973 before joining, Ireland was struggling to find its feet internationally amid strong economic dependence on the United Kingdom. However, as Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, in the years since it became an EU member, Ireland transformed its old antiquated and agriculture-centered economy into a modern one thriving on hi-tech industry. The European Commission has estimated that Ireland’s net gain from EU budgets has amounted to an impressive €44.6 billion since 1976.

You will find more statistics at Statista

Malta and Lithuania are close behind Ireland with 89 and 88 percent of people agreeing that EU membership has paid off for their countries.

In Greece and Cyprus, people are far more pessimistic. 48 percent of Greeks and 45 percent of Cypriots feel they have not benefited from EU membership. Italy had the lowest level of agreement with only 39 percent feeling EU membership has paid off.

China Is Threatening America's Unicorn Dominance

The United States is the undisputed capital of the unicorn - private companies worth more than $1 billion. This title though, is becoming more and more under threat, primarily from China.

You will find more statistics at Statista

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, according to CB Insights, there are currently 215 unicorns in the world, of which 108 are from the U.S.

When it comes to the "birth" of new unicorns however, America"s strength is clearly being diluted.

In 2013, 75 percent of new unicorns were born in the United States, fast forward to 2017 though, and this share has fallen to just 41 percent.

The number of new unicorns from around the world has remained reasonably stable over this time, but it is the rapid increase in activity in China - from 0 percent in 2013 to 36 percent this year - that is putting the most pressure on U.S. dominance.

Germany's East Is Shrinking

According to forecasts from the "Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln", Germany"s population is going to increase to 83.1 million by 2035.

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, the main reason for this is the record number of immigrants and asylum seekers which arrived in the country in 2015.

You will find more statistics at Statista

While the overall trend is upward, seven of the country"s sixteen federal states will see net decreases - primarily in the former German Democratic Republic (aka East Germany).

The largest decrease is expected in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where a 10.6 percent fall is forecast.

Visualizing America's Disappearing Workforce

In his September 2017 paper entitled "Where Have All the Workers Gone? An Inquiry into the Decline of the U.S. Labor Force Participation Rate", Alan B. Krueger of Princeton University explores the dramatic fall in labor force participation in the U.S. from 1997 to 2017.

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong shows in the infographic below, over the last twenty years, the rate has fallen the most for the under 20"s, with the share of 16 to 17 year olds in work dropping by 18.4 and 16.2 percentage points for men and women, respectively.

You will find more statistics at Statista

As Krueger reports, last year, Italy was the only OECD country which had a lower participation rate of prime age men than the United States. One of the reasons posited by the research is the opioid crisis currently ravaging the country. Labor force participation rates have fallen more in areas where more opioid pain medication is prescribed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the amount of opioids prescribed in 2015 was three times higher than it was in 1999.

As noted in the paper, while the direction of causality is not clear, a 2017 report by David Mericle entitled "The Opioid Epidemic and the U.S. Economy" states that “the opioid epidemic is intertwined with the story of declining prime-age participation, especially for men, and this reinforces our doubts about a rebound in the participation rate.”

But as we pointed out previously, after spending months, or maybe even years, running very complicated regressions that your simple mind could never possibly understand, Krueger would like for you to believe that it"s the growing opioid epidemic that is forcing men to sit on their couches all day rather than look for work.  Here"s a summary of his findings from the Brookings Institute:

The increase in opioid prescriptions from 1999 to 2015 could account for about 20 percent of the observed decline in men’s labor force participation (LFP) during that same period.

In “Where have all the workers gone? An inquiry into the decline of the U.S. labor force participation rate” (PDF), Princeton University’s Alan Krueger examines the labor force implications of the opioid epidemic on a local and national level.

Among other findings, the research suggests that:

• Regional variation in opioid prescription rates across the U.S. is due in large part to differences in medical practices, rather than varying health conditions. Pain medication is more widely used in counties where health care professionals prescribe greater quantities of opioid medication, with a 10 percent increase in opioid prescriptions per capita is associated with a 2 percent increase in the share of individuals who report taking a pain medication on any given day. When accounting for individuals’ disability status, self-reported health, and demographic characteristics, the effect is cut roughly in half, but remains statistically significant.

• Over the last 15 years, LFP fell more in counties where more opioids were prescribed. Krueger reaches this conclusion by linking 2015 county-level opioid prescription rates to individual level labor force data in 1999-2001 and 2014-16. For more on the relationship between prescription rates and labor force participation rate on the county-level.

Krueger also provided this very helpful map proving that opioid abuse is highly correlated to unemployment.  Of course, it couldn"t possibly be the case that opioid abuse is the result of high unemployment and the associated depression that goes along with it...no, the opioid abuse definitely came first.

So, what is Krueger"s solution to help reverse the seemingly perpetual decline in labor force participation rates?  If you guessed "Obamacare" then you"re absolutely right...and unfortunately, no, that is not a joke...here is the excerpt from page 38 of Krueger"s paper:

Third, addressing the decades-long slide in labor force participation by prime age men should be a national priority. This group expresses low levels of SWB and reports finding relatively little meaning in their daily activities. Because nearly half of this group reported being in poor health, it may be possible for expanded health insurance coverage and preventative care under the Affordable Care Act to positively affect the health of prime age men going forward.

And while we would never presume to be smart enough to question the very thorough, impartial research of a Princeton economist, we do wonder whether it"s in any way relevant that labor force participation rates seemingly started to decline in 1965...

...at exactly the same time that welfare spending started to surge?

It"s probably just a coincidence.

Why Germans Voted For The Far-Right 'AfD'

The main headline from the German election yesterday is not Angela Merkel getting a fourth term in charge, but rather her party"s weakened position - caused chiefly by a surge in support for the right wing nationalist party "Alternative für Deutschland" (AfD).

The AfD is a controversial party - one which not only ran on a program of anti-immigration and anti-Muslim policies, but one which is at least in part represented by people who have expressed racist and xenophobic views.

Nevertheless, provisional results indicate that the party has received 12.6 percent of the total vote, making it the third strongest in the country.

Why then did this happen? As Statista"s Martin Armstrong shows in the infographic below, AfD voters were primarily motivated by fears of terrorism, fears of crime and dissatisfaction with the influx of asylum seekers into Germany since the 2015 crisis.

You will find more statistics at Statista

Perhaps key to understanding the lurch to the right is the indication that the majority of AfD voters say they made their decision not based on belief in the party, but rather as a reaction to their disappointment in the other parties.

Over 1.1 Million Refugees Remain In Limbo Across Europe

The majority - 52 percent - of asylum applications received by EU countries, Norway and Switzerland in 2015 and 2016 are still awaiting a decision.

You will find more statistics at Statista

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, due to the historic influx of people over this period, that share accounts for roughly 1.1 million people, according to new analysis of Eurostat data by Pew Research Center.

Aside from those still in limbo over their future, 880,000 have had their applications accepted - the majority of such applicants came from Syria (about 520,000).

"As Much Gold As You Can Eat..."

Over six years ago, former-Goldmanite and head of The New York Fed Bull Dudley proudly proclaimed how the price of iPads was dropping when confronted by an unruly audience demanding to know why their food costs were soaring, prompting guffaws and widespread murmuring from the audience, with one audience member calling the comment "tone deaf," and another quipping "I can"t eat an iPad."

Dudley"s infamous ignorance will never be forgotten and as The Fed continues to pump the prices of stocks up (which you also cannot eat) and the price of putting a roof over your head is soaring (also non-edible), Martin Armstrong put us straight on one potential inflation hedge... that it turns out you can eat...

I am working from the Abu Dhabi office this week meeting with clients in town.

I thought I would post something unusual.

In the Emirates Palace, you can have a cup of coffee with gold on top you can drink.

You can also order ice cream made from camel milk top with real gold you can eat.

Interesting use of gold.

Martin Armstrong Warns Of War In September: "We Must Be On Guard..."

Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

You may have thought that tensions with North Korea were abating following Kim Jong Un’s missile test stand-down earlier this month.

But as we and others outside of the mainstream media propaganda machine warned, absolutely nothing has been resolved between the United States and the rogue nation.

The only proof you need is the fact that Kim just recently launched a missile directly over Japan and is now threatening a new nuclear weapons test to take place some time in the next two weeks.

As noted earlier today, both sides are preparing for the next level of escalation at this very moment, with President Trump continuing to shift military assets into the region. Moreover, Russia has been deploying troops to the Baltic states for “military exercises,” but from a strategic standpoint one can only conclude they are massing troops just in case hostilities break out.

According to cyclical forecaster Martin Armstrong, who has accurately predicted global crisis scenarios since the 1970’s, September may well be the month that propels the world into its next great conflict:

Our models seem to be right on target for the escalation of military threats from North Korea. We gave our two targets for the opening of  this window for a conflict on our war model with North Korea  to watch were August 12/13, 2017 and September 11/12, 2017. We must be on guard for this is the prime period where a confrontation could emerge.

…

We expect tensions to rise into the next target September 11/12th.

Via ArmstrongEconomics.com

Armstrong’s cyclical war model forecasts echo a similar sentiment from Brandon Smith of Alt-Market.com, who himself has been quite accurate with his predictions about everything from political election results to Federal Reserve policy decisions. In a recent analysis, while everyone was ignoring the continuing North Korean threat, Smith warned that conflict seems inevitable:

The mainstream media has instead been going out of its way to downplay any chance that the current inflamed rhetoric on both sides of the Pacific is anything other than bluster that will end with a whimper rather than bomb blasts. This is one of the reasons why I think war is imminent; the media is a notorious contrarian indicator. Whatever they predict is usually the opposite of what comes true (just look at Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, for starters).  Another generalization that is a sure bet is that the mainstream media usually lies, or at the very least, they are mostly wrong.

That said, if we are to believe the latest polls, unfortunately, one thing is clear: The American people, on both sides of the political spectrum, are becoming more galvanized around supporting a potential conflict with North Korea. For the establishment, war is a winning sell, at least for now.

His full assessment, Korean War Part II: Why It’s Probably Going To Happen, is worthy of a read as it explains the many facets behind why war appears to be inevitable.

One of those facets, as noted by Zero Hedge on Tuesday, is that both China and Russia now appear to have given up on a peaceful resolution on the peninsula:

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov told reporters that while we can expect new sanctions pressure on the DPRK after the last launch, such pressure is exhausted..

“Judging by how colleges from the US and other countries acted in similar situations, the US allies – of course, we can expect new steps towards strengthening the sanctions regime,” he said.

“But it will not solve the problems, it is already obvious that the resource of sanctions pressure on the DPRK has been exhausted.”

“It is no longer possible to adopt resolutions in the UN Security Council that do not contain a clear indication that there can not be a military solution to the problem, but only a political one. A provision that would rule out additional unilateral sanctions beyond those that are collectively taken by the UN Security Council, “the Russian diplomat continued.

Either way, it appears Russia and China are pushing back to Trump to ‘do something’.

In short, the Russians and Chinese have now put the ball in President Trump’s court.

Martin Armstrong’s forecast, coupled with a flurry of missile tests, nuclear tests, combative rhetoric, and military deployments to the region, suggest that war – complete with a nuclear exchange – may be much closer than we think.

Martin Armstrong Warns, Australia Is "Crossing The Line Into A Totalitarian State"

Authored by Martin Armstrong via ArmstrongEconomics.com,

Behind the Curtain, there seems to be no government going completely nuts more so than Australia.

They are doubling taxes on all foreigners who own property, which is a violation of international law, and then they made it a crime for a foreign to even buy a house undisclosed.

On top of all of this insanity, then they are planning to strip consumers of their legal protections if they pay in cash and fail to get a receipt.

If an Australian pays for anything in cash, they suspect he is hiding money.

The Australian government is looking to impose penalties if a consumer pays cash and FAILS to get a receipt so they can end the underground economy.

 

They are expecting to change the culture by forcing consumers to ask for a fiscal receipts when paying cash for anything.

 

Now the Australian government has moved beyond eliminating cash, they seek to punish people who pay in cash.

This outrageous proposal is clearly exposing the Australian government as a leftist goose-stepping authoritarian regime going completely insane hunting Australians for taxes. They are even stalking children on their way to school and then check the school as to how they are being paid. This is real Hitler stuff.

That is why the Swiss created numbered accounts because Hitler made it illegal for a German to have any account outside of Germany.

This anti-free society the Australian government is establishing is just off the charts. They have set up a Black Economy Taskforce to hunt down their own citizens.

The Black Economy Taskforce has turned its attention from the businesses to  consumers they now say are “part of the problem” adding that “[w]e intend to examine the merits of consumer focused sanctions, including the loss of consumer protections, warranties and legal rights for people who make cash payments without obtaining a valid receipt.”

They are out to change the entire culture of Australia because the government refuses to see itself as the spendthrift causing the entire problem. They wrote: “This is not simply of matter of imposing new penalties, but part of a wider cultural change agenda.”

This is becoming very dangerous.

Can you imagine a government staking your children? This gestapo agency is indeed spying on its own citizens in every aspect just as did the NAZI government in Germany. They have put forth 35 recommendations contained in the interim report where they are arguing the need for “consumer-focused action” to crack down on cash payments.

Obviously, Australia turned their own people into a hunt for taxes. Can you imagine stalking your children is legal? What is human rights? Australia is hunting its own people as if this were a fox hunt. Those who are looking to adopt children should consider adopting from Australia to save them from a government that is going down the path of a totalitarian regime.

This is always a dangerous historical path to proceed down. It has never ended nicely.

Visualizing Guam's Strategic Importance To The US

In apparent response to Trump"s promise of "fire and fury" in the event of any threat to the United States from North Korea, Pyongyang has said it is "carefully examining" a plan to attack the U.S. Territory of Guam, saying they will engulf the island with an "enveloping fire".

As well as being home to over 162 thousand people, Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes that Guam is of key strategic importance to the U.S. military.

You will find more statistics at Statista

With a large proportion of the 544km² occupied by the Andersen Air Force Base in the north, home to rotating deployments of B-1, B-2 and B-52 strategic bombers, and a naval base in the west, it is understandable why the island is sometimes referred to as America"s "permanent aircraft carrier".

In terms of personnel, as of March 31, Guam was home to 4,290 active duty Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, 1,739 National Guard/Reserves, as well as 2,133 APF civilians.

Meet Soccer's $600 Million Man (Or What Qatar Is Doing While Its Economy Collapses)

Brazilian superstar soccer player Neymar (yes one name... on the right in the image below), just smashed all previous records for crazy spending by European football soccer teams.

Dwarfing the money in America"s NFL, NBA, or MLB, the 25-year-old forward has agreed to join French side Paris St.Germain (PSG) for a stunning EUR222 million ($250 million).

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, the previous record, set last season when Manchester United bought midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus, was an already astronomical €105 million.

You will find more statistics at Statista

How can a deal like this come about? The answer is release clauses. It is reasonably common practice for players, not just the elite, to have a clause in their contract which would force the club to sell if triggered.

Neymar"s is €222 million. While this is an obscene amount of money, it is by no means the highest release clause. Real Madrid and Portugal megastar Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly has a clause in his contract set at €1 billion.

The unprecedented scale of the deal also sparked rumours that Barcelona could make a complaint to European footballing organisation UEFA over a failure to adhere to Financial Fair Play rules. Introduced seven years ago, the rules are designed to stop clubs from spending more than they earn.

*  *  *

This year he was placed third on Forbes magazine’s list of the highest-paid footballers behind Ronaldo and Messi.

Born in Mogi das Cruzes, a small city east of Sao Paulo, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior is the only son of former professional footballer Neymar Santos and wife Nadine.

On the pitch, during his four seasons in Catalonia, Neymar has helped Barcelona win the Spanish league twice, the Champions League once, the Spanish cup on three occasions and the FIFA Club World Cup.

*  *  *

While the transfer fee itself is a record, the now-former Barcelona player will also be paid £595,000 ($780,000) a week, it was reported. This means PSG will have to fork out £31million ($41 million) a year in wages, taking the total cost of the deal to more than £350 million over five years ($450 million).

With bonuses also included if he plays well, it could reach more than £450million ($600 million)!

But, as The Daily Mail reports, money is no issue for the French side, which is one of the world’s richest clubs following their takeover by Qatar Sports Investments (QSi), an arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund with access to £194billion.

QSI already has its own Masters golf tournament, sponsors the ‘Qatar’ Goodwood Festival and Royal Ascot, and is controversially set to host 2022 World Cup, a deal which has been surrounded by allegations of bribery and corruption.

The country - currently locked in a bitter diplomatic dispute with its neighbours who have accused its government of supporting terrorism - is seeing its economy collapse (and currency crash) as it is forced to import cows directly due to blockade shortages of milk, but is still willing to cough up all this money for one gifted young soccer player in the hope of winning Europe"s biggest soccer competition - The Champions League... which has so far eluded them.

Priorities...

And The Least Safe Country In The World Is...

A global survey conducted in 135 countries has revealed that crisis-hit Venezuela has by far the lowest share of inhabitants that feel safe walking alone at night.

You will find more statistics at Statista

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, a mere 12 percent of Venezuelan respondents said that they would feel comfortable at alone at night on the streets of their city or area, a whole 16 points lower than the next worst country, El Salvador with 28 percent.

On the other end of the scale, an impressive 97 percent of Singaporeans said that they feel safe.

Due to security conditions, Gallup were unable to conduct the survey in Syria.

6 Months In: Which President Covered The Most Ground

As Donald Trump hits the six month mark of his stint in the White House, there have already been a number of evaluative comparisons made to past presidents.

From approval ratings to golf trips to number of executive orders signed, each provide a snapshot of the incumbent"s opening period. As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, the infographic below looks from a different angle, showing which states Trump, Obama and Bush visited in their first half year.

You will find more statistics at Statista

According to the CNN analysis, Trump (16) and Obama (14) pale in comparison to George W. Bush who made his way to 32 states as he embarked on his presidency.

While back in 2001, Bush covered huge swathes of the country, his successors were much less focused on such encompassing travel.

Notable for the states visited by President Trump is the complete lack of trips to the west. The furthest away from the Atlantic the current President got was his June outing in Iowa - perhaps an early indication of where his domestic priorities lie.

Which European Nation Suffers From The Most Drug-Induced Deaths?

As highlighted by the latest edition of the European Drug Report, Estonia is the country with the most drug-induced deaths per million population in Europe.

You will find more statistics at Statista

At 103 - 82 above the EU average - only Sweden comes close with 100 deaths. However, at the other end of the scale, as Statista"s Martin Armstrong points out, Portugal, where drugs were decriminalised back in 2001, had only 6 per million people.

Looking outside of Europe, Estonia"s problems are pulled into sharp relief by the rate in the United States. In 2016, there were a staggering 185 deaths per million.

Meet DiDi: China's Answer To Uber

For better or worse, just about everybody has heard of Uber. Over the last few years, the ride-haling company has grown to dominate the market in the U.S. and beyond, currently operating in over 400 cities around the globe - despite significant resistance and outright bans in some places. DiDi, on the other hand, is unlikely to be on your radar. Having bought out Uber"s operations in China last year, the company currently enjoys 95 percent market share in its home country.

As Statista"s Martin Armstrong notes, the infographic below shows if it were to come to a game of Top Trumps, DiDi wouldn"t be such a bad card to hold.

You will find more statistics at Statista

Founded in 2012, and working on the basis of almost $16 billion worth of funding, it has amassed 38.5 million monthly users (compared to Uber"s 40), is active in around 400 cities and is valued at $50 billion.

As illustrated in the Statista report "The Chinese Passenger Car Market Outlook", revenue from ride sharing in China is projected to see a CAGR of 32 percent from 2016 to 2021. Likewise, the number of users is expected to grow by 15 percent.

As Uber begins to falter and face stiffer competition from alternatives like Lyft, it might not be long before DiDi is the biggest ride hailing company in the world.