EU - Economy - EURO: 20th. Anniversary of the EURO

European parliament marks 20th anniversary of euro

Note EU-Digest: A success story - 20 years EURO (€) currency. Remember those days before the EURO when driving by car from Holland to France, via Belgium and Germany, and having to exchange Dutch guilders to Belgian francs, German marks and French francs, paying the bank a percentage for each currency exchange they made, and also stopping at each border for custom controls. It is difficult to understand how some people want to go back to those "old days" before the EU and the € .Yes indeed #LoveTheEuro  and #LoveTheEU

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2019/01/15/european-parliament-marks-20th-anniversary-of-euro

Biking: The Netherlands will pay people to ride bikes - by Andrea Lo

With 17 million residents and 23 million bicycles, the Netherlands already has more bikes than people. Now, it wants to get even more cyclists on the roads -- and will pay people to do it.

The Dutch government recently announced that it will invest $390 million (€345 million) in cycling infrastructure to get 200,000 more people commuting by bike in three years' time.

Fifteen routes will be developed into "cyclist freeways" (highways that cater to those on bikes), 25,000 bike parking spaces will be created and more than 60 bike storage facilities will be upgraded, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

"My ambition is to ensure that people can easily get to work or school, or visit family and friends," says Stientje van Veldhoven, state secretary for that department, who is spearheading the project.

Read more at: The Netherlands will pay people to ride bikes | CNN Travel

The Netherlands: Dutch PM criticized after calling out 'white sipping elites' for not giving Trump a fair chance

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte faced criticism on Sunday after making comments about what he called "white wine sipping elites in Amsterdam" who are not giving US President Donald Trump a fair chance. Rutte made these comments during an appearance on Buitenhof, a weekly TV show focused on Dutch politics that aired on Sunday.  

Note Almere-Digest: Strange comments by Dutch PM, specially after the US Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the  European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change. The European Union’s demotion from a member state to an international organization became clear at the funeral of President George Bush, when Mr.O’Sullivan’s name was not called in the expected order, dictated by diplomatic protocols.Donald Trump certainly is not a friend of the EU, or the Netherlands, a Member State of the European Union. The Dutch PM "must have lost his "marbles" in making these comments. 

For the full report click on link below 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/dutch-pm-criticised-calling-white-wine-sipping-elites-190113195619653.html

Dutch public transport is the most expensive in Europe - by Mina Solanki

According to 2017 figures from the European Statistical Office Eurostat,
public transport in the Netherlands is more expensive than in any of the other 27 countries in the European Union.

Dutch public transport is the most expensive in Europe

Germany: New far-right German party adopts former secret Nazi symbol

New far-right German party adopts former secret Nazi symbol

Read more at: 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/11/new-far-right-german-party-adopts-former-secret-nazi-symbol?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

Canada - Saudi relations: Canada will grant asylum to Saudi woman fleeing alleged abuse says Trudeau

Canada will grant asylum to Saudi woman fleeing alleged abuse from family and Saudi  government says Trudeau

Read more at: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-saudi-woman-asylum-alleged-abuse-1.4974344

European Weather: Snow brings parts of Europe to a standstill

Snow brings parts of Europe to standstill

Read more at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46835677