The Netherlands: Ice skating is a big deal in the Netherlands - by Mina Solanki

When you think of the Netherlands, you may not necessarily think of them as a nation of champion ice skaters, but that they certainly are. The Dutch are a bunch of ice skating fanatics and they are genuinely awesome at it!

It’s no wonder that as soon as it starts to freeze, you’ll hear Dutch people talking about “taking their skates out of the fat” and rumours of an Elfstedentocht. But, what is the Elfstedentocht actually?

The Elfstedentocht is, literally translated, the eleven cities tour. It is a 199-kilometre ice skating, and speed skating tour through eleven historical Frisian towns. The tour starts in Leeuwarden and journeys through the towns of Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker and Dokkum, before finishing again in Leeuwarden.

The route has participants skating on frozen lakes, canals and rivers. In order for the event to be held, the ice must be at least 15 cm thick- something that doesn’t happen very often.

Should the ice be satisfactory, a tour is announced and starts within 48 hours. The last Elfstedentocht was held in 1997 on January 4. This was the 15th ever Elfstedentocht, the first was held in 1909 on January 2.

The last two editions, in 1997 and 1986, were skated in temperatures of -3,6C and -6,9C respectively. It’s not something you just skate either; you first have to be a member of the Association of the Eleven Frisian Towns and pay for a starting permit and bib.

In the run-up to an Elfstedentocht, after a few days of freezing temperatures, speculations can be heard about whether or not the tour will be held, and the longer the freezing temperatures stay, the more excited people become about the possibility of the next edition. The Dutch even have the saying, “When it starts to freeze, the Frisians thaw”.

No one is sure when the next Elfstedentocht will be held, but one thing is for sure, if it starts freezing outside, you are sure to hear rumours of this legendary race.

Read more: Ice skating is a big deal in the Netherlands

Germany: Angela Merkel′s CDU approves grand coalition deal

The chancellor's conservative party has given a green light to forming a new government with the Social Democrats. But despite the harmonious front, the internal tensions in the party are impossible to ignore.

Read more: Angela Merkel′s CDU approves grand coalition deal | Germany| News and in-depth reporting from Berlin and beyond | DW | 26.02.2018

Post Brexit EU Budget: EU agrees budget to focus on defence, security and migration - by Eszter Zalan

EU leaders agreed on Friday (23 February) to spend more on defence, security and "stemming illegal migration" in the next long-term budget, European Council chief Donald Tusk said.

After leaders held their preliminary discussion of the first post-Brexit budget, Tusk told reporters that many European heads of government were ready to contribute more money to the next budget cycle, that runs 2021-27.

"All the leaders approached [the budget] with open minds, rather than red lines," he stated.

Tusk however said that the EU Commission's ambitious deadline for reaching an agreement by the end of this year seemed "really difficult".

The EU executive wants to conclude talks by the next European elections in May 2019, however, haggling over the budget usually takes more than two years.

Germany's Angela Merkel said the debate was "constructive", and said leaders will decide how fast to move with agreeing to the EU budget after the commission's proposal will be published in May.

The German chancellor also warned cuts will have to be made to "bureaucratic" policies, like agriculture.

One of the countries that does not want to pay more after the UK leaves the EU, the Netherlands' PM Mark Rutte, said the bloc needs to modernise and reform existing programs to finds more money.

"We, in any case, do not want our contribution to rise," he said.

EU leaders also discussed the possibility of linking EU funds to migration and respecting the rule of law.

Donald Tusk told reporters the discussion was less toxic than many had speculated in the run up to the summit.

Member states that benefit from cohesion funds earlier warned against using EU money aimed for reducing economic differences across the EU for integrating migrants or for punishing countries that breach EU rules.

After the discussions Tusk said that he had only heard "positive reactions", and that the concept was not questioned by any leader who spoke.

Tusk said that Poland's premier Mateusz Morawiecki also said he was ready to support conditionality, adding that it should be built a very objective criteria.

"The possible conditionality was less controversial than expected," Tusk said - adding that the debate at this point was very general.

France's president Emmanuel Macron had a strong warning to those who infringe EU values, something Poland had been accused of by the commission.

"It would be matter of good sense to halt the payment of some [EU] funds where is there is a breach of our values," Macron said.

Read more: EU agrees budget to focus on defence, security and migration

EU Defence Pact: Is EU putting NATO to bed ? : Defying US, Paris and Berlin stand firm on EU defence pact

A Euro-fighter combat aircraft launching a long range missile

Europe must be able to stand on its own feet militarily, France and Germany said on Friday (Feb 16) as they made the case for a new EU defence pact that has rattled Washington.

In opening remarks at the Munich Security Conference, French Defence Minister Florence Parly and her German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plan posed no threat to NATO.

But they stressed that the European Union needed the "autonomy" to respond to security threats, even while bolstering their commitments to the NATO alliance.

"When we are threatened in our own neighbourhood, particularly to the south, we have to be able to respond, even when the United States or the (NATO) alliance would like to be less implicated," Parly said.

Von der Leyen also took a swipe at Washington for cutting its aid and diplomacy budgets, reminding "our American friends" that they have "precious commitments beyond military means".

The EU announced in December a permanent structured cooperation on defence agreement, known as PESCO, aimed at developing new military equipment and improving cooperation and decision-making.

Senior US officials voiced doubts about the EU plan this week, fearing it could draw resources away from NATO or become a "protectionist" umbrella for European defence manufacturers.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has cautiously welcomed the EU's efforts to step up its defence initiatives, but warned that these must not undermine the transatlantic alliance or duplicate its work.

Batting away those concerns, Parly said "those who try to say it's either the EU or NATO: it's a false debate".

But EU nations must be ready to act "without asking the United States to come to our aid, without asking them to divert their ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities or their supply craft from other missions," she added.

Von der Leyen agreed that building up Europe's military autonomy was compatible with shoring up the NATO alliance.

"It is about a Europe that can also add more weight militarily so that it can be more autonomous and carry more responsibility - also within NATO," she said.

The European Union launched PESCO with much fanfare in December, spurred into action by Brexit, the migrant crisis, a more assertive Russia and an unpredictable White House.

"This was the wake-up call we needed to understand that we had to change something and stand on our own two feet," von der Leyen said.

The pact, signed by 25 EU members, aims to get member states to cooperate more closely in spending on defence and developing new military equipment.

At a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Sofia, the bloc's foreign policy chief was also at pains to allay concerns about PESCO.

Federica Mogherini said talks with NATO defence ministers including US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday had allowed her to give reassurances that the EU plan did not seek to replace the alliance.

But she dismissed a call by Mattis for written assurances that common defence was solely a job for NATO, saying this was already "clearly stated in black and white in the EU treaties".

Note EU-Digest: Good move, US military objectives necessarily don't have to be those of the EU.

Read more: Defying US, Paris and Berlin stand firm on EU defence pact - Channel NewsAsia

USA: : Is Donald Trump really making America great again ?

A lot of people are getting disgusted about this non-stop "bla-bla" and rehashing of the Florida school shooting, with no one saying, what seems to be a poisonous word to the NRA, US politicians, from the President down, and apparently, also for the majority of US voters, that GUN CONTROL is the only workable solution to solve the problem.

Yes folks, GUN CONTROL, which has worked in every civilized country around the world, not more guns.

If the US wants foreign investments in new businesses to grow, sell Real Estate to foreigners, or improve the rapidly decreasing number of foreign tourists visiting the US, America better wake up to the fact that there now is a perception around the world that America is an unsafe place to invest in or to go to.

So dear Mr. Trump, please put your money  where your mouth is.

EU-Digest

The Netherlands: Dutch MPs vote on ending 'Ukraine-type' referendums - by Peter Teffer

The Dutch lower house of the parliament is voting on a bill on Thursday (22 February) that would make it impossible for citizens to demand a referendum on future EU treaties, as they did with the EU-Ukraine association agreement.

The four coalition parties supporting Mark Rutte's third government are expected to support the bill, but it will be a narrow vote. If just two of the coalition MPs fail to show up, the repeal bill could be rejected.

Opposition parties are almost unanimous in their rejection of the government position - believing it takes away a democratic tool from citizens after it was only used once in practice.

Most opposition MPs even want citizens to be able to demand a referendum about the bill that would take away their right to demand a referendum – something which The Hague wants to prevent.

EU-Digest update: The vote ended in a victory for the Government

Read more: Dutch MPs vote on ending 'Ukraine-type' referendums

France presents new immigration bill

French President Emmanuel Macron's government presented a controversial immigration bill to the Cabinet on Wednesday, amid criticism from migrant organizations and members of Macron's own party.

Macron has faced pressure to act on immigration after he won the 2017 presidential election, which saw 34 percent of the second round vote go to far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who had campaigned on immigration concerns.

The new legislation includes plans to: 

• Introduce fines of €3,750 ($4,620) or a 1-year jail term for people who illegally cross borders within the EU
• Double the time asylum-seekers can be held in detention to 90 days
• Halve the amount of the time asylum-seekers have to appeal if their refugee status is denied
• Hasten the deportationx of those asylum-seekers deemed to be economic migrants
• Cut the average waiting time on asylum applications from 11 months to six 

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has said the law is "balanced" and "aligned with European procedures," arguing that if France did not tighten its laws it would attract refugees put off by tougher rules elsewhere in Europe.

Read more: France presents new immigration bill | News | DW | 21.02.2018