Almere-Digest

September 9, 2019

The Bahamas: Two Ways To Help The Bahamas Hurricane Recovery: Donate, Then Plan To Travel There - by Lea Lane

Before (left) and after (right)

There are two major ways to help the Bahamas recover from the unprecedented devastation from monster hurricane Dorian. First, donate money, goods or time right now to the organizations you’ll find at the end of this post.

Then, as hard as it may be to conceptualize right now, plan to travel to one of the many Bahamian islands that remain unscathed by the hurricane.

The Bahamian economy revolves around tourism, and the island-nation needs funds generated by travelers to continue recovery.

Yes, hotels in the Abacos and Grand Bahama Island are closed now, but that comprises less than 15% of the country’s hotel inventory. The southeastern and central Bahamas were far less affected by the hurricane, and hotels and resorts in the capital of Nassau and in neighboring Paradise Island remain open, as do those in the majority of Bahamas 700-plus islands and cays.

These include Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Andros, The Exumas, Cat Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Long Island, Acklins/Crooked Island, Ragged Island, Mayaguana and Inagua.

If you had made previous travel plans to go to any of these islands, check ahead and keep them, if possible. And if you don’t yet have plans, consider making them.

Donating to established groups is the immediate way to help, and giving money is the most effective support. Here are some links:
– American Red Cross is online.
– The Salvation Army is accepting money.
– Project Hope, an international health-care organization, is accepting donations.
– Americares sends aid and medicine.
– Habitat for Humanity will be helping rebuild houses.
– Team Rubicon is a veteran support organization, staging resources and support.
– World Central Kitchen teams are providing food on Grand Bahama and the Abacos. Chef José Andrés’ organization is once again helping the hungry.

Read more: Two Ways To Help The Bahamas Hurricane Recovery: Donate, Then Plan To Travel There

September 8, 2019

Asteroid Versus Earth NASA confirms new Asteroid heading towards Earth that could destroy it

NASA confirms new asteroid heading towards earth; Will it just pass by or destroy the

planet?.

September 6, 2019

The Netherlands: Asset tax system gets overhaul, 1.3 million people will pay no tax on savings

The Dutch cabinet plans to overhaul the system for taxing savings, which will lead to no asset tax bills for 1.3 million people and 500,000 facing lower payments.

Tax minister Menno Snel said in April the cabinet was looking into ways of cutting the amount of tax paid by people whose assets are primarily in the form of savings.

The government currently uses ‘fictitious interest rates’ of upwards of 2% to decide how much income people have from their assets, and levies tax of 30% on assets over €30,360 (double for a couple).

But at the moment, most savings accounts have interest rates of around zero and people are paying tax on income they have not realized.

Under the new set-up, which will come into effect in 2022, assets would be divided into three categories: savings, investments and debt. Savings over €30,360 would be taxed in line with current interest rates, rather than a fictitious amount.

Read more at: Asset tax system gets overhaul, 1.3 million people will pay no tax on savings - DutchNews.nl

September 5, 2019

The Netherlands: Insurance premiums to go up next year says Government

The Breakup of the UK: The Story of Boris and Václav, or How to Break Up the UK - by Thomas de Waal

Boris Johnson could end up being the English leader who allowed the breakup of the UK to achieve Brexit. There are lessons in the dissolution of two other unions, the USSR and Czechoslovakia, and the role played by Boris Yeltsin and Václav Klaus.

Read more at: The Story of Boris and Václav, or How to Break Up the UK - Carnegie Europe - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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September 4, 2019

Britain-Brexit: Boris Johnson suffers Commons defeat as Tories turn against him - by Heather Stewart and Peter Walker

Boris Johnson has announced he will ask parliament to support plans for a snap October general election after suffering a humiliating defeat in his first House of Commons vote as prime minister.

Former cabinet ministers including Philip Hammond and David Gauke were among 21 Tory rebels who banded together with opposition MPs to seize control of the parliamentary timetable on a dramatic day in Westminster.

The move was aimed at paving the way for a bill tabled by the Labour backbencher Hilary Benn, which is designed to block a no-deal Brexit by forcing the prime minister to request an extension to article 50 if he cannot strike a reworked deal with the EU27.

Johnson lost the vote by 328 to 301, a convincing majority for the rebels of 27.

The PM had earlier described the legislation, drawn up by a cross-party coalition including the senior Tories Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve, as “Jeremy Corbyn’s surrender bill”.

After his defeat, Johnson said he would never request the delay mandated in the rebels’ bill, which he said would “hand control of the negotiations to the EU”.

If MPs passed the bill on Wednesday, he said, “the people of this country will have to choose” in an election that he would seek to schedule for 15 October.

Read more at: Boris Johnson suffers Commons defeat as Tories turn against him | Politics | The Guardian

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