EU needs to learn the 'language of power', incoming chief says

The European Union can no longer rely on soft power to promote its interests and must develop more security "muscle" and policy focus on trade, incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

In a speech on the state of Europe, von der Leyen stressed the EU’s strengths as a bastion of openness and democracy in a troubled world and said Brexit had forged a tighter group out of the remaining members of the bloc.

“We must go our own European way with confidence,” she said in Berlin. But she added: “Soft power alone won’t suffice today if we Europeans want to assert ourselves in the world. Europe must also learn the language of power.” 

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-commission-von-der-leyen/eu-needs-to-learn-the-language-of-power-incoming-chief-says-idUKKBN1XI2BM

The Netherlands - Smoking Statistics: Netherlands has few smokers compared to other countries

Internationally, the Netherlands has a relatively low percentage of smokers, according to figures from the OECD publication Health at a glance 2019, that Statistics Netherlands released on Thursday.

The percentage of daily smokers in the Netherlands fell from 23 percent in 2007 to 17 percent in 2017, just under the 18 percent average in OECD countries.

Read more at:
https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/07/netherlands-smokers-compared-countries

Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’ - as Trump now formally takes the US out of the climate accord

Statement sets out ‘vital signs’ as indicators of magnitude of the climate emergency.

Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/05/climate-crisis-11000-scientists-warn-of-untold-suffering?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

Germany: In 20 years, 1 in 3 people will be a migrant

In large cities of Germany up to 70% of inhabitants will have a migrant background in two decades, experts say. Germany will need to attract a "range of nationalities" to keep the "economy stable."

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-in-20-years-1-in-3-people-will-be-a-migrant/a-51101172

The Netherlands: Teachers union reverses course; Renews call for national strike on Wednesday

The largest union representing education workers in the Netherlands now wants its membership to take part in a national educators strike on Wednesday after its chairperson was pushed to resign.

Read more at:
https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/03/teachers-union-reverses-course-renews-call-national-strike-wednesday

Italy: For the first time ever, a US cheese is named best in the world - by Katia Hetter

Rogue River Blue has taken the top prize at the 2019 World Cheese Awards, marking the first time a US cheese has ever been named World Champion Chees

 Some 260 judges from 35 different countries judged the cheeses, narrowing the list down to a final 16. An international "super jury" of experts chose the winners.

Coming in second place was an Italian cheese, the 24-month aged Nazionale del Parmigiano Reggiano Latteria Sociale Santo Stefano. It was followed by a Spanish raw ewe's milk cheese, Torta del Casar D.O.P. Virgen Del Prado made by Queseria Doña Francisca.

Read more at:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/foodnews/for-the-first-time-ever-a-us-cheese-is-named-best-in-the-world/ar-AAJH2Fr

Netherlands to pump €460 million into education; Teachers cancel planned strike | NL Times

The Dutch cabinet announced on Friday it had reached an agreement with teachers unions and employers to boost government spending in education by roughly 460 million euros, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in an interview on broadcaster NOS. The deal puts an end to a planned November 6 strike by primary and secondary school teachers and special education instructors teachers.

 Read more at: https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/01/netherlands-pump-eu460-million-education-teachers-cancel-planned-strike