Na de verkiezingsuitslag in Georgia, voor de Senaat, zijn extreme rellen ontstaan bij het Capitool in Washington. Trump-demonstranten zijn het gebouw binnengedrongen, er zijn schoten gelost en de Nationale Garde van Virginia is onderweg.
Read more at: Totale chaos in Amerika: 'Dit is een aanval op de democratie'
The Future Is Here Today
Where Business, Nature and Leisure Provide An Ideal Setting For Living
January 5, 2021
The Netherlands: Back-of-the-pack Dutch Rutte Government under fire for slow coronavirus vaccine rollout – by Eline Schaart
The Dutch government's vaccine strategy has been flawed, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Tuesday as he admitted watching on with frustration as other countries' citizens were given a jab against the coronavirus.
“Because the government's approach was not agile enough, vaccination will start later than in other European countries,” Rutte said during a debate in parliament.
The Netherlands will only vaccinate its first citizen, a care home nurse, on Wednesday — making it one of the last countries in the EU to begin giving coronavirus vaccines.
read more at: Back-of-the-pack Dutch under fire for slow coronavirus vaccine rollout – POLITICO
“Because the government's approach was not agile enough, vaccination will start later than in other European countries,” Rutte said during a debate in parliament.
The Netherlands will only vaccinate its first citizen, a care home nurse, on Wednesday — making it one of the last countries in the EU to begin giving coronavirus vaccines.
read more at: Back-of-the-pack Dutch under fire for slow coronavirus vaccine rollout – POLITICO
January 4, 2021
Global Happiness list: Netherlands one of the top 10 happiest countries globally in 2020 ranking 6th - Finland No 1 - US 18 th.- Turkey 79 th. - lowest: Afghanistan 110 th.
The World Happiness Report ranks 156 countries around the world according to how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. 2020 marks the eighth edition of the report and has the theme “environments for happiness”. It examines data from 2017, 2018, and 2019 to put together a conclusive ranking.
The ranking is compiled using data from the Gallup World Poll, in which respondents are asked to evaluate the happiness of their own lives on a scale of one to 10. Using the survey results, the ranking also shows the estimated extent to which six different factors impact happiness:
Gross Domestic Product per capita, Life expectancy, Social support, Freedom, Corruption,
According to the 2020 report, the 10 happiest countries in the world are: 1) Finland 2) Denmark 3) Switzerland 4) Iceland 5) Norway 6) The Netherlands 7) Sweden 8) New Zealand 9) Austria 10 Luxembourg
Read more at: Almere Digest
The ranking is compiled using data from the Gallup World Poll, in which respondents are asked to evaluate the happiness of their own lives on a scale of one to 10. Using the survey results, the ranking also shows the estimated extent to which six different factors impact happiness:
Gross Domestic Product per capita, Life expectancy, Social support, Freedom, Corruption,
According to the 2020 report, the 10 happiest countries in the world are: 1) Finland 2) Denmark 3) Switzerland 4) Iceland 5) Norway 6) The Netherlands 7) Sweden 8) New Zealand 9) Austria 10 Luxembourg
Read more at: Almere Digest
January 3, 2021
The Netherlands: Dutch border police bar 10 British nationals from entering the Netherlands
Dutch border police have refused 10 British nationals entry to the Netherlands since January 1, when UK visitors were no longer covered by EU regulations, broadcaster NOS said on Sunday.
Since January 1, the UK is no longer considered an EU country and its nationals are barred from visiting the Netherlands unless their journey is essential, because of coronavirus rules.
‘They all had a negative PCR test, but had forgotten the basic rule, that they need to have an urgent reason to come, such as work or serious family issues,’ border police spokesman Robert van Kapel told NOS.
Read more at: Dutch border police bar 10 British nationals from entering the Netherlands - DutchNews.nl
Since January 1, the UK is no longer considered an EU country and its nationals are barred from visiting the Netherlands unless their journey is essential, because of coronavirus rules.
‘They all had a negative PCR test, but had forgotten the basic rule, that they need to have an urgent reason to come, such as work or serious family issues,’ border police spokesman Robert van Kapel told NOS.
Read more at: Dutch border police bar 10 British nationals from entering the Netherlands - DutchNews.nl
January 2, 2021
EU-US Relations: The Total Failure of the Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy and the consequences for the EU - by RM
The fall of the Soviet Union handed the U.S. a unique opportunity, as the surviving superpower, to lead the world toward a period of greater cooperation and conflict resolution through the use of diplomacy, global organization, and international law. This great opportunity to change US foreign policy doctrine was completely squandered by successive US presidents, who chose "the stick above the carrot" and consequently making the world a more dangerous place today.
The differences between the foreign policies of the EU, based on cooperation, trade , the environment,and Human Rights, and that of the United States became especially aparent during the Trump Administration, when Europe started staking out separate, clashing positions, on everything, from telecommunications to energy. The EU and US both issued sharp disagreements on the basic building blocks of foreign relations—namely, how the international system should work. French President Emmanuel Macron seized the spotlight, and sent the hearts of European federalists aflutter, by calling for “a European way” while raising the possibility of a French-led European nuclear deterrent, a precondition for any true independence from the United States.
If opinion polls are to go by, we are already separated. Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in Germany, the most important country in Europe. In January, Pew Research released a poll showing that 57 percent of Germans hold an outright unfavorable view of the United States. A few months earlier, in September, the European Council on Foreign Relations reported that 70 percent of Germans want their country to remain neutral in any conflict between Moscow and Washington.
For some European, Anglo-Saxon capitalism is seen as ruthless and rootless, mowing down the social order in the service of individual greed. For others, the United States’ dominance of the West breeds resentment, especially in an era of globalization, when even the slightest shocks from across the Atlantic hit the EU's bottom line or derail its diplomacy.
With the US Biden Administration in charge soon, the overall relationship between the two Transatlanic Super Power partners certainly will get off to a better start, but the US administration must certainly not expect that the status quo is re-established. Take note America, your former "lap dog" now considers itself an independent partner with its own voice.
EU-Digest
The differences between the foreign policies of the EU, based on cooperation, trade , the environment,and Human Rights, and that of the United States became especially aparent during the Trump Administration, when Europe started staking out separate, clashing positions, on everything, from telecommunications to energy. The EU and US both issued sharp disagreements on the basic building blocks of foreign relations—namely, how the international system should work. French President Emmanuel Macron seized the spotlight, and sent the hearts of European federalists aflutter, by calling for “a European way” while raising the possibility of a French-led European nuclear deterrent, a precondition for any true independence from the United States.
If opinion polls are to go by, we are already separated. Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in Germany, the most important country in Europe. In January, Pew Research released a poll showing that 57 percent of Germans hold an outright unfavorable view of the United States. A few months earlier, in September, the European Council on Foreign Relations reported that 70 percent of Germans want their country to remain neutral in any conflict between Moscow and Washington.
For some European, Anglo-Saxon capitalism is seen as ruthless and rootless, mowing down the social order in the service of individual greed. For others, the United States’ dominance of the West breeds resentment, especially in an era of globalization, when even the slightest shocks from across the Atlantic hit the EU's bottom line or derail its diplomacy.
With the US Biden Administration in charge soon, the overall relationship between the two Transatlanic Super Power partners certainly will get off to a better start, but the US administration must certainly not expect that the status quo is re-established. Take note America, your former "lap dog" now considers itself an independent partner with its own voice.
EU-Digest
January 1, 2021
The Netherlands : Passengers out of Schiphol airport need to produce a useless certificate costing € 180 they have been tested Coronavirus negative
Need to travel somewhere by plane? On top of your ticket cost, also count on dishing out an additional € 180.00, to do a coronavirus test at a KLM approved Healthcare Services Center.
Inquiries, however, made with Government authorities (RIVM) show it is completely pointless to undergo a corona test if you have no symptoms. There is no proven validity to be linked to the result of these tests, because the results can vary from day to day.
The GGD -"Dutch Government municipal health organisation for preventive healthcare", will perform this Coronavirus test for free at local municipality health centers in the Netherlands,in case a local resident believes he or she has the symptoms of the virus. Unfortunately this free test is not considered acceptable by the KLM ticketing services at Schiphol.
Hopefully the government authorities will be looking at this absurd procedure, which looks more like a money making scam by the KLM Schiphol authorities.
Almere-Digest
Inquiries, however, made with Government authorities (RIVM) show it is completely pointless to undergo a corona test if you have no symptoms. There is no proven validity to be linked to the result of these tests, because the results can vary from day to day.
The GGD -"Dutch Government municipal health organisation for preventive healthcare", will perform this Coronavirus test for free at local municipality health centers in the Netherlands,in case a local resident believes he or she has the symptoms of the virus. Unfortunately this free test is not considered acceptable by the KLM ticketing services at Schiphol.
Hopefully the government authorities will be looking at this absurd procedure, which looks more like a money making scam by the KLM Schiphol authorities.
Almere-Digest
December 31, 2020
The Netherlands: 60 new laws & rules take effect in the Netherlands from January 1
With a new year comes a host of law changes, new rules, and regulations to be implemented in the Netherlands. The Dutch government is enforcing dozens of these new laws as of January 1, 2021. Every year, NL Times compiles a roundup of these rule changes for non-Dutch speaking people.
An important basic income tax rate will fall slightly, minimum wage will rise slightly, and people with savings and investments will be able to claim a higher exemption from the income tax on Box 3 assets. All told there are about 15 different changes coming into effect next year, and nearly all of them will affect a person's net earnings and tax payments in 2021.
A 12 percent increase on the tax airline passengers pay when flying from Dutch airports, a change in the tax scheme on car purchases, and a tax discount for those buying an electric car with solar panels are among the seven different changes coming into effect next year. Classic car fans with a love for cars made before 1971 will no longer have to get their vehicles inspected.
Read more at: 60 new laws & rules take effect in the Netherlands from January 1 | NL Times
An important basic income tax rate will fall slightly, minimum wage will rise slightly, and people with savings and investments will be able to claim a higher exemption from the income tax on Box 3 assets. All told there are about 15 different changes coming into effect next year, and nearly all of them will affect a person's net earnings and tax payments in 2021.
A 12 percent increase on the tax airline passengers pay when flying from Dutch airports, a change in the tax scheme on car purchases, and a tax discount for those buying an electric car with solar panels are among the seven different changes coming into effect next year. Classic car fans with a love for cars made before 1971 will no longer have to get their vehicles inspected.
Read more at: 60 new laws & rules take effect in the Netherlands from January 1 | NL Times
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)