The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a geopolitical alliance. It was constructed during the cold war to counter a potential Soviet threat. NATO forces in western Europe, nuclear and conventional, anticipated and planned for a conventional Soviet attack—a Blitzkrieg across the German plains—on the model of World War II.
NATO could be transformed into an organisation for reducing and damping down conflict within the framework of the United Nations. It could represent the transatlantic contribution to peacekeeping. It would mean a focus on crisis management—reducing violence in the context of armed conflicts, massive violations of human rights or genocide.
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What is NATO for? – Mary Kaldor
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June 10, 2021
June 9, 2021
EU travel: These are the countries Europeans can travel to right now
Hoping that summer 2021 might be better than 2020? It’s difficult to see how it could be worse. For those not in national lockdown, there are some destinations it's possible to travel to at the moment. They even have bars, restaurants and tourist attractions open and few curfews.
It's best to check the latest travel restrictions for each country in Europe before booking.
With a mixture of non-European and EU countries on offer, all your needs are covered by this blazing hot list of holiday destinations.
Read more at" These are the countries Europeans can travel to right now | Euronews
It's best to check the latest travel restrictions for each country in Europe before booking.
With a mixture of non-European and EU countries on offer, all your needs are covered by this blazing hot list of holiday destinations.
Read more at" These are the countries Europeans can travel to right now | Euronews
June 7, 2021
G7 agree to back 15% global minimum corporate tax rate, more taxes for tech giants
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies agreed Saturday to support a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15% in order to deter multinational companies from avoiding taxes by stashing profits in low-rate countries.
Read more at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/taxes/2021/06/05/g-7-nations-support-15-global-minimum-tax-corporations-tech-giants/7560398002/
Read more at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/taxes/2021/06/05/g-7-nations-support-15-global-minimum-tax-corporations-tech-giants/7560398002/
June 3, 2021
Coronavirus news: : Hungary to produce China′s Sinopharm jab
The Hungarian goverment on Monday announced plans to produce the Chinese-developed Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine locally.
Hungary is the only EU country to inoculate its citizens with the Chinese jab after domestic regulators approved its use.
Speaking in China, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said officials would open a planned €157 million ($193 million) vaccine plant in the eastern town of Debrecen.
Read more at Coronavirus digest: Hungary to produce China′s Sinopharm jab | News | DW | 31.05.2021
Hungary is the only EU country to inoculate its citizens with the Chinese jab after domestic regulators approved its use.
Speaking in China, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said officials would open a planned €157 million ($193 million) vaccine plant in the eastern town of Debrecen.
Read more at Coronavirus digest: Hungary to produce China′s Sinopharm jab | News | DW | 31.05.2021
June 1, 2021
The Netherlands: Latest Update on the Netherlands' Walrus-class Submarine Replacement Program - Nathan Gain
The Dutch Ministry of Defense on May 28 informed the House of Representatives about the progress of the Walrus-class submarines replacement program. It was followed by the first official communication on the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) future submarine program since December 2019 and the release of the "B-Letter".
Read more at: Latest Update on the Netherlands' Walrus-class Submarine Replacement Program - Naval News
Read more at: Latest Update on the Netherlands' Walrus-class Submarine Replacement Program - Naval News
May 31, 2021
The Netherlands: Dutch golden age also had a dark side: Rijksmuseum slavery exhibition confronts cruelty of Dutch trade
The aim of a first exhibition on the Dutch slave trade to be shown at the Rijksmuseum, launched on Tuesday by King Willem-Alexander, is not to be “woke” but to be a “blockbuster” telling a truer story of the Golden Age, the director general of the national institution has said.
Taco Dibbits said his museum had no intention of taking sides in a political and cultural debate but that the royal visit, broadcast live on national television, highlighted that the wealth bestowed and cruelty endured is not just relevant to the descendants of those enslaved.
“I think, I mean obviously you would have to ask [Willem-Alexander] yourself, but I think with that he emphasises that this is part of our history that concerns all people in the Netherlands and not only the descendant of a slave”, said Dibbits. “I mean, it’s about me, it’s about you, it’s about the king himself … it’s about everybody who lives in the country.”
Read more at: The Netherlands: nRijksmuseum slavery exhibition confronts cruelty of Dutch trade | Netherlands | The Guardian
Taco Dibbits said his museum had no intention of taking sides in a political and cultural debate but that the royal visit, broadcast live on national television, highlighted that the wealth bestowed and cruelty endured is not just relevant to the descendants of those enslaved.
“I think, I mean obviously you would have to ask [Willem-Alexander] yourself, but I think with that he emphasises that this is part of our history that concerns all people in the Netherlands and not only the descendant of a slave”, said Dibbits. “I mean, it’s about me, it’s about you, it’s about the king himself … it’s about everybody who lives in the country.”
Read more at: The Netherlands: nRijksmuseum slavery exhibition confronts cruelty of Dutch trade | Netherlands | The Guardian
May 30, 2021
The Netherlands: What the Dutch court carbon emissions ruling means for Shell
A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) to significantly deepen planned greenhouse gas emission cuts, in a landmark ruling that could pave the way for legal action against energy companies around the world. read more
Shell said it was "disappointed" by the ruling which it plans to appeal.
Here are some key points about the ruling:
WHAT WAS THE RULING? The district court ordered Shell to cut its absolute carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. Shell currently aims to reduce the carbon intensity of products it sells by 20% over the same period from a 2016 baseline.
DOES THE RULING AFFECT SHELL'S GLOBAL OPERATIONS? Yes. The reduction relates to Shell's global operations and is not limited to the Netherlands, the court ruling said. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR SHELL? The ruling said that "it is up to RDS (Royal Dutch Shell) to design the reduction obligation, taking account of its current obligations and other relevant circumstances." Shell earlier this year announced a strategy to become a net zero emissions company by 2050, meaning its absolute emissions will also be net zero at that point. It has stated that it believes its emissions peaked in 2018.[USN:L1N2KH0LV] ABSOLUTE TARGETS VS INTENSITY TARGETS? The court ordered Shell to reduce absolute emissions by 45%. Shell's short and medium-term targets are intensity based. Intensity-based targets measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy produced. That means that absolute emissions can rise with growing production, even if the headline intensity metric falls. At its annual general meeting this month, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden rejected setting absolute reduction targets, saying: "Reducing absolute emissions at this point in time is predominantly possible by shrinking the business."
HOW BIG ARE SHELL'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS? Shell, the world's largest oil and gas trader, produced 1.38 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2020, roughly 4.5% of global energy-related emissions that year, based on International Energy Agency figures. Shell's 2020 emissions were down from 1.65 billion tonnes the previous year, largely as a result of a fall in oil and gas demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More at: Explainer: What the Dutch court carbon emissions ruling means for Shell | Reuters
Shell said it was "disappointed" by the ruling which it plans to appeal.
Here are some key points about the ruling:
WHAT WAS THE RULING? The district court ordered Shell to cut its absolute carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. Shell currently aims to reduce the carbon intensity of products it sells by 20% over the same period from a 2016 baseline.
DOES THE RULING AFFECT SHELL'S GLOBAL OPERATIONS? Yes. The reduction relates to Shell's global operations and is not limited to the Netherlands, the court ruling said. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR SHELL? The ruling said that "it is up to RDS (Royal Dutch Shell) to design the reduction obligation, taking account of its current obligations and other relevant circumstances." Shell earlier this year announced a strategy to become a net zero emissions company by 2050, meaning its absolute emissions will also be net zero at that point. It has stated that it believes its emissions peaked in 2018.[USN:L1N2KH0LV] ABSOLUTE TARGETS VS INTENSITY TARGETS? The court ordered Shell to reduce absolute emissions by 45%. Shell's short and medium-term targets are intensity based. Intensity-based targets measure the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy produced. That means that absolute emissions can rise with growing production, even if the headline intensity metric falls. At its annual general meeting this month, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden rejected setting absolute reduction targets, saying: "Reducing absolute emissions at this point in time is predominantly possible by shrinking the business."
HOW BIG ARE SHELL'S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS? Shell, the world's largest oil and gas trader, produced 1.38 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2020, roughly 4.5% of global energy-related emissions that year, based on International Energy Agency figures. Shell's 2020 emissions were down from 1.65 billion tonnes the previous year, largely as a result of a fall in oil and gas demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More at: Explainer: What the Dutch court carbon emissions ruling means for Shell | Reuters
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