Netherlands offers free herring as Covid jab incentive - by Jon Henley

After Russia offered cars, Washington state spliffs, Indonesia live chickens and Hong Kong the chance of a £1.2m apartment, the latest country to reward people who show up for their Covid shots is the Netherlands – with soused herring.

Early batches of Hollandse nieuwe, or new-season Dutch herring, a traditional delicacy consumed to the tune of 75m a year, are being distributed to vaccination centres around the country as an encouragement for people to get their jabs.

Read more at: Netherlands offers free herring as Covid jab incentive | Netherlands | The Guardian

The Netherlands: Dutch racedriver Max Verstappen wins intense French Grand Prix battle with Lewis Hamilton - by Andrew Benson

Max Verstappen fought back to pass Lewis Hamilton and take a brilliant win in the French Grand Prix to extend his championship lead.

Verstappen's Red Bull team gambled on an extra pit stop, sacrificing the lead to come back at Hamilton on fresher tyres to pass the Mercedes with two laps to go.

And Mercedes were ruing a strategic blunder in which they left Hamilton out one lap too long and lost the lead.

After a thrilling see-saw battle between the two title contenders and their teams, Verstappen moves into a 12-point championship lead after seven races following Red Bull's third victory in a row.

Read more at: Max Verstappen wins intense French Grand Prix battle with Lewis Hamilton - BBC Sport

EU Travel: Travel Restrictions Lifted As Americans Can Finally Fly to Europe Again

The U.S. has been officially added to the European Union's list of countries considered safe for travel. The move allows Americans to visit EU nations for non-essential purposes.

Read more at: Travel Restrictions Lifted As Americans Can Finally Fly to Europe Again

EU: Coronavirus ′still has the upper hand,′ warns WHO Europe head

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned European countries against becoming complacent in their efforts to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic.

Across the continent, governments have been increasingly easing pandemic-related restrictions as new case numbers in the region continue their downward trend. More social gatherings, sports events and travel across borders are also being permitted.

Read more at: Coronavirus ′still has the upper hand,′ warns WHO Europe head | News | DW | 17.06.2021

The Netherlands: Heir to Dutch Throne Waived Right to $1.9 Million Annual Allowance

Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, the heir to the Dutch throne, waived her right to her $1.9 million annual allowance.

Amalia, the Princess of Orange, is King Willem-Alexander's eldest daughter. She graduated from high school on June 10, and the royal family marked the occasion by hanging her backpack alongside the Dutch national flag at Huis ten Bosch Palace. Read more at: Heir to Dutch Throne Waived Right to $1.9 Million Annual Allowance

The Netherlands: People v Shell: from ‘corporate social responsibility’ to legal accountability – by Alejandro García Esteban and Jill McArdle

In a historic victory for climate justice, in late May a Dutch civil court held a corporation liable for the first time for its contribution to climate change. The ruling that the oil giant Shell must reduce its global carbon-dioxide emissions by 45 per cent from 2019 levels by 2030 is a game-changer for corporate accountability and our future on this planet.

The decision sets a precedent for litigation against slow-moving polluters. Not only has it opened new legal avenues for climate action. The judges clearly spelt out that companies have an individual responsibility to combat climate change, because of its severe impacts on human rights.

Read more at: People v Shell: from ‘corporate social responsibility’ to legal accountability – Alejandro García Esteban and Jill McArdle

EU: Poll Shows US Image Problem in Europe Persists as Biden Embarks on Trip to Repair Ties- by Benjamin Fearnow

Europeans still hold largely negative opinions of the United States as a world partner and ally in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, just as President Joe Biden makes his first trip outside the country since replacing former President Donald Trump in the White House.

A new survey conducted by the German Marshall Fund and the Bertelsmann Foundation across 11 European countries shows America's reputation abroad remains stifled, particularly by the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic last year. A majority of French and German respondents agreed with March research which found the Trump administration could have avoided nearly 400,000 COVID-19 deaths if it had formed a more effective strategy.

read more at: Poll Shows US Image Problem in Europe Persists as Biden Embarks on Trip to Repair Ties