NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine crisis - by Eliza Mackintosh

NATO announced on Monday that some member countries are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe as the United Kingdom and the United States ordered diplomats' families to withdraw from Ukraine amid concerns of a Russian invasion.

The developments underscore growing fears of a possible Russian incursion, following months of military maneuvering by Moscow that has set off a tit-for-tat series of escalations with NATO, a military alliance of Western powers.

Read more at: NATO allies put forces on standby as tensions rise over Ukraine crisis - CNN

Ukraine Crises: Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US - by Martin Farrer and Kate Connolly

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany will not move forward if Russia invades Ukraine, the US state department has said, in a significant strengthening of the west’s previous position on the strategically vital gas supply.

Read more at: Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will not open if Russia invades Ukraine, says US | Ukraine | The Guardian

Netherlands: World's First Waxed Vegan Cheese Wheels Launch In Netherlands - by Tanuvi Joe

Amsterdam cheese makers Max&Bien just unveiled the world’s first plant-based cheese wheel with paraffin coating. The new sliceable speciality cheeses are made from fermented wheat. From this week, consumers will be able to buy the products from cheese and delicatessen stores.

ProVeg, the international nonprofit dedicated towards building a sustainable food system called this move as an innovative step in the booming market for vegan cheese.

Read more at: World's First Waxed Vegan Cheese Wheels Launch In Netherlands

The Netherlands: COVID-19 in Europe: Netherlands to allow bars, restaurants and cultural venues to reopen

The Dutch government has announced that bars, restaurants, museums, theatres and other venues are to be allowed to re-open under conditions, loosening some of the toughest COVID-19 restrictions in Europe.

For more than a month, bars, restaurants, and cultural venues have been closed, while strict quarantine rules have shut a quarter of primary school classes in the Netherlands.

The announcement by Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday evening comes despite record new coronavirus infection levels, as hospitalisations from the country's Omicron wave have been lower than initially feared.

Read more at: COVID-19 in Europe: Netherlands to allow bars, restaurants and cultural venues to reopen | Euronews

The Netherlands: Dutch cabinet to discuss COVID-19 rules as OMT advises further relaxations

The government’s decision to leave a number of lockdown measures in place at the last press conference was met with much controversy and various protests and demonstrations across the Netherlands. Now, however, less than two weeks later, the outlook appears to be more positive and Prime Minister Mark Rutte is optimistic about lifting various COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday.

The OMT is also feeling more hopeful, with the latest report from medical experts advising the Dutch government to reopen the hospitality and cultural industries, albeit with an enforced closing time of 8pm.

Sources in The Hague have suggested that Rutte and Health Minister Ernst Kuipers will opt to open restaurants, museums, theatres, and cinemas, with an enforced closing time of 10pm. With these venues reopening, the government will also reintroduce the use of coronavirus certificates.

Read more at: Dutch cabinet to discuss COVID-19 rules as OMT advises further relaxations

The Netherlands: Inside the surreal Dutch lockdown - by Senay Boztas

Sitting respectfully in our ‘pews’, we put our hands together… and clap. This is not a service but a comedy night. And Amsterdam’s newest ‘church’ is really a theatre for debate and cultural centre in disguise. Incensed by the illogical nature of the current Dutch coronavirus restrictions, Yoeri Albrecht, director of De Balie, last week changed the statutes of his organisation and registered it with the chamber of commerce as a faith-based movement: overnight, The Philosophical Society; the Community of Reason was born.

It is unlikely to be the last. His example, a group of Dutch mayors predicted wryly in an open letter to the government, is likely to mark the start of “an unprecedented religious revival in the coming weeks”.

The Netherlands has been in partial or full lockdown since November, primarily due to the pressure of patients with the Delta variant on the hospital system and one of Europe’s least efficient booster campaigns. But just over a week ago, the restrictions were loosened — albeit in a strikingly surreal fashion.

Read More at: Inside the surreal Dutch lockdown - UnHerd

Schengen: Austria Removes UK, the Netherlands, Denmark & Norway From List of Virus Variant Countries

The Austrian authorities have decided to abolish the list of virus variant countries, for travellers from which special stricter restrictions have applied so far.

Thus, starting from Monday, January 24, 2022, travellers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, which countries are currently classified as virus variant countries, will be subject to facilitated entry rules when travelling to Austria.

Read more Austria Removes UK, the Netherlands, Denmark & Norway From List of Virus Variant Countries - SchengenVisaInfo.com