“People died, it’s been a very hard time. Corona cast a shadow over our lives and sometimes divided us to the bone,” Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said as he announced the lifting of COVID restrictions, to begin February 18th.

The ceremony, honoring Lagarde’s distinction for her “contribution to the renown of France” took place in the winter garden of the Élysée Palace. The event fuelled speculation as to what Macron’s intentions may be.

Through a formal ban by Brussels mayor Philippe Close, any vehicles associated with the movement were barred access to the city center. This, combined with controls at the Belgian border, effectively contained the movement.

Head of Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights, hailed the decision as “historic” and “a giant move” in the field of political and civil rights. Ishak Ibrahim, an expert on Christian affairs in Egypt, was more skeptical: it “will not have a significant impact on eliminating discrimination and ensuring the opportunity for all citizens.”

The parties of CDA, ChristenUnie, SGP, and Forum for Democracy voted unanimously against, as did Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging and independent MP Pieter Omtzigt.

On the eve of his diplomatic mission to Moscow, in a desperate bid for a de-escalation of tensions on Ukraine’s borders, Macron said that “the geopolitical objective of Russia today is clearly not Ukraine, but to clarify the rules of cohabitation with NATO and the EU.”

Canada’s continental offspring are mobilizing for one single aim—a large, co-ordinated, pan-European presence in Brussels, home to the EU’s main institutions, on Monday, February 14th.

After a Dutch journalist was forced off-camera by security guard, the incident quickly gained international traction and pointed a floodlight on China’s draconian approach to journalists.

When pressed by reporters, Scholz avoided making a clear pronouncement on the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through which Russia would export its gas to Germany.

The EU Commission has called for swift adoption of its proposed extension before the certificate expires June 30th, 2022. If approved, the system would remain in place until June of 2023.

Christian leaders asked authorities to drop the charges against Jimmy Lai. “We plead with you to have compassion on his life and well-being and to correct this injustice. We will continue to hope and pray for his eventual release as well as for the well-being and prosperity of Hong Kong and all the peoples of the whole Chinese nation,” the letter said.

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told reporters that no decision to dismantle ‘De Hef’ had been made. Calling the turmoil “quite peculiar,” he said that his office had not even received a request for a permit.