Sweden, Netherlands & France play World Cup openers

Post-Brexit trade laws will drive imported flower prices up 5%, sellers warn

Roughly 80% of cut flowers in the UK are sourced from the Netherlands, according to the British Florist Association, and post-Brexit trade rules are making sellers nervous.

Netherlands officially stops drilling at Groningen's giant gas field

A symbolic ceremony was held on Friday to mark the end of drilling which has increased the seismic risk in the region since it started in the 1960s.

Netherlands Hostage Situation: All hostages freed In Netherland’ s Ede town, suspect held |Oneindia

Everyone being held hostage in a town in central Netherlands is now free and a suspect is in custody, Dutch police said Saturday, after an ordeal that lasted several hours. "The last hostage has just been released. One person has been arrested. We cannot share more information at this time," announced police on X, formerly Twitter. Police in central Netherlands reported that on March 30, several individuals were taken hostage in a town, prompting evacuations of nearby residences and the closure of the town centre. Authorities earlier stated that, at present, there is no indication of a "terrorist motive" behind the incident in Ede. #NetherlandsHostage #EdeTown #HostageCrisis #HostagesFreed #SuspectArrested #NetherlandsSafety #EdeIncident #EmergencyResponse #CommunitySafety #PoliceOperation ~HT.97~PR.152~ED.194~

These Are the Happiest Countries on Earth in 2024

These Are the Happiest Countries , on Earth in 2024. The World Happiness Report was released on March 20. It was compiled using global survey data based on life evaluations from 2021 to 2023. Six key variables were considered: "GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and perceptions of corruption," CNN reports. . The 10 happiest countries in the world are:. Australia. Switzerland. Luxembourg. Norway. Netherlands. Israel. Sweden. Iceland. Denmark. Finland. The United States dropped to No. 23. The lowest-ranked countries for happiness are Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Lebanon and Afghanistan. . The lowest-ranked countries for happiness are Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Lebanon and Afghanistan. . The lowest-ranked countries for happiness are Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Lebanon and Afghanistan. . The lowest-ranked countries for happiness are Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Lebanon and Afghanistan. . The lowest-ranked countries for happiness are Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

Netherlands select France's Naval Group for submarines deal

Sweden prepares for Eurovision amidst fears of protests, cyberattacks and unrest

Security preparations for this year’s Eurovision come as Sweden is considered by police to be a “priority target” for Islamist terrorist groups. Add concerns over planned protests regarding Israel's involvement, cyberattacks and Sweden's NATO membership, and 2024's contest seems overcast by fear.

Watch: Swedish city of Malmo opens new ABBA experience

ABBA World celebrates 50 years since the Swedish foursome won the Eurovision Song Contest with their hit song, Waterloo, in 1974. The exhibition fuses aspects of the supergroup, past and present.

Negotiations on Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution Reach Critical Phase

Negotiations on Global Treaty , to End Plastic Pollution , Reach Critical Phase . 'The Independent' reports that negotiators from around the world have met to discuss what could become a global treaty meant to end plastic pollution. . The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution has begun agreeing on treaty language at their fourth of five scheduled plastics summits. The most ambitious and contentious idea revolves around limiting how much plastic can be manufactured globally. As most plastics are made from fossil fuels and chemicals, oil and gas exporters have strongly objected to the limitations, along with plastic-producing countries and companies. According to Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson with the International Council of Chemical Associations, the treaty also focuses on recycling and reuse. . We want to see the treaty completed. We want to work with the governments on implementing it. The private sector has a role to play, Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson with the International Council of Chemical Associations, via 'The Independent'. 'The Independent' reports that the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty provided scientific evidence on plastic pollution at the negotiations. I heard yesterday that there’s no data on microplastics, which is verifiably false: 21,000 publications on micro and nanoplastics have been published, Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden's University of Gothenburg who co-leads the coalition, via 'The Independent'. Ecuador's chief negotiator, Walter Schuldt stressed that countries present at the negotiation share a common vision of moving forward in the treaty process. Because at the end of the day, we’re talking about the survival of the future of life, not only of human life but all sorts of life on this planet, Walter Schuldt, Ecuador's chief negotiator, via 'The Independent'

This Day in History: Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl

This Day in History: , Nuclear Disaster at Chernobyl. April 26, 1986. The disaster at Chernobyl, located about 65 miles from Kiev in the former Soviet Union, is the worst nuclear power plant accident to date. 50 tons of radioactive material was released into the atmosphere after an explosion of the Number 4 reactor, caused by an engineering experiment. The 30,000 residents of the nearby community of Pripyat were evacuated the next day. The Soviet government attempted a cover-up. But two days after the disaster, radiation levels 800 miles away in Sweden were detected at 40% higher than the normal level. 32 people were initially killed in the Chernobyl plant. 5,000 Soviets eventually died from radiation-induced illnesses. Millions of acres of forest and farmland across Northern and Eastern Europe were contaminated. The former residents of Pripyat have never returned

Sweden's parliament makes it easier for young people to change gender

The centre-right governing coalition's two biggest parties supported the legislation, which ultimately passed easily.

Portugal’s cork forests are major carbon sinks - but they face threats from climate change

For each kilogram of cork produced, the trees can capture 73 kg of CO2, according to Portugal's leading cork company.

50 years after Portugal's dictatorship, the far-right is seducing the country's youth

Portugal’s far-right Chega party made historic gains in the country’s national elections held in early March. Taking 18% of the vote, the party sought to seduce Portugal’s youth, in a year which marks 50 years since Portugal overthrew its dictatorship.

Sérgio Godinho's 25 April: From exile in Canada to freedom in Portugal

"I learnt about the revolution from a newspaper article while I was in exile in Canada", says Sérgio Godinho, one of the loudest resistance voices of the Portuguese revolution.

Alfredo Cunha: The photojournalist who defined Portugal's Carnation Revolution

Fifty years after the Carnation Revolution, Cunha's photographs continue to immortalise the military coup that changed the course of Portuguese contemporary history.

50 years since the revolution, where is Portugal today?

Portugal is better off today than it was at the end of its military dictatorship. But where does it stand compared to other European countries?

International Criminal Court considering issuing arrest warrant for Netanyahu

The International Criminal Court is probing Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza, independent of other cases at the International Court of Justice, such as South Africa's genocide claims against Israel in Gaza.

South Africa celebrates 'Freedom Day': country remembers an historic election every April 27