Latest news

The change of power in Germany
German Federal Council gives the green light to the giant package

On Friday, the German Federal Council gave the green light to constitutional amendments that allow for loans of hundreds of billions of euros for defense and infrastructure. This is reported by several news media.

The package was approved by the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, earlier this week and can now, after being approved in the final instance, come into force.

The announcement means that defense spending above 1 percent of GDP will be exempted from the debt brake. In parallel, a fund of 500 billion euros will be created for infrastructure.
European security policy
The Netherlands wants to double defense using the Swedish model

The Netherlands wants to more than double the number of defense employees from the current 74,000 to 200,000, sources report to the public service company NOS.

The expanded ambitions could mean the country reintroduces general conscription, defense experts say.

To scale up the recruitment of soldiers, the Netherlands is reportedly looking at the Swedish model and the obligation to muster, which was introduced after 2017. If the number of volunteers in the defense does not reach the quota, people can be called up for military service against their will.

The Dutch government has not commented on the data, but refers to a proposal to be presented next week.

The future of NATO
Sources: NATO plans increased demands on members

NATO plans to ask European member states and Canada to increase their stocks of weapons and other military equipment by 30 percent, a centrally placed NATO source told Bloomberg.

According to the source, the new targets could be introduced by the summer, and would mean a significant increase in costs for most countries.

The United States, on the other hand, is believed to be able to meet the requirements without increasing its spending.

Political situation in Namibia
Namibia swears in its first female president

Namibia will get its first female president on Friday when Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is sworn in, AFP reports.

– In the coming years, we must create at least 500,000 new jobs, she has previously told the South African radio channel SABC.

44 percent of the working-age population under 35 in Namibia is currently unemployed.

72-year-old “NNN”, as she is often called in her homeland, represents the Swapo party that has governed the country since independence from South Africa in 1990.

Global Public Health
Report: Be Kind – It Makes You Happier Than Money

Generous acts bring you more happiness than a high salary. That's the conclusion Ilana Ron-Levey, head of the Gallup polling company, draws, based on the annual UN-sponsored "World Happiness Report" report published this week.

Ron-Levey tells CNN that there is evidence that, for example, volunteering and donation payments increase the happiness of both the giver and the receiver.

According to experiments in several countries, where test subjects were given a smaller amount of money to spend on either themselves or someone else, the latter option gives a higher level of well-being.

- Even though the world feels like a pretty tough place right now, it's nice to know that people are engaging in kind and generous acts, says Lara Aknin, a professor of social psychology.

The fire at Heathrow
The message: Heathrow opens with reduced traffic

Some air traffic at Heathrow Airport in London will resume later on Friday. This was stated by a spokesperson after a fire in a substation stopped all traffic, according to Sky News.

The previous announcement was that all air traffic would be stopped for the rest of the day. According to a press release, “relocation” of aircraft will be a priority, and the hope is that traffic will be running as usual on Saturday.

“Our priority remains the safety of our passengers and those working at the airport.”