| |
FINANCE MINISTER PARTLY BLAMES GERMANY AND FRANCE FOR DEBT CRISIS
Finance minister Jan Kees de Jager partly blames Germany and France for Europe's debt crisis because they ran larger than permitted budget deficits in the early 2000s, news agency AP reports. (dutchnews.nl) more
September 5, 2011
CYBERCRIME TEAM UNCOVERS GLOBAL CHILD PORN NETWORK
Dutch police have traced some 220,000 child porn pictures and videos on the internet. The concealed files were discovered in the course of their investigation of a notorious child abuse case in Amsterdam. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
MP CALLS FOR END TO LEGAL WRANGLING OVER ELECTRICITY PLANT
A Dutch Green Left MP has called on energy concern RWE/Essent and environmental organisations to
end the legal wrangling concerning the construction of a new coal-burning electricity plant in the northern town of Eemshaven in the province of Groningen.The electricity plant is being built near the Wadden Sea, which is listed by UNESCO as a heritage site. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
MINISTERS AGREE ON DUTCH BUDGET DAY
Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager says the cabinet has agreed the measures to be announced on Dutch Budget Day (Prinsjesdag) on the 20th of September. He told reporters that "a couple of things" still had to be worked out but that the cabinet needn't meet again to do that. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
MORE CRITICISM OF X-RAY CHECKS ON YOUNG REFUGEES
The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner has criticised the way the Netherlands uses X-
rays to try to assess the age of young asylum seekers. The bone development checks are used on
young asylum seekers who arrive in the Netherlands without papers if there is doubt about them being under 18. The tests began in 1999 and have been used on some 12,000 refugees so far. (dutchnews.nl) more
September 5, 2011
NETHERLANDS MOST DISASTER-PRONE EU COUNTRY
Of all European countries, the Netherlands is most at risk from natural disasters and climate
change. This is the conclusion of the United Nations World Risk Report which was presented on Friday. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
PEDIGREE DUTCH HORSES POPULAR ABROAD
Friesian horses are becoming more and more popular among foreigners. In fact, they're becoming a major Dutch export product. There has been a 75% increase in the export of these majestic horses over the past decade. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
HOW FREE CAN SPEECH BE?
The debate about freedom of speech has become increasingly incendiary in the wake of the Norway attacks. Freedom of speech is seen as a cornerstone of modern democracy. Not just Norway itself, but also the Netherlands is now wondering where the balance lies between fear of inciting violence and the right to express controversial opinions. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DOUBTS ABOUT HOLLAND'S STRICTER CANNABIS POLICIES
Senior research scientist Nicole Maalsté of the University of Tilburg argues that the government should once again focus on the main argument for the policy of tolerance regarding cannabis use: guaranteeing the health of the consumer. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
'NO MORE EXCUSES FROM SHELL AFTER UN REPORT'
Organisations, including Friends of the Earth Netherlands and Amnesty International, are calling on Dutch-based oil giant Shell to begin cleaning up the oil pollution in Nigeria as soon as possible. A long-awaited United Nations report concludes that the pollution is far worse than was thought. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH DOCTORS STRUGGLE WITH DEATH ON DEMAND
Dutch doctors are struggling with the growing demand for euthanasia. Since euthanasia was legalised in 2002, the number of cases has increased dramatically. In 2004, there were 1,886 cases. In 2009, there were over 2,600. Last year's figures have not yet been released. But there's been at least a 10% increase every year. And the pressure on doctors to do it continues to grow. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
FINES TO DETER DUTCH PRIVACY BREACHES
People and companies violating privacy rules are to get hefty fines under new legislation that is likely to come into force this autumn, says the head of the Dutch Data Protection Authority CBP.
The fines could range from 25,000 euros for individuals to several million euros for large companies. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
CANNABIS FIELDS IN THE QUIET COUNTRYSIDE
The Netherlands is famous for its cannabis – or at least, its coffee shops, where tourists gleefully fill joints with decriminalised soft drugs. But in the northern province of Groningen, the plants in the cannabis fields stretching off to the horizon won't get you stoned. The crop is grown to produce hemp, used in products ranging from cat litter to car doors. The higher oil price makes the cultivation much more profitable. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DIKE NEAR BORSSELE PLANT CONSIDERED VULNERABLE
At present the dyke near the Dutch nuclear power plant in Borssele would not be able to withstand a storm of a magnitude likely to occur only once in every 4,000 years, which is a widely accepted standard for the strength of dykes. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
SLAVERY LESS CRUEL THAN WE THOUGHT?
While calls for an apology for the slave trade are growing louder in the Netherlands, a Dutch historian has drawn an unpopular conclusion: overseas slavery was less cruel than people think. Dutch Professor Henk den Heijer believes the cruel image of slavery that has developed over the centuries is too moralistic. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
PRIME MINISTER UPS THE PRESSURE OVER SENATE VOTE
A private meeting with the prime minister Mark Rutte and Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam party PVV, has persuaded one independent provincial councillor to vote for the government. Johan Robesin, who represents the Zeeland Party, has decided to vote for ‘the coalition government’ in the May 23 senate vote. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DATA PROTECTION GROUP THREATENS GOOGLE WITH €1M FINE
The Dutch data protection regulator CBP said on Tuesday it will fine Google up to €1m if it does not destroy private information gleaned from wireless internet routers in the Netherlands which it collected between 2008 and 2010. In addition, the CBP has ordered Google to tell the owners of the 3.6 million routers which it identified that they have been included in a data base and allow them to opt out. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH CABINET TO GET TOUGH ON JOBLESS EUROPEANS
European nationals who do not have a job or who cannot financially support themselves will have to leave the Netherlands within three months, if new rules the government is planning to introduce come into force. ‘The direct cause is the increase in migration from Central and Eastern Europe but the tougher measures affect all EU citizens,’ the social affairs and immigration ministries stated. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
HOW TO SURVIVE WITHOUT OIL?
Eventually the world will run out of oil. And the people of Transition Town want to be prepared. So this small group of committed environmentalists are learning the skills to do without. On a piece of waste ground in Deventer, lent to them by the local council, they’re learning how to build houses and grow vegetables. In a world without oil there won’t be plastic or supermarkets and self-sufficiency will be key. (rnw.nl) more
April 268 2011
JAPANESE SHIP REACHES ROTTERDAM, CHECKED FOR RADIOACTIVITY
The first container ship to sail from Japan to Rotterdam since the nuclear disaster at Fukushima docked on Thursday morning and will undergo a thorough check for radioactivity. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
TRANSFORMING A CHEMICAL DUMP INTO A NATURE AREA
It's a bit strange canoeing in the brand new nature area, the Volgermeer Polder, just north
of Amsterdam. Beneath the ponds lie huge volumes of toxic waste, covered with a thick liner and peat. It's the biggest ever operation in the Netherlands to prevent chemical contamination from seeping into the environment. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
THE DIRTY SIDE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR
The electric car is 'hot'. The AutoRAI, a major motor show opening its doors this week in
Amsterdam, is full of them. But for all the environmental friendliness of using eco-cars, there are concerns over the production of their batteries. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
SUPERBUS SPEEDS INTO THE FUTURE
The Dutch Superbus has been unveiled. The electric vehicle has a maximum speed of 250 kilometres an hour and can carry 23 people. It was developed by Wubbo Ockels, the Netherlands' first astronaut and currently a professor of aerospace sustainable engineering and technology. (rnw.nl) more
April 26, 2011
NEW CDA CHAIRWOMAN OPPOSED ANTI-ISLAM ALLIANCE
Ruth Peetoom, a 43-year-old church minister from Utrecht has been voted new chairwoman of the Christian Democrats. Last year, Peetoom voted against the CDA’s decision to form a governing alliance with the anti-Islam PVV. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
TEN YEARS OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: A MIXED BLESSING
Ten years after the Netherlands became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage, homosexual couples still marry far less often than heterosexual couples, partly because they still face obstacles when they wish to have children. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
NEW CANAL MUSEUM IN HEART OF AMSTERDAM
Each year, some three million tourists take a canal cruise to view Amsterdam’s ring of canals from the best vantage point: the water. Now, before embarking on their boat tour, they can first visit the latest in an impressive list of Amsterdam museums – The Canal House Museum. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS CRITICAL
On March 2, voters in the Netherlands will go to the polls to elect 12 new provincial councils. This year's provincial vote is critical to the minority cabinet because it hopes to win a majority of seats in the 75-member senate, that will be determined by the provincial councils. (dutchnews.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH VILLAGE TO BAN CANNABIS
The conservative village of Urk, part of the Dutch 'bible belt', wants to ban the use and possession of
cannabis in its public spaces. A spokesperson for the Urk council said anyone caught while smoking a joint or in the possession of cannabis would be fined. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
MEGA STOCK EXCHANGE MERGER HAS ITS ROOTS IN AMSTERDAM
The multinational stock exchange NYSE Euronext is going to merge with the German stock exchange. Germans and Americans will have most of the say in this mega-business. On the floor of the stock exchange they may not be aware of it, but historically the role of Amsterdam in the stock market is very important. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH MUSLIMS LOOKING FOR A GOOD ORTHODOX SCHOOL
The schooling of a group of Muslim pupils in Amsterdam has become the prize in a hard-fought battle. Hundreds of Amsterdam school kids may end up staying at home next year. Not because there’s no place for them, but because their parents have no faith in the city’s non-Islamic schools. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
EU FUNDING FOR DUTCH MICROFINANCE
The Netherlands has become the first EU member state to receive EU funding for providing microfinance. The European Investment Fund is making €2 million available, says Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Maxime Verhagen. He announced the news on Friday, accompanied by Princess Máxima, who is a prominent advocate of microfinance. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
WILDERS ANGRY ABOUT "NAZI" CARTOON
Freedom party leader Geert Wilders is angry at Dutch public broadcaster VARA for publishing on its website
Joop.nl which compares a Freedom Party PVV plan to Nazi practices. The party recently proposed building so-called ‘scum villages’ for anti-social people. In the cartoon, the residents of such a village are being led to a shower, the same way the prisoners of Nazi destruction camps were led to ‘showers’ where they were gassed. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH SENATE CONSIDERING INQUIRY PRIVATISATION
The Senate is considering launching its first parliamentary inquiry ever. The investigation would look at the effects of 20 years of government privatisation in the Netherlands. Senator Kox, "Privatisation has been the most far-reaching process of the past 20 years, and yet we have not studied it, while at the same time we know that in addition to positive effects, it has also had many negative and unexpected effects." (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
COUNCIL OF EUROPE LASHES OUT AT NETHERLANDS
Dutch rules governing family reunification are in violation of human rights. And it is becoming increasingly difficult for migrants to bring their families to the Netherlands. These remarks were made by Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
CHARLES TAYLOR BOYCOTTS HIS OWN TRIAL
His pen and notepad were already neatly packed, ready to leave the courtroom. But the judges ordered him to sit down, and two guards saw to it that the once-feared Charles Taylor witnessed the final stages of his trial for war crimes. But after the morning coffee break, the former Liberian president didn’t show up and decided to stay away for the rest of the week. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
6 OUT OF 10 COFFEE SHOPS MIGHT CLOSE
If the new government goes ahead with plans to shut all cannabis cafes which are less than 350 metres from a school, six out of 10 will close down, according to a survey carried out by the newspaper NRC Handelsblad. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH LAWYER URGES SEARCH FOR YOUNG REFUGEES ENDING UP IN PROSTITUTION
Dutch lawyer Hans Gaasbeek is calling on the justice ministry to make a priority of locating young people from abroad who have gone missing and have been forced to work as prostitutes in the Netherlands. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
POLICE WILL REFUSE TO ENFORCE BURKA BAN
Amsterdam police will not arrest women in burkas, even if a ban is introduced, the Amsterdam chief of police said in a TV-program. In response, Freedom Party MP Hero Brinkman, a former policeman himself, strongly criticised the chief. Party MP Dion Graus, who is the party's spokesperson on animal rights, said it was "a deep disgrace that a police chief says such a thing." (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DOZENS MAKE DONATIONS FOR SOLO SAILOR GIRL
Dozens of people have made donations in the past two weeks to help solo sailor Laura Dekker achieve her challenge to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe alone. The solo sailor had hoped to sell filming rights to a television company, but the company pulled out at the last minute. The voyage was the subject of controversy due to the young age of Laura. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
2011: THE YEAR OF THE SWALLOW AND CYBER SABOTAGE
2011 has been declared the year of virtually everything. It’s the International Year of Forests, according to the UN, which has also proclaimed it the International Year of Chemistry, and many other things. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
BONEY M. STAR'S BODY RETURNS TO THE NETHERLANDS
The body of Boney M. pop star Bobby Farrel will return to the Netherlands on Monday according to his agent John Seine. Farrell died of heart failure on Thursday in his hotel room in the Russian city of St Petersburg. He will be burried in Amsterdam this coming Saturday. The Boney M. singers are supposed to sing at his funeral. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH PUPILS TO TEST OWN PUMP IN GHANA
Every day many people in developing countries die due to a lack of clean drinking water. Three Dutch pupils may have found a solution: a pump that disinfects water and jerry cans with ozone. They are going to test it in Ghana. If it works, it could save countless lives. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR FISHERMEN VITAL FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Practical training on a real fishing boat is not new but a new combined training on offer here in the Netherlands certainly is. The specially adapted fishing boat PD 147 from Urk teaches young fishermen the trade at sea, while keeping in contact with college which provides training courses for fishermen. Special attention is paid to sustainable fishing. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
AFELLAY JOINS DREAM TEAM AT BARCELONA
It’s a dream come true for Holland midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, who was presented to Barcelona fans and media today. The Dutch playmaker held up the number 20 shirt for the occasion after putting his signature to a four-and-a-half year contract with the Catalan club. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
IS THE NETHERLANDS TOO SMALL FOR MUSLIMS AND JEWS?
"Dutch Jews had better emigrate to Israel," says Islam critic Frits Bolkestein. According to him, the anti-Semitic threats by Moroccan Muslims is great and will only increase. A Moroccan politician has suggested that the police use officers dressed as Jews to catch the anti-Semites. Less than six months later, Frits Bolkestein has already given up hope and he advises practicing Jews to pack their bags and go to Israel. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
ARE LUPIN BEANS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO MEAT?
Ancient Egyptians and Romans ate them, the Portuguese still love them as a snack, and the Dutch enjoy the exuberant flowers of the lupin plant in their backyards. And now the lupin bean could prove a sustainable solution to the global food crisis. Dutch MP Marianne Thieme of the Animal Rights Party is sure, 'a meat roll made of soybeans and lupine can be good too'. But how does it look, and taste? (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
WEED PASS A STEP CLOSER
A membership card to purchase marijuana in Dutch coffee shops has come a step closer to becoming reality. The European Court of Justice has ruled that a plan by the southern Dutch city of Maastricht to introduce the card to bar foreigners from buying pot does not violate EU law. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
TURNING POINT FOR DUTCH DEVELOPMENT AID
The Dutch government is cutting its budget for development aid. At the same time, the money that remains will be spent differently. The change is in part a result of the across-the-board cuts mandated by the financial crisis. But it also represents a turning point in Dutch philosophy toward aid. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
WILDERS CRITICIZED IN US WIKILEAKS CABLE
Geert Wilders is a 'golden-pompadoured, maverick' who is 'no friend of the US', according to a briefing document on Dutch politics for US president Barack Obama, put together in July 2009. The document, published by whistleblower website Wikileaks, is hosted by the Guardian. Other documents which mention Wilders look at preparations to combat the effect of his anti-Koran film Fitna prior to its release in 2008. (guardian.co.uk) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH CATHOLIC SEXUAL ABUSE REPORT CALLS FOR SWIFT HELP VICTIMS
Victims of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church should receive compensation and the church cannot relinquish its responsibility towards victims due to the lapse of time. These are two of the conclusions drawn by Wim Deetman after months of research into cases of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions in the Netherlands. The preliminary findings of the Deetman Commission were presented in The Hague. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
WIKILEAKS: SHELL INFILTRATED NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT
Shell has inserted staff into all relevant ministries of the Nigerian government, according to leaked US diplomatic messages. They show that the former top executive for the Anglo-Dutch oil company in Nigeria told US Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders that Shell knew "everything that was being done in those ministries." (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH QUEEN TRIES TO SPEED UP COALITION TALKS
After the failure of centre-left coalition talks in the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix has appointed Minister of State Ruud Lubbers the new coalition negotiator. With Mr Lubbers, a Christian Democrat and a former prime minister, the Christian Democrats are returning to centre stage. The once powerful party was decimated in the vote, becoming the fourth largest party in parliament after Geert Wilders' Freedom Party. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH DEPORTATION OF SOMALIS ‘A DEATH SENTENCE’
The Dutch government has insisted a group of failed Somali asylum seekers can be returned home safely, ignoring pleas from human rights activists to halt their deportation. Human Rights Watch says the decision to send eight people back to the war-torn country after their claims were rejected by the Netherlands 'is a potential death
sentence'. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
FEARING HIGHER CHOCOLATE PRICES
Bars of chocolate may be going up in price in the coming months. That’s because Armajaro Holdings has just bought up 240,000 ton of cacao beans. Companies like Tony Chocolonely, which produces Dutch fair trade chocolate, are not happy. For the past five years the company has been campaigning to improve the cacao and chocolate market, so that cacao farmers get more money and slavery is banned. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
OIL COMPANIES ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN SUDAN WAR CRIMES
A group of aid agencies claim several international oil companies may have been involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan. Human Rights Watch found that oil revenues enabled the Sudanese government to triple its helicopter fleet with twelve new attack helicopters in 2001 which were allegedly used to clear out the population from oil rich areas so that the oil companies could move in. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH POLITICIAN FORMS ANTI-ISLAM COALITION
Controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders has said he is forming an international "freedom alliance" to amplify his anti-Muslim message across the West. Mr Wilders will launch the movement later this year in five countries: the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Britain. The aim of the alliance is to end immigration of people from Muslim nations. (orange.co.uk) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH POLICE HUNTS CANNABIS GROWERS WITH CANNA CHOPPER
The Canna Chopper is the latest addition of the Dutch police crime-fighting arsenal. It is a special mini helicopter in order to detect illegal Cannabis Hemp growers. The 'Canna chopper' is equipped with odor and video detection which can trace hemp fields from the air. (dutchdailynews.com) more
July 23, 2010
THE DUTCH ARE SACKING THEIR POSTMEN
The privatised European postal market is gripped by fierce competition. As a result, thousands of Dutch postmen will lose their jobs. The former state-owned postal company TNT says it has no other options in the face of fierce competition and decreasing numbers of letters and packages. However, critics say the Netherlands has moved much too fast in its enthusiasm to privatise the postal market. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
THE LIFE OF ANNE FRANK IN COMIC BOOK FORM
Anne Frank’s diary – which must be one of the most widely read books on Nazi occupation in the Netherlands – is now available in comic book form. The idea behind the new publication is to enable even more people to become familiar with the plight of the Jews in World War II. The “graphic biography” will on the bookshelves on Friday and will appear later this year in five different languages. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
FARMERS FILL GREEN FIELDS WITH SALTWATER
Owing to increased salinity along the southern coast of the Netherlands, farmers have to look for an alternative way to put their fields to use. On an experimental farm in the southwestern province of Zeeland, an estuary region formed by the deltas of major rivers, a new aquaculture project has gotten off the ground – farming sole. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
THE NETHERLANDS WORLD’S LARGEST EXPORTER FRESH VEGETABLES
The Netherlands is still for the third consecutive year the largest exporter of fresh vegetables in the world. The most exported fruit were onions with 2.4 billion kilos, tomato (0.9 billion kilograms), pepper (0.4 billion) and cucumber (0.4 billion). (dutchdailynews.com) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH PRIVACY UNDER THREAT
Few people realise how much of their private information is stored electronically. New research in the Netherlands shows that details on the average Dutch citizen are held in as many as 250 databases. (rnw.nl)more
February 9, 2010
SHELL LEAK CASE TO TAKE MONTHS TO REACH COURT
A claim by two Nigerian farmers and an environmental body against oil giant Shell for polluting the Niger Delta will take months to come to open court, their lawyer stated. The farmers say oil leaked from a pipeline in July 2005 has robbed them of their livelihoods by destroying their farms and fishing waters. (expatica.nl) more
February 9, 2010
MPS STOP Q-FEVER CULL OF MALE GOATS AND SHEEP
A motion has been put forward in the Dutch Lower House to reverse a decision by Health Minister Ab Klink and Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg to have all rams and billy goats on dairy farms infected with Q-fever destroyed. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
COMMUNITY POLICING CALMS INNER CITY UNREST
Ever since ethnic unrest broke out in the provincial town of Culemborg at New Year, the local authorities have been searching for a strategy to keep a tighter lid on conflicts. Culemborg may be able to learn from Overtoomse Veld in Amsterdam. Once notorious for
repeated riots, the district has calmed down considerably over the past six years. Amsterdam police say the turnaround is thanks to
community surveillance by police officers from various cultural backgrounds. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
DUTCH UNHEALTHY SHOULD PAY MORE FOR HEALTHCARE
People who don't smoke and those who do sports and are not overweight should pay lower health insurance premiums the government is to be told. The Council for Public Health Care RVZ is to advise ministers to introduce different premiums depending on peoples'
lifestyles. (expatica.nl) more
February 8, 2010
NEIGBOURHOOD TRIES TO CHASE PAEDOPHILE OUT
The presence of convicted paedophiles has sown conflict in many Dutch communities. “A paedophile lives in your street,” read an anonymous printed note dropped onto doormats along several Dutch streets on Sunday December 13. The paedophile’s name had been
added by hand. (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
US GENERAL ASKS DUTCH TO STAY IN AFGHANISTAN
United States General Stanley McCrystal has asked Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen to extend the Netherlands' mission in
Afghanistan. The present mission's mandate expires in August and MPs, the majority of whom are against an extension, are urging the
cabinet to decide on the issue now. (expatica.nl) more
February 9, 2010
AS PORT OF ROTTERDAM EXPANDS, SOME ASK WHY
The recession has slashed container traffic and the cranes in the harbour lie still. But large-scale expansion is still underway. The Maasvlakte 2 is to be a working container harbour in 2013, complete with roads and rail-tracks. the energetic construction raises disquiet in some people here. The recession has hit the harbour hard, the container business is experiencing overcapacity. (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
ARCHBISHOP WANTS TO TEAR DOWN UNUSED CHURCHES
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht has said he expects the fall in church attendance in the Netherlands to continue over the
next decade. The Dutch bishops hold the view that surplus churches had best be torn down, unless "another dignified use" can be found. The Netherlands is known for the reuse of churches. Churches are turned into bookshops, supermarkets, discotheques and climbing halls. (expatica.nl) more
February 9, 2010
MICROFINANCE REACHES MATURITY
Some regard it as the perfect form of development aid, as the best way people that can become self-reliant and leave poverty behind for good. Microcredit gives small loans to small businessmen, who otherwise would not be able to raise the money. Not a gift, a loan. (rnw.nl) more
February 8, 2010
IMMIGRANT SHOPKEEPERS, SAVIOURS OF THE DUTCH INNER CITIES
Immigrants running their own businesses in the Netherlands are doing well. They are the fastest growing group of all small
businesses, and they have been an integral part of revitalising a number of inner city neighbourhoods. Like the Schilderswijk neighbourhood in The Hague, where Yildis runs a bridal gown shop. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
KILLZONE CREATED IN AMSTERDAM'S CANAL DISTRICT
One of the best-known computer games in the world comes from Amsterdam. Killzone 2 has sold millions of copies and it was made by Guerrilla Games. The Netherlands' cartoon and animation industry focuses primarily on short films but one of the world's largest games' studios is located in the heart of Amsterdam's historic canal district. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
|
|
 |
|
PARLIAMENT SEEKS TO REIN IN DUTCH QUEEN
The Dutch queen is said to be one of the most powerful monarchs in Europe. That might not be true
of her successor if parliament gets its way. And this time the move to reform the monarchy is not only coming from parties on the left – Geert Wilders' populist Freedom Party is proposing the most radical changes. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER CRITICISES WILDERS' ANTI-EUROPE STAND
Scrapping the euro and closing the Dutch borders, as called for by right-wing populist MP Geert
Wilders, will lead to more unemployment in the Netherlands, according to deputy prime minister
Maxime Verhagen. (dutchnews.nl) more
September 5, 2011
CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF CUTS WILL HIT SOME VERY HARD
The cumulative effect of government cuts on grants and services to families and the young will seriously disadvantage some groups, according to research by Amsterdam city council. The alderman for the Finance Department
Lodewijk Asscher has written to prime minister Mark Rutte urging him to reconsider some of the plans in the run up to this month's budget presentation. The research shows that 4,000 families and 19,000 youngsters will be particularly badly affected. (dutchnews.nl) more
September 5, 2011
HIGHWAY SHOOTER TARGETS DUTCH MOTORISTS
An unidentified gunman is targeting motorists on highways near the south western port of Rotterdam, where 37 cars have had windows shot out since August 7. The gunman is either operating
from inside a car, or from the side of the road. Some question if the highway shooter really exists, because until now no bullets are found. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
MULTICULTI-DUTCH, YES, BUT NOT IN MY BACKYARD
Non-immigrant Dutch people say they want their children to grow up in a multicultural society, but would actually prefer their own kids to live in a white neighbourhood and go to a non-mixed school. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
THE HAGUE FIDDLES WITH INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
The Hague increasingly ignores international agreements. Belgian authorities recently told media that their neighbour is failing with regard to the Scheldt Treaty. "The Dutch Government believes that these treaties are first and foremost intended for others and not themselves." (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
ALKMAAR PROSTITUTES OUT IN THE COLD
Sex workers in the city of Alkmaar are furious about the decision to close two-thirds of the city's prostitution windows. The mayor of Alkmaar has been fighting for years against the city's main sex entrepreneur who he accuses of money laundering. Now the highest court in the Netherlands has ruled in favour of the mayor and ordered the man to close all 92 of his prostitution windows. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH TECHNOLOGY COMBATS TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES
The University of Twente has played a key role in the development of an internationally accessible database to combat the illegal trade in endangered animals. Meanwhile the illegal trade in ivory was high on the agenda at a conference on the international trade in endangered species in Geneva last month. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH MP WANTS BAN ON QAT
Christian democratic MP Coskun Çörüz wants parliament to ban the use of the stimulant qat, the leaves of a plant which grows in the Horn of Africa. The use of qat, mainly popular among Somalian migrants, has been banned in all European countries except for the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The qat is shipped to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and on to the town of Uithoorn, from where it's distributed across Europe. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH SREBRENICA COMMANDER MAY END UP IN COURT
Thom Karremans commanded the Dutch UN peacekeepers, 'Dutchbat', who were guarding the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica when it fell to Ratko Mladic's Bosnian Serb forces in 1995. He thinks he may well face prosecution in connection with the massacre of over 7,000 Muslim men and boys by Mladic's troops. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
VEGETABLES CHEER UP AMSTERDAM'S WASTE GROUND
The economic crisis has caused gaps to appear around Amsterdam. Ambitious new housing projects
have suddenly been dropped because of continuing poor house sales. The result: loads of empty
lots in the city. Local people are giving the bits of waste ground a new lease of life as parks, playing fields, training circuits or vegetable gardens. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
KICKING THE GHB HABIT IN A CELL
Police in the city of Almelo have begun a pilot project to help suspects who are addicted to GHB to kick their habit in a cell. Up until now, police often have to release addicts within a few hours because they experience such serious withdrawal symptoms. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
SEAWEED FARMING IN ZEELAND
Dutch researchers have set up a seaweed farm in the Oosterschelde, an estuary in the southern province of Zeeland. It's an experiment which they hope could be a solution to the world's hunger problem. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
'ASSAD RULES SYRIA LIKE A PHARAOH'
Rotterdam filmmaker Rosh Abdelfatah has created a special Facebook page for his Syrian compatriots. He posts videos from Syria on YouTube to support the opposition in his native country. He is hopeful: 'I’m convinced the regime will fall quickly. The repression, the one party system, a president ruling like a Pharaoh: Things just cannot continue like this.” (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH CHURCHES - PLACES TO PRAY OR PARTY
As membership numbers dwindle, Dutch churches are having to turn to alternative sources of income to keep the doors open. Now some of these houses of worship have begun renting out space for parties and other events. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH WANT TO BLOCK EU BUDGET
The Dutch government wants to join forces with other European Union countries to block the European Commission’s plan to raise the EU’s budget by 4.9%. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
MINISTER STANDS FIRM ON ROMANIAN AND BULGARIAN WORK PERMITS
Dutch Social affairs minister Henk Kamp has told farming and employer organisations he will not back down on plans to get tough on visas for Romanian and Bulgarian workers from July 1. Although Bulgaria and Romania are members of the EU, their nationals still require a permit to work in the Netherlands. Especially fruit growers are desperate, because they will go bankrupt if they cannot harvest. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTENT BACTERIA FOUND IN VEG
Researchers at Amsterdam’s VU university teaching hospital have found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a number of samples of root and sprouting vegetables, Nos television reports. The researchers looked at 120 different samples and found the bacteria in seven of them. Four of the seven samples were organic. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 26, 2011
NEW PHOTOS OF NOTORIOUS NAZI DIAMOND THEFT
Before World War II, Amsterdam had a booming diamond industry, run predominantly by Jewish traders. In 1942, those traders were rounded up and forced to hand over all of their diamonds and now, almost 70 years later, photos of that theft have been found. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
ASML QUARTERLY PROFITS SOAR, RECORD YEAR EXPECTED
Dutch firm ASML, a global supplier of computer chip-making systems, predicted Wednesday a record year ahead as it posted quarterly profits of 395 million euros, almost four times last year's figure. (expatica.nl) more
April 26, 2011
RESEARCHERS DISCOVER ALTERNATIVE MATERIAL FOR TV SCREENS
Researchers at the Technical University Eindhoven may have found a material to replace
indium tin oxideITO currently used for television screens, telephones, solar cells and laptops. The discovery is significant because indium is a rare metal and natural reserves are expected to run out in around ten years' time. (expatica.nl) more
April 26, 2011
THEOLOGIAN SLAMS THE TOLERANT DUTCH
The Netherlands is the world leader in dismantling religion and religious values. Nowhere else, is the ‘de-institutionalising’ of religion going quicker, according to Dutch theologian Marcel Poorthuis. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
GADDAFI CANNOT BE TRIED IN THE HAGUE COURT
The Palestinian-Bulgarian doctor Ashraf el Hagoug Gomma, who spent eight years in a Libyan jail on trumped-up charges, cannot sue Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for damages in a court in The Hague. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
NO SHELTERS FOR VICTIMS OF PEOPLE TRAFFICKING
Dutch aid organisations are facing great difficulties finding adequate shelter for victims of people trafficking. The shortage is partly the result of the fact that several investigation services have made people-trafficking a priority. A spokesperson for the Coordination Centre People Trafficking has confirmed reports in the press about the shortage. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
THE SAND MOTOR
A giant artificial sandbank off the coast of Kijkduin/The Hague will, over the next few years, reinforce the South Holland coast. The sandbank is called the "Sand Motor". Boats spray sand from 10 kilometres away to create a sandbank of around 200 football pitches off the coast. Sand from the bank has been spread across the beach by natural wind currents over several years. It's a new way of protecting the coast against rising sea levels. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
THE MAFIA PRINCESS
Pat Riley from the UK was on holiday in Milan in the late 1960s when she met a handsome Italian boy named Emilio Di Giovine. It turned out to be no ordinary holiday romance; Emilio was to become a leading member of the Ndrangheta Mafia clan. Their daughter Marisa was born in 1970. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
FACE OF TOMORROW
Have you ever wondered what people might look like in the future? Photographer Mike Mike did. The concept is simple: Mike goes to a city and photographs people. He then uses morphing software to merge the photos into a single composite image - the face of the future. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
THE NETHERLANDS IS LAGGING BEHIND ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The Netherlands is one of the last countries in Europe to set up a national human rights council. It’s been 18 years since the United Nations called on every member state to establish such a body. Will this new council be a lion or a lamb? The Dutch political world still seems undecided. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
ANTI PVV WEBSITE CAUSES QUITE A STIR
The anti Freedom Party videos on the web site Tegenstemwijzer.nl, a dissenting voters' compass, have caused quite a stir. In particular the video called 'Vrijheid' Freedom, in which children quote xenophobic and Islamophobic statements made by Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders has prompted fierce reactions. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
OLD PEOPLE’S HOME FOR ADDICTS
'Use the bowl to answer nature’s call, not the floor.’ Clearly, Woodstock is no ordinary old people’s home. In fact, it’s catering exclusively to the needs of elderly drug addicts; and it’s quite normal to see one of the
residents light up a joint. Over the past ten years, the number of elderly drug addicts in the Netherlands has increased from 4,200 to 11,000. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
NOBEL PRIZE LAUREATE EBADI: EXECUTION WAS WARNING
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi believes the execution of Dutch-Iranian Zahra Bahrami was intended as a warning to the opposition. She said the execution was illegal because of due process violations. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH PICASSO ON THE ROAD TO RAMALLAH
The Van Abbe museum in Eindhoven is lending a Picasso painting to the Palestinian art academy in Ramallah. The 1943 canvas 'Buste de Femme' will be on show in Ramallah during the month of April. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH BANKS IGNORE HUMAN RIGHTS IN INVESTMENTS
Dutch banks pay too little attention to human rights when making investments. Banks including ABN Amro and ING have a stake in oil and mining companies and rarely speak about their human rights violations, revealed Amnesty International and Oxfam in their Fair Bank Guide Monday. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
SYNTHETIC DYKES: THE DUTCH WAVE OF THE FUTURE?
Most of the Netherlands’s coastal defences consist of dykes made of large angular blocks of basalt. However, in one location, a dyke has been coated with an experimental layer of synthetic material. Not the most romantic of materials, but effective in coping with the ever-rising sea level. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH UNEMPLOYMENT LOWEST IN EUROZONE
In December 2010, unemployment in the Netherlands was the lowest of all the 16 countries then using the euro. The figures were published by the European Union’s Eurostat agency on Tuesday. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH COUNCIL REJECTS 'MARIJUANA PASS'
The city council of Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands has rejected the idea of a pass system for buying marijuana. Local politicians in nearby Den Bosch and Maastricht have already come out against introducing the pass, the aim of which would be to limit the sale of cannabis to Dutch residents. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
ULTIMATE TEST FOR ELECTRIC TAXIS
A taxi firm in Utrecht is conducting a major trial of electric taxis. Just for a change these are not converted
London cabs or homemade jalopies, it's a fleet of 40 brand new Renaults, Nissans and Mercedes. And that is a global first. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
THE DARK SIDE OF GHB
Gamma hydroxybutyric acid or GHB is becoming a more popular party drug in the Netherlands. GHB can easily be made at home and is as addictive as heroin. In the past two years, the demand for treatment for GHB addiction has risen by roughly 20 percent. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
HUSTLER ID CARD FOR DUTCH PROSTITUTES
The Dutch authorities are planning to force prostitutes to show their customers a hustler ID card proving that they are registered sex workers. The government hopes the measure will help combat illegal practices, such as the trade in women and forced prostitution. Prostitution has been legal in the Netherlands since 2000. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
GROWING NUMBERS OF DUTCH YOUNG PEOPLE ADDICTED TO RITALIN
Growing numbers of young people in Holland are using medicines improperly. According to experts, many of the 7% who use prescription drugs for pleasure run the risk of becoming addicted. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
EU CONCERNS ABOUT CHINESE BID FOR DUTCH COMPANY
Brussels wants to prevent a possible Chinese takeover of Dutch cable manufacturer Draka, but the Dutch are for the deal. A takeover bid by Chinese company Xinmao has not just led to financial rivalry, but the question is also developing into a political row in Brussels. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
GEERT WILDERS WRITES ANTI-ISLAM BOOK
Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders will publish an anti-Islam book in the first half of 2011, he told the Telegraaf newspaper in an interview on Friday. According to Wilders the book is mainly aimed at the US market. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
AMSTERDAM COCOA WORLD'S IVORY COAST WORRIES
Amsterdam's cocoa sector is apprehensively following the news from Ivory Coast. The Dutch capital not only boasts the main trans-shipment port for this commodity, but many of the cocoa-processing companies in and around Amsterdam also have staff stationed in the African country, which has been in a state of crisis since November's presidential elections. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
THE 11 MOST TALKED ABOUT DUTCH PEOPLE IN 2010
Who were—in culture, politics and crime—the eleven most talked about Dutch persons this year, not only here in Holland but also in Latin America and Africa? (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
CABINET SHOULD GO IF IT FAILS TO GET MAJORITY IN MARCH ELECTIONS
The right-wing CDA VVD cabinet supported by the anti-Islam PVV will lose its right to exist if the three parties cannot account for a majority of seats in the senate after the March elections, says the CDA’s leader in the senate Jos Werner. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DROP IN UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS OFF
The Dutch jobless total fell again in November but the decline has slowed on the previous nine months, according to new figures from the national statistics office CBS. In 2010 the number of unemployed has fallen 14,000 to 403,000 or 5.2%. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
HOLLAND'S ALL-TIME FOOTBALL DREAM TEAM
Radio Netherlands Worldwide presents the Best Dutch Football Team of All Time. They have put together an unbeatable all-stars team that would easily win the World Cup. Would you pick the same players? (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
HACKERS STEAL AN ALLEGED 5.5 MILLION EUROS FROM DUTCH BANK
Computer hackers have stolen an alleged 5.5 million euros from state-owned, Dutch bank ABN AMRO. The thirteen people who have been arrested for the robbery, which took place in March 2010, are not connected to the bank. The hackers transferred the money in various amounts to accounts in Belgium, Hungary and other countries. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
CYCLING MAKES DUTCH HAPPY
AD newspaper reports that it’s not for nothing that the Dutch are the “happiest people in the world”, scoring consistently high in international feel-good surveys. Their secret apparently lies in their ubiquitous use of bikes. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
RULING PARTIES WANT BAN ON KHAT
The ruling Dutch parties CDA and VVD want to see the introduction of a ban on khat, the leaves of a plant that are traditionally chewed by people of East Africa and the Middle East as a stimulant. The parties were reacting to Scandinavian complaints about Dutch exports of the plant and claims that profits are funding terrorism. The previous cabinet did not plan to ban khat because it is used by a small group of Somalis and is not dangerous to health. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
A BLACK PAGE IN DUTCH HISTORY
Former Dutch soldiers who served in the Indonesian War of Independence between 1945 and 1949 reflect on what they saw and what they did and in some cases were forced to do. The words "colonial war" were avoided because the Dutch refused to acknowledge that it was a conflict between two states, regarding it as an internal problem. The Netherlands has never issued an official apology to Indonesia for the violence. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DO WIKILEAKS ATTACKS HAVE A DUTCH FACE?
The internet attacks in support of WikiLeaks now have a Dutch face. The authorities say they were masterminded by a 16-year-old boy from The Hague who was arrested on Thursday. But is it fair to blame a single youth for all the attacks? And how important is the Netherlands for internet activists in general? (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH SCIENTISTS DISCOVER POSSIBLE CURE FOR HEART FAILURE
Researchers at the Maastricht University teaching hospital have discovered the gene that is responsible for developing heart failure, a serious disease which kills thousands of mostly elderly people a year. The scientists are also hopeful about a drug they have developed which can 'turn off' the gene, allowing the heart to recover. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCHMAN TO RUN FIRST TERRORISM TRIBUNAL
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Dutch lawyer Herman von Hebel as registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The post is seen as a key position in the first international terrorism tribunal, which is located in the Dutch town of Leidschendam, just outside The Hague. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
A NEW GENERATION OF STRUGGLE VIA FACEBOOK IN KASHMIR
As the number of Facebook users passes the 500 million mark, a leading human rights group in Indian Kashmir claims police were intimidating young men who uploaded images of the ongoing protests in the region onto the social
networking site. ‘People feel that the internet is the only democratic medium available,’ Khurram Parvez, according to the coordinator of the Coalition of Civil Society. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
RETRIAL OF DUTCH TERRORIST GROUP
The retrial of seven men who are suspected of belonging to a terrorist group opened in The Hague last Friday. Referred to by Dutch police as the Hofstad Group, they were convicted in 2006 of being a criminal organisation with terrorist aims, but six of them won their appeal against the verdict in 2008. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH CABLE FIRM DOES NOT HAVE TO BLOCK THE PIRATE BAY
Cable company Ziggo does not have to block file swap website The Pirate Bay, a judge in The Hague ruled on Monday. Copyright lobby group Brein went to court in an effort to have the website removed because it allows users to illegally download films, music and software. (dutchnews.nl) more
July 23, 2010
SREBRENICA SURVIVORS FILE CASE AGAINST DUTCH SOLDIERS
Bosnian Muslim survivors of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre on Tuesday filed a genocide complaint with Dutch prosecutors against three soldiers they say failed to protect their families, a statement said. "Relatives of the victims of Srebrenica are pressing charges concerning genocide and war crimes committed by Dutchbat (Dutch battalion) soldiers in July 1995," the group said in the statement forwarded by their lawyer. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH HEAT WAVE RAISES DYKE SAFETY CONCERNS
It is hot and dry in the Netherlands; and that is bad news for the vast network of dykes and levees across the country. Normally, the threat comes from an excess of water, but now the danger is coming from the lack of it. The dry spell is mainly a problem for peat dykes, which form the majority of levees and dykes along smaller inland waterways. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH PRISONS SEEK NEW JOBS
Prisons in the Netherlands seek new clients for prisoners to work. They want to setup a nationwide marketing force. This is necessary because due to the economic crisis 'old' customers left. (dutchdailynews.com) more
July 23, 2010
EU COURT: DUTCH CAN BAN FOREIGN DRUGS TOURISTS
The Dutch city of Maastricht is acting within EU law by banning foreigners from its cannabis-selling coffee shops, Europe's top court has said. The European Court of Justice said that "narcotics, including cannabis, are not goods like others and their sale does not benefit from the freedoms of movement guaranteed by European Union law, inasmuch as their sale is unlawful". (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
PHILIPS SAYS LIFESTYLE GOODS BOOST PROFITS SIX-FOLD
Products for lifestyle and lighting, and emerging markets, helped electronics giant Philips to boost quarterly net profit six-fold. Philips president Gerard Kleisterlee said that the sales performance was especially strong in emerging markets where sales growth accelerated to 29 percent, now representing over one-third or 34 percent of total sales. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE: FIRST STEPS ON A LONG ROAD
It’s International Justice Day – twelve years to this date since the Rome Statute established the International Criminal Court in The Hague. So far progress in the war crimes trials and special tribunals has been painfully slow. Nevertheless, William Pace, convenor of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, still thinks there’s plenty of reason to celebrate the founding of the first permanent court in history. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
NEW DUTCH MEGALAB TESTS LARGE SCALE SUSTAINABILITY
Delft’s University of Technology is constructing a vast new laboratory to investigate how sustainable energy and raw materials can be made from waste products on an industrial scale. The ultimate goal: a sustainable economy. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
A GUEST WORKER'S TALE
A newspaper serial about Driss, a Moroccan who came to the Netherlands as a guest worker in the early 1970s, has become extremely popular in the Netherlands. The serial was recently turned into a book and only than it was revealed that Driss Tafersiti was a pen name disguising two young Dutch-Moroccan writers, Asis Aynan and Hassan Bahara. They used the stories told by their fathers and uncles as the basis for their work. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
HERRING GULLS TO BE HUNTED AWAY FROM MUSSEL BEDS
Zeeland provincial council has given the go ahead to plans to chase off and even shoot herring gulls which fishermen claim are damaging the mussel industry in the Oosterschelde estuary. Herring gulls are a protected species in the Netherlands.(dutchnews.nl) more
July 23, 2010
UNIVERSITY SEEKS SUICIDAL VOLUNTEERS
Dutch people who are thinking of killing themselves can sign up for an internet-based suicide prevention course. The course has been developed by the Clinical Psychology department at Amsterdam’s VU University. The department is now looking for suicidal volunteers to test whether the course actually works. (expatica.nl) more
February 9, 2010
IN SPITE OF NUMBERS, DUTCH MUSLIM ARE POLITICAL NON-ENTITY
Several Muslim parties will participate in Dutch municipal elections on March 3. But in spite of a sizable Muslim electorate, they
have so far been unable to garner many votes. (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
GREEN LIGHT FOR CO2 STORAGE UNDER DUTCH TOWN
In spite of residents' protests, Dutch parliament approved the construction of an experimental underground carbon dioxide storage facility beneath the town of Barendrecht on Tuesday. Who can guarantee their houses won’t lose value? Or their foundations shift? Could people die in explosions, or even suffocate, if carbon dioxide escapes from its underground storage? (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
CRISIS COMMISSION FINISHES HEARING
The government commission investigating the cause and effect of the economic crisis in the Netherlands completed a three week
session of public hearings on Thursday, having interviewed 42 people in 50 hours. The inquiry team was set up last June and will present the first part of its findings probably in early April. (dutchnews.nl) more
February 9, 2010
SUDAN'S BASHIR MAY FACE GENOCIDE CHARGES
Sudan’s president Omar al Bashir may now face genocide charges over massacres in Darfur. Appeals judges at the International
Criminal Court (ICC) have reversed an earlier decision blocking these charges. The move follows an appeal by the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo. He had asked for three counts of genocide to be considered, saying the Sudanese leader was responsible for mass killings. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ARTIFICIAL GRASS?
Is artificial grass better for the environment than the natural stuff? This is the claim being made by the Belgian-Dutch carpet manufacturer, Desso. It is planning to introduce a completely recyclable, environmentally-friendly artificial surface for sports fields this year. when the plastic playing field has worn out, it will be returned to the factory and entirely reused without any loss of quality. The principle is called Cradle-to-Cradle or C2C. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
DUTCH PUSH FOR 'SEE-THROUGH' SCANNERS ON ALL FLIGHTS
The Netherlands hopes to conduct safety checks using special ‘see-through’ security scanners on air passengers bound for any
destinations. Currently, these scanners are only used on flights bound for the US. The Netherlands is seeking the support of other EU-countries, before implementing the scanners that can see through clothing to detect explosives and other contraband. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
THE STORYTELLERS' KITCHEN
Getting together to cook and eat, to share stories and to sing. In Haarlem's old abattoir district, many cultures live side by side. Local residents often meet up to explore what they have in common. It all takes place in The Storytellers' Kitchen. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
SHOULD THE NETHERLANDS BUY STOLEN DATA?
Germany is reportedly considering the purchase of another CD-ROM containing the names of potential tax evaders with foreign bank accounts. Several years ago, Germany purchased a similar CD-ROM from the employee of a Lichtenstein bank, sparking an enormous tax evasion probe. Dutch Deputy Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager confirms that his ministry will ask Germany to pass on any relevant
information on the new CD-ROM to the Netherlands. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
DUTCH 'DEFRIENDED' AS FAR BACK AS 1626
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and their ilk, have spawned a host of new jargon. Surprisingly, one of these terms was already in use in 17th century Holland. (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
FEATURES 2009If you click on these links you will get to the proposals that were published on Featurez.com in 2009. more
JUDGE ORDERS NEW TRIAL FOR DUTCH TERRORIST GROUP
The Dutch high court has ordered a retrial of the 'Hofstad Group' suspects who were accused of preparing terror attacks, but acquitted in 2008. Members of the group had connections with the murderer of Dutch Islam critic and filmmaker Theo van Gogh. The formal definition of a criminal terrorist organisation as used by the Hague court was too narrow, according to the high court. (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
FEATURES 2008 Proposals that were published on Featurez.com in 2008. more
FEATURES 2007 Proposals that were published on Featurez.com in 2007. more
FEATURES 2005-2006Proposals that were published on Featurez.com in 2005 and 2006. more
FEATURES 2003-2004Proposals that were published on Featurez.com in 2003 and 2004. more
|
|
|
|
DUTCH FARMERS 'SHOULD USE FEWER ANTIBIOTICS'
The Health Council of the Netherlands wants the government to ban newly developed antibiotics
being given to cattle and poultry. It also says healthy animals shouldn't be treated with antibiotics just because an animal nearby is sick. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
PLAN COFFEE SHOPS MAASTRICHT TO REDUCE NUISANCE
The coffee shops in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht want to limit the nuisance caused by tourists visiting the city's cannabis coffee shops by 20 percent. They hope to do this by allowing only Dutch, Belgian and German nationals into coffee shops. Beginning in September, Maastricht's coffee shops will distribute flyers notifying foreign visitors that they will not be
admitted after 1 October. A media campaign will spread the news to France, Luxembourg, Italy and Spain. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
LEARN DUTCH OR LOSE YOUR BENEFITS
The Hague city council has told some 800 people with an ethnic minority background they need to learn Dutch and take a civic integration course or their welfare benefits will be stopped. The measure is primarily aimed at 'helping them to participate in the labour market,' a council spokeswoman for integration stated. (dutchnews.nl) more
September 5, 2011
WOMEN'S SHELTERS – NO MORE SECRET ADDRESSES?
A private - but not secret - location for dialogue between victims and perpetrators; these are the goals of Orange House. It's a new kind of refuge for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, people trafficking or other abuses perpetrated by those close to them. Dutch Crown Princess Maxima opened Orange House on Tuesday in Alkmaar. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH GAS NETWORK IS DANGEROUS
The aging cast iron network of gas pipes in the Netherlands presents an irresponsibly high risk and is a matter of great concern, according to independent safety research board chairman Tjibbe Joustra. 'The 10,000 kilometre network of our distribution network cannot withstand extreme pressure and heavy vibrations, 'he said in an interview with a Dutch newspaper. (dutchnews.nl) more
September 5, 2011
LIQUID COKE
Drug smugglers are constantly coming up with new ways to get narcotics past airport customs
controls. At Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the latest rage among mules is liquid cocaine. The drug smugglers dissolve the drug in water and put it into condoms, which they then seal and swallow. Many mules believe that the condoms can't be detected by the airport's scanners. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH-NIGERIAN ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING TO BLOW UP SHELL PIPELINE
Sunny Ofehe, a Dutch-Nigerian activist, has been charged with plotting to blow up oil pipelines
operated by Shell in Nigeria. Ofehe is the founder of the Hope for the Niger Delta Campaign that aims to raise awareness of the extensive environmental pollution in Nigeria's oil-rich region caused by oil companies. The trial starts in the Rotterdam High Court on 5 September. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
KARATE FOR AGGRESSIVE YOUTH
Moroccan youths who terrorised a neighbourhood in the town of Gouda have been offered karate
lessons - a report which provoked heated discussion last week. The combination of martial arts and problem youth has met with incomprehension before now. Is it right to be concerned? (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH ARE WORLD LEADERS IN INVESTMENTS
The Dutch central bank has announced that the Netherlands is the world leader in outgoing investments abroad and in incoming foreign investments. In second place was the United States, and third in the world ranking was Luxembourg. (expatica.nl) more
September 5, 2011
HOW IS OUR DEVELOPMENT AID BEING USED?
Too little information is currently available on how Dutch development aid is being spent, the head of Leiden University's Africa Study Centre says in newspaper De Volkskrant. "It is shocking that people are still not being informed in an honest and complete fashion", Professor Ton Dietz says. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
DUTCH BEGIN CHECKS BORDER REGIONS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
The Dutch authorities have begun to re-introduce checks in the border regions to prevent illegal aliens from entering the country. Dutch military police are stopping cars and lorries in a zone up to 20 kilometres from the border. They're also using a special sniffer dog to detect illegal aliens. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
SREBRENICA – 'THE DUTCH SHOULD APOLOGISE'
The Court of Appeal in The Hague has ruled that the Dutch state was responsible for the deaths of three Bosnian Muslim men during the Srebrenica genocide in 1995. The ruling may or may not affect
cases being brought by relatives of other Srebrenica victims. Whatever happens, should the Netherlands immediately issue apologies for what happened at Srebrenica? (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
KEEPING AN ELECTRONIC EYE ON CRIMINALS
Dutch police have given up on the soft approach. Now they want to tag anyone convicted of a hold-up for two years to stop them re-offending. But not everyone agrees with the idea. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
US WANTS TO INTRODUCE DUTCH AFTER-HOURS PRIMARY CARE SYSTEM
In the US, the federal government and a large number of the country's general practitioners favour the Dutch model of providing after-hours primary care. This is the conclusion of an editorial written by US experts David Margolius and Thomas Bodenheimer in the July issue of the prominent medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The editorial was based on a Dutch review by the Radboud University. (rnw.nl) more
September 5, 2011
REFUGEES DRIVEN TO DESPAIR BY TRAUMA AND ASYLUM POLICY
There have been two recent cases of failed asylum seekers here in the Netherlands who 'blew a fuse'. A 36-year-old Iranian set himself on fire in Amsterdam’s Dam Square on 5 April. And on 13 April a 25-year-old man from Benin killed his girlfriend and a police officer. He is said to have become psychotic as the result of a protracted asylum procedure. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
PETTING PIGS FOR PENSIONERS
Felix is a pig, but no ordinary pig. He and his Dutch owner visit old people’s homes in Germany as therapy. Felix likes to be stroked and fed nice bits of carrot. This encourages the elderly and infirm to interact and get more physical exercise. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH FORCES IN COVERT OPERATION IN AFRICA
Dutch forces have for several years been training African soldiers in their fight against al-Qaeda militants, Dutch daily AD reports. The Dutch operation is part of a secret United States mission in Mali, Senegal and Chad. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
ICC TO PROBE WHETHER CRIMES COMMITTED IN NIGERIA
The office of the International Criminal Court prosecutor expressed concern Thursday about post-election violence in Nigeria and said it would investigate whether crimes had been committed. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
IN THE EYE OF THE STORM AT THE WILDERS TRIAL
What is it like to be at the centre of the hate speech trial of Dutch politician Geert Wilders? Bertus Hendriks, Middle East specialist and former journalist seems determined not to let the pressure get to him. “I was pretty relaxed. I've got nothing to hide.” But now his testimony could bring the most important free speech trial in Dutch legal history crashing down. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
NEIGHBOURHOOD SHOPS LIVE ON IN THE NETHERLANDS
When supermarket chains started to replace every corner bakery and local butcher, many expected the little corner store to die out completely. But, while native Dutch greengrocers are indeed a dying breed, immigrant shopkeepers are taking their place. The Amsterdam Museum is hosting a exhibition about these small businesses which have become the eyes and ears of their neighbourhood. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
RITUAL SLAUGHTER: ANIMAL SUFFERING OR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?
The Dutch Lower House wants to introduce a ban on unanaesthetised ritual slaughter. A majority supports the proposal of the Animal Rights Party, which would make kosher and halal slaughter things of the past. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
HOLLAND CLIMBS ANIMAL CRUELTY LIST
The Netherlands has climbed two places on the annual list of the worst countries for animal abuse presented by the animal rights group Dierenhulp. The Dutch moved from 6th to 4th place because of the way it treats sick horses, the internet trade in live animals and the granting of hunting licences to members of the royal family. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
FOOD INDUSTRY SAYS NO TO EU LABELLING PLAN
The Dutch food industry is urging members of the European parliament to vote against new rules on food labelling, news agency ANP reports. They argue the changes, which the parliament will vote on later this month, will make their jobs more difficult without helping consumers. (dutchnews.nl) more
April 28, 2011
AFGHAN GIRL IS TOO WESTERNISED
Dutch asylum policy has gained a new term: ‘too Westernised’. If someone has spent years trying to gain asylum in the Netherlands and in the process has become ‘too Westernised’, should they be allowed to stay even if their original request has been turned down? And just how do you define ‘too Westernised’? (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
THE REPAIR CAFE
It's a common attitude: Why do things the hard way? Let's enjoy life's little luxuries, and so on. But as this attitude spreads, ever fewer people remember how to repair broken or damaged objects, such as clothing, lights, and household appliances. They don't know how to, and what's worse, they don't want to know. Throw it out, is the order of the day. (rnw.nl) more
April 28, 2011
GEERT WILDERS FACES CRITICAL FAN CLUB
A group of supporters of Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders have started an association of Freedom Party PVV voters. The objective of the Vereniging voor de PVV VvPVV is to democratise the party. At present, it is not possible to become a member of the PVV. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH POLICE DEPORT DOZENS OF IRAQIS
The Netherlands has repatriated 38 Iraqis, including 17 children and nine parents, according to an interior ministry spokesperson. They were flown to the Iraqi capital Baghdad accompanied by border police, an interpreter and a doctor. No one resisted their deportation. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH AMBASSADOR VISITS RWANDAN ACTIVIST
The Dutch ambassador to Rwanda Frans Makken visited opposition leader Victoire Ingabire United Democratic Forces in jail on Friday. Ms Ingabire complained about the lack of objectivity of the judicial authorities, the constant interference of the Rwandan government and the impossibility of an impartial trial. (expatica.nl) more
April 28, 2011
DUTCH PARLIAMENT ADOPTS MOTION AGAINST EUROPE
Parliament has adopted a motion which calls on the cabinet to "emphatically reject" any move towards greater European political union. The Netherlands is to retain control over issues such as pensions, taxes and wages. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DETECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL FAILS
Dangerous nuclear materials like enriched uranium or cobalt often fail to be spotted by customs in Rotterdam harbour. The hazardous stuff simply remains hidden in the thousands of containers full of scrap metal. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
'ECONOMY FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN HEADSCARVES'
The economic situation facing the Netherlands is more important than debates about integration, Roger van
Boxtel, leader of the D66 liberals campaign for the senate, said in an interview published in the Dutch
newspaper NRC. The Dutch provincial elections, that will determine the composition of the senate, will be held on March 2. (dutchnews.nl) more
February 21, 2011
DUTCH LEGAL SYSTEM IN DOCK AT WILDERS TRIAL
What is the Geert Wilders trial about? Is it about the right to free speech, as Wilders' side attests? Or is it about protecting a minority - Muslims - against an atmosphere of hostility and hatred, as the other side would have us believe? (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
‘DON’T EXAGGERATE THE ROLE OF SPECULATORS’
Food riots are back with a bang. The current uprisings in North Africa were sparked by public anger at high
bread prices. The blame is often targeted at speculators aiming to profit from the food market. But there is more to the story. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
LAURA DEKKER WARNED TO STEER CLEAR OF THE GULF OF ADEN
A top NATO official says teenage Dutch yachtswoman Laura Dekker should not attempt to sail through the Gulf of Aden, even in a convoy of vessels. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
CALLS FOR COOPERATION IN DUTCH ELECTION DEBATE
In the interest of government stability, the left-of-centre parties must not gang up against the minority coalition of the conservative VVD and the Christian Democrats (CDA), which has parliamentary support from Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV). This was the message from the VVD’s Loek Hermans and Christian Democrat Elco Brinkman during last night’s provincial election debate. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
JOHAN CRUYFF BACK WITH AJAX AFTER 23 YEARS
Johan Cruyff is back with his old club Ajax after 23 years. The 63-year-old Dutch football legend is to join a focus group advising the club on “technical matters”. He will concentrate on boosting the club’s famed youth academy. (rnw.nl) more
February 21, 2011
TAXING TIMES FOR AMSTERDAM PROSTITUTES
The prostitutes of Amsterdam have been told to expect a visit from a tax inspector in 2011. From this year they have to start paying tax. The inspectors will be asking how many clients the prostitutes have a day and what their turnover is. The move brings an end to the prostitutes’ traditional tax-free status. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
MEGA-COWSHEDS MUSHROOM IN THE NETHERLANDS
The number of ‘mega-sties and cowsheds’ in the Netherlands has more than doubled since 2005. There are now 242 ‘farm factories’ nationwide, says the Dutch environmental group, Milieudefensie. Environmentalists argue that the factory-farm developments are not only a menace to the farm animals’ health, but also cause problems for people living nearby, and for the environment in general. (expatica.nl) more
February 21, 2011
ZAHRA BAHRAMI HANGED BEFORE END OF TRIAL
Zahra Bahrami's lawyer says she was hanged before the file relating to a second trial on her political activities was completed. Iran's ambassador to the Netherlands has confirmed that the Iranian-Dutch woman was executed after being sentenced to death for possessing and selling drugs.(rnw.nl) more
January 31, 2011
HOW TO WIKILEAK YOURSELF
The success of WikiLeaks has encouraged many people to start similar projects. Their main motive is to expose wrongdoing, either at the local or national level. But it’s more complicated than you might think to set up this kind of website. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH MUSLIMS OFFER TO GUARD COPTIC CHURCHES
Dutch Muslims on Tuesday offered to guard three Coptic churches in the Netherlands which have been threatened on an Al-Qaeda-linked website after a New Year's Day bombing killed 21 Coptic Christians in Egypt. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH UTILITIES HELP POLICE SMOKE OUT CANNABIS FARMERS
Wall Street Journal reports on soft drugs in the Netherlands. It turns out that there is an estimate of 40,000 marijuana plantations in the country that steal so much electricity that sometimes fuses get blown. The power company is now sending employees on raids with armed police officers and last month, it launched an anonymous hot line and mailed out 30,000 scratch-and-sniff cards that smell like fresh cannabis. (wsj.com) more January 6, 2011
DID DUTCH OVERREACT TO SOMALI TERRORIST THREAT?
The Dutch authorities have released 11 of the 12 Somali terrorist suspects they arrested on Christmas Eve. Two of the men who were freed are still regarded as suspects. A third Somali suspect is still in custody. The case has raised serious questions about the way the police and the Dutch national intelligence service, the AIVD, deal with terrorism threats. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
RWANDAN REBEL DUE IN WORLD WAR CRIMES COURT THIS MONTH
A Rwandan Hutu rebel sought for war crimes in the Democratic Republic Congo should be transferred to the International Criminal Court for trial by the end of January, the prosecution said Wednesday. Callixte Mbarushimana, accused of crimes including murder and rape in 2009, is in France where a court on Tuesday rejected an appeal against his detention and transfer to The Hague-based court. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
‘CHRISTMAS BOMB’ HERO NOW TACKLES TERRORISM ON FILM
“Flying Dutchman” Jasper Schuringa hit headlines around the world on Christmas Day last year. He was the heroic passenger who tackled a would-be terrorist on a plane bound for Detroit. Now he makes films – about terrorism, for example. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
LABOUR CALLS FOR LEFTIST ANTI-GOVERNMENT GATHERING
Labour leader Job Cohen has called on all progressive parties and organisations to attend an event against Prime Minister Mark Rutte's centre-right government. The gathering, to be held in Amsterdam's Brakke Grond on 16 January, aims to present "a different view". (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
DUTCH SMOKING BAN WIDELY IGNORED
Some 50% of the country’s cafés and discotheques allow smoking, despite the ban for all except small, one-man operated bars, according to new figures from the food and safety inspectorate. In some places, cafe owners even have an alarm light to alert each other if inspectors are spotted. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
NETHERLANDS WANTS EU TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST BELARUS
Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal has told EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton that the Netherlands wants the union to take action against Belarus soon. The minister said that the arrests of hundreds of the protesters, including several presidential candidates was unacceptable. (expatica.nl) more
January 6, 2011
CALLING FOR A RUN ON A BANK TO BE MADE ILLEGAL
The Dutch government is to make it a criminal offence to call for a run on a bank and is preparing draft legislation to put out to consultation in January. Justice minister Ivo Opstelten and finance minister Jan Kees de Jager want to stop people making public statements calling for bank clients to pull out their cash, they said in a memo to parliament. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 5, 2011
HOLLAND IS A GOOD BRAND, POORLY SOLD
In the list of countries with the most attractive image, the Netherlands is in 12th place. This is quite a feat for such a small country. But the Netherlands still has difficulty selling itself. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
MAASTRICHT MAYOR FAVOURS ALL COFFEE SHOPS TO CLOSE
Maastricht mayor Onno Hoes would be happy if the new government phased out the current policy of tolerating soft drugs, local broadcaster L1 reports. ‘Best of all I would like there to be no coffee shops and no turning a blind eye,’ Hoes said. The new government plans to introduce a system of passes for cannabis cafes to keep out tourists and wants to fast-track the system in the south of the country after a spate of drug-related attacks. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
REPATRIATED IRAQIS WANT TO RETURN TO THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands is no safe haven for Iraqi asylum seekers. The Dutch government is repatriating them, saying Baghdad is no longer really dangerous. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against collective expulsions, saying each case has to be judged on its merits. The stories of three Iraqi refugees. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
POLICE RAID RWANDA OPPOSITION LEADER'S DUTCH HOME
Police yesterday raided the Dutch home of Rwandan politician Victoire Ingabire in Zevenhuizen in Zuid-Holland, the public prosecution department has confirmed. Ingabire, widely regarded as Rwanda’s opposition leader, was arrested in October after returning to Rwanda at the beginning of this year. She is charged with the formation of a terrorist organization that aims to disrupt the territorial security of Rwanda. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
WILDERS' IMMIGRATION CLAIM WAY OFF TARGET
A major policy shake-up that Dutch politician Geert Wilders said would lead to a drastic cut in the non-Western immigration was never likely to have such a radical effect. A Justice ministry policy document used during the talks that led to the current Dutch government was made public two weeks ago. The document outlines a number of proposals that would cut immigration by at least 5% and 15% at most. This is nowhere near the 50% reduction in non-Western immigration claimed by Geert Wilders. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
VACCINATION INSTEAD OF INFORMATION
The vaccination campaign during the 2009 Mexican flu epidemic was a run-away train nobody dared jump off. The World Health Organisation used spurious arguments to set the train in motion, at least, that is the conclusion Dutch investigative journalist Daan de Wit draws in his recently published book ‘Dossier Mexicaanse Griep’. (rnw.nl) more
January 6, 2011
ASYLUM SEEKERS EVICTED DESPITE COLD
Failed asylum seekers were evicted from Dutch refugee centres last week, despite government assurances this would not happen during freezing temperatures. Labour MPs want the government to follow the same severe weather guidelines as apply to the homeless. (dutchnews.nl) more
January 6, 2011
ONE MILLION EURO FINE FOR IVORY COAST TOXIC WASTE DUMP
A court in Amsterdam has fined multinational Trafigura one million euros for exporting dangerous chemical waste by ship to Ivory Coast in 2006, where it was dumped. In a United Nations report on the case, the death of at least 15
Ivorian’s has been attributed to chemical poisoning by the waste. Ivorian authorities say thousands of people were poisoned. (rnw.nl) more July 23, 2010
LIFE IN A DAY
One world, 24 hours, 6 billion perspectives. Life in a Day is a global experiment to document a single day on earth. On Saturday 24 July, people from all over the world have 24 hours to capture a glimpse of their lives on camera. The most compelling and distinctive footage will be edited into a documentary by film director Kevin McDonald. It is to be the first user generated feature film in history. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
SURINAME ELECTS CONVICT PRESIDENT
The new president of Suriname is not welcome in the Netherlands – except to sit out a jail sentence. Desi Bouterse is not only a convicted drug trafficker, he’s also charged with having 15 political opponents shot in the notorious ‘December Murders’ of 1982 – his trial is ongoing. Yet on Monday he secured the backing of a majority in the Surinamese parliament to become the country’s president. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
OVER 6400 DEAD SREBRENICA MUSLIMS IDENTIFIED
The International Commission on Missing Persons has identified the bodies of 6481 people massacred after the fall of Srebrenica in 1995. The ICMP says blood samples taken from relatives of those missing have allowed it to find matches with skeletal remains found in mass graves. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
TOP DUTCH ARCHITECT GETS VENICE AWARD
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement by the Venice Biennale of Architecture. The citation says his work has focused on the relationship between people and space, creating ambitious goals for architecture. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
UN COURT ORDERS WAR CRIMES RETRIAL FOR EX-KOSOVO PM
A UN court overturned the war crimes acquittal Wednesday of ex-Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and ordered that he be retried with two others, citing witness intimidation. "The appeals chamber ... orders that Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj be retried" on several counts on the initial indictment, presiding judge Patrick Robinson said, and ordered their detention. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH PARISHIONERS MASS BEHIND ORANGE PRIEST
The Roman Catholic priest who celebrated an ‘orange’ mass on the day before the Netherlands national color: orange played in the World Cup final is still causing a stir. Video footage of the service was seen around the world and he was suspended by his local bishop for failing to pay enough respect to the sanctity of the Eucharist. However, the parishioners want their popular parish priest back. (expatica.nl) more July 23, 2010
DUTCH SAILOR GIRL'S MOTHER OKS SOLO TRIP
The mother of 14-year-old Laura Dekker has dropped her objections to her daughter's plan to sail the world alone. The Dutch sailor girl's mother Babs Müller states that her daughter should be given the opportunity to realise "her dream" of becoming the youngest girl ever to sail solo around the world. (expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH MPS ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT 2018 WORLD CUP
Members of the Dutch Lower House are demanding to know precisely what it will mean for the country if the Netherlands and Belgium host the football World Cup in 2018 or 2022. The two countries have put in a joint bid to organise football’s top competition.(expatica.nl) more
July 23, 2010
AMSTERDAM CANALS ON UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST
The canals of Amsterdam’s city centre will be included in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites from next month. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre’s Deputy Director Kishore Rao announced the decision during the official designation as world heritage of the Wadden Sea, the area of tidal channels and mudflats off the northern Dutch coast. (rnw.nl) more
July 23, 2010
DUTCH AIRCRAFT FOKKER IS BACK
Investment NG Aircraft is developing a new Fokker aircraft, the Fokker 100 NG. Preparations for this are already in process for eighteen months. The first Fokker 100 NM is expected in may 2015. The Dutch aircraft maker Fokker went bankrupt almost fourteen years ago.(dutchdailynews.com) more
July 23, 2010
GEERT WILDERS DOESN'T GET HIS WAY IN COURT
Dutch politician Geert Wilders was visibly annoyed when he failed to get what he asked for from the three judges hearing his case at the Amsterdam District Court. He had requested that 17 witnesses testify as part of his defense against charges that include inciting hatred of Muslims and non-western immigrants. Wilders will be permitted to call three experts on Islam. The process will probably start before or after the summer. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
SEA LEVEL BLUNDER ENRAGES DUTCH MINISTER
A United Nations report wrongly claimed that more than half of the Netherlands is currently below sea level. In fact, just 20 percent of the country consists of polders that are pumped dry, and which are at risk of flooding if global warming causes rising sea levels. Dutch Environment Minister Jacqueline Cramer has ordered a thorough investigation into the quality of the climate reports which she uses to base her policies on. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
THE MOST WANTED SPERM IN HORSE BREEDING
Super dressage horse Totilas' semen is now up for sale. The prize-winning stallion could get 100 mares pregnant in 2010 alone. Semira Noman, who works with Totillas' owners, is busy processing all the requests that have come in. "People get very emotional at the thought they may ride a descendant of Totilas. They email us entire photo collections of their mares. It is really amazing what one announcement can bring about." (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
ANIMAL SEX BAD, FACTORY FARMING OKAY
Pornography involving animals is now illegal in the Netherlands, just as it is in 80 other countries. The new law caused quite a stir in this country. Was it a patronising gesture by self-appointed moral guardians or a genuine attempt to protect animals? And if it's for the animals, then why is factory farming still perfectly legal? It is said that the Dutch are the largest animal porn producers in the world. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
CONTROVERSY OVER KILOMETER CHARGE POLL
Health Minister Ab Klink says the cabinet will have the final decision about the controversial plan to introduce a "pay-to-drive" kilometer charge for motorists. He effectively distanced himself from Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings who said that the issue would largely be decided by the result of a poll of its members being held by the Dutch Royal Touring Club and he would withdraw the scheme if it did not have the support of the motoring association. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
ING AND DUTCH STATE APPEAL EU BAIL-OUT MEASURES
The Dutch state and financial services group ING are appealing a European Commission calculation of the company's state aid, they
announced in separate statements on Thursday. Two cases will be brought before the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg with the intention of letting ING keep some of its subsidiaries and smoothing the further repayment of bail-out money from the Dutch finance ministry. (nrc.nl) more
February 9, 2010
RESTRICTING AMSTERDAM RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Amsterdam councillor Lodewijk Asscher has launched a plan to raise the minimum age of prostitutes from 18 to 23. Mr Asscher wants to clean up Amsterdam's Red Light district and is proposing a whole raft of measures. In addition to raising the minimum age, he also wants the Red Light district in the Wallen area to close down between 04:00 and 08:00 in the morning. Mr Asscher's proposal will probably be presented to the city council after the 3 March municipal elections, so the plan is in the hands of the voters. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
WHO GETS TO BE DUTCH?
New draft legislation would make it harder to become a Dutch citizen while keeping another passport. At the same time, if approved,
the bill could allow thousands of so-called latent Dutch people to finally become fully Dutch. (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
ROTTERDAM MOSQUE: COMPLETE OR DEMOLISH?
It has been seven years, and the construction of the Essalam mosque in Rotterdam has still not been completed. Rotterdam council has informed the mosque executive that its building permit will expire if it cannot provide proof of adequate funds to complete the project. So the question is, will the Moroccan community in Rotterdam South ever be able to pray in a new mosque? (rnw.nl) more
February 9, 2010
|
|
