july
Gay Pride Amsterdam is one of the best and most fun prides in the world. This year it's from 26 July till 3 August 2014, with all major events taking place 1 - 3 August. The Canal Parade, on Saturday August 2, is the highlight of the Amsterdam Gay Pride weekend! 80 decorated boats sail along the Prinsengracht. The event is the second biggest of Amsterdam.
Monday the arbitration court in The Hague has ordered Russia to pay €. 50 billion in damages to shareholders for seizing the former largest Russian oil company Yukos. The judgement was not the first in this case. Russian multinationals do not only like to establish their companies in Amsterdam for tax reasons, but also for juridical reasons.
Also today it will not be possible for the Dutch and Australian experts to reach the crash site in the East of Ukraine. Due to fighting along the route to the site between seperatists and the army, it is far too dangerous in the area. Also the OVSE observers will not travel to the crash site today. Both organisations will give a press briefing later today. The Dutch Safety Board will publish a temorary MH17 crash report about the cause of the crash within a week.
This morning there is no safe passage available to the site in Eastern Ukraine where flight MH17 has crashed. The motorcade with Dutch and Australian experts came to a halt near Monopepke because of explosions and a warning of fighting. Press statement by Pieter Jaap Aalbersberg, head of the repatriation mission.
On Sunday 27 July at 17.30 Prime Minister Mark Rutte gave a press conference on the Ukraine air disaster. This followed an extra cabinet meeting in the Catshuis. ‘Over the past few days we have thoroughly examined all options for bringing the victims’ remains back to the Netherlands from the crash site as quickly and safely as possible. We have come to the conclusion that gaining the military upper hand by means of an international mission in this region is unrealistic.’
Yesterday thousands were standing along the highways and on bridges to pay the last respect to the bodies arriving in the Netherlands. Today another 74 coffins will be transported from Charkov to the Netherlands. The Dutch government started a lobby to send hundreds of international soldiers and forensic experts to the crash site in Ukraine.
The Dutch Safety Board took over formal responsibility for the air crash investigation from Ukraine yesterday evening. The two black boxes have since arrived in the United Kingdom, where they are currently being read out and analysed by a team of international specialists. The on-site investigation in Ukraine is currently in full swing. Although investigators still do not have safe access to the crash site, work to gather and analyse data from various sources is underway in both Kiev and the Netherlands.
Statement by Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Transport, Malaysia: 'Following the agreement Prime Minister Najib Razak brokered with rebel leaders, Malaysia has taken custody of flight MH17's black boxes. As the Prime Minister said, they will be passed to the international investigation team for analysis.
The first bodies of the victims of the MH17 air disaster will arrive at Eindhoven airbase at around 16.00 on Wednesday 23 July. This will take place in the presence of their next of kin. Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher will also be present, as will representatives of countries whose nationals were among the victims, and other dignitaries.
Today the court in The Hague decided that the Dutch state is responsible for the deportation of more than 300 Muslim men after the fall of Srebrenica on Jul 13, 1995. The court states that the Dutchbat, the Dutch UN peacekeeping force, should have known that the men were in danger. The state is liable for the suffered damage of the relatives.
The Justice commission of the Dutch Senate demands the ministers of Justice and Internal Affairs to stop ignoring mayors that want to start experiments with cannabis cultivation. By regulating cannabis cultivation the mayors want to keep the growers out of the hands of organised crime. On the 9th of September the commission wants to hear what the ministers have done to solve the soft drugs policy problems.
Today Fastned, a company that builds a nationwide network of fast-charging stations for electric cars in the Netherlands, is going public – and has chosen NPEX for its listing. Fastned aims to raise €. Million 40 to finance 200 fast-charging stations along the Dutch highways. At the moment Fastned only has 9 charging stations, but the number will soon increase at the rate of two stations a week.
The Dutch are forerunners in the centuries old tradition of improvisation on the church organ. From 12-26 July the world’s most important organ festivals will take place for the 50iest time in the Dutch city of Haarlem. In this anniversary year, prominent organ specialists, students from more than 30 countries and many music lovers from Holland and abroad will gather to share their passion for the King of Instruments.
The Dutch are still very busy getting used to the success the national football team has in the world cup football in Brazil. Besides this there is still critics on the new defensive style of playing. The old 'Dutch school' style of the football team was attractive, dominant and attacking. Instead now the Dutch wait for the opponent and play on the counter attack. What are the reasons behind the success of the Dutch football team?
Although the Dutch hopes were not very high before the world cup football started, they now play Argentina in the semi-final this coming Wednesday. The tournament can become one of the most amazing scenario’s ever if the Dutch would win the final. In that case they would have won from the previous winner Spain, from opponent Argentina in 1978 and the most sensitive opponent Germany, that won from the talented Dutch in 1974.
One of the mayors that want to regulate cannabis cultivation in the Netherlands is criticising the Dutch State Secretary Martin van Rijn of the ministry of public health for his inactivity in the debate. Van Rijn leaves everything to the conservative and repressive ministry of justice. One of the mayors: ‘We created a criminal monster which undermines the constitutional state’.
The Dutch association of Child care want a discussion about euthanasia for children. In the Netherlands euthanasia for newly born and for children from the age of twelve is permitted, but for the age group in between there is a vague gap. In extreme exceptions Dutch child doctors want to give the parents a possibility to let their child die in a dignified way. In September a collective proposal will be formulated after debates.
The court in the Hague decided yesterday that the general pardon for refugee children cannot be implemented as strict as the Dutch government wants. The judge in charge stated that it is unjust to reject an asylum seeker because there was only registration on local level, but no contact with the national government.
Because of the ongoing victory march of the orange football team in World Cup tournament in Brazil more and more Dutch start to believe in the chances to finally win the world cup football. In early June around 13% of the Dutch thought that their team would leave Brazil with the world cup, now 42% is convinced they will win.