Tag Archives: Netherlands

CNN reports: The far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) is leaving the Netherlands’ government over its policy for asylum-seekers, its leader Geert Wilders said on Tuesday, toppling the governing coalition. “I signed up for the strictest asylum policy, not for the downfall of the Netherlands,” Wilders told reporters Tuesday morning. “And our responsibility for this cabinet therefore ends here.” Wilders’ decision …

Politico Europe reports: The Netherlands has tightened its travel advice to the United States for LGBTQ+ people, highlighting an unease among European nations about Washington’s policies toward sexual minorities. The Dutch foreign ministry’s travel advice portal now notes that people belonging to a sexual minority should take into account that “laws and customs in the US towards LGBTQI+ people may …

The Associated Press reports: The Netherlands’ contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest who was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before the grand finale will likely be charged for making illegal threats, Swedish police said Monday. Joost Klein had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday and the organizer, the European Broadcasting Union said that police were investigating …

NBC News reports: A Dutch public broadcaster reacted angrily after the Netherlands’ contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before Saturday’s final over a backstage incident that is being investigated by police. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, said Swedish police were investigating “a complaint made by a female member of the production …

Courthouse News reports: Judges in Amsterdam sentenced a man convicted of harassing a 15-year-old girl who later died by suicide to six additional years in prison on Thursday. The Amsterdam District Court was tasked with bringing Aydin Coban’s Canadian sentence for blackmailing teenager Amanda Todd in line with Dutch guidelines, opting for the legal maximum and exceeding the nearly four …

Reuters reports: Veteran Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders on Saturday vowed to be prime minister of the Netherlands eventually, following an election in which his party won the most seats. In a long post on X that expressed frustration at other parties for their apparent unwillingness to cooperate with his Freedom Party (PVV), Wilders said he would “continue to moderate” …

The New York Times reports: The Netherlands on Wednesday took a startling turn in national elections with the potential to ripple through Europe, as Dutch voters threw most support behind the party of a far-right icon with an incendiary reputation who had campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform. Geert Wilders, a political provocateur long known for his anti-Islam and anti-Europe stances, …

The Netherlands Times reports: A Dutch sperm donor with hundreds of children must immediately stop donating sperm, the court in The Hague ruled on Friday. Jonathan M. (41) says he has about 550 children. The summary proceedings were filed by Stichting Donorkind, a nonprofit organization that advocates for people whose biological parent was a donor, and a mother who has …

Yahoo Sports reports: Memphis Depay and Daley Blind scored in the first half and Denzel Dumfries added a late goal as the Netherlands eliminated the United States from the World Cup with a 3-1 victory Saturday that advanced the Dutch to the quarterfinals. Second-half substitute Haji Wright cut the U.S. deficit to 2-1 in the 76th minute when Christian Pulisic’s …

Reuters reports: Russia boycotted hearings at the U.N.’s highest court on Monday during which Ukraine is seeking an emergency order to halt hostilities, arguing that Moscow has falsely applied genocide law to justify its invasion. Hearings began at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) without legal representation for Russia. “The fact that Russia’s seats are empty speaks loudly. They are …

USA Today reports: Jeff Bezos’ superyacht is too large to pass through the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, so the town decided to dismantle the bridge. In retaliation, local residents vow to egg Bezos’ yacht as it passed through. As of Thursday, more than 14,000 people were “interested” and 4,000 confirmed they will attend a Facebook event titled “Throwing eggs …

The New York Post reports: A Dutch city has agreed to spend weeks taking down a historic bridge so Jeff Bezos’ new gigantic superyacht can reach the open seas this summer. The Amazon founder’s 417-foot-long, three-masted ship is under construction in the Netherlands, but the pleasure boat will be too tall to pass under Rotterdam’s landmark Koningshaven Bridge. As a …

Newsweek reports: A Dutch economist who was a prominent skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccines and an anti-lockdown campaigner has died at the age of 53 after contracting the disease. Robin Fransman, a political economist, passed away due to the consequences of infection with the SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, on December 28 at a hospital in Amsterdam, Dutch daily …

Reuters reports: The Netherlands will go into a strict lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period to try to contain the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Saturday. Measures including the closure of all non-essential shops, restaurants, hairdressers and gyms will go into effect on Sunday and remain in place until Jan. 14. All …

The Guardian reports: Dutch police have arrested a married couple who fled a quarantine hotel to get a flight out of the country, despite at least one of them testing positive for Covid on arrival in the Netherlands from South Africa, where the new Omicron variant was first identified. The Portuguese woman and Spanish man were apprehended in their seats …

The Associated Press reports: The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa. The Dutch public health authority confirmed that 13 people who arrived from South Africa Friday have so far …

Reuters reports: The mayor of Rotterdam on Saturday condemned “an orgy of violence” at protests against COVID-19 measures in the Dutch port city, in which seven people were wounded and more than 20 arrested. Crowds of several hundred rioters torched cars, set off fireworks and threw rocks at police during the protests on Friday evening. Police responded with warning shots …

CNET reports: The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 is about to conclude, with the multinational competition returning after a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosting this year is Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which was slated to host Eurovision 2020 before its cancellation. The first semifinal was broadcast on Tuesday, followed by the second semifinal Thursday. The highest-scoring entries from the …

The Washington Post reports: The fight against the coronavirus pandemic has scientists tapping an unlikely resource: the finely tuned olfactory sense of bees. Dutch researchers on Monday said they have trained honeybees to stick out their tongues when presented with the virus’s unique scent, acting as a kind of rapid test. Although it’s a less conventional method than lab tests, …

Reuters reports: The Netherlands is to introduce rapid COVID-19 breath tests to sites across the country to speed up the testing process and make it less intrusive. Testing facilities in Amsterdam were this week the first to start using the SpiroNose, a machine which requires a person to breathe into it to indicate a possible coronavirus infection within a minute. …