Author: NLtimes.nl

KLM had to apologize for a tweet posted by KLM India on Wednesday. The tweet, posted on the 5th anniversary of the MH17 disaster, spoke about what seats you are most likely to die in if you’re in a plane crash.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 19, 2019 – 16:00

People returning from holiday run an increased risk of being infected with the legionella bacteria, because they underestimate the dangers of taps that have not been used for more than a week, according to Techniek Nederland, the entrepreneurs’ association for the installation sector. The association advises returning holidaymakers to flush their pipes well before they … Continue reading “Returning holidaymakers warned to beware of legionella”

People caught speeding in France risk having their driver’s license confiscated. This happens to around 100 Dutch per year, caught driving at least 50 kilometers over the speed limit, broadcaster BNR reports based on figures requested from the French Interior Ministry. In 2017, a total of 104 Dutch speeders had their licenses confiscated in France. … Continue reading “Licenses of 100 Dutch speeders confiscated in France per year: report”

A 53-year-old employee of the Public Prosecution Service in The Hague was arrested in Germany on June 18th on suspicion of drug trafficking. She is suspected of smuggling two kilograms of cocaine, 6 kilograms of amphetamine, and 10 thousand ecstasy pills into the country, the German Public Prosecutor confirmed to AD. The drugs were found … Continue reading “Hague prosecutor arrested in Germany for drug trafficking: report”

On Friday the Supreme Court held the Dutch State liable for the events that followed the fall of Bosnian enclave Srebrenica in 2015, but to a lesser extent than the court in The Hague did in a previous ruling. The court previously ruled that the surviving relatives could claim 30 percent of damages suffered from … Continue reading “Dutch State less responsible for Srebrenica in Supreme Court ruling”

Four young kids abducted from The Hague by their father last month, are now staying at their parents’ old home in Raqqa, Syria, according to their mother Rasha Saleh. She desperately wants to go and get them back, but she doesn’t dare to. “He wants me to come by so he can kill me”, the … Continue reading “Missing Hague kids staying at parents’ old house in Raqqa, mother says”

The municipality of Amsterdam closed the Hotel Parkview on Korte van Eeghenstraat indefinitely on Thursday. Two incidents involving explosives at the hotel seriously affected public order and put local residents in danger, which is why Mayor Femke Halsema decided to close the hotel immediately, the municipality said in a statement.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July … Continue reading “Amsterdam closes hotel after explosion”

Utrecht and Amsterdam will be the first Dutch places to have an official LEGO store. Both stores will open later this year, though exactly where they will be located is not yet clear, NU.nl reports. LEGO franchises previously opened in the Netherlands, but this is the first time a LEGO store will open that is … Continue reading “NL’s first official LEGO stores to open in Amsterdam, Utrecht”

Nearly 90 percent of Dutch adults said that they were happy and satisfied with their lives last year. Little has changed on this front since 1997, Statistics Netherlands reported on Friday. Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 19, 2019 – 09:22

A large number of GP posts say that patients are becoming increasingly aggressive towards their doctors. Some 60 percent of the directors of these house doctor posts say that they receive telephone threats every week and that patients are more likely to threaten violence than five years ago. Almost a third of GP posts deal … Continue reading “Patients increasingly aggressive at GP posts: report”

The police arrested a 27-year-old man in Maastricht on Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in terrorism. He is suspected of inciting a terrorist crime in the Netherlands and cooperating in training people to become a terrorist, the Public Prosecutor said on Thursday.  The police launched an investigation into the man last month, after information from … Continue reading “Terrorism suspect arrested in Maastricht”

Prime Minister Mark Rutte met with United States president Donald Trump for the second time on Thursday in the White House in Washington. During a brief press conference at the Oval Office, Trump emphasized the good economic ties between the two countries and his good relationship with Rutte, calling him a friend.Submitted by Janene Pieters … Continue reading “Trump calls PM Rutte a “friend””

KLM is under fire over a recent tweet about the company’s breastfeeding policy. According to the airline’s policy, mothers are allowed to breastfeed their baby on board a flight, but can be asked to cover up if other passengers take offense. The tweet led to hundreds of predominantly negative reactions.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 18, … Continue reading “KLM under fire over breastfeeding tweet”

Two 12-year-olds who went magnet fishing on the Amstelkade in Amsterdam on Wednesday afternoon, pulled a firearm out of the water, the Amsterdam Zuid police said on Twitter. The kids immediately called emergency number 112. Responding officers identified the firearm as real and called in forensic investigators, who took some samples and then confiscated the … Continue reading “Kids fish gun out of Amsterdam water”

A man was found dead in his home in the Arnhem district of Persikhaaf on Wednesday. The police believe the man had been lying dead in his home for months. His neighbors are shocked. “We thought he was on vacation in Spain. Unbelievable”, a local resident said to Omroep Gelderland. Submitted by Janene Pieters on July … Continue reading “Arnhem man dead in his home for months; neighbors shocked”

Four young children were abducted from The Hague by their father last month, the police announced on Thursday. The police believe the father took them to Syria. The missing person reports for 2-year-old Tala, 3-year-old Sharifa, 5-year-old Berivan, and 7-year-old Hain Ahmad state that their father picked the two younger kids up from school under … Continue reading “Four young children abducted from The Hague; father took them to Syria”

People who violate the so-called burka ban can be fined 150 euros, the Public Prosecution Service said in a prosecution directive. The ban,officially called the Partial Ban On Face Covering Clothing Act, applies to wearing face-covering clothing in public spaces like government buildings, hospitals, schools, and on public transportation. It takes effect on August 1st.Submitted … Continue reading “Violators of burka ban to be fined €150”

Dozens of people sustained eye injuries caused by miniscule hairs released by oak processionary caterpillars over the past weeks. At least 92 patients went to ophthalmologists in the Netherlands with eye problems caused by these poisonous caterpillars, NOS reports after surveying 133 ophthalmologists.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 18, 2019 – 11:50

The Netherlands can look forward to real summers weather next week, with high temperatures and little chance of rain. There is even a good chance of a regional heatwave in the southeast of the country, according to Weeronline. Maximums next week will range between 25 and 30 degrees. The southeast may even see temperatures climb … Continue reading “Summer weather back in Netherlands next week”

The general director of Dutch public works department Rijkswaterstaat is very concerned about the increasing aggression road users are showing road inspectors. Three-quarters of road inspectors are confronted with verbal abuse or rude hand gestures almost every day, and so far this year there’s been 11 reports of physical violence against road inspectors, general director … Continue reading “Public works dept. concerned about increasingly aggressive road users”

“A moderation in growth or a limited decline in aviation” will not hurt the Dutch economy, but will benefit the environment, research agency CE Delft concluded in a study commissioned by Natuur en Milieu. The researchers found that there is no scientific basis for five important arguments often used as reasons not to limit growth in … Continue reading “Limited shrinking of aviation sector won’t hurt Dutch economy: study”

An irrigation ban is in effect in the Achterhoek, Twente and parts of Drenthe from noon on Thursday. From then farmers in these areas are not allowed to use surface water for watering their fields, waterboards Rijn en Ijssel and Vechtstroom announced on Wednesday, NU.nl reports.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 18, 2019 – 08:21

Prime Minister Mark Rutte will meet with United States president Donald Trump in the White House for the second time this evening. During the meeting, Rotterdam collector Bert Kreuk will hand Trump a D-Day flag he is donating to the United States. The main topic on the agenda for Rutte and Trump is trade, though … Continue reading “Dutch PM to meet with Trump today; hand over D-Day flag”

Five years ago today Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, including 196 Dutch. The victims of this disaster were commemorated at the National MH17 Monument in Vijfhuizen on Wednesday afternoon. Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 17, 2019 – 18:39

The Public Prosecution Service must conduct further investigation into the way in which Michael P. was arrested in the Anne Faber case on 9 October 2017, the court in Amsterdam ruled on Wednesday. The Public Prosecutor previously determined that the officers that arrested P. will not be prosecuted for a soldier injury he sustained during … Continue reading “Prosecutor ordered to investigate arrest of Anne Faber’s killer”

The Council of State blocked the widening of the Utrecht ring road in a ruling on Wednesday. The minister of the then Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment gave permission to widen the road, but the Council of State abolished this decision, NU.nl reports. The plan was to widen the highway at Amelisweerd to seven lanes … Continue reading “Council of State blocks widening of Utrecht ring road”

The average national rent increase in the second quarter of 2019 was the lowest since the second quarter of 2015. Rents in the Netherlands increased an average of 3.1 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to figures from Pararius. This clearly shows that the price increases are slowing down, the housing platform … Continue reading “Netherlands sees lowest average rent increase since 2015”

The municipality of Hilversum held a small-scale commemoration on the fifth anniversary of the MH17 disaster on Wednesday. “How fantastic that you are here on this sunny day. Five years ago, the sun also shone exuberantly until the terrible disaster happened. A thunderbolt in a clear sky, that is the feeling I had when we … Continue reading “Hilversum commemorates 5th anniversary of MH17 disaster”

The court sentenced a 17-year-old boy to 200 hours of community service and one year of conditionally suspended juvenile detention for firing an air gun at his school in Roermond last year. The court considered it proven that the boy aimed to shoot a fellow pupil who bullied him and worked on a premeditated plan, … Continue reading “Community service for teen who shot at bully at Roermond school”

The police released new sketches of wanted fugitives Ridouan Taghi and Said Razzouki on Opsporing Verzocht on Tuesday. The sketches are aged show what the two fugitives may look like today. The police call on Dutch holidaying abroad to keep an eye out for the two, who are wanted for at least five assassinations in … Continue reading “Police call Dutch to keep an eye out for wanted fugitives while holidaying abroad”

There are problems like racism, intimidation and sexual misconduct within the police, and National Police Chief Erik Akerboom works every day to reduce them. But it is an illusion that he can put an end to all these abuses within a few years, the police chief said in television program Jinek, NOS reports. Submitted by Janene Pieters … Continue reading “Racism, harassment within police won’t disappear overnight: National Police Chief”

The street scene in the Netherlands will change in the coming years thanks to the installation of tens of thousands of 5G masts. The government is committed to making this super fast internet widely available and is obliging municipalities to install masts in large numbers in public spaces, according to a provisional bill by the … Continue reading “Dutch gov’t wants 5G masts on every street corner: report”

The Eurovision Song Competition next year will be held either in Rotterdam or Maastricht. These two cities submitted a substantively stronger bid than Utrecht, Den Bosch and Arnhem, who are no longer in the running to host the event, the selection committee announced, NU.nl reports.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 17, 2019 – 08:28

At least six underage boys were forced into prostitution by two men in the Utrecht neighborhood of Overvecht  over the past years, the Public Prosecution Service confirmed to NU.nl after a report in De Telegraaf. Not all of the suspects’ victims have been identified yet, and there may be hundreds of victims, the newspapers write.Submitted … Continue reading “At least 6 underage boys forced into prostitution in Utrecht neighborhood”

Last year 8.5 percent of Dutch internet users aged 12 years or older fell victim to cybercrime. That amounts to 1.2 million Dutch victims, Statistics Netherlands reported on Wednesday based on a study performed in collaboration with the police. Young people fell victim most often. And the most common type of cyber crime was crime … Continue reading “1.2 million Dutch fell victim to cybercrime last year”

Wednesday marks five years since the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over conflict-hit Ukraine on 17 July 2014. MH17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members on board.Submitted by Keishel Williams on July 16, 2019 – 19:40

A 25-year-old woman died in hospital after being stabbed in a Vlaardingen apartment just after midnight on Tuesday. A 28-year-old man was arrested as a suspect, RTV.Rijnmond reports.  The police responded to the home on Van ‘t Hoffstraat at around 00:30 a.m. A firetruck platform was used to get the victim out of the third … Continue reading “Woman, 25, dies after stabbing in Vlaardingen home”

An NS conductor and train driver had the opportunity to prove their commitment to their clients recently when a woman from Assen accidentally got on the wrong train and therefore risked missing her surgery. The conductor rose to the challenge and arranged for the intercity train to make an extra stop in Hoogeveen, so that … Continue reading “Train driver makes extra stop so woman doesn’t miss her surgery”

If the weather cooperates, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible above the Netherlands on Tuesday night. People in the west of the country have the best chance of the clouds clearing in time to see the eclipse, while people in the east will likely be unlucky, Martin Dorrestein of Buienradar said to RTL Nieuws. … Continue reading “Partial lunar eclipse visible in NL tonight, if weather permits”

The Haga Hospital in The Hague is the first Dutch body to be fined for violating the new European privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation. The Dutch Data Protection Authority fined the hospital 460 thousand euros for not sufficiently protecting a patient’s privacy, NU.nl reports.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 16, 2019 – 14:20

Multiple large natural fires broke out in the south of France on Monday, prompting the evacuation of over 2,500 tourists on vacation at the campsites in the coastal town of Argelès-sur-Mer. The area is a popular holiday destination among Dutch. “It rained ash particles”, a Dutch tourist in the area said to AD.Submitted by Janene Pieters on … Continue reading “Dutch among tourists evacuated from French campsites over fires”

After nine years in operation, the Amsterdam Underground tour – started by the De Regenboog Groep, an NGO that works with homeless people – will now be in the hands of the formerly homeless guides who have lived the experiences the tour aims to illuminate to tourists. De Regenboog made the decision to form a cooperative … Continue reading “Amsterdam Underground Tours Charts New Life for Former Addicts”

Relatives of MH17 victims who are actively involved in the legal and political aftermath of the disaster, are struggling more with the grieving process than those who pay less attention to it, clinical psychologist Jos de Keijser said in an interview with the Volkskrant.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 16, 2019 – 11:50

The Rozengracht in Amsterdam was closed off to traffic on Tuesday morning after a hand grenade was found tied to the door of a local business. The Ministry of Defense’s explosive disposal department removed the explosive, but the street is still closed for investigation, AD reports.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 16, 2019 – 11:08

Arson may have been involved in a fire at a German sauna club in which a 64-year-old Dutch man died on Sunday, the German police said, AD reports. The fire at Gallardo Sauna Club in Hamminkeln broke out during the early hours of Sunday morning. Emergency services tried to resuscitate the Dutch man, but it was … Continue reading “Arson suspected in German sauna fire that left Dutch man dead”

Since 2010 Dutch banks and insurers provided around 7.9 billion euros in financing to large shale gas and plastic companies, according to research by the Fair Banking and Insurance Guide. ING was the largest Dutch financier for these companies, investing 3.5 billion euros into them, NU.nl reports.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 16, 2019 – … Continue reading “ING bank NL’s biggest financier of gas-, plastic companies: report”

There needs to be more safe harbors for asylum seekers and other migrants rescued from the Mediterranean sea, otherwise unsafe situations will arise on merchant ships, the Royal association of Dutch shipowners KVNR said to newspaper Trouw.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 16, 2019 – 08:44

The 103rd edition of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse, known as the Four Day Marches in English, kicked off with 44,702 participants at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. On the first leg of the four-day walking event, participants will walk from Nijmegen  through the Betuwe to Arnhem, NU.nl reports.Submitted by Janene Pieters on July 16, 2019 – … Continue reading “Nijmegen Vierdaagse kicks off with 44,702 participants”

The discovery of an explosive, presumably a hand grenade, triggered the evacuation of the Botermarkt in Haarlem on Monday. The square was closed off for several hours while the Ministry of Defense’s explosive clearance service removed the explosive to detonate it elsewhere, the police said on Twitter. The police responded to the scene at around … Continue reading “Haarlem square evacuated over hand grenade”

A 50-year-old man from Eindhoven died on Saturday after a visit to the DayDream dance festival at Aquabest in the Noord-Brabant city. The man became unwell at around 6:30 p.m. The festival’s first aid team resuscitated him and he was rushed to hospital, where he died later that evening, the organization of the festival said to AD.Submitted … Continue reading “Man, 50, dies at Eindhoven dance festival”