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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
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
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
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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 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
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
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
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
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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
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
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
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