links for 2009-02-27
February 27, 2009 Leave a Comment
Nieuwe aanhoudingen in Limburgse bouwfraude De politie heeft donderdag opnieuw aanhoudingen verricht in verband met bouwfraude in Limburg. (tags: Dutch) 'Helft bedrijven in problemen' De crisis in de Limburgse economie heeft zich de afgelopen drie maanden verder verdiept. De helft van alle industriële bedrijven stelt nu investeringen uit en meldt teruglopende omzetten en resultaten. In [...]
links for 2009-02-26
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
Health minister cracks down on medical errors Health Minister Ab Klink has sent a bill to parliament intended to crack down on doctors who make serious mistakes. Under current laws, a doctor who seriously harms a patient's health is guilty of a misdemeanor. (tags: English) Fewer addicts stealing bikes as crime falls Property crime in [...]
Maastricht-Brussels Express curse or blessing?
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
The Maastricht-Brussels Express a curse or blessing? How succesful is this train connection in dealing with cross-border problems such as cultural barriers and technical differences? Source: EUX.TV, the Europe Channel
Carnival in Maastricht 1961-1963
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
Carnival in Maastricht 1961-1963
Poll: 19 percent of Dutch reject evolution theory
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
The great majority of small Christian party ChristenUnie voters reject the theory of evolution. And in the case of the Christian democrats (CDA), only a bare majority accept that humans are descended from apes, according to pollster Maurice de Hond. This year is the 200th centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, on the occasion [...]
Govt pays airline tickets, housing for job-disabled living abroad
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
The government has in recent years spent millions on travel and accommodation costs of job-disabled Dutch nationals living abroad. They are flown from all the corners of the world to the Netherlands to be assessed medically, De Telegraaf newspaper reported yesterday. Recipients of job disability benefit (WIA/WAO) are periodically reassessed to see if they are [...]
Minister subsidises Centre for Islamic Studies
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
Education Minister Ronald Plasterk is making 2.5 million euros available for an Interuniversity Research School for Islamic Studies (ISIS). Eight of the nine Dutch universities are involved with the project. Plasterk is supporting ISIS for the next five years with a subsidy of 0.5 million euros per year. “This research school is expected to make [...]
New campaign for more sperm donors
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
A campaign is being launched today in Groningen in the north of the Netherlands to recruit more sperm donors. The number of donors has fallen drastically since 2004 when legislation was introduced giving people – over the age of 16 – born as a result of artificial insemination the right to obtain details about their [...]
Many Dutch products contain banned chemicals
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
An investigation by the environmental ministry shows that between 800 and 1,000 banned substances, or combinations thereof, are used in products for sale in the Netherlands. The ministry says that at least 67 of these substances are so toxic that the products containing them must be removed from shops as soon as possible. The products [...]
List of most problem neighbourhoods made public
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
Housing Minister Eberhard van der Laan has published the controversial list of the so-called “40 problem neighbourhoods”. The minister had originally refused to name the areas, as he was afraid that the neighbourhoods and their residents would be stigmatised. The list actually contains the names of 83 problem areas. The worst in the country is [...]
Air crash shocks the Netherlands
February 26, 2009 Leave a Comment
Nine people have died in the Turkish Airlines plane crash, which happened near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The dead include three crew members. More than 80 of the 134 people on board have been admitted to 11 hospitals in the surrounding area with injuries. Six of them are in a critical condition. Another 25 are severely [...]
links for 2009-02-25
February 25, 2009 Leave a Comment
The Hague wants to be even more international The Hague has appointed itself a centre for international organisations. But the foreigners that work there have many complaints about the city. (tags: English)
March-April: Maastricht Debates agenda
February 24, 2009 Leave a Comment
THE EU AND DEMOCRACY: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CHALLENGES On Wednesday March 11, 8.00 PM, a public debate will take place in the light of the European elections 2009. The issue that will be discussed is how the EU internally and externally is coping with democracy. Guest speakers are Marcia Gilbert-Roberts, Jamaican Ambassador to the European [...]
links for 2009-02-24
February 24, 2009 Leave a Comment
Stilstaan is duurder dan rijden Ik kwam van de week iets aardigs tegen in Maastricht, iets dat men vaker zou moeten doen. Betaald krijgen als je parkeert, wie wil dat nu niet? (tags: Dutch) Kerkrade provides RODA JC lifeline Roda JC have been saved from bankruptcy after the council in Kerkrade decided to help the [...]
links for 2009-02-23
February 23, 2009 Leave a Comment
Dutch set for carnival celebrations despite crisis This weekend sees carnival celebrations in many countries all over the world. The scenes of scantily clad female dancers and drum bands in the streets of Rio de Janeiro are perhaps the most recognisable images of the more exotic carnival celebrations. In The Netherlands, the carnival traditions are [...]
Dutch government to help imprisoned national
February 23, 2009 Leave a Comment
The Iranian authorities have informed the Dutch embassy in Tehran that human rights activist Abdullah al-Mansouri has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of terrorism. Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen says the Netherlands will continue to lobby on his behalf. Mr al-Mansouri fled to the Netherlands in 1988 and has both Dutch [...]
XM News powered by ANP, the first English language news show in the Netherlands
February 22, 2009 Leave a Comment
Press release: SC Multimedia Nederland BV and ANP launch XM News, an English language news show that can be seen every work day from February 18 on CompassTV.nl. XM News delivers the most important Dutch news in five to seven minutes daily. The show is uploaded on workdays from 1.00 pm and can be seen [...]
The shoemaker and the cobblestones
February 21, 2009 Leave a Comment
This is the first of a series of video clips for Crossroads by the EJC video team.
Video clip: Bernd Kapeller
Interview: Kathlyn Clore
links for 2009-02-20
February 20, 2009 Leave a Comment
Expanding EU desperately seeking interpreters While there is a need to find interpreters and translators from the newer EU nations of eastern Europe, it is the English 'lingua franca' which is causing the biggest headache to the European Union's executive. (tags: English) Groningen named as among the richest EU regions Eurostat has placed the Dutch [...]
Inspectors to dress up for carnival
February 20, 2009 Leave a Comment
Inspectors of the Food and Consumer Products Safety Authority will dress up as merrymakers during carnival to check whether cafés and bars adhere to a recently introduced smoking ban for all cafés, bars, hotels and restaurants. The authorities fear the inspectors would be too conspicuous in their ordinary clothes. Café and bar owners violating the [...]
Parliament to debate banning consumer fireworks
February 20, 2009 Leave a Comment
A citizens’ initiative against consumer fireworks has been submitted to parliament having collected 64,000 signatures, substantially more than the legal minimum requirement of 40,000. If a citizen’s initiative wins the support of more than 40,000 people, parliament must discuss it, on condition the issue in question has not been debated by parliament in the preceding [...]
Delay in reopening of Rijksmuseum costs millions
February 20, 2009 Leave a Comment
Delays in renovation work on Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum will cost the capital’s economy millions of euros. The city council has calculated that the delays will cost the city between 4 and 10 million euros. The renovation of the famous museum, which began in 2003, is likely to take two years longer than planned. Antique and art [...]
More women join workforce
February 20, 2009 Leave a Comment
The so-called emancipation monitor published jointly by the Central Planning Office and Statistics Netherlands shows that in the past four years more than 350,000 women have joined the workforce, an increase from 53 to 59 percent. The writers say these figures show that government intervention pays off. Many local councils have introduced measures intended to [...]
Iranian-born activist sentenced to 30 years
February 20, 2009 Leave a Comment
The son of human rights activist Abdullah al-Mansouri has announced his father has been sentenced in Iran to 30 years imprisonment. The Dutch foreign ministry has not been able to confirm the report up to now. The Dutch ambassador in Iran has asked Tehran for news on the al-Mansouri case. Mr al-Mansouri, who was born [...]
links for 2009-02-19
February 19, 2009 Leave a Comment
Washerwomen Hold Key to Rhineland Carnival Tradition 'Weiberfastnacht' marks the start of carnival festivities in Germany's Rhineland. The day's unique history is also linked to the women’s rights movement. (tags: English) EU to set up asylum agency The European Commission on Wednesday (18 February) proposed the setting up of a regulatory agency on asylum to [...]
The iron gates next to the windmills – Amnesty International Maastricht Students speak out on detention centres in the Netherlands
February 19, 2009 Leave a Comment
Is the welcoming attitude which characterized the Netherlands in the 1960’s and 70’s fading away? Amnesty International Maastricht Students on February 8th hosted an awareness-raising event titled “Detention without crime in the Netherlands?- A refugee’s reality”. A review by Sofia Tussis.
links for 2009-02-18
February 18, 2009 Leave a Comment
Nijmegen: Maastricht moet stoppen met 'wij zijn de oudste' Maastricht moet stoppen met zich te profileren als de oudste stad van Nederland. Dat vindt de Nijmeegse burgemeester Thom de Graaf. Hij heeft zijn collega Gerd Leers in Maastricht een brief geschreven waarin hij nogmaals omstandig uitlegt waarom Nijmegen zich met recht én wetenschappelijk verantwoord als [...]
Job opening: The European Journalism Centre is hiring a secretary/project assistant
February 18, 2009 Leave a Comment
The European Journalism Centre in Maastricht, the Netherlands, is looking for a Dutch speaking Secretary/Project Assistant to support the Headquarter office in Maastricht. The candidate should have excellent English writing and speaking skills and have at least three years of demonstrable work experience in a similar position. Secretary skills, an ability to multitask and an [...]
‘Burkini now generally accepted in Netherlands’
February 18, 2009 Leave a Comment
The burkini has become normal in the Netherlands. The body-covering bathing dress for Muslims is selling like hot cakes and nearly all swimming pools allow them, De Telegraaf reported yesterday. Woortman Sportswear acquired the sole rights to sell the bathing dress in Europe last year. Already, “hundreds” of burkinis have gone over the counter. “There [...]
Crisis for Netherlands much worse than expected
February 18, 2009 Leave a Comment
The economic crisis is “much worse than we thought so far” for the Netherlands, said Central Planning Bureau (CPB) director Coen Teulings yesterday in The Hague. Flanked by Premier Jan Peter Balkenende, Teulings presented the forecast that the Dutch economy will contract by 3.50 percent in 2009. Never before has the presentation of CPB figures [...]
