Monday, December 31, 2012

Dutch Fireworks Far Too Dangerous


Fireworks sold in the Netherlands are far too dangerous. Tests by the Inspectorate for the Environment and Transport (ILT) show that 18% of fireworks tested do not meet safety requirements. Much of the illegal fireworks come out of Poland and the Czech Republic. Also, fireworks which meet the tests can be dangerous.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21184170/__Vuurwerk_in_NL_vaak_gevaarlijk__.html

Sunday, December 30, 2012

New Soccer Violence Monitor Received Many Complaints


A new internet monitor for violence in amateur soccer has received 140 complaints on the first day. According to one of the founders, Sven Datema said that 9 of the complaints are severe. The initiators of the monitor claim that the Dutch Royal National Soccer Association does not have an appropriate overview of the number of violent incidents, because many complaints are not transmitted to it. The idea for the monitoring site existed for some time. It has now been put into action after the murder of a linesman after a youth game in the town of Almere.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Already Massive Hindrance from Fireworks


The monitoring center for hindrance from fireworks of the Green left party has already received 16,000 complaints in the past few days. About half of them are about firework bombs which are often lit at night. Also, many complaints have been received about damage from fireworks and firework related stress suffered by pets.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Police Arrest Rotterdam Soccer Fans


Before the soccer game between Feyenoord from Rotterdam and Groningen, police arrested 20 fans of Feyenoord. They are suspected of preparing acts of public violence. Also, three cars belonging to the suspects were confiscated. In them were found hard and soft drugs, face covers, a number of knives, fireworks and a baton. The police had received information that Feyenoord fans intended to riot.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Queen’s Christmas Speech is Leaked the Day Before


An internet marketeer has managed to access the Queen’s Christmas speech and downloaded it from the government’s information site a day before she is due to give it. In it, the Queen calls for trust in the European Union which has brought affluence and peace. She also expresses thanks for the empathy the royal family has received after one of her sons had a severe accident. The Government Information Service regrets the leak.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Criminals on the Run Receive Social Security Payments


Criminals on the run in the Netherlands can easily receive Social Security payments in a variety of municipalities. About 15,000 convicted criminals are hiding from justice. Social Security institutions have to stop payments until criminals have finished their jail terms. However, 80 municipalities do not receive this information. The Liberal and Christian Democrat parliamentarian factions have asked Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Jetta Klijnsma (Labor Party) whether it is true that the number of convicted criminals on the run who receive Social Security payments has increased this year in comparison with last year.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Criminals Obtain Dutch Passports Easily


Criminal suspects and convicted criminals can easily obtain passports. Most of their names do not appear on the list of people who should not get one. Out of 1,566 people who are convicted criminals at bay, only 217 are on the list of those who should not get a passport. Only 16 passports have been withdrawn. Experience shows that convicted criminals at bay can obtain passports or renew them without problems.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Neurologist in Largest Medical Criminal Case Ever


Prosecution in the town of Almelo has called the case against Dutch Neurologist Ernst Jansen Steur the biggest medical criminal case ever in Dutch history. The prosecution suspects the specialist of 21 criminal acts. One woman committed suicide after she had been misinformed by him that she had Alzheimer’s disease. Another 8 people were informed by Jansen Steur that they either had Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or Multiple Sclerosis. He is further suspected of a variety of other misdeeds including stealing 88,000 Euros from a foundation he was chairman of. Jansen Steur left the hospital Medisch Spectrum Twente in 2003, but continued to work in two German hospitals.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/5270/Zorg/article/detail/3354953/2012/11/28/Zware-verdenkingen-neuroloog-Jansen-Steur.dhtml


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Website of Institute which Helps the Unemployed is Full of Mistakes


The website on the possibilities of employment of the public UWV Institute which is meant to help the unemployed find jobs is full of mistakes. Sometimes the website cannot be accessed. The offered vacancies have often lapsed, or are unsuitable. The problems have been around for a long time. Parliamentarian Paul Ulenbelt has said that the entire website has to be replaced.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Judges: Justice is being Emptied of Meaning


Several hundreds of judges are supporting a manifesto from seven judges of the court in Leeuwarden. They have prepared a manifest against the emptying of meaning of speaking justice in the Netherlands and the way the Council for the Administration of Justice represents them. They say that judges have no influence on the appointment of judges and that the Council of Administration of Justice, which makes these appointments is also not influenced by the judges. The signatories of the manifesto claim that justice in the Netherlands is increasingly resembling a cookie factory, where the main aims are high production. One of the initiators, Judge Menno Zamdbergen said that all of this leads to perverse incentives such as abstaining from calling up witnesses, or to punish when it is not necessary, because otherwise one doesn’t meet one’s productivity targets.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Children’s Ombudsman: 5,000 Children at Home Because of Bullying


Children’s Ombudsman, Marc Dullaert said that at least 5,000 children no longer attend school because they are bullied so much that they remain home out of fear and do not go to elementary or secondary school. This results from a study which shows that some children remain for months or years at home out of fear of getting bullied. Out least one out of every five children of school age fears going to school because of being bullied. Dullaert concluded that these are disastrous and shocking figures.
www.refdag.nl/nieuws/binnenland/kinderombudsman_vijfduizend_kinderen_blijven_thuis_om_pesten_1_699720

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Six People Wounded by Fireworks at Soccer Game

A firework bomb thrown at the Second League soccer game between Fortuna Sittard and MVV has wounded six people. Five of them have damage to their hearing. The bomb thrower was arrested. Six other fans of the home team were arrested for various crimes such as manhandling, public drunkenness, insulting and incitement.
www.rtl.nl/components/actueel/rtlnieuws/2012/12_december/15/binnenland/gewonden_bij_vuurwerkbom_fortuna_mvv.xml

Thursday, December 13, 2012

University will check Professor’s Publications for Fraud

Erasmus University in Rotterdam will investigate all publications by former Professor of Marketing, Dirk Smeesters. He resigned from the university after admitting that he deleted data from his research in some articles. The university’s Commission for Scientific Integrity had concluded in June that Smeesters had broken its rules. Further doubts have now arisen and the university will henceforth check all of his publications. In November 2011, Professor of Internal Medicine Don Poldermans was fired by Erasmus University after it became clear that he had manipulated data. The university is now considering investigating all of his 600 publications. (The major data fraud by Professor of psychology Diederik Stapel at Tilburg University is in the meantime receiving increased international attention.)

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Central Bank: Dutch Economy to Shrink Further Next Year


The Dutch Central Bank expects the Dutch economy to shrink by 0.6% next year. This follows an estimated decline in the economy in 2012 of 1%.
Unemployment, which at present is 5.2%, is likely to increase to 6.2% of the professional population in 2013 and to 6.7% in 2014. The budget deficit is likely to be 3.5% in both 2013 and 2014. That is above the European maximum norm of 3%. The bank considers that the government will have to introduce further budget cuts beyond the large ones already planned.
http://www.google.co.il/#q=volkskrant,tekort+boven+europese+norm&hl=iw&tbo=u&source=univ&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=cTbIUK7FI4-q0AW15oDQCg&ved=0CCsQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=a93c0b2002fd6e05&bpcl=39650382&biw=1024&bih=57

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Final Report on Huge Data Fraud by Dutch Professor


The final report on the huge data fraud by Diederik Stapel, Professor of Social Psychology at Tilburg University is ready. What is certain is that he used fraudulent data in 55 of the 130 investigated articles and in ten chapters of books. In addition there is suspicion that there is also fraud in 10 other articles. The Commission of Inquiry explained the nature of the fraud and the culture which has made that possible.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2672/Wetenschap-Gezondheid/article/detail/3354862/2012/11/28/Eindrapport-over-fraude-ex-hoogleraar-Stapel.dhtml

Monday, December 10, 2012

Chances of being caught for Crimes in the Netherlands are Minimal


Chances of being caught for a crime are minimal and the average punishment and risk of punishment are very small. Economically speaking, crime seems to pay in the Netherlands. These results are from a study by  legal economist Ben van Velthoven. He claims that the risk of punishment which is a function of the chance to be caught and the average punishment has declined by a quarter since 2004. This derives from the fact that the police finds less criminals, judges declare less people guilty and there are fewer people jailed as a result. Out of 8 million crimes per year, victims only reported them 1.2 million times. Related to the real figure of crimes, only 1.8% of criminals are caught.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Deputy Minister Resigns due to False Accounts


Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Co Verdaas has resigned because of false declarations while he was a member of the provincial government of Gelderland. Verdaas said that the integrity of a person in his position must be above doubt and it is not. He does not want to burden the cabinet and his party further with this affair.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Wilders: Murder of Linesman Related to Moroccan Problem


Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV) says that the killing of the soccer linesman is related to  problems with Moroccan youth in the Netherlands. He said that the Moroccan problem expresses manifests itself on the streets, in schools, in shopping centers and on the soccer fields. Sixty-five percent of Moroccan young males have been arrested at least once by the police. People don’t dare to mention this. The violence committed by Moroccans is also racism because the victims are rarely other Moroccans or Muslims. The PVV will ask for a parliamentary debate.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/11018/PVV/article/detail/3358782/2012/12/05/PVV-vindt-dood-grensrechter-niet-alleen-voetbalkwestie.dhtml

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Was the Soccer Linesman’s Murder a Racist Act?


Marcel Oost, Chairman of the SC Buitenboys, the club to which murdered linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen belonged, said that almost all players of the Nieuw Sloten team shook his hand after the match. Only the three Moroccan players of the club threw him on the ground and started to kick and hit him on the head and neck. Indications that this may be a racist murder have been hidden by almost all of Dutch media. Journalist Joost Niemoller wrote that if a Moroccan linesman had been killed by three white youngsters, the same media would have published many articles about white racism.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Dutch Soccer Linesman Beaten to Death by Players


Richard Nieuwenhuizen, a soccer linesman was punched and kicked during a match by soccer players from the youth league club Nieuw Sloten. He collapsed and died a day later. These three players, aged 15-16 we arrested earlier for their alleged involvement in the beating. The police are not excluding arresting additional suspects. Nieuw Sloten has pulled out of the youth league.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/03/dutch-linesman-dead-kicked-nieuw-sloten

Monday, December 3, 2012

Asbestos in Majority of Welfare Rental Apartments


Sixty percent of rental apartments in the Dutch welfare sectors contain asbestos. This was found by the NOS TV station. Half of the corporations that rent out these apartments know where the asbestos can be found. In most apartments, the asbestos is not dangerous, as long as one does not do any drilling. To make all Dutch welfare rental apartments asbestos-free, would cost 3.8 billion Euro.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Neurologist carried out unnecessary Brain Surgery


A Dutch neurologist, Dr. Jansen Steur has carried out unnecessary and risky brain surgery on healthy people. In total, 13 people have undergone such operations. He also falsely diagnosed tens of patients as having Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis. After he stopped working for the Dutch clinic MST, he started working at two hospitals in Germany. In the meantime, 200 patients have complained among which 105 have put in claims. A court case is starting.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Dutch TV Satire Accuses Netanyahu based on Classic Anti-Semitic Stereotype


A Dutch satirical news show has taken up the classic anti-Semitic stereotype that the Jews lust for blood. A program of the Socialist Vara Television manipulated clips so that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was telling US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he was maximizing civilian deaths. Timon Diaz, a Sri-Lanka born columnist for the Dagelijkse Standaard said the video is “reminiscent of the many blood libels that already exist about Israel and the Jews.”

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Minister: Inspectorate for Healthcare has to be Investigated


Minister Edith Schippers said that as the inspectorate for healthcare is in the process of investigating multiple failures in the cardiology department at the hospital in Spijkenisse, she will not give an opinion on the functioning of the inspectorate at present. She added that it is obvious that matters at the inspectorate have to improve and that the responsibility for that is with the new inspector general who will start work in the coming days.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Spijkenisse: Cardiology Department closed and Doctors not allowed to Work

The Ruwaard van Putten Hospital in Spijkenisse has closed its cardiology department in view of the high number of deaths in 2010. The Inspectorate of Health has told 4 cardiologists to stop working immediately while 51 files of dead patients are investigated. The Inspectorate says that the department was an acute and serious danger to patient safety. The Inspectorate had been informed of misconduct in the hospital long ago, but it did not act. The Federation of Dutch Patients said that it is unacceptable that no information has been given earlier about the poor quality of the care. It added “Had there been openness about the quality and the number of deaths, patients would have avoided the hospital.”

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Chaos at the Defense Ministry

The National Accounting Office has found that the quality of control of material at the Ministry of Defense is unreliable. The supplies of ammunition are not identical with what is written in the computers. Furthermore, the Ministry sometimes has no idea where the army’s weapons are. After an internal control, it was also found that 100 million Euro were booked in a different heading than where they belonged. The National Accounting Office recommended that the Parliament should check with Minister of Defense on how to improve the situation. It concluded that the Ministry runs risks if this year there is not a reliable control of where the military material is established.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3352499/2012/11/23/Algemene-Rekenkamer-Chaos-bij-Defensie.dhtml

Thursday, November 22, 2012

At Soccer Game, Cups of Urine Thrown on Supporters


At the top league soccer game between Vitesse from Arnhem and NEC from Nijmegen, supporters of Vitesse threw cups of urine onto the NEC supporters. There were shouts of joy when a family with children was hit. Before the game, the police had warned the clubs that if there were major incidents for three years, no fans of the visiting club would be admitted. After the game, the boards of both clubs expressed their satisfaction that all went well.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21096580/__Met_urine_naar_NEC-fans_gegooid__.html

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Dutch Women get Cancer Relatively Often


Dutch women get cancer more often in the lungs, the head/neck area, the esophagus, breast and skin. This is the result of an unhealthy way of living and risky behavior in the past, such as too much sunbathing and smoking. These results are from the doctoral thesis of the epidemiologist Henrike Karim-Kos. She claims inter alia that Dutch women run higher risks of breast cancer because they have their first child later in life and don’t breast feed as much compared to other European countries.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2672/Wetenschap-Gezondheid/article/detail/3349979/2012/11/19/Nederlandse-vrouwen-krijgen-veel-vaker-kanker.dhtml

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Relatively High Percentage of Dutchmen Die as a Result of Skin Cancer


In the Netherlands, every year 3.6 per hundred thousand inhabitants die from skin cancer. That is more than in all other European countries, besides Slovenia, where the corresponding figure is 4.1. In Greece the figure is 1.2 per hundred thousand, in Spain with 1.5, in France 2 and in Germany and Luxembourg the figure is 2.1. Also, the figure of mortality from skin cancer grows faster than in all European countries besides Ireland and Slovenia. These data have been published by EuroStat, the data bank of the European Union.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

More than a Quarter of Dutch Policemen is not Operational


More than a quarter of Dutch police and detectives are not operational. This results from research by RTL News. Eleven percent of policemen are sick at home. This is almost three times as high as for the general employed population. The police has no explanation for this. Seventeen percent of the policemens’ time is devoted to training and education. D66 Parliamentarian Magda Berndsen, a former police chief is shocked by this high figure of sick leave and intends to pose questions to the minister of security and justice.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3349731/2012/11/17/Ruim-1-op-de-4-agenten-niet-inzetbaar-door-ziekte-of-cursus.dhtml

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Muslim Organization: Prime Minister treats us Like Second Class Citizens

The Contact Organization for Muslims and Government (CMO) has stated that the policy of the new government attacks the almost one million Dutch Muslims. This expresses itself in the desire in the plans to forbid the burqa, prohibit marriages between cousins and stricter rules for the immigration of family members. The CMO also opposes the proposal to have new immigrants borrow money so that they can learn to integrate into society. The CMO adds that “civilization is not only the solving of economic problems, but also treating minorities as full citizens.” The CMO has as members a number of big Moroccan, Turkish, Suriname and Pakistani mosque organizations.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Increase in Policemen Investigated for Abuse of their Positions


Investigations by the national police found that in 2011, 655 policemen abused their positions. This includes matters such as use of violence, fraud, as well as other abuses of their positions. This led to the firing of 77 policemen, 73 are on probation and will be fired if there is a repeat of these abuses and 24 policemen have decided to leave on their own volition.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Prime Minister Asks for Forgiveness for Faulty Coalition Agreement


At a press conference, Prime Minister Mark Rutte asked for forgiveness for the heavy increase in social payments, resulting from the coalition agreement. He admitted that a mistake had been made and the issue will be corrected. Diederik Samson, the leader of Labor, the other coalition partner said that it had been his intention to reestablish confidence in the political arena. He added that this confidence had been damaged in the past two weeks. Samson also mentioned that the current savings program will lead to a savings of 16 billion Euros, but a further 30 billion will be necessary.

Monday, November 12, 2012

No Supervision in Muslim Boarding Schools

The NRC Handelsblad reports that hundreds of children live in mosques in boarding school conditions. Only on the weekends do they go home. Several of the buildings are poorly maintained and not properly protected against fire. There is no supervision on how these children are treated. Fifty girls live in a boarding school in Rotterdam which has no permit. A confidential report of the Rotterdam municipality says that that there is no protection against fire and the situation is dangerous.       
www.nrc.nl/inbeeld/2012/11/10/wonen-in-een-rotterdamse-moskee/









 


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Many Concierges in Schools Physically and Verbally Harassed by Students


One third of the concierges at Dutch schools are confronted with physical aggression. Ninety percent of them encounter verbal aggression. This results from a study by CNV Onderwijs among more than 1,000 people who have a supporting function in middle schools. In the data about physical aggression are included cases of lasting physical damage. Sixty percent of the concierges have been confronted with remarks such as, “you bitch” or “I will bite your head off.” Intimidation and threats are frequent.
http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/5288/Onderwijs/article/detail/3337076/2012/10/25/Scholieren-bedreigen-en-slaan-concierges.dhtml

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Number of Addicts will Increase due to Economic Crisis


According to a number of institutes that treat various types of addicts, the number of addicts is likely to increase due to the economic crisis. Already at present there are more people with problems of repaying their debts who come to their clinics. They stem from all layers of society, including managers, small businessmen, the police, notaries public and the military.  

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

List of Fraudulent Publications of Professor Keeps Growing


The number of publications by former Professor Diederik Stapel, in which he has included fraudulent data, keeps growing. A commission of investigation at the University of Groningen has checked 46 articles. In 21 of them there were fraudulent data. In three more, it is highly likely that the same is the case but it has not been fully proven. The commission of investigation at Tilburg University found that 34 out of Stapel’s 54 articles when he was employed there contained fraudulent data.  The commission of investigation at Amsterdam University found that it is highly probable that 7 out of 30 articles most probably contain fraudulent data.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Fifth Person Dies from Infested Salmon


A fifth person has died from eating smoked salmon with infested salmonella.
This was announced by damage specialist Yme Drost. He assists about 450 of the more than 1,000 people who have become ill from eating the infested salmon. The National Institute for Public Health and Environment told the Spits daily that they have not yet heard about the death.  

Monday, November 5, 2012

Minister of Defense: Army Lacks Ammunition, Fuel, Clothing and Spare Parts


Departing Minister of Defense Hans Hillen (Christian Democrat), says that the Army lacks fuel, clothing, and spare parts. He says that according to agreements in NATO, the Netherlands is committed to spend two percent of the Gross Domestic product for Defense. In reality it only spends one percent. The budget cuts on defense of the new cabinet may endanger the constitutional tasks of the Dutch army. Ten years ago, the U.S paid for 50% of NATO’s costs and Europe the other 50%. Now the U.S pays for 75%. Europe is sponging off of the Americans.   
www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Politiek/353749/Hillen-snijden-in-defensie-mogelijk-ongrondwettelijk.htm

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Fourth Person Dies from Infested Salmon


A fourth person has died from eating smoked salmon infested with salmonella. This was announced by the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM). For another patient who died, investigations are still underway to see whether he also died from the salmon. In total, 1,063 people have been infected by the Salmonella-Thompson bacteria. Last week, 37 new cases were found. It can be that the real number of sick people is much higher, because there is no obligation to inform the health services.
www.rtl.nl/components/actueel/rtlnieuws/2012/11_november/02/binnenland/rivm-vierde-dode-door-besmette-zalm-foppen.xml

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Nine Hundred Claims Filed after Eating Infested Salmon


More than 1,000 people have become ill after eating smoked salmon infected with the salmonella Thomson bacteria. Foppen, the company which sold the infested product, has so far received 900 claims.
www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3340301/2012/10/31/Bijna-900-claims-bij-Foppen-ingediend.dhtml

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Complaint against Parliamentarian because of anti-Semitic Remark


The Jewish community in the province of Limburg and a Catholic-Jewish group of the Roermond bishopry have put in a police complaint against Parliamentarian Dion Graus of the Freedom Party accusing him of anti-Semitism. Graus has on many occasions said that Jews torture animals behind the mask of religious freedom. News items reporting this carry many anti-Semitic talkbacks.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Half of Sandwiches of Döner Kebab found to be Full of Bacteria


The consumer organization Consumentenbond, has investigated the sandwiches of Döner Kebab at ten randomly chosen locations in Groningen, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Breda. Of the 49 tested sandwiches, a majority were found to contain many bacteria. In 5 of them, even the so-called “excrement bacteria” were found. This high number of bacteria indicates that the sandwiches have either been kept out too long, or that they have not been hygienically prepared. The consumer organization advises that people with weak resistance such as people over 65 and pregnant women should avoid buying Döner Kebab sandwiches.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Minister Shocked by Sexual Abuse Committed by Caretakers


Edith Schippers, Minister of Public Health is shocked by the large number of sexual abuse committed by caretakers. She wrote this in a letter to Parliament as her response to the Inspectorate for health care. This head provided data that in the past five years, more than 400 patients have been sexually abused by caretakers, or were confronted with sexual remarks. This concerns visitors of general practitioners, psychiatric patients and retarded people.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/13109630/__Schippers__misbruik_in_zorg_is_aangrijpend__.html


Sunday, October 28, 2012

Lingewaard: Mayor Resigns due to False Claims of Expenses

Harry de Vries (Christian Democrat) resigned as Mayor of  Lingewaard due to false claims of expenses and negligent claims of travel costs. He said, “What I have done is wrong and cannot be justified in any way.” The trust between him, the Aldermen and the municipal council has been broken. De Vries has said that he will reimburse all non-justified claims.


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Mayor Resigns as a Result of Senator Affair


Mayor Ricardo Offermanns (Liberal) has resigned as mayor of Meerssen. Earlier he had withdrawn his candidacy for the mayoralty of Roermond. One of several accusations against the Municipal Councilor Jos van Rey (Liberals) of Roermond was that he had leaked to Offermanns and possibly to others, secret information about the sate of the Roermond candidacy. This led to the resignation of Van Rey as senator and municipal councillor. Offermanns has furthermore resigned as Chairman of the Liberal Party in the province of Limburg.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Senator Resigns Suspected of Breach of Trust


Senator Jos van Rey (Liberal Party) has resigned. He is suspected of breach of trust, in his function as municipal councilor of Roermond. The accusations are that he has given confidential information to two candidates for the position of the town’s mayor. These accusations have come to the fore during an investigation of police detectives about possible corruption of Van Rey.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Paint Bombs against Home of Minister


The action group “No Blood on my Hands” has thrown paint bombs at the home of Minister of Immigration Gerd Leers in Maastricht. This was done in protest against Dutch immigration policy. The Minister said that everyone can demonstrate, but it is not acceptable if a demonstration is against someone’s personal possessions and creates damage. He has put in a complaint with the police.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Civil Rights Movement: Government Hacking Plan Shocking


Minister of Security and Justice, Ivo Opstelten (Liberals) said that the number of cyber crimes is increasing and the ability of the police to deal with it is insufficient. He added that criminals can relatively easily wipe out their digital traces. Therefore he wants the police to break into computers from a distance and if necessary, place software inside. Ot van Daalen, Director of Bits of Freedom, which has as a goal the protection of digital civil rights has said that this is a shocking plan. He explained this by saying that in this way, the police get an interest to keep the Dutch infrastructure vulnerable. That leads to a situation where Dutch computers also become vulnerable for others including from abroad.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Decline in Butterflies due to Agriculture and Climate Changes


Michiel Wallis de Vries has said during his inaugural lecture as Professor of Ecology at Wageningen University that butterflies in the Netherlands are in decline. He said that 17 types of butterflies no longer exist in the Netherlands, and also that the numbers of the surviving types are declining. He explained that this is caused by the rise of intensive agriculture, fertilization with nitrogen derivatives and the changes in climate.