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August 30, 2021

The Netherlands-Economy: The Netherlands to end pandemic business relief

The government announced Monday that with the economy back on track, lockdown measures largely over and unemployment low, “Continuing the support would stand in the way of the economic recovery.”

The government has spent some 80 billion euros ($94 billion) since March last year propping up business ranging from individual entrepreneurs to national flag carrier KLM. It says the support helped limit bankruptcies and unemployment.

The Dutch economy is forecast to grow 3.8% this year and 3.2% in 2022. A number of targeted support measures aimed at education programs and night clubs will remain in the final quarter of the year.

Read more at: https://draft.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/7267356/3674647997756275155

August 29, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch coronavirus average rises for the first time in four weeks; Positivity rate holds above 14%

The seven-day average for new coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by one percent to 2,373 on Monday. The average has fallen for 27 consecutive days from a peak of 10,160, though the rate of decrease showed signs of slowing over the past week.

The average was about nine percent lower compared to a week ago according to raw data from the RIVM. Some 16,418 coronavirus cases were registered over the past seven days according to a mix of raw and corrected data, which puts the average closer to 2,345.

The RIVM learned of 2,275 more positive coronavirus tests during the 24 hours leading up to 10 a.m. on Monday. That was still about one percent lower than the previous day, but it was nearly 10 percent higher than a week ago. The daily total has remained between two and three thousand for 11 straight days.

Read more at: https://nltimes.nl/2021/08/16/dutch-coronavirus-average-rises-first-time-four-weeks-positivity-rate-holds-14

August 28, 2021

The Netherlands: How the Netherlands is leading the EU toward its tech future

Though geographically and demographically small, the Netherlands is positioning itself as a European technology leader, making a name for itself in fields like quantum computing, AI, tech start-up innovation and sustainable cities.

This is good news for IT pros looking to advance their careers and enterprises interested in emerging tech, but the country's hot technology market presents some challanges — first and foremost, it can be hard for businesses to find the tech talent they need.

The Netherlands' emerging tech dominance is being driven to a large degree by the country’s political leadership, industry-watchers said. But there are also historical and cultural trends propelling the Netherlands to a dominant technology position in the EU, some of which have the seeds in its long-standing commitment to making technology a priority.

Read more at: How the Netherlands is leading the EU toward its tech future | Computerworld

August 27, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch military pulled 2,500 people from Kabul including final evacuation flight Thursday

The Dutch military evacuated more than 2,500 people from Afghanistan in the past week, including more than 1,600 people with the Netherlands as their destination. The Cabinet reported this in a letter to Parliament about the evacuation mission which ended on Thursday with a final flight from Kabul to Islamabad in which remaining Dutch diplomats and soldiers were on board.

"It is terrible to have to leave Afghanistan after 20 years in this way," tweeted caretaker Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag. "It is with a heavy heart that the embassy team and the military have left with the last Dutch flight."

Among the evacuees are Dutch nationals, interpreters and their families and people who have worked in the Dutch service in the past and may therefore be at risk now that the Taliban have seized power in the country. The government cannot yet state exact numbers per group.

Read more at: Dutch military pulled 2,500 people from Kabul including final evacuation flight Thursday | NL Times

August 25, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch people protest against the arrival of Afghan refugees — police forced to intervene

Last night, a protest was held against the arrival of hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan at De Harskamp army camp in the municipality of Ede. Tensions escalated with car tires being set alight. The police were forced to use dogs to disperse the crowd.

Read more at Dutch people protest against the arrival of Afghan refugees — police forced to intervene – DutchReview

August 24, 2021

The Netherlands: Heard of Gorinchem? It’s officially the most beautiful fortified town in the Netherlands! - by Nicole Noi Ogden

According to a campaign by the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), Gorinchem —also known as Gorkum — stood out as the most beautiful Dutch fortified town. Fortified towns are known for their characteristic star-shape!

Read more at: Heard of Gorinchem? It’s officially the most beautiful fortified town in the Netherlands! – DutchReview

August 23, 2021

The Netherlands: UN-EU Beach Clean-up: tidying the entire Dutch North Sea coast

This summer, environmental NGO The North Sea Foundation organised the eighth edition of its annual beach clean-up campaign. From August 1 until August 15, almost 2,500 volunteers cleaned up the entire North Sea coast in the Netherlands. This year, for the first time, the organisation joined the UN-EU Beach Clean-up campaign.

Read more at: UN-EU Beach Clean-up: tidying the entire Dutch North Sea coast

August 22, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch Covid hospitalizations down 6% this week; Coronavirus average up 5%

Hopitals in the Netherlands admitted 531 patients with Covid-19 this calendar week, five percent fewer compared to a week ago. Out of that group, 439 patients were admitted into regular care, and 92 were sent to intensive care units, based on data provided by patient monitor LCPS.

That means that 76 patients with the disease were admitted daily on average, including 63 nursing ward patients and 13 intensive care patients. A week earlier, hospitals sent 444 to regular care wards, an average of over 63 daily, and 114 to an ICU, or 16 on average.

Read more at: https://nltimes.nl/2021/08/22/dutch-covid-hospitalizations-6-week-coronavirus-average-5

August 21, 2021

The Netherlandsand Afghanistan Fiasco: Over 700 Dutch still stuck in Afghanistan

There are currently more than seven hundred people with a Dutch passport in Afghanistan. That is what Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigrid Kaag said on Friday before the Council of Ministers.

According to Kaag, this concerns "many people who appear to have gone on a family visit", despite the "clear travel advice" that applied to Afghanistan. "We have to get them back," said Kaag. This is still separate from Afghans who worked for the Netherlands and who the Netherlands is also trying to evacuate. They are at risk now that the Taliban is ruling the country.

Read more at: Over 700 Dutch still stuck in Afghanistan | NL Times

August 19, 2021

The Netherlands -Technology Leadership in the EU: How the Netherlands is leading the EU toward its tech future

Though geographically and demographically small, the Netherlands is positioning itself as a European technology leader, making a name for itself in fields like quantum computing, AI, tech start-up innovation and sustainable cities.

This is good news for IT pros looking to advance their careers and enterprises interested in emerging tech, but the country's hot technology market presents some challanges — first and foremost, it can be hard for businesses to find the tech talent they need.

Read more at: How the Netherlands is leading the EU toward its tech future | Computerworld

August 18, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch employment crisis: More job vacancies than unemployed

While many were left concerned about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Dutch economy and labour market, figures from CBS confirm that the financial aid from the Dutch government not only prevented thousands of redundancies, but has actually led to another crisis altogether.

Unemployment has been falling and the number of vacancies has been steadily rising since mid-2020, but peaked this year between April and June, when there were 106 job vacancies for every 100 unemployed people. In this period, there were 327.000 jobs available - the highest number ever recorded in the Netherlands. At the end of the second quarter, there were 39 vacancies for every 1.000 jobs in the Dutch labour market - the highest figure ever recorded by CBS.

Read more at: Dutch employment crisis: More job vacancies than unemployed

August 17, 2021

EU eyes talks with Taliban but no plans to recognize them - by Lorne Cook and Kirsten Grieshaber

The European Union has no immediate plans to recognize the Taliban after their sweeping victory in Afghanistan but will talk with the militants to ensure that European citizens and Afghans who have worked with the EU can leave safely, the bloc’s top diplomat said Tuesday.

peaking after leading emergency talks among the EU’s foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also underlined the importance of opening talks with the Taliban to help prevent a new exodus of refugees as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in the conflict-ravaged country.

“We have to get in touch with the authorities in Kabul, whatever they are. The Taliban have won the war, so we will have to talk with them,” Borrell told reporters. “This dialogue will also have to focus on the means to prevent the return of foreign terrorists.”

“It’s not a matter of official recognition, it’s a matter of dealing with” the Taliban, Borrell said.

The EU has decided to suspend development assistance to the Afghan government now that the Taliban has seized power, but the 27-nation bloc is weighing whether to boost humanitarian aid.

Read more at: EU eyes talks with Taliban but no plans to recognize them | World | stltoday.com

August 16, 2021

Afghanistan: Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly after 20 years - time to leave NATO ?

Another failed NATO (US) campaign ends for EU member states in Afghanistan. It is high time for EU member states to stop wasting their young men and womens lives, and their citizens taxpayers money, by being part of the outdated NATO. It would be far better to focus instead on more lucrative activities, like global trade, medical science, global warming, space, and a variety of other more peaceful actvities.

Read more at: Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly after 20 years

Afghanistan: Germany and the Netherlands halt deportations to Afghanistan

Germany and the Netherlands have said they have stopped forced repatriations of Afghan migrants because of deteriorating security in Afghanistan, as the Taliban press on with their rapid advance in the country’s north.

“Due to current developments in the security situation, the interior minister has decided to suspend deportations to Afghanistan for the time being,” tweeted Germany’s interior ministry spokesperson, Steve Alter.

Separately in The Hague, the Dutch state secretary for justice and security, Ankie Broekers-Knol, announced a “moratorium on [deportation] decisions and departures”. The halt “will apply for six months and will apply to foreign nationals of Afghan nationality”, she wrote in a letter to the Dutch parliament.

Read more at Germany and the Netherlands halt deportations to Afghanistan | Afghanistan | The Guardian

August 15, 2021

The Netherlands: The quintessentially Dutch pasttime of mud walking

Our guide, Harm Jan Wilbrink, warned us that the stone embankment leading to the sprawling mud flats might be slippery. Letting the others in our small group go ahead of me, I descended slowly on my hindside, determined not to lose my balance and end up with an unwelcome facial mask from the get-go.

We were in Friesland, in the far north of the Netherlands, on an unusually sunny and barely warm Friday morning in late July. Our 1880s rental cottage was just up the road in Moddergat, a former fishing village whose name translates to “mud hole.” Indeed, in this region, all footprints lead to the iconic Dutch activity of wadlopen, or “mud walking.”

Read more at: The quintessentially Dutch pasttime of mud walking - The Washington Post

August 13, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch-Turkish Novelist Depicts Her Journey to Secularism With No Inhibitions -- by Thomas Erdbrink

Perhaps naïvely, Lale Gul thought she could continue living with the same people on whom she had based her best-selling novel: her strict Turkish-Dutch migrant family.

But just weeks after the February publication of her book — the autobiographical tale of a young woman breaking with her conservative Muslim culture — “a war broke out” in the family’s tiny apartment in a migrant neighborhood in Amsterdam, said the author of “Ik Ga Leven,” or “I Will Live.”

Read more at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/world/europe/netherlands-dutch-turkish-novelist.html?fbclid=IwAR3LXO2edvmw2NOIB65n74qcAUxRXhK8jSlOt8gJPgDU0eNXXC_5LPReMno

Pollution in the Netherlands: Gov’t gives green light to Dutch Grand Prix; First Zandvoort F1 race since 1985

The Formula 1 race scheduled to be held at Circuit Zandvoort will be allowed to go ahead as planned. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge will announce final approval for the race when they update the country about coronavirus policy during a press conference on Friday, political sources told broadcaster NOS.

Capacity is expected to be allowed at a maximum of two-thirds. Those attending the race and supporting events during the first weekend in September will be expected to provide proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a recent recovery from Covid-19, or a recent negative test result for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, the broadcaster reported.

Note EU-Digest: This is a sport which causes pollution and not a great idea when we want to fight global warming

Read more at: Gov’t gives green light to Dutch Grand Prix; First Zandvoort F1 race since 1985 | NL Times

August 11, 2021

Vaccines give COVID-19 survivors a big immune boost, studies show

According to a new Gallup survey, one of the main reasons Americans cite for not planning to get vaccinated is the belief that they're protected since they already had COVID-19.

From the beginning health authorities have urged survivors to get the broader protection vaccination promises. While the shots aren't perfect, they are providing strong protection against hospitalization and death even from the delta mutant.

Read moreat: Vaccines give COVID-19 survivors a big immune boost, studies show | CBC News

August 10, 2021

The Netherlands: Dutch lead the way in protecting themselves against internet risks

The Dutch are the safest internet users in Europe across all age groups, according to a study of citizens across the continent.

Read more at: Dutch lead the way in protecting themselves against internet risks

August 9, 2021

Global warming: The Netherlands may face higher sea level rises than global average

According to a newly released report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the rise of the global sea level will increase over the coming decades and centuries — this is hardly news.

However, the report also highlights that in the Netherlands, 50-90% of sea-level rise will be caused by meltwater from Antarctica. The Antarctic ice sheet is sensitive to warming ocean water and will melt at an accelerated pace if global warming is too high.

Read more at: The Netherlands may face higher sea level rises than global average – DutchReview

August 8, 2021

The Netherlands: Shoppers in the Netherlands to see cost of weekly shop rise

According to the Financieele Dagblad (FD), food manufacturers are raising prices to cover the growing costs of raw materials and transportation. With extensive lockdowns severely impacting supply, and demand growing now that restrictions are being lifted, dairy, grains, oils and sugar have all become more expensive.

Read more at: Shoppers in the Netherlands to see cost of weekly shop rise

August 7, 2021

The Netherlands becomes one of the leading figures in EU Covid-19 vaccine production

The pharmaceutical company Lonza opened a brand-new factory in Geleen. Lonza has been approved to produce Moderna vaccines which will be primarily used as booster shots. The factory in Geleen will deliver more than 300 million doses by the end of the year.

On top of that, a new factory has also been developed in Leiden for the production of Janssen vaccines. The EU ordered 200 million Janssen doses from Johnson and Johnson earlier this year.

In the Netherlands, 500 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have already been produced, making them a leading figure in the EU where three billion doses are produced annually.

Read more at: The Netherlands becomes one of the leading figures in EU Covid-19 vaccine production | NL Times

August 5, 2021

Netherlands-Suriname Relations: The Netherlands: Surinamese president to address Dutch parliament

Surinamese president Chan Santokhi will address the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, during his visit to the Netherlands next month. An address to parliament is a rarely awarded diplomatic honor in the Netherlands and marks the restoration of good ties with Suriname, Trouw reports.

Santokhi and part of his government will visit The Hague and Prime Minister Mark Rutte on September 8 and 9.

The relationship between the Netherlands and Suriname was under pressure for some time because of the presidency of Desi Bouterse, who was convicted of cocaine trafficking in the Netherlands. Restoration of this relationship between the Netherlands and one of its former colonies started when Santokhi won the election in May last year and got sworn in as president in

Read more at: Surinamese president to address Dutch parliament | NL Times

August 4, 2021

Fake COVID-19 certificate sales rise as health passes become mandatory

With COVID-19 certificates becoming mandatory around the world, some people are turning to social platforms like Telegram to buy fake health passes, at a cost of around €100.

In just a few months, accounts selling photoshopped certificates that are being delivered via email have grown in number in Europe and around the world, triggering an increase in cyber-crime, experts at the cybersecurity company Check Point have said.

Read more at: Fake COVID-19 certificate sales rise as health passes become mandatory | Euronews

August 3, 2021

EU Travel Restrictions: The Netherlands to stay red on European coronavirus risk map for one more week

The Netherlands will likely remain red on the European coronavirus map for one week longer, AD reported. This means that restrictions against travelers from the Netherlands will continue to apply in a number of countries, including Germany, France and Norway.

Read more at: The Netherlands to stay red on European coronavirus risk map for one more week | NL Times

August 1, 2021

The Netherlands gains three new UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Every nation that has ratified UNESCO’s “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage” treaty can establish its own tentative list of potential sites that they feel is worthy of the honour of UNESCO World Heritage status. A site can only be granted this status if it is first featured on a country’s tentative list.

This week, for the first time since 2014, the Netherlands saw three spots granted World Heritage status by the World Heritage Committee in Fuzhou, China: the Koloniën van Weldadigheid, the Nieuwe Hollandse WaterlinieII, and the Lower Germanic Limes.

Read more at: The Netherlands gains three new UNESCO World Heritage Sites