Netherlands - Belgium EU Cocaine Hubs: Dutch customs officers discover four tons of cocaine in Rotterdam

Customs officers seized more than four tons of cocaine in two containers at the port of Rotterdam, Dutch prosecutors said on Sunday.

The illegal drugs, which have an estimated street value of €313 million ($362 million), were found hidden in soy bags destined for Portugal from Paraguay via Uruguay.

"It has been the largest haul discovered so far this year" in the Netherlands, a public prosecution official told the ANP news agency. The cocaine has since been destroyed. Why are smugglers using Rotterdam port?

Europol warned that Rotterdam port is a major entry point for drugs, with the Netherlands and Belgium becoming central hubs for cocaine.

Read more at: Dutch customs officers discover four tons of cocaine in Rotterdam | News | DW | 31.10.2021

The Netherlands: Coronavirus: Netherlands entirely red on European Covid map

Noord-Holland, Noord-Brabant, Groningen and Drenthe turned red on the map of coronavirus cases in Europe. This means that the whole of the Netherlands is now at the second-highest warning level. The four provinces were still orange last week but moved up due to the rapid increase in positive tests.

The ECDC, the European counterpart of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), publishes its coronavirus map every Thursday. The service looks at the number and percentage of positive tests in the two previous calendar weeks. The European coronavirus map has four colors. From low to high, these are green, orange, red, and dark red. Countries use the map to decide to tighten rules for travelers from other countries.

Read more at: Netherlands entirely red on European Covid map | NL Times

The Netherlands: Rutte for Fourth Term? Splintered Dutch Political Landscape

With more than 10 years of Rutte at the helm of Dutch government, he is very close to breaking Ruud Lubbers record of 11 years and 291 days to become the longest-serving PM of the Netherlands; a record that is bound to be broken if Rutte IV materialises. By presenting himself as the country’s national crisis manager, Rutte has held onto his popularity by pragmatically steering the Netherlands through the pandemic, thus strengthening his mandate to form a fourth cabinet under his leadership. However, soon after ‘scouts’ started their exploratory post-election research into cabinet formations, what appeared to become an easy path to Rutte IV took an unexpected turn. Research notes were accidentally leaked revealing Rutte’s now infamous statement: “positie Omtzigt, functie elders” (Omtzigt’s position, function elsewhere), a statement interpreted as exploring means to silence critical members of parliament. The PM’s initial denial of mentioning Omtzigt as part of the talks, followed by his claims of forgetting it, triggered an eruption of political and public outrage, threatening the future of a fourth Rutte cabinet

Read more at: Rutte for Fourth Term? Splintered Dutch Political Landscape | Global Risk Insights

The Netherlands: 9 Reasons Retirees Love The Netherlands

According to Global Finance Magazine, the Netherlands is number 5 on the list of the happiest countries in Europe to live in. That is a pretty good ranking, and you will see why retirees, locals, and foreigners, love to spend their later life in this beautiful European country. The Netherlands is a small country: It’s a little less than twice the size of New Jersey, and the United Kingdom is six times bigger. It is bordered in the east by Germany, in the south by Belgium, and in the north and west by the North Sea. The location is responsible for the moderate maritime climate which generally means mild winters and cool summers.

That doesn’t mean that there can’t be snowfall, hot days in summer, and rain showers year round. The Netherlands is a kingdom and its current king, Willem-Alexander, and Queen Maxima (who was born in Argentina) are very popular with their people. So if retirees love a bit of pomp and circumstance and a few colorful festivals, they will love the Netherlands.

Read more at: 9 Reasons Retirees Love The Netherlands - TravelAwaits

Netherlands: Global Rankings: Best Countries Rankings - Canada Ranks No. 1 in 2021 - by Elliott Davis

Ranked first in both the Quality of Life and Social Purpose subrankings, meaning that it is seen as a stable and safe society in which individuals can develop and prosper, and is open, fair and equitable. Most of the countries that ranked highest for 2021 come from Western Europe. But Australia, New Zealand and Japan – which is ranked No. 2 overall – also appeared in the top 10.

The Top 10 Countries in the World include:

1. Canada 2. Japan 3. Germany 4. Switzerland 5. Australia 6. United States 7. New Zealand 8. United Kingdom 9. Sweden 10. Netherlands

Read more at: U.S. News Releases 2021 Best Countries Rankings | Best Countries | US News

The Netherlands: Turkey moves to expel Dutch ambassador and nine others, over Kavala detention

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the Dutch ambassador and the ambassadors of nine other countries to leave after they urged Turkey to release jailed businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala. Erdogan said in a speech that he had told the country’s foreign minister to ensure the 10 ambassadors are declared persona non grata.

Read more at: Turkey moves to expel Dutch ambassador and nine others, over Kavala detention - DutchNews.nl

The Netherlands: New Covid sub variant is in the Netherlands, but remains minor: RIVM

A new sub variant of the Delta coronavirus strain, currently being monitored in the UK, has been in the Netherlands for the past 10 weeks, public health institute RIVM has confirmed. The AY.4.2 sub strain accounts for 0.1% to 0.2% of cases, and the fact it has not increased since it was first identified is an indication that it is not a highly infectious variant, a spokesman told broadcaster NOS.

Read more at: New Covid sub variant is in the Netherlands, but remains minor: RIVM - DutchNews.nl

EU - Inflation Sutge: ECB's Rehn warns of risk if inflation surge lasts much longer

The surge in inflation in the euro zone is still mostly temporary but households and firms will start to lift their price expectations if it lasts much longer, European Central Bank policymaker Olli Rehn said on Tuesday.

Inflation in the euro zone hit 3.4% last month according to flash estimates amid higher energy prices and supply constraints pushing up the price of a range of goods.

Read more at: ECB's Rehn warns of risk if inflation surge lasts much longer - Metro US

Europe: Covid-19 surge: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

Morocco is suspending until further notice all flights to and from the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands amid rising coronavirus infections in those countries.

The new restriction will come into force just before midnight Wednesday, the North African kingdom's airports authority said.

In a tweet, national carrier Royal Air Maroc said the move was due to "the pandemic situation." It did not provide further detail.

Read more at: Morocco suspends flights from the UK over fears of Covid surge

The Netherlands: Floriade Expo 2022 - A once every 10 years International Horticultural Exhibition = Green solutions to living.

Once every 10 years the gates open to the International Horticultural Exhibition Floriade. On the 14th of April 2022 we open to show everyone a celebration of green solutions to living.

At the international horticulture exhibition Floriade Expo 2022 in Almere, you can enjoy greenery for six months from April 14 to October 9, 2022. Here you will discover green solutions from national and international innovators and brainiacs that make our cities more fun, more beautiful and more sustainable. You will also enjoy the scent and colors of flowers, plants, vegetables and fruit. Dive into the theme ‘Growing Green Cities’ and learn more about developments in the field of greenery, food, health and energy.

Read more at: Floriade Expo 2022 - English - Floriade

Covid-19: The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter

Last December and January, the United States and much of the world experienced the deadliest surges of the pandemic. At one point, more than 3,000 Americans were dying every day of Covid-19. Nearly 250,000 people died in the United States over December, January, and February.

But this winter may be different, at least in America. Last year, almost nobody was vaccinated against Covid-19. As of October 7, 56 percent of the US population is fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times’s tracker. That includes 84 percent of people over 65, who are generally the most vulnerable to dying from the virus. The Food and Drug Administration will soon consider whether to authorize a vaccine for children as young as 5, which would push vaccination rates higher.

Read more at: The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter

The Netherlands: ‘The Forgotten Battle’: An Immersive New Dutch Movie On WWII On Netflix - by Sheena Scott

Second World War, three young lives, Netflix’s official synopsis tells us, find themselves inextricably connected.

The forgotten battle in question is the Battle of the Scheldt. Months after Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy (D-Day and the Battle of Normandy), the Allies are rapidly advancing west, defeating the Nazi troops. The Allies liberate the Belgian port of Antwerp—crucial in getting access to the North Sea and thus secure supply lines. In order to use the port though, the Allies needed to clear the region between Antwerp and the North Sea along the Scheldt River, which was occupied by Nazi troops. This task was given to the First Canadian Army, and is considered the largest operation in the Netherlands during the war.

Read more at: ‘The Forgotten Battle’: An Immersive New Dutch Movie On WWII On Netflix

The Netherlands" Geldmaat and the future of cash -"Geldmaat presently riddled with technical problems"

Geldmaat is a collaboration between ABN AMRO, ING and Rabobank and by 2020 will take over all their cash machines. But with so much talk that fewer and fewer people use cash, why have a business like Geldmaat based on what looks like a disappearing market?

Then, the Dutch Bank (DNB) has done research to identify which population groups still pay with cash. Many people have the idea that it is highly-educated people and young people that like to pay electronically. But that is not the case. You see all walks of life have a preference to be able to pay with cash, whatever their background. And, if you look at budgeting, we see that at times when salaries are paid out, the peak times on our ATMs are the greatest.

The second aspect is that the Dutch Bank and the government emphasize that cash must remain available. That is one of our most important tasks: the availability of cash.

Note EU-Digest: presently Geldmaat in some areas of the Netherlands is riddled with technical problems.

Read more at: Geldmaat and the future of cash | Odgers Berndtson

The Netherlands - Coronavirus: Red-orange-red: the Netherlands’ warning level due to go up on the European coronavirus map

Throughout September, and pretty much for as long as we can remember actually, the whole of the Netherlands has been red. Last week, however, the Netherlands turned orange — we all love orange, don’t we? 🍊 It was even predicted that certain provinces could turn green — the lowest warning colour.

If that all felt a little too good to be true, that’s probably because it was. This week the RIVM’s official coronavirus figures showed a huge increase from last week, meaning that no provinces will be going green — wat jammer. In fact, if more than 4% of the tests taken this week are positive, the Netherlands will be going right back to red again, RTL Nieuws reports.

Read more at: https://dutchreview.com/news/red-orange-red-netherlands-warning-level-due-to-go-up-on-european-coronavirus-map/

The Netherlands: Love is love: Gay marriage possible for Dutch monarch

In the country that first legalised gay marriage, the Dutch crown princess has the right to marry a person of any gender without giving up her right to the throne, the prime minister said on Tuesday.

Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, 17, has not made any comments on the matter, and little is known of her personal life. The question arose after recently published books argued that the country’s rules exclude the possibility of a same-sex royal couple.

Read more at: Love is love: Gay marriage possible for Dutch monarch - Metro US

The Netherlands: Thousands in the Netherlands living in poverty as a result of COVID-19

According to figures from the aid organisation Red Cross, thousands of people up and down the country are living below the poverty line, relying on food banks and support to get by.

Figures show that single mothers, self-employed people, and low-income families have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, with thousands of vulnerable people being forced into a situation where they have to choose between buying food, paying rent, or buying other vital hygiene products.

“Vulnerable people often have no money for essential care products, such as sanitary towels, incontinence products, diapers, toothpaste or detergents,” explains Red Cross chief Marieke van Schaik. “If people cannot take good care of themselves and their household, it often makes it more difficult for them to get out of their predicament.”

Read more at: Thousands in the Netherlands living in poverty as a result of COVID-19

The Netherlands: Coronavirus: Dutch court dismisses call to scrap 'corona pass' regulations

A Dutch court on Wednesday dismissed a call to scrap the ‘corona pass’ required to enter

The court in The Hague said the government had the right to demand proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test to limit the spread of the coronavirus as most other social distancing measures were lifted last month.

Read more at: Coronavirus: Dutch court dismisses call to scrap 'corona pass' regulations | Cyprus Mail

China-British-Netherlands - historical relatioms: How the British bungled relations with China during the Qing dynasty and the Dutch took advantage. Or did they?

It is a clash of empires that reads like Game of Thrones. The year is 1793. The Qianlong emperor of the Great Qing Empire grants an audience to Lord Macartney, ambassador from Britain’s King George III, at his summer resort of Rehe, now Chengde, a few days’ travel northeast from Beijing. But Macartney refuses to kowtow.

A new book on a Dutch mission in 1795 suggests that kowtowing was rewarded with the emperor’s favour, something denied to Britain’s ambassador when he refused

As a result, British requests for improvements in trade relations are denied and Macartney’s party is hurried out of China, bearing a written rebuke to the king that concludes George must, “tremblingly obey and show no negligence”.

But in 1842 and again in 1860, the British use military force to compel the Qing to surrender the same benefits Macartney had sought to negotiate. The Qing must open several Chinese ports to year-round foreign residence and allow permanent British diplomatic representation in Beijing. The British also gain possession of a certain island off the Guangdong coast with an excellent harbour.

Read more at: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3151540/how-british-bungled-relations-china-during-qing

The Netherlands: Dutch cabinet is working to evacuate up to 2,000 more Afghans to the Netherlands

Finally! Some good news for us this Friday morning — the Dutch cabinet is working on plans to evacuate more Afghans to the Netherlands than they had previously calculated.

Initially, the outgoing parliament estimated that in addition to the interpreters, only about 70 Afghans would be eligible for evacuation to the Netherlands. According to various sources from The Hague, this number is now seen to be between 1,000 and 2,000 people,

At this point, the plan is to bring anyone who has worked in visible public positions for Dutch organisations after January 1, 2019, to the Netherlands. This is around 900 people, including their immediate family members.

In addition, any Afghans who have worked for at least one year for the Ministry of Defense or Europol over the past 20 years are also entitled to come to the Netherlands. Several hundred people are included in this category.

Read more at: Dutch cabinet is working to evacuate up to 2,000 more Afghans to the Netherlands – DutchReview

The Netherlands: 5 Dutch traditions parents in the US should be copying

My American family lived in the Netherlands for three years, and our Dutch neighbors showed us touching ways to commemorate milestones that we've continued even after repatriating to the United States.

The first time I passed a window with pink streamers and a giant decal spelling "Lotte," I didn't think much of it. When my Dutch landlord shook my hand to congratulate me on my son's ninth birthday, I thought he was just being polite. I soon learned that these are full-blown traditions across the Netherlands. And when backpacks start flying from flagpoles in every neighborhood in Holland, well, there's no mistaking how deep these customs go.

Read more at: 5 Dutch traditions parents in the US should be copying

The Netherlands: Dutch Covid hospital total up 6% in a day; New patients near 4-week high

Hospitals in the Netherlands were treating 483 people with Covid-19 on Tuesday. The figure rose 6 percent since Monday afternoon, the third straight daily increase. It was caused in part by 82 patient admissions during the preceding 24 hours, the most in a day since September 9.

Seventeen of the new patients were sent directly to intensive care, a two-week high. Hospitals took on an average of 47 new Covid-19 patients each of the past seven days, including nine sent to an ICU.

Read more at: Dutch Covid hospital total up 6% in a day; New patients near 4-week high | NL Times

The Netherlands: Dutch PM under protection as the ‘Mocro Mafia’ drug cartel sows fear in the Netherlands - by David GORMEZANO

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been placed under police protection in response to fears of an attack by the Mocro Mafia (Moroccan mafia), a North African criminal organisation linked to cocaine trafficking, two months after Dutch investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries was murdered in Amsterdam.

No more cycling alone through the streets of The Hague to get to meetings for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. On September 27, Dutch daily De Telegraaf reported that the Royal and Diplomatic Security Services have deployed personal security guards to protect the prime minister, who is believed to be under threat from the Mocro Mafia.

The group operates out of the Netherlands and Belgium and controls a third of all cocaine traffic in Europe. One police union chief said in 2019 that the Netherlands was becoming a narco-state. The 2014 novel “Mocro Maffia”, co-authored by Marijn Schrijver and Wouter Laumans, coined the term and brought the criminal gang to the public’s attention, recounting how a group of Moroccan jewellery thieves in Amsterdam created one of Europe’s most powerful criminal organisations. After its success in the Netherlands, the book was made into a TV series.

Read more at: Dutch PM under protection as the ‘Mocro Mafia’ drug cartel sows fear in the Netherlands

The Netherlands formally launched its online gambling market today, October 1

The market for legal online games of chance in the Netherlands opened today, following the news earlier this week that the Dutch Gaming Authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) had confirmed that 10 companies had been granted a license to operate in the country. The operators are TOTO Online, FPO Netherlands, Holland Casino, NSUS Malta, Play North Limited, Tombola International Malta, Hillside, Bingoal Netherlands, Betent and LiveScore Malta Limited.

Read more at: The Netherlands formally launched its online gambling market today - Games Magazine Brasil

Netherlands: The Corona entry pass system - as per EU guidelines

This information is provided by

Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO On this page

Current rules When is the use of the corona entry pass system mandatory? When is the use of the corona entry pass system not mandatory? Capacity with corona entry pass system How does the corona entry pass system work? Checking the result

Registering events where you use the corona entry pass system

Do you organise (professional sports) events or (youth) activities? Or are you an entrepreneur in the cultural sector? You must use an entry pass system

As of 25 September 2021. With the corona entry pass system it will be possible to organise social activities more often and for more people. Current rules.As of 25 September, the 1.5-metre social distancing rule is no longer in place. You must use the corona entry pass system for certain events that are allowed during the corona crisis. All other basic corona rules,such as washing your hands regularly and making sure there is a good flow of fresh air, remain in place.

Visitors of outside hospitality venues (such as terraces) don’t need a corona entry pass. However, if they want to go inside (to use the toilet or to pay) they need to show their corona entry pass.Children under 13 can enter without a corona entry pass. You need to review both the corona entry pass and the identification of any visitor of 14 years or older.

When is the use of the corona entry pass system mandatory?

in the hospitality sector (such as bars and restaurants, also when part of a store, hotel or sports location) at casino's at festivals with events (both in- and outdoors, with- or without allocated seating) at weddings in public locations at professional sporting events (only for spectators) in the cultural sector (such as cinema's, theatres, concerts)

When is the use of the corona entry pass system not mandatory?

on outside terraces as part of a venue in the hospitality sector (such as bars and restaurants) funeral homes during funerals in airports (after security) at care facilities at goods markets at museums, amusement parks (except hospitality, events and shows), funfairs and nature- or wildlife parks at amateur sporting events in schools at venues for practicing art, culture and sports at events where people do not spend long standing in a single spot (doorstroomevenementen), except for open locations such as town fairs.

Capacity with corona entry pass system

Outdoors with or without allocated seating: 100% capacity, no mandatory closing times Indoors with allocated seating: 100% capacity, no mandatory closing times indoors without allocated seating: 75% capacity, mandatory closing times between 00:00 and 06:00 hours.

How does the corona entry pass system work?

Does a person have a valid corona test certificate, valid proof of vaccination or proof of recovery? They can put these certificates in the CoronaCheck app on their smartphone. Proof of vaccination is valid from no earlier than at least 2 weeks after full vaccination (in Dutch) and from 4 weeks after a Janssen vaccination. A negative corona test result can only be used as a valid test certificate within 24 hours of testing. With the CoronaCheck app they can generate the corona entry pass as a QR code. They may also print a copy of the corona entry pass through CoronaCheck.nl. EU residents may use an EU Digital COVID Certificate

(DCC). Checking the result As the organiser or business owner you can check if a person has a valid corona entry pass with the CoronaCheck scanner

. You, or one of your employees, scan the CoronaCheck app QR code on the visitor’s phone or on their printed copy. If the screen turns green the person has a valid corona entry pass, if it turns red the corona entry pass is not valid or not available. You cannot see which type of certificate they have. You can only verify that their corona entry pass is valid. Then you must check if the data on your screen match the data on the proof of identity.

It is your responsibility as the organiser or as the business owner to check the corona entry pass in the CoronaCheck app or a printed version of the corona entry pass. You should make sure you check the corona entry pass in a safe way. Registering events where you use the corona entry pass system

You need to register your event through the Testing for entrance website

(in Dutch) if:

you need a one-time permit from the municipal authorities and you expect at least 1,000 attendees you organise an event in a large event location with a permanent permit and you expect at least 3,000 attendees

Read more at: Corona entry pass system | Business.gov.nl