BBC: Twitter sued by Dutch town Bodegraven-Reeuwijk over paedophilia rumour. “A Dutch town has taken Twitter to court over the spread of a conspiracy theory claiming it was once home to a ring of Satan-worshipping paedophiles. False reports that Bodegraven-Reeuwijk was the site of the abuse and murder of multiple children in the 1980s were first circulated by three men in 2020.”
Ukrinform: Ukraine and the Netherlands have agreed to deepen cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage and museums. “The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine reported this after a virtual meeting between Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko and State Secretary for Culture and Media of the Netherlands Gunay Uslu and her team.”
ABC News: Dutch leader faces pressure over old-school text messages. “Mark Rutte is facing unusual political and public pressure after revelations that he has been deleting text messages about official matters for years. Critics accuse him of concealing state activity – but he says the messages just took up too much space in his years-old Nokia phone.”
Reuters: Dutch watchdog ACM to investigate Google Play store practices. “The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) announced on Wednesday a preliminary investigation into Alphabet Inc’s Google for possible anti-competitive practices in its Play store.”
Dutch News: Sex workers left struggling financially after coronavirus closures. “The coronavirus measures left many sex workers with financial problems, while others continued to work illegally despite the risks that entails, according to a new report by researchers at the Erasmus University medical centre and Soa Aids Nederland. In total 300 sex workers took part in the survey during the two years of the pandemic.”
Reuters: Facebook owner Meta puts plans to build Dutch data centre on ice. “Facebook owner Meta (FB.O) said on Tuesday it was suspending plans to build a giant data centre in the Netherlands, following political opposition. The move comes a week after the Dutch Senate passed a motion asking Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government to ‘use its powers’ to temporarily block construction of the site in the northern town of Zeewolde, 50 km east of Amsterdam.”
Data Center Dynamics: Meta data center in Zeewolde facing opposition by Dutch Housing Minister. “This is the latest development in the obstacle-ridden path faced by Meta (formerly known as Facebook) in its plans to develop in the Netherlands. Despite the Zeewolde council approving the zoning change and plans for the data center, it is currently prevented from being built as part of the land intended for the Meta data center belongs to the government, which announced new and stricter rules for hyperscale developments.”
Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), and translated from Dutch by Google Translate: Online search platform for Flemish films flaminGO.pics launched. “With flaminGO.pics, the Flemish Audiovisual Fund (VAF) is today launching an online search platform that helps users worldwide to find out how to watch Flemish films legally on streaming platforms, in a cinema near them or at a film festival.”
DutchNews: Digitalised Holland Amerika line passenger lists reveal famous names. “Volunteers have digitalised some 150,000 handwritten passenger lists naming people who travelled on the Holland Amerika Line (HAL) between Rotterdam and the United States. The digital archive, which is kept at the Rotterdam city archive and accessible to the public, covers the period between 1900 and 1969 when millions of people made the journey and took three years to complete.”
Ars Technica: Facebook’s data center plans rile residents in the Netherlands. “When Susan Schaap, 61, travels from her Dutch hometown of Zeewolde to the nearest city of Leylystad, the 30-minute drive takes her through vast tulip fields, interrupted only by wind turbines and sometimes sheep. But if Facebook parent company Meta’s plans are approved, her view would be replaced by the Netherlands’ largest-ever data center.”
EuroNews Green: Could a new Facebook data centre throw the Netherland’s off its climate path?. “A new Facebook data centre in a small Dutch town may soon be using two times more energy annually than the whole town put together. The social media giant, now known as Meta, has provoked criticism from environmental groups in the country amid fears the data centre could make the Netherlands miss its climate goals. The plans for the 166 hectare site were voted through in December by the municipality’s council, which could pave the way for Meta to build the centre in Zeewolde, near Amsterdam.”
Reuters: Smash and shout: Dutch find new ways to vent COVID-19 frustrations. “One swinging a sledgehammer and the other a crowbar, twin brothers Steven and Brian Krijger grin as they take turns pulverising a Peugeot 106 spray-painted with the words ‘F*** COVID’. They are participants in ‘CarSmash’, a Dutch project aimed at providing locked-down locals with ways of releasing anger and frustration built up during a pandemic now entering its third year.”
The National News: Arrests and clashes as thousands protest against Dutch Covid measures. “Thousands of protesters defied authorities and gathered in the Dutch capital Amsterdam on Sunday to oppose coronavirus restrictions, leading to clashes and arrests. ‘This is Holland! Power to the people!’ chanted one protester. The demonstrators rallied in one of the city’s main squares, despite Dutch authorities banning the protest beforehand.”
AFP: Coronavirus: Dutch police raid rave party in breach of Covid-19 rules. “Dutch police on Saturday broke up a rave in breach of Covid-19 rules that was attended by hundreds in a disused factory, local media reported. Dozens of police officers entered the makeshift venue in the central town of Rijswijk with hundreds more officers mobilised to shepherd people away, NOS television said. Several partygoers were arrested but there was no violence, according to local broadcaster Omroep Gelderland.”
Reuters: Dutch flock to shops before expected Christmas lockdown. ” The Dutch hit the shops on Saturday as they prepared for a Christmas lockdown that is expected to close all but essential stores from Sunday, as the health minister said authorities were ‘extremely worried’ about the Omicron variant of COVID-19.”
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