The police want to oblige people caught with illegal fireworks throughout the year to report to the police over New Year's, in an effort to improve the safety of police officers and other emergency workers. Every New Year's there are incidents in which first responders are pelted with fireworks. The police reason that people can't throw illegal fireworks if they have to report to the police over New Year's, NOS reports.
Entertainment
Nov 5 '18 10:30
Nov 5 '18 08:50
To prevent the national arrival of Sinterklaas from getting out of hand, the municipality of Zaandstad is implementing extra security measures and strict rules for protestors. Demonstrators will have fixed areas for their protests, far away from other protesting groups, and there will be access gates and extra searches at the arrival on November 17th, ANP reports.
The area where Sinterklaas arrives, will be closed down with fences. Visitors can only enter through access gates, where bags and jackets will be searched. No glassware or drones will be allowed.
Nov 2 '18 09:09
Netflix seems to be avoiding the controversy around Sinterklaas and his helper Zwarte Piet this year. No Sinterklaas shows are available on the streaming service this year, according to the Telegraaf.
Sinterklaas shows and films did appear on Netflix in the past. Responding to disappointed customers on social media, Netflix said that the content was removed because the agreements with the distributors have expired, according to the newspaper.
Oct 22 '18 16:10
Pepper spray was released at four Amsterdam Dance Event parties over the weekend. Multiple attendees had to be treated for burning eyes and breathing problems, though no one had to go to hospital. Despite these incidents, the city of Amsterdam speaks of a "calm" 23rd edition of the dance festival.
Oct 17 '18 15:10
The Amsterdam University Library is helping students deal with the stress of exam week. The Library opened a special 'puppy room', where students can go cuddle with a puppy for 15 minutes and recharge before getting back to studying, RTL Nieuws reports.
Oct 11 '18 08:47
No Chimney Pieten will accompany Sinterklaas during celebrations in Noord-Brabant's largest cities. Seven of the eight cities in the province decided to stick to traditional Zwarte Pieten, with the actor's faces colored by brown, dark brown or black makeup, Omroep Brabant reports.
Oct 5 '18 07:46
The Zaanstad Sinterklaas committee, the largest in the Zaanstreek, will not participate in the national Sinterklaas arrival in Zaandijk on November 17th. A statement by broadcaster NTR, the organizer of the national arrival, led the committee to the conclusion that no blackface Zwarte Pieten will be allowed to participate in the arrival for the first time. But according to a spokesperson for NTR, this is not the case at all.
Oct 4 '18 08:44
The Sinterklaasjournaal will feature only "Chimney Pieten" with soot on their faces this year, broadcaster NTR said in a statement on its website. How black the Pieten's faces will be remains vague. The amount of soot on their faces depends on how often they've gone through the chimney, the broadcaster said.
In the statement NTR addressed a number of questions around Sinterklaas' national arrival in Zaanstad on November 17th, and his controversial helper Zwarte Piet. On the question how the Pieten will look in the popular kids' show, NTR said:
Sep 24 '18 12:42
Australian comedian Jim Jefferies picked up a viral hit with his video of a ride-along with police in Amsterdam. The segment, produced for his Comedy Central program The Jim Jefferies Show, mostly shows the comic and two police officers driving around the city on a quiet night with no crimes to investigate.
The video collected about 800,000 views across the show's official Facebook and Twitter pages in the three days following its Sept. 21 debut.
Sep 12 '18 14:50
Starting this week, Dierenpark Amersfoort is handing out dinosaur masks to visitors who do not want to appear online in other people's photos and videos taken at the zoo. With this experiment the zoo wants to see if the masks are effective in protecting visitors' privacy, RTL Nieuws reports.
Sep 3 '18 13:20
The annual flower parade in Zundert attracted 70 thousand visitors on Sunday - a new record, according to the organizers. "Until the last moment on Sunday, many people still bought tickets", a spokesperson said to ANP.
The parade involved around 20 floats - one from every Zundert neighborhood - covered in dahlias. Each float counted at least 400 thousand flowers. Hundreds of volunteers helped construct the floats over the past weeks.
A float featuring an iguana was named the winner this year, second place went to Plague Doctor and third to Out of Space.
Sep 3 '18 12:30
Hot air balloon festival Ballon Fiesta took place in Meerstad, Groningen on Friday and Saturday. The show featured the largest hot air balloon in the world, shaped like a racing motorcycle, as well as dozens of other hot air balloons.
The largest hot air balloon in the world is 38 meters high and 44 meters wide, according to RTV Noord. Controlling it is rather complicated, owner Herman Kleinsmit said to the broadcaster. "The motorcycle catches a lot of wind. That is why I also need a large field to land it. Steering it is difficult, but it is a kick. Every time."
Aug 20 '18 09:30
People who went to see the giant marionettes of Royal de Luxe in Leeuwarden on Sunday, were left stranded by a train disruption. A faulty overhead line meant very limited trains between Zwolle and Meppel, which forms part of the route between Zwolle and Leeuwarden, NU.nl reports.
According to ProRail, about half a kilometer of overhead line was pulled down by a train. This brought train traffic on the route to a complete standstill for a time. From around 6:30 p.m. a limited number of trains could run on one rail on the route.
Aug 20 '18 08:30
Mayor Ryan Palmen of Hilvarenbeek and the police unions have different views of how dance festival Decibel Outdoor went this past weekend. Palmen called it the "quietest edition" yet. But according to the unions, there were "various reports" that weren't picked up, Omroep Brabant reports.
Aug 17 '18 16:10
A tribute concert to American soul singer Aretha Franklin in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam sold out in no time. "Up to and including the last seat", a spokesperson said to RTL Nieuws.
The Queen of Soul passed away at age 76 in her home in Detroit on Thursday after a years long battle with cancer.
Exactly half a century ago Franklin made her European debut in the Concertgebouw. The now legendary performance blew the audience away.
Aug 17 '18 11:10
Leeuwarden, the Culture Capital of Europe this year, will host three very special guests this weekend - giant marionettes from French street theater company Royal de Luxe. They'll be in Leeuwarden on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, RTL Nieuws reports.
The star of the show is the 11 meter high Diver. The marionette weighs 3 tons and needs 40 people to move him at a speed of 2 kilometers per hour. He will be accompanied by the Giant Little Girl of 5.5 meters and the 3 meter high Xolo dog.
Aug 16 '18 10:10
The 11th edition of Rescue Vlissingen - the largest rescue services event in the Netherlands - attracted a record number of over 100 thousand visitors on Wednesday. The municipality of Vlissingen eventually called on people to stop coming to the city by car, because there was nowhere left to park, NU.nl reports.
Aug 16 '18 09:26
The three-day festival Decibel Outdoor in Hilvarenbeek will happen as planned this weekend, despite police actions during the event, a spokesperson for the Decibel Outdoor organization said after consultation with the Hilvarenbeek municipality, police and Public Prosecutor, RTL Nieuws reports.
Aug 6 '18 10:10
The organizers of Pride Amsterdam is satisfied with a successful edition this year. All nine days of the festival were well attended and pleasant, and there were no noteworthy incidents, a spokesperson for the organization said to ANP.
Pride Amsterdam started last week with the Pride Walk demonstration through Amsterdam. Between 10 thousand and 12 thousand people participated this year, compared to 7,500 last year, the spokesperson said. "We think that's because the Netherlands is becoming more intolerant, which automatically creates a counter-sound."
Aug 3 '18 10:40
Brand new Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema will be on the municipality's boat in the Canal Parade in the city on Saturday. Officials from the municipality will accompany her, Het Parool reports.
The municipality boat will be the second boat in the parade.
This is not the first time Halsema is participating in the Canal Pride Parade. Nine years ago she was on the GroeLinks boat as the then party leader.
Jul 30 '18 15:30
The Pride festival is currently happening in Amsterdam. "Pickpockets are extra active during this period", the police warn, calling on party goers to be extra alert and take measures against this type of theft.
According to the police, pickpockets use different methods during the day and night. By day, they make use of the crowds, which mean that targets don't always notice when someone bumps into them and the pickpocket can then just disappear into the crowd.
Jul 4 '18 10:22
The Dutch marine crew of Zr. MS. Holland received a very warm welcome on Times Square in New York on Tuesday, resulting in a photo that looks like it came straight out of a Fred Astaire musical. The Royal Marines posted the photo on Twitter on Tuesday night.
The marines are visiting New York on their way back to the Netherlands after a 3 month long mission in the Caribbean area. They decided to try and get some group photos in uniform on Times Square for the Royal Marines' archive, spokesperson Jan Pullen said to broadcaster NOS.
Jun 26 '18 11:00
Princess Alexia, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima's middle daughter, is celebrating her 13th birthday today.
Alexia attends the Christian Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague, along with her older sister Amalia. Her hobbies include hockey, horse riding, singing and playing guitar, according to the Royal House.
As Alexia is not the crown princess, it is not mandatory to hang flags on government buildings for her birthday, according to the Telegraaf. But anyone who wants to do so, is allowed.
Jun 18 '18 09:34
One person was killed and at least three others were hurt after a multi-person vehicle crashed into several pedestrians near the Pinkpop music festival site early Monday morning. The incident happened at about 4 a.m. on the Mensheggerweg in Landgraaf, Limburg, police said in a statement. The crash site is near Pinkpop's "B" camping location.
