Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, currently the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, wants to succeed Mark Rutte as Prime Minister and thereby become the first female Prime Minister of the Netherlands. "That would certainly be nice", the 56-year-old VVD Minister said to Elsevier.
If her goal of first female Prime Minister of the Netherlands doesn't work out, she would like to be the country's first female Minister of Finance, she added.
Around 50 climate activists from the group Smash Cruiseshit blocked the departure of Dutch cruise ship Zuiderdam from the German city of Kiel on Sunday afternoon, the action group said in a press release. The activists occupied a construction crane, positioned rowboats in front of the ship, and blocked access to the bollards to which the ship was moored.
Action group Kick Out Zwarte Piet filed a complaint for being listed as a terrorist group in the Netherlands' Terrorism Threat Assessment for the year 2017. But according to the national coordinator for counter-terrorism and security NCTV, this is a "misunderstanding" and the group is not seen as a terrorist organization, NU.nl reports.
Two Russian women were arrested at Schiphol airport on Monday morning, independent Russian newspaper Novaja Gazeta reports. The Koninklijke Marechausee could not confirm the arrests to the Volkskrant.
The police and activists clashed during a protest against gas extraction in Farmsum, Groningen on Tuesday. The activists are blocking access to a NAM site in the town. Police kept them away from the fence with batons and pepper spray, RTL Nieuws reports.
Activists blocked access to NAM's Tankenpark in Farmsum, Groningen on Tuesday morning in a protest against gas extraction in the province. According to action group Code Rood, more than 700 people gathered at the gates. The group wants to block the entrance for several days, ANP reports.
Foresters shot and killed three red deer on the A6 highway between Lelystad and Almere on Sunday afternoon. The animals escaped from Oostvaardersplassen after activists cut the nature reserve's fences in 21 places on Saturday night, NU.nl reports.
According to the foresters, the animals endangered traffic safety. They were shot after permission from the authorities. A spokesperson for forestry association Staatsbosbeheer told NU.nl that all three killed animals were pregnant females.
A man who jumped off the public gallery in the Tweede Kamer on Wednesday, was trying to commit suicide in an attempt to "shake politicians awake", the 65-year-old cannabis activist from Groenlo said in a suicide note posted on Facebook, the Telegraaf reports.
The man survived his attempted suicide and is currently in hospital.
The locks of the Sinterklaas home in Dordrecht were sabotaged by activists over night. A metallic substance and glue were found in the locks, making the doors difficult to open. Stickers reading 'Zwarte Piet is racism' were stuck on the building, NOS reports.
According to the VVV, the organization responsible for the Sinterklaas home, the damage is not too bad. All stickers were removed before the home opened to its public, which mostly consists of school children. The Sinterklaas house is a municipal building where Sinterklaas 'lives'.
Activist Frank van der Linde has filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Security and Justice demanding that police officers immediately stop using the chokehold technique.
On Monday activist Abulkasim Al-Jaberi received a punishment settlement of 500 euros for insulting the king and queen. This is after the case against him was put on hold. According to the Public Prosecutor, the letter was sent by "mistake", NRC reports.
Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan does not see activist Abulkasim Al-Jaberi's "fuck the king, fuck the queen, fuck the royal house" statements worthy of prosecuting, according to the Parool. The Public Prosecutor is prosecuting Al-Jaberi for his statements made during a demonstration against Zwarte Piet on November 16th last year.
In an interview with 538 DJ Ruud de Wild in Londen, U2 singer Bono described the Dutch Royal family as "very chilled out".
Greenpeace activist Mannes Ubels will spend the night from Friday to Saturday in a Russian private clinic for observation.
