A Dutch-flagged ship that rescued 32 migrants from a sinking boat near Libya is still looking for a harbor where the migrants may enter and be processed as possible refugees. The Dutch Justice and Security ministry is trying to help find a port for Sea-Watch 3, part of the German organization Sea-Watch.
But Sea-Watch claims that the Netherlands was one of the countries refusing to allow the ship to enter.
The Netherlands is up to its ears in illegal ivory trade and therefore directly complicit in the mass slaughter of elephants in Africa, American network Avaaz and action group Elephant Action League conclude in a scientific study that will be published next month, AD reports.
Dutch beer giant Heineken launched an investigation into the sexual harassment and -abuse of promotion girls in 14 African countries, CEO Jean-Francois van Boxmeer announced at a shareholders' meeting on Friday, NOS reports
Many of the promotion girls Heineken uses in African countries to stimulate the sale of the Dutch beer, are faced with sexual harassment during their work, according to Olivier van Beemen, who investigated the situation these young women face and wrote a book about it.
In an article in NRC, Van Beemen writes that many Heineken promotion girls have to deal with sexual harassment or assault, have to go to bed with managers, and prostitute themselves to clients. Heineken has known about this problem for 15 years, but does little about it, he said.
Dutch food-science company DSM made it to second place on Fortune's "Change the World" list - a ranking of companies that have a positive social impact on the world through their core business. DSM was praised for its efforts in fighting malnutrition and famine with its fortified-nutrition products.
Netflix is planning an expansion of its Amsterdam operations to eventually accomodate over 400 employees. The video-on-demand, production and distribution firm wants the office to become its customer service headquarters for its clients in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
The Netherlands can and should be preventing Dutch companies from exporting polluting fuel to Africa, lawyers of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) conclude in an investigation commissioned by environmental organization Milieudefensie. By not intervening, the Dutch government is violating international treaties and human rights, the researchers conclude, the Telegraaf reports.
Minister Lilianne Ploumen of Development Cooperation is working to counteract one of the first decisions made by new United States president Donald Trump. On Monday he scrapped funding to organizations that help with family planning and offer safe abortions in developing countries. Ploumen is launching an international fund to make up for the about $600 million gap created by Trump's decision, ANP reports.
The authorities in Ghana are investigating whether there is a fake Dutch embassy in the African country. A fake American embassy was recently discovered in the country and one of the people working in it was speaking Dutch, according to RTL Nieuws.
Dutch soldiers on a United Nations mission in Mali got a visit from Sinterklaas and two Zwarte Piets in their traditional blackface makeup on Monday, according to a photo the Ministry of Defense posted on Twitter.
An accidental mortar shell explosion killed two Dutch soldiers operating on behalf of the United Nations mission to Mali on Wednesday, the Dutch cabinet confirmed in a statement. Sergeant 1st Class Henry Hoving, 29, and 24-year-old Corporal Kevin Roggeveld died during target practice.
The Netherlands is making a final push for a much sought after temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. The happens today in New York, around 4:00 p.m. Dutch time. Two seats are up for grabs. The Netherlands is competing against Italy and Sweden.
The Netherlands is sending another 3 million euros in extra aid to drought stricken Ethiopia, Minister Lilianne Ploumen of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation announced on Monday
The Dutch branch of the Red Cross has begun a national fundraising campaign to provide aide to 42 million people in multiple African nations, all suffering from food and water shortages. Affected countries include Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, all succumbing to a lack of rain caused by the El Niño weather pattern.
An increasing number of African countries wants to impose a ban on second-hand Dutch clothing, in an effort to boost their own textile industry. But according to nonprofit organization Sympany, all this will do is help China flood the African market with cheap clothing
The Netherlands is an important link in the illegal trafficking of endangered wildlife, both in terms of market and of transit, according to research done by criminologist Daan van Uhm for which he will receive his doctorate on Tuesday
Two Dutch students had quite an anxious experience in the African country of Tanzania this weekend. They were mugged by five African men. "It was really a shock", according to Sheridan Flipse, but the muggers were "actually pretty sweet".
The Netherlands is investing 50 million euros in the development of the African economy. The intention is that this money will improve employment in North African countries and stop local young people from risking their lives by fleeing to Europe by boat.
The Netherlands has partially stopped its foreign aid to Burundi. This decision was made by Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs and Minister Lilianne Ploumen of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation for various reasons, they said in a joint statement.
The Netherlands will sign treaties with 23 African nations aimed at preventing locally operating enterprises from using Dutch jurisdiction to evade taxation in their countries. The enterprises will be prevented from formally locating themselves in the Netherlands simply by registering a post office box, reports Volkskrant.
Dutch initiative Giro 555 collected a total of 10.5 million euros to aid in the fight against Ebola. The campaign is officially winding down now when the virus appears to have resurfaced in Guinea and Liberia, where the number of Ebola patients is reaching the year’s highest, writes Trouw.
Dutch drug manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies started testing an Ebola vaccine on humans this week. The Johnson & Johnson subsidiary produced 400,000 doses of the vaccine for large-scale clinical trials that could launch by April, the firm said in a statement.
There were about 25 thousand first asylum applications in the Netherlands this year. This is 73.6 percent more than in 2013 (14,400 applications). In 2012 there were only 9,710.
Manon Ossevoort arrived at the South Pole on Tuesday after traveling from Europe, through Africa and finally across Antarctica on a red Massey Ferguson tractor.
