California

The great ocean cleanup by 24-year-old Dutch man Boyan Slat and his company Ocean Cleanup is finally underway. Slat's 600 meter long 'plastic catcher' departed from San Francisco on Saturday and is on its way to clean up the plastic soup in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii, NOS reports.

American author Kristin Anderson has been based in the Netherlands for over five years now, and has used the time to become a full-fledged novelist. Her second book, The Things We Said in Venice, is a travelogue that takes its two main characters on an on-again-off-again romance across Europe and ultimately to the Netherlands. Essentially written as a much-needed vacation to the eco-thriller she previously worked on, she based the characters on a subject of a Huffington Post article and a travel photographer/blogger.

A Drunk passenger bit a KLM flight attendant on the ear on flight KL605 from Amsterdam to San Francisco last week, the Telegraaf reports.

According to the newspaper, the passenger and his girlfriend were already quite drunk while boarding. It is unclear why they were allowed on the plane. During the flight the attendants refused to serve them any more alcohol. And they decided to make a fuss, including drinking alcohol they brought with them and even lighting a cigarette.

Dutch woman Maaike Maks and her family were driving along the Southern California freeway towards Santa Barbara while on holiday on Christmas night when they suddenly found themselves in the middle of a wildfire. She recorded the experience and posted it on social media.

The CEO of American electric car manufacturer, Tesla, officially opens a second Tesla factory in the Netherlands on Friday evening, alongside the Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp. The nearly 50,000-square meter factory hires 180 workers, and stands alongside an assembly line and test track for the electric cars.

A new threat issued by a group claiming affiliation with ISIS names Amsterdam amongst several potential high-profile targets. Titled “Lone Wolves”, the Arabic-language piece seems to promote the use of dirty bombs with the statement, “You will feel it when Cesium-131 spreads down the streets and train stations of Russia, Boston, Dallas, Virginia and Amsterdam.”

The 19-year old Delft inventor and student Boyan Slat has already received a lot of support for his Ocean Cleanup project. The plan to fish plastic out of the world's oceans would cost $2 million in its first test phase. In the last two months, more than half of that has already been raised.

Rabobank denies claims that the bank is exploring the possibility to sell a part of their American business.