Two hand grenades found around the Grote Markt in Almere on Thursday were rendered harmless by explosives experts, police said. The popular district was evacuated at the start of the business day after the first grenade was found outside an ABN Amro bank branch on Koopmanstraat at about 8:30 a.m.
A second grenade was spotted just steps away from the bank, at the Saint-Tropez shisha lounge on the popular square. Emergency workers kept the area clear until 1:30 p.m., police said on Twitter.
An hours long search for a missing boy on the IJsselmeer had a happy ending on Monday night. The 13-year-old from Urk was found alive and well on Houtribdijk near IJsselmeer, the Coast Guard said on Twitter.
The boy took a sloop onto the IJsselmeer from Urk early on Monday evening, according to NU.nl. When he did not return home, a large search involving a helicopter and multiple lifeboats from rescue organization KNRM was launched. The coast guard, a few fishing cutters, the fire brigade and the police also helped in the search.
Five fishermen from Urk are facing court on Monday for smuggling 261 kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands last year. The Dutch authorities believe they did so on behalf of Amsterdam criminal Naoufal F., the Telegraaf reports.
The suspects are fishing boat owner Johannes N. (31) and his four crew members.
The Flevoland town of Urk plans to honor the seafaring heroes of the Netherlands' colonial past by naming streets in a new neighborhood after them. A motion to do so was submitted by party Hart voor Urk, and adopted by the rest of the city council, NOS reports.
All five major storm surge gates in the Netherlands were closed in the wake of a storm that brought wind gusts as strong as 141 kilometers per hour. It is the first time all five flood defenses were simultaneously closed, the country's infrastructure agency, Rijkswaterstaat, announced on Wednesday.
A Bible-themed floating museum meant to be a replica of Noah's Ark went adrift from the port of Urk early Wednesday afternoon. The VerhalenArk, also called the "Ark of Noah" in English, crashed into several ships in the harbor along the shore of the IJsselmeer lake.
Several people and animals were aboard the vessel at the time it broke free of its moorings, De Stentor reported. Seven people were rescued off the museum, but the animals remained into the evening.
The police arrested a man at an Avia gas station on Vliestroom in Urk on Wednesday morning. He was waving a knife around and shouting in Arabic, an employee of the gas station said to De Stentor.
According to the employee, the man walked into the gas station's store around 8:30 a.m. At the time he was not carrying a knife, and the employee did not feel threatened by him but did notice he seemed a bit confused.
Once outside, the man pulled out the knife and started shouting. The police were called.
Almost 11 percent of children in the Netherlands were receiving treatment from youth support last year, Statistics Netherlands announced on Friday. Youth support helps and treats kids below the age of 18 who have psychological problems, mental disorders or educational problems.
The PVV plans to take part in the municipal elections of 60 municipalities spread over all 12 Dutch provinces next year, party leader Geert Wilders announced in an interview with AD on Wednesday.
The party will take part in the local elections of municipalities in which the PVV has a lot of support, such as Spijkenisse, Edam-Volendam and Ruchpen and medium sized towns like Nieuwegein, Vlaardingen and Zoetermeer. The PVV will also go for municipalities where the party did well during the parliamentary election last month.
The PVV is turning its attention to local governments. Next year the anti-Islam party wants to participate in municipal elections in Rotterdam, Enschede, Almelo, Twenterand and Urk, party leader Geert Wilders announced on Twitter on Saturday. The party will also participate in The Hague and Almere.
Until now the PVV was only represented in the city councils of The Hague and Almere, according to the Volkskrant. But in December the party announced a change in strategy. The PVV wants to be part of at least five to ten municipalities per province.
Jan Baarssen, the teenager who went missing in Urk on Friday, was found dead during the early hours of Tuesday. His body was found in the Urkervaart canal. The police are investigating his death.
Friends, family and police are looking for 17 year old Jan Baarssen. He disappeared in Urk on Friday night and, despite several tips, is still missing, a police spokesperson said to Omroep Flevoland.
Police investigating the shooting death of an unidentified man in De Meern, Utrecht say they hope to determine what led to the violent murder by speaking with witnesses who were in the parking lot at the time. Photos and video from the scene off Meerndijk show a light colored modern Fiat 500 with five bullet holes in the passenger door panel, and the passenger door window completely shattered.
Business owners in the hospitality industry received 1,578 fines from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) last year for failing to comply with the national smoking ban. The number of fines increased by 191 from the previous year, and written warnings jumped from 379 in 2013 to 619 last year, NU reports.
The sinking of the fishing boat Z85 Morgenster in late January may have been caused by a collision with a freighter, the Stentor reports based on reports in the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Four crew members died when the ship sank.
A large number police officers will patrol the highways at a speed of only 60 kilometers per hour this morning, police union ACP announced on its website. This is done in another protest against the collective bargaining agreements proposed by Minster Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice.
Reinier de Groene, player for the youth league of FC Groningen died suddenly on Monday night, his club announces Tuesday. The 18-year old is thought to have drowned while fishing in the nature area the Witte Zandvlakte.
Fishermen from Zeeland are not going out to sea on Monday in protest of low pay, following a similar strike in Urk. Fishing boats from Arnemuiden, Vlissingen, Breskens and Tholen are staying in the docks.
Despite a somber prediction, voter-turnout at the municipal council elections on Wednesday was higher than expected with 53.8 percent of the population eligible to vote taking to the polling stations.
A 49-year-old Emmen resident was freed by police Thursday, from a company warehouse in Urk. The fish trader was taken hostage by three men from Urk after a business conflict, reported the police.
Starting today Scherpenzeel is run by the youngest mayor of The Netherlands. The 31-year-old Ben Visser was installed in an extraordinary council meeting in the Veluwe town.
The inhabitants of Urk do not longer have to be afraid that a part of their precious lunch is lost through an open bridge or water lock. The province of Flevoland has decided to keep all bridges closed around lunch time.
