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Amsterdam Pride celebrates with 80 boats on the city's canals

The 25th edition of the Pride Amsterdam boat parade takes place in the Dutch capital on Saturday afternoon, with tens of thousands of people expected to come and join in the celebrations. In total, 80 boats are taking part in the official parade, which starts in the eastern docklands area at midday and follows a route around the city centre, ending in the Westerdok in the late afternoon. The parade was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus... More >

Two-headed turtle hatches in Putten

A two-headed turtle has been born alive at a Dutch breeder’s and vets say it has every chance of living a long and healthy life. The turtle, nicknamed Sorte has two heads and two tails, but one shell. And vet Anton Fennema, who examined the animal using a CT scan, says it probably has a long life ahead of it. Sorte hatched last week at the home of breeder Ruben van Schoor from Putten, north of Amersfoort. ‘I keep turtles... More >

Cyclists want rid of pesky bike lane posts

Bike lane posts are a danger to cyclists and all 200,000 still dotted about the country should be removed, traffic safety organisation VNN and cyclists’ union Fietsersbond have said. Most of the posts serve no purpose at all, the organisations claim, and only cause accidents on overcrowded bike paths. There are no figures to show just how many people end up in hospital as a result of crashing into a post. ‘When there is lots of traffic on the bike... More >

Economy will suffer if drought continues

The historically low water levels caused by the high temperatures and lack of rain are hitting agriculture, shipping and nature the hardest, but drinking water provision will not be affected, infrastructure minister Mark Harbers has said. But although the measures that have been taken at the moment will help in the short term, and drinking water is currently not under threat, action will have to be taken to secure water provision in the future. ‘New water saving techniques will have... More >

Mayor was wrong in abortion demo case

An anti-abortion campaigner has won his case about demonstrating near an abortion clinic in Utrecht, after judges said mayor Sharon Dijksma had not properly supported a decision to move him to a spot 70 metres away. The court said the council was wrong to assign a demonstration location to the Jezus Leeft (Jesus lives) association without proper explanation, but that it is still up to the mayor to decide where they can hold their protest. Jezus Leeft chairman Joop van... More >

Think twice before washing your car

The Netherlands is officially facing a water shortage and although no extra measures are now needed to deal with it, this could be the case if the drought continues, infrastructure minister Mark Harbers confirmed on Wednesday. The situation is so serious that decisions will need to be taken from a national perspective, over-riding regional water boards and local authorities, Harbers said. While there is currently sufficient drinking water, everyone can make a contribution to combating the shortage, Harbers said. ‘So... More >

Shrimp fishers catch 17th century head

A crew of shrimp fishermen made an unusual catch earlier this week when they pulled up a 17th century wooden head which may have formed part of the adornments of a large ship. The fisherman caught the head, which is in pristine condition, in their nets when fishing off the coast of the Wadden island of Texel on Monday morning. Crew member Victor Ayal put the find on Twitter, sparking a lively discussion about its possible origin, from the work... More >

Rhine water level drops to worrying low

The water level in the river Rhine as it enters the Netherlands at Lobith is approaching a record low, causing problems for shipping and the irrigation of crops, waterways authority Rijkswaterstaat has confirmed. The hot weather is expected to continue and that will cause the river to drop to a level that has only been seen twice in the last 100 years later this month, a Rijkswaterstaat spokesman told broadcaster NOS. The exceptionally low level will have great consequences for... More >

Dutch girl drowns in French swimming pool

The Dutch foreign ministry has confirmed that a nine-year-old girl from Breda has drowned after her hair began entangled in a swimming pool grill on a campsite in the south west of France. The accident happened at a campsite in Les Sables-d’Olonne in the Vendée district of France. Local media report that the girl was unable to free her hair from the installation, which was sucking water into a mushroom waterfall in the pool, and that the lifeguard was unable... More >

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Amsterdam Pride celebrates with 80 boats on the city's canals
The vase that is not a vase: objects in Van Gogh's work tell a story
Two-headed turtle hatches, and has a healthy life ahead
Accident prone: Cyclists want rid of posts in bike lanes
Farming, shipping and nature hardest hit by drought
Court criticises mayor in anti-abortion demonstration case
Think twice before washing your car, minister says as water shortage becomes official
Shrimp fishers catch pristine 17th century wooden head
River Rhine water level approaching record low, water provision under threat
Dutch girl, 9, drowns in swimming pool accident on French campsite
Zandvoort nitrogen permit remains in force, giving Grand Prix the green light
Amsterdam's Paradiso concert hall finally buys the derelict land next door
Trouble breaks out at pro farmers demonstration in Almelo
'Protestant school should face prosecution over outing pupils'
Researchers use tiny transmitter to track down hornets' nests
August set to be warm and sunny, with the odd shower this week
Refugee charity heads for court to break housing deadlock
Max Verstappen, Formula 1 drivers act to condemn abuse
The 26th Pride Amsterdam kicks off in blazing sunshine
Refugee agency 'on verge of collapse' as vacancies top 1,000

Amsterdam Pride celebrates with 80 boats on the city's canals

Amsterdam Pride celebrates with 80 boats on the city's canals

Dutch girl drowns in French swimming pool

Dutch girl drowns in French swimming pool

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