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MPs from all four parties who have agreed to form a right-wing government voted in favour of the draft coalition plans on Wednesday evening, but there is still no confirmation of who will be prime minister.
All four parliamentary groupings – PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB – voted unanimously to accept the agreement, although there was unease among some MPs about forming an alliance with the far-right PVV. In addition, both immigration minister Eric van der Burg (VVD), and nitrogen and nature chief Christianne van der Wal (VVD) said publicly they are sorry that work they have put in for the outgoing cabinet will now be scrapped. The new government is set to repeal legislation to ensure refugees are spread fairly around the country, which Van der Burg battled to get accepted and was only recently passed in the senate. Furthermore, the outgoing government’s strategy for dealing with the problem of nitrogen-based pollution, which helped drive the growth of new coalition party BBB, is being overturned. “It was absolutely an emotional meeting,” party leader Dilan Yesilgöz said after the 24 VVD MPs agreed to back the deal. “And [the agreement] includes issues which impact on party members or which they disagree with.” The VVD was the last party to make its support for the coalition document public, some 30 minutes before the midnight deadline. The 25-page coalition plan, which highlights broad strategy but not detail, will be formally presented on Thursday but some of the measures the new cabinet plans to implement have already leaked out. The maximum speed on motorways will go back up to 130 kph. It was cut earlier to reduce nitrogen emissions. The own-risk element in healthcare, currently €385 a year, will be halved in 2027, the earliest date at which the cut can be implemented. Spending on the public broadcasting system NPO will also be cut by €100 million. Foreign workers The new government has also pledged to get tough on all forms of migration, and that will also include cuts in the number of people coming to the Netherlands to work. However, the four parties have also pledged to act in line with international treaties. Formal childcare will become much cheaper, RTL Nieuws reported, and value-added tax on hotel stays will be put back up to 21%. It was cut during the coronavirus epidemic to help support the travel industry. According to Nu.nl, work will also begin on setting up a constitutional court, one of the key demands made by NSC leader Pieter Omtzigt. MInisters Now an agreement has been reached, work will start on putting together a team of ministers, of which around half are expected to be independent of any party. The four parties agreed earlier they would form an “extra-parliamentary” or “business” cabinet and it will be up to ministers to flesh out how they intend to implement the new coalition strategy. All four leaders also agreed to stay in the lower house of parliament because Wilders, despite leading the biggest party in parliament, could not count on sufficient support from within the coalition to become prime minister as is customary. He is thought to have put forward former MP Ronald Plasterk, who kicked off the negotiations after the November election, for the job but said on Wednesday that discussion will take place later. Insiders say it will still take several weeks before the new ministerial team will pose for the traditional photograph with the king. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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The promising salt battery is officially in mass production. The battery is made with salt instead of lithium, making it cheaper and much easier to scale than current batteries.
The salt batteries are particularly promising as a kind of buffer tank for wind and solar farms, or as a backup for data centers. The batteries are made by the American Natron Energy and the factory is even in Holland. Holland, Michigan, where from now on 600 megawatts of storage capacity must be created every year. The major advantage of salt batteries is the raw material: salt is cheap and widely available. Furthermore, aluminum and iron are needed, which are also widely available in the US. This means that the batteries can be developed without hassle about international raw material prices. According to Natron, this can also be done very quickly and it would be cheaper than traditional lithium-ion batteries. More benefits: more sustainable and faster The salt batteries also last much longer than lithium-ion. Natron claims that its batteries last 50,000 deep charge cycles, while lithium only lasts 3,500 times. The salt batteries do not need to cool down between charges to prevent damage or wear. Moreover, little can go wrong, because salt is not easily flammable. Moreover, they can be loaded very heavily, and are therefore full in 5 to 15 minutes, while large lithium batteries can take several hours, especially without special cooling measures. As for cooling: the salt batteries would also be usable from -20 to 50 degrees Celsius, while lithium is a bit more finicky. Particularly suitable as a 'buffer vessel' There are also disadvantages: the energy density is even lower than with lithium-ion. In other words, you need more battery to store the same amount of energy. That's not attractive for portable devices and cars, but it doesn't matter if you just want to use the battery for a lot of energy storage. The attractive characteristics of the battery make it particularly suitable for situations where lithium is currently in short supply. So for energy storage: next to a large solar park or wind farm, the salt batteries can quickly store a lot of energy, so that it can be supplied back to the grid just as quickly later. That is ideal, because then you smooth out the peaks and valleys of green energy. The battery is full when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing, and supplies energy when it is dark and we need power. The startup Aquabattery is also working on a salt battery in the Netherlands. That company is still in the testing phase. But this first factory is also a kind of test for Natron, which should form the blueprint for many more factories that will make many more of these types of batteries. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Kiev to get first of F-16s5/13/2024 Ukraine may receive the F-16 fighter jets promised to it by its Western backers “within weeks,” the British newspaper Evening Standard claimed, citing what it called a “high-ranking military source.”
The aircraft were due to be supplied to Kiev either by June or July, the source said. The paper did not report on which nation would supposedly deliver the jets or what their total number is to be. In March, Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren said that Denmark would be the first nation to deliver the F-16s and would do it at some point this summer. The Netherlands was to follow soon after and provide Ukraine with their batch of fighter jets “in the second half of the year,” the minister said at that time. Earlier in May, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Ilya Evlash stated that Kiev could get the jets as early as after May 5. He also admitted that the delivery date had already been “changed several times.” Kiev has been seeking to acquire the US-made jets for quite some time amid its ongoing conflict with Moscow, which entered its third year this February. In 2023, Western countries announced an international coalition to help Ukraine procure US-designed F-16s and train its pilots. More than 40 aircraft were pledged to Kiev in total by several Western nations, including Denmark, which vowed to provide 19 jets of this type, and by the Netherlands, which said it would send 24. The Ukrainian officials admitted that the country may face infrastructure difficulties in maintaining the US-designed jets. Some of the nation’s senior military officials also told Politico in April that the aircraft could even be no longer relevant, since Russia had already taken measures to counter them. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last November that, although the F-16s would surely add to Ukraine’s capabilities, they would be far from “a silver bullet” that could fundamentally change the situation on the front lines. Russia has repeatedly stated that continued Western arms shipments to Kiev only prolong the conflict without changing its future outcome. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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According to various media, Ajax is no longer in discussions with Graham Potter, the intended new coach of the Amsterdam club. Ajax does not want or cannot meet the financial demands of the English trainer.
In addition, Potter was reportedly not allowed to bring his own scout. Ajax, which is looking for a successor to John van 't Schip, who will leave after this season, had been in discussions with Potter for weeks. Now that Potter has been dropped, there are still two trainers on Ajax's shortlist. One of them is Erik ten Hag, who previously caused a stir at Ajax by reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, among other things. He is now under great pressure as manager of Manchester United. Because it is still unclear whether Ten Hag has a future at United, Ajax would also have Francesco Farioli on the candidate list. The 35-year-old Italian, who has already had several conversations with technical director Alex Kroes, is now coach of the French OGC Nice. Although Farioli's salary demands are not a problem, unlike those of Potter, he still has an ongoing contract in Nice. Ajax will therefore have to reach an agreement on a buyout sum with his club. Ajax has ended up in a deep crisis this season. Not only are there administrative issues in every possible way, but the sporting performance is also dismal. The Amsterdam team hope to finish fifth in the Eredivisie. Van 't Schip has already announced that he will do something different after this season. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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The University of Amsterdam (UvA) has been the scene of pro-Palestinian demonstrations for days. Peter-Paul Verbeek, rector magnificus at the UvA, responds to the events at his university.
He says he is constantly talking to protesters, but some of them appear not to know who they are because they are wearing face coverings. "That is really a handicap in the conversation," the rector acknowledges. Yet he continues to talk to this group. “It's also very important that you try to de-escalate.” Verbeek says that the students he thinks he will be sitting with are involved in action groups. He also talks to a number of UvA lecturers, he says. The rector finds it complicated that not everyone shows their face. "It is difficult for you to understand each other and it is just very important that you know who you are talking to." Yesterday, the Binnengasthuis site in the city center was cleared by the police after the UvA filed a report. Protesters attacked the police by emptying fire extinguishers and throwing objects. riot police hit demonstrators. Verbeek says he filed a report because the situation became too unsafe. "Stones were removed from the street, people came with torches who tried to disrupt the demonstration, the barricades made it impossible for emergency services to get there. We couldn't let that continue." Carlos van Eck, who says he is negotiating with the UvA board on behalf of the students, says that the police were deployed while they were still in discussions. "That is of course very bad." Rector Verbeek calls this patently untrue. "I was there when the report was filed and that happened after the last conversation." Teachers also participated in the occupation. Today they hit out at the university board in an open letter. The letter states: 'The board has shown bad faith during negotiations with students and employees. We are shocked by the absolute disregard, disrespect and general indifference shown by the board towards its students and staff.” "It is very sad to read this," says Verbeek. "We obviously do not want to ban demonstrations at all. That is part of it and is allowed if you do not intimidate, do not use violence, do not occupy, etc.." Verbeek says he no longer wants to talk to people who have participated in vandalism. "You only end the conversation in extreme circumstances. But you no longer want to have a conversation with people who have caused such enormous destruction. That shows that you cannot talk to each other in a reasonable manner. But then it is of course important to know who you are sitting with." Verbeek calls the demands that the demonstrators have put on the table, including severing ties with companies and organizations that support Israel, "almost non-negotiable." It is public information which Israeli universities the UvA collaborates with, he says. "We have neatly listed that. But we do not want to cut ties. We are an institution where you want to agree with each other on the basis of scientific dialogue, or you can disagree in a peaceful manner." The UvA does have an ethical framework that determines the boundaries of collaborations, Verbeek explains. "Because you don't want to do everything. We don't want to contribute to military projects, we want to work on a sustainable world. What we have agreed with the people is that we would like to see with them to what extent we can formulate our framework in such a way that it is clearly how it can help us in this situation. Not a new framework, but working out what our framework can mean in concrete terms." The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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After five seasons without a title, the Brabant technology and industrial city Eindhoven is again the football capital of the Netherlands.
PSV secured the 25th national title in club history by beating Sparta Rotterdam 4-2 at home, meaning that coach Peter Bosz's team can no longer be traced by pursuer Feyenoord. The tension that was no longer there in the title battle was in the legs of the PSV players on Sunday afternoon. The team of coach Peter Bosz had an extremely difficult start in the match that was supposed to be one big party. The celebration of PSV's first championship in six years came, but only after a fierce battle with opponent Sparta and themselves. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Freedom of Press in the Netherlands is among the highest in the world, according to a report by campaign group Reporters without Borders to mark world press freedom day (May 3th).
The Netherlands, which fell to 28th place in the ranking in 2021 following the murder of television crime reporter Peter R de Vries, has risen to fourth position, behind Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The report points out that “Russian media in exile, such as the Moscow Times and TV Dozhd, have found a safe haven in Amsterdam”. But while press freedom is actively protected by the state and the government, “albeit more efficiently in continental Netherlands than in their overseas territories” the Dutch media are “under attack from populist parties on the far right and far left of the political spectrum,” the report said. The four parties currently in talks on forming a new government are planning to cut spending on the public broadcasting system, which could lose up to a fifth of its budget. “The less of the left-wing Liberal NPO noise the better,” said Geert Wilders, leader of the far right PVV. He has also called journalists “scum”. In particular, the report said, the polarisation of public opinion on issues such as immigration, agriculture and climate change has led to an increase in physical and verbal attacks against journalists, especially against TV crews and photographers. This, the report said, has led “some journalists to self-censorship and a reluctance to cover certain subjects”. In addition, abuse and trolling on social networks impact news gathering and dissemination with female reporters and journalists of colour especially vulnerable to such attacks. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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EU TikTok ban ‘Not Excluded’4/30/2024 The EU has not ruled out banning Chinese-owned TikTok, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated.
The official, who is seeking another term in June, claimed that the video-hosting platform poses “a threat”, without elaborating. Last Wednesday, US President Joe Biden signed a law demanding that TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, ByteDance, sell the platform or be barred from app stores. Over the past few years, leaders in both the US and EU have made numerous claims regarding supposed security breaches and violations on the part of TikTok, which has staunchly denied the allegations. Asked during the Maastricht debate on Monday whether the EU would ban TikTok if the US goes ahead with the measure, von der Leyen said: “It is not excluded because the commission was the very first institution worldwide to ban Tik Tok on our corporate telephones.” “We know exactly the danger of Tik Tok,” she added, noting that the commission has “done a lot to regulate… to make sure that the platforms take responsibility for the content they provide.” In a statement last Monday, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said, “We suspect TikTok ‘Lite’ could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes ‘light.’” The EU’s executive body opened a case against ByteDance over its TikTok Lite application. According to Brussels, the company had failed to submit a mandatory risk assessment report. ByteDance was given until May 3 to provide all the information requested, with a fine totaling 1% of the company’s annual income in case of noncompliance. In February, the commission initiated another probe with regard to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, “data access for researchers,” and “risk management of addictive design and harmful content.” Commenting on the US legislation last week, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, denounced the bill signed by Biden as a violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of expression. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew released a statement saying: “Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok, a ban on you, and a ban on your voice... Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident that we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail.” The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Türkiye has expressed its support for outgoing Prime Minister Rutte as NATO chief. Sources within NATO report this.
Rutte was in Istanbul last week for a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan. Türkiye was one of the last four NATO countries that have not yet expressed support for Rutte. Türkiye's commitment is an important step in Rutte's ambition to become NATO Secretary General. Now only Hungary, Slovakia and Romania need to be convinced. Rutte needs that support, because to be appointed secretary general requires unanimous support from all 32 NATO member states. Visit Erdogan Last Friday, the outgoing Prime Minister travelled to Istanbul in a personal capacity. He bought himself a plane ticket for an injured scheduled flight. That same day he had a "very positive conversation" with Erdogan. The appointment of the new Secretary General was actually expected on April 4, the day NATO celebrated its 75th anniversary. Now that the unanimous support of the 32 countries is not so obvious, the decision is expected to be made no later than the summit in Washington, from 9 to 11 July. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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The Iraqi parliament has passed an anti-gay law. The law allows anyone in a same-sex relationship to be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
The law was mainly supported by the conservative Shiite political parties, which form the largest coalition in the predominantly Muslim parliament. Parliament also announced penalties for transgender people. For this purpose, an amendment to an anti-prostitution law from 1988 was approved. "Biological sex change based on personal desires" will now be punishable. Transgender people and doctors who perform gender reassignment surgery risk prison sentences of three years. Men who "consciously dress femininely" are now also punishable. Taboo Until the law's passage, there were no laws explicitly against homosexuality in Iraq. However, it was already a taboo in conservative Iraqi society. In the past, however, several LGBTI people were convicted of, for example, sodomy. Several LGBTI people have also been murdered in the past by individuals and armed groups. An earlier bill stated that same-sex relationships could lead to the death penalty. However, this was adjusted after pressure from Europe and the United States, among others. 'Seriously concerned' The US State Department said it was "gravely concerned" about the approval of the new law. “Limiting the rights of certain people in a society undermines the rights of everyone.” The US also warns that these types of laws threaten the country economically. “International business coalitions have already said that such discrimination in Iraq will harm business and economic growth in the country.” The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reacted negatively. "Criminalizing homosexuality goes directly against the international agreements that Iraq has agreed to." The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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