The Pigeon Express
A leading Bolshoi prima ballerina, who recently denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is leaving the country to join Dutch National Ballet. Olga Smirnova, 30, said last week she was “against this war with every fibre of my soul” and was supported by other Russian ballerinas. The Dutch National Ballet confirmed on Wednesday that Smirnova will […]
When Amazon owner Jeff Bezos gets his $500 million mega-yacht in June, it may come primed in egg yolk. More than 1,200 Dutch protesters have organized to shell the big boat with eggs when it passes through the port city of Rotterdam. The historic Koningshaven Bridge is supposed to be dismantled so Bezos’ more than […]
Two ships have collided off the Dutch coast in the storm-hit North Sea and one began taking on water, prompting an evacuation, according to emergency services. The Julietta D, a freighter with 18 crew members on board, collided with another boat about 32km west of the port of Ijmuiden, Edward Zwitser, a spokesman for the […]
A Dutch tourist has been detained in Poland for giving the Nazi salute at the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, local police say. The 29-year-old woman made the gesture in front of the Arbeit Macht Frei (Work Sets You Free) gate. The woman who has not been named was later charged with engaging […]
Dutch police say they have found a stowaway alive in the wheel section of a plane that landed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport from South Africa. Flights from Johannesburg to Amsterdam take about 11 hours, with the cargo plane believed to have made one stop, in Nairobi, Kenya. It is very unusual for stowaways on long […]
The Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander announced that Dutch royals will cease using a historic golden carriage amid a debate over slavery links. Critics say that one side of the horse-drawn carriage, called De Gouden Koets, is decorated with an image that glorifies the country’s colonial past. Out of use since 2015, the carriage has traditionally been […]
Dutch cyclist Amy Pieters is in an induced coma following a fall during a training ride with the national team in Alicante this week. Pieters, 30, lost consciousness after the collision and was taken to hospital by air ambulance. The Dutch national road race champion had surgery to relieve pressure on her brain caused by […]
The Netherlands has announced a strict lockdown over Christmas amid concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant. Non-essential shops, bars, gyms, hairdressers and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Two guests per household will be allowed – four over the holidays. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the measures were “unavoidable”. Countries across […]
The Dutch royal family has expressed regret over last week’s birthday party for the heir-apparent to the country’s throne amid surging Covid cases. The family said 21 guests were all vaccinated and tested. They attended Princess Amalia’s 18th birthday party in the palace gardens last Saturday. The guests were also required to follow social distancing. […]
Dutch police detained a couple who escaped from a Covid-quarantine hotel. The arrests were made on a plane in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport just before it departed to Spain on Sunday. The Spanish man and Portuguese woman were later handed over to the country’s health service, local media reported. It comes after 13 people who arrived […]
Sixty-one people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa have tested positive for Covid-19, Dutch officials say. They have been placed in isolation at a hotel near Schiphol airport. They were among some 600 passengers held for several hours after arrival while they were tested for the virus. Dutch health authorities said […]
Dutch police fired warning shots and used water cannon after rioting erupted in Rotterdam over new Covid-19 measures. Protesters threw rocks and fireworks at them and set police cars ablaze. Hundreds of protesters had gathered to show their anger at government plans for a Covid vaccine pass, and a ban on fireworks on New Year’s […]