In the mood to hear something adorable? Well, you’re in luck because Rotterdam has a new mayor — a child mayor, to be exact.
Yup, last week, Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb appointed young Dominique to be Rotterdam’s child mayor for the upcoming school year. 👑
To help out with her duties, the city also appointed Mehdi, Yara, Anuska and Alissia as children’s city council members, Gemeente Rotterdam reports.
Together, they will serve as the spokespeople for all 120,000 children in Rotterdam.
Welcome, Mayor Dominique
Last year’s mayor, Louey, has abdicated his child mayor throne, passing the position onto his successor, Dominique.
Apparently, young Dominique was dreaming of becoming mayor for a while and is thrilled with her “really cool” new role since it means she can “really do something” for the children in her city. Precious. ❤️
The child mayor will have many of the same tasks as a “real” mayor, including ribbon-cutting, delivering speeches, and attending important events.
(Adult) mayor Aboutaleb is also pleased with the addition of new colleagues, adding that “if [the children] are happy, things go well in the city”.
Let’s raise a glass (of apple juice) to these young politicians! 🥂 Image: Gemeente Rotterdam
Anti-discrimination and bullying
So what does the future hold for Rotterdam’s kinderburgemeester (child mayor)? Last week, the kids’ council discussed what themes they will pay special attention to this year.
The areas they want to place the most emphasis on are “climate, safety and bullying, integration and discrimination, greenery and poverty”. These are part of the “agenda” they will all carry out at their separate schools.
Mayor Dominique, in particular, feels discrimination and bullying are urgent issues she wants to help solve. Her goal is to make sure every child will “enjoy going to school”. Awww.
What are your thoughts on this heartwarming new addition to Rotterdam’s municipality? Let us know in the comments below!
On Monday, for the third day in a row, police tried to resist climate protesters in The Hague by shooting water at them. In response, activists stubbornly put on their rain ponchos.👀
Extinction Rebellion (XR) gave everyone fair warning in advance, announcing that climate activists would take to the roads and protest every. Single. Day.
And they weren’t kidding. 😬
Three days of protests, and countless arrests
On Monday, the A12 near The Hague was occupied by protesters who refused to budge for the third day in a row, NU.nl reports.
Previously, there were 2,400 climate activist arrests on Saturday, and then about 500 more on Sunday. 😳
Apparently, the protest is against fossil fuel subsidies — in other words, the government’s arrangements which make the burning of fossil fuels more profitable.
Even so, The Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen expressed his concern for the protests and said he wouldn’t address the “goal” behind the activism.
Waterever, protesters don’t care
In an attempt to chase the protestors off, the politie blocked off the road and demanded that they relocate to the Laan van Reagan and Gorbachev, opposite the central station.
Those who did not follow that command were hosed down by “water cannons”, which only caused them to use umbrellas as shields or get creative with plastic bags. ☂️✋
10k people reportedly marched along the A12 highway into The Hague, according to the bed-wetting climate activists – ignoring warnings from authorities not to block the major… pic.twitter.com/40u76AGQr4
If you’re fed up with sweaty days in the tropical heat, you’ll be relieved to hear that cooler weather is coming to the Netherlands this week.
After we all spent a few restless nights tossing and turning with stifling temperatures, the heat wave is finally subsiding, reports RTL Nieuws.
Possible showers will give us some refreshing temperatures for the rest of the week. Hoera! 🌦️
The official start of autumn?
Before you leave the house, you’ll want to grab your raincoat (or at least check Buienradar).
As we’re finally getting blessed with some long-awaited rain, temperatures will reach a balmy 23 degrees Celsius in the centre of the country and up to 25 degrees Celsius in southern Limburg.
On Wednesday, you can look forward to taking a pleasant walk outside (without collapsing from heat exhaustion 😉).
The last bit of rain is expected to fall on Wednesday morning, bringing a nice, brisk day with temperatures reaching 21 degrees Celsius.
A cooler week to come
The invigorating weather will continue for the days that follow, with temperatures reaching 22 degrees Celsius at most. There will be some clouds, but the sun will still shine through, giving you plenty of opportunity to enjoy lunch on the terrasje.
Swimming days aren’t over just yet either, as the water will still be warm enough for a relaxing swim. 🏊♀️
Though the weather will be slightly warmer again on the weekend, with temperatures reaching a summery 25 degrees Celsius, we’re happy to officially wave doei to tropical temperatures, sleepless nights, and sweaty trains.
Are you looking forward to cooler weather? Tell us in the comments!
A devastating earthquake in Morocco has killed over 2,100 people and left hundreds of others injured and homeless. The question is, what can we in the Netherlands do to help?
The quake with a 400-kilometre radius, which took place last Friday evening around 70 kilometres southwest of Marrakech, had a destructive magnitude of 6.8, De Telegraaf reports.
To make matters worse, there are hundreds of aftershocks in the affected area following the earthquake, one of them scoring a 6.0 on the magnitude scale.
Having been labelled as Morocco’s most “violent earthquake” of the last century, the disaster destroyed a mosque, collapsed several homes, and trapped people underneath the rubble in its wake.
The already overwhelming death count is predicted to increase — many injured survivors are in potentially life-threatening condition, and citizens in mountain villages are being forced to dig out more victims from under the rubble with their bare hands.
The Netherlands Red Cross has opened giro6868 in response to Morocco’s earthquake and has sent over responders to give medical assistance, first aid, as well as psychosocial assistance.
Unfortunately, Giro555, on the other hand, has not yet created a national relief campaign for the country, the NOS reports.
Het is een race tegen de klok. Hulpverleners komen vanaf het eerste moment in actie.
➡️ verlenen medische hulp. ➡️ zorgen voor psychosociale hulp. ➡️ vervoeren gewonden naar het ziekenhuis.
Translation: “It’s a race against time. Emergency services take action from the very first moment. ➡️ provide medical assistance. ➡️ provide psychosocial help. ➡️ transport injured people to the hospital.”
They are currently tending to victims in affected areas such as Marrakech and the province of Taroudant, among others.
If you want to help out their efforts, you can donate via the Red Cross website or use the following details:
Account number: NL83 INGB 0000 0068 68.
Donate: €40, €80, €120, or choose another amount.
Mission: Provide first aid or medical assistance and psychosocial assistance to victims.
The help organisation called Islamic Relief Nederland is currently active in 29 countries and has existed for 30 years.
In light of the recent earthquake, they have begun a fundraiser by the name of SOS Marokko that strives to provide temporary shelter, hygiene kits, and food packets, as well as other emergency aid.
They’re asking others to raise awareness, share on social media, and also donate funds:
Account number: NL30 INGB 0000 0020 02
Donate: €25, €50, €100, or choose another amount: €25 purchases a food package; €50 a food package plus a hygiene kit; €100 a tent.
Mission: Tend to areas that are in the most need of help, providing them with resources such as food, shelter, hygiene, and other support.
This organisation, with a name meaning “Moroccan Relief”, is a Dutch/Moroccan humanitarian aid organization that mainly strives to help disadvantaged people based in Morocco specifically.
They are currently taking action by fundraising in order to pay off the damage done to buildings, as well as ensure the presence of food and medical care for injured people.
Donate: Choose your own amount: €45 helps provide food and drinking water to those in need, and a donation of €75 will purchase medical assistance for a wounded victim.
Mission: Provide a supply of food and water, as well as the nursing of wounds and the reconstruction of destroyed buildings.
Wondering if you’re imagining the ridiculously high rental prices? Nee, you’re not going crazy — rent is increasing more than it has in years.
Based on figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), it’s getting harder to tighten our purse strings as we have been forced to spend an average of 2% more for rent in July 2023.
While this is lower than the average 3% increase felt in July last year, the rental price increase in the private sector is larger than it has been since 2018 at 4.5%, reports RTL Nieuws.
Rent relief for social housing?
If people living in Dutch homes in the private sector are paying a large amount more than what they were last year, how are those who live in social housing faring?
Luckily, residents of social housing that is owned by corporations felt a much smaller increase of just 0.1%. The good news is that almost 70% of rental housing is part of housing associations.
What about properties that don’t belong to housing associations? Well, residents of social housing under this category aren’t so lucky, with rent increasing by an average of 3.7% since the previous year.
Here’s how rental price increases for July 2023 compared to those in July 2022. 👇
Type of rental housing
Average rent increase for 2023
Average rent increase for 2022
Private sector housing
4.5%
3.8%
Social housing with housing association
0.1%
2.6%
Social housing with other landlords
3.7%
2.8%
Big cities mean higher rent
We all know about the insane prices of rent in Amsterdam, so it isn’t surprising that this is the Dutch city with the largest average increase in rent.
Other large cities such as The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht also experienced substantial increases in rent.
How does the rent compare? Here’s the average rent increases for July 2023. 👇
Dutch city
Average rent increase
Amsterdam
2.8%
The Hague
2.7%
Rotterdam
2.6%
Utrecht
2.4%
These increases may seem very high, but they could be worse. In fact, rental houses that saw a change in tenants in 2023 saw an average rent increase of a whopping 10.9%, compared to a 9.7% increase in 2022.
This is the highest increase for this category since 2014. Echt niet leuk! Looks like we’re all going to stay in one rental for as long as possible. 👀
Have you felt the effect of rent increases? Tell us in the comments!
What does the professional future hold for recent university graduates? In the Dutch job market, some study programs are in higher demand than others…
An investigation carried out by Magnet.me revealed which studies had its students approached the most employers this past year, AD.nl reports.
Companies are currently scrambling with each other to snatch up the best future employees, with many offering students jobs before they’ve even finished their degrees.
Money, money, money
Ahead of the pack was a master’s program in finance at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (which came in first place), as well as the master’s program in finance at Tilburg University, which came in second.
Why could this be? Co-founder of Magnet.me, Laurens van Nues says things like Fintech and “record turnovers” at big banks are prompting the new interest in finance students.
Not only that, but finance bros have the versatility to work in other sectors as roles such as business analyst or consultant.
Another popular subject was that of data training since there is a high demand for interpreting data about companies’ customers at the moment.
Want to see where your degree ranks? Check out the results…
Rank
Most popular studies
University
1
Finance
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2
Finance
Tilburg University
3
Business Administration – Strategy & Organization
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
4
Data Science and Society
Tilburg University
5
Strategic Management
Tilburg University
6
Supply Chain Management
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
7
Strategic Entrepreneurship
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
8
Strategic Management
Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
9
Econometrics and Operations Research
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
10
Finance
Universiteit van Amsterdam
AI is taking over the world — and the job market?
For any ChatGPT-savvy students, just know the topic of Artificial Intelligence is a “hot” one, according to Van Nues.
Companies are apparently itching for new staff with the “necessary knowledge” about AI, and cleverly enough, schools have responded to their demands by launching new courses on the subject.
Times are a-changin’, and this table is a far cry from last year’s results, which saw legal and technical studies top the charts.
Not only that, but employers seem to prioritise higher professional education less and less.
Still, law and tech students don’t need to feel like they’ve been left in the dust either; scroll a little lower down than the top 50, and you’ll see plenty of their studies peppered throughout.
Are you surprised by this year’s results? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Heatwaves might be all sunshine and rainbows for human beings, but for dogs who could easily overheat, the current Dutch weather is a life-threatening ordeal.
Earlier this week, a dog in Ameland with a body temperature of 42 degrees celsius had to be rescued before almost dying on the beach, RTL Nieuws reports.
Ameland’s Dierenambulance (Animal Ambulance) received a highly concerning phone call from the beach that afternoon, during which the collapsed mountain dog could be heard panting desperately in the background.
This isn’t the only case they have seen during the current heatwave. As a result, they have an important plea for dog owners in the Netherlands.
Do not swim — in fact, keep them off the beach
You might think this heat is nothing a freezing cold dip in the sea can’t help — but think again.
A wet dog drying off on a sunny beach post-swim causes both the pup’s body and blood to heat up due to the additional water, which is “extremely dangerous”, says National Animal Ambulance spokesperson, Piet van Berkel.
In fact, he thinks our poor pups should be avoiding the merciless sun at all costs.
Not only that, but the animal ambulance deems any sort of lounging on the beach with pets “completely irresponsible” and again reiterates just how “heartbreaking” the sounds of the dog’s blazing hot misery were earlier this week. 💔
Two near-death experiences
Sadly, this isn’t a lone incident; one month ago, a Newfoundlander with a 41.7-degree body temperature suffered immensely under the heat.
His pain was so agonising and crippling he couldn’t stand up for hours until he had been properly cooled down.
While both dogs have since been rescued, to avoid a repeat of these close calls, Van Berkel wants all dog owners to know that leaving their canines in the sun for too long is, in fact, “really stupid”.
Keep your pups safe, folks! Keep them out of the sun. ❤️ 🐶
How are you protecting your pets from the heat during these weather conditions? Let us know in the comments below!
As of July 1 2023, the Netherlands began ripping down the many cheesy gambling posters on bus stops, silenced the ear-splitting gambling advertisements that perforated podcasts, and halted the vibrantly coloured TV ads depicting people with confetti, a deranged smile, and a shower of money.
All of this was part of an important rule change in the Dutch online gambling scene. As of July 1 of this year, the Netherlands imposed a ban on advertising gambling out in the open, on our TV screens, in magazines, and over the radio.
However, before we get into what exactly this rule change means for the Dutch gambling industry, we have to get into how this all came to be in the first place.
Why is a ban on Dutch online gambling sites’ advertisements needed?
This story actually begins in October 2021, when the Netherlands released the reigns of the Dutch online gambling industry and their advertisement strategies.
From October 2021, the Dutch government officially allowed online gambling sites to advertise across television, radio, online, and on outdoor posters, such as those at bus stops.
Waiting for the bus? Bang, here’s an ugly ad. Image: Freepik
The result? Instead of keeping things simple and asking people to “visit online-gambling.com to enjoy some of the best gambling sites in the Netherlands”, many companies went, well, a little overboard.
With gambling companies spending nearly a quarter of a billion on advertising during this time period, the Netherlands soon became inundated with gambling advertisements — and surprise, surprise, this was a problem.
A quick turnaround
Guess what happens when you have gambling advertisements shoved in the ears and eyes of an entire population? Vulnerable people develop a problem.
Not even two years after allowing Dutch gambling sites to have their way with advertising, the Dutch government has taken away that freedom.
Now, the Dutch government has imposed a ban on untargeted advertising by gambling sites — meaning their adverts cannot be seen by just anyone (such as 18-year-old boys.)
What are the new rules?
Instead of untargeted advertising, Dutch gambling sites must advertise in accordance with a strict set of rules:
Gambling may not be advertised on posters, in magazines, over the radio or on TV.
Ads are still allowed online, but gambling sites must take “the best available measures” in order to avoid advertising to people under the age of 24 or vulnerable groups such as gambling addicts.
Following this, they must prove “using the best available techniques” that 95% of people reached are above the age of 24.
People who see these online advertisements should have the choice to opt out of being shown them.
Are these rules straightforward? Not exactly.
The gambling industry has been quick to point out that some of these measures are a bit vague — what are “the best available measures”? What are the “best techniques?” and what the heck even counts as advertising?
Many were confused by these new rules. Image: Freepik
On top of this, there’s the question of how these rules will even be enforced. How can sites guarantee that 95% of their advertising will only reach people above the age of 24? How will this be checked by authorities?
The gambling authority responds
The Dutch gambling authority (Kansspelautoriteit or Ksa) saw these questions coming, and they responded, well, accordingly.
When faced with these concerns, a spokesperson for the Ksa gave a somewhat reassuring response: “Like the industry, we will have to find our way in this.”
The spokesperson points out that much like Dutch online gambling sites, the Ksa must also get used to the new advertisement ban. “We are only able to provide the requested guidance to a limited extent. Various parts of the new ban are a new and uncharted area for us as well.”
What does this mean for the enforcement of the ban?
While the Ksa gets used to the new ban, it seems that advertisers will enjoy a learning period where they won’t be slapped too hard on the wrist for some slip-ups.
“Nobody wants to run the risk of a surprise fine. And yet… I feel the need to manage expectations a little in that respect,” a spokesperson for the authority tells an audience at the Gaming in Holland Conference on July 8.
“You may expect the Ksa not to tackle new monitoring or enforcement situations straight-legged. In the beginning, we will especially monitor how the new rules work out in actual practice. New or additional insights will be shared with you.”
To offer a more basic translation: the Dutch gambling authority itself doesn’t know how to enforce these measures yet, so gambling sites do not have to live in fear of penalisation for the time being.
That being said, the spokesperson finished his speech with some very basic guidelines for the industry: “My most important guidance – and appeal – for today is an old traffic safety advice: ‘When in doubt, no passing!’”
Let’s hope gambling sites are looking left and right then.
How has the online gambling scene changed since?
So, how has this new ban affected the online gambling scene in the time that has followed the ban?
Well, on a surface level, many of us can enjoy fewer jarring advertisements scattered across billboards, bus stops, and our TV screens. However, can we truly say that vulnerable groups are being protected from gambling advertisements?
The fear is that vulnerable people will still fall for illegal advertisements. Image: Freepik
Some experts fear not. In fact, as Peter-Paul de Goeij from the trade associations for gambling companies, Noga, tells Adformatie, the empty advertising space left by legal gambling sites will only allow more room for illegal gambling sites to flourish:
“A ban sounds sympathetic, but it mainly helps the tens of thousands of illegal online providers who happily continue to advertise online.”
With illegal gambling sites cropping up in place of legal ones, the fear is that vulnerable groups will instead encounter games that aren’t fair, and risk losing even more money.
In fact, these illegal sites are more than happy to lure in vulnerable users. For example, they will happily take on customers who are registered as gambling addicts.
Just a few months into this ban, all bets are off, and the Netherlands will have to wait and see if this is the turn that gambling advertising will take.
Do you think this ban will help? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
How did the Netherlands’ women’s football team scoot around Tauranga, New Zealand, during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023? In true Dutch fashion, of course — atop the 30 orange bikes they purchased.
But now that their time at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has come to an end, what will come of all these Dutch-coloured two-wheelers? Tossing them in Amsterdam canals isn’t an option out there. 🥴
It turns out these neon orange bikes are being (very kindly) donated to charities — including Good Neighbour — in the local area, Tauranga City reports.
Contributing to the community
Apparently, the Dutch women’s football team, OranjeLeeuwinnen (Orange Lionesses), whizzed around the beachy suburb of Mount Maunganui and took full rein of the trails filled with beautiful views.
The Tauranga City Council commends the OranjeLeeuwinnen for their enthusiasm and generosity, with the Venues & Events Manager Nelita Byrne saying, “These organisations bring so much goodness to the fabric of our community”. Awww.
Plus, a large portion of the bikes are being gifted to students who need a budget-friendly mode of transport to get to school and back every day. 🧑🎓
So, if you live in Tauranga or ever happen to find yourself there, do keep your eyes peeled for some bright orange bicycles burning rubber through the city. 🧡🚲
What do you think of the women’s football team’s decision to donate their bikes? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Keep those fans going and those biertjes chilled because the heat is here to stay for the next few days.
Yesterday was the hottest September 6 on record in the Netherlands, according to Weerplaza. Helaas, it won’t be the last sweaty day this year, as the rest of the week is going to continue giving us a surprise tropical summer in autumn.
The summer we’ve been waiting for
Grab those sunglasses because the sun will be shining brightly today, heating things up early in the morning. 🌞
By the afternoon, temperatures will have risen to a blistering 30 to 31 degrees Celsius, reports Weeronline. Only on the coast in the northwest and Zeeland is it slightly cooler at 28 degrees Celsius.
The typical Dutch wind, clouds, and rain are taking a break, which makes today the perfect beach day. If you’re stuck in the office, geen probleem! The mercury won’t dip too much in the evening, staying at a balmy 14 to 20 degrees Celsius.
A sunny weekend
Friday starts the weekend off with more sunny and warm weather but with a nice breeze to cool residents on the Wadden Islands.
Temperatures between 29 to 31 degrees Celsius can be expected in many areas throughout the country, with the east and southeast feeling the most heat.
A refreshing dip at the beach will be needed, with humidity adding to temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius to make the day sweltering. The mercury could rise to up to 32 degrees Celsius in the east and southeast.
These tropical temperatures will continue on Sunday, reaching 29 degrees Celsius in the north and northwest to 31 degrees in parts of Gelderland, North Brabant, and Limburg.
Make the most of what will probably be our last bit of summer weather before autumn really begins and brings thunderstorms starting on Monday evening.
How will you celebrate the surprising tropical weather this weekend? Tell us in the comments!
