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Money Can Now Be in Your Dutch Bank Account in the Blink of an Eye

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Money Can Now Be in Your Dutch Bank Account in the Blink of an Eye

Going Dutch on a date and need to get some cash to your cute dame or heren? They can now receive the cash in just five seconds in their bank account, thanks to an upgrade to Dutch internet payment systems. 

Customers of seven Dutch banks can now make immediate transfers at any time of the day, week or year. The new instant payment system will put an end to waiting times that  could, in the past, wait until the next working day.

If you’re a customer of ING, Rabobank, ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, Regiobank, SNS and Knab, these instant payments are now available. Congratulations! We’re not sure it makes up for all those crazy low interest rates at the moment though.

How do I transfer money instantly?

You can take part in immediate transfers with no extra work on your part! The new payment option is now available on mobile and internet banking. There isn’t even a limit on how many euros can be transferred instantly, despite other Eurozone countries limiting transactions to 15,000 euros.

Want to test the new instant payment system?! Send cash to DutchReview, ISBN 12345678910 ?

Why is this significant?

This has been in the works for over four years now. Earlier this year they announced all their hard work would be soon coming to fruition. It also makes the Netherlands a leader for fast payment systems in the Eurozone – go us!

Want to know more about banking in the Netherlands? How about setting up an online bank account? Still confused about why your Mastercard and Visa cards don’t work in NL? Something else? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Bankenverband/Hanibal(Michael Hanschke)/Flickr/CC2.0

Sharp Decrease in Accidents Since Moped Ban on Amsterdam’s Bike Paths

Freya Sawbridge
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Sharp Decrease in Accidents Since Moped Ban on Amsterdam’s Bike Paths

The number of accidents on Amsterdam’s cycle paths has drastically fallen since mopeds were banned earlier this year. Between April and August of this year police only dealt with ten serious collisions involving mopeds. During the same period in 2018, police dealt with 53 accidents. 

The Ban

After a seven year battle, mopeds were banned from Amsterdam’s cycleways in April of this year. It became possible after the government parties CDA and VVD stopped their opposition to amend the traffic regulations.

Amsterdam had a detailed plan at the ready so the law was able to be swiftly changed.

The ban was widely supported as people believed mopeds were making the bicycle lanes unsafe. After too many collisions between cyclists and mopeds, the people of Amsterdam wanted change.

The ban also resulted in a surge of people selling their mopeds (a win for environmentalism?)

Moped riders not happy

The ban caused many people to fret that forcing moped users onto the road would cause just as many accidents, given that cars drive faster than mopeds.

Sharon Dijksma, Traffic Councillor for Amsterdam Municipality stated “we certainly do not recognise the perception that a more dangerous traffic situation has arisen (after the ban came into effect)” the Volkskrant reports.

An assessment will be made at the end of this year as to whether the decline in accidents is definitively linked to the moped ban.

It is currently being considered as to whether there should be a nationwide ban of mopeds on cycle lanes.

Moped riders must now also wear a helmet

Since being banned from cycleways, moped riders must now wear helmets. Anyone who breaches the law can be issued a 95 euro fine.

Whose side are you on? Did you find moped drivers on the cycle way distracting? Or do you think it is unfair they have been pushed to the road? 

Four Dead After Dordrecht Shooting: Police Officer Shoots Own Family, Himself

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Four Dead After Dordrecht Shooting: Police Officer Shoots Own Family, Himself

The port-city of Dordrecht made international headlines last night as reports of a shooting emerged in the media. Two children and a female were shot in their family home, by a man presumed to be the father. 

The two children, aged 8 and 12, died immediately at the scene. The 27-year-old mother died of her injuries earlier this morning. The shooter was found dead at the Dordrecht home, presumably after turning the weapon on himself, although police are still investigating.

The deceased suspect was revealed to be a Rotterdam police officer. It is unclear whether it was his service weapon that was used to commit the four killings.

The couple were in the midst of a bitter and angry divorce, although still lived together in the house, according to NOS.

What has been said?

Tributes have come out flowing for the victims of the attack. The two children played football at Wieldrecht Football Club. “Our thoughts and compassion are with everyone who is involved in this and who knows the family in any way. This is beyond description,” the club said in a statement.

The school the girl attended, Insula College, are providing the girls classmates with their first hour off. “For all other classes, we just want to try to let the lessons go as far as possible,” the school director told NOS.

Our thoughts go out to all those affected by the tragic events. If you or anyone close to you is struggling, please do not hesitate to reach out for help.  If you’re in the Netherlands, you can call 0900-0113 or visit the official Dutch suicide prevention website. If you’re a victim of domestic violence you can contact the Arosa Foundation on 010 – 820 08 40.

Do You Hear That? It’s a Second Chance at Summer!

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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Do You Hear That? It’s a Second Chance at Summer!

Dreary days got you down? Well jump right back up, because a second-chance of summer is coming our way. The rain has (mostly) dried up, and the next few days are looking fine like sunshine!

The last few weeks of Autumn have left us, let’s face it, wanting more. More summer that is. Despite those ridiculous heatwaves and record-breaking temperatures, we’re still not ready to say sayonara to the sun.

“The weather is moving in the right direction this week. We can expect some showers on Wednesday and Thursday, but then it will be dry and the sun will reappear,” says Martijn Dorrestein of Buienradar told RTL Nieuws.

According to Dorrestein, the wind will be relatively still and the sun will be shining in the first half of the week, so heading outside is a must. What are you doing still reading this article? Go, go, go! (But actually, wait, and we’ll bring you the forecast first.)

Today

The sun has come out to play! There will be a small shower in the north-west, and potentially the north. The temperature hasn’t quite risen to the challenge, but is still comfortable at around 18 degrees.

This evening it’s virtually cloudless! We’re in for a risk of a few dense fog banks locally, and some areas on the northern coast will drop to 4 degrees. Brrr!

Tomorrow

Buinradar are predicting “significant periods of sunshine” – yesss! Bah, it may be a little cloudy in the north, and there may even be some local light rain showers, but let’s not focus too much on that.

The temperature in the afternoon will be hovering between 17 degrees in the north to 20 degrees in the south, with a weak wind for most of the country.

Following Days

Wednesday and Friday we’re in with a chance of some rain, so it’s not all good news. It’s coming across from the tropical storms Dorian and Grabrielle, but thankfully we won’t be hit anywhere near as hard. Thursday the temperature will still hit around 20 degrees, but is expected to take a hit on Friday.

However, there’s a chance of a little bit more summer weather over the weekend. Are your fingers crossed? They should be!

Got plans for this late-run of summer weather? Or are you waiting for the rainy season? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Hiwelo/Flickr/CC2.0.

How Can We Make Room For Housing? Get Rid of the Cows, says Dutch Party.

Freya Sawbridge
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How Can We Make Room For Housing? Get Rid of the Cows, says Dutch Party.

The government party D66 have revealed plans to reduce the amount of livestock by half. D66 believe that if fewer nitrogen emissions are produced from livestock, this will free up the nitrogen emission quota and enable the government to address the housing crisis by building more houses and other infrastructure projects.

This plan was generated after it was realised that the Nitrogen Approach Program (an initiative to limit nitrogen emissions) was failing but the Council of State’s limitation on the Netherland’s nitrogen output still needed to be adhered to.

For D66 MP, Tjeerd de Groot, it is an obvious decision. He tells RTL Nieuws “70 percent of Dutch nitrogen emissions come from agriculture, a large part of which comes from intensive livestock farming. That is huge. At the same time, the contribution of intensive livestock farming to our own economy is less than 1 percent. The ratio is completely lost.”

Encouraging farmers to transition to biological farming

Many intensive farm owners will struggle with the upcoming changes so it is intended that government assistance will be given to help farmers with the transition. De Grot also wants to give farmers a choice as to whether they completely stop their intensive farming or they switch to biological farming.

Biological farming produces far less waste and with a growing population and the pressure of climate change, it is imperative that food is produced sustainably. This means far less fertiliser, water and pesticides need to be used.

D66 plan to reduce livestock by half
Source: stux on Pixabay

Other government parties and some farmers are not on board

Jaco Geurts, an MP for CDA party with a strong agricultural voter-base, announced earlier today on Twitter that “to get rid of the entire agricultural sector with a single pen stroke is not the solution to the nitrogen problem. D66 knows that very well.”

Poultry farmer Theo Bos has commented to NOS Radio One Journal that the plan is “too one-sided”. He believes that instead of reducing the number of animals, nitrogen emissions should be reduced with innovation.

Bos says it is far more complicated than the government seem to think because lots of meat is produced in the Netherlands but exported to Europe. The Netherlands is currently the world’s second biggest produce exporter.

Bos laments “I have 55,000 chickens at this location. If I have to halve that, I must close my business” NOS reports. 

What do you think of the plan to reduce livestock? Do you agree with D66’s plans to reallocate nitrogen emissions? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature image: JanTemmel on Pixabay 

Wilders Deletes Twitter Party Snap Taken With US Right-Wing Politician

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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0
Wilders Deletes Twitter Party Snap Taken With US Right-Wing Politician

Ah, the United States of America! What causes more outrage than your bleach-haired president xenophobic outbursts? When your potentially-racist southern senator gets a happy snap selfie with the Dutch racist MP. That’ll do the trick.

We’ve all had those regretful social media moments on a night out, whether it’s a drunken status update, a not-so-flattering picture, or a regretful message to an ex. It seems politicians can also fall prone to these situations.

Our favourite (cough, cough, COUGH) Dutch far-right politician, Geert Wilders, posted the picture of him side-by-side with Lindsey Graham on his Twitter account last night. But, once American’s got hold of the image, in particular Washington Post political journalist John Hudson, Wilders deleted the post (let’s hope Graham wasn’t too offended!).

Who is Lindsey Graham and Geert Wilders?

Lindsey Graham is a Republican and Senator from South Carolina. While he was previously somewhat progressive on some issues including immigration reform and was critical over the one-and-only Donald Trump, since March 2017 he’s developed a close relationship with the small-handed leader, causing some major scrutiny over his flip-flopping ways.

Meanwhile, Geert Wilders has made a reputation for himself as the Donald Trump of the Netherlands. But maybe worse. Yep, actually, definitely worse. He’s got hardline views on immigration, wants to reduce the number of Moroccans in the Netherlands, and is slowly trying to ban Islam. He’s also the subject of a number of court cases for racist statements made during his time as an MP.

Why is the post important?

It’s not only the posting of the photo that was significant, but the deletion of it almost immediately. The picture was taken at a European security conference in Italy, where Wilders predicted that far-right parties in Europe would make a comeback.

It puts Graham in a tricky situation – does the photo show support for Wilders extremist views? Remember, we’re talking about a Dutch politician who once stated he ‘doesn’t hate Muslims’, but ‘hates Islam’.

Why was the post deleted?

That’s the bizarre thing – no one really knows. It was Wilders who deleted the post, not Graham. A spokesperson for the American politician told the Washington Post that Graham has no idea why Wilders deleted the tweet.

“Mr. Wilder took a photo with Sen. Graham as did many others at the conference,” spokesperson Kevin Bishop said. He doesn’t have an explanation for why the photo was removed, but told Washington Post “you may want to ask [Wilders].”

Perhaps it wasn’t Wilders best angle? Not instagram-worthy enough for a repost? Bad lighting? Needed to retouch his hair? We may never know.

What did Twitter have to say?

Well, as always, the Twitter comments were absolute gold. A lot of people chose to comment on the bizarre size difference between the two politicians:

Others preferred to just comment on the size of Wilders head:

While others speculated on the political future:

And still others were focused on the ramifications such a photo could have for their political campaigns:

Are these two best buddies or just wayward politicians? What do you think of the outrage over the pic of the pair? Justified, or an overreaction? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Peter van der Sluijs [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons 

Hurricane Jan and Kitty: Dutch Monikers Join List of Storm Names for 2019-20

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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0
Hurricane Jan and Kitty: Dutch Monikers Join List of Storm Names for 2019-20

The Dutch meteorological service (KNMI) has selected a variety of Dutch names by which storms will be known in the future. The combined list with the British and Irish weather services will increase familiarity and recognition of storms. 

It won’t be Hurricane Lieke or Hurricane Jeroen though: instead the names will be based on Dutch people from history. The Dutch names to make the list will be Jan and Kitty (although we’re not sure the severity of the situation will come across for Hurricane Kitty – meow!)

Regardless, the names are pretty significant. Jan refers to Jan Pelleboer and Jan Buisman, the former being the first weatherman on radio and tv and the latter a historical geographer.

Meanwhile, Kitty is a reference to Kittie Koperberg, a war victim from WWII. She worked for the KNMI from 1938, until she was deported by Nazis to a death camp in Poland where she was gassed with her sister.

Why are the Dutch Naming Storms Now?

There was previously not a naming convention for Code Orange and Code Red storms in the Netherlands. However, the Dutch have hopped on board with the system after research showed that a colloquial name triggers more recognition in the public about recent events.

But the names didn’t come from nowhere. There were thousands of suggestions, including Dennis, Gerda and Willow. No names starting with Q, U, X, Y and Z are used in line with international standards.

The full list of storm names for 2019-2020 from the Netherlands, UK and Ireland:

Atiyah, Brendan, Ciara, Dennis, Ellen, Francis, Gerda, Hugh, Iris, Jan, Kitty, Liam, Maura, Noah, Olivia, Piet, Roisin, Samir, Tara, Vince and Willow.

How do they decide which name will be next?

The list goes alphabetically, so the first storm this year will be the female name Atiyah, and the second storm will be a male named Brendan. The storms always alternate between male and female names.

Interestingly, research has found that storms that have female names are more likely to hurt people than male storms. That’s not because females come out swinging with a vengeance, or some bizarre tribute to women’s rights and power. Rather, scientists believe it’s because people find female names less threatening, according to the BBC.

Why did the UK, Ireland and Netherlands team up?

It’s not because they’re best buddies, or because they like each other’s names. Instead, it’s as simple as the geographical area they share. Storms don’t limit themselves to borders, nor will they be stopped by Brexit.

“Because many people travel between our countries, the use of names makes it a lot easier to estimate the dangers of a large storm system,” KNMI director Gerard van der Steenhoven told NOS.

What names would you like to see make the list next year? What do you think of the new naming conventions? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Pexels

Dutch Men Take on Arch-Rivals Tonight as they Fight for European Championship Spot

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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0
Dutch Men Take on Arch-Rivals Tonight as they Fight for European Championship Spot

The Dutch men’s football team have a lot to live up to after their women’s side not only won the Women’s European Championship in 2017, but placed an almighty and unexpected 2nd in the Women’s World Cup just this year. Now the men are fighting for their place in next year’s Men’s European Championship (EK).

It’s two more months of battle for a place in the EK, with the Netherlands fighting it out with Northern Ireland and their ultimate rival Germany. Only the best two countries in the group will qualify, but the Netherlands is currently placed 3rd on the ladder.

The Dutch men will come face-to-face with Germany this evening and will need to produce a stellar performance to jump a place, after losing to the team in a home match earlier this year.

Without a win tonight they’ll be in trouble, needing to make up another 11 points in the next five games. They’ll have chances when they face Northern Ireland twice, Estonia twice, and Belarus once.

Current Group C Ladder Positions

1. Northern Ireland 4-12 (7-2)
2. Germany 3-9 (13-2)
3. The Netherlands 2-3 (6-3)
4. Belarus 4-0 (1-9)
5. Estonia 3-0 (1-12)

 

You can catch tonight’s match op de televisie: 20:45 on NPO1 from NOS

Will you be watching the match tonight? Or are you planning on cheering on the team if they make the EK? Let us know in the comments below!

International Students Are Making the Netherlands Richer – But Does it Come at a Cost?

Kavana Desai
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International Students Are Making the Netherlands Richer – But Does it Come at a Cost?

If you’re a new international student, then welcome! You’re coming at a very interesting point in time in the Netherlands. The internationalization of Dutch universities has been the point of discussion ever since (I’m guessing) the first English program was introduced into one.

It usually goes on tangents of how this is leading to the dilution of Dutch programs making studies inaccessible, increased competition for Dutch graduates in the labour market, and what a huge investment it is.

However, the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) of the Netherlands says that international students who choose to study here and decide to stay after makes up for the money invested in them reports NU.nl.

Why is internationalization of Dutch universities good for the Netherlands?

“We think internationalization is basically good,” explains The Association of Universities (Vsnu) spokesperson Bart Pierik. He said that it raises the Netherlands’ position globally and improves avenues for scientific research.

pixabay

But how exactly would investing in international students be a financial benefit for the economy? It was found that a student from outside the European Union would require an investment of 160,000 euros. However, if they get a job after graduation, this would result in around 250,000 euros being given back to the Dutch economy. But this is only if they manage to find a job (easier said than done), and ultimately pay taxes. If that’s the case, they could also “alleviate the shortage on certain parts of the labour market”, according to the CPB report.

Why do they come and why do they stay?

In 2018, foreign students made up 11.5 percent of the total number of students in the Netherlands. The Dutch system of higher education offers a better alternative to other systems with lower tuition fees, high-ranking institutions, and a chance to get a globally recognised degree.

In addition, being a student in the Netherlands is smoother with English being so widely spoken, the opportunities to integrate into Dutch culture, and the option to apply for a graduation visa to find a job.

You can see this reflected in the number of non-EU graduates who choose to stay behind – only 10 percent of HBO (universities of applied sciences) and 15 percent of university students from Europe stay as compared to 29 and 31 percent from outside.

Push back against internationalization

But there are widespread sentiments pushing back against this internationalization. The main criticisms include the fact that there are more and more programs being offered in English (20 percent of bachelor programs, and 70 percent of masters programs). The National Student Union (LSVb) fears that this would make higher education inaccessible to a lot of the Dutch population.

Are you a new international student who is trying not to get scammed after just making the big move to one of the student cities in the Netherlands like Rotterdam, Amsterdam, or somewhere else? What do you make of this? Do you agree? Or do you think it’s a good thing? Let us know in the comments below if you are, or even if you aren’t!

Feature Image: Nikolay Georgiev from Pixabay

Lelystad Airport Cleared for Take-off! That’s a Whole New Airport for You to Enjoy

Kavana Desai
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Lelystad Airport Cleared for Take-off! That’s a Whole New Airport for You to Enjoy

Good news for anybody who is tired of going to Schiphol and finding yourself lost in the huge holiday crowds: NOS is in the possession of a draft decision from the European Commission which will now give permission to airlines to distribute their flights between Schiphol and Lelystad Airport.

Lelystad Airport? I’ve never heard of it!

I hear ya! Neither have I so after some quick investigative journalism, I found out that Lelystad Airport is actually not that far from the Randstad. It is only one and a half hours away from Amsterdam Central Station, nearly three hours from Rotterdam Central Station, two hours from The Hague, and two hours from Utrecht Central Station (which includes multiple transfers).

Barely anything, right?

Freeing up Schiphol during the holiday season

It is owned by the Schiphol Group and is said to be the largest general aviation airport in the Netherlands. Jokes, sarcasm and Randstad arrogance apart, the opening up of this airport will relieve Schiphol of a lot of pressure and crowds it receives during the holidays. This has been in the works for nearly two years now, and The Hague and Brussels seem to be ready to finally come to a unanimous decision.

Photo credits: Jan Vašek from Pixabay

As they want to encourage this, airlines who willingly give up their spots at Schiphol or use them for transfer flights will be given priority at Lelystad. This priority will be valid for 25,000 flights in a year. As of now, only Transavia has shown interest in moving to Lelystad, and its parent company, KLM, will be using its slots for transfer flights. However, TUI and EasyJet want to stay put, and Corendon will make the move only under “certain conditions”.

When will Lelystad Airport be in full operation?

That’s going to be difficult to say. They were planning on opening in April 2020, but it seems that they will have to rethink that date and postpone it. As of now, the formal decision will be released by the end of September. But their problems don’t stop there. They have to also appease resident groups in Gelderland and Overijssel by redesigning the airport so that they no longer have “low-flying” routes.

What do you make of this? Do you think that more airlines would be willing to move to Lelystad Airport, or do you think this will not gain momentum anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Jan Vašek from Pixabay

 

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