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Dutch Youtubers arrested at Area 51 (No, they were not aliens trying to escape)

Kavana Desai
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Dutch Youtubers arrested at Area 51 (No, they were not aliens trying to escape)

Aliens – do they exist, and are they hiding from us? Or they being kept from us in Area 51? These are the pressing questions that plague us today. Two Dutch Youtubers were arrested on Tuesday for trespassing on this secret test location. Were they trying to find the answers to these questions? We don’t know. 

Ties Granzier (20) is a YouTuber with around 735,000 subscribers and Govert Sweep (21) has around 307,000 subscribers. As they were Dutch, they could clearly read the “Do Not Enter” and “No Trespassing” signs that every visitor is greeted with outside of the Nevada National Security Site, a secured and militarised test location for the US Air Force.

They had already made it a few kilometers into the site before they were stopped and arrested by the police and detained in the Nye County prison near Las Vegas. After they found out that they were YouTubers, they searched their car to find cameras and a drone that already had some footage of the site.

This was the video released by the Nye County Sheriff’s office on their Facebook page:

Area 51: Storm it next Friday, according to the Facebook event

Were these YouTubers trying to find out if aliens were being kept there? Or were they trying to jump on the bandwagon, where hundreds of people have clicked “going” on a Facebook event to storm this mystery clad military base on September 20? So many questions, so few answers.

Were you one of the people who clicked “going” on the event? Or have you been like me, just enjoying the memes and GIFs that have come out of this? Let us know in the comments below! And supply some of that good quality memes while you’re at it.

Feature Image: Martin Str from Pixabay

Starting today, the Netherlands gets free exclusive access to Disney’s new streaming service: Disney +!

Freya Sawbridge
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Starting today, the Netherlands gets free exclusive access to Disney’s new streaming service: Disney +!

Two months before the official launch date of November 12, the Netherlands can use Disney + streaming service for free! 

The Netherlands, along with US and Canada, has been chosen to trial the Disney + streaming service. From today we get free and exclusive access to enjoy movies like Iron Man and Avengers before the rest of the world. Yes, please!

What’s on offer at Disney plus in the Netherlands?

Most of the Disney films will be available as well as Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel. Movies can be streamed or downloaded in high quality.

Some films can also be watched in the Dutch version.

The upcoming (Nov 11) and highly anticipated ‘The Mandorlian’ series will not be available on the free Disney plus trial in the Netherlands, some other series won’t be there as well. But if we’re correct, you can finally binge-watch the Simpsons!

How much will Disney + cost in the Netherlands after the free trial?

After being privy to the first two months for free, the service will charge €6.99 per month or €69.99 per year.

Disney previously stated that those with an account can create seven profiles and that up to four devices can use the account simultaneously.

Where can you download Disney + in the Netherlands?

Here are the relevant links to download the service on your device:

Android (TV): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.disney.disneyplus 

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/disney/id1446075923

PS4: shorturl.at/pzNX7

Xbos One: shorturl.at/auQ04

If you’re really eager to get Disney + but aren’t from the Netherlands then there is always a VPN service so that you too can enjoy the Avengers and use Disney + streaming service for free!

Excited? Check out this promo clip here:

Here’s one in Dutch:

And here’s some info on Disney plus in English:

Also, it’s good to know that we’re not sponsored by Disney but if you’re reading this we’ll happily go to Disneyland Paris for a review!

Have you already downloaded Disney + and signed up for it here in the Netherlands? We’d love to hear your experiences with Disney’s new streaming service in the Netherlands 🙂 (and since we’re not sponsored, feel free to complain as well)

Feature image: Abuzer van Leeuwen 

Shell and other multinationals to start paying income tax in the Netherlands

Kavana Desai
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0
Shell and other multinationals to start paying income tax in the Netherlands

“Is the Netherlands a tax haven for multinational companies?” That was a question on everyone’s minds when it was first revealed in May that Shell was well within its rights by not paying corporate income tax. However, the government will be overhauling the tax payment schemes for such companies from 2021 onwards.

How did companies like Shell benefit from the tax system in the Netherlands?

According to reports, Shell did not pay any tax on their profits between 2016 and 2018. The official laws in the Netherlands gives multinationals access to “fiscal options”. They allowed for multinationals to make use of tax laws where they could declare foreign losses, like liquidation and termination of activities, as deductibles on their corporate income tax in the Netherlands.

Why would a country allow for such a law to be set in place? They were devised within the context of creating more jobs and investment within the country’s economy. These rules were set in place to attract more multinationals into the country, and give them enough incentive to stay here.

The Netherlands also serves as a valid alternative to other “tax havens” as it has low corruption, an exhaustive network of tax treaties, and minimal taxes on money passing through Dutch subsidiaries, which makes it easy for multinationals like Shell to operate internationally from the country.

According to NOS, with these changes, the treasury will see “several hundred million euros”. Up until now, they have not been paying any tax on the 1 billion euros profit they make each year. With the proposed new changes, they would have to pay around 250 million euros in tax.

Changes to the corporate income tax

Apart from not allowing multinationals from declaring foreign losses as deductibles, the corporate income tax will also be lowered from next year. However, the rate will depend on how much profit a company makes. According to sources who have informed NOS, companies having a profit of less than 200,000 euros will have a lowered rate. They are currently paying at a rate of 19%, which will be lowered to 16.5% next year, and subsequently 15% in 2021.

But for companies which make more in profit will not enjoy the same. They currently pay a rate of 25%, which will stay the same for next year. However, in 2021, this will be lowered to 21.7%.

Do you think these changes to the Dutch tax system will stop it being a tax haven for multinational companies like Shell? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Dutch doctor acquitted in euthanasia case

Freya Sawbridge
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0
Dutch doctor acquitted in euthanasia case

A 74-year-old patient with Alzheimer’s was euthanised in 2016. The Dutch doctor who administered the drug was taken to court to challenge whether she broke Dutch euthanasia laws. The judge acquitted the doctor yesterday in this landmark case. 

The patient’s wishes

Just after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the patient made a written statement expressing her wish to die if she ever needed to be put in a care home. She made it clear however, that she would like to decide exactly when she would be euthanised.

As the patient’s condition deteriorated and before the woman needed to be taken into care, the doctor deemed it appropriate to euthanise her. The decision was verified with two independent doctors who agreed with it.

The Prosecution

The doctor sedated the woman before administering the lethal drug that would end her life. The prosecution argued that a more current death wish should have been sought and by failing to do so, the doctor broke euthanasia law.

Judge’s ruling

The case focused on whether the patient could reasonably be expected to want to end her life given her state of mind or if the doctor should have kept consistently asking for consent. 

Prosecution service spokeswoman Sanna van der Harg states “A crucial question to this case is how long a doctor should continue consulting a patient with dementia, if the patient in an earlier stage already requested euthanasia,” the BBC reports. 

The judge, Mariette Renckens, told the court in The Hague “We believe that given the deeply demented condition of the patient the doctor did not need to verify her wish for euthanasia”, the Guardian reports.

A round of applause could be heard after the acquittal was announced.

The woman’s daughter agreed with the doctor’s decision and said the euthanasia “freed my mother from the mental prison which she ended up in” reports the Guardian.

Landmark case for the Netherlands

Euthanasia has been legal since 2002. Someone qualifies for euthanasia if they are facing “unbearable and endless suffering” and have asked to die “earnestly and with full conviction”.

This case sets a precedent on how to apply the euthanasia laws to people suffering from a mental illness.

Feature image: DarkoStojanovic on Pixabay 

Hundreds of passengers stuck on train for 3 hours between Breda and Rotterdam

Kavana Desai
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Hundreds of passengers stuck on train for 3 hours between Breda and Rotterdam

Maas River may not be usable as drinking water source in near future

Freya Sawbridge
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Maas River may not be usable as drinking water source in near future

A report, published by drinking water companies today, showed the Maas River may not be a major source for drinking water in the near future. This risks a shortage of water for over four million Dutch people.

The river supply

The river begins in France and stretches through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea. It runs for 925 kilometres.

The Maas gives tap water to around 4 million people, based predominantly in South Holland and Zeeland. It also provides water to over 3 million Belgians. The number of customers are growing and the demand is increasing, especially with record-breaking temperatures and the number of unexpected heatwaves we had during summer. The hot temperatures are creating a drought which reduces the flow of water.

Photo by Abuzer van Leeuwen

Report shows RIWA-Maas are concerned

RIWA-Maas (a group of drinking water companies in the Netherlands and Belgium) published their 50th annual report earlier today. The report in previous years addressed the quality of the water but now the focus has become a quantity issue.

Many drinking water companies that get their supply from the river are getting increasingly concerned. Some even fear the river will be unusable far earlier than they expect.

RIWA-Maas director, Maarten van der Ploeg, says there is a lot of pressure on the river “(there’s) not only people but also industry and farmers who need water in the summer. At that moment our system starts to crack. If there is an incident, such as an unknown contamination, drinking water companies will get into trouble”, NOS reports. 

Problems exacerbated

In France, new locks (a device used for raising and lowering boats between water of different levels on a river) are replacing worn out locks on the river.

Chairman of RIWA-Maas, Wim Drossaert, questions “The question is what remains for us if everyone tinkers a bit on the Maas”, NOS reports “we’re just waiting for the moment when not enough water comes out of the tap.”

Imagine one day if water just stopped flowing from our taps! Are you worried about this? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature image: kaboompics on Pixabay 

The first prefab hemp house in the Netherlands! A solution to the housing crisis?

Freya Sawbridge
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1
The first prefab hemp house in the Netherlands! A solution to the housing crisis?

A Dutch company, Dun Agro, has built a prefab for a house* made entirely from cannabis. The hemp house is located a couple of hundred kilometres away from Amsterdam and is said to be more sturdy and affordable than traditional houses as well as earthquake-resistant.

How is this cannabis concrete made?

The process begins by making “hempcrete”. Hemp is a tough strain of cannabis that is already used to make a variety of commodities such as clothes, food and bio-fuel. Unlike marijuana, hemp does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the psychoactive substance that gives you the high (so no you cannot have a mass weed supply by purchasing one of these houses).

Dunagro’s hempcrete is made by melting hemp, water and glue and then pouring the mixture into a mould to create the foundations of the house. It takes around three months to dry.

The solution to the Dutch housing crisis?

These abodes can be built in a much shorter time than traditional homes because the material is built beforehand meaning the house can be erected easily.

Based on the production of hemp farms in the Netherlands, Dun Agro believes it is feasible to make and sell around 500 of these homes each year.

A hemp house: Is it environmentally-friendly?

We will start with a basic biology lesson: Plants fix unusable and damaging CO2 from the air through absorption and conversion. Hemp is a “carbon-fixing” master-plant as it takes on 13,500 kilos of CO2 when it grows which is then utilised it the hempcrete. This is also known as a “carbon-negative” material which means more carbon is sucked out of the air when growing the hemp plant than is emitted through the production of the hempcrete.

There is currently 1100 hectares of land being used to grow hemp in the Netherlands. Hemp is an appealing and advantageous crop to invest in as it grows exceptionally fast, doesn’t require many pesticides or fertiliser and produces deep roots which create a sturdy ground.

“..industrial hemp is the highest biomass producer of all agricultural crops. Its growth rate outclasses that of trees: hemp produces per hectare in four months the equivalent to what trees produce in seven years” 

-source: ‘hempcrete factsheet’ by tom abbott

Does the shorter building time compromise the durability?

Nope! These homes are said to be more durable and even earthquake-resistant. Hempcrete is also great at regulating temperature meaning huge savings can be made on energy costs.

This prefab house was unveiled at the end of November 2018 and there are plans to produce another one soon.

If you’re interested in learning more about the miracle cannabis plant then check out our article on five myths about weed and the ultimate guide to smoking weed in the Netherlands. 

*please note the house picture is not the actual prefab house

Feature image: Skitterphoto and GDJ on Pixabay

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

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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0
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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1
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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0
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.

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