Netherlands

Dutch inventor unveils device to scoop plastic out of rivers

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — A young Dutch inventor is widening his effort to clean up floating plastic from the Pacific Ocean by moving into rivers, too, using a new floating device to catch garbage before it reaches the seas.

The 25-year-old university dropout Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup to develop and deploy a system he invented when he was 18 that catches plastic waste floating in the ocean.

On Saturday he unveiled the next step in his fight: A floating solar-powered device that he calls the “Interceptor” that scoops plastic out of rivers as it drifts past.

Dutch prosecution requests Russia extradite Boeing MH17 crash ‘suspect’ Tsemakh

THE HAGUE, October 2. /TASS/: The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has sent a request to Russia to detain and extradite citizen of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Vladimir Tsemakh, spokesperson for the service Brechtje van de Moosdijk told TASS on Wednesday.

"The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (OM) has submitted a request for provisional arrest of Mr Tsemakh to the competent Russian authorities on September 7th 2019, for the purpose of extradition to the Netherlands," she said.

Nearly 400 die in Netherlands heatwave

THE HAGUE, Aug 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nearly 400 more people died in the Netherlands than normal during a record-breaking heatwave that swept Europe last month, the country’s statistics agency said.

Dutch temperatures soared to a new high of 40.4 Celsius on July 25, breaking a record dating back to 1944 and rising above the 40 Celsius mark for the first time since records began.

In total 2,964 people died in the week from July 22 to 27, the Dutch Central Statistics Bureau said, adding: “This is almost 400 people more than in an average week in the summer period.”

Partial Dutch ban on face-covering clothing comes into force

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A new Dutch law has come into force banning face-covering clothing — including the burqa and niqab worn by conservative Muslim women — on public transport, in government buildings and at health and education institutions.

The Netherlands, long seen as a bastion of tolerance and religious freedom, is the latest European country to introduce such a ban , following the likes of France, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Denmark.

Netherlands partially responsible for Srebrenica massacre, court rules

20 July 2019; DW: The Dutch Supreme Court upheld a ruling that Dutch UN peacekeepers had failed to protect 350 people in Bosnia in 1995. The judges found, however, that the Dutch government was only 10% liable for the atrocity.

The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Netherlands had "very limited liability" for the deaths of 350 men and boys during the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.

ICJ to deliver verdict in Kulbhushan Jadhav case

The Hague, Jul 17 (PTI) The International Court of Justice will deliver on Wednesday its verdict in a case relating to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, whose death sentence by a Pakistani military court based on an "extracted confession" has been questioned by India.

Jadhav, 49, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by the Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" after a closed trial in April 2017. His sentencing evoked a sharp reaction in India.

Intl court convicts Congo rebel leader known as ‘Terminator’

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The International Criminal Court on Monday convicted a notorious rebel commander known as “The Terminator” of 18 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder, rape and sexual slavery for his role in atrocities in a bloody ethnic conflict in a mineral-rich region of Congo in 2002-2003.

DR Congo warlord Bosco Ntaganda faces war crimes judgment at ICC

6 July 2019; DW: Ntaganda has been charged with 18 counts of war crimes and and crimes against humanity for his involvement in alleged atrocities carried out in Congo's northeastern Ituri province in late 2002 and early 2003.

Charges include recruiting and using child soldiers as well as murder, rape and sexual slavery.

These were allegedly committed while Ntaganda was deputy chief of staff of the military wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots.

Investigation team to announce progress in MH17 probe

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An international team of investigators building a criminal case against those responsible in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is set to announce progress in the probe, nearly five years after the plane was blown out of the sky above conflict-torn eastern Ukraine.

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