More than 100 Dutch newspapers and magazines are participating in the ‘Paste for Amnesty’ campaign.
In the coming weeks, the publications will distribute more than 10 million posters calling for an amnesty for asylum seekers who have been in the Netherlands for more than five years.
People can show that they support amnesty for the […]

Exhibition of a Monumental Masterpiece of the Enlightenment
On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, the University of Maastricht’s library exhibits a large number of editions and volumes of his Natural History.
Buffon (Montbard 1707 - Paris 1788) was one of the most important, famous, and widely read naturalists […]

DutchNews.nl is an independent initative by a group of experienced English-language journalists based in the Netherlands: Abi Daruvalla and Robin Pascoe, whose writing and broadcasting credits stretch from Time Magazine and Het Financieele Dagblad to the BBC and Radio Netherlands (Wereld Omroep).
DutchNews.nl is a free A4 daily round-up of the day’s top Dutch news […]

Homosexual asylum seekers from Iran will be able to remain in the Netherlands if they can convince the authorities they are at risk of persecution at home. Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk says information based on a Human Rights Watch report indicates that gays and lesbians suffer systematic persecution in Iran.
Last year, the repatriation of failed […]

In Amsterdam, 1,445 Muslims are vulnerable to radicalisation. “These people form no risk for Dutch society,” conclude researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The population however appears to think quite differently about this.
The UvA’s Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (IMES) was commissioned by Mayor Job Cohen to carry out research into radicalisation of […]

The European Commission laid out plans on Wednesday to complete the opening of the European Union’s postal services market to competition by 2009, despite fierce opposition from some countries.
EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, who is behind the plan, wants to build on the perceived success of Britain, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, […]

European Union foreign ministers have approved the European Commission proposal that Romania and Bulgaria be admitted to the EU next year.
The approval is on condition the two countries improve their efforts to combat corruption and serious crime. Brussels could otherwise threaten to withhold funds from the two prospective member states.
With the green light […]

The CNV Dutch union confederation has withdrawn a proposal to swap a Christian holiday for a free day marking the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
The idea that, for example, the second free day at Whitsun could be scrapped in favour of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast-day caused a furore when it […]

Dutch history and culture can be summed up in a timeline (known as the canon) made up of fifty icons, ranging from megalithic tombs to William of Orange, the Constitution and the gas fields in Slochteren.
That is the conclusion reached by the Van Oostrom Committee, the body appointed to produce the canon as an […]

In today’s edition of Radio Netherlands press review:
A commission appointed by the ministry of culture and headed by the president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences has just published what’s called a “canon” of 50 aspects of Dutch history, from the stone age to the present day, that are considered essential, standard learning when […]

Democracy in the Netherlands has eight “untamed problems.” Immigrants do not feel Dutch, freedom of speech is under pressure, the links between the media and politicians are too close, and confidence in politicians is low, according to the report ‘The State of Our Democracy.’
The report was presented yesterday to the Lower House by Administrative Renewal […]

The EU has ditched plans to hold big-style celebrations for its 50th anniversary next year, instead agreeing to two more modest plans - the appointment of citizens’ ambassadors and a series of activities for school children and youngsters.
Read full article: EU Observer, 16 October 2006
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Read in today’s Radio Netherlands press review:
An ongoing discussion in the papers makes its way into the Protestant daily, Trouw, which reports that there’s a foundation in the Netherlands whose sole purpose is to encourage white children to go to black schools. The Dutch minister for education, Maria van der Hoeven, says “Although there are […]

Construction of a glass fibre network started in Amsterdam on Thursday in a project that will connect 40,000 households in Zeeburg, Osdorp and Amsterdam Oost.
[…]The city council wants to construct the internet connection to enable it to compete with other world cities such as Paris, Cologne and Milan, which already have similar networks.
Full article: […]

The latest feature story is now on top of the page. This way, it gets a better place in the spotlight and gives Crossroads’ homepage a more dynamic and attrative look.
I hope to be able to post a new feature story every five to seven days.
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A unique event for all cat lovers, a first for Maastricht - is just around the corner: the World Winner Cat Show.
You can even enter your own cat! As it takes place close to Halloween, there will even be a ‘black cat competition’ !
Around 1,500 different breeds will be on show. Other highlights: a ‘catagility’ […]

Ulrike Heigl describes the needs of the expatriate community in Maastricht and offers a few suggestions.

My arrival in Maastricht in January 2002 was acclaimed with a big party on the market square and even some fireworks. Well, to be honest, it was not really my presence that the city of Maastricht was celebrating, but the inauguration of the Euro. The new currency and I arrived here the same time and I felt proud to have moved from London to the most European city of the continent, at least in my opinion. [continued…]

Health Minister Hans Hoogervorst has shocked a Lower House majority by declaring that discussions over medical care for illegal immigrants is surrounded by sentimentality. He claims they receive better care than the Dutch.
The Christian democrats (CDA) and the leftwing opposition parties were demanding better access to GPs for asylum seekers in a debate yesterday. The […]

A large majority in the Dutch parliament is in favour of admitting asylum seekers to the Netherlands if they can help the economy.
During a debate, Integration Minister Rita Verdonk won broad support for her plans for a flexible immigration policy in support of the economy.
Both government and opposition MPs said the authorities should […]

The European Journalism Centre, an independent, non-profit institute for journalism based in Maastricht, the Netherlands, seeks applications for:
- the position of Managing Editor News and Current Affairs for its EU-related websites
- the position of Intern for a Voluntariat/Extended Internship
- the position of Web Intern
Please visit the EJC’s website for more information […]

The European Commission has taken steps to promote the use of open source systems and software in the public sector.
It has selected a consortium led by Unisys Belgium to create and manage the Open Source Observatory and Repository (OSOR), the company announced. Other members of the consortium are the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation […]

State Secretary for Education Bruno Bruins wants to establish a special fund from which Dutch universities can pay allowances to international students from other EU countries.
Read full article: UK magazine, University of Groningen, 12 October 2006
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Eindhoven has been designated European Design Capital 2006 and from 21 till 29 October the city will be hosting the Dutch Design Week, the largest design event in the Netherlands.
Read full article: Cursor magazine, Technical University Eindhoven, October 2006
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Spotting a forged painting is a laborious process, typically involving hours of painstaking analysis by art experts. But a computer programme could slash the time it takes by spotting the telltale patterns and techniques used by individual artists.
Using high-resolution scans of paintings, the Authentic software builds up a library of characteristics, such as brushstrokes, colours […]

Last year, 72 thousand marriages were performed, almost twelve hundred fewer than in 2004. In 1999, nearly 89 thousand marriages were performed in the Netherlands. Since then, the number has declined almost continuously.
The baby boom and the effects of marrying younger
In 1945, more than sixty years ago, the number of marriages also stood at 72 […]

Europe risks falling behind China and India because governments are doing “painfully little” to improve educational standards on which economic growth depends, said a new study to be released Wednesday.
“We are still doing painfully little to take the most necessary step: developing and maintaining the human capital that will determine our future economic prosperity,” […]

The European Commission is gearing up for a major push on its flagship technology institute at the forthcoming EU summit in Finland, with both the education and industry commissioners claiming that there is a growing consensus about the plan despite initial reluctance by member states.
Read full article: EU Observer, 11 October 2006
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The EU’s industry commissioner Günter Verheugen has won the support of EU finance ministers for his plan to scrap some of the regulations for EU companies.
According to Mr Verheugen, European companies face administrative and bureaucracy bills running to as much as 600 billion euros per year and there is room to cut those costs by […]

Only around one in five Europeans and fewer than one in 10 Britons know that the EU has 25 member countries, according to a survey released Tuesday by the European Commission.
Read full article: EU Business, 10 October 2006
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Social Affairs State Secretary Henk van Hoof “cannot yet take a decision” on the date on which the Netherlands will open its borders to workers from the new EU member states. He thus appears to be heading for postponement.
The cabinet told the Lower House earlier it was aiming to introduce free movement of labour from […]