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Seven jailed for fatal attack on amateur football linesman Richard Nieuwenhuizen

Details: Category: News; Created on Monday, 17 June 2013 14:41; Written by Amsterdam Herald

Photo by Thomas

Six teenagers and a 51-year-old man have been found guilty of causing the death of Richard Nieuwenhuizen, the linesman who was attacked at the end of an amateur football game.

All 33,000 amateur fixtures were cancelled the weekend after Mr Nieuwenhuizen died as a debate raged about violence in amateur football. The 41-year-old was knocked down and kicked in the head following a match between two youth teams in Almere, Flevoland, last December. He got up and walked away from the scene but collapsed a few hours later and died the next day in hospital.

A court in Lelystad found that Mr Nieuwenhuizen died as a result of the violent attack which was witnessed by his son, Alain. Judges said all seven people accused of attacking the linesman were complicit in the assault and therefore responsible for the fatal kicks.

Take Wednesday off: one-day heatwave could see mercury reach 39C

Details: Category: News; Created on Monday, 17 June 2013 10:56; Written by Gordon Darroch

Photo by Maurits Koelewijn/ Amsterdam Mediabank

Summer has arrived at a gallop in the Netherlands. Less than three months since snow fell on Easter morning, and a month on from some of the coldest May days for 30 years, forecasters say there is an outside chance of record temperatures later this week.

Amsterdam's Vondelpark on a summer's day in 2009. Forecasters expect the thermometer to reach the low thirties by Wednesday across most of the country, with some spots in the south hitting 35 degrees.

In exceptional conditions the temperature could approach the all-time Dutch record of 38.6 degrees in the south and east.

Growing number of empty homes being used for illegal prostitution

Details: Category: News; Created on Monday, 17 June 2013 08:19; Written by Amsterdam Herald

Photo by Robert van Riel

Human traffickers are exploiting the housing crisis by setting up illegal brothels in empty rental properties, according to police.

Amsterdam's efforts to strengthen regulation in the licensed sex trade have had unplanned consequences. An enforcement campaign against unlicensed brothels saw 30 premises raided by police during April where around 35 women were working.

A survey by research agency Beke estimated that in Amsterdam alone 2000 people were working in so-called “domestic prostitution” based in a house or flat.

Spending cuts 'will not exceed €6 billion' despite worsening economic outlook

Details: Category: News; Created on Friday, 14 June 2013 10:07; Written by Amsterdam Herald

Photo by Minister-president Rutte (official photo)

The Dutch government insists it will not look to cut spending by more than €6 billion next year even if it falls short of the European Union’s budget target.

Coalition partners Diederik Samsom (Labour, left) and Mark Rutte (Liberals, right) face a difficult juggling act to keep jobs and spending sustainable. The economic planning agency CPB this week revised its forecast for 2014 downwards, predicting a contraction of 1 per cent for the year. Unemployment is projected to 7 per cent of the working-age population, its highest ever level.

The CPB said the government would need to find €7 billion worth of savings to cut its budget deficit to 3 per cent, the limit prescribed under the European Union’s financial discipline rules.

Students given 48 hours to own up over illegal trade in exam papers

Details: Category: News; Created on Thursday, 13 June 2013 13:15; Written by Gordon Darroch

Photo by Jefferson Clark

Secondary school students across the Netherlands will not have to resit their final exams because of the theft of 24 exam papers from a school in Rotterdam.

The number of exam papers stolen at Ibn Ghaldoun school in Rotterdam has risen to 24. An investigation has revealed that the exams taken from the Ibn Ghalboun school were copied and sold to other students in the city and beyond, but the education ministry said there was no evidence of large-scale fraud.

The Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI) has been drafted in to study exam papers for anomalies as students were warned that their diplomas could be cancelled if they obtained exam papers illegally.