Expatica news

Dutch news in brief – 26 April

Friso and Mabel tie the knot

Dutch Prince Johan Friso and his bride Mabel Wisse Smit got married in Delft on Sunday. Johan Friso, second son of Queen Beatrix, chose to marry Wisse Smit despite failing to win government approval after the couple admitted acknowledged she had a deeper relationship with a murdered drugs baron Klaas Bruinsma than she had originally admitted to.

Youth crime increasing

Crime and violence among young people in the Netherlands is on the increase. New figures have emerged from “Operation Young”, a project commissioned by the government to look into its youth policies. Between 1997 and 2001, police questioned 47,000 juvenile suspects. In 2002 the number had risen to 55,000. The number of violent offences by children also rose from 9,500 in 1999 to 12,000 in 2002, Radio Netherlands reported.

Dutch minister backs aid for Turk Cypriots

European Affairs Minister Atzo Nicolai said in Luxemburg on Monday that the northern part of Cyprus should still receive the EUR 259 million in aid earmarked by the European Union. Nicolai said the Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus should not suffer because the Greek population in the south of the divided island voted against reunification in a referendum at the weekend. The result means that the Greek side, which is recognised by the international community, will join the EU on 1 May. The Turkish population voted for the UN-backed reunification plan but will not now be joining the EU next month.

1,600 curses-a-week on Dutch TV

An average of 1,600 curses and course words are uttered on Dutch television every week, according to the findings of new research. This totals 80,000 curses on television in the Netherlands every year, say researchers at TNS NIPO, commissioned by the union against cursing, Bond tegen het vloeken, in 2003 to examine the situation. The resulting curse-o-meter recorded an average of 1.2 rude words or expletives per hour of programming. The foulest mouths were found on the commercial stations.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news