Dutch news in brief – 5 May - Expatica Netherlands

Dutch also at risk of Nato dirty bomb threat

The Netherlands and Germany would also suffer heavy casualties from if the Nato headquarters in Brussels was attacked with nuclear material. A secret Nato exercise in Brussels revealed that an explosion using enriched uranium would kill 40,000 people and injure 300,000 more. The purpose of the exercise was to discover whether the security alliance was prepared for a terrorist attack, possibly by Al Qaeda. After the simulation was carried out, experts said the world is not paying sufficient attention to the threat of a possible nuclear attack carried out by extremists.

Randstad moves east

Dutch employment agency Randstad is planning to open branches in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company says there are opportunities there because of the recent enlargement of the European Union. It opened a branch in the Polish capital, Warsaw, last month, Radio Netherlands has reported. Randstad also said it made net profits of EUR 15.4 million in the first quarter of this year compared with a EUR 3.3 million loss in the same period last year.

School stabbing suspect ‘remains a threat’

Psychiatric experts have asserted that there is a large chance that a 35-year-old man — who is charged with stabbing a school employee in Amsterdam in January — could commit a repeat crime. Amsterdam Court thus dismissed on Tuesday a request from the defence to release the suspect, dentified only as S., from remand custody. The suspect claims the stabbing victim sexually abused him as a youth, but the male employee of the Mgr. Hermusschool — who eventually recovered from his injuries — has denied the allegations. The trial will start on 28 May.

Dutch author Thea Beckman dies, aged 80

Dutch author Thea Beckman died on Tuesday night in her home town Bunnik. She was 80 years old. Rotterdam-based publisher Lemniscaat said Beckman had been ill for several months. The author’s books are extremely popular. She wrote almost 30 books and compilations of short stories. Her bestseller, Kruistocht in spijkerbroek, has gone through 70 reprints and has sold 500,000 copies.

Subject: Dutch news