Spain beats Netherlands in extra time to reach Women's World Cup semis

WELLINGTON --  Teenager Salma Paralluelo hit an extra-time winner as Spain beat the Netherlands, 2-1, at the Women's World Cup on Friday to set up a semi-final clash with Japan or Sweden.

Over a tense 90 minutes in Wellington full of incident, Mariona Caldentey scored an 81st-minute penalty for Spain, only for Dutch defender Stefanie van der Gragt to equalize in added time 10 minutes later.

With the quarter-final seemingly headed for penalties, Paralluelo, 19, came off the bench to produce a brilliant solo finish.

The result sets Spain up for a semi-final against Sweden or Japan in Auckland on Tuesday, while the tournament is over for the Dutch, beaten finalists four years ago.

A match largely dominated by Spain -- and some VAR decisions -- burst into life late in normal time.

Paralluelo's winner capped a display of controlled attacking football from the sixth-ranked La Roja, who have regained their swagger after crashing to a 4-0 group-stage loss to Japan, having crushed Switzerland in the round of 16.

Spain hit the post twice and had a goal ruled out for offside, although the Dutch could also consider themselves unlucky to have a penalty awarded but then overruled midway through the second half.

Spain completely dominated the first half, making 11 unanswered attempts on goal.

The Dutch were rescued by the woodwork twice in quick succession when Alba Redondo's header was parried onto the post by goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and her follow-up nearly hit the same spot low down on the left post.

Spain captain Esther Gonzalez, who was a constant menace, lashed a shot into the net from a Redondo mis-hit but the striker was ruled offside by VAR.

The Netherlands regained a foothold in the second half.

They looked set to go in front when Lineth Beerensteyn tumbled over in the box following contact with Irene Paredes, who was shown a yellow card as French referee Stephanie Frappert pointed to the spot.

Frappert was advised by VAR to review and ruled there wasn't sufficient contact from Paredes, who had her yellow card withdrawn, much to the animated displeasure of Beerensteyn.

Spain went ahead from the spot in the 81st minute through Caldentey after Paralluelo's cross struck Van der Gragt's flailing hand just inside the penalty box.

Inter Milan defender Van der Gragt made amends in the first minute of stoppage time when her surging run was found by Victoria Pelova before blasting past Cata Coll inside the far post of the Spanish goal.

The Netherlands had the better chances in extra time, going close twice through Beerensteyn before conceding the decisive goal.

World player of the year Alexia Putellas, who is recovering from a knee injury, was introduced off the Spanish bench during extra time.

However, they will be without defender Oihane Hernandez for the semi-final after she was shown a yellow card for a foul.

Agence France-Presse

Netherlands to ban mobile phones from classrooms

THE HAGUE - The Netherlands said Tuesday it will ban mobile phones from classrooms in a bid to stop tech disrupting lessons.

Mobiles, tablets and smartwatches are getting in the way of students' learning and will not be allowed in class from next year, the Dutch government said.

"There is increasing evidence that mobile phones have a harmful effect during lessons", it said. "Pupils are less able to concentrate and their performance suffers."

"For this reason, mobile phones, as well as tablets and smartwatches, will no longer be allowed in classrooms from January 1, 2024."

The government is asking school authorities to agree on internal rules with teachers, parents and pupils by October.

The country's center-right coalition has not yet imposed a formal ban but says it reserves the right to do so after measuring progress next year.

Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf told parliament he hopes the move will usher in a "cultural transformation" and improve learning.

Agence France-Presse

Dutch police arrest 3 over ATM bomb attacks

Dutch police have arrested three people over a string of bomb attacks on cash machines in Germany that netted nearly one million euros ($1.05 million), the EU's policing agency said Thursday.

The three suspected members of a criminal gang that targets automated teller machines (ATMs) were arrested on Tuesday in the cities of Haarlem and Vianen in the Netherlands, Europol said.

Often using stolen vehicles and working in the dead of night, the gang used explosives to break into eight ATMs in Germany in October and November 2021 and steal the cash inside, Europol said in a statement.

"With the support of Europol, the Dutch Police, working together with the German Police... has arrested three suspected members of a criminal gang responsible for a string of robberies targeting ATMs in Germany," Europol said.

German police arrested three other suspects back in March 2020 and are hunting another fugitive.

The ATM raids in Hessen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Lower Saxony and Rhineland Palatinate in Germany netted over 958,000 euros in cash, Europol said.

The blasts also caused nearly one million euros of damage "demonstrating no insight into the risk of harm, or even possibility of death, to those who lived nearby or who were near the machines at the time."

Dutch and German police said in September 2021 that they had busted a criminal gang that made video tutorials on the increasingly popular method of raiding ATMs.

One suspect was killed and another wounded when a trial run at a so-called training centre for the explosive attacks went wrong in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

Agence France-Presse

'We missed you': Dutch bars, cafes, museums to reopen

THE HAGUE - The Netherlands will this week lift some of Europe's toughest COVID restrictions with bars, restaurants and museums allowed to reopen their doors, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Tuesday.

Rutte said the move, which takes effect from Wednesday, was in response to "great tensions" with the catering and cultural sectors over a virtual lockdown imposed days before Christmas.

"The Netherlands has missed you," Rutte told a news conference.

"Today we are taking a big step to further unlock the Netherlands. That feels contradictory while the contamination figures are going through the roof, and we have to be clear that we are taking a risk," he added.

Anger mounted after Dutch shops, gyms, hairdressers and sex workers were allowed to resume business on January 15, but other venues had to stay shut.

Cafes in several cities opened in defiance of the restrictions the weekend before last, while dozens of museums even opened as beauty salons for a day in protest.

Rutte said that the government was "consciously looking for the limits of what is possible, because of the great tensions and cries for help in recent days".

While new infections are running at around 60,000 a day, fueled by the Omicron variant, intensive care admissions and deaths have been falling in the Netherlands.

Health Minister Ernst Kuipers warned that it was "not the flu" and the situation remained sensitive, with hospitalizations rising again this week after a long period of decline.

But he said relaxing the curbs was important.

"Living for longer with restrictive measures harms our health and our society," said Kuipers.

Cafes bars and restaurants can open again until 10 pm from Wednesday, so long as patrons have a Covid pass, wear masks when not seated, and capacity is reduced, the government said.

Cinemas, theatres and museums may also welcome back customers, but nightclubs must stay closed for the time being.

Fans can also return to football matches and other professional sports, but stadium capacity will be limited. 

Quarantine rules for schools will also be relaxed, with classes no longer having to shut if three or more cases are confirmed, and children under 18 need no longer isolate after contact with an infected person.

But the government is still urging people to work at home and limit the number of visitors to four.

The current measures will remain in place until at least March 8.

Agence France-Presse

Virus see Heineken profits tank in first half of 2020

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Dutch brewing giant Heineken said Thursday the impact of coronavirus containment measures had "deepened" in the second quarter, seeing net profit crash by more than 75 percent in the first half of the year.

The world's second-largest brewer after Anheuser-Busch InBev said it expected a net loss of 300 million euros ($342 million) for the January- June period as it released preliminary figures.

"As expected, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis deepened in the second quarter of 2020," the Amsterdam-based brewer said in a statement.

Heineken remained optimistic however, saying that after a low mark in April, volumes have picked up as countries slowly emerged from lockdown around the world and customers restored depleted inventories.

Beer volume, down by 11.5 percent, was most affected in the Americas and Africa, for example by full lockdowns in Mexico and South Africa, as well as in the Middle East and eastern Europe.

One highlight remained the brewer's alcohol-free Heineken 0.0 brand which grew by double digits "with growth across all regions and with particular strength in the US and Mexico," Heineken said.

Heineken's announcement saw its share price fall by 2.3 percent in mid-afternoon trade on the Amsterdam stock exchange's AEX blue-chip index.

Founded in the 19th century, Heineken produces and sells more than 250 brands including Desperados tequila-flavoured beer, Sol, John Smith's and Strongbow cider.

It employs about 80,000 people in 70 countries around the world.

Agence France-Presse

Coronavirus vaccine may be ready in a year: EU agency

THE HAGUE - A vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be ready in a year's time under an "optimistic" scenario, based on trials that are underway, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said Thursday.

The Amsterdam-based EU agency also played down fears expressed by the WHO that the virus might never go away, saying it would be "surprised" if a vaccine was not found eventually.

"We can see the possibility if everything goes as planned that some of them (vaccines) could be ready for approval in a year from now," Marco Cavaleri, the EMA's head of vaccines strategy, told a video news conference.

"These are just forecasts based on what we are seeing. But again I have to stress that this is a best-case scenario, we know not all vaccines that come into development may make it to authorization, and may disappear," he added.

"We know also that there may be delays."

The EMA approves medicines for the 27-nation European Union.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the EMA said it had sped up the process for authorizing vaccines, which it said can often take 10 to 15 years to approve.

Cavaleri, however, said he was "a bit skeptical" about reports that a vaccine could be ready as soon as September.

"We would be happy to be proved wrong, but we are basing that on our experience" of how long it takes to test and approve vaccines, he said.

'SUFFICIENTLY OPTIMISTIC'

Work on treatments for patients who have already caught coronavirus were "more advanced and are already being tested," Cavaleri added.

The EMA has not yet authorized remdesivir, an anti-viral shown in US trials to reduce recovery times in patients, but said earlier this week that "compassionate" use for patients with severe COVID-19 should be expanded.

The agency, meanwhile, played down fears expressed by the World Health Organization that the virus "may never go away."

"I think it's a bit early to say but we have good reason to be sufficiently optimistic that some vaccines will make it," said Cavaleri.

"I would be surprised that if at the end of the day we don't have any vaccine for COVID-19."

With the world engaged in a race to find a cure, the agency said it would "ensure" any vaccine is available for European citizens, no matter where it is developed.

France on Thursday cried foul after pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said it would reserve first shipments of any vaccine for the United States, since the US government was helping fund the French multinational's vaccine research.

"Since it's a worldwide problem I hope we can have early access," said Noel Wathion, deputy executive director of the EMA.

Agence France-Presse

2 arrested for 12 billion password sale attempt in Netherlands, Northern Ireland

THE HAGUE - Police arrested two men in the Netherlands and Northern Ireland suspected of trying to sell some 12 billion stolen user names and passwords via an online website, Dutch police said Friday.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in the eastern Dutch city of Arnhem when police raided his house on a tip-off by a Dutch cyber crime unit working with Britain's National Crime Agency, the FBI and the German police.

A second suspect, also aged 22, was arrested in Northern Ireland, Dutch police said in a statement.

During the raid in Arnhem police found professional equipment which made it possible to sell the suspects' offered services via the 'We leak info' website," police said.

The Dutch suspect "is involved in the possession and offering hacked user names and passwords and played a facilitating role in regards to cyber crime," law agents added.

When searched by AFP Friday the website displayed a disclaimer saying: "This domain has been seized" by the FBI in conjunction with the other European law enforcement agencies.

Dutch police declined to give further information, saying the investigation was ongoing.

WeLeakInfo.com allegedly offered unlimited access to all information on its site for two dollars a day or 25 dollars a month, the NOS public broadcaster said.

The information was a collection of leaks and stolen passwords from popular websites and apps such as LinkedIn and MyFitnessPal.

"In theory, you could search hundreds or even thousands of leaked passwords to try and gain access to people's emails, their social media and other accounts," the NOS said.

Dutch and British police in 2018 led an operation in which they shut down a website linked to more than four million cyber attacks around the world.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

3 stabbed in The Hague shopping street

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Three people were wounded in a stabbing in one of the main shopping streets in The Hague as people hunted bargains on Black Friday, police said.

Police said they were still hunting a male suspect following the attack, which happened in a department store in the center of the city.

Dutch media played down speculation about a terror motive but said police were still keeping an open mind about the incident, which came hours after 2 people were stabbed to death in a terror-related attack in London.

"We are currently taking all scenarios into account," a Dutch police spokeswoman was quoted as saying by the ANP news agency.

The stabbing happened at the Hudson's Bay department store in Grote Marktstraat, the biggest shopping area in The Hague, which is lined with major retailers and brands.

"We are conducting extensive investigations into the stab incident... Due to the complexity, this takes time," they added.

"We are still looking for the perpetrator."

Police said they were looking for a "slightly dark-skinned man" with curly hair aged between 40 and 50 wearing a black top, scarf and grey jogging bottoms.

Social media images showed shoppers running in panic away from the scene, on a nighttime shopping street lit by Christmas fairy lights.

EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Members of the public gathered behind a police cordon on the street, where shoppers had earlier been looking for bargains on Black Friday, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

Police helicopters flew overhead and several emergency vehicles were on site, the correspondent said.

The stabbing was also not far from parliament in The Hague, which is the seat of government for the Netherlands and home to many international organizations.

The US embassy warned its nationals in The Hague to avoid the area because of "reports of a security incident" and told them to let loved ones know they were safe.

In the UK incident, 2 members of the public were killed in a stabbing on London Bridge in the heart of the capital. The suspected attacker was then tackled by passers-by and shot dead by police.

The Netherlands has seen a series of terror attacks and plots, although not so far on the scale of those in other European countries.

In March, 4 people were killed when a Turkish-born man opened fire on a tram in the city of Utrecht.

Dutch police on Monday arrested 2 suspected jihadists, one of them in The Hague, and charged them with planning a terror attack using suicide and car bombs.

Earlier this month, a Pakistani man was sentenced to 10 years in jail for a plot to kill far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

9-year-old Belgian prodigy set for university degree

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands—Like many other 9-year-olds, Laurent Simons likes TV and his pet dog. But he also wants to make artificial organs, and is about to get the qualifications to set him on his way.

The Belgian boy will in December receive a degree in electrical engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, which will make him one of the world's youngest graduates.

Far from being fazed by his achievements, which also saw him complete the course in just 9 months instead of the usual 3 years, Laurent says it's "normal"—although he adds too that it's "cool."

"I'm currently studying electrical engineering. It's about designing circuits and things like that. So chips, actually," the mop-haired youngster told AFP in the Dutch capital Amsterdam.

He adds that "I really like karting. And I like playing with my dog and watching Netflix."

His teachers run out of superlatives to describe him.

"Laurent's qualities are all simply extraordinary," says Sjoerd Hulshof, program director for electrical engineering at the university, a course that itself is considered particularly difficult.

The boy is "the quickest student we've ever seen. And he's not just hyper-intelligent, but very nice," Hulshof told AFP.

'BEING A CHILD'

While Laurent is studying in the labs of the university, his best friends are playing tag in the playground of his old school in the Belgian coastal resort of Ostend.

Laurent, wearing a rollneck jumper, jeans and trainers, himself says that "I don't really miss primary school, but I still have friends there."

He was raised in Ostend by his grandparents until the start of this year, as his parents Alexander and Lydia were "busy with work" in the Netherlands.

Starting school at 4, he completed primary in a year and a half. It has taken him just 5 years to go through primary and secondary school and university.

"In the end, it's about finding a balance for the child so that he enjoys life, being a child and being mischievous," says Alexander, 37, a Belgian dentist who has a practice in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.

"His grandfather and his grandmother, who raised him, told us already: he is very intelligent, more than the others... Then, when he was old enough to go to school, they kept doing tests on him from higher levels," adds Lydia, 29, who is Dutch and works as a dental assistant for her husband.

'I'VE ONLY JUST STARTED'

They are now selling the Rotterdam surgery so they can "completely dedicate" themselves to Laurent, who must be taken to university every day because he is too young to go by himself.

"He can't take the train himself," says Alexander, whose Amsterdam home features a huge black and white artwork of the faces of himself and his son.

His parents admit they "don't understand at all" the subjects that come so easily to Laurent, whose closest companions apart from his dog are his laptop and a book on integrated circuits.

Laurent says his goal now after receiving his degree in December is to "make artificial organs to prolong life."

The reason? He wants to help heart patients—like his grand-parents.

"I still have to see how I'll do it. I've only just started."

His parents are now already in contact with universities in the United States as they eye another degree for their son.

Aware of the media attention that has recently surrounded his son, Alexander says his son is growing up in a healthy environment unlike "singers and pop stars."

"If, one day, we realize he's becoming big-headed, that he's becoming pretentious or arrogant, we'll put his feet back on the ground."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Congolese warlord 'Terminator' gets harshest ever ICC sentence

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - International Criminal Court judges handed Congolese rebel chief Bosco "Terminator" Ntaganda a 30-year jail term for war crimes on Thursday, the highest ever sentence passed down by the tribunal in The Hague.

Ntaganda was convicted in July of crimes including murder, persecution and sexual slavery for a series of massacres of civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo's volatile, mineral-rich Ituri region in 2002 and 2003.

Condemning Rwandan-born Ntaganda's "multiplicity of crimes," judge Robert Flemr told him "the overall sentence imposed on you shall, therefore, be 30 years of imprisonment."

"Murder was committed on a large scale," Flemr said as he passed sentence, saying they had taken the "particular cruelty" of some of Ntaganda's crimes into account.

The judges gave him the maximum possible sentence allowed by the ICC in terms of the number of years, but said his crimes did not justify a full-life prison term which is reserved for the gravest offenses.

Ntaganda, dressed in a blue suit and shirt and wearing a red tie, stood motionless in the high-security courtroom as he listened through headphones while the judgement was read out.

An ICC spokesman confirmed it was the heaviest ever penalty handed down by the court, which was set up in 2002 to try the world's worst crimes.

Judges said 46-year-old Ntaganda was the ruthless driver of ethnic Tutsi revolts amid the wars that convulsed the DRC after the 1994 genocide of Tutsis in neighboring Rwanda.

They said Ntaganda was a "key leader" of the Union of Congolese Patriots rebel group and its military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC).

Most of the charges related to two bloody operations by Ntaganda's soldiers against civilians in rival villages in 2002 and 2003. The court heard fearful villagers dub him "Terminator" after the Arnold Schwarzenegger film about a merciless robotic killer.

In total, he was convicted on 13 counts of war crimes and five of crimes against humanity, becoming the first to be convicted by the ICC of sexual enslavement.

He was also the first-ever suspect to voluntarily surrender to the ICC, having walked into the US embassy in the Rwandan capital Kigali in 2013 and asked to be sent to the court in the Netherlands.

Sexual slavery

The ICC judges heard separately from victims and witnesses in September to help them decide on the sentence.

Fighters loyal to him carried out atrocities such as a massacre in a banana field behind a village in which at least 49 people including children and babies were disemboweled or had their heads smashed in.

Ntaganda was also responsible for the rape and sexual slavery of underage girls, and of recruiting troops under the age of 15.

More than 60,000 people have been killed since the violence erupted in Ituri region in 1999 according to rights groups, as militias battle each other for control of scarce mineral resources.

Ntaganda -- known for his pencil mustache and a penchant for fine dining -- told judges during his trial that he was "a soldier not a criminal" and that the "Terminator" nickname did not apply to him.

After the Ituri conflict, Ntaganda was integrated into the Congolese army and was a general from 2007 to 2012, but then became a founding member of the M23 rebel group in a new uprising against the government.

Prosecutors said his decision to hand himself in to the ICC that year was based on self-preservation as he was in danger because of a feud in the group.

Ntaganda is one of five Congolese warlords to have been brought before the ICC, which was set up in 2002 as an independent international body to prosecute those accused of the world's worst crimes.

Ntaganda's former FPLC commander Thomas Lubanga was sentenced to 14 years in jail in 2012.

But the ICC has suffered a string of setbacks over recent years with some of its most high-profile suspects walking free, including Ivorian former leader Laurent Gbagbo earlier this year.

It has also been criticized for mainly trying African suspects so far.

In March, the Philippines withdrew from the treaty that created the tribunal on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing complaints for alleged mass murders in his government's drug war.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Unilever to halve use of new plastic

THE HAGUE — Anglo-Dutch commercial giant Unilever said Monday it will cut its use of new plastic by half by 2025, admitting the move was partly to appeal to young, more environmentally-conscious customers

The firm, which owns brands including Dove soap, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and Marmite, would cut annual use from the current 700,000 tonnes of a year to no more than 350,000 tonnes.

The move comes as multinational firms face growing pressure to cut the use of plastics which are polluting both land and sea.

"Plastic has its place, but that place is not in the environment. We can only eliminate plastic waste by acting fast and taking radical action at all points in the plastic cycle," Unilever chief executive Alan Jope said in a statement.

But Jope told the BBC that the company -- whose 400 brands also include Knorr, Lipton tea and Magnum ice creams -- was also trying to remain "relevant".

"We do believe in trying to remain relevant for younger groups of consumers, and we know that millennials and Gen-Zennials, the next wave, really care about purpose and sustainability, and the conduct of the companies and the brands that they're buying," he told the broadcaster.

Of the 350,000 tonnes of "virgin plastic" Unilever will cut, it said 100,000 tonnes will come from an outright reduction in the use of plastic packaging, for example by making reusable or refillable packs, using alternative packaging or "naked products" that use none at all.

The other 250,000 tonnes of the reduction will come from using recycled plastics.

The firm said it would also "help collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells".

'GREENWASHING' ALERT 

Unilever said it was the "first major global consumer goods company to commit to an absolute plastics reduction".

Alternative methods it has tried recently include shampoo bars, refillable toothpaste tablets, cardboard deodorant sticks and bamboo toothbrushes.

The world produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastics annually, the UN says, with much of it ending up in the oceans.

Companies are coming under increasing pressure to act.

In September, 19 companies including Unilever, Nestle, Google and L’Oreal announced a "coalition" to protect biodiversity at the UN climate summit in New York.

Swiss group Nestle has made a similar pledge to the one by Unilever, saying that it will make all of its packaging reusable or recyclable, and raising to 35 percent the proportion of its plastic bottles that is made of recycled material.

US coffee giant Starbucks is meanwhile planning to ban plastic straws by 2020 while Walt Disney Co. said it would replace small plastic shampoo bottles at its resorts and many British supermarkets have drastically cut down plastic bag use.

There was also a pledge at this summer's G20 in Osaka to tackle marine plastics pollution, although environmentalists attacked it for being vague on detail. 

"There is a general awakening of conscience among consumers which is alerting both governments and producers," Gregory Bressolles, professor of marketing at Kedge Business School in France, told AFP.

However he warned against "attempts at greenwashing" by businesses.

"Greenwashing" is a term used to critics to describe efforts by companies to promote often spurious environmental measures for commercial gain. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Filipino LGBTs win 3rd place in best boat design in Amsterdam Canal Pride Parade

AMSTERDAM — It was a perfect ‘coming-out’ party for the Filipino LGBTs in Europe. 

The boat by the group Filipino LGBT Europe won third place, out of 80 participants, in best design during the Amsterdam Canal Pride Parade last Saturday, August 3.

It was the first time that a Filipino and Asian boat sailed through the Canal Pride Parade, one of the most unique and biggest pride events in the world. It was the highlight of the month-long pride celebration in the Netherlands.

Hundreds of thousands of people packed the main canals of Amsterdam for the parade that is held annually since 1996. It was expected to draw between half a million and a million people. 

Wearing indigenous costumes showcasing different regions in the Philippines, the Filipino LGBTs rode a boat inspired by the 'balangay,' a pre-colonial Filipino vessel, through the canals of Amsterdam along with other floats from various groups and organizations in the Netherlands.

Filipinos in the Netherlands and others who flew from all over Europe, threw their support, cheered and waved flags as the ‘balangay’ sailed through the picturesque canals of Amsterdam.

The more than 60 Filipino participants, their partners and friends executed a 10-minute, five-part performance that called for unity among LGBTs, HIV awareness, out and proud and marriage equality advocacies of the group. 

Filipino LGBT Europe chair Chris Sta. Brigada, who was dressed as a chieftain, chanted in Filipino as drums reverberated. The dance routine, music and indigenous costumes took the audience back to the past and relived some of the richest parts of the Filipino heritage and ethnic culture.

“Daar komt een fantastische boot aan—the Filipino LGBT Europe...Prachtig! Prachtig! Ik hou er zo van! Kijk die hoofdtooi! Geweldig! (Here comes a fantastic boat—the Filipino LGBT Europe. Beautiful! Beautiful! I love it so much! The headdress, look at the headdress! Magnificent!),” said actress and host of Pride Amsterdam livestream Eva Van de Wijdeveen. The host, who mispronounced ‘balangay’ as ba-lan-GAY, also narrated to the audience the significance of the Filipino boat that was making history as the first Filipino and Asian in the parade. 

Meanwhile, Genibe Molavin waited hours along the canal to see the parade for the first time. She said she couldn’t be more proud than today as a Filipino in the Netherlands. 

“It is my first time to see the Canal Pride and I am so proud to see the Filipino boat and our flag being waved for all the audience to see!” she enthused as she cheered for the Filipino LGBTs on the boat.

Lora Milan, another Filipino who saw the Canal Parade for the first time, was impressed by the Pinoys’ boat.

“Kakaiba talaga. (It’s so unique) It stands out. I am so proud,” said Milan.

This year’s Pride theme is “Remember the past, create the future”, which commemorates the Stonewall riots that broke out in New York 50 years ago and form a decisive moment in the history of the LGBT movement. The Filipino LGBT boat designed by Red Domingo played on the theme to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines that has yet to adopt marriage equality. The colorful design also symbolized equality and acceptance.

“I am just so teary-eyed with the news (that the Filipino boat got 3rd place) because this is the first time that the Filipino LGBTs in Europe joined forces together. It is a milestone. Kudos to the group! I am an ardent supporter because I believe that if we unite together all the countries that make it difficult for gay people will be awakened,” said Jitty Dela Cruz, a Filipino salon-owner and resident of Amsterdam for more than 30 years.

Participants on the boat flew in from the all over Europe not just from the Netherlands. They were also joined on the boat by fellow Pinoy and Mr. Gay World 2019 Janjep Carlos. 

Josepher Balesa and his partner Victor Glanville came from London to join the parade. Balesa said he practiced the dance routine and songs through regular teleconferencing with the group. 

“I made my way here because I want to be part of history,” Balesa said. His partner Glanville added that “the effort the Filipinos made was marvelous. The color was great. The routine was good…I’m glad we did come here… Except next time I’ll bring a go-pro so I can get over the heads of all the Filipinos waving their flags.”

During the after parade-celebration, the Filipino LGBT Europe chair Sta. Brigada said despite the success of their first ‘coming out’ in the Canal Pride, there were still a lot of things to be done.

“The anti-discrimination bill needs to be passed, our marriages in Europe need to be recognized in the Philippines, HIV-AIDS awareness campaign needs to be strengthened,” said Sta. Brigada, ending that this participation sends love to all Filipinos especially in the Philippines to be proud of who they are. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Uber acts against LGBT discrimination during Dutch gay pride

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Ride-hailing operator Uber announced Monday it has launched in the Netherlands a new function that allows LGBT users to report if they have suffered discrimination.

The "report button" made its debut during the Gay Pride festival in Amsterdam, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The Netherlands is the first country where the app's new function is available but it could be rolled out in other countries as well, a company spokesman said.

The move is part of measures promoted by taxi services to fight discrimination in Amsterdam, where members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual community accuse drivers of regularly rejecting them as passengers.

"When I want to take a taxi, they often refuse to take me as a passenger. And sometimes, when I am actually seated in a taxi, the driver doesn't want to speak to me," Jennifer Hopelazz, an Australian drag queen based in Amsterdam for nearly 30 years, said in a video posted on the Uber Netherlands website Monday.

The latest incident occurred in early July when an Uber driver refused to pick up Hopelazz.

"I feel angry, wounded and humiliated," Hopelazz said in the video.

In a statement, Uber vowed to "work hard to fight against this discrimination".

"Unfortunately there still exist some examples of intolerance and discrimination in the taxi business," the company said.

Depending on the seriousness of the allegations, Uber will respond to complaints by mail, instant message or a phone call, and a warning could be sent to drivers accused of discrimination.

In turn, drivers will also be able to use the new function to report complaints.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Records tumble in Europe as heatwave bites

PARIS -- Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands recorded their highest ever temperatures as a European heatwave soared towards its peak on Wednesday, impacting rail transport and prompting a number of drownings with people taking to the water.

Cyclists in the Tour de France in southern France had to puff their way over the course in well over 30 degrees Celsius while in the Netherlands, farmers have been leaving their cows outside to sleep, rather than bringing them in at night.

Belgium registered an all-time high of 39.9 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) at the Kleine-Brogel military base, beating a record that dated back to June 1947.

In Germany the temperature soared to 40.5C (104.9F) in western Geilenkirchenthe, surpassing the previous record of 40.3 (104.5)

In the Netherlands, 38.8C at Gilze-Rijen, in the south, displaced a record dating back 75 years.

The second heatwave in less than a month has focused new attention on climate change and a host of French cities broke records on Tuesday. Wine capital Bordeaux hit 41.2C (106.16F) while the central city of Vichy climbed to 41.3C (106.3F).

Paris is facing its hottest day on Thursday with the French capital's 70-year-plus record of 40.4C (104.7F) forecast to fall. Cooler weather with rain was expected to provide relief from Friday.

"It's too much for us," said Sven Schenk, 29, a logistics worker from Germany who was visiting Paris. "We're not looking forward to tomorrow! But we haven't changed our plans."

RAIL CHAOS

Britain's Met Office predicted a chance that the UK temperature record of 38.5C (101.3F) which was recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2004, will also be exceeded on Thursday at the peak of the heat.

Britain's Network Rail said it was slowing down trains in response to the extreme weather. 

French trains were also slowed down and the national rail operator SNCF advised travelers in the worst affected areas to delay journeys planned at the peak of the heatwave Thursday.

Thalys and Eurostar train services between Brussels, Paris and London were disrupted by a failure on an overhead power line, although it was not immediately clear if this was due to the heatwave.

A Eurostar train bound for London tore down part of the cable support just outside Brussels. The 600 passengers were eventually taken back to Brussels, the Belga news agency said.

Across the area affected by the unusually high heat, people tried to cool off in lakes and rivers.

In London, police were searching for three people who went missing in the River Thames while swimming while three people have drowned in Germany since Tuesday.

Dutch media said hundreds of pigs died when a ventilator failed at Middelharnis.

TAKE CARE OF OTHERS

France's weather office said the scorching conditions "require particular care, notably for vulnerable or exposed people" with almost the entire country under an orange-level weather alert, the second highest level.

Paris in particular remains haunted by the early summer of 2003 when 15,000 deaths were blamed on the heat and the authorities were bitterly criticized for not mobilizing fast enough.

"We need to take care of ourselves but above all others, especially those who are alone, and be able to detect the first symptoms of heatstroke," said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Local authorities have placed restrictions on water usage in many areas due to drought-like conditions that have seen ground and river water levels fall dramatically.

CLIMATE CHANGE

This summer's second heatwave has amplified concerns in Europe that human activity is heating the planet at a dangerous rate.

The June 26-28 blast of heat in France was four degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit) hotter than an equally rare June heatwave would have been in 1900, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) team said this month. 

One study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said the deadly, weeks-long heatwave across northern Europe in 2018 would have been statistically impossible without climate change.

Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has highlighted the problem of global warming through school strikes, warned MPs at France's parliament of dire consequences if "business as usual" continues until 2030.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Rapinoe and Lavelle give U.S. fourth World Cup title

LYON, France - The United States won a record-extending fourth women's World Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands on Sunday as second-half goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle confirmed their status as the leading power in the women's game.

The defending champions struggled to gain dominance for an hour before a Rapinoe penalty, her sixth goal of the tournament, broke the deadlock and a fine individual effort from Lavelle in the 69th minute put the outcome beyond doubt.

The Dutch, who are the European champions, ran out of steam after Rapinoe opened the scoring in the 61st minute, having done more than any team to frustrate the Americans.

A perfect occasion for Rapinoe, whose outspoken views have been most prominent on the pay disparity between men and women players, was capped when FIFA chief Gianni Infantino was booed amid chants of "equal pay, equal pay" by U.S. fans.

At 34, Rapinoe is unlikely to be back on this stage in four years' time, but it is hard to imagine her walking away from the battles she has led with the U.S. Soccer Federation and world governing body FIFA over fairer terms for the women's game.

However, amidst the firework celebrations after the final whistle, Rapinoe's thoughts were on her team's triumph -- their second in a row after the 2015 victory in Canada.

"It's like history. I don't know how to feel right now. It is ridiculous," said Rapinoe.

"We're crazy that's what makes us special. We just have no quit in us. We are so tight. We will do anything to win."

Rapinoe's earlier comments, regarding a rejection of any eventual invite to the White House, brought her into the centre of political debate but the side's win was greeted positively by President Donald Trump.

"Congratulations to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team on winning the World Cup! Great and exciting play. America is proud of you all!" tweeted Trump.

New York city mayor Bill de Blasio said the team would receive a "ticker tape parade" down the 'Canyon of Heroes" in Manhattan on Wednesday.

RAPINOE RETURNS

The purple-haired Rapinoe was back in the starting lineup after sitting out the 2-1 semi-final win over England with a slight muscle strain.

Her place in the side came at the expense of Christen Press while Netherlands left-winger Lieke Martens was fit to play after overcoming a toe injury.

The Dutch made an aggressive start, with some strong challenges, and midfielder Sherida Spitse picked up a booking in the 10th minute for a lunging challenge on Lavelle.

The U.S, who had scored in the opening 12 minutes of every previous game at this tournament, were struggling to settle as their opponents harried and closed them down quickly.

The Netherlands looked to hit the Americans on the counter-attack and that approach almost bore fruit in the 26th minute when Vivianne Miedema released Lineth Beerensteyn through the middle but U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher was alert.

However, as the half wore on, the U.S. gradually gained the upper hand and Dutch keeper Sari van Veenendaal did well to parry a fierce first-time drive by Julie Ertz in the 28th.

Then Alex Morgan turned a low cross from Rapinoe goalwards and Van Veenendaal tipped the ball against the post before safely gathering it.

The pressure was mounting as Morgan brought the Dutch keeper into action again with a fine shot on the turn in the 40th.

U.S defender Kelley O'Hara had to be substituted at halftime, following a clash of heads with Martens, and Ali Krieger came on at right-back.

VAR PENALTY

Encouraged by their first half resilience, the Dutch stuck with the same tenacious approach after the break but their aggression proved to be their downfall.

Stefanie van der Gragt's foot caught Morgan's upper arm after a high challenge in the box and the American fell to the ground. After initially awarding a corner, the French referee turned to the video review and then gave a penalty.

Rapinoe took the responsibility and coolly slotted the ball past the almost stationary Van Veenendaal to bring to life the large American contingent in the capacity crowd of 57,900.

Suddenly the U.S. were more relaxed and the Dutch appeared to lose not only their cohesion but also their energy.

Perhaps sensing that dip, Lavelle took the game directly to the Dutch - bursting out of midfield towards the heart of the defense and dropping her shoulder to the left before unleashing a sweet shot into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

The Americans were suddenly swarming all over the Dutch, Tobin Heath, Morgan and Crystal Dunn all threatened to add a third goal.

If the Dutch were going to get back into the game a set-piece looked the most likely route and Spitse went close with a free-kick in the 80th minute that flashed just wide.

But that was their last attempt at making a comeback that, in truth, never looked likely.

The Americans had outlasted the Dutch and a fourth World Cup crown was theirs to celebrate with their adoring fans.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World Cup final with extra-time rocket

LYON, France - A long-range strike from Jackie Groenen sent European Champions the Netherlands into their first women's World Cup final as they edged Sweden 1-0 after extra time in their last-four clash on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old midfielder scored in the 99th minute when she collected a deflected pass outside the box and struck it expertly into the bottom right corner of the goal to put the Dutch into Sunday's final against holders the United States.

"I saw a nice angle. We've been discussing this for a couple of weeks now, that I need to take shots more often. The ball just came really nicely, and I thought, 'Let's do this',” the goalscorer said.

"We are going to rest a lot first but now first a party. Sunday in the final -- unbelievable," said coach Sarina Wiegman, herself a former Netherlands midfielder who amassed more than 100 caps in a 14-year playing career.

That was before the Dutch, playing in only their fifth major tournament, became the force they are now.

The game marked the first time a women's World Cup semi-final had gone to extra time and it proved a tight contest between the two sides, who last met in the quarter-finals of Euro 2017 when the Dutch won 2-0 before going on to win the competition.

While the 48,452 spectators in attendance fell a few thousand short of those who watched the U.S. beat England 2-1 the previous evening, there was still a cacophony from 'ultras' of both Sweden and the Netherlands behind each goal.

The match build-up had focused on the talented Netherlands forwards such as all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema (60 goals) and the pacy attack of 2016 Olympic silver medallists Sweden, featuring Stina Blackstenius who had scored the winner against Germany in the previous round.

However, it was the goalkeepers who found themselves the busiest players throughout the regulation 90 minutes.

Sweden were the brighter side in the first half but could not find a way past Netherlands stopper Sari van Veenendaal.

The captain routinely tipped over dangerous inswinging corners and instinctively saved with her foot a close-range toe poke from Lina Hurtig shortly before halftime.

CLOSE CHANCES

The Netherlands had to replace Lieke Martens, still suffering with a toe injury, with Jill Roord at the break but then the match began to open up.

Sweden defender Nilla Fischer hit the post 10 minutes after the restart and Miedema had her header tipped on to the bar by the fingertips of Hedvig Lindahl.

The 36-year-old keeper, who most recently played for Chelsea in England, was equal to the threat of a Dutch side who grew in confidence, particularly with the introduction of Olympique Lyonnais's Shanice van den Sanden who flew down the right wing.

Lindahl tipped over a fierce strike from the pink-haired Van den Sanden in second-half stoppage time. However, her resistance was finally broken by an excellent quickfire strike from Groenen in the first period of extra time.

The midfielder, who will feature for Manchester United in England's top flight next season, chose the perfect time to register her first shot on target and first goal of the tournament.

Despite playing in only their second World Cup, the Netherlands keep their incredible journey going with a final date against the record three-time world champions on Sunday. They already have a prize in a guaranteed place at their first Olympic Games next year in Tokyo.

Sweden, meanwhile, will take on England in the third-place match in Nice on Saturday but they may be without striker Kosovare Asllani who fell awkwardly in the closing stages and had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

"Now it's about the medal. Ending up third of course feels a lot better than ending up fourth. We'll do everything in our power to try to do that," Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson said. 

(Reporting by Christian Radnedge Editing by Clare Fallon)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Is it curtains for Amsterdam's red light district?

THE HAGUE, Netherlands—Amsterdam's mayor on Wednesday proposed drawing curtains over the notorious glass-fronted booths where sex workers ply their trade, as part of an overhaul of the city's famed red-light district.

Femke Halsema, the Dutch capital's first female mayor, presented 4 options for improving conditions for women who work in prostitution, cutting crime and reducing the burden of mass tourism in the area.

The red-lit canalside windows and sex shops of the Wallen district near the main train station are one of the biggest draws for the 18 million tourists who flock to the Netherlands' biggest city every year.

"For many visitors, the sex workers have become no more than an attraction to look at. In some cases this is accompanied by disruptive behavior and a disrespectful attitude to the sex workers in the windows," her office said in a statement.

"At the same time, there has also been a major increase in unlicensed, underground prostitution."

Under the mayor's first option "the curtains of the window brothels close" so that "sex workers and their workplaces are no longer visible from the street," the statement said.

Other suggestions include moving some of the window booths out of allen to other areas of the city or closing down all of the booths in the area and setting up a new red light district elsewhere.

However, the city could also increase the number of window brothels in the red light district from the current level of 330, while "the establishment of a sex work hotel is also a possibility".

The mayor will meet sex workers, residents and local businesses in July, and Amsterdam city council will discuss her proposals in September.

Prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands in 2000 and sex workers can register with the local chamber of commerce and pay income tax.

Around 7,000 people work in the paid-sex sector in Amsterdam, with around 75 percent of them coming from low-income countries, particularly eastern Europe, according to official figures.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

No Huawei ban in Dutch 5G rollout - government

AMSTERDAM - The Dutch government will force telecoms companies to vet their equipment suppliers more thoroughly as they roll out 5G mobile networks, but made no mention of banning China's Huawei or any other supplier over spying fears.

In a letter to parliament, Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said a task force set up to examine the threat from state-backed spying in 5G networks had concluded that was a "sufficient answer to the threat".

While the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD has issued several warnings this year about Chinese and Russian spying, a key advisory body last week said the Dutch should follow Britain and Germany's lead and not exclude Huawei completely.

Grapperhaus said the task force carried out a risk assessment with the three big Dutch telecommunications providers, KPN, T-Mobile and VodafoneZiggo.

Dutch telecoms companies will now have "extra high standards" for equipment suppliers, he said.

Grapperhaus ordered an inquiry last week when telecoms company KPN suffered a nationwide network outage that knocked out emergency service numbers for nearly four hours.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling Editing by Keith Weir)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Netherlands, Italy through to q'finals as Europe dominates World Cup

RENNES, France -- A last-minute Lieke Martens penalty took the Netherlands through to the women's World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday as they joined Italy in the last eight, confirming Europe's supremacy at the tournament and ending Asian interest already.

The Dutch scraped past Japan 2-1 to set up a quarter-final on Saturday in Valenciennes against the Italians, who had beaten China 2-0 earlier in the day thanks to goals from Valentina Giacinti and Aurora Galli.

Those results mean seven of the eight quarter-finalists in France are European, with holders and favourites the United States the sole exception. There had never previously been more than five European sides in the last eight of a women's World Cup.

Such an early exit is particularly painful for Japan, who won the World Cup in 2011 and were beaten finalists four years ago in Canada.

The Nadeshiko had their hearts broken in Rennes as Barcelona star Martens converted a 90th-minute spot-kick awarded after a Vivianne Miedema shot had struck the arm of captain Saki Kumagai in the box.

The European champions, who lost by the same scoreline to Japan at the same last-16 stage in 2015, are through to the quarter-finals for the first time.

"It is history that we have made. We are really proud about that but we are not done yet here. We are really looking forward to the next game and we hope we can surprise more," said Martens.

- Tearful Kumagai -

She had given the Netherlands a 17th-minute lead with a superb backheel flick into the net from a Sherida Spitse corner, but Japan equalised just prior to half-time when Mana Iwabuchi supplied Yui Hasegawa to fire high into the net.

Japan had hit the post before that through Yuika Sugasawa, and Hina Sugita smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar during a second half in which Japan were superior.

Extra time was looming when the Honduran referee penalised Kumagai, who could do nothing to get out of the way of a shot that was nevertheless heading towards the target.

"It was a penalty, it struck my hand. Of course it is very hard to accept. I am sad but I know that that's football," admitted a tearful Kumagai.

Coach Asako Takakura added: "VAR is there. Sometimes cruel decisions have been taken in other matches. Today it went against us. We have to look forward and accept it."

Japan will now look ahead to the Olympics in Tokyo next year after joining Thailand, South Korea, Australia and China in being eliminated.

It is the first time that no Asian representatives have made it to the last eight at the women's World Cup, with 1999 runners-up China going out after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Italy in Montpellier.

A 15th-minute tap in from Giacinti and substitute Galli's fierce drive three minutes after the break saw Milena Bertolini's side see off a committed Chinese team and match Italy's best run in the competition back in 1991.

- 'Work to do' -

"Today wasn't a display of beautiful football but the girls gave everything and we were clinical," Bertolini told TV station Rai. "To reach the quarter-finals is hugely satisfying."

Italy, ranked 15th in the world, have been a revelation at this World Cup, but China have been hugely disappointing and go home with just a solitary goal scored, in their 1-0 win over South Africa.

"That is football. The team that makes the first mistake pays for it," said China coach Jia Xiuquan.

"This is a major tournament which allows us to see our weaknesses. We still have work to do to improve Chinese football. We have lots of room for progression."

Wednesday is a rest day before the first quarter-final on Thursday pitches England against Norway in Le Havre.

With much of France in the grip of a heatwave, temperatures in Paris are expected to reach 35 degrees centigrade on Friday when the hosts take on the USA at the Parc des Princes.

source: news.abs-cbn.com