The European Parliament voted on Thursday to lower the protected status of wolves. But that does not mean that wolves can now be shot more easily in the Netherlands. Legislation and other conditions still prevent that.

Important news
The protected status of the wolf will be downgraded from "strictly protected" to "protected". A majority of the European Parliament voted in favour of this on Thursday. 371 members of parliament voted in favour of downgrading the strictly protected status. 162 members voted against and 37 members abstained from voting.

The decision now only needs to be approved by the Council of the European Union, but that is a formality. Once that has happened, wolves can be killed more easily in the European Union (EU). However, the predator will remain protected. And in order to be allowed to shoot a wolf, certain conditions must still be met.

In the Netherlands, nothing will change in practice in the near future. First, national legislation must be amended. State Secretary Jean Rummenie (Agriculture) is working on this. The bill is ready, but it will take some time before the law is amended.

In order to be allowed to kill wolves, there must also be a so-called favourable conservation status in the Netherlands. This means that the wolf population in our country must remain strong enough if a wolf is removed from it. At the moment, this is not clear for the Netherlands. This is still being researched.

EU worked long to lower protected status
The downgrading of the wolf’s protected status was a long road. Since 2023, the EU has been working on making it easier to kill wolves, mainly because livestock is attacked by the predator. At the end of last year , one of the last major hurdles was taken with an amendment to the Bern Convention .

Thursday's vote in Europe is separate from the decision by the province of Gelderland to kill a wolf that bit a runner on the Hoge Veluwe . If a problem wolf is found, it may be killed under certain conditions.

Gelderland believes that there is such a problem wolf, although several animal organizations have objected to this. The case will be brought before the judge on Friday.

There are now about twenty thousand wolves living in Europe. In recent decades, the predator has made a big advance. There are more than a hundred wolves living in the Netherlands. Most have their territory on the Veluwe.

Dutch wolves

But but but, I thought Trump was gonna enrich his buddies and only Democrats wanted to tax the rich? One less talking point for them now. And watch, now that Trump is proposing it, they'll be against it

Indeed if the Dems want to make a comeback in the next elections they have to look in the mirror and do a lot of soul searching.

They won't, remember, America is sexist and racist. That's the only possible explanation of why Kamala didn't win in November. It's never the policies, just the voters while Newsom is desperately doing a transparent attempt at "rebranding" himself with his podcast in an effort to run in 2028.

Yes that's why the Workers and even the Teamsters and other Union walk away.
Even with all the problems the USA still has it all ! I wouldn't say it is the best country in the world that's the Netherlands but one of the Greatest.

LEGEND !!


John Cleese: “Woke people have no sense of humor”

British actor and comedian John Cleese (85) is not very enthusiastic about woke. He even calls it a threat to humor.
Yesterday at 04:30
Cleese achieved eternal fame with Fawlty Towers and Monty Python , made in a time when much more was possible than now. He calls it a horror that society has changed and many jokes are no longer possible. "The woke crowd is destroying a lot of good comedy," he says. "They just want to be politically correct and try to impose their vision on others."

The actor is not a supporter of cancel culture, saying that proponents of the movement – ??which seeks to deprive people of their livelihoods for expressing so-called undesirable political beliefs or making politically incorrect jokes – misunderstand the nature of humor. “They have no sense of humor. I would love to have a debate with people like that and I think the first thing I would say is, give me a good woke joke,” Cleese said.

“What they don’t understand is that there are two types of teasing,” he explains. “There’s mean, hurtful humor that no one has to be a fan of. But the other type of teasing or humor is loving. You can tease people very lovingly and it’s a bonding mechanism.”

According to the actor, there is little to laugh about with perfect people. "That's why we laugh at people's weaknesses. But that is not meant to be cruel."

Woke people are also angry with John Cleese because he said that London is no longer a typical English city, “because there are so many people of foreign origin living there”.

The greatest now that we have the greatest President in my lifetime back in office rather than that previous dementia puppet.

You want something educational to watch? Check out this interview with Shawn Ryan and former DNC campaign advisor Lindy Li. Just confirming what we already knew for the last 5+ years.

RIP She was a beautiful woman.

Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer (103) has died

Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer (103) has died in Germany. Her foundation announced this. Until old age, she told young people about what had happened to her and her family during the Second World War. "We can't change it, but it must never happen again," was her message.

Friedländer was born in Berlin to a Jewish family. Her father, mother and brother were murdered in Auschwitz during World War II. Margot Friedländer was initially able to go into hiding, but was arrested in 1944.

She was taken to the Theresienstadt transit camp in the Czech Republic, where she remained until the end of the war. After the war, all of her immediate family members were killed, and she moved to the United States.

Remembering alone is not enough. That is why I am committed to tolerance and humanity.

Margot Friedlander
Friedländer's story became known through the American documentary Don't Call It Heimweh and through her autobiography . When she was 88, she moved back to Germany, where she started giving lectures at schools. "On behalf of the victims who can no longer speak for themselves," she said about it.

For her efforts, she has received many awards and recognition, including the Walther Rathenau Prize for "extraordinary international political life's work". Friedländer was also named an honorary citizen of Berlin in 2018 and was on the cover of Vogue Germany last year.

In 2023, she founded the Margot Friedländer Foundation, which awards prizes to people who stand up for freedom and combat anti-Semitism. "We must never forget, but remembering alone is not enough. That is why I am committed to tolerance and humanity with my foundation," Friedländer said this year.

NOS News
•
yesterday, 17:21
Victims organization accuses Pope of covering up abuse
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The American victims' organization SNAP accuses Pope Leo XIV of covering up abuse within the Catholic Church in the past. The victims' organization now calls on the new pope to take decisive action against abuse within the church in his first hundred days.

The organization shares a letter that SNAP wrote to then-Pope Francis in March, in which Robert Prevost is named as one of six cardinals who either facilitated or concealed sexual abuse. They asked the then-Pope to investigate this.

Accusations
One of the accusations against Prevost is that as prior general in the early 2000s he allowed a priest accused of child abuse to live near a school. The priest had been placed under several restrictions by the church and was not allowed to be alone near minors.

Despite this, Prevost allowed the priest to move in near the school, putting the safety of the children at risk, according to SNAP.

In addition, the organization accuses Prevost of not following procedures when it comes to investigating reports of abuse during his time in Peru. Several women complained about this in 2022. Prevost allegedly did not conduct a preliminary investigation and did not send sufficient information to the Vatican. He also allegedly did not inform the authorities.

In 2023, the diocese in question reported that Prevost had opened an investigation, ordered the priest to cease his ministry and sent the investigation results to Rome. The case was then closed in consultation with the authorities. The case has since been reopened.

First hundred days
“Many who voted in the conclave actively protected abusers, and many who will be appointed to the curia under this papacy bear similar stains,” the organization wrote. That is why SNAP will continue to investigate the cardinals now that the conclave has ended.

The organization is asking Pope Leo XIV, among other things, to establish an independent Truth Commission, to include a zero-tolerance law in canon law and to establish a church-funded reparations fund for victims.

SNAP points out to the church leader the "seriousness of the role" he is taking on. His predecessor promised some time ago that he would write a papal letter for the minor victims of abuse within the church. That did not happen. "Now that task rests on you," the organization writes.

The Vatican has not yet responded to the accusations against the new pope, as far as is known.

America first baby! I love this idea and to put it in LA no less gives libs one more thing to cry about. Money well spent.

Trump To Build National Center For ...usly Spent On Housing For Illegal Aliens

Haha I kinda like Trump the socialist. As someone who has personally spent time helping homeless vets in LA, I love this idea. Hopefully, there’s room for more rational moves from this otherwise limited man.

That's great G the Vets are the real heroes. We also went around the world in (peace) missions while we didn't have to do that.

Over 4,700 Dutch soldiers served in Korea and 9,000 served in Lebanon if you hear those stories it was brutal

Guys: REMINDER: No political discussions on this or any board. Please stop NOW!

I will respect that but so much going on in the world are "Geopolitics" allowed?

Great News ! ! !

Start/stop technology: where your car dies at every red light so companies get a climate participation trophy. EPA approved it, and everyone hates it, so we’re fixing it. - EPA Head Lee Zeldin

https://x.com/epaleezeldin/status/1921894994769575972

Climate change is causing oceans to become warmer, forcing sharks to migrate further north to colder waters. EVEN Great white sharks were once rare in northern waters but are becoming an increasingly common sight.
They have already been seen along Belgian and Dutch coast the ones who hunt on seals are most dangerous to humans because there are similarities in the way we swim.

Absolutely spot on H! I'm glad more people are waking up to the reality of climate change, but some of the damage is already beyond repair I'm afraid. If only the people who believe in demons had the same faith in science

Live Updates
First day of testimony in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial ends

https://edition.cnn.com/entertainment/live-news/diddy-sean-combs-trial-05-12-25

Many people also don't see climate change is making geopolitics less stable.

Mediterranean great white – about which little is known.

International • 16:27 • Modified at 16:47
Donald Trump to attend NATO summit in The Hague, US ambassador confirms
Author s : Lotte van Coevorden and Aäron Loupatty
US President Donald Trump will attend the NATO summit in The Hague. This was confirmed by Matthew Whitaker, the US NATO ambassador. Earlier, there were fears that the summit might be cancelled or that Trump would not show up. Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans had already reassured that the meeting would go ahead. Now, Trump's participation also seems to have been officially confirmed.

"We are planning for his arrival," the NATO ambassador indicated. Whitaker emphasized that Trump "will seize the opportunity" to talk to all NATO partners and allies in East Asia "to emphasize the importance of the trillions of dollars in investments" in defense. "We should absolutely expect Trump to be in The Hague for the NATO summit." The organizers of the summit and NATO had previously said they had no doubts that Trump would attend. With the words of the American ambassador, all doubts seem to have been removed.

'It's more than just rockets, tanks and howitzers'
Matthew Whitaker, US NATO Ambassador
If Trump doesn't come, the summit will not be a success, many people say. 'A lot depends on it, so this seems to be going in the right direction', says BNR's Europe reporter Michal van der Toorn. 'But ultimately Trump also makes his own decisions, and he is quite unpredictable. We can only assume that he will come once he has boarded Air Force One.'

Tomorrow and the day after, the foreign ministers of the NATO countries will meet in Antalya, Turkey, for an informal summit. Although no formal decisions will be taken during this meeting, the meeting is no less important: the consultation is considered a crucial preparation for the NATO summit that will take place in The Hague in June.

Read also
Rutte wants NATO standard of 5 percent, with 1.5 percent for infrastructure and cyber security
The United States seems to have one clear goal in mind: raising the NATO target to 5 percent of GDP. According to Whitaker, the Americans are "laser-focused" on that.

Insecurity
Behind the scenes, there was uncertainty for a long time about whether the summit would go ahead, partly because of Trump's behavior and concerns about his loyalty to NATO and Ukraine. Defense and security experts saw this as reason to doubt whether the meeting in The Hague would take place.

Read also
'Trump will not attend NATO summit in The Hague if Europe does not raise NATO standard to 5 percent'
NATO standard
In previous negotiations, Whitaker has demanded that NATO countries make serious plans to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. That is far above the agreed 2 percent. Trump believes that NATO members should contribute more to the alliance. In his view, a defense budget of 5 percent of gross domestic product is not only feasible, but also more than reasonable.

Rutte's plan
In conversation with the journalists, Whitaker reaffirms the importance of that 5 percent. But as far as the US is concerned, that expenditure may also go to investments in mobility, infrastructure and digital security, as long as it benefits military resilience and deterrence. 'It's more than just missiles, tanks and howitzers.' With that, he indicates that the US approves of Secretary General Rutte's plan to split up the new standard. Rutte wants 3.5 percent of the GDP of member states to go to direct defense investments. The remaining 1.5 percent may then go to investments in infrastructure and cyber security.

Read also
Defense Minister Brekelmans: 'NATO summit will go ahead anyway'
Two other important points for the US are the defense industry and the war in Ukraine. 'According to Whitaker it is only difficult to say how this will develop exactly, because according to him the war will then already be solved by the Americans', says Van der Toorn.

"Trump wants a good deal on that norm," Rob De Wijk, professor of international relations at Leiden University and affiliated with the Hague Center for Strategic Studies, said earlier. "If that doesn't happen, there's a chance he won't come to the NATO summit."

Why has Trump given white South Africans refugee status?
Trump stirs controversy by calling Afrikaners, a minority group descended from Dutch colonists, victims of a ‘genocide’ in South Africa.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/13/why-has-trump-given-white-south-africans-refugee-status

Cassie Ventura testifies in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial

https://edition.cnn.com/entertainment/live-news/diddy-sean-combs-trial-05-13-25

Seems dutch pills but I could be wrong though. The names are similar though there are white and blue dolphins the blue ones are stronger.

What is Blue Dolphin ecstasy?
From CNN’s Katherine Dillinger
Cassie Ventura testified today that she took drugs during “Freak Offs” with Sean “Diddy” Combs, including a version of ecstasy called Blue Dolphin.

Ecstasy, also known as molly or MDMA, is part of a class of psychoactive drugs that produce experiences of emotional communion, relatedness and openness. Some users report having less of an urge to eat, drink or sleep, contributing to its use as a party drug.

The drug is taken orally, usually in tablets or capsules, and may be made in different strengths or combined with other drugs. Many manufacturers create their tablets in specific colors or stamp them with certain symbols as a way of branding their products, building confidence in the contents and increasing their appeal to users. Popular symbols include alligators, trees, doves and dolphins, as well as logos like Chanel, Honda and Superman. Blue Dolphin is a blue MDMA tablet stamped with a dolphin symbol.

I think refugees and genocide is over the top but Afrikaners are nice people the Apartheid gave them a bad rep their language Also of the colored people is great very similar to centuries old Dutch. The language should be cherished!

Boer Family, 1886. The Boers ( African for farmers) were of Dutch descent. Recognized by many Africans as a tribe, they were a semi-nomadic cattle owning people.

Lyle and Erik Menendez eligible for parole after resentencing

"Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers who infamously killed their parents in 1989, could be seeing life outside of prison, as their sentence has been altered to 50 years to life with the possibility of parole."

Things are going much better for sea eagles. They are the largest birds of prey that occur here there are 14 common birds of prey in the Netherlands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=IiESTM6slq0

I'm gonna speculate that this fire started with an EV . . .


https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2025/05/16/live-fire-breaks-out-in-airport-parking-garage/