'Project X Haren' causes mayhem in small Dutch town (video)

When inviting people to a birthday party on Facebook, it's a wise idea to keep the invitations private, as this small Dutch town suffered an onslaught of thousands of party goers on Friday night.

15-year-old Merthe Weusthuis posted a video invitation to her 16th birthday party on her Facebook page. However, she forgot to make the invite private, and her small town in the Netherlands was invaded by thousands of people on Friday... read more and watch videos.

Police arrest piano-playing break-in artist

A homeless man in Assen, northern Netherlands, had the sudden urge to play the piano and then get some sleep. So he broke into a music shop.

The story began innocently enough. The homeless man had studied the piano for seven years, and passing a music shop in Assen, he suddenly got the urge to play again... read more.

Dutch Parliament rejects Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

It is official. The Dutch Parliament has rejected ACTA before the EU votes on the controversial treaty in June this year.

ACTA has been slammed by many as a threat to free speech and information access on the Internet.

Digital Journal reported last month that the EU might reject ACTA. Now Dutch MP's have ruled that the government in the Netherlands will never sign such an agreement.

MP Kees Verhoeven said today, "The treaty should be taken off table, whatever the decision the European Parliament should take." ... read full article.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: 12m flash mob in Dam Square (video)

Amsterdam did its part in the global 12m movement yesterday by holding a flash mob in Dam Square. Looks like fun was had by all.

The theme of the Flash Mob was to dance the world awake for global change.

In the spirit of peaceful revolution and to the extremely appropriate tune "One Tribe" by the Black Eyed Peas, Occupy Amsterdam danced in the streets.

The organizers stated: "Dance is very natural, people all over the world have always done it. It helps us to feel better, happier, it balances our emotions; it improves the spirit of all. Also it helps us to concentrate on our goal to feel that we are one and we are together!" ... view video.

Visiting Amsterdam for the pot? Sorry, not for foreigners

Amsterdam is famous for its "coffee shops" where you can have, well, just a little more than just plain old coffee. But now a judge is upholding a plan to ban foreign tourists from indulging.

There are currently more than 650 coffee shops in the Netherlands, of which 214 are in Amsterdam.

On Friday this week a Netherlands court upheld a brand new law that will introduce a "weed pass" which will be available exclusively to Dutch citizens and permanent residents in the country.

This means that when you go into a coffee shop, you'll just have to put up with a cappuccino instead.

The ruling comes into power in the southern provinces of the Netherlands next Tuesday... read full article.

The Netherlands drawn into EU crisis — may ditch the Euro

The Netherlands has been drawn into the debt crisis in Europe as the government failed to agree on budget cuts, thus casting doubt on its support for the Euro zone

Reuters reports that over the weekend, the government in the Netherlands failed to gain coalition support for its austerity plans. Elections are now planned for September and analysists have said that one of the EU's strongest economies might just bring about the demise of the Euro.

The Netherlands Prime Minister, Mark Rutte strongly advocates the Euro. He has been attempting to get the Dutch Parliament to adopt 14-16 billion Euros worth of austerity cuts in the country. This attempt is aimed at getting the Dutch budget deficit under the 3% of deficit to GDP limit which was established by the new EU fiscal agreement... read full article.

Video: 2 trains collide in Amsterdam ― at least 70 injured

Dutch media reports that 2 trains have collided in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, injuring at least 70 with more than 50 seriously.

The BBC reports that the trains collided between the capital's main station, Amsterdam Central and the Amsterdam Sloterdijk station. 

While it is not immediately clear how the 2 trains had ended up travelling towards each other on the same track, Ed Kraszewski of the National Police Corps said that the cause of the collision would be investigated. The trains involved were an inter-city train and a local stopping service, and the crash occurred at around 18:30 local time.. read more and view video.