Photo: Michielverbeek via Wikimedia CommonsOfficials from a Dutch town plagued by conspiracy theorists
who believe a paedophile satanic gang operates there
This time Bodegraven-Reeuwijk council is asking judges to stop a woman spreading the conspiracy theories, which she began circulating a few months ago, the Volkskrant said on Wednesday
The council says Alice Besselink must stop identifying people as “perpetrator
and should remove all the messages she has posted within 48 hours
the council took legal action against three people who for spreading claims that ‘satanic ritual child murders’ took place within its boundaries in the 1980s
claimed to have recovered memories of witnessing children being murdered in Bodegraven and of being sexually abused by Jaap van Dissel
who was then head of the public health institute RIVM
the rumours led to the town cemetery being overwhelmed with flowers laid by conspiracy theorists
upsetting the relatives of children who are buried there
as well as threats against local officials
In 2022, the town council took Twitter to court
demanding it remove all messages in which the town was linked to conspiracy theories about paedophiles and satanic cults
but judges in The Hague ruled this would be going too far
Besselink was supported by dozens of people on the public benches plus demonstrators outside the court
She ended her defence by asking that Michael Jackson’s Heal the World was played “for all the children”
“Besselink was obviously not bothered that the singer himself had been associated with child abuse.”
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2023 2:00 AMA Small Town Became the Center of a QAnon Storm
It’s Fighting BackThe Netherlands’ most notorious conspiracy theorist was sentenced to prison
after spreading lies about satanic pedophiles in the town of Bodegraven.ILLUSTRATION: ANJALI NAIR; GETTY IMAGESSave this storySaveSave this storySaveBodegraven is the type of well-heeled Dutch town where young moms push their prams past smart restaurants
people say hello to each other as they pass in the street and packs of children roam around by bicycle
the only sign that something strange has happened here is the insistence of the groundsman in the local graveyard that he cannot speak to passing journalists
believing they had died at the hands of a satanic pedophile ring involving the prime minister and a Dutch virologist
the Netherlands’ equivalent of Anthony Fauci
The conspiracy was a mutation of the QAnon conspiracy, which came out of internet messageboards in the US but has found new life in Europe, piggybacking on local concerns to reach new audiences—with dangerous results. In Germany, 25 people were arrested in December on suspicion of plotting a QAnon-inspired coup to overthrow the country’s government
His sentencing means all three of the people spearheading this Dutch QAnon offshoot have now been jailed
Kat’s sentencing echoes the case of the US talk show host Alex Jones, who was found liable for defaming the parents of children killed in a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut
after falsely claiming that the mass shooting was a hoax
The hope is that legal proceedings introduce a chilling effect “in a positive sense,” says Ciarán O'Connor
senior analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue
who engage in dangerous belief systems that might endanger members of the public
might see this action and think twice about spreading lurid conspiracy theories.”
and another conspiracy theorist named Wouter Raatgever
the story morphed to claim that perpetrators also included the country’s prime minister
and the head of the Netherlands’ public health institute
who was at the time the public face of the country’s coronavirus response
“These two other conspiracy theorists helped him craft the narrative in a way that made it really go viral,” says van der Linden
The inclusion of more high-profile figures in the story meant the Bodegraven conspiracy more closely echoed the QAnon template
Not only did it play into anti-lockdown sentiments circulating at the time
but the idea of mass child abuse was also shocking enough to attract the attention of even ordinary people—prompting the conspiracy to go viral
They signed off their message with the hashtag #StopVanDissel
describing how she felt after these visitors left a teddy bear ornament on the grave of her father
“The idea that some of these lunatic people went to his grave and they did all these things
which has since been taken down by Telegram
adding that he didn’t want a repeat to happen in Bodegraven
local residents credit the municipality’s proactive response for the fact that life here has returned to normal
adding that she no longer thinks about the incident now that the people responsible have been sentenced
“It’s like it never happened,” says Manon von Agmond
says the whole affair is now just a funny story he talks about with his friends
“I think everyone has moved on,” agrees Stefanie
who has lived in the town for two years but declines to share her surname
The conspiracy cloud over Bodegraven might have dissipated
but not everyone is so sure this episode is over for the Netherlands
“QAnon is vague and broad and general,” says Daniël de Zeeuw
assistant professor in digital media culture at the University of Amsterdam
who refers to QAnon as a super-conspiracy myth that is particularly good at adapting to different countries
he describes QAnon as finding an affinity with new-age
alternative subcultures who might ordinarily post about food and wellness
“It's a template people can use and adapt to their own liking or their own local context.”
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Judge rules Twitter has ‘done enough’ to remove defamatory tweets about Bodegraven Reeuwijk
A Dutch town has lost a court case asking Twitter to do more to stop the spread of a false conspiracy theory claiming it was home to a ring of Satan-worshipping paedophiles
Bodegraven Reeuwijk in the western Netherlands sued the social media company in September over the unfounded rumours spread by three men since 2021
Dozens of people had flocked to the municipality of 34,000 people to lay flowers and messages in a graveyard of so-called victims after conspiracy theorists latched on to the claims
a judge at The Hague district court said that Twitter had “currently done enough to remove unlawful content about the ‘story of Bodegraven’ from its platform”
Twitter had permanently suspended an account containing “defamatory and inflammatory tweets” about the town and removed all retweets from the account
It added that the US firm was “not obliged to remove any other tweets from others of its own accord
One of the three men behind the spreading of the rumours said he had been abused in the 1980s and had since recovered memories of witnessing satanic rituals and the murder of young children
the accuser and one of the others were convicted of sedition
which ruled there was no proof of any satanic paedophile network
The third man was arrested in Northern Ireland in August 2021 and handed over to the Netherlands a year later for trial on the same charges
Authorities in Bodegraven imposed an emergency order last year after the tide of conspiracy theorists led to “great unrest and anger” among residents
especially the parents of children buried at the cemetery
asking it not only to remove tweets from the three men
but from anyone linking the town to “satanic-paedophilic crimes” or calling on people to visit to “commemorate victims”
But the court ruled a blanket ban would affect too much legal content on Twitter
and a good filter cannot be made in this case
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to supply threaded bar to UK customers in a move to overcome the challenges
beauracracy and costs associated with BREXIT’s impact on its business
The Belgian company had a previous UK production unit in Willenhall
transport costs to the UK have risen enormously,” states Bodegraven Metaal
“Due to the extra import and export charges
but also due to the disappearance of many transporters who
Bodegraven Metaal decided to set up Bomet UK and ship its threaded rods (DIN976-1)
directly to the UK subsidiary – meaning that customers can now buy their studding from an English supplier
“Bomet UK was actually opened earlier this year
but is now ready to meet the sector’s demands from its new branch in the West Midlands,” explains Bodegraven Metaal
“We have also invested in new cutting machines in Belgium
which means that special lengths can be delivered quickly and inexpensively to the company’s warehouse in Birmingham.”
Bomet UK works together with Paul Ponsonby Warehouse
Will joined Fastener + Fixing Magazine in 2007 and over the last 15 years has experienced every facet of the fastener sector - interviewing key figures within the industry and visiting leading companies and exhibitions around the globe
Will manages the content strategy across all platforms and is the guardian for the high editorial standards that the Magazine is renowned
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A FREE roundup of top news from Guyana you might otherwise miss
NWO has awarded 78 promising young scientists a Veni grant of up to 280,000 euros
The laureates can use this grant to further develop their own research ideas over a period of three years
Two of the talented researchers work at UMC Utrecht
These are the researchers and their projects:
Searching for patterns of vascular damage in the brain
Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a major cause of dementia and stroke
SVD most commonly manifests itself as white matter hyperintensities (WMH)
WMH are the end result of several types of vasculopathies and underlying disease mechanisms
it is often impossible to identify the underlying cause in individual patients
which hampers an accurate diagnosis and the development of targeted treatment strategies.
Matthijs Biesbroek, researcher at the UMC Utrecht Brain Center, thinks we can use WMH location and lesion patterns to pinpoint the underlying cause. “I will collaborate with international partners through the Meta VCI Map consortium to analyze WMH patterns in more than 10.000 individuals and develop an algorithm that traces the WMH pattern in individual patients back to the underlying cause”
I will develop an open access software tool that extracts this information from MRI scans
The researcher is happy with his Veni: “I am really excited to start working on this project
together with my colleagues at UMC Utrecht and my international partners
I am hopeful that after the project is finished
we can use the resulting WMH diagnostics tool to provide patients with a more specific and accurate diagnosis.”
Brain tumor cells easily infiltrate surrounding healthy brain tissue
Physical forces generated by cells in surrounding brain tissue impact their infiltration and thereby tumor malignancy.
also a researcher at the UMC Utrecht Brain Center
investigates the mechanisms generating these physical forces
“Using mini-brains and other human brain models
I hope to identify new therapeutic targets”
“I am excited and feel honored to be able to use this Veni to conduct research on the impact of physical forces on the malignancy of brain tumors.”
Emma van Bodegraven and Matthijs Biesbroek
Veni, together with Vidi and Vici, is part of the ‘NWO Talent Programme’ (formerly: the Innovation Impulse)
Veni is aimed at excellent researchers who have recently obtained a PhD
Within the Talent Programme researchers are free to submit their own subject for funding
In this way NWO encourages curiosity-driven and innovative research
NWO selects researchers based on the quality of the researcher
the expected scientific impact of the research proposal and opportunities for disseminating knowledge
as part of a trial in the municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk
you won’t even have to look up from your phone to cross the road
The Dutch municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk is testing a new system for traffic lights which embeds a thin strip of LEDs on the pavement before busy road crossings
to signal to inattentive smartphone users whether or not it’s safe to step out
The project, called “+ Light Line”, is being implemented by Dutch firm HIG Traffic Systems
They switch between red and green when it’s safe to cross
blinking alongside the main signals as the lights are about to turn
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Always practise safe text: the German traffic light for smartphone zombiesRead moreKees Oskam
said that people were increasingly distracted by “social media
at the expense of paying attention to traffic
HIG’s Mark Hofman told Dutch news site OmroepWest: “Smartphone use by pedestrians and cyclists is a major problem
Trams in The Hague regularly make an emergency stop because someone looks at their smartphone instead of traffic.”
The current test strips are installed at an intersection near several schools
but HIG hopes to roll it out more widely if the scheme’s a success
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk has been plagued by a conspiracy theory and wants tweets spreading it removed
A small Dutch town took Twitter to court on Friday to demand the social media company take down all messages relating to a supposed ring of Satan-worshipping paedophiles alleged to have been active in the town in the 1980s
a town of about 35,000 inhabitants in the middle of the Netherlands
has been the focus of conspiracy theories on social media since 2020
when three men started spreading unfounded stories about the abuse and murder of children they said took place in the town in the 1980s
The main instigator of the stories said he had childhood memories of witnessing the abuse by a group of people in Bodegraven
The stories caused much unrest in Bodegraven
as scores of followers of the men’s tweets flocked to the local graveyard to lay flowers and written messages at the graves of seemingly random dead children
who they claimed were victims of the satanic ring
declined to comment before the hearing at The Hague district court on Friday
Last year the same court ordered the men to immediately remove all their tweets
threats and other online content relating to the story and to make sure that none of it could ever emerge again
stories about Bodegraven still circulate on social media as others have continued to echo the claims
leading the town to take the matter up with Twitter itself
“If conspiracy theorists don’t remove their messages
then the platforms involved need to act,” the town of Bodegraven’s lawyer
was quoted as saying by the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant on Friday
Van de Sanden said that in July the town requested that Twitter actively find and remove all messages relating to the Bodegraven story – not only those posted by the three convicted men – but had so far not received an answer from the company
The men behind the Bodegraven story are all in jail
as they have been convicted in other court cases for incitement and making death threats to a range of people including the prime minister
This article was amended on 16 September 2022 to correct the spelling of the surname of the lawyer Cees van de Sanden
Geodesign Project Integrates Water Management and Land-Use Planning
The Dutch are familiar with polders—low tracts of land typically enclosed by dikes—and their characteristic hydrologic and land-use challenges
is a low-lying peat meadow area of some 4,672 hectares (11,545 acres) in the Netherlands
where water tables are controlled to enable multiple land uses
While Bodegraven has been predominantly used for commercial dairy farming
The project study area is the Bodegraven polder
located in the Province of South Holland in the Netherlands (photo copyright Frank Stroeken from Terra Incognita)
Bodegraven is currently facing a number of problems that will affect the sustainability of its land uses: ground subsidence
and the changing economics of dairy farming
the provincial authorities have started a planning process to review and adjust both water management practices and land uses in the area
The Spatial Analysis and Decision Support Department of the Institute of Environmental Studies worked with stakeholders to develop and test participatory tools to support integrated land-use planning and water management within this region despite conflicting objectives
The project team structured the planning process for Bodegraven into a series of three interconnected stakeholder workshops: design
the team defined three reference plan alternatives
extensively during the analysis and negotiation workshops to visualize maps and scenarios
The team was already familiar with Esri software
as it uses it for most of its mapping and cartography work
and it chose to continue using the software for this project
the team chose to work with CommunityViz because of its compatibility with ArcGIS and its versatility for application to a wide range of planning studies
The software's calculation speed also made it suitable to support geodesign and conversations around an interactive device
The combined solutions allowed "spatial discussions to be clearer and better supported," comments Aletta van der Zijden
regional coordinator of landscape management in South Holland
Quantitative trade-offs of the project were identified by selecting polygons that would profit from a land-use swap based on their actual MCA value
The touch table supported stakeholder participation in the workshops and acted as the main map interface for the geodesign software
A separate screen was also set up to view additional information
the project team used ArcGIS to present maps with thematic information about the region to increase the understanding of participants
who included both experts and stakeholders with varying backgrounds
Each scenario consisted of a polygon-based suitability map in which the weights of each criterion were set according to participants' values
Participants could change the weights interactively using the touch table to adjust assumption settings in the software
the results were dynamically updated and presented both on the touch table as a map and on the separate screen as a bar chart showing aggregated scores for various criteria and objectives the participants had established
A set of weights and the corresponding set of value maps constituted the main product of this phase
a project manager from the Province of South Holland
remarks that the combination of GIS and planning tools made it "possible to quickly and clearly see both spatial and numerical consequences of changing variables on the map."
A large touch table acted as the main map interface for the project
It facilitated stakeholder participation in the three project workshops
The negotiation workshop supported the process of collectively changing the current land-use pattern of the polder into a new
Participants were the institutional stakeholders: the water board
the project team used multicriteria methods to show trade-offs among stakeholder objectives
Stakeholders used Scenario 360 to adjust two kinds of trade-offs: qualitative and quantitative
Qualitative trade-offs were identified by selecting polygons that were "very suitable" or "very unsuitable" for each potential land-use type based on their summed area and ranked multicriteria analysis (MCA) value
Quantitative trade-offs were identified by selecting polygons that would profit from a land-use swap based on their actual MCA value
Stakeholders used their hands with the software's sketch tools to change land-use patterns on the touch table as they discussed the changes
A land-use palette allowed participants to assign new land uses to target parcels
As soon as the participants agreed on changes
MCA results were updated and displayed as bar charts on a separate screen in real time
and ended with a positive result that satisfied all the project stakeholders
The combined use of GIS mapping and scenario planning tools allowed the team to integrate expert knowledge with stakeholder perspectives into the decision process of Bodegraven
The Dutch Hannah Nijsse (24) wanted to go and preach the Gospel in a closed country
she died while on a cycling holiday in the French Alps
"Hannah was not primarily our child," says Jojanneke Nijsse
she stands at the window of their home in the Dutch town of Bodegraven
They are looking at five frames on the windowsill
blonde twenty-something looks into the lens: curly hair
The photo on the right was taken close to the Alpe d'Huez
Hannah's blonde hair waves out from under the bike helmet
an organisation that organises cycling holidays and Bible study
"Psalm 121" is written on the back of the garment
It is as if the photo itself depicts this psalm
Lifting her gaze over the valley where people live
The mountains and the shirt had to be in the picture
She did not want to be recognisable in the photo because she wanted to use the photo for later
in a country where spreading the Gospel is strictly forbidden
she would not be allowed to be depicted anywhere recognisable online because of security
Hannah shared the picture in the family app
Her mother found it difficult to see the picture
She had to go away from her family and familiar surroundings to serve in a distant and dangerous country
the picture was shown in the Village Church in Bodegraven
where people came together to mourn Hannah
"We are happy with all the photos we have," says Jojanneke
"And at the same time..." Her voice falters
She had an eye for the people around her and knew exactly who needed help
absorbing everything that happened around her
A gift and a task because seeing everyone also makes you intensely tired
she took care of butterflies with a lame wing
collected pebbles and preferred playing barefoot in the grass
"Hannah was involved with God from an early age," says her father
God was involved with Hannah early on." From an early age
Hannah was intelligent and was often three steps ahead in her thinking
So she chose Greek as an extra subject when she studied at All Nations Christian College
a missionary school in the English town of Ware
They had never experienced that there before
She did a bachelor's degree in engineering physics at the Technical University in the Dutch city of Delft
She then obtained a master's degree in biomedical engineering
For a moment she doubted: should I do theology alongside it
"I can't do a bit of God alongside it," she thought
It was a full-time theology study or no theology at all
Hannah graduated with a thesis on how MRI scans could be used in developing countries
they were eager to keep her; she was allowed to do a PhD there
Hannah struggled with it: should I do this
I have been given these gifts; what does God ask of me now
She was blamed for declining the PhD position
she opted for a gap year during which she attended a Bible college
When she returned for leave after three months at All Nations
she already knew she would continue and prepare for a deployment
Her desire to serve was also nurtured in Ethiopia
she went to work for a few months at the Addis Alem Foundation
which provides aid and training to the poorest of the poor
Hannah gave training to Sunday school staff and created a module for children's work
who lived on the streets and was often drunk
It touched the man that she did not turn her nose up at him despite the fact that he came from the streets and reeked of alcohol
He kept coming and became a different person
she could be of service in a closed country where evangelisation is not allowed
she could enter quite easily as a 'tentmaker'
She could not say no because she knew she could be of great significance in that place
Her parents realised you should be happy when your child enters the mission
But they also worried: how will they cope later
Letting go of your child is perhaps the hardest thing; they noticed even then
There was one such difficult moment last March
Hannah was on leave and had brought a group of friends from All Nations
all these young people wanting to go out to preach the Gospel
That pressing question also surfaced: What will it be like later
A friend from Hong Kong pressed Jojanneke: "Hannah is not yours." She had said something similar to her own mother
she managed to let go of Hannah more and more
That was only possible because Someone else was holding her
"She was not first and foremost our child," Jojanneke says again
"She was first and foremost and above all a child of God."
Hannah herself also learned what letting go meant in those last months of her life
she struggled with the question: where should I go
Which organisations am I going to approach
But became convinced that God would make the future clear
That peace made her relaxed and happy in the last few months
Hannah joined a Chadash cycling trip for the first time
It became an annual highlight: a week of cycling in France and Bible study in the evening
"The average young person in the Netherlands has difficulty persevering and drops out in the face of adversity," explains pastor Martin van Oordt
founder of Chadash and Reformed minister in Delft
people learn to persevere stubbornly – with others beside them
I always say: if you think you can't do any more
It is precisely because young people are physically busy together during the day that depth is created in the conversations
you also dare to be vulnerable in a conversation about faith and say: sometimes I can't do it anymore
Young people share their questions and encourage each other."
Combining Bible study and sports – that was also how Hannah envisioned her work in missions
especially in an area where talking about the Christian faith is forbidden
The two trip leaders also kept in touch with Hannah throughout the year
who had previously been a minister in the village of Bodegraven
She had little trouble getting up the mountain
The tour guide especially saw her grow socially
she sometimes avoided the hustle and bustle of the group
she sometimes literally retreated to her room
Talking and chatting about anything and everything she found difficult
But the Chadash holidays helped change that
Hannah told Rev Van Oordt what the trips had meant to her
they sat by the lake at the foot of the camphouse
This summer was the sixth and last time she went along
she would either be deployed or go on a working holiday
It was as if she was taking some kind of accountability for it
the letter to Philippians was the focus of Bible studies
Paul writes there how he is impelled by the desire to go and be with Christ
he sees that for the work in God's Kingdom
"Life for me is Christ; dying is gain."
The leadership struggled with it beforehand: how are we going to bring this message close to young people
Their worries turned out to be unnecessary: Hannah told them during a Bible study that she so identified with Paul
Hannah is intensely enjoying her last trip
she holds quiet time by the lake at the foot of the camphouse
speaks to her: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
through the power of the Holy Spirit." She sends the text to friends at All Nations
She also sends a picture of where she is sitting
The light is already shining on the peaks; the sun itself is still invisible
Hannah encourages the girls with a spiritual lesson she sees in it: sometimes you can't see God Himself yet
she cycles with part of the group in the mountains
It will be for the last time because the next morning
Only a long way down the road can he come to a stop and ride back
because they were not driving around a bend
The road is not super steep or narrow either
with a white stripe down the middle and no pebbles or other bumps
The boy searches near the place where he last saw Hannah
including firefighters who also speak reasonable English – unique in that region
They find Hannah a bit beside the road in the bushes
Hannah was cycling on the right but got caught on the left side of the road
Her brakes were working; she was wearing a helmet
A tree on the left side of the road was damaged
Hannah is unconscious and breathing heavily but has no scrapes or torn clothing
Gertrude puts her arm around Hannah and tries to make contact
"You are not alone." She doesn't notice if Hannah hears her
A trauma helicopter takes her to the hospital
but emergency workers cannot yet say which hospital
The tour guides leave their contact details with the police and agree to be called about it
What they don't know then is that a terrible night awaits them
A night in which they wait in vain for a phone call as to where Hannah is
Hannah's parents are packing their suitcases for their holiday that is about to begin
When pastor Martin van Oordt calls about the accident
so it seems to be the most logical destination for the helicopter
"So she could have already died without anyone knowing?!" shouts Jojanneke through the phone
it is possible," confirms the voice on the other end of the line
the trauma helicopter may have diverted to a nearby hospital
enter a random hospital and wander the dark corridors
and now no one could tell them where to find their daughter
The lady in Lyon is eager to help them and makes another call to all the hospitals in Grenoble
She tells them approximately what time Hannah was brought in and what injuries she might have
it turns out she is registered in Grenoble with the wrong surname: Njisse
French people don't know the ij-sound (as “eye” in English)
Maybe as early as today." According to the doctor
the brain damage makes it clear that Hannah is in very bad shape
"The next few hours could be decisive
And the next three to five days are very risky
we want to try to bring her out of a coma after two weeks
And then it remains to be seen whether she can live with the brain damage we are already seeing." There are two options: either Hannah dies
A Hannah who is so different from what they know
The parents leave the room to inform the tour guide and family
it seems like a different Hannah is lying there
Chadash's camp house becomes Gert-Jan and Jojanneke's lodge
later with their children and close family
they place her in God's hand: it is up to Him
they are no longer allowed to touch their daughter because it can be disruptive to brain pressure
prayers rise up from all over the world for a miracle
Christians from several churches are holding prayer meetings
People from all over the country respond to prayer calls
Mission workers and students from All Nations in many countries pray 24 hours a day through Zoom meetings
and other places are begging God for a miracle
How wonderful it would be if He answered those prayers
people say if Hannah heals and can still enter the mission
the medical team in France is fighting for Hannah's life
her brain is cut off from oxygen for too long
the doctor says: "We have to let her go."
the parents stand by her bedside one last time
Although their daughter is unlikely to hear anything
He will bring you home." They know she is ready to die and tell her that heaven awaits her
it is as if they are standing at heaven's gate
A gate through which Hannah will enter real life
and her jaw and cervical vertebra are broken
but the rest of her body does not have a scratch
Hannah gladly made available what she had been given by her Creator to those around her
Her parents are convinced that the same applies to her body
the book of the Bible that the cyclists in France were pondering
who longed to be with Jesus but also saw how necessary it was to continue serving God on earth
"What now that Hannah has fallen away
obey the call to walk worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?" He quotes Isaiah's call
"Who will take over her answer?"
"God must have given us all incredible strength," Hannah's parents say to each other as they look back at the service later
How could we have sung "How Great Thou Art" there
How could Martin have preached there?"
They believe this God has answered prayers for a miracle
they cannot count on two hands the stories of people changed by the death of their daughter
Take the young person who thought he could handle life on his own
This death made him realise: I won't get there in my own strength
Take the adolescent from England who grew up in an almost unbelieving family
Take the woman who struggled with the cruelty of misfortune
But when she heard God's Word at the funeral
Take the girl who had little left to do with faith
When she saw people praying for Hannah to live
It's no use to you." She watched the service online and could no longer insist that God does not hear
It amazes Gert-Jan and Jojanneke when they hear how God continues His work
they see." He wanted to use this dying to undermine Chadash's work
God's work continues vigorously." At times
Hannah longed to reach many with the joyful message of the Gospel
It happened miraculously and so differently than imagined." Her life was richly blessed; her dying at least as much," says her mother
Gert-Jan and Jojanneke prayed every night for their three children: Marjolein
Not mentioning Hannah's name again was an impossible thing
Even though they no longer needed to because she has everything
So now they give thanks for Hannah every night
She is safe with God and may have it so good with Him
For who Hannah has been and for the miracles God has done in people's hearts after she died
they also pray whether God will continue to work
Whether He continues to give them strength to bear the grief
People tell them they have sometimes thought: What would it be like if something happened to my child
What if I stand at my child's deathbed?" Just stop thinking," they then reply
"It's much worse than you can imagine
But we can firmly believe that His way is right
Hannah's task on earth was finished."
There are days when the parents can't take it anymore with grief
Then they think of the song "Always Good"
which Hannah sent to friends on the morning of the accident
Darkness may deepen And shadows may fall But you will be faithful and true There is no end to your mercy And your love will not run dry
there was not a moment when He left us alone
This article was translated by CNE.news and previously published by the Dutch Christian daily Reformatorisch Dagblad on December 30th
Beer Man is a weekly profile of beers from across the country and around the world
www.rooiedop.nl
Rooie Dop is the name for the company that describes its method of operation as "gypsy brewing." It does not have a full brewery of its own and contracts with Brouwerij De Molen in Bodegraven
A company such as Rooie Dop confounds me because despite not having its own facility and making small batches of beer
This is not an easy process to set up and maintain
However it has achieved this, we are the better for it, if its Double Oatmeal Stout is any indication
Described by Rooie Dop as an imperial oatmeal stout
it has much in common with the intense dark beers that are a staple of the Scandinavian beer scene
Expect intense roast flavor and bitterness
forming a creamy tan head that dissipated rather quickly
This is not unusual for a high-alcohol beer
The aroma was dominated by cocoa and roasted malt
An espresso-like bitterness was present throughout the tasting and the finish
It also had a slight red wine sharpness that was a nice counterpart to the sweet and bitter characteristics
The use of flaked oats gave the stout a solid and creamy mouth feel
Rooie Dop beers are imported by Shelton Brothers of Belchertown, Mass. It has a Locate Our Products link here
it is not a true beer finder as it only gives the option of e-mailing the company with inquiries
Many beers are available only regionally. Check the brewer's website, which often contains information on product availability by mail. Contact Todd Haefer at beerman@postcrescent.com. To read previous Beer Man columns, click here
Kat was accused of calling for a violent uprising against law enforcement and the legal system, and also newspaper AD, and the municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk. He referred to judges as “targets,” in one example. “He took for granted that others would take his words literally,” said the court. He also allegedly called for kidnapping and threatening RIVM infectious diseases director Jaap van Dissel. The court called this, “Serious.”
The court blamed Kat for not taking responsibility for his actions. "The fact that he coonsidered the RIVM director as guilty even after the presentation of Van Dissel's victim statement is very bad."
In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, Kat, together with fellow conspiracy theorists Wouter Raatgever and Joost Knevel, spread unsubstantiated rumors about alleged satanic pedophile networks, and the ritualistic murder children in Bodegraven. They did this on an online platform called the Red Pill Journal.
As a result of the internet publications, dozens of conspiracy theorists descended on a cemetery in Bodegraven to place flowers on children’s graves. Van Dissel also required security around the clock after his private address was leaked on the Red Pill Journal platform.
Kat and his lawyer were not present in court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors also called for a restraining order against KAT preventing him from contact with his co-suspects, Van Dissel, and several AD journalists.
Kat was arrested in Northern Ireland in the summer of 2021 and has been in custody ever since. A judge in Dublin decided at the end of August that he could be surrendered to the Netherlands. Raatgever and Knevel have already been convicted and have already served their sentences.
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the third ringleader of a group of conspiracy theorists making wild claims about the western Dutch town of Bodegraven
the public prosecution service has confirmed to DutchNews.nl
Together with Micha Kat and Wouter Raatgever
the trio made repeated posts on social media claiming that the town’s mayor Christiaan van der Kamp and RIVM chief Jaap van Dissel were operating a pedophile network and committing ritual child sacrifice
The 43-year-old was picked up during a routine check
He has been living in Spain with his wife and children and
He was wanted in the Netherlands on charges of inciting violence
claims to have recovered memories of witnessing children being murdered in the town and of being sexually abused by van Dissel
a judge ruled that the three had to immediately stop posting lies about the city on their social media and delete any existing posts within 48 hours
‘There is no objective evidence whatsoever for the far-reaching allegations
which are causing a lot of unrest among citizens,’ the District Court of the Hague said in a statement
Kat was arrested in Northern Ireland in July and he is now awaiting the outcome of an extradition procedure. Raatgever was sentenced to nine months in jail in June for distributing inflammatory videos.
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we probably can not easily reverse this trend
Cold logistics specialist STEF has launched its commercial brand in the Netherlands at the opening of an 8,000 m2 extension to its logistics platform in Bodegraven
General Manager STEF Benelux and Christian Dooms
took place in the presence of 100 national and international clients from the agrifood industry
CEO Jean-Pierre Sancier and Deputy CEOs Serge Capitaine and Stanislas Lemor were on hand for the occasion
Rotterdam and Utrecht in the middle of the country’s major food consumption area
doubled its capacity thanks to this new €8 million investment
this platform is now the main STEF hub for transport and logistics in the Netherlands
STEF has ramped up its investments and business activities in the Netherlands
now grouped under a single commercial brand
marking a decisive new phase of the Group’s expansion in Northern Europe
STEF Nederland is designed to offer an efficient supply chain to serve customers in the agrifood industry
From the left to the right: Jean-Pierre Sancier
Christian van der Kamp (Mayor of Bodegraven)
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News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
09-Mar-2021 Last updated on 09-Mar-2021 at 01:55 GMT
Amatil is in the midst of discussions with CCEP over the latter’s A$9.8bn (US$7.59bn) takeover offering bid, a process that is ‘still in play’ at the moment as it awaits a shareholder vote come April, according to the firm.
Amidst these major changes, Cola-Cola Amatil also recently launched new sustainability goals all the way from now until 2040. The firm’s Group Head of Sustainability Mary Ann van Bodegraven told FoodNavigator-Asia that even if the takeover transaction goes through as expected next month, no major changes are expected to happen to these sustainability plans.
“The CCEP transaction is still playing out so I cannot reveal too many details at this point, bit I can say that these sustainability strategies we’ve planned out are well-aligned with strategies at both CCEP and The Coca-Cola Company globally,” said van Bodegraven.
“So we’ve got a great starting point already and we don’t expect any drastic changes to these plans due to the transaction [but] if there are any tweaks to be made the alignment means that integration can be made as required.”
The sustainability strategies until 2040 include 10 core objectives, such as a commitment to net zero carbon emissions, 100% renewable energy, sugar reduction for non-alcoholic beverages, net zero water and recycling solutions in all its markets.
“One of the most important areas of focus here is for consumer well-being, where we’re looking to reduce the sugar content (grams per 100ml) in our total non-alcoholic beverages portfolio by 35% in Indonesia, and 20% in Australia and New Zealand by 2025,” she said.
‘These initiatives will be baselined on 2015 numbers, and we’re actually pretty confident of achieving this in all markets we’re in including Indonesia. Indonesians do like their sweet drinks, but we’ve put in an ambitious reformulation programme there to use non-sugar sweeteners to deliver the same flavour and taste profiles for local consumers without the sugar content.
“These will comprise both natural and artificial sweeteners from stevia to sucralose in our NPD, and other things we’re promoting like the purchase of more water and existing products such as the Coke No Sugar performance will all contribute to this goal.”
Recyclable packaging has been a very big focus for the firm in Australia and New Zealand, and as it is looking to ‘close the loop’ on packaging in all its markets including Indonesia by 2030, ideas and technology from these markets are looking likely to be ported over.
“We are one company of course, so the aim is to share key knowledge and technology between markets to help achieve this goal overall,” said van Bodegraven.
“We want to achieve pack-to-pack recycling solutions in all countries where we operate by 2030, including Indonesia, so we will certainly be bringing tech such as the 100% PET tech for soft drinks that was developed in Australia over.
“The other thing we are working on is building a recycling plant in Indonesia so as to increase recycling rates – there is a lot more work that needs to be done in places like these for packaging collection, and we are aware of this, which is why we are very focused on building networks such as this, and especially those focused on PET.”
Amatil also intends to be using 50% average recycled or renewable content across all packaging by 2030.
Renewable energy will also remain a top priority for Amatil in the years to come, as part of its overall net zero carbon emissions commitment to be met by 2040.
“Solar and wind power especially are still very much a priority for us, especially with the 2040 commitment,” said van Bodegraven.
“We definitely want to be using 100% renewable electricity in Australia and New Zealand by 2025, and we’ve been purchasing wind and solar in line with that, but this is also important to us in all our markets.
“Fiji is already using renewable energy, and in Indonesia we’re building a plant with the largest rooftop solar installation in the country, one of the largest in South East Asia too. Phase One of this project started last year and we will be expanding it this year.”
Amatil has also already achieved one of its targets relating to water, where it committed to net zero water use by 2020, replacing more water into the environment than it used for manufacturing.
“Across the group, I’d say we’re now replenishing about 242% the amount of water used in production back into the environment,” she said.
“This offsetting of water use does really resonate with people, and so we’ve really focused on this a fair bit – in Indonesia we’ve done a lot with infiltration wells (dug so water can flow back to underground reservoirs) and community access wells for villagers to get water, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.
“In Australia, there’s been Project Catalyst where we work with sugarcane farmers to help reduce the fertiliser and nutrient load from their farms, trying to help protect and benefit Great Barrier Reef in particular from the effects of these which would go back into waterways leading there.”
Other sustainability goals leading up to 2040 include working with local communities, employee diversity, zero-harm workplaces, building more external partnerships, responsible sourcing and sharing sustainability strategies along supply chains.
‘We aim to be the Coca-Cola of China’: Genki Forest outlines SEA expansion plans with healthy beverages26-Oct-2020By Guan Yu LimChinese beverage firm Genki Forest is seeking to grow its presence in Singapore and Malaysia with its ready-to-drink beverages ranging from sparkling water, milk tea and oolong tea.
Biscuits & Cookies: How can dark cocoa and chocolate help capture untapped market potential?Paid for and in partnership with Cargill
The ‘invisible aroma’: The pastry chefs shaping next-gen vanilla Paid for and content provided by Takasago
The rise of dairy butter equivalents: A ‘scalable, future-proof’ solutionPaid for and content provided by Bunge
2017 Photo: Bodegraven town councilOfficials in the town of Bodegraven are running trials of new traffic lights which warn pedestrians staring at their mobile phones that they are about the cross the road
The new traffic light consists of a led lighting strip in the pavement which officials hope will alert ‘zombies’ who are looking at the road not at traffic
WhatsAp and music are major distractions in traffic,’ said town alderman Kees Oskam
‘We may not be able to change this trend
is linked to existing traffic lights and changes colour at the same time
Dutch road safety organisation VVN said it did not think the new lighting would be a solution
‘What you are doing is rewarding bad behaviour,’ a spokesman said
The system has been developed by Bodegraven firm HIG Traffic Systems which hopes to sell it to other local authorities
Conspiracy theorist Micha Kat will not be released from jail for the time being
despite a fervent argument presented at the courthouse in The Hague
The court ruled against releasing Kat during a tumultuous preparatory session where Kat had to be ushered away from the courtroom floor several times
This was apparently after a misunderstanding
Kat was arrested in Northern Ireland in the middle of last year
and unsuccessfully contested his extradition to the Netherlands
He now wants to be allowed to leave his jail cell
but the court said there were enough serious objections to detain Kat
at least until the next preliminary hearing in February
The case should be dealt with substantively with a trial at the end of March
is suspected of incitement against the judiciary
incitement against the municipality of Bodegraven
calling on people to kidnap and threaten the RIVM director Jaap van Dissel
Kat and his lawyer said the statements which prompted the accusations were made from a journalistic point of view
They want an expert in the field to testify about the additional space afforded to journalists regarding controversial speech
but the judge did not see the necessity for an expert to testify
Kat suspects that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) is targeting him
he told the judge several times during the hearing
He said he fears his voice has been drowned out
and that the “hysteria” of the OM has led to cases being manufactured against him
"I am not a danger to the State and not a conspiracy theorist,” he emphasized several times in a loud voice
together with fellow conspiracy theorists Wouter Raatgever and Joost Knevel
spread unsubstantiated stories about networks of alleged satanic pedophiles and claims of ritualistic child murders in Bodegraven
dozens of conspiracy theorists visited a cemetery in Bodegraven early last year to lay flowers on children's graves
Raatgever and Knevel have already been convicted for their roles
the court already ruled that the three conspiracy theorists must pay compensation of more than 215,000 euros to the municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk
A 37-year-old man from Bodegraven appeared before court in The Hague on Tuesday
He was initially charged with spreading child pornography
police have reportedly found evidence of the man’s sexual relations with underaged children
The man was first discovered in the summer of 2024 by the Child Pornography and Child Sex Tourism (TBKK) Team of the National Investigation and Intervention Unit
Under the guidance of the Public Prosecution Service
the team was looking into cases of child pornography on encrypted chat apps
The TBKK team then came across the man from Bodegraven, who shared pictures of “very young” children, the police report
the suspect also talked to others on the chat apps about having sexual contact with underaged boys and girls
He has been held in pre-trial detention since.The investigation is still ongoing
with the next pre-trial hearing scheduled for April 3
Police suspect that there are more victims, including those he could have met when working as a trainer at the Pentagon sports climbing club in Dordrecht from 2003-2019. Anyone with relevant information is urged to get in touch with the police investigator via email, [email protected]