Victor Westerkamp
Victor resides in the Netherlands and writes about freedom and governmental and social changes to the democratic form of nations.
French Cabinet Pushes for Pension Reform Plan Without a Vote
The French government aroused controversy by forcing through a controversial measure to raise the retirement age to 64 without a vote by using Article 49:3, causing protests from opposition parties and the citizenry. On Thursday,...
Beagle Breeding Center Officials Under Scrutiny After Numerous Reports of Abusive Conditions, Euthanasia
According to several people aware of the situation, top U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury last year over several cases of gross negligence of beagle laboratory dogs. Several...
Dutch Farmers Gather to Protest Nationalization of Their Property
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Several thousand Dutch farmers demonstrated on Saturday, March 11, in The Hague, the Netherlands, against the government's plans to nationalize a large number of farms. However, the protest stalled over a reluctant...
Germany Considers Banning Huawei, ZTE From 5G Participation
Berlin is floating regulations to kick out Chinese espionage-suspected firms Huawei and ZTE from Germany’s telecommunication services in a possibly significant step to address security concerns. On March 6, German media stated that the German...
Flemish Nitrogen Emissions Cuts Plans Spur Massive Farmers’ Protests
Thousands of Belgian farmers drove up to Brussels to protest plans to curb nitrogen emissions which will probably be in vain because the regional government is just following European directives. Police estimated the number of...
Russians Are Closing in on Ukraine’s Besieged Bakhmut
Russian troops and mercenaries are closing in on Bakhmut, leaving one way out for civilians and fighters, with even Ukrainian fighters getting orders to leave immediately. Both sides admitted they had inflicted devastating casualties in...
Russia’s Ally Belarus Cozies Up to China
During a three-day state visit to Beijing, Belarusian President Lukashenko promised to support China on a few crucial points like human rights, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in exchange for economic aid. During the visit from...
White House Sets Deadline for Deleting TikTok From Federal Devices
The White House on Monday, Feb. 27 gave government agencies 30 days to delte TikTok from phones and systems and prohibit internet traffic between agencies and the social media app company. In a guidance memo...
Many Western Brands Still Available in Russia Despite Sanctions
Although some goods may take longer to arrive at a higher price resulting from businesses leaving Russia due to their actions in Ukraine, the impact on Russian consumers is minimal, Reuters reports. Coca-Cola trucks cross...
Buttigieg Presses for Tighter Safety Measures After Toxic Ohio Train Crash
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has proposed measures to ratchet up regulations on the transport of hazardous materials as authorities have received much criticism for how they responded to the dreadful Feb. 3 derailment of...
Biden Promises Another $ 500 Million in Military Aid at Surprise Visit to Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kiev on Feb. 20 on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, promising another $500 million in military aid. Biden, in...
Banned Iranian Filmmaker Provides Her Version of the Iran-Iraq War in Effort to Empower the People
Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi presented her animated feature Siren at the Berlinale Film Festival in which she recounts the Iran-Iraq war to empower her compatriots in their protests against the current regime. The film premiered...