Severe Weather, Old Painting, Bus Trouble, and Apologies (Saturday, June 20)

Severe thunderstorms caused damage in dozens of locations. There were many reports from Flevoland, Utrecht, Twente, and Gooi and Vechtstreek. In Coevorden, someone was seriously injured when a tree fell on a car.

For parts of the country, an orange code was in effect. There was also an NL-Alert for Central Netherlands. Furthermore, there were fires caused by lightning, hail, fallen trees, and extensive water damage.

Historian Joris Oddens investigated a painting from 1608. It depicts a meeting of the States General in the oldest hall of the Binnenhof. According to Oddens, Spain recognized the Republic there as a negotiating partner.

The painting was initially hung in a German castle and appeared at an auction in 2023. After restoration, it will hang in the The Hague Historical Museum from 2028. In America, the Oranje bus broke down while traveling from Dallas to Houston.

Water was leaking from the bus all along the way. The police brought the bus to a parking lot, where people repaired it. The thermostat was stuck, but after three hours, the bus drove on to Houston.

At the largest tech fair in Europe, much attention is given to digital autonomy. American tech companies are also clearly present there. The FD writes that SpaceX, Google, and Amazon are looking into data centers in space.

According to those plans, a lot of energy is available there. Investors take the ideas seriously, but there are also many objections. Prime Minister Jetten will probably offer apologies on Sunday for the first generation of Moluccans.

On Ambon, many families have a father or grandfather from the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. According to the Nederlands Dagblad, many later became soldiers or farmers. Gusto Hetharie says that his father continued to struggle with that history.