In this edition: freedom day, the Russian clamp down on freedom of expression, bananas and the stemfie.

On May 5^th Liberation day is celebrated in the Netherlands – after the night before people stood still to remember those that gave their lives in the fight for freedom. Freedom day is actually a better translation – as this day is to celebrate freedom. It is a great tradition – to remember and to celebrate, to have two days that put freedom into the centre – every year again.

May 4^th is Remembrance Day in the Netherlands, a day to remember the people killed in World War II. It is good to see that even now, nearly 70 years after the end of the war, this day is still alive. Many people join one of the many ceremonies all over the country and respect the two minutes of silence at 8 p.m.

Today 25 years ago, on May 2^nd 1989, Hungary started to take down the barbed wire fence at the border to Austria. This marked the start of the final weeks of the Berlin wall.

Today the Netherlands is celebrating liberation day. Originally a day to celebrate the liberation from the German occupation at the end of World War II this day is now a day to celebrate freedom - Freedom day!

A day to remember that freedom is not given. What a great day to have - a day to celebrate freedom and to realise that is important to protect it and to fight for it.