Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, former Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, reflects on his career and the personal toll of his high-pressure roles upon his retirement. Having overseen national safety issues like terrorism and the MH17 disaster, he admits to struggling with work-life balance and the transition into retired life.
A cheap gout medication approved by the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board has been shown to prevent heart attacks, but regulatory barriers are preventing heart patients from accessing it. Despite its effectiveness and low cost, the Dutch Ministry of Health has reportedly refused to adjust the legislation necessary to allow for its prescription.
Dutch comedian Jochem Myjer raised 162,964 euros for his foundation, Stichting Wakker Worden Wakker Worden, through two benefit performances of his show Net Alsof. The funds will support the fight against narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that affects his daughter.
The southbound lane of the Spaarndamseweg in Haarlem will be closed to cyclists until February 2028 to accommodate local construction projects. Cyclists traveling from Haarlem-Noord to the city center are being redirected to use the Rijksstraatweg and Schoterweg instead.