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Head of asylum agency COA: ‘There is no shortage of reception places, there is a lack of will’

Joeri Kapteijns, the head of the Dutch asylum agency COA, warns that the organization will face a shortage of 8,000 reception spots by the end of the summer. He emphasizes that the crisis is caused by a lack of political will rather than a lack of physical space, stating the next three weeks are critical to avoid a severe breakdown in the system.

Politics Netherlands

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Based on reporting by ad. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

European Commission launches investigation into Booking.com over failure to tackle fraud

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Booking.com over concerns that the travel platform is failing to adequately combat fraud and phishing scams. The inquiry aims to ensure the company complies with the Digital Services Act, which mandates that online platforms prioritize user protection and transparency.

Appeals court reviews 2009 eviction of Amsterdam squatters' stronghold: ‘Police lashed out’

Fifteen years after the 2011 eviction of the Schijnheilig squat in Amsterdam, the Court of Appeal in The Hague is reviewing the cases of five protesters who were previously convicted for their roles in the event. Following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, both the defense and the public prosecutor are now seeking an acquittal, citing the right to peaceful protest.

Municipal council information portal taken offline to prevent security breach

The Amsterdam municipal government has temporarily disabled its Notubiz information system as a precaution against global cyberattacks targeting PHP vulnerabilities. This outage affects public access to council documents and live meeting streams until the security risk is resolved.

All countries doing too little for climate, further warming threatens: 'No more excuses'

A UN report warns that global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient, placing the world on track for nearly 3 degrees of warming. While the 1.5-degree target is increasingly out of reach, officials emphasize that rapid adoption of clean energy and the phasing out of fossil fuels remain critical to limiting the severity of future climate disasters.

Michel Peters, chair of queer police network Pink in Blue: ‘Amsterdam is no longer the tolerant city it once was. And I am naming the elephant in the room’

Michel Peters, chairman of the queer police network Roze in Blauw, warns that Amsterdam is becoming less tolerant toward the LGBTQ+ community due to increased violence and intimidation. He urges victims to report all incidents to the police to ensure accurate tracking of these hate-related crimes.