A ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia officially began at 3:00 PM Dutch time on Friday after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to the proposal. The truce, established in observance of Orthodox Easter, was initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and is set to continue until Sunday.
Police are urgently searching for 47-year-old Hursit, who was last seen on Wednesday morning at Lou Jansenplein in Amsterdam's Slotermeer neighborhood. Authorities and his family have expressed serious concerns for his well-being and are asking anyone with information to contact emergency services immediately.
Amsterdam Alderman Hester van Buren is requesting that deposit return organization Verpact pay ‐8 million for 8,000 new trash cans designed to reduce litter caused by people searching for deposit bottles and cans. While the city argues that high tourism and increased cleanup costs justify the request, Verpact has currently only agreed to a ‐1 million contribution in addition to its existing annual payments. Consequently, the city will initially install 1,000 bins while continuing to negotiate for the full replacement of the city's waste containers.
Martijn Smit, the mayor of Beverwijk, unexpectedly announced his resignation during a city council meeting on Thursday evening. He will officially step down from his position in September, requiring the municipality to begin the search for a successor.
National politicians and cabinet members are visiting Gorinchem to support local party branches ahead of the April 29 re-elections. Everdien Hamann of the local party Gorcum Actief has criticized this involvement, arguing it is unfair to smaller local parties.
Construction has begun on 82 social rental homes in Beverwijk as part of the "De Groene Tuinen" development project. The initiative aims to increase housing availability and neighborhood greenery, with at least half of the new units reserved for local residents of Beverwijk or Heemskerk.