Netherlands News in English
Dutch national news translated to English. Politics, economy, housing, immigration, and more for expats and internationals.
Thousands of accidental 112 calls made via car emergency buttons last year
The Dutch emergency center received 37,500 calls from vehicles last year, but approximately 75 percent were non-emergencies often caused by accidental button presses. In total, the emergency services ...
Heemskerk and Beverwijk investigate construction of heat networks to reduce natural gas consumption
The municipalities of Heemskerk and Beverwijk are investigating the implementation of heating networks to reduce natural gas consumption. On Thursday, they signed an intent agreement with heat company...
From parking garage fire to overshooting plane at the Kaagbaan: dozens of new PFAS suspect sites at Schiphol
A systematic investigation into soil and water at Schiphol Airport has identified approximately 100 locations with confirmed or potential PFAS contamination. These suspect sites are linked to historic...
Chinouk (29) runs through RAI to fight cancer: ‘My mother died after an illness of just eight days’
Chinouk van de Kuil is organizing a unique charity run through the RAI convention center in Amsterdam to raise funds for the Dutch Cancer Society. The event honors her mother, who passed away from can...
Dutch Safety Board: bridge operator must reduce risk, no investigation needed
The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) has concluded that bridge and lock managers must prioritize public safety by strictly adhering to existing risk-reduction guidelines. The board stated that additional inve...
Five arrests in investigation into criminal drug gang
Five individuals were arrested in Rotterdam and Hazeldonk on Wednesday as part of an investigation into a criminal drug organization. The suspects face charges including leading a criminal enterprise,...
Brian dreams of a job with the Italian commandos: ‘In that line of work you can really serve your country’
Nineteen-year-old Brian, an Italian living in the Netherlands, dreams of joining the Italian commandos to serve his country. He expresses a strong desire to find a career where he can make a significa...
Rotterdam synagogue explosion suspects held longer
Four suspects arrested in connection with an explosion at a synagogue in Rotterdam will remain in custody for at least thirty more days. The Public Prosecution Service announced the detention extensio...
Fuel prices skyrocket but travel allowance stays flat: this option could work in your favor
The Dutch trade union FNV has urged the government to increase tax-free travel allowances in response to rising fuel prices. However, employees are unlikely to see immediate changes as it will take si...
After successful Winter Games, new bobsledders line up and Dave Wesselink has a sore body
Dave Wesselink, the pilot for the Dutch bobsleigh team, reflects on his Olympic journey leading to the Milan games and the physical toll of the sport. Following recent successes at the Winter Games, t...
Friso de Zweeuw started his collection with a GDR medal from a souvenir shop, now he has a complete museum
Friso de Zweeuw established a museum in Monnickendam dedicated to the DDR after starting his collection with a single souvenir medal. The museum is being featured as part of a series highlighting uniq...
Triple Threat threatened with expulsion from basketball league over dirty floor; emergency measures taken to prevent it
The basketball club Triple Threat faced potential expulsion from the national top league due to hazardous court conditions at the Spaarnehal caused by a municipal cleaning error. To prevent sanctions ...
Haarlem alderman rejects D66 ‘tile team’ proposal: ‘Shopping streets are not failing’
Haarlem alderman Robbert Berkhout has rejected a proposal from the D66 party to establish a specialized team for proactively repairing loose sidewalk tiles. Berkhout argued that the current maintenanc...
Smart store routing pays off: Mattanja (15) and Dominique (15) from Vonk win prestigious Skills school award
15-year-old students Mattanja Vogelpoel and Dominique de Groot from the Vonk school in Castricum have won the national final of the prestigious Skills competition. The duo was named the best in the Ne...
Middle East conflict upends travel industry: Turkey now hundreds of euros cheaper
Political unrest in the Middle East is shifting summer holiday preferences, leading to increased demand for destinations like Turkey, Egypt, and the Caribbean. Consumers are increasingly choosing pack...
Roel orders bamboo shorts. Webshop doubles order and bill unsolicited
Roel Appers ordered ten pairs of bamboo boxers from the webshop Monarchwear after seeing an online advertisement. However, the retailer unilaterally doubled both his order quantity and the invoice wit...
Explosion causes significant damage to home in Haarlem
An explosion caused significant damage to a residence on Jan van der Horststraat in Haarlem on Thursday night. Authorities are investigating the blast, which resulted in substantial property damage.
Velsen Port Team discovers illegal worker and housing during inspection of 20 companies in Velsen-Noord
The Haventeam Velsen recently conducted inspections of twenty companies in the Velsen-Noord industrial area. The operation resulted in the arrest of one individual for residing illegally in the Nether...
Free weddings in Haarlem? Not until April 2027
Couples seeking a free wedding ceremony in Haarlem must wait until April 2027 for the next available slot. Recent data from the Haarlem municipality shows that waiting times for these ceremonies in th...
Plan for temporary housing on Huibert Pootstraat. Garages to make way for 63 units.
Stichting Care4Good and HDO Groep have proposed a plan to build 63 temporary housing units on Huibert Pootstraat for individuals with limited access to the housing market, such as young adults and the...
Infighting, splits and empty seats: FvD’s troubled entry into local councils
A week after the Dutch municipal elections, Forum voor Democratie is experiencing internal conflict, splits, and low attendance in several local councils. Despite winning nearly 300 seats, the party's...
Mayor of Gorinchem: it is up to the council to weigh the options
Mayor Reinie Melissant of Gorinchem has stated that the local city council must decide whether to hold a re-election for the council. She emphasized that the council faces a difficult choice which mus...
Dead woman found in Koninginneweg home, police investigate for hours
Amsterdam police are investigating a residence on Koninginneweg in the Oud-Zuid district after a woman's body was discovered on Tuesday afternoon. Forensic teams were deployed to the scene as authorit...
Hema wins Gouden Loeki for Christmas commercial featuring Takkie and Siepie cheering up sick girl
Hema and advertising agency Hotel L’Amour have won the Gouden Loeki award for the best television commercial of the year for the third consecutive year. The winning Christmas advertisement, which fe...
Raven van Dorst found US visa application a painful process: 'I had to choose'
Dutch presenter Raven van Dorst described the U.S. work visa application process as "painful" because it required temporarily reverting to a binary gender choice instead of the gender-neutral 'X' in t...
Hook of Holland fishmonger prosecuted for refusing woman with face veil
A fishmonger in Hoek van Holland is being prosecuted for discrimination after refusing to serve a woman wearing a face veil. The Court of Appeal in The Hague ruled that the man must stand trial for th...
Public Prosecution Service prosecutes two for assault and discrimination on VU campus
The Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office is prosecuting two 25-year-old students for assault and discriminatory behavior occurring on the Vrije Universiteit campus in Amsterdam last November. The suspects...
Weekend tips: things to do in Haarlem (March 27-29)
Haarlem offers various activities for the weekend of March 27-29 to celebrate the beginning of spring. The article provides curated tips and suggestions for events taking place throughout the city dur...
John Oomkes (1952-2026): prominent music journalist with a big heart for his native Haarlem
John Oomkes, a prominent pop journalist and former city council member from Haarlem, has passed away at the age of 74. Recognized as a pioneer in serious music journalism since the mid-1970s, Oomkes w...
Lebanon veterans see civilians fleeing en masse again: 'What did we do it all for?'
Dutch veterans who served in Lebanon express deep sadness as they witness the country's destruction during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. They question the value of their past peac...