Netherlands News in English
Dutch national news translated to English. Politics, economy, housing, immigration, and more for expats and internationals.
Button shop celebrates 40 years; owner Thea (74) cannot find a successor
Thea de Boer’s specialized button shop on Amsterdam's Herengracht is celebrating its 40th anniversary while facing an uncertain future due to rising rents and a lack of successors. Despite the shop'...
Aleid Bos reconstructs her father’s youth through old letters: ‘It felt like an exotic story: my father grew up in Spain’
Aleid Bos has written a book titled "Citroenen uit de achtertuin" to reconstruct her father's childhood in Spain using a collection of old letters found after his death. The work explores her father's...
Hamas financing suspect: money was for humanitarian aid
Palestinian activist Amin A. denied allegations of financing Hamas during a trial in a Rotterdam court. The 58-year-old defendant maintained that his activities were intended solely for humanitarian a...
Brussels approves Dutch state aid package to reduce cow numbers
The European Commission has approved a state aid package of over 600 million euros for the Netherlands to support dairy farmers who voluntarily reduce their livestock. The funding will be distributed ...
Museum director: Return the third bracelet as well
The director of the Drents Museum has called for the return of a third stolen bracelet during the trial of three suspects accused of a robbery last year. Robert van Langh emphasized that the artifacts...
Children's book author Arend van Dam takes children through war stories at IJmuiden Library
Children's book author Arend van Dam will visit the IJmuiden library on Wednesday, April 22, to present his new book. During the session, he will guide children and parents through various well-known ...
Significant drop in oil demand expected, more risks for Dutch economy
The International Energy Agency expects oil demand to experience its largest decline since the pandemic. Meanwhile, Dutch regulators are warning that these global trends pose increased risks to inflat...
Hormuz coalition leaders to discuss reopening strait Friday
Leaders of the 'Hormuz coalition' are set to meet this Friday to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz following an Iranian blockade. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten is expected to participate in the...
Third suspect arrested for fireworks at Ajax - FC Groningen
Police arrested a 38-year-old man from Hoofddorp on Tuesday as the third suspect in an investigation into fireworks thrown during an Eredivisie match between Ajax and FC Groningen. The suspect faces c...
Cry for help over situation at care facility: "My mother is begging me to help her"
Relatives and a former employee at the In het Zomerpark care home in Nieuw-Vennep have raised alarms over severe neglect, including medication errors, poor hygiene, and moldy food. Although the manage...
Not a Greek figure, Medea is a benefit scandal parent according to director Angelo: ‘Ultimately her child is taken away’
Theater director Angelo Ormskerk reinterprets the Greek tragedy of Medea by framing the protagonist as a victim of the Dutch childcare benefit scandal. The production explores the systemic pressures a...
Environmental group wants to stop climate project: does carbon storage delay the green transition?
The environmental organization MOB has challenged a carbon capture and storage project at the Dutch Council of State, arguing it may prolong dependence on fossil fuels. The group claims that storing i...
MEPs: do not lift sanctions against Hungary yet
European Parliament rapporteurs Tineke Strik and Daniel Freund have stated that it is too early to lift EU sanctions against Hungary. They emphasized that the Hungarian government must first implement...
Art heist suspects may have wanted to sell loot to the state
Suspects involved in an art robbery in Drenthe reportedly planned to sell the stolen items back to the Dutch state. This information was allegedly revealed by one of the suspects to undercover agents ...
X must give privacy researcher Mekić access to his data
The Amsterdam Court of Appeal has ruled that social media platform X must provide entrepreneur and privacy researcher Danny Mekić with access to his personal data. This decision upholds a previous lo...
Free public transport for children until 2027: applications now open at city service desks
Parents can now apply for free public transport for children until 2027 at the City Desk without needing a DigiD. This initiative simplifies the application process for local families to access compli...
Gerard Metselaar leaves Hart voor Bloemendaal faction and keeps seat
Gerard Metselaar has left the Hart voor Bloemendaal political faction while retaining his seat in the municipal council. Metselaar, who was the second candidate on the party's election list, will cont...
Public Prosecution Service will not say where Romanian art treasures were found
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) has recovered stolen Romanian art treasures, including a golden helmet and two golden bracelets, but refuses to disclose where they were stored. Authorities a...
Record passenger numbers at Eindhoven Airport as revenue increases
Eindhoven Airport saw a record-breaking nearly seven million passengers travel through its gates last year. This increase in passenger volume resulted in higher turnover and profit for the airport.
Court fines FvD MP 450 euros for Nazi tweet
The Hague Court of Appeal has fined Forum voor Democratie MP Pepijn van Houwelingen 450 euros for insulting two former ministers by posting a doctored image of them with a Nazi flag on X. The incident...
Ricardo’s (26) trophy cabinet is almost full, but he still has room for a Haarlemmermeer medal: ‘You get the occasional bruise’
Combat athlete Ricardo de Jong was honored with a sports medal by the municipality of Haarlemmermeer during a ceremony in Hoofddorp celebrating 150 local athletes. Despite possessing 31 national title...
Collision with truck on N232 near Schiphol, heavy damage and delays
A taxi van and a truck collided on the N232 near Schiphol on Tuesday morning, resulting in significant vehicle damage and traffic delays. It is currently unknown if anyone was injured in the incident.
Suspect: Prosecution sought art treasures, not the truth
Suspect Bernhard Z. accused the Dutch Public Prosecution Service of prioritizing the recovery of stolen art treasures over finding the truth during the first day of his trial. The 35-year-old, charged...
May holiday turned out to cost 5,800 euros: ‘we did it because everyone else does’
A Dutch couple, Marjolein and Remco, consulted a budget coach after spending 5,800 euros on a one-week flight vacation during the May school holidays. They admitted they booked the expensive trip due ...
First for food garden in North: vegetables watered by 50,000 liters of rainwater
A food garden in Amsterdam-Noord has launched an experimental project using two 25,000-liter tanks to collect rainwater from nearby apartment rooftops. This initiative, led by Waternet and the local m...
Forts, strongholds and bunkers: visit them near Haarlem this weekend
The National Defense Heritage Weekend on April 18 and 19 allows visitors to explore various forts, bunkers, and fortifications near Haarlem and throughout the Netherlands. Many participating locations...
Explosion at foundation in Badhoevedorp, front door damaged
An explosion occurred at the Muslim-Turkish Cultural Center Markad in Badhoevedorp on Tuesday morning. The blast caused damage to the building's front door, but no injuries were reported.
Same Ziggo network, different label: hollandsnieuwe enters fixed internet and TV
Dutch provider hollandsnieuwe has expanded its services to include fixed internet and television via the Ziggo cable network. This move introduces a second brand to the cable infrastructure, utilizing...
Public Prosecution Service: Months of negotiations over return of looted art treasures
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) revealed it has spent months negotiating with suspects to secure the return of Dacian art treasures stolen from the Drents Museum. These discussions regarding...
Cedric (47) from Haarlem breathes new life into old laptops for people who cannot afford new ones
Cedric de Wijs, a 47-year-old computer enthusiast from Haarlem, restores laptops up to twenty years old for charitable purposes. He installs Linux on the devices to provide functional computers for in...