Netherlands News in English
Netherlands news in English — Dutch national headlines covering politics, housing, immigration, the economy, transport and daily life, translated and updated throughout the day for the international community.
Musical about philosopher Spinoza: ‘He was shunned for "horrendous heresies"’
Director Guy Weizman is launching 'Spinoza, De Mokum Musical', a production honoring the life and work of Amsterdam-born philosopher Baruch Spinoza. The musical portrays his conflicts with religious a...
Netherlands to play Nations League home games in Amsterdam and Eindhoven
The Dutch national football team will play its home Nations League matches in Amsterdam and Eindhoven this autumn, as announced by the KNVB. They are scheduled to face group opponents Germany, Serbia,...
Cabinet asks schools to be alert to risk of female genital mutilation
The Dutch cabinet has issued a letter to schools nationwide, urging staff to be alert for signs that female students may be at risk of genital mutilation before the summer holidays. The initiative aim...
Zandvoort retains Blue Flag for clean swimming water
Zandvoort has been awarded the international Blue Flag once again for the quality and safety of its swimming water and beach. Alderman Carree accepted the certification, which serves as a global mark ...
Former skipper Cees de Baar writes book with Jolanda Kalló about lifeboat Johanna Louisa: ‘In Love with the Old Lady’
Former skipper Cees de Baar and Jolanda Kalló have co-authored a book about the lifeboat Johanna Louisa to mark its 20th anniversary as a PR vessel for the KNRM. The book, titled "Verliefd op de Oude...
Unions on collision course with cabinet, talks halted after Catshuis meeting
Negotiations between labor unions, employers, and the Dutch cabinet regarding proposed social security budget cuts have collapsed without an agreement. Union leader Hans Spekman announced that talks h...
Court sentences Raisa Blommestijn to 30 hours of community service
The Dutch Court of Appeal has sentenced Ongehoord Nederland presenter Raisa Blommestijn to 30 hours of community service for insulting remarks made on social media. The conviction stems from her use o...
André Hazes on first meeting between son and girlfriend: 'They really clicked'
André Hazes Jr. shared that his nine-year-old son, Dré, recently met his new girlfriend, Noa Braaf, for the first time. The singer expressed on his podcast that the introduction went exceptionally w...
Community service demanded for PVV politician for hitting XR activist
Prosecutors have demanded 180 hours of community service and a 12-month driving ban for PVV politician Ronald van Tiggelen after he hit an Extinction Rebellion activist with his car. The incident occu...
28-year-old from The Hague arrested after city hall bomb threat
A 28-year-old man from The Hague was arrested on Thursday afternoon after claiming to have a bomb at the city hall. Police reported that no explosives were found on the suspect following the suspiciou...
Haarlem street nuisance reporting point almost ready for launch: 'We are creating one recognizable channel'
Haarlem is set to launch a new reporting center for street safety and nuisance following months of preparation. The municipality aims to provide a single, recognizable channel for residents to report ...
Heemstede coalition formation completed, no broad cooperation model. New alderman for ’t Groot Clooster
The political parties D66, VVD, and PRO have formed a new governing coalition in Heemstede, focusing on policy continuity for the next four years. The new municipal executive board is scheduled to be ...
European Commission: Netherlands receives experimental hantavirus drug
The European Commission announced that the Netherlands will receive the first doses of Favipiravir, an experimental antiviral drug for treating hantavirus. While no treatment is currently approved, th...
Bonhoeffer College gym full of climate exam candidates. 'The first question was about the Paris Agreement. I knew that by heart'
Students and teachers gathered at Bonhoeffercollege for a climate exam held one day after the conclusion of official final exams. The test featured questions on topics such as the Paris Agreement and ...
Slight increase in sick leave and 10% more accidents at GVB last year
Amsterdam public transport operator GVB reported a 9% employee sickness rate and a 10% increase in traffic accidents in 2025, totaling 965 incidents. Despite operational challenges like staff shortage...
Foam block falls from 'great height' onto woman on Bloemgracht, taken to hospital
A woman was hospitalized after being struck by a foam block that fell from a significant height on the Bloemgracht in Amsterdam's Jordaan district on Monday morning. Witnesses reported seeing the obje...
Man arrested over suspicious situation at The Hague city hall
A man wearing only underwear was arrested on Thursday afternoon following a suspicious situation at the city hall in The Hague. Police confirmed the arrest and took the individual away in handcuffs.
Criticism of period tracking apps asking about unprotected sex and masturbation: ‘A lot of intimate information’
A study commissioned by Bits of Freedom highlights that menstrual cycle tracking apps collect highly intimate data, such as sexual activity and masturbation habits, often without users knowing how it ...
Máxima grateful for research into colonial items in collection
Queen Máxima expressed gratitude for an independent investigation into the provenance of colonial items within the Royal Collections. She stated that the findings and recommendations would be fully a...
ING also limits interest-only mortgage options
ING is joining other banks in restricting interest-only mortgages by lowering the financing limit to 30 percent of a property's value. This policy change will take effect on July 23.
Small portion of royal colonial objects potentially unlawful
An independent investigation into approximately 1,000 colonial objects in the Dutch Royal Collections found that a small portion may have been unlawfully or unjustly acquired. While the majority of it...
Inspectorate: asylum seekers' phones may not be searched
The Inspectorate of Justice and Security has ruled that authorities may not search the phones and laptops of asylum seekers entering the Netherlands without a solid legal basis. The inspection conclud...
The Hague City Hall evacuated due to suspicious situation
The Hague City Hall has been evacuated due to a suspicious situation. Police are currently investigating the incident, though further details regarding the nature of the threat have not yet been discl...
Amsterdam asked four times if Music On tent was safe but received no response
The municipality of Amsterdam requested safety approval status for a festival tent four times without receiving a response from the environmental service. The tent was ultimately rejected four days be...
Police take criminal botnet offline
Dutch police and the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) have dismantled a massive botnet consisting of at least 17 million infected devices. The network, which included computers, tablets, and smar...
TikTok promises a ‘glow’, but dermatologists see something else: irritation, breakouts and bags full of products
Dermatologists Mila Poelhekken and Sebastiaan van der Bent are warning against skincare misinformation frequently found on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. They observe that incorrect usage of acn...
Time for ‘Brainsterdam’? Amsterdam wants to collaborate with Brainport in a ‘tech corridor’
Amsterdam is proposing a collaboration with Brainport Eindhoven to create a "tech corridor" aimed at positioning both regions at the top of the European high-tech sector. The initiative, which origina...
Spaarnestad has a unique creative hub in Haarlem-North with De Volharding: ‘There is no separation between the social and the artistic’
De Volharding has emerged as a unique creative incubator in Haarlem-Noord, aimed at integrating social and artistic initiatives. Coordinator Hugo Post describes the site as a vital space for cultural ...
Poetry collection by wordsmith Jan J. Pieterse brings a smile
Haarlem-based author Jan J. Pieterse has released a new collection of light verse poetry characterized by sharp insights and mild irony. The book aims to provide readers with a sense of humor and pers...
ACM fines auction website Ticketveiling.nl for price inflation via automatic bids; thousands of consumers misled
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has fined the auction website Ticketveiling.nl 270,000 euros for misleading thousands of consumers. The company used a custom-built algorithm ...