Netherlands News in English
Dutch national news translated to English. Politics, economy, housing, immigration, and more for expats and internationals.
Clumsy 19-year-old leaves DNA after planting explosive at Haarlem home: ‘It could have killed them’
Two suspects from Rotterdam face up to five years in prison for their involvement in fireworks bomb explosions that targeted two homes in Haarlem-North on November 3, 2024. The blasts caused significa...
Face painting, scavenger hunts, and a lecture: open day for all ages at Kerbert Animal Shelter and Rodent Center in IJmuiden
The Kerbert Animal Shelter and the Rodent Center in IJmuiden are hosting an open day for all ages on Sunday, April 12. The event will feature various activities including face painting, a scavenger hu...
Drawings by Fiep Westendorp, illustrator of Jip and Janneke, at the Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will host an exhibition this summer featuring 150 original illustrations by Fiep Westendorp, the renowned artist behind Jip en Janneke. The display highlights Westendorp's...
Rico the Chilean sentenced to 13 years on appeal
The Dutch appeals court has sentenced 52-year-old Richard R., known as Rico the Chilean, to 13 years in prison for leading a criminal organization involved in assassinations, drug trafficking, and mon...
Dutch Data Protection Authority investigates whether UWV was allowed to request passport copies
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) is investigating whether the UWV benefits agency was legally permitted to request passport copies from municipalities. This inquiry follows reports by the news...
Victim of Arnhem city center fire will never forget the fear
During the first day of a trial regarding a 2023 fire in Arnhem, victims presented impact statements highlighting the ongoing trauma and significant consequences they face. The court proceedings focus...
Overfished mackerel further at risk: ‘Risk of total fishing ban’
European member states have set mackerel fishing quotas nearly double the levels recommended by scientists, leading to concerns over a potential population collapse. The North Sea Foundation warns tha...
Unilever sells brands like Calvé, Knorr and Unox to American company
Unilever has reached an agreement to sell a major part of its food division, including brands such as Calvé, Knorr, and Unox, to the American company McCormick. The deal involves a combination of sto...
Castricum residents concerned over Dorpsstraat traffic measures: Will crossing without traffic lights be less safe?
The municipality of Castricum is set to redevelop Dorpsstraat with new traffic measures intended to enforce a 30 km/h speed limit and improve safety. During a recent public meeting, residents expresse...
Recognize the signs of elder abuse
The city of Haarlem has launched the 'Verborgen Leed' campaign to raise awareness about elder abuse and encourage residents to recognize warning signs like financial exploitation or withdrawal. This r...
Suspect arrested for laundering 1.5 million euros in healthcare funds
A suspect from The Hague was arrested last Tuesday on suspicion of defrauding healthcare funds of approximately 1.5 million euros. The individual is accused of unlawfully receiving the money and subse...
Man who threatened Douwe Bob sentenced to ten months: 'Half of Amsterdam wants your head on a paving stone'
A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to ten months in prison, with three months suspended, for threatening Dutch singer Douwe Bob Posthuma. The court also imposed a restraining order after the threats...
Rapper Kempi sentenced to seven months in prison for threats and firearm possession
The 39-year-old rapper Kempi was sentenced to seven months in prison on Tuesday for threats, coercion, and illegal possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, he was issued a restraining ...
Thousands of blessed flowers leave Keukenhof for Rome
For the 40th year, 7,000 blessed flowers have been transported from the Netherlands to Vatican City to decorate St. Peter's Square for Easter Sunday. Bishop Hans van den Hende blessed the floral arran...
Why Unilever wants to sell its iconic Dutch brand Calvé and what it means for our peanut butter
Unilever is in advanced negotiations to sell its food division, including the iconic Dutch brand Calv , to the American company McCormick. The potential deal, which could be finalized as early as Tues...
Youth at Italiëlaan to receive ‘extra attention’ from municipality after wave of nuisance
The municipality of Haarlem will provide extra attention from youth services to the Italiëlaan neighborhood following reports of significant nightly disturbances. This decision follows a meeting betw...
Wages to rise sharply in 2026: ‘High labor costs a concern for entrepreneurs’
Wages in the small and medium-sized enterprise sector rose by 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, marking the sharpest increase in years. This significant rise has prompted concerns among busine...
Why don't we just record all this rambling? The 1963 Podcast about Telstar is here to stay
Sietse van Dam and Jarno Berrevoets have successfully established the '1963 Podcast' as the only official podcast for the Dutch football club Telstar. The show originated from the duo's casual convers...
Final location for Beverwijk skate park confirmed: De Blauwe Kikker to go, new park along Overboslaan
The city council of Beverwijk has officially selected Overboslaan as the location for a new skate park, situated across from the De Sleutelbloem child center. This new facility will replace the existi...
Ampèrestraat toad fence, pointless? Not for laying new power cables in IJmuiden
A toad screen several hundred meters long is being installed along the Ampèrestraat in IJmuiden to protect local wildlife during the installation of new power cables. The barrier is positioned betwee...
Five new murals in Haarlem: Eksterlaan, Merwedestraat, Spoorlaan, Nijlstraat and Schipholweg
The municipality of Haarlem has commissioned five new murals to be painted across several neighborhoods, including Delftwijk and Slachthuisbuurt, by the end of this year. A total budget of 100,000 eur...
Food authority closes restaurant on Javastraat due to rat infestation
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has closed a restaurant on Javastraat in Amsterdam after social media footage showed rats in food containers and kitchen equipment. In...
Suspicious object defused at Zaanstad Judicial Complex parking lot
A suspicious package discovered at the parking lot of the Judicial Complex Zaanstad in Westzaan was determined to be harmless following an investigation by authorities. This incident occurs just one w...
AT5 Podcast: Lieve (22) was abandoned as a baby and wants to know who her parents are
A new podcast titled 'De Vondeling' follows 22-year-old Lieve as she searches for her biological parents after being abandoned as a newborn in Amsterdam's De Pijp neighborhood in 2003. The series revi...
CatClub Bloemendaal to open water sports season this Easter weekend
CatClub Bloemendaal will officially kick off the new water sports season this Easter weekend following weeks of preparation by club volunteers. The organization announced that they are ready for the s...
Koert H. denies arson in Arnhem city center
Koert H. (58) has denied involvement in an arson attack that destroyed ten buildings in the city center of Arnhem last year. The prosecution alleges that H. and two accomplices ignited a paper contain...
BBB expels senator from Senate group, senator retains seat
The BBB party has expelled Senator Robert van Gasteren from its Senate faction following a decision on Tuesday morning. Van Gasteren will retain his seat and continue serving as an independent member,...
Council chamber back in use after nine-month renovation
After a nine-month renovation costing over 4.5 million euros, the council chamber at Amsterdam's Stopera city hall has reopened with updated technology and a new layout. The redesigned space encourage...
Youth workers Dimitri and Sem provide a safe place where young people can be themselves: ‘As a teenager, I didn’t always make the right choices myself’
Youth workers Dimitri van den Berg and Sem Zwart operate Zienhouse, a dedicated facility for young people in Uitgeest. The center provides a safe and supportive environment where local youth can be th...
Harsh life along a ragged Osdorperweg documented in book: ‘Anyone who wants to go back to the past is out of their mind’
Kees Schelling has authored a book documenting the historically harsh and simple life along the Osdorperweg in Amsterdam. While the work captures colorful memories of a bygone era, Schelling maintains...