Politics News in English

Amsterdam introduces first cooling spots as heatwave approaches: ‘Staying cool shouldn't depend on your income’

Opinion: ‘There is still plenty of room for a drug consumption bus in Amsterdam-Zuid’

More arrests for planned attack on Trump's birthday

U.S. police have arrested two additional men suspected of planning an attack during a cage fight at the White House on President Donald Trump's birthday. These arrests follow five previous detentions ...

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson pleads guilty to 18 sexual offenses

Jeffrey Donaldson, the 63-year-old former leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has been found guilty of eighteen sex offenses. The charges against the prominent pro-British po...

Belgium grants Taliban visas for EU talks

Belgium has issued visas to a five-member Taliban delegation to attend European Union consultations in Brussels. The planned visit, which could occur as early as Tuesday, has sparked significant contr...

Heerma understands Groningen frustration after reinforcement mistakes

Interior Minister Pieter Heerma expressed understanding for the frustration of Groningen residents following errors in safety assessments for homes in the earthquake-affected region. His comments foll...

French Prime Minister calls crisis meeting on heatwave

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting with ministers on Tuesday morning to discuss the impact of a severe heatwave affecting the country. A code red alert has been issued for ...

Darryl ‘Insayno’ was Haarlem’s city poet for two days until comments on slavery and the Holocaust surfaced: ‘My plans for Haarlem will remain in the vault forever’

Rapper Darryl Danchelo Osenga, known as Insayno, reflects on his brief two-day tenure as Haarlem's city poet in 2020, which ended due to controversy over past lyrics comparing slavery to the Holocaust...

'We're not being taken seriously,' says resigning member of Schiphol Social Council

Jeroen Wester, an elected member of the Maatschappelijke Raad Schiphol (MRS), has resigned from his position, claiming the advisory board is treated as a "rubber stamp." He stated that the council is ...

This 34-year-old D66 politician must solve the nitrogen crisis

Jaimi van Essen, a 34-year-old D66 minister, has been tasked with resolving the Netherlands' long-standing nitrogen crisis. As the cabinet prepares to release a new plan this week, Van Essen faces sig...

Neighborhood committee questions decision-making on Geesterduin 2.0 in Castricum

The Neighborhood Committee Regio Geesterhage has expressed concerns in an open letter regarding the decision-making process for the Geesterduin 2.0 development project in Castricum. The committee is q...

End to solar panel subsidies: the sun rises for free, yet it still costs money

Starting in 2027, solar panel owners in the Netherlands will face increased costs as existing subsidies are phased out. Although solar energy itself is free, the financial benefits previously availabl...

Former minister no longer remembers reason for late 2020 school closures

Former Dutch Education Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven told a parliamentary inquiry committee that she no longer recalls the specific reasons for closing schools in December 2020. During her testimony...

Andy Burnham sworn in as MP in British Parliament

British politician Andy Burnham has been sworn in as a Member of Parliament for the Makerfield district. His return to Parliament is intended to position him as a potential successor to Keir Starmer w...

Zuiderbad no longer heated with natural gas

The historic Zuiderbad swimming pool in Amsterdam is transitioning away from natural gas by installing heat pumps and 263 solar panels, reducing its gas usage by 90%. This sustainability project for t...

Former minister: rapid tests were not an option to reopen schools

Former Dutch Education Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven testified to a parliamentary inquiry that large-scale rapid testing was too complex to enable the early reopening of vocational and higher educat...

Former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan dies at 100

Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve who served from 1987 to 2006, has died at the age of 100. He passed away on Monday due to complications from Parkinson's disease.

Vance: Strait to be opened and IAEA to return to Iran

US Vice President JD Vance announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened. Additionally, Iran has invited inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct new inspections...

New alderman knows what it's like to pinch every penny: this is Araya Sumter

Araya Sumter has been appointed as a new alderman in Amsterdam, overseeing social justice, poverty relief, and diversity initiatives. Drawing from her personal history of financial hardship and her ca...

Cabinet wants Senate to be able to amend and return laws

The Dutch cabinet is reintroducing a proposal to amend the constitution, allowing the Senate to modify and return legislation to the House of Representatives. Minister Pieter Heerma has placed the 202...

Pediatrician: more child abuse due to school closures

Pediatrician Károly Illy testified before the Dutch parliamentary inquiry committee, stating that school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic likely led to an increase in child abuse. He emphasized ...

Former Spanish minister sentenced to 24 years for mask fraud

The Spanish Supreme Court has sentenced former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison. He was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, and participation in a criminal organization r...

TU Delft allowed to reserve spots for women in aerospace engineering

The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights has ruled that TU Delft may reserve 30 percent of its Aerospace Engineering study places for female students to address low enrollment in the field. While th...

Have your say on Haarlem station square

From June 29 to July 3, residents and travelers are invited to provide input on the renovation of the Haarlem station area during the Week of the Station Area. The event includes activities like playi...

Andy Burnham wants to succeed British PM Starmer

Andy Burnham, the outgoing Mayor of Manchester, has announced his intention to succeed Keir Starmer as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Starmer resigned on Monday morning following mounting press...

OMT member surprised by specialists' advice for school closures

Pediatrician and OMT member Károly Illy expressed surprise that the Federation of Medical Specialists recommended closing schools in March 2020 without consulting its members. The recommendation was ...

'Welcome to Heemstede', walking for refugees

On World Refugee Day, approximately 100 residents marched through Heemstede to raise awareness for the reception and housing of refugees. The event aimed to show community support for asylum seekers.

External agency to clear Wmo backlog in Velsen; wait times reach twenty weeks

The municipality of Velsen is hiring an external agency to address a backlog of 600 Social Support Act (Wmo) applications. Current waiting times for these requests have increased to twenty weeks.

Lebanese president and US vice president discuss ceasefire

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and U.S. Vice President JD Vance discussed ceasefire efforts in Lebanon during a phone call on Monday. The conversation, reported by Aoun's office, focused on ongoing di...

EU chief Von der Leyen thanks 'statesman' Starmer

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her gratitude to outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following his resignation announcement on Monday. Starmer decided to step dow...