Politics News in English

Amsterdam to distribute 2,000 emergency packages to low-income residents, Halsema points to The Hague for more funding

Cerisa (24) sails to Gaza: 'Ten ships left, forty intercepted on Monday'

Cerisa van Kesteren from Hoofddorp is traveling with a humanitarian flotilla to deliver food and supplies to Gaza. The fleet has decreased to approximately ten sailboats following the reported interce...

Milieudefensie hopes Supreme Court forces Shell to reduce CO2 emissions

Milieudefensie and Shell are appearing before the Dutch Supreme Court this Friday for the final judgment in their landmark climate case. The environmental organization hopes the court will legally man...

US sentence of Jaitsen Singh (81) converted to life imprisonment by judge

Judge commutes Singh's US sentence to life

A court in Amsterdam has converted the 56-year American prison sentence of 81-year-old Jaitsen Singh to a life sentence to be served in the Netherlands. Singh was originally convicted in the United St...

Thailand ends 60-day visa-free travel for tourists

The Thai government has decided to end its 60-day visa-free travel policy, a measure originally introduced to boost tourism. This change affects travelers from 93 countries, including visitors from th...

Smotrich: International Criminal Court wants to arrest me

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims he has been informed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking his arrest. The request reportedly involves alleged crimes against humanity...

Wienen sees tougher asylum policy: ‘Drawing attention to child deportations has become even more complicated’

Haarlem Mayor Jos Wienen informed the city council that he will continue to oppose the deportation of well-integrated refugee children living in the municipality. Wienen noted that advocating against ...

Tielen: not all special education schools should close

State Secretary Judith Tielen has clarified that special education schools will remain open, addressing concerns from a teacher survey showing widespread opposition to merging school types. Tielen sug...

Saïd R.'s lawyers angry after conversations in high-security prison overheard

Lawyers for Sa'id R. expressed frustration during a Marengo trial hearing, alleging that confidential conversations with their client in the Extra High Security Prison (EBI) were audible to others. Th...

FC Groningen fans welcome in Volendam for play-off match against Ajax after all

Flotilla: ten more ships en route to Gaza, 41 intercepted

The Global Sumud Flotilla reports that ten aid ships are currently traveling toward Gaza, while 41 other vessels in the fleet have been intercepted by Israel. The mission aims to deliver humanitarian ...

Psychiatric patient Malek F. confesses to attempted murder in Mesdag Clinic

Malek F., a 39-year-old TBS patient, confessed in a Groningen court to the attempted murder of a fellow patient at the Mesdagkliniek last year. He stated that he acted on commands from voices in his h...

'Corona' returns to The Hague: parliamentary inquiry will contain surprises, says committee chair

A Dutch parliamentary inquiry into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will begin public hearings next week, featuring testimony from key figures such as Mark Rutte and Hugo de Jonge. C...

Former Spanish PM Zapatero investigated for COVID fraud

Former Spanish Prime Minister José Zapatero is under investigation for money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization related to COVID-19 state aid for the airline Plus Ultra. The probe ...

Dutch face longer waits for new cancer drugs: 'Unacceptable for such a wealthy country'

Access to new cancer treatments in the Netherlands is declining, with only 41% of medications approved in Europe over the last four years expected to be available to patients by 2025. This represents ...

Russia holds major nuclear arsenal exercise

Russia is conducting a large-scale nuclear arsenal exercise from Tuesday to Thursday involving over 64,000 military personnel. The drills include test launches of ballistic and cruise missiles as part...

Report: sex workers intimidated and exploited, no oversight

A report by the Sex Work Reporting and Advice Point (SMAP) reveals that sex workers in the Netherlands face poor working conditions, intimidation, and exploitation. The organization criticizes the gov...

Media watchdog warns of democratic risks from feeds

The Dutch Media Authority (CvdM) has warned that social media recommendation algorithms pose a threat to democracy by impacting the free formation of public opinion. Based on an analysis of these feed...

Discrimination test to prevent new benefits scandal will not be mandatory

Dutch Interior Minister Pieter Heerma announced that government organizations will not be legally required to use a discrimination test designed to prevent future scandals. Although approximately fort...

Holiday parks often scenes of criminal activity; North Holland approach to go nationwide

An approach developed in North Holland to combat criminal activities at holiday parks is being expanded nationwide through the 'Gastvrij Veilig' campaign. The initiative aims to improve the detection ...

Amsterdam drivers still speeding on 30 km/h roads, but average speed drops

Homeowners Association wants stricter control on house hunting: ‘Still cronyism’

Vereniging Eigen Huis is calling for stricter government oversight of the housing market, citing ongoing issues with transparency and "cronyism." Their research reveals that bidding logs are frequentl...

Other cities have long had public heating companies: what is holding Amsterdam back?

Subsidy pot shrank, site crashed, and now a lottery decides on changing room renovations and concrete rot repairs

Deaths in Kenya during protests against fuel price hikes

Four people were killed and more than 30 injured during protests against rising fuel prices in various Kenyan cities. Minister of Interior Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the casualties during a televise...

Looting and violent clashes during Bolivia protests

Protests in the Bolivian capital of La Paz have escalated as demonstrators stormed several government buildings. In response to the unrest, the government is prosecuting a protest leader on charges of...

Trump announces expansion of drug discount program

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the government-backed website TrumpRx.gov will expand its offerings to include generic medications. The platform is designed to provide consumers with di...

Municipalities see cabinet step forward after asylum riots

Sharon Dijksma, chair of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, expressed satisfaction after emergency talks with the cabinet regarding recent riots at asylum seeker reception centers. The mee...

Minnesota prosecutes ICE agent for assault among other charges

A 53-year-old ICE agent in Minnesota has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon following a shooting incident in mid-January. The agent is accused of firing at a Venezuelan migrant, who sus...