Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Mayors caught in bind as new coalitions demand ‘zero asylum seekers’ despite dispersal law
Dutch mayors are facing conflict between the national asylum seeker distribution law and new local coalition agreements that refuse to host refugees. Sharon Dijksma, chair of the Association of Nether...
Haven-Stad under further pressure: province blocks housing plans in Amsterdam port
Armenian PM claims election victory for his party
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared victory for his Civil Contract party in the country's parliamentary elections. During a press conference held overnight, Pashinyan described the re...
Israel closes Gaza border crossings after Iran attack
Israel has closed its border crossings to the Gaza Strip as a security measure following missile attacks from Iran. The decision was announced by the government agency COGAT, which coordinates access ...
Human Rights Institute: Quarter of people with disabilities feel inferior
A study by the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights involving over 1,800 people found that one in four individuals with disabilities feels excluded from society. The report also highlights significa...
D66: parental consent not required for abuse investigations
The Dutch political party D66 proposes removing the requirement for parental consent when initiating investigations into suspected child abuse. The party emphasizes that child safety and the child's o...
Trump asks Netanyahu not to carry out retaliatory attack
U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from launching a retaliatory strike against Iran following a recent attack. The request was communicated duri...
Revolutionary Guard: attacks on Israel were a warning
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRG) declared that its recent missile attack on Israel was a warning following an Israeli strike on Beirut earlier that day. The IRG also warned of larger-scale attack...
Trump to Iran: Return to the negotiating table
US President Donald Trump has urged Iran to cease its missile attacks on Israel and return to the negotiating table. Speaking to Fox News, Trump responded to Tehran's retaliatory strikes following Isr...
Military reports Iran has fired missiles toward Israel
The Israeli military has announced that it detected missile fire launched from Iran toward Israeli territory. The missiles were observed flying toward Israeli soil following reports of an attack origi...
British newspaper: Trump considers buying Chagos Islands
The White House is reportedly considering a plan to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius to secure the strategic military base on Diego Garcia. This acquisition would ensure the continued operat...
Trump walks out of interview after questions about election fraud
U.S. President Donald Trump walked out of an interview with NBC News after being asked for evidence regarding his claims of election fraud in California. He exited the session when the interviewer pre...
Bolivian Congress authorizes president to deploy military against protests
The Bolivian Congress has passed a law authorizing President Rodrigo Paz to deploy the military to clear road blockades that have paralyzed major cities for several weeks. The decision followed an ext...
Rutte suffered from it, now Jetten too: the 'where is the prime minister' question is being asked
Opposition parties in the Netherlands are questioning the leadership of Rob Jetten as they await negotiations for a budget agreement. Jetten is reportedly keeping the parties waiting intentionally, a ...
Plan for snack bar-free neighborhood goes ahead despite legal threats: 'We want a healthy food environment'
Haarlem council members are proceeding with plans to ban fast-food vendors in the new Hart voor Oostpoort neighborhood to promote a healthy food environment. Despite legal threats from the snack bar a...
Iranian MP: We will retaliate for Israel's attack on Beirut
Iranian MP Ebrahim Rezaei announced that Tehran will deliver a decisive and painful response to Israel's airstrike on the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut. The Israeli military stated that the attack successf...
Prospective alderman Moeskops works last day at restaurant: "It's also a bit sad"
D66 council member Elise Moeskops worked her final shift at her Amsterdam restaurant before her expected appointment as the city's new alderman for traffic this Wednesday. She will succeed Melanie van...
Designated alderman Moeskops works last day in restaurant: "It's also a bit sad"
Elise Moeskops is transitioning from her role as a restaurant owner and D66 council member to become an alderperson in Amsterdam, where she will take over the traffic portfolio. She recently marked he...
Trump: Iran must also promise not to buy nuclear weapons
US President Donald Trump has stated that any deal with Iran must include a commitment from the country not to purchase nuclear weapons from other nations. This demand expands upon existing requiremen...
Playing Pokémon to train military drones: how data from the popular game is used for warfare
The popular mobile game Pokémon Go has functioned as a massive geographic data collection operation since its global launch in 2016. This data is now being utilized to train military drones for warfa...
Israel bombs southern suburbs of Beirut
Israel carried out air strikes on southern Beirut suburbs targeting terrorist command centers, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu's office. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the attacks were a re...
Long-term sick employees to miss out on €17,000: ‘We are going back in time’
Starting next year, employers in the Netherlands will no longer be compensated for severance payments to long-term sick employees, potentially costing workers an average of 17,000 euros. The labor uni...
False bomb threats during tense elections in Armenia
Multiple polling stations in Armenia received false bomb threats during the country's tense elections, according to state media. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that the threats were intende...
How will Mark Rutte’s memory hold up during the upcoming COVID hearings?
The Dutch Parliamentary Inquiry Committee has begun eight weeks of hearings to examine the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020. Key figures are being questioned to identify...
One dead and several wounded in Israel shootings
At least one person was killed and five others were injured in a series of suspected shootings in central Israel near the West Bank. Israeli rescue services reported that the incidents occurred at mul...
Employers' leader wants more efficient social security to prevent budget cuts
Coen van Oostrom, chairman of the employers' federation VNO-NCW, suggests that social security in the Netherlands should be organized more efficiently to avoid potential budget cuts. During an appeara...
Rainbow flag flying less proudly: 'Was support ever truly authentic?'
Companies are increasingly scaling back their public support for the LGBTQI+ community during Pride month in response to a growing anti-woke movement. This trend of reducing visible corporate allyship...
Neighborhood accuses Haarlem of 'lies and cover-up' over rat infestation
Residents of Haarlem's Kleverpark neighborhood have taken the municipality to court over a persistent rat infestation and alleged lack of transparency regarding the sewer system's condition. While loc...
Ukraine reports drone attack on nuclear storage facility near Chernobyl
Ukrainian authorities reported that a Russian drone strike damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage facility at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. No fuel was being stored at the site during the attack, a...
Expensive bollards in Hillegom Main Street still far off
The installation of retractable bollards to make Hillegom's Hoofdstraat car-free has been delayed for several months. Due to the project's high cost of approximately 150,000 euros, a formal tendering ...