Politics News in English

Theater maker and politician Agaath Witteman (84) dies

Agaath Witteman, a prominent Dutch theater maker and politician, passed away on Friday at the age of 84 following a short illness. Her death was confirmed by theater producer Matthijs Bongertman on be...

Canada bans Texas livestock after flesh-eating screwworm outbreak

Canada has temporarily banned livestock imports from the U.S. state of Texas due to an outbreak of the flesh-eating screwworm fly. The Governor of Texas declared a state of emergency on Friday followi...

Joost Eerdmans is remarkably quiet in the asylum debate, and it is intentional

Joost Eerdmans and the JA21 party have intentionally remained quiet during recent asylum debates to position themselves as a reliable partner for the Dutch government. This strategic silence aims to f...

Majority of ChristenUnie members support stricter asylum policy

A majority of ChristenUnie members voted to support the party's stricter asylum policy during a congress in Harderwijk. Despite the outcome, the vote revealed significant internal tension, with many m...

Amsterdam police see more violence from people without prospects

Amsterdam police report a rise in incidents involving individuals who feel they have nothing to lose, particularly in the city center. This trend includes an increase in nuisance behavior, shoplifting...

CU leader Bikker lashes out at cabinet's 'liberal pushy agenda'

ChristenUnie leader Mirjam Bikker criticized the Dutch government during a party congress for failing to show promised restraint in medical-ethical issues, such as embryo research. She called for an e...

Mother of Caroline van der Plas (BBB) dies after short illness: 'Glad we were with her this week'

The mother of BBB leader Caroline van der Plas passed away on Friday following a short illness. Van der Plas had recently taken a temporary leave of absence from the House of Representatives to care f...

Some politicians call him the ‘most annoying interviewer’, but Bob Scholte (31) of Left Laser takes it as a major compliment: ‘We’re not doing anything crazy’

Bob Scholte, the creator of Left Laser, has gained a large online following for his confrontational interviewing style that targets Dutch political figures. A recent video featuring politician Gidi Ma...

Hussein Alhelal (43) from Syria denied asylum but cannot safely return: 'I am a plasterer and electrician, I want to contribute'

Hussein Alhelal, a 43-year-old Syrian refugee living in the Netherlands, has been denied asylum by the IND despite his efforts to integrate and work as a plasterer and electrician. While his family re...

Controversial boulders now also appearing in Grote Houtstraat green spaces. 'Greener? It's becoming stonier'

The municipality of Haarlem has placed large gray boulders in new planting beds at the southern end of Grote Houtstraat, sparking controversy over the city's landscaping choices. This move follows rec...

Marcouch wants to visit Amsterdam Holocaust museum with rapper Ye

Marcouch wants to go to Holocaust Museum with rapper Ye

Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch has invited rapper Ye to visit the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam during his stay in the Netherlands. The invitation also includes a proposal for the artist to lay ...

He was responsible for our safety but missed dinner at home too often: ‘I didn’t do that well’

Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, former Dutch National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, reflects on his career and the personal toll of his high-pressure roles upon his retirement. Having overse...

Little support for fast food ban in Haarlem-East: 'We'll decide for ourselves whether we go to a snack bar'

A proposed ban on snack bars in the new Hart voor Oostpoort district in Haarlem has met with strong public opposition, according to a local newspaper poll. Over 75% of respondents disagree with the po...

More and more preschoolers are not going to school: "My child disappeared as a file into the background"

An increasing number of five- and six-year-old children in Amsterdam are staying home because schools cannot find suitable placements that provide the necessary specialized support for their developme...

Jan-Kees Emmer finds Donald Pols' years of silence striking

Donald Pols resigned as the director of sustainability and communication at Tata Steel after serving only one day in the role. The former head of the environmental group Milieudefensie's quick departu...

Government must take action, say desperate water managers: 'My neighbor caught 987 crayfish in one pond'

Water managers are calling for the Dutch government to take action as the population of invasive American crayfish has reached an estimated one billion. The species is reproducing rapidly and destroyi...

Iran: Attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRG) announced on Saturday that it launched ballistic missile attacks targeting United States military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The report indicates a direct milit...

Kuwait reports drone and missile attacks

Kuwaiti air defenses intercepted several drone and missile attacks on Friday night and Saturday morning. The information was released by the state news agency KUNA, citing military officials.

Raúl Castro appears on Cuban state television

Former Cuban leader Raúl Castro appeared on state television on Friday at the age of 95. He was shown attending an event at the Ministry of the Interior that was broadcast to the public.

'Amsterdam kicks its guests in the crotch': hotel chief Remco Groenhuijzen on the new tourist tax hike

Modern staging of Etty Hillesum drama series inevitably evokes current threats

It started as a joke, but the longer they talked about it, the more logical it sounded: a satirical musical about the asylum debate

Only 1 in 20 employees receives higher travel allowance for expensive fuel

Only one in twenty employees is receiving an increased travel allowance to compensate for rising fuel prices, as employers largely fail to address the high cost of commuting. Despite warnings that gas...

Banning Ye would have been a fine piece of symbolic politics, yet no one dared to do it

US: attacks carried out on Iranian radar installations

The United States military conducted strikes against Iranian radar installations on Friday following the launch of four attack drones toward the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command reported that th...

Trump: we are progressing very quickly with the war against Iran

US President Donald Trump stated in an interview with NBC News that progress is being made "very quickly" regarding the conflict with Iran. The full interview is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday.

Media: drones and warning shots near Strait of Hormuz

Iran launched multiple drones toward the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in at least four being shot down by U.S. aircraft. The incident was reported by CNN citing a U.S. official as the source of the inf...

Palestinian baby killed by Israeli army fire

A seven-month-old Palestinian baby was killed and his parents were wounded by Israeli army fire on Friday evening. The incident was reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Lebanon reports deaths after Israeli airstrike in the south

The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that five people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Friday. The attack occurred in the southern part of the country amid ongoing milita...