Jaap van Dissel, head of the Dutch Outbreak Management Team, told a parliamentary inquiry committee that the team relied heavily on external information from sources like the WHO during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This dependency on foreign media and international organizations was due to a lack of initial internal data as the virus began to spread.
The Dutch anti-discrimination hotline Discriminatie.nl has concluded that comments made by Sophie Straat at the Best Kept Secret festival do not constitute discrimination based on race or gender. The organization informed the complainants that there was insufficient evidence to support claims of discriminatory behavior.
Ajax officially begins its 2026-2027 season today with a UEFA Conference League second qualifying round match against FK Vojvodina in Serbia. This match marks the debut of new head coach Míchel Sánchez, with the return leg scheduled for next week in Amsterdam.
The AEX index closed significantly lower on Thursday amid a broader negative sentiment across European stock markets. Investors reacted to rising oil prices driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The European Central Bank has unveiled new design options for upcoming euro banknotes, marking the first major update in twenty years. European citizens are invited to participate in a public vote to select their preferred designs until the end of September.
Due to a persistent precipitation deficit, the Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier is conducting extra inspections of peat dikes near Durgerdam to monitor drought-related cracks. While the current situation remains manageable, authorities are preparing to scale up monitoring efforts significantly if the drought continues to intensify.