Friday 2 October

A technical failure has brought all metro services in Amsterdam to a standstill, leaving the city’s primary transit operator, GVB, scrambling for a fix. While officials expect the outage to last at least one hour, the incident highlights the fragility of the capital's public transport backbone. Read more →

The municipality of Katwijk has officially cleared the way for a massive Eli Lilly pharmaceutical plant, a project worth billions that focuses on obesity and diabetes drugs. Bolstered by a €100 million government investment in local infrastructure, the facility promises economic growth even as critics raise concerns regarding the project's intensive water and energy demands. Read more →

Facing a rise in homelessness, Amsterdam has bolstered its winter shelter capacity to 760 beds, a significant increase from last year’s 500. Alderman Zita Pels noted that the city is also ready to trigger an emergency cold-weather protocol to ensure that no resident is left to sleep on the streets during the winter months. Read more →

An internal commission has determined that riot police used disproportionate force during the November 2024 crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters in Westpoort. Despite these findings, the Public Prosecution Service ruled that the officers' actions did not constitute a criminal offense, leaving activists with little legal recourse. Read more →

Mayor Femke Halsema has declared that Amsterdam must actively restrict tourist numbers to preserve local livability, even at the risk of damaging the city's hospitality revenue. The Mayor argues that the environmental and social costs of current tourism levels have become unsustainable, signaling a potential shift in the city’s economic strategy. Read more →