Netherlands News in English
Netherlands news in English — Dutch national headlines covering politics, housing, immigration, the economy, transport and daily life, translated and updated throughout the day for the international community.
Two vehicles heavily damaged after fire in Heemskerk
Emergency services responded to a vehicle fire in Heemskerk early Sunday morning that heavily damaged a car and a van. This follows another car fire in the area the previous day, with police now inves...
New bike path confirmed for N208 roadside. Link between Haarlem and Santpoort-Noord
A new bicycle path connecting Haarlem and Santpoort-Noord will be constructed in the verge along the N208 provincial road. This chosen route will be further developed into a final design over the comi...
Life in the city, life in a village: Books about living in the shadow of a steel mill and in a Rotterdam high-rise
This article discusses new books by Nadia de Vries, Lies Gallez, and Wilfried de Jong that explore various living environments. The stories cover themes such as growing up near a steel factory, the de...
Concert on the Amstel, festivals and soup: what to do on Liberation Day
Amsterdam celebrates Liberation Day with a variety of music festivals, communal "Freedom Soup" meals, and cultural activities across several city districts. Key highlights include the arrival of the P...
One spoonful of salmon salad per roll, no more. A well-oiled catering machine feeds Bevrijdingspop volunteers
A dedicated catering team is responsible for feeding more than 400 volunteers working behind the scenes at the Bevrijdingspop festival on May 5th. The operation ensures that the staff is well-fed whil...
A look inside on Dam Square: how the Royal Palace survived WWII (and how to see it for yourself)
The Royal Palace on Dam Square in Amsterdam is highlighting its history and survival during the Second World War. Visitors are invited to explore the building and learn about the stories hidden behind...
Cycling to a war-torn country: Herre and Jantien head to Ukraine for charity
Amsterdam residents Herre de Vries and Jantien Meijer are embarking on a 2,000-kilometer charity bike ride from Amsterdam to Lviv, Ukraine, starting June 13. Through their 'Ukraine Solidarity Cycle' i...
Fewer than 5 percent of Dutch people lived through the liberation
Fewer than 5 percent of the current Dutch population, totaling approximately 800,000 people, were alive during the liberation at the end of World War II. This data comes from an analysis by the ANP ne...
Celebrating freedom is worthless if you don't keep fighting for it every day
On Bevrijdingsdag, the article highlights the global decline of freedom due to violence and human rights threats, while asserting that celebrating liberation is still valid. It emphasizes that such ce...
Artist creates 'painting' of hole in Kinkerbuurt: 'Shows the incompetence'
An artist in Amsterdam's Kinkerbuurt neighborhood has turned a hole in a construction fence into a "painting" to protest a vacant lot that has remained empty for 15 years. The artistic intervention hi...
Are cruise ships floating hotbeds of disease for the elderly? Virologist Ab Osterhaus: ‘Everyone off to bingo’
Three passengers died and several others fell seriously ill aboard the Dutch cruise ship Hondius, likely due to a rare hantavirus infection. The incident has renewed concerns regarding the spread of i...
Suspect thinks community service in the forest sounds fun; Judge: ‘Punishment is not meant to be fun’
A suspect appeared in court for driving with a fake license in Muiden and expressed interest in performing his community service in a forest. The judge reminded the defendant that punishment is not in...
Citizens stuck due to lack of DigiD alternative
Dutch citizens seeking to stop using the DigiD login system due to government contract extensions with cloud provider Solvinity face a lack of alternatives. Currently, no other system exists for acces...
Smart invention: coreless toilet rolls can save up to 3 billion tubes
A new coreless toilet roll invention aims to eliminate the need for cardboard tubes in bathrooms. This development could potentially save up to 3 billion cardboard cores annually in the Netherlands th...
Mayors warn of echoes of intolerance
Several mayors expressed concern over rising extremism in society and politics during local Remembrance Day ceremonies on Monday evening. They warned that current social tensions reflect growing intol...
Most Remembrance Day protesters released
Nine protesters, including activist Frank van der Linde, have been released after being arrested during the Remembrance Day ceremony on Dam Square in Amsterdam. Three other individuals remain in custo...
WWII veterans (103 and 105) light liberation flame in Wageningen
Mayor Floor Vermeulen and two World War II veterans, aged 103 and 105, lit the National Liberation Fire in Wageningen to mark the start of May 5th freedom celebrations. The ceremony took place at Hote...
Injuries and arrests after violence in Den Helder
Two people were hospitalized following one or more stabbings in Den Helder on Monday evening. Police have arrested three suspects, one of whom is also among the injured, while the investigation into t...
Where your surname comes from and what your grandfather did in the war: how to trace your family history
More individuals are delving into their ancestry to discover the origins of their family names and the life stories of their predecessors. This search for family secrets and historical connections pro...
Bilal Wahib and fiancée expecting a boy
Actor and singer Bilal Wahib announced during an appearance on radio station SLAM! that he and his fiancée, Sophie Keizer, are expecting a baby boy. Wahib shared the news while visiting the studio to...
Naud (10) adopts airman Ronald Hawkins’ grave with his school: ‘That awareness can’t hurt’
Ten-year-old Naud and his school have adopted the grave of airman Ronald Hawkins in Heemskerk to promote historical awareness. The adoption was commemorated with a ceremony featuring the 'Last Post' a...
Birds trapped in nets at Rijksmuseum: 'Sad and stressful'
Several birds have become trapped in protective netting placed around trees near the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to prevent nesting before upcoming construction work. While the museum states that the net...
Commemoration at the Dreef: fifteen executed men and other war victims honored in silence
On Monday, a memorial service was held at de Dreef to honor fifteen men executed there on March 7, 1945. The ceremony also paid tribute to other victims of World War II and subsequent conflicts in a m...
Silent march to the Honorary Cemetery: hundreds commemorate resistance fighters in the dunes
Hundreds of people participated in a silent march to the Honorary Cemetery in Overveen on May 4th to honor Dutch resistance fighters. The commemoration marked the 81st anniversary of the end of World ...
Hundreds of people at alternative memorial in The Hague
Around 500 people gathered for an alternative Remembrance Day ceremony at the Lange Voorhout in The Hague on Monday evening. The event, initiated by former civil servants and diplomats, was held for t...
The Netherlands observes two minutes of silence for war victims
People across the Netherlands observed two minutes of silence on Monday evening to honor victims of World War II and subsequent conflicts. The national ceremony took place on Dam Square in Amsterdam, ...
Helicopter flights from Gilze-Rijen to proceed on Liberation Day
Air Force helicopter flights to various liberation festivals will proceed as scheduled on Tuesday despite a temporary evacuation of the Gilze-Rijen airbase on Monday. The flights will depart from the ...
Trash on every corner at Herman Hellingplantsoen, residents blame themselves
Residents of the Geuzenveld neighborhood in Amsterdam report significant waste accumulation around the Herman Hellingplantsoen, attributing the problem to local behavior rather than municipal failure....
Passenger finds poison dart frogs in Schiphol Airport toilet: ‘We rarely see this’
Customs officials at Schiphol Airport discovered six tree poison frogs abandoned in a departure hall toilet after a passenger reported a sighting. The animals were likely intended for smuggling abroad...
LIVE: Watch the Remembrance Day ceremony on Dam Square and the Remembrance Concert in Haarlem
NH will broadcast the National Remembrance Day ceremony live from Dam Square in Amsterdam tonight at 19:50, followed by a remembrance concert in Haarlem. The event occurs amid reports of vandalism at ...