Business News in English
Latest business headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.

Australia to tax tech giants for not paying for news
Australia has introduced draft legislation that would impose higher taxes on tech giants like Meta, Google, and TikTok if they do not pay local media companies for news content. The measure aims to en...
Baskèts owner goes to court over ‘unclear’ hybrid retail rules: €40,000 fine looms
High fuel prices due to Middle East war hit fairground operators, but visitors barely notice
Fairground operators in Haarlem and IJmuiden are facing higher operational costs as diesel prices rise due to the conflict in the Middle East. Despite these increased expenses for running attractions,...

Silence after returning smartwatch: Rob fears he’s lost both watch and money
Rob is facing uncertainty after returning a faulty smartwatch to an online store because the device stopped charging properly. He has not received a response regarding a replacement or refund, leading...

'Ultrafast fashion' peaks on King's Day: 'This is how we sustain overconsumption'
Clothing retailers are releasing extensive fashion collections for King's Day, contributing to the rise of 'ultrafast fashion' in the industry. Experts warn that this trend encourages overconsumption ...
Away from Trump and Big Tech: Dutch data to end up with Lidl's parent company
Dutch data will increasingly be stored by the Schwarz Group, the parent company of Lidl, as an alternative to US tech giants like Google and Microsoft. This shift is seen by experts as a way for Europ...
Transport entrepreneur Henk van der Valk is always on the move: ‘We are building a new, larger tender boat’
Transport entrepreneur Henk van der Valk is expanding his company, North Sea Tenders, by commissioning the construction of a new, larger tender boat. The project, currently underway at 1e Industriedwa...

Transavia cancels flights in May and June due to kerosene prices
Transavia is cancelling a portion of its flights scheduled for May and June due to rising aviation fuel prices. The airline attributed the cost increase to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Transavia cancels flights in May and June due to high fuel prices
Transavia will cancel a portion of its flights in May and June due to the sharply rising cost of aviation fuel. The airline attributed the price increase to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Two more arrests for robbing pizza delivery drivers in Amsterdam Southeast
Police arrested two additional suspects in connection with a series of robberies targeting pizza delivery drivers in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, bringing the total number of arrests to eight. The perpetrators...

New tenants' chair Ans (69) slams 'unjustifiable' rent hike for 'old junk' at Woningbedrijf Velsen: 'How are we paying €887 a month for porch lights?'
Ans van der Velde, the new chair of the Tenant Council for Woningbedrijf Velsen, is strongly opposing rent increases while many social housing units suffer from maintenance issues like mold and leaks....
Despite 500 million kg potato surplus, fries remain expensive: ‘Snack bars had already purchased’
Dutch potato growers are facing a surplus of 500 million kilograms of unsold potatoes, yet the price of fries in snack bars remains high at nearly 5 euros. This price stability is due to snack bars ha...

From broken frame to trust: how an e-bike saga ended well
Ron Poppen experienced a spontaneous frame break on his e-bike, later discovering a recall campaign he had not been notified about. He shared his story with the 'Klasse' column to describe how the sit...

Making money as a child at the flea market: with cupcakes, dances, tastings, photos, and a guessing game
King's Day flea markets offer children a unique opportunity to earn money through creative activities like selling cupcakes, performing, and hosting games. To stand out among the many participants, th...

After first trading day, Arvid (30), Florian (24) and Ad (44) want to become the Pokémon shop of the IJmond. ‘A 700 euro deal? That’s nothing’
Owners Arvid, Florian, and Ad held the first Pokémon trading day at their shop, Buddy’s Goods, with the goal of becoming the premier Pokémon store in the IJmond region. The event saw significant t...

Entrepreneurs from Southeast chosen by rapper Cho run pop-up shop
Rapper Cho has selected a group of aspiring entrepreneurs from Amsterdam-Zuidoost to run a pop-up store in the Amsterdamse Poort. The initiative, supported by MBO College Zuidoost, allows participants...

Closer cooperation between IJmuiden and Beverwijk port services
The municipality of Beverwijk and Zeehaven IJmuiden have reached an agreement for closer cooperation in port services. Under this temporary arrangement, the IJmuiden port service will manage the De Pi...

Over 10,000 Velsen tenants to pay tens of euros more per month from July 1; 'Incomprehensible', says Tenants' Council chair
Starting July 1, more than 10,000 tenants in Velsen will face monthly rent increases of tens of euros. The Woningbedrijf Velsen Tenants' Council strongly opposes the hike, citing significant overdue m...

Record label quietly cut ties with murder suspect singer d4vd last year
Interscope Records has reportedly dropped singer d4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, following his arrest for the suspected murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The record label qu...

Cabinet extends contract with DigiD company despite parliamentary opposition
The Dutch cabinet will extend its contract with Solvinity, the provider responsible for operating the DigiD digital identity system, starting early next month. State Secretary Eric van der Burg confir...

OpenAI CEO apologizes for not tipping off police about shooting suspect
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologized for the company's failure to notify police about a blocked account linked to a suspect who killed eight people at a Canadian school in February. The suspect committed ...

Sharp rise in sick leave due to mental health issues costs billions: 'Nowhere else in the world does the employer pay two years of salary'
The Netherlands is experiencing a significant rise in employees unable to work due to mental health issues, with nearly 900,000 people currently classified as disabled. This trend results in billions ...

With Aloha and Timboektoe on the Velsen-Noord beach, Pim (30) sets the course for his island state: 'We’re going to build something cool on the North Pier'
Pim Lammertse, the owner of beach club Aloha in Velsen-Noord, is expanding his business by acquiring the neighboring pavilion Timboektoe on May 1st. He aims to transform the Noordpier area into a prem...
He programs systems that know exactly when you buy something, but Tom (53) has doubts: ‘It’s gnawing at me’
Tom, a 53-year-old software engineer, has raised ethical concerns about the AI systems he develops to predict consumer behavior. Speaking with career expert Anne-Marije Buckens, he expressed fear that...

We can let AI take over tasks, but please not the profession
In his weekly column Schermtijd, tech reporter Rutger Otto examines the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in office environments. He argues that while AI can be utilized to automate speci...

He swallowed his tongue on a frozen De Vijverberg and narrowly survived: Milan Berck Beelenkamp (48) on why he swapped the football world for contaminated soil
Former professional footballer Milan Berck Beelenkamp has transitioned to a career in soil remediation after leaving the professional sports world. The 48-year-old, who famously survived a life-threat...

Blokker's comeback: Will the household chain make it this time? ‘I think the stores look excellent’
Following a bankruptcy and the closure of hundreds of locations in late 2024, the household retail chain Blokker has reopened 56 stores this summer. The comeback has sparked discussion regarding wheth...

Ben makes cancelling deceased husband's phone line painful for widow
After her husband Sjaak passed away in 2022, Wil Voorn initially kept his mobile subscription for personal reasons, but she is now facing difficulties trying to cancel it. The telecom provider Ben has...

Local real estate agents on housing market trends
Real estate agents report a slight cooling of the housing market across various regions in recent months. However, demand for affordable, ready-to-move-in single-family homes remains high, with buyers...