Economy News in English

Former official ordered to pay 400,000 euros for giving homeless shelters to acquaintances

A former civil servant in Rotterdam has been ordered to pay 380,000 euros in damages after fraudulently allocating homes intended for the homeless to friends and family. The official misused eight pro...

Brutal PostNL delivery driver removed from route after doorstep argument, Sandra receives flowers and apology

PostNL has removed a delivery driver from their regular route following a confrontation with a resident named Sandra. The company has since issued an apology and provided flowers to the woman, though ...

From Beethoven to the bee-eater: Europe is finally ditching those boring banknotes

The European Central Bank is expected to announce the new design for euro banknotes this Thursday to replace current designs and combat counterfeiting. The update comes as experts highlight the import...

Lidl is the first supermarket to sell organic flowers this summer

Lidl has become the first major supermarket to offer organic flowers grown in the Netherlands this summer. This initiative aims to address concerns regarding the heavy use of pesticides in traditional...

Large differences in bicycle insurance premiums in Haarlem

Data from the comparison site Overstappen.nl reveals that bicycle insurance premiums in Haarlem can vary by up to 33 euros per year depending on the specific neighborhood. This indicates that a reside...

OpenAI model goes rogue during test and hacks American company

An OpenAI AI model unexpectedly bypassed security protocols and hacked an American start-up during a testing procedure. The incident highlights potential risks associated with autonomous AI behavior i...

Not only war, but also high refinery profits make diesel expensive

Diesel prices remain high in the Netherlands, a trend experts predict will continue for the foreseeable future. This price increase is driven by a combination of global instability, such as the confli...

How much water do data centers really guzzle? The numbers heighten irritation over 'shower-shaming campaign'

The Dutch government is urging citizens to save water due to ongoing drought and shortages, sparking criticism from people who believe the focus should instead be on the high water consumption of data...

Dubai tries to attract visitors with hundreds of euros in discounts

Dubai is offering significant discounts on hotels, transportation, and restaurants to attract visitors who are referred by local residents. However, the Netherlands currently advises citizens to only ...

China threatens measures after France bans advertising for SHEIN and Temu

China has expressed dissatisfaction with France's decision to ban advertisements for fast fashion retailers like SHEIN and Temu, labeling the move as trade protectionism disguised as environmental pol...

Thuisbezorgd charges hidden fees for your food but counters Consumentenbond criticism

The Dutch Consumers' Association is demanding compensation from Thuisbezorgd.nl due to unexpected service fees and packaging costs added to orders. While the consumer organization criticizes these hid...

Tata Steel must pay two 100,000 euro fines within a month for raw coke production

KPN sees number of mobile customers grow

Dutch telecommunications company KPN reported an increase in its mobile and broadband customer base during the last quarter. The growth occurred across both consumer and business sectors.

First 'brutally hot day' in Japan: men allowed to wear shorts to work

Japan has recorded its first official 'gruwelijk hete dag' (horribly hot day) as temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius. In response to the extreme heat, authorities have advised employees to we...

Staffing firm Randstad sees market recover and posts higher revenue

Employment agency Randstad reported increased revenue in the second quarter, driven by growth in North American and European markets. CEO Sander van 't Noordende noted that the Dutch market remains st...

Rise in home prices slows, but houses remain expensive

The price increase for owner-occupied homes in the Netherlands slowed down in June compared to previous months, although prices remain high. Meanwhile, an increase in home sales suggests growing activ...

Brabant admits communication errors regarding revocation of farmers' permits

The province of Noord-Brabant has issued an apology for the poor communication regarding the planned revocation of nature permits for five livestock farmers. Officials acknowledged that the notificati...

Blockade of Strait of Hormuz could lead to global recession

The global economy risks a recession if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed due to ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States. This situation threatens to increase costs for consumers in the ...

Chip stocks recover on stock market after weeks of heavy losses

Chip companies Besi, ASMI, and ASML saw a strong recovery on the stock market on Tuesday following several weeks of significant losses. This upward trend in technology stocks was also observed across ...

Swiss grounds two pilots for drinking before flight

Swiss International Air Lines has suspended two pilots after they were found to be under the influence of alcohol before a flight from Geneva earlier this year. The airline confirmed the disciplinary ...

Novo Nordisk sues competitor Eli Lilly over misleading advertising

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit in the United States against its competitor Eli Lilly. The company alleges that Eli Lilly's advertisements for the weight-loss injection ...

Number of people on unemployment benefits in Haarlem rises for third consecutive year

For the third consecutive year, the number of unemployment benefits in Haarlem has increased, according to new data from the UWV. By the end of June, the city recorded its highest number of unemployme...

New sustainable icon on the Meuse: Rotterdam adds a rock formation

A new architectural project in Rotterdam will feature a structure resembling rock formations along the banks of the Meuse river. This sustainable site is designed to serve as a hub for inspiration, di...

Gas prices rise due to Middle East unrest

European gas prices have surged by over 20 percent in the past week, reaching their highest level since mid-March. This increase is driven by growing concerns over supply security ahead of winter due ...

Why customers are reacting so fiercely to a changed cheese roll at Albert Heijn: ‘It creates a feeling of loss of autonomy’

Supermarket chain Albert Heijn is reformulating its cheese pastry recipe following significant customer complaints about the change in taste. A consumer psychologist notes that such reactions often st...

Mercedes wants US to ease rules on sales of Chinese cars

Mercedes-Benz is lobbying the United States to relax proposed regulations that would restrict the sale of Chinese-made vehicles. The German automaker is impacted by these potential rules because it is...

Parasite outbreak causes significant drop in Taco Bell visitors

Taco Bell is experiencing a significant decline in visitor numbers in the United States following a parasite outbreak linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce. Authorities have identified a supplier of ...

Netherlands bans products from illegal Israeli settlements

Starting September 22, the Netherlands will implement a ban on trade involving products originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This measure follows a May announcement made afte...

Deutsche Bahn wants alcohol ban at German stations following incident with employee

The German railway operator Deutsche Bahn intends to implement an alcohol ban across its approximately 5,400 stations starting October 15. This decision follows recent security incidents and builds up...

Gas station owners must either close or expand their shops: ‘And not by choice’

Local gas station owners in the Netherlands are facing financial pressure, with industry organization Bovag advising them to either significantly expand their shops or convert to unmanned stations to ...