Politics News in English
Latest politics headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
UN: Food shortages threaten millions due to Iran war
The UN's World Food Programme warns that tens of millions of people worldwide could face life-threatening hunger if the war involving Iran continues until June. This alert highlights the severe global...
UN calls for investigation into deadly Kabul hospital explosion
The United Nations human rights branch has called for an independent and transparent investigation into a deadly incident at an addiction care hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to local author...
Live blog: Municipal, district and administrative committee elections
This liveblog provides updates on the municipal and district committee elections in Amsterdam. It includes data on voter turnout and official election results.
Shelter ships temporarily moved to another location
The reception ships MS Carissima and Rex Rheni in Haarlem will be temporarily relocated from Spaarndamseweg to alternative berths in March 2026 to accommodate incoming cruise ships during the spring t...
Zelensky to EU: Oil through Druzhba pipeline to resume in 1.5 months
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed the European Commission that oil flow through the damaged Druzhba pipeline is expected to resume within one and a half months. He stated in a letter tha...
Removing illegal election posters could cost Velsen municipality up to 20,000 euros
The removal of illegally placed election posters is expected to cost the municipality of Velsen between 10,000 and 20,000 euros. According to the municipality, this total includes the expenses for bot...
Strait of Hormuz cannot be seen in isolation from war, Iran says
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is linked to military actions by Israel and the United States. Araqchi...
Klaver briefly in Rotterdam where GL-PvdA aims to defeat Leefbaar
GroenLinks-PvdA leader Jesse Klaver visited Rotterdam on Tuesday, where polls show his party is in a close race with Leefbaar Rotterdam. Klaver noted that a progressive party has a chance to become th...
Schouten will abseil if Rotterdam turnout is higher than in 2022
Rotterdam Mayor Carola Schouten has pledged to abseil from the Euromast if the voter turnout for the upcoming municipal elections is higher than in 2022. Schouten, who admitted to having a severe fear...
UN begins investigation into deadly attack on girls' school in Iran
The United Nations has launched an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls' school in Iran. The incident reportedly took place on the first day of American and Israeli military strikes in the re...
Voting in an old sawmill or a church: These unique Amsterdam polling stations you don't want to miss
For the municipal elections on March 18, 2026, voters in Amsterdam will have the opportunity to cast their ballots at unique polling stations, including churches, museums, and old sawmills. This initi...
CDA and D66 lose popularity nationwide, D66 Haarlemmermeer: ‘We partly understand the disappointment’
The political parties CDA and D66 are experiencing a decline in national popularity in the Netherlands according to recent polling by Ipsos I&O. While the CDA has not yet felt this impact locally, D66...
Iran continues fight against Israel and US, rejects mediation
Iran has launched further missile attacks against Israel following claims from Defense Minister Israel Katz that official Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli strike. Iranian officials stated that th...
Netherlands to launch defense credit institution with Finland and UK
The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Finland are planning to establish a new credit institution dedicated to defense projects. This initiative aims to support the defense industry and accelerate r...
EU foreign policy chief: we don't really understand US actions
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the European Union is increasingly grappling with the unpredictability of the United States under President Donald Trump. While reaffirming the alliance...
UK to further tap into Ukrainian drone expertise
The United Kingdom and Ukraine are set to sign a cooperation agreement to share expertise on drone defense. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet in London to formaliz...
Haarlem New-East: A new district with 7,500 homes on both sides of the Ringvaart. Frank Visser (CU) strongly believes in it
The city of Haarlem is planning the development of a new district called Haarlem Nieuw-Oost, which will include at least 7,500 new homes on both sides of the Ringvaart. The project also features local...
Unprecedented number of displaced persons in occupied West Bank, UN says
The UN human rights office reports that 36,000 Palestinians have been displaced in the Israeli-occupied West Bank within a single year. This level of displacement is described as unprecedented for the...
AI giant Anthropic backed by Big Tech in clash with Trump: ‘Don’t spy on citizens with technology’
Anthropic is engaged in a legal dispute with the U.S. government, refusing to allow its AI technology to be used for citizen surveillance. Major tech firms like Apple and Amazon are supporting the fir...
Civil servants to strike again in mid-April
Dutch state civil servants are scheduled to hold a nationwide strike on Tuesday, April 14, due to an ongoing dispute regarding their collective labor agreement. The industrial action follows previous ...
Media: Israel targets senior Iranian official Larijani
Israel conducted a nighttime attack targeting Ali Larijani, a high-ranking Iranian security official and key figure in the Iranian regime. Israeli officials confirmed the operation to the Times of Isr...
Trump doesn't think Israel will use nuclear weapons
Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he does not believe Israel would use nuclear weapons against Iran. Trump dismissed the possibility of such an escalation, asserting that Israel would nev...
Dozens of bodies recovered from rubble of hit Kabul hospital
Rescuers in Kabul have recovered at least 30 bodies from the rubble of a hospital following a reported Pakistani airstrike. Search efforts for survivors and additional victims are ongoing in the Afgha...
King Felipe acknowledges abuses during Spanish conquests
King Felipe VI of Spain acknowledged the abuses committed during the country's colonial conquests while visiting an exhibition in Madrid on Monday. The monarch's remarks regarding the historical mistr...
Aid organizations expand aid to Lebanon
Six Dutch aid organizations are expanding emergency relief to Lebanon with 3 million euros in funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aid will provide food and clean drinking water to people...
Leaders of small and incumbent parties debate: Very exciting to participate
Sixteen party leaders from both established and smaller local parties participated in a pre-election debate at De Balie to discuss key municipal issues. Topics included the proposed erotic center, a p...
Election Blog: 16 party leaders face off in De Balie: "Very exciting"
Candidates for the Amsterdam municipal elections took part in final debates and campaign activities ahead of the vote on March 18. Current polling shows a close race between the PvdA, GroenLinks, and ...
Significant investments in facilities, but where to house the youth? These are the choices for young people in Haarlemmermeer
Sixteen political parties in Haarlemmermeer are preparing for the upcoming municipal elections on March 18, highlighting housing and facilities for young residents. Although there is general consensus...
Beverwijk sticks to housing plans: Hindu temple must make way. 'Very disappointed with this decision'
The Beverwijk city council has decided to proceed with housing construction on the site of the Arulmigu Sri Arunachaleswarar temple, refusing to sell the property to the Hindu community. Despite the s...
Zee- and Duinwijk Platform concerned about divide within municipality: 'Every neighborhood in Velsen deserves the same attention and opportunities'
Platform Zee- en Duinwijk has expressed concerns about a growing socio-economic divide within the municipality of Velsen. Issues such as poverty, unemployment, and safety concerns are reportedly creat...