Politics News in English

Train traffic at The Hague Central halted due to protesters on tracks

Train traffic to and from Den Haag Centraal has been halted after protesters entered the railway tracks. The Dutch railway company NS suspended all services at the station for safety reasons while the...

Amsterdam distributes 2,000 emergency kits to low-income residents

The municipality of Amsterdam will distribute 2,000 emergency kits to low-income households registered with the Food Bank starting this summer. These kits, containing items like emergency radios and f...

Putin arrives in China with ceremonial welcome

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in China for a state visit with President Xi Jinping, where he was greeted with a ceremonial welcome. The reception, which featured school children waving ...

Last Gaza flotilla livestream cut after interception

The boat Sirius, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, was intercepted by Israel approximately 200 kilometers off the Gaza coast. This incident resulted in the loss of the fleet's final livestream as the...

'Significant interest for Old Velsen.' High turnout for Parkweg and Pontplein redesign at information evening

A public meeting regarding the redesign of Parkweg and Pontplein in Velsen-Zuid drew a large crowd of residents to the city hall in IJmuiden on Monday evening. Attendees gathered to examine the propos...

BNNVARA journalist arrested by Israel while reporting on Gaza aid flotilla

Dutch journalist Gijs Sanders was detained by Israeli forces while reporting on the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission to Gaza. BNNVARA and De Marker confirmed the arrest of their colleague, who was do...

Can a religious pharmacist refuse the morning-after pill? No, says Minister Hermans

Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans stated that a pharmacist in Nieuwegein is violating regulations by refusing to provide contraceptives based on religious beliefs. She emphasized that pharmacists h...

Public transport in Haarlem: fewer stops, fewer buses in three years

Public transport in Haarlem has experienced a decline over the past three years, with a reduction in both the number of bus stops and operating buses compared to 2022. This trend highlights a signific...

Expensive fertilizer threatens European harvest, Brussels provides financial aid

The European Commission has presented an action plan to provide financial support to farmers struggling with high fertilizer prices. The aid package is intended to be ready before summer to protect th...

Pro-refugee protesters felt unsafe without police escort after car drove into march

Protesters marching through Haarlem to support refugees at the Meesterlottelaan asylum center reported feeling unsafe due to a lack of police escort on Saturday. Organizers stated that participants ha...

Not 9,000 but 5,000 fewer US troops, Poland especially affected

The United States is reducing its military presence in Europe by 5,000 troops instead of the 9,000 previously reported, according to a NATO source. The reduction primarily impacts troop levels in Pola...

Tata Steel finds workaround for cheaper steel exports to US via UK

Tata Steel Netherlands has found a way to export steel to the United States with lower import tariffs by using a British sister company. This strategy allows Dutch steel to qualify for reduced US duti...

From roadside to backyard: amount of green space in Amsterdam remains stable for the first time

Nobel laureate wants Goma airport open to fight Ebola

Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege has urged the M23 rebel movement and other occupying forces to reopen the airport in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. He stated that the airport's reopening i...

Former Spanish PM Zapatero asserts innocence in COVID case

Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has released a video message asserting his innocence regarding an investigation into alleged pandemic-related misconduct. He stated that al...

Dozens killed in drone strike on market in southern Sudan

At least 28 people were killed and 23 others injured following a drone attack on a market in Ghubaysh, southern Sudan. The area is currently under the control of paramilitary forces, and the injured v...

Noordwijk VVD alderman Pim van Strien new chairman of Bevrijdingspop, Bernt Schneiders to step down

Pim van Strien, an alderman from Noordwijk, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Bevrijdingspop festival, succeeding Bernt Schneiders. The organization announced the appointment this week,...

Enthusiasm building among Driehuizen residents for ‘Woonhof Waterloo’ communal living concept for new sports park housing

The municipality of Velsen is exploring a collective living concept for the 'Woonhof Waterloo' housing project, which is planned for former football fields in Driehuis. A group of local residents has ...

More passengers via Schiphol despite Middle East war

Schiphol Airport recorded an increase in passenger numbers in April compared to the previous year, despite a decrease in travel to and from the Middle East. The decline in regional traffic was caused ...

Auditor finds €67 million in discrepancies in Amsterdam’s financial statements: 'Basics not in order'

Youth care will not improve quickly even after Stadskanaal tragedy

A young girl in Stadskanaal was placed in a coma following severe abuse, highlighting ongoing failures within the youth care system to protect vulnerable children despite prior warnings. The incident ...

Millionth inhabitant expected in 2035, East growing fastest

Amsterdam is projected to reach one million inhabitants by late 2035, with the city's population currently standing at 940,000. Growth is primarily driven by international migration, with the fastest ...

Reuters: China has secretly trained Russian soldiers

According to reports from Reuters and European intelligence, Chinese armed forces secretly trained approximately 200 Russian soldiers late last year. Some of the soldiers involved in this training pro...

Angela Merkel awarded EU honor

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the European Order of Merit in Strasbourg, France. She was honored with a standing ovation in the European Parliament before being presented with the pr...

Amsterdam to distribute 2,000 emergency packages to low-income residents, Halsema points to The Hague for more funding

Cerisa (24) sails to Gaza: 'Ten ships left, forty intercepted on Monday'

Cerisa van Kesteren from Hoofddorp is traveling with a humanitarian flotilla to deliver food and supplies to Gaza. The fleet has decreased to approximately ten sailboats following the reported interce...

Milieudefensie hopes Supreme Court forces Shell to reduce CO2 emissions

Milieudefensie and Shell are appearing before the Dutch Supreme Court this Friday for the final judgment in their landmark climate case. The environmental organization hopes the court will legally man...

US sentence of Jaitsen Singh (81) converted to life imprisonment by judge

Judge commutes Singh's US sentence to life

A court in Amsterdam has converted the 56-year American prison sentence of 81-year-old Jaitsen Singh to a life sentence to be served in the Netherlands. Singh was originally convicted in the United St...

Thailand ends 60-day visa-free travel for tourists

The Thai government has decided to end its 60-day visa-free travel policy, a measure originally introduced to boost tourism. This change affects travelers from 93 countries, including visitors from th...