Politics News in English

Israel orders evacuation of villages north of the Litani

The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of three villages north of the Litani River in Lebanon ahead of planned attacks. Recent strikes on the southern city of Tyre have already resulted in th...

Former RIVM head Van Dissel: 'Images of coffins in the street shaped our initial focus, elderly care came later'

Former RIVM head Jaap van Dissel testified before a parliamentary inquiry committee on Friday regarding his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He addressed past decisions concerning school closu...

Gijs Tuinman is no longer a BBB member and supports Mona Keijzer

Former BBB State Secretary Gijs Tuinman has resigned his party membership following a leadership change that saw Henk Vermeer take over as the party's leader. Tuinman expressed that the transition was...

Prosecutors to charge protester who spoke of 'new Nazis' at anti-Israel rally

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) has decided to prosecute a man who made antisemitic remarks during an anti-Israel demonstration on Dam Square in Amsterdam on April 2. The protester referred ...

IAEA: local ceasefire for repairs at Ukraine nuclear plant

A local ceasefire mediated by the IAEA began on Friday near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The temporary truce is intended to allow for repairs to a high-voltage power line to mitiga...

Fully pesticide-free greenery remains unattainable for Haarlem for now

Alderman Robbert Berkhout announced that Haarlem will not meet its goal of having all city greenery pesticide-free by 2028. The delay is caused by the limited availability of trees, shrubs, and grass ...

Number of Russian companies in the country falls sharply over ten years

The number of Russian-owned companies in the Netherlands has significantly decreased since 2014. This decline is primarily attributed to the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Three demonstrations announced for Ye's concerts at GelreDome

Three demonstrations have been registered with the municipality of Arnhem to take place during rapper Ye's concerts at the GelreDome. Mayor Ahmed Marcouch confirmed that protesters will be assigned a ...

Most municipalities far behind on housing for permit holders

Most Dutch municipalities are failing to meet government-mandated targets for housing refugees with residency permits, resulting in a backlog of over 12,000 people. This shortage forces permit holders...

Haarlem primary schools that questioned transition test receive support; Education Council also critical

Three primary schools in Haarlem belonging to the Spaarnesant group have received support from the Dutch Education Council in their opposition to mandatory transition tests. The council's recent repor...

Doctors sue Philip Morris over 'misleading' campaign

A group of doctors and health organizations has filed a complaint with the Dutch Advertising Code Committee against a campaign by Philip Morris International. They allege that the company is using a m...

Japan to replace aging nuclear reactors

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has proposed replacing up to 14 outdated nuclear reactors over the next few decades. This initiative is intended to ensure the country can meet its gro...

Kennedy Center board instructs staff to remove Trump's name

The board of the Kennedy Center in Washington has instructed its staff to remove former President Donald Trump's name from the building. This directive was revealed through an internal memo reported b...

Van Dissel's day at the COVID inquiry: the questions he must answer

Jaap van Dissel, the former head of the Netherlands' Outbreak Management Team (OMT), is testifying today before a parliamentary inquiry commission regarding the country's COVID-19 policies. As a centr...

Chinese President Xi to visit North Korea next week

Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea for a state visit on June 8 and 9. The visit follows an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to reports from Chinese state...

US House votes for Ukraine aid

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation providing an aid package for Ukraine along with new sanctions against Russia. The bill received support from Democrats and eighteen Republicans...

ABN Amro sees housing market imbalance: millions of single-family homes ‘too many’

ABN Amro reports that the Netherlands has a surplus of millions of single-family homes and needs to drastically change its housing construction strategy. The bank warns of potential vacancies and decl...

In 1937, Black baritone Jules Bledsoe sang with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Now his songs return, less polite: ‘These were indictments’

Rapper Kanye West in the Netherlands: is a misunderstood genius or an antisemitic provocateur coming to Arnhem?

No agreement on Bosnia envoy, US reconsidering role

After two days of negotiations, US and European officials failed to reach an agreement on a new High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Outgoing envoy Christian Schmidt confirmed the outcome a...

ABN AMRO cuts economic growth forecast due to Iran war

ABN AMRO has lowered its economic growth forecasts for the Netherlands due to the conflict in the Middle East and rising energy prices. The bank noted that these factors are reducing consumer spending...

Maassluis coalition sticks to zero asylum reception places

The coalition parties in Maassluis, Leefbaar Maessluys and VVD, have reaffirmed their commitment to a policy of providing zero asylum reception spots in the municipality. This position was maintained ...

US imposes sanctions on Cuban president and Castro family

The United States has imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and several members of the Castro family, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The measures also target the s...

New DigiD administrator must be European

The Dutch government has announced that the next company to manage parts of the DigiD identification system must be European. State Secretary Eric van der Burg stated that the contract tender after Au...

British mayor Burnham wants to challenge Starmer

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has expressed his intention to challenge British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour Party leadership. To be eligible for a leadership contest, Bu...

Iran: US draft agreement still contains ambiguities

Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, stated on state television that the current draft peace agreement proposed by the United States contains ambiguities. He emphasized that these...

Zelensky in letter to Putin: meet with me directly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a public letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting immediate direct peace negotiations. Zelensky stated he is prepared to observe a full c...

Aerdts wants EU-wide minimum age for social media

Dutch State Secretary Willemijn Aerdts has proposed establishing a uniform minimum age for social media across the European Union during a parliamentary debate. She argued that EU-wide regulation is n...

Protest in Libya against UN refugee agency over migration

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the UNHCR office in Tripoli, Libya, to demonstrate against the influx of migrants in the country. The protest, which was one of the largest in recent times, resulted...

Putin says he is ready to compromise if Kyiv does the same

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during an economic summit in Saint Petersburg that Russia is prepared to make compromises in peace negotiations with Ukraine if Kyiv is also willing to do so.