The Netherlands

Wilders ‘scout’ leading first phase of Dutch election talks resigns

AMSTERDAM, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The person named by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders as "scout" to investigate workable governing coalitions after elections in which Wilders won the most seats…

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Dutch politician Wilders vows ‘I will be prime minister’

Veteran Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders vowed to be prime minister of the Netherlands eventually, following an election in which his party won the most seats. In a long post…

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Dutch parties tackle tricky coalition talks after Wilders’ shock poll win

By Toby Sterling and Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Dutch party leaders meet on Friday for the first time since anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders won Wednesday's elections…

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UPDATED: Far-right’s Wilders seeks to form Dutch govt after shock election win

By Bart H. Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout and Ingrid Melander AMSTERDAM, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Dutch anti-EU far-right populist Geert Wilders will start looking for coalition partners on Thursday after…

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Rutte doesn’t rule out contesting leading NATO post

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said today that he doesn’t rule out taking on the position of head of the NATO defense alliance. The post of NATO secretary-general is "very…

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Dutch prosecutors warned school about Rotterdam suspect before alleged shootings

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Public prosecutors were concerned enough about the erratic behaviour of a man now suspected of shooting three people dead in Rotterdam that they had…

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Rotterdam in shock after student gunman kills three

By Piroschka Van De Wouw ROTTERDAM, (Reuters) - A gunman killed three people in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday, shooting a local woman and her daughter in their…

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War crimes tribunal ICC says it has been hacked

By Toby Sterling and Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE, (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) said its computer system had been hacked, a breach at one of the…

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August was hottest ever recorded, third straight month to set record

AMSTERDAM, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Last month was the hottest August on record globally, the third straight month in a row to set such a record following the hottest ever…

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Dutch Interior Minister Bruins Slot set for foreign ministry

THE HAGUE, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Dutch Interior Minister Hanke Bruins Slot is set to become the new foreign minister in a caretaker government after her predecessor stepped down to…

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Dutch government set to press ahead with Schiphol flight caps

AMSTERDAM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - The Dutch government is set to press ahead with plans to cap the number of flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport next year, pending a decision…

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Dutch Foreign Minister Hoekstra resigns ahead of EU climate job

AMSTERDAM, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, the country's nominee to run the European Union's climate change portfolio after Frans Timmermans stepped down last week, said on…

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Burning car carrier off Dutch coast being towed away from shipping lanes

AMSTERDAM, July 31 (Reuters) - A burning car carrier off the Dutch coast is being towed to a new location away from shipping routes as part of a difficult operation…

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Carrier ablaze off Dutch coast carrying almost 500 electric cars

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The car carrier burning off the Dutch coast since Tuesday night is carrying nearly 500 electric vehicles, ship charter company "K" Line said on Friday,…

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UPDATED: One dead in cargo ship fire, electric car suspected source – Dutch coastguard

AMSTERDAM, July 26 (Reuters) - One person died and several others were hurt when a fire broke out on a cargo ship carrying cars off the northern tip of Netherlands,…

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EU climate chief Timmermans says he wants to become the next Dutch prime minister

By Toby Sterling and Kate Abnett AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said he wants to become the next Dutch prime minister and will contest a parliamentary election…

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Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit tourists and curb pollution

Amsterdam's council has banned cruise ships from the city centre as the Dutch capital tries to limit visitor numbers and curb pollution. Politicians said the vessels were not in line…

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Photo Story: The Silent Struggle sculpture in Amsterdam

The Silent Struggle artwork is on display on Museumplein square in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The sculpture aims to symbolizes the inner struggle of many young people with depression. With the artwork,…

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UPDATED: Dutch polls, first in years without PM Rutte at VVD helm, set for November

AMSTERDAM, July 14 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will go to the polls on Nov. 22, caretaker Interior Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said on Friday, the first election since 2006 in…

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Dutch Justice Minister Yesilgoz seeks to lead outgoing PM Rutte’s party

AMSTERDAM, July 12 (Reuters) - Dutch Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgoz on Wednesday announced her candidacy to lead outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative VVD party in elections this autumn. Yesilgoz,…

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Dutch King apologises for Netherlands’ historic role in slavery

Dutch King Willem-Alexander on Saturday apologised for the Netherlands' historic involvement in slavery and the effects that it still has today. The king was speaking at a ceremony marking the…

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East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble

By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Eastern European NATO countries warned that a move of Wagner's Russian mercenary troops to Belarus would create greater regional instability, but NATO Secretary…

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Dutch supermarkets struggle to cope with tin can deposit scheme

The recently introduced deposit scheme in the Netherlands for food and drink cans is causing chaos at supermarkets. Since April 1, cans have had a 15 cent deposit reimbursable at…

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Dutch education minister resigns after inappropriate behaviour complaints

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Minister of Education Dennis Wiersma has resigned after several complaints about inappropriate behaviour, he announced. In a statement, the 37-year-old politician, who is from the same…

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Dutch weigh law to ban cruelly overbred pets

By Bart Biesemans and Charlotte Van Campenhout UTRECHT, June 22 (Reuters) - Katja and Ilia bought their French bulldog puppy Abby after being charmed by her scrunched-up good looks. Two…

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MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld quits Dutch D66 party to join federalist Volt

Longserving Dutch liberal MEP Sophie in 't Veld announced she quit her national party Democrats 66 in frustration at its stance on Europe and joined the pan-EU federalist party Volt.…

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Dutch government to screen foreign PhD tech students

AMSTERDAM, June 12 (Reuters) - The Netherlands is considering legislation to screen foreign students who plan to study in technical fields for possible security risks, a spokesperson for the Education…

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Eurobarometer survey shows Dutch most interested in 2024 EU elections

The Dutch are more interested in the next European parliamentary elections than any other EU nationality, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey. The survey shows that 75% of people in…

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Computer outage cripples train traffic in the Netherlands

AMSTERDAM, June 5 (Reuters) - A computer outage is disrupting train travel to and from Amsterdam and in other parts of the Netherlands on Monday, Dutch railway company NS said.…

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Dutch government to hold 3M liable for ‘forever chemicals’ damage

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The Dutch government this week announced it would hold U.S. industrial group 3M Co liable for polluting the Western Scheldt river with potentially harmful substances known…

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Amsterdam’s red light district starts marijuana smoking ban

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A ban on smoking marijuana on the streets of Amsterdam's red light district went into effect on Thursday, part of a push by the city's first female…

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Amsterdam bans fast-delivery grocery hubs from residential areas

By Charlotte Van Campenhout AMSTERDAM, May 11 (Reuters) - Amsterdam is banning fast-delivery grocery companies from setting up so-called dark stores in residential areas, the local city council decided late…

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European police search for the names of 22 women found murdered

Police in three European countries are asking for help to identify 22 murdered women whose names remain a mystery. The bodies were found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany between…

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Roman marble bust among 11,000 stolen artefacts recovered in European crackdown

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A crackdown on international art trafficking has recovered 11,049 stolen artefacts, including ancient coins and books and a marble bust believed to represent the niece of a…

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UPDATED: Ukraine’s Zelenskiy, in The Hague, says Putin must face justice

By Toby Sterling and Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE, May 4 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin must be brought to justice for his war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President…

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Dutch celebrate King’s Day as confidence in monarchy diminishes

ROTTERDAM, April 27 (Reuters) - Millions of Dutch revellers took to the streets on Thursday to celebrate King's Day festivities, dressing in orange and enjoying open-air markets - even as…

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Pressure so international students learn Dutch to study in the Netherlands

International students in the Netherlands are to be encouraged to learn Dutch and their numbers will be restricted in some courses, under long-awaited plans published by education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.…

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China ‘greatest threat’ to Dutch economic security, Dutch intelligence says

AMSTERDAM, April 17 (Reuters) - China is the greatest threat to Dutch economic security, the Netherlands' intelligence service said on Monday in an annual assessment of threats it said included…

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Dutch cabinet clears way for euthanasia for terminally ill children

The Dutch cabinet has agreed to make euthanasia a possibility for very sick children who have run out of options for treatment, in line with proposals published by health minister…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: IJmuiden, The Netherlands

An aerial view shows trucks carrying beach houses as preparations for a summer season started on the beach of IJmuiden, The Netherlands. Photo: EPA-EFE/REMKO DE WAAL

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Majority of Dutch teachers want national ban on phones in class

The majority of members of teaching union AOb are in favour of a government-imposed ban on mobile phones in class, a survey among some 8,400 teachers has shown. While just…

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‘Operation Cookie Monster’: International police action seizes dark web market

By Michael Holden, James Pearson and Christopher Bing WASHINGTON/LONDON, (Reuters) - International law enforcement agencies have seized a sprawling dark web marketplace popular with cybercriminals, Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA)…

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Inflation in Netherlands drops to 4.4% in March -CBS

AMSTERDAM, March 31 (Reuters) - Inflation in the Netherlands dropped in March to its lowest since October 2021, as energy prices cooled considerably, Dutch statistics agency CBS said on Friday.…

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Photo Story: Dutch King receives Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament

King Willem-Alexander (R) of The Netherlands receives the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola (L), during an audieneve at the 'Huis ten Bosch' palace in The Hague, The Netherlands,…

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Dutch farmers’ protest party scores big election win, shaking up Senate

By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A farmers' protest party shook up the political landscape in the Netherlands on Wednesday, emerging as the big winner in provincial elections that…

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Farmers’ protest party set to shake up Dutch political landscape

AMSTERDAM, March 15 (Reuters) - A farmers' protest party looks set to shake up the political landscape in the Netherlands on Wednesday, with polls indicating it will be the big…

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Dutch economic growth expected to slow considerably -CPB

AMSTERDAM, March 9 (Reuters) - Economic growth in the Netherlands is set to fall to its slowest pace since 2020 this year and next, as inflation remains high and rising…

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Dutch inflation picks up in February as food prices surge

AMSTERDAM, March 2 (Reuters) - Inflation in the Netherlands picked up again in February after four months of deceleration, driven by surging food prices, Dutch statistics agency CBS said on…

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Dutch warn against internet toll as EU looks to Big Tech to fund networks

The Netherlands on Monday warned against hitting Big Tech with a so-called internet toll to help pay for billions of euros in network investments, saying such a move may breach…

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Russia targets Netherlands’ North Sea infrastructure, says Dutch intelligence agency

THE HAGUE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Russia has in recent months tried to gain intelligence to sabotage critical infrastructure in the Dutch part of the North Sea, Dutch military intelligence…

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Amsterdam bans cannabis in its red light district

It will soon be illegal to smoke cannabis on the street in Amsterdam's red light district under new regulations unveiled by the city. The laws will come into effect from…

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Case of mad cow disease discovered in Netherlands

AMSTERDAM, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A case of mad cow disease has been discovered on a farm in the Netherlands, agriculture minister Piet Adema said on Wednesday. The infection was found in…

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Public officials in the Netherlands told to steer clear of TikTok

Public authorities in the Netherlands are being told to steer clear of TikTok amid growing concerns across the EU and U.S. that the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform poses privacy risks. Dutch…

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Dutch hacker obtained virtually all Austrians’ personal data, police say

VIENNA (Reuters) - A Dutch hacker arrested in November obtained and offered for sale the full name, address and date of birth of virtually everyone in Austria, the Alpine nation's…

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Photo Story: Snow in the Netherlands

A person rides a bicycle during a snowfall in Driebergen, the Netherlands, on Friday. The Netherlands’ meteorological service, the KNMI, said a snow cover of five to eight centimeters could…

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Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport to end limits to passenger flow by March 26

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Amsterdam's Schiphol airport said it expects to end current limitations to the daily number of travellers it can handle by March 26, the start of the summer…

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Dutch amend constitution to specify gay, disabled protections

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - The Dutch Senate approved an amendment to the Netherlands' constitution to make it explicitly forbidden to discriminate against someone on the basis of their sexual orientation, or…

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