News

Children aged 4 to 11 will soon be able to travel free on all public transport across the Netherlands when accompanied by an adult. At the same time, a nationwide discount scheme for travellers aged 65 and over on buses, trams and metros will end.

Trump has again raised the possibility of reducing US involvement in NATO, linking it to European support for his ambitions regarding Greenland. Prime Minister Rob Jetten responded by stressing Europe's growing defence capabilities while arguing that a stronger NATO also serves American interests.

The Dutch Senate has approved a major labor market reform that will officially outlaw zero-hours contracts and restrict revolving-door temporary hiring practices starting in 2028. The legislation aims to give flexible workers greater income security and regular hours, despite concerns from right-wing parties regarding business red tape. The successful vote also secures 600 million euros in European Union recovery funds for the national budget.

Green shareholder collective Follow This has abandoned its legal threat against energy giant BP following a pivotal shareholder voting clash in April. Activists state that a legal ruling is no longer necessary after investors successfully united to block management's attempts to reduce climate reporting obligations. The group now plans to pivot its strategy toward introducing a fresh climate-focused resolution at the 2027 annual meeting.

The Dutch government has announced a major restructuring of vocational education budgets to support regional colleges facing sharp declines in student numbers. Under a new plan set for 2029, funding will shift away from larger institutions to protect essential programmes in demographically shrinking areas like Zeeland and Limburg. The policy introduces a fixed baseline budget for colleges to reduce competition and ensure regional educational accessibility.

Dutch writer Frida Vogels, known for De harde kern and her extensive diaries, has died at the age of 96 in Bologna. Her long literary career included prize-winning fiction, translations of major Italian authors and a final autobiographical work published in 2024.

The Netherlands is expanding defence cooperation with several allies, including Germany, through a series of new agreements announced at the NATO summit. The plans include joint production of Stinger missiles, ammunition purchases, and closer collaboration on advanced air-defence systems.

The rail disruption caused by a fire that damaged about 200 cables near Rotterdam has ended. After extensive overnight repairs and testing, train services between Rotterdam and the south have returned to normal, with only minor finishing work remaining.