News

IEA chief Fatih Birol warns that the renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger global economic problems within weeks. The blockade has already pushed oil prices higher, and escalating tensions threaten key shipments to vulnerable countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Dutch households threw away slightly less waste in 2025, mainly due to a drop in organic waste. Dry weather reduced garden growth, leading to fewer clippings and prunings. Residual waste levels stayed nearly the same, and waste separation rates have remained stable at around 60 percent.

Dutch police have reported a rise in domestic burglaries for the first time in several years, with around 10,000 cases registered in the first half of the year. While cities like Nijmegen saw significant increases, areas like Flevoland recorded promising declines. Security experts advise homeowners to take proactive prevention measures as police investigate the underlying causes of the trend.

Dutch semiconductor specialist ASML is expanding its manufacturing capacity for advanced DUV and low NA EUV lithography machines by 30 per cent next year to satisfy a surge in customer orders. The company is shortening assembly lead times, streamlining factory testing protocols, and preparing to break ground on a major new site at Eindhoven's Brainport Industries Campus. While restructuring efforts are underway to cut corporate bureaucracy, rapid business growth is expected to create new opportunities for affected personnel.

Dutch healthcare institute Nivel has reported a significant rise in childhood impetigo cases, with GP visits tracking well above rates from previous years. Health experts link the highly contagious bacterial skin infection to recent summer heatwaves, which allow the bacteria to spread rapidly during outdoor play. While weekly cases dropped slightly in the latest reporting period, overall numbers remain elevated across the country.

Train passengers travelling between Breda and Tilburg will need to use replacement buses for nearly two weeks at the end of July and the start of August. The closure is part of extensive railway maintenance work taking place across the south of the Netherlands this summer.

A cyberattack on Secureholiday has exposed the personal details of more than 41,000 Dutch campers and affected hundreds of campsites across Europe. The company says financial information was not compromised, but some customers later became victims of phishing scams

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed up for NS’s discounted summer rail pass, with many new customers choosing the train for the first time. The government says the promotion is helping to make public transport more attractive as fuel prices remain high.