The Hague
city and municipality in the Netherlands, seat of the Dutch government
Photo: Montage by Ætoms, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
- yesterday
Regional bus strike in the Netherlands hits provinces unevenly as weekly walkouts loom
FNV and CNV called a one-day strike on Wednesday, 14 October, after talks on a collective labour agreement (cao) for regional transport stalled. Service ranged from about 10 percent of buses running in Noord-Brabant to no disruption at all in the Achterhoek.
- 2d ago
EU opts for dialogue over hard response to US sanctions on the ICC
Washington has added the International Criminal Court to its sanctions list, with the measures taking effect in April 2027. EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg chose diplomacy, keeping a blocking statute in reserve.
- 2d ago
Yentl en de Boer and Lisa Ostermann win second Poelifinario at The Hague cabaret gala
Ruud Smulders, Lisa Ostermann and Yentl en de Boer took the three VSCD Poelifinario cabaret prizes at a gala in Theater Diligentia in The Hague on Monday evening, 12 October 2026. David Linszen received the Neerlands Hoop.
- 3d ago
Navi Pillay defends international justice after Nobel Peace Prize amid US criticism
Navi Pillay, 85, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on 9 October in Oslo. Hours after the announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court, where she once sat as a judge.
- 3d ago
Albert Heijn and Delhaize hit by cyber incidents, apps and online orders down
Albert Heijn's app, website and loyalty savings stopped working on 12 October, and online orders cannot be delivered. Its sister brand Delhaize in Belgium reported an IT incident the same day, while stores in both countries remain open.
- 6d ago
Yesilgöz calls Russia 'our enemy', Russian embassy demands the Dutch cabinet clarify
Defence Minister Dilan Yesilgöz said in a Thursday budget debate that Russia is no longer just an aggressor but the Netherlands' enemy. On Friday she called Russia 'our biggest security threat', while Prime Minister Rob Jetten embraced her word choice.
- 6d ago
US sanctions the International Criminal Court hours after Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize
Washington's measures would ban transactions with the court, and the EU, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland have pledged to help it withstand them. The sanctions take effect only after a six-month delay.
- 6d ago
Dutch parliament votes 90 to 36 to fly rainbow flag on Coming Out Day
The Tweede Kamer approved the motion on Thursday evening after a roll-call vote requested by the SGP, despite objections that led the presidium to back away. The flag goes up on Sunday, 11 October, for Coming Out Day.
- Oct 8
US sanctions the International Criminal Court after Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Washington announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court as an institution hours after Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge, was named 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Trump criticized the committee's choice.
- Oct 8
ICC rules former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte fit for trial on November 30
Judges in The Hague rejected defense claims of cognitive decline, clearing the 81-year-old former leader to face charges of crimes against humanity over his anti-narcotics crackdown.
- Oct 7
Dutch cabinet restarts social pact talks after dropping 6 billion euro welfare cuts
Prime Minister Rob Jetten met union and employer leaders at the Catshuis to launch negotiations on labour and disability reform following a seven-month dispute over planned budget cuts.
- Oct 7
Netherlands to mandate hybrid heat pumps for boiler replacements from 2029
Housing Minister Elanor Boekholt-O'Sullivan announced that Dutch homeowners replacing heating boilers must install at least a hybrid heat pump starting in 2029.
- Oct 7
Netherlands cuts ABN Amro stake to 10.5% through new share sale plan
The Dutch government will reduce its holding in ABN Amro from 20.7% to 10.5% through a fifth trading plan executed by BofA Securities Europe, preparing to end special information rights.
- Oct 7
Kosovo parliament elects Justina Shiroka Pula as president in deal limiting Hague court powers
Lawmakers in Pristina voted 81 to 120 past a midnight deadline on 7 October 2026, electing an economist to avoid a snap election while amending legislation on the Hague war crimes tribunal.
- Oct 5
ICC unseals arrest warrants for four Taliban leaders over gender persecution in Afghanistan
The International Criminal Court has made public arrest warrants for Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and three other senior officials, citing systemic crimes against humanity targeting Afghan women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals.
- Oct 5
Dutch student debt drops to 28 billion euros as basic grant reduces borrowing
Total student debt in the Netherlands fell by 800 million euros to 28 billion euros in early 2026, marking the first recorded decline following the return of student grants.
- Oct 2
Eurozone inflation reaches 3.8% in September as energy prices climb
Eurozone annual inflation rose to a three-year high of 3.8% in September 2026, exceeding forecasts after conflict in the Middle East drove energy prices up by 18.8%.
- Oct 2
Study finds Dutch royal house earned €576 million from colonialism and supported slavery
A three-year historical study presented in Leiden found that the House of Orange-Nassau actively backed colonial rule and generated €576 million in profits, primarily from 19th-century operations in Indonesia.
- Oct 1
Dutch health agency reports four more West Nile virus deaths as cases reach 56
The Dutch public health institute RIVM confirmed 12 new infections and four additional deaths, while stating that the outbreak that began in August 2026 is now past its peak.
- Oct 1
Former Bosnian Serb president and war criminal Biljana Plavšić dies at 96
Biljana Plavšić, the former president of Republika Srpska and the only woman convicted of war crimes by the ICTY, died in Belgrade at age 96 and will be buried in Banja Luka.
