Hanneke Sanou

Harry Styles’ production team will adjust the layout of the stage at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam following complaints from fans, according to showbiz magazine Variety. The former One Direction singer, who kicked off his tour Together Together in the Netherlands last weekend, remained largely invisible to part of the public because of the unusually high stage and layout of the walkways. Several fans who had paid for special floor tickets costing up to €350 took to social media to...

Supermarkets Aldi and Albert Heijn are recalling cashew nuts and peanuts because they may contain metal particles which can “cause injury” or other health-related problems. Aldi is recalling Trader Joe’s unsalted cashew nuts in 170 gram bags with a sell by date of September 23, 2026. At Albert Heijn, the product concerned is the supermarket’s own brand peanuts, with a sell by date of November 4, 2026. Customers who return the products will get their money back

A crowdfunding has been set up to replace a large barn which was destroyed by fire at a petting zoo in Feanwâlden in Friesland, killing most of the animals inside, local broadcaster Omrop Fryslân reported. The fire started around 10 am when groups of schoolchildren were visiting Sanjes Zoo. All the children were evacuated successfully. Firefighters were struggling to find enough water to fight the flames and were helped by local farmers who gave access to open water on their...

Local authorities on the Caribbean island of Saba have called off the search for missing hiker Erik Matthijsen, island governor Jonathan Johnson has said in a statement. Matthijssen (53), a medic with a team of the contractors hired by the defence ministry to replace the island’s communications tower, was reported missing on May 13 when he failed to return from a hike. Efforts by rescue teams over the next eight days failed to locate Matthijssen, who reportedly was an experienced walker....

First there was the invasion of the American crayfish, and now the American bullfrog may be providing a new threat to Dutch native species. Traces of the bullfrog, an invasive species, have been found in a Brabant nature reserve, Jeroen Delft of herpetology research institute RAVON told broadcaster NOS. Delft and his fellow researchers are keeping a close eye on developments both in the Netherlands and nearby Flanders, which is currently combating a bullfrog invasion of its own. The American...

A court in Zwolle has sentenced a court employee to four years, one suspended, for selling confidential information to criminals and for extortion. Sana C (35) worked at the information desk at Amsterdam district court, where she had access to several systems containing personal information. She also extorted money from a man over a period of two years to an amount of almost €100,000 by threatening him and his family with violence. Police came across the woman in 2024 during...

The provincial authorities in Zeeland are warning holidaymakers about the presence of Japanese clinging jellyfish in the Veerse Meer and the Grevelingenmeer lakes. The tiny invasive species was spotted almost a month before it usually puts in an appearance, the province said. When it comes in contact with the skin, the jellyfish can cause itching and a rash. People who are allergic can present more severe symptoms. The Veerse Meer has been home to the jellyfish for over 10 years...

As football fans enjoy their fun this month, either from the cheapest seat (the sofa), a stadium or ICE headquarters, the rest of us will stay on the ball by taking in a bit of culture. Sing along with Spinoza The Bostheater open-air theatre in Amsterdam is back with a great summer programme, including Spinoza, a musical about Baruch Spinoza, whose development into a fiercely independent thinker and philosopher alienated him from his siblings and the Jewish community but laid...

Dutch salt mining company Frisia has been granted a provisional licence to expand its salt extraction operation in the Wadden Sea despite opposition from the Frisian provincial and local authorities, and environmental groups. The Wadden Sea is a protected natural area, and in 2024, an agreement was reached to stop new mining activity after 2035. Frisia had requested the expansion shortly before 2024. Environmental organisations fear that extracting even more salt at the shallow site could cause subsidence of up...

The economic impact of the return of the wolf to the Netherlands is “limited” but may increase as the population grows, according to research by Wageningen University & Research on behalf of the economic affairs ministry. The number of wolves in the Netherlands has been growing since 2018. There are currently 11 wolf packs, consisting of up to 124 wolves, according to figures from wolf monitoring body BIJ12. Most live in de Veluwe area in Gelderland, Friesland, Drenthe and Utrecht....