€18 Billion to Fix Bridges, and the Lelylijn Is Shelved

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• €18 billion for ageing infrastructure, and the Lelylijn shelved: The cabinet’s putting €18 billion through 2041 into 175 worn-out roads, bridges and locks, with 29 planned projects paused. (NOS, NU.nl)
• Suspected arson in Nieuw-West: A garage fire in Amsterdam forced 55 homes to evacuate and left the building unlivable; a 26-year-old man’s been arrested. (NL Times, DutchNews.nl)
• US sanctions on the ICC put ABN Amro in a bind: ABN Amro, which holds the court’s account, risks US fines or sanctions once the measures take full effect in April 2027. (DutchNews.nl, NOS)
• Farms make way for F-35s at Lelystad Airport: Defence now needs 240 hectares around Lelystad Airport, so four farms and six businesses will eventually have to leave. (NL Times, NOS)
• Energy bills rise on variable contracts: About 3.7 million households saw bills rise around €25 a month on 1 October as gas prices climbed. (NU.nl)
• Albert Heijn’s delivery outage drags on: After a cyberattack, Albert Heijn won’t deliver online groceries through Tuesday, and customers still can’t place new orders. (NOS, NU.nl)
• TU Delft’s quota for women blocked: The education minister has refused TU Delft’s plan to reserve 30 percent of Aerospace Engineering places for women. (NOS, NU.nl)
• AI backlash: a dubbing flop and an essay prize scandal: Netflix pulled Spike after its AI Dutch dubbing drew criticism, and two Zwagerman Prize essays were withdrawn over suspected AI use. (NU.nl)
• Floor Jansen leaves Nightwish: After 13 years, singer Floor Jansen’s leaving Nightwish by mutual agreement to focus on solo work, including a January 2027 album. (NOS)

What’s on in Amsterdam (Saturday 17 October 2026)

• Uprooted: Nina Simone with Claron McFadden: Singer Claron McFadden and bassist River Adomeit perform Nina Simone songs in Splendor’s roots and folk series. (Saturday 17 October, 20:00–22:00, Splendor Amsterdam, Nieuwmarkt (Centrum))
• Bigi Kaaiman: Songs & Tales from Slavery Times: A documentary screening on Surinamese children’s songs about slavery, followed by live performances, for Black Achievement Month. (Saturday 17 October, 19:30–21:45, Bijlmer Parktheater, Amsterdamse Poort (Zuidoost))
• Whistler opening: guided tours at the Van Gogh Museum: Guided tours start on opening day, a chance to be among the first to see the Whistler programme. (Saturday 17 October (opening day), various times; runs until Sunday 10 January, Van Gogh Museum, Oud-Zuid)

More on in Amsterdam

• Beethovens Achtste en Truls Mørk in Sjostakovitsj’ Celloconcert nr. 1: The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra plays Beethoven without a conductor, and Truls Mørk plays Shostakovich’s first cello concerto. (20:15 - 22:00, The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam)
• 300 jaar Vater-Müller orgel: Monuments #18: Organist Hampus Lindwall plays three new works at the Oude Kerk on Saturday 17 October at 20:00. (20:00 - 21:30, Oude Kerk (Old Church))

Also in the news

• US ambassador to the Netherlands gave $1 million to Trump’s ballroom: Ambassador Joe Popolo is one of about 30 donors who secretly funded Trump’s planned White House ballroom. (NL Times, DutchNews.nl)
• Reports of labour exploitation up 13 percent, few offenders punished: The national rapporteur says reports doubled in hospitality and nearly tripled in farming and fishing, but few offenders get punished. (NOS, NU.nl)
• IDFA warns higher tourist tax prices Amsterdam out of cultural events (Het Parool)
• Dutch meat consumption keeps falling, pork drops most: WUR researchers say the average Dutch person ate 33.8 kilos of meat in 2025, 0.7 kilos less than the year before. (NL Times, NU.nl)