Fix It First: 29 Projects Shelved, and the Prime Minister's Baby News

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• Repairs over new roads: 29 projects shelved: Minister Vincent Karremans is pausing road, rail and waterway plans to put €18 billion into overdue maintenance over 15 years. (DutchNews.nl)
• Rob Jetten is expecting a baby: The prime minister and fiancé Nicolás Keenan expect their child in spring 2027 through an unpaid Dutch surrogate. (NL Times, DutchNews.nl)
• Regional transport strike on Thursday: FNV and CNV call a second national strike day on 22 October and plan weekly strikes until Christmas. (NOS, NU.nl)
• France brings in curfews after riots: Paris, Lyon, Nice and Lille have imposed overnight curfews after a weekend of rioting and looting. (NL Times, NOS)
• Albert Heijn’s owner files a police report: Ahold Delhaize now blames the cyberattack on ‘malicious actions by others’ after police urged it to report it. (DutchNews.nl, NL Times)
• Unrest in Floradorp over a banned bonfire: Police arrested two people in Amsterdam-Noord after Halsema rejected residents’ plan for a smaller New Year’s Eve bonfire. (NOS, Het Parool)
• Remembering Coos Huijsen: The former MP, who came out as gay in parliament in 1976, has died at home aged 87. (NOS, NU.nl)
• Sanne Wevers’ last routine: The 2016 Olympic beam champion retired after scoring 13.266 at the Rotterdam worlds, missing the final. (NOS, NU.nl)
• Princess Amalia gets a bucket of seawater: The 22-year-old crown princess was promoted to navy sergeant in Den Helder and doused with seawater, as tradition demands. (NOS, NU.nl)

What’s on in Amsterdam (Tuesday 20 October 2026)

• Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos by Bach Collegium Japan: Masato Suzuki conducts the period-instrument ensemble in four of the concertos for one night only at the Concertgebouw. (Tuesday 20 October, 20:15–22:00, The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Oud-Zuid)
• Science & Cocktails: How Our Money Can Make Everyone Happy: Rens van Tilburg asks why discontent is growing as the Dutch get richer, and argues for a society built on cooperation. (Tuesday 20 October, 19:30–21:00, Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam-Noord)
• Clue (4K restoration): Jonathan Lynn’s cult comedy based on Cluedo, starring Tim Curry as the butler Wadsworth, shown in English. (Tuesday 20 October, various screening times (showing through Monday 26 October), LAB111, Oud-West)

More on in Amsterdam

• Soft Loft (AADE) & support: Femi Luna: A Swiss indie-pop collective led by singer Jorina Stamm plays Cinetol, with Femi Luna as support act. (20:00 - 23:30, Cinetol)
• Resonate Productions - Nothing Bigger Than Humanity: An interactive stage piece where millennials revisit recent world history, and audience reactions shape each performance. (19:30, Frascati)
• Close-up Concertgebouworkest: Uit de oude wereld: Concertgebouw Orchestra musicians play works Dvořák, Korngold and Eisler wrote in America, marking 250 years since US independence. (20:15 - 22:15, The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam)
• Cap Farewell: De Balie screens this film on Tuesday about Toni, 24, rebuilding life with her daughter after prison. (10:45 - 12:43, De Balie)

Also in the news

• Severe floods hit Spain’s Costa Blanca, a favourite Dutch holiday region: Four people have died as storm Adam brought flooding to Spain’s east coast, with residents rescued from rooftops. (NL Times, NOS)
• Police confirm missing Amsterdam woman Hajar was found in a suitcase in the Amstel: Police say the body of 29-year-old Hajar, missing since 4 October, was found in a suitcase. (NL Times, DutchNews.nl)
• Justice minister now understands Halsema’s decision not to act on Hamas banners: After meeting Amsterdam officials, Van Weel says he accepts why police didn’t act against Hamas flags at the 11 October protest. (Het Parool, NOS)
• Court orders ING to keep Gazprom’s bank account open: Gazprom stays an ING customer until it opens another European account, though ING cites sanctions and money-laundering risks. (NOS)