Dutch Daily Briefing · Episodes
Dutch Spies, Kushner's Phone and a Second Storm
A new book claims Dutch military intelligence hacked Jared Kushner's iPhone and watched Gulf money move through an account he controlled. Kushner denies it and the MIVD won't comment. Also today: prosecutors' new timeline in the killing of Hajar, Storm Austen and tonight's Storm Boelo, the PHP flaw now being exploited, Amsterdam weighing a ban on takeaway packaging, Michael van Gerwen falling out of the darts top ten, and a €3 million rescue for Sinterklaas's steamboat.

Saturday, 24 October 2026 · 14 min
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- Book alleges Dutch spies hacked Jared Kushner’s phone: Matthew Cole’s book ‘Princes and Thieves’ claims the MIVD got into Kushner’s iPhone in 2018 via a turned GRU officer. (DutchNews.nl, NOS)
- Hajar was killed the day she vanished, prosecutors say: Prosecutors say Hajar was killed in Buitenveldert hours before her family reported her missing; suspect Abdi A., 23, stays detained. (NL Times, NOS)
- Storm Austen, and Storm Boelo tonight: Gusts up to 90 km/h brought code yellow to seven provinces, with falling trees injuring people in Limburg. (NL Times, DutchNews.nl)
- PHP flaw: first signs of successful hacks: The NCSC says the PHP flaws are being exploited abroad, though no Dutch sites so far, and things could rapidly worsen. (DutchNews.nl, NOS)
- Albert Heijn deliveries back as police investigate: Albert Heijn restarted home delivery at a third of capacity after the 11 October cyberattack, and police opened a criminal investigation. (NL Times, NU.nl)
- Amsterdam weighs a ban on single-use packaging: Single-use packaging makes up 30 percent of Amsterdam’s litter, and a legal study says a local ban is possible only as a last resort. (DutchNews.nl, Het Parool)
- Van Gerwen falls out of the darts top ten: Debutant Kevin Doets beat Van Gerwen 6-3 at the European Championship, pushing him out of the top ten for the first time since 2012. (NOS)
- Sinterklaas’s steamboat needs a €3 million rescue: Amsterdam’s maritime museum is crowdfunding €75,000 towards restoring the Christiaan Brunings, a coal-fired icebreaker built in 1900. (Het Parool)
What’s on in Amsterdam (Saturday 24 October 2026)
- The Gift by Eric Staller: a giant hand sails the canals: American artist Eric Staller’s 5.5-metre sea-green hand floats through Amsterdam’s canals for its European premiere, and you can watch from the banks. (Saturday 24 October, sets sail 13:15; at Café de Jaren 14:00–16:00, From Westerdok Marina via the Prinsengracht and the Amstel to Café de Jaren, city centre)
- Paul van Dyk open-to-close set at ADE: Trance pioneer Paul van Dyk plays the whole night solo at the Melkweg, his fifth year running there during ADE. (Saturday 24 October, from 18:00, Melkweg, Leidsebuurt (city centre))
- Adolphe de Meyer: The Substance of a Venetian Dream: Huis Marseille, the photography museum on the canal ring, opens a new exhibition on photographer Adolphe de Meyer today. (Opens Saturday 24 October, on until Sunday 7 February, Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography, Grachtengordel (canal ring))
More on in Amsterdam
- Speedy J presents Stoor Live - ADE 2026: Speedy J leads an improvised eight-hour hardware jam at Paradiso; 24 October is sold out, but 25 October still has tickets. (16:00, Paradiso)
- La Tempête met Bach, Mendelssohn & Brahms: Simon-Pierre Bestion’s French ensemble plays historical instruments in an unusually structured concert that often has theatrical elements. (14:15 - 15:55, The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam)
- Tonno Disko & Friends Presents Armand van Helden: House pioneer Armand van Helden, known for ‘You Don’t Know Me’, DJs with Amsterdam’s Tonno Disko as host. (14:00 - 22:30, Hemkade48)
- Theatre of Hate en The Skids: Two British post-punk and new wave bands from the late ’70s play their classics together at P60 Amstelveen. (20:00 - 23:55, P60)
Also in the news
- KLM fined $320,000 by US for flights over Iraq: The US Transport Department says KLM flew hundreds of times through banned Iraqi airspace using Delta flight numbers. (NU.nl, NOS)
- Dutch turn to electric heaters as gas prices hit multi-year high (NL Times)
- Rembrandthuis says the cap on tourist overnight stays is hurting museum visitor numbers: The Rembrandthuis says Amsterdam’s ‘unachievable’ maximum of 20 million overnight stays a year is driving cultural visitors away. (Het Parool)
- Dutch drug criminal John H. and 30 others go free in Belgium because the trial took too long: A Belgian court cleared 31 suspects after the case sat untouched for over five years with no explainable reason. (NOS, NU.nl)