Dutch Daily Briefing · Episodes
The Right's Price List, Shell's Windfall, and a Panda Says Goodbye
Three right-wing opposition parties have teamed up and set their price for backing the minority cabinet's tax plan. Their demands cover tax, asylum, nitrogen and abortion. We also cover Shell's doubled profit and your energy bill, the ECB's pause and Christine Lagarde's surprise early exit, and a push to ban AI in primary schools. Plus a panda's farewell, a World Series title with Dutch roots and a rock star's painting that hung at the tax office.
Friday, 30 October 2026 · 15 min
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- A right-wing bloc sets its price for the tax plan: JA21, BBB and SGP will back the tax plan as one bloc if the cabinet drops its NATO defence tax rise. (DutchNews.nl, NU.nl)
- Shell’s profit doubles as energy bills climb: Shell’s adjusted third-quarter profit hit 10.8 billion dollars, mostly because Middle East refinery attacks pushed fuel prices up. (DutchNews.nl, NOS)
- ECB holds rates, and Lagarde is leaving early: The ECB kept its deposit rate at 2.5 percent after two hikes this year, with eurozone inflation at 3.8 percent. (NOS, NU.nl)
- MPs want generative AI out of primary schools: A Volt and CDA motion to ban tools like ChatGPT for primary pupils has backing from parties holding 88 of 150 seats. (NL Times, NOS)
- Seven officers to stand trial over Rotterdam arrest death: Prosecutors have dropped one of eight cases, against a trainee, over a 32-year-old man’s death during a 2023 arrest. (NL Times, NU.nl)
- Courier tasered on Amsterdam’s Runstraat: Police tasered a courier who wouldn’t move his van, and a bystander’s video shows him being hit at close range. (Het Parool, NOS)
- Lang Yue the panda heads to China: Ouwehands Dierenpark’s second cub, born in 2024, is joining China’s breeding programme under the zoo’s agreement before she turns four. (NOS)
- A former Dutch coach wins the World Series: Pat Murphy, who coached the Dutch national team twice, managed Milwaukee to its first title, beating Tampa Bay 4-1. (NL Times, NOS)
- Herman Brood’s tax-office painting joins the national collection: An acrylic of two men with a pistol, checked for forgery for months, is the first Brood work the state owns. (NOS, NU.nl)
What’s on in Amsterdam (Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026)
- Chico Pinheiro Quartet: Grammy-nominated Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro brings his mix of samba, classical and jazz to the Bimhuis. (Saturday 31 October, 20:30–22:00, Bimhuis, Oostelijke Eilanden (Oost))
- Brainwash Festival 2026: The Shape of Us: Philosophers, writers and artists, including Deborah Levy and Etgar Keret, explore what connects and divides us. (Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, 12:00–18:00 (the full festival weekend is Saturday and Sunday), Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam-Noord)
- Amsterdam Museum’s 100th birthday: free open house: Amsterdam in Motion and Huis Willet-Holthuysen are free to enter, with free guided tours and birthday cake. (Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November (also Monday 2 November), during opening hours, Amsterdam in Motion and Huis Willet-Holthuysen (Herengracht 605), city centre)
- Tjin’s Toko 45th anniversary party: The De Pijp Asian grocery, open since 1981, is marking the occasion with Filipino, Mexican and Indonesian food collaborations. (Saturday 31 October, anniversary programme 11:00–17:00 (shop open 10:00–19:00), Tjin’s Toko, Eerste van der Helststraat 64, De Pijp)
- PAN Amsterdam art, antiques and design fair: More than 125 galleries and dealers show old masters, contemporary art and design at the 39th edition, opening Sunday. (Sunday 1 November, 11:00–18:00 (opening day; runs until 8 November), PAN Amsterdam (RAI Hall 8), Rivierenbuurt (Zuid))
More on in Amsterdam
- Bill Stewart Trio ft. Larry Grenadier & Walter Smith III: Drummer Bill Stewart, known for working with Scofield and Metheny, plays the Bimhuis with his trio. (Fri 30 Oct, 20:30 - 22:20, Bimhuis)
- Klaus Mäkela dirigeert Mahler 7 bij het Concertgebouworkest: The Concertgebouw Orchestra’s future chief conductor continues his Mahler series with the Seventh Symphony. (At various times, The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam)
- Flat Earth Society: The Coltrane Mutations: The Belgian orchestra plays its own inventive arrangements of John Coltrane’s music. (Fri 30 Oct, 20:15 - 22:00, The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam)
- The future of the night mayor: Night mayors from across the Netherlands debate the role at Pakhuis de Zwijger on Friday 30 October from 20:00. (Fri 30 Oct, 20:00 - 22:30, Pakhuis De Zwijger)
Also in the news
- Netherlands heavily dependent on China for critical raw materials: At least 74 percent of global processing for seven of the eight most critical materials happens in China. (DutchNews.nl, NU.nl)
- Cabinet wants smoking banned where many children gather: A proposal would make sites like petting farms and daycare grounds impose and enforce a smoking ban. (NOS)
- Expanded internal border controls are here to stay, says minister: Asylum minister Bart van den Brink has replaced Faber’s internal border checks with a broader version where asylum’s just one part. (NU.nl)
- Meteorite found in Mali is 4.1-billion-year-old piece of Mars: NASA researchers say the 800-gram Teghaza 001, found in 2022, is one of the three oldest Martian meteorites found. (NOS, NU.nl)