The Netherlands is to open up the online gambling market to competition in 2015, ending the state's monopoly, according to draft legislation published on Wednesday.

Dutch companies have for years been selling chemicals to Syria which can be used to make chemical weapons, according to research by the NRC and RTL news.

The Netherlands is the most expensive market in the EU for mobile broadband internet services, according to new Finnish research.

People who vote PVV are most likely to believe in UFOs
Over one in four people who vote for the anti-immigration PVV believe in flying saucers and that governments are covering up the truth, according to researchers at Amsterdam's VU university.

Friesland to press ahead with building new skating stadium
The province of Friesland will press on with building a new speed skating stadium in Heerenveen, even if the national skating association opts to make Almere its preferred location.

Hunger strikers can be force fed as last resort, says supreme court
Nine asylum seekers are currently on hunger strike in the Netherlands, the justice ministry said on Tuesday evening.

European olive oil rules are 'bizarre' says prime minister
Plans by the European Commission to stop restaurants placing refillable cruets of olive oil on tables are 'bizarre', says Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

Prime minister will not use veto over new EU budgets
Prime minister Mark Rutte will not use his veto during discussions on a new multi-year budget for the European Union, he told MPs on Tuesday night.

Maastricht mayor may backtrack on tourist cannabis cafe ban
Maastricht mayor Onno Hoes, who has been struggling to ensure legislation banning tourists from the city's 11 cannabis cafes is put into practice, is now looking at alternatives, Nos television reports.

Not enough MPs back collective asylum for Afghan interpreters
There is not enough support in parliament to ensure a collective asylum deal for Afghans who worked as interpreters for the Dutch military in Afghanistan, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday.

Cold case team identifies possible prostitutes serial killer
A police cold case team looking into 85 unsolved murders says it may have identified a possible serial killer responsible for murdering five women over the past 30 years.

Apple paid €5m to Dutch tax authorities last year: Volkskrant
Computer giant Apple, under fire at home in the US for avoiding tax, paid an estimated €5m to the Dutch tax office last year, according to calculations by the Volkskrant.

Politicians head for 'Sharia triangle' to find out for themselves
Social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher and MP and anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders both paid visits to a district in The Hague dubbed the 'Sharia triangle' on Tuesday.

VVD to introduce 'statement of integrity'
All politicians of the right-wing liberal VVD party, from prime minister to local councillors, will have to sign a statement of integrity, party chairman Benk Korthals told the Nos on Tuesday.

New player enters mortgage market
The NIBC bank said on Tuesday it is entering the Dutch mortgage market with immediate effect, Nos television reports.

Prison spending cut plan will hit public safety, say legal experts
The government's plans to slash spending on the prison system will hit public safety, the influential council for criminal law and youth protection (RSJ) said on Tuesday.

Households put more money into investments
The number of households putting their money into investments rather than savings accounts has risen for the first time in over two years.

Prestigious prize for novelist Gerbrand Bakker
Dutch writer Gerbrand Bakker has won the prestigious Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for his novel The Detour.

Fears grow for volleyball player missing in Spain
Fears are growing for the safety of Dutch international volleyball player Ingrid Visser and her partner who have been missing in Spain for two weeks.

MPs call for clarity in hunger-striking refugees case
MPs want clarity about the treatment of hunger-striking asylum seekers following comments on Monday evening by a doctor treating one of them.

Top-level speed skating must stay in Friesland, says champion Kramer
World and Olympic champion speed skater Sven Kramer has thrown his weight behind efforts to keep the national speed skating stadium in Friesland, Nos television reports.

Driving schools need more checks: Labour MP
There should be more regulation of driving schools and a central point where people can make their complaints, Labour MP Atje Kuiken told the Nos on Tuesday.

40,000 sign condolence register for murdered brothers
Some 40,000 people have so far signed a virtual condolence register set up for the two brothers killed by their father and left in a ditch near the river Rhine.

Tax avoidance costs developing countries €460m: Oxfam Novib
Developing countries are missing out on some €460m a year in income because big companies use letterbox firms to avoid paying tax there, according to Dutch aid group Oxfam Novib.

SNS, Cyprus prompt surge in Rabobank certificate trading
Rabobank members have been selling far more membership certificates than normal, possibly prompted by Cyprus and the nationalisation of SNS, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Tuesday.

It's been a cold spring, and it is going to get colder
This year’s spring is one of the coldest on record and it is set to get colder over the next few days, according to weather website Weerplaza.