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After relying on the Netherlands to help them beat the taxman, U2 appropriately hire a Dutchman to beat the drums for them in Las Vegas. There’s more smashing news on the tennis court, where two home-based players reach the quarter-finals of the ABN AMRO tournament. The VVD wins the race to become the first party to pull out of an election debate this year as Mark Rutte’s strategy unravels. Celebrities staff the phone lines to drive up donations to the Giro 555 earthquake appeal. A councillor wins a five-year legal battle to stop racial profiling by border guards. And campaigners ask the king to honour a diplomat who was reprimanded for breaking visa rules to save thousands of Jews from the Holocaust.

Ophef of the week: RTL walks out on its own TV debate after losing patience with parties

Krezip drummer Bram van den Berg to stand in for U2’s Larry Mullen Jr

Amsterdam ‘police cat’ revives glory days of viral internet videos

News

Giro 555 fundraiser for earthquake relief in Turkey brings in €89 million

Dutch team rescue 12 people from rubble in Turkey, more experts on their way

Visa applications to be sped up for residents of Turkish earthquake zone

GroenLinks and PvdA launch election campaign with free transport plan

Fewer than 50% planning to vote in water board elections despite weather worries

Twitter users turn up the heat on PvdA MP Mei Li Vos over her ‘thanks, Putin’ tweet:

Had net een knullige tweet geplaatst nav bericht NOS over besparing energie. Dat leek alsof ik geen weet had van de energiearmoede bij veel mensen. Ik was enthousiast over het feit dat bedrijven het wel kunnen, besparen. Maar dat stond er niet. En nu is t NOS bericht ook weg.

— Mei Li Vos 💙💛❤️💚 (@meilivos) February 13, 2023

• And here’s the stemwijzer to help you cast your vote in the water board elections

Netherlands escapes recession in Q4, full-year growth hits 4.5%

Dutch are no longer reliant on gas from Russia, energy minister says

Racial profiling by border police is discriminatory and illegal, court rules

King urged to bend the rules and give highest honour to ‘Dutch Schindler’

Sport

Ajax and PSV have disappointing nights in Europa League play-offs

Feyenoord edge out Heerenveen to stay top of Eredivisie