DutchNews podcast – The Flemings and Flamingos Edition – Week 21

Want to support the DutchNews podcast and keep our stocks of drop, oude kaas and stroopwafels healthy? Click here to become a Patreon backer

Amsterdam bans smoking joints in public in the latest stage of the capital’s 12-step plan to kick its drug tourism dependency. The political agenda is dominated by the long-running pension talks and fears of another asylum system meltdown this summer. Wopke Hoekstra flies to Beijing to reassure the Chinese that little things like war, genocide and industrial espionage won’t spoil a €73bn trade partnership. One football coach abruptly quits, another unexpectedly stays, while Ajax’s women have their league title celebrations cancelled so as not to humiliate the underperforming men’s team. And armed forces personnel face a grilling over claims that they used a training fund to procure luxury barbecues.

Ophef of the week: Atlas of best places to live stirs up provincial resentment

• See the ranking of the 50 largest municipalities on NOS

News

Blow for red light tourists as Amsterdam bans smoking cannabis outdoors

Smoke signals: Will public cannabis ban deter nuisance tourism?

Minister agrees to delay implementation of pension reform until 2028

Government will act to allocate refugees if necessary, says Van der Burg

Hoekstra vows to raise “issues of concern” on trip to China

Rijksmuseum receives record €12.5m donation for sculpture garden

Soldiers under fire for spending training budget on barbecue courses

Sport

Van Nistelrooij quits PSV ahead of final league match, claiming lack of support

Emmen consigned to relegation play-off spot after Excelsior beat Fortuna

Arne Slot to stay at Feyenoord despite reports of imminent move to Tottenham

Ajax’s male directors turn down invitation to celebrate women’s league title

Cricketers to face West Indies in Zimbabwe in bid to qualify for World Cup