The Netherlands government has announced that the first child to be euthanised in the country was only 1 year old. Health Minister Sophie Hermans had said in June this year that a child under the age of 12 had died from euthanasia at the end of 2025 because of severe illness. Now a new report released by a committee has revealed that this child was "almost 24 months old."&nbsp;The committee reviews all late-term abortions and medically assisted deaths of children. According to the report, the child was born at 26 weeks, and the premature birth had caused serious complications. The child had "extensive brain damage" and multiple infections. The baby developed sepsis by four months of age.&nbsp;When it was eight months old, the baby was diagnosed with a rare and serious form of epilepsy called infantile spasms syndrome (also known as West syndrome) and cerebral palsy. The baby suffered from seizures, because of which the baby developed a severe sleeping disorder. Besides these, the baby also had respiratory problems, coughing fits and a swallowing disorder.<h2>The baby was suffering from several health issues</h2>The report added that "in the course of the child’s short life, there was a complete lack of development or improvement." The committee further said that the baby's "motor skills, behaviour and personality were severely affected, and there would be no improvement" in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;Several medical and non-medical interventions were carried out, but "the parents and the physician saw no improvement in the child’s condition and were convinced that the child was suffering unbearably and without prospect of improvement."&nbsp;After discussing all their options, the parents asked the physician to terminate their baby's life. "The physician had acted with due care" in the case, the committee noted in its report. The Dutch government had passed a new euthanasia law in 2024 under which children below the age of 12 could also be euthanised. This was the first time since then that it was done.&nbsp;The practice has been legal in the country since April 2002. Minors can request euthanasia from the age of 12, with those between 12 and 15 needing parental or guardian consent. For 16 or 17 years of age, parents or guardians must be consulted in the decision-making process, but their consent is not a must.

A child under the age of one year was euthanised in the Netherlands in 2025. The child was suffering from multiple health issues, including cerebral palsy. The parents asked the physician to euthanise their child after there was no improvement in the baby's condition.

The Netherlands government has announced that the first child to be euthanised in the country was only 1 year old. Health Minister Sophie Hermans had said in June this year that a child under the age of 12 had died from euthanasia at the end of 2025 because of severe illness. Now a new report released by a committee has revealed that this child was "almost 24 months old." The committee reviews all late-term abortions and medically assisted deaths of children. According to the report, the child was born at 26 weeks, and the premature birth had caused serious complications. The child had "extensive brain damage" and multiple infections. The baby developed sepsis by four months of age. When it was eight months old, the baby was diagnosed with a rare and serious form of epilepsy called infantile spasms syndrome (also known as West syndrome) and cerebral palsy. The baby suffered from seizures, because of which the baby developed a severe sleeping disorder. Besides these, the baby also had respiratory problems, coughing fits and a swallowing disorder. The baby was suffering from several health issues The report added that "in the course of the child’s short life, there was a complete lack of development or improvement." The committee further said that the baby's "motor skills, behaviour and personality were severely affected, and there would be no improvement" in the future. Several medical and non-medical interventions were carried out, but "the parents and the physician saw no improvement in the child’s condition and were convinced that the child was suffering unbearably and without prospect of improvement." After discussing all their options, the parents asked the physician to terminate their baby's life. "The physician had acted with due care" in the case, the committee noted in its report. The Dutch government had passed a new euthanasia law in 2024 under which children below the age of 12 could also be euthanised. This was the first time since then that it was done. The practice has been legal in the country since April 2002. Minors can request euthanasia from the age of 12, with those between 12 and 15 needing parental or guardian consent. For 16 or 17 years of age, parents or guardians must be consulted in the decision-making process, but their consent is not a must.

A child under the age of one year was euthanised in the Netherlands in 2025. The child was suffering from multiple health issues, including cerebral palsy. The parents asked the physician to euthanise their child after there was no improvement in the baby's condition.

Netherlands euthanises 1-year-old child for the first time since 2024 law

A massive fire broke out in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, on Thursday night (January 1, 2026). Amid the fire, the 150-year-old Vondelkerk Church was engulfed in flames, as per the report by the Lokmak Times &amp; Travel and Tour World. The blaze came to light around 2:30 a.m. local time at the century-old church located on Vondelstraat in the city.&nbsp;In response to the flame, emergency services reached the spot immediately. Initially, the fire began on the church roof and quickly spread throughout the entire building. Several videos surfaced on social media showing the scale of the blaze covering the church.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The Vondel Church in Amsterdam Once your culture is gone, it’s not coming back. <a href="https://t.co/dDFN1gI49L">pic.twitter.com/dDFN1gI49L</a>&mdash; 🏛Architectolder (@Architectolder) <a href="https://twitter.com/Architectolder/status/2006592279860187188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A fire department spokesperson said that all efforts were being made to save what is still left. “But yes, you can still see the wind, the flames, the sparks coming off. Right now, we're really focusing on saving what's still standing. But it’s happening very quickly,” the spokesperson added.<h3>Emergency evacuations were carried out</h3>He further said the tower gave way and crashed into the centre of the church, triggering fires in other sections of the structure. Authorities immediately focused on safeguarding the public. Amsterdam’s emergency management agency, which oversees the coordination of first responders, issued alerts to people living near the blaze.&nbsp;Residents were urged to shut doors and windows and steer clear of areas strewn with debris, as sparks from the ageing wooden building threatened nearby properties and passersby. Given the volatile nature of the fire, emergency evacuations were carried out. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said several homes around Vondelstraat were cleared as the damaged church structure posed a serious safety hazard.&nbsp;Several media reports confirmed that firefighters and emergency personnel put their efforts through the night to bring the situation under control and prevent the flames from spreading to residential areas.

Initially, the fire began on the church roof and quickly spread throughout the entire building. Several videos surfaced on social media showing the scale of the blaze covering the church.

A massive fire broke out in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, on Thursday night (January 1, 2026). Amid the fire, the 150-year-old Vondelkerk Church was engulfed in flames, as per the report by the Lokmak Times & Travel and Tour World. The blaze came to light around 2:30 a.m. local time at the century-old church located on Vondelstraat in the city. In response to the flame, emergency services reached the spot immediately. Initially, the fire began on the church roof and quickly spread throughout the entire building. Several videos surfaced on social media showing the scale of the blaze covering the church.

Initially, the fire began on the church roof and quickly spread throughout the entire building. Several videos surfaced on social media showing the scale of the blaze covering the church.

Massive fire engulfs Amsterdam's 150-year-old Vondelkerk Church on New Year

The curfew was passed in parliament on Thursday, albeit with a slightly later start time than the proposed 20:30.

Netherlands anti-curfew protests spark clashes with police

People were further advised to stay at home, not to travel to work and to avoid contact with other people as much as possible.

Europe: Netherlands to go into strict five-weeks lockdown