NRC Handelsblad media bias and reliability
Media Bias/Fact Check places NRC Handelsblad as leaning left. We have seen it on 78 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is NRC Handelsblad biased?
Media Bias/Fact Check places NRC Handelsblad as leaning left. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is NRC Handelsblad left or right?
Media Bias/Fact Check places NRC Handelsblad as leaning left. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Left.
Is NRC Handelsblad reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for NRC Handelsblad are Media Bias/Fact Check: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What NRC Handelsblad has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with NRC Handelsblad’s own report linked underneath.
Yemen's Houthi movement claimed to have launched missile and drone attacks on sensitive sites in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu. The group stated the strikes were retaliation for Saudi attempts to hit Sana'a. Saudi Arabia has not officially confirmed the claims.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asFlames and Black Smoke Plume at Riyadh Airport Following Saudi Warning of Impending Air Attack (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
The United States, Denmark and Greenland plan to sign a security pact at the UN General Assembly next week. President Donald Trump says the deal gives the US permanent control over security matters, while other outlets report no sovereign US control. A joint working group will discuss future cooperation.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asUS and Denmark Reach Agreement on US Control of Greenland (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Researchers have identified a new wild cat species, Leopardus tilcayo, in Bolivia's Yungas forest. The small feline, measuring about 45-46 cm and weighing 1.4 kg, is the first new wild cat species described in more than 100 years.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asA New Cat in the Andes, with Round Ears, Long Whiskers, and Leopard Spots. (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
The Netherlands has fallen to 46th place out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index. This marks a continued decline, with the country dropping three places from last year and 15 places the year before.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asThe Netherlands Has Dropped Again in the Ranking of Gender Equality. ‘The Laws Have Changed, but the Mentality Has not.’ (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to address the European Parliament. This follows a proposal by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for Canada to become the EU's first associate member, a move US President Donald Trump has criticised.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asCanadian Prime Minister Carney to the European Parliament: ‘We Do Not Want Power to Dominate Others’ (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the 81st session via video link. The decision follows the United States' denial of a visa to Abbas, preventing his in-person attendance in New York.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asUS Again Refuses Visas for Palestinian Delegation, President Abbas Unable to Travel to New York for Annual UN Meeting (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Three supporting acts have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran's tour following the removal of rapper Macklemore. Macklemore was dropped by tour promoters for pro-Palestinian comments made during a performance. The departing acts cited solidarity with Macklemore and opposition to perceived silencing of voices speaking out against Israeli actions.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asEd Sheeran without Band and Support Acts: Artists Pull Out of Tour After Macklemore Cancels (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
The European Commission plans to propose a ban on social media for children under 13. Those aged 13 to 15 would have restricted access, potentially via parent-supervised 'mini-accounts'. The legislation is to be known as the 'EU Kids Act'.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asEuropean Commission Wants a Strict Age Limit for Children on Social Media: 13 Years (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's request to enforce new U.S. Postal Service mail ballot regulations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The court's order leaves in place a lower court injunction blocking the rules.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asSupreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Intervention in Mail-in Voting (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Twelve European countries met in Finland to call for a strengthened EU presence in the Arctic. They cited Russia as a significant threat and also mentioned Donald Trump's past actions. No official decisions were made, but a new EU strategy for the region is anticipated.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asAt the European Arctic Summit, They Know for Sure: Every Attack in the North Has Consequences for Europe. So the Discussion Revolved Around Investments in Icebreakers and Satellites. (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Russian President Vladimir Putin told US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that Russian forces could occupy the entire Donbas region within months. Jared Kushner expressed doubt about Putin's claims, reminding him that similar statements were made a year prior. Both Kyiv and Moscow are reportedly frustrated with Witkoff.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asTrump: Ukraine and Russia Stop Attacking Each Other's Energy Sector (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
A Russian drone struck a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European officials had travelled on a train that passed through the area shortly before the attack, according to reports. Poland's Prime Minister warned of intensified Russian attacks.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asRussia Attacks Ukraine at Two Locations Within a Few Kilometers of the Polish Border (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Tens of thousands of people marched through Amsterdam on 12 September 2026, calling for government action on climate change. Organisers presented demands to the climate minister, who announced no new measures.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asThe Climate March in Amsterdam ‘Helps Us Feel that We Are Not Alone’ (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Analysis of prehistoric human remains from Indonesia has revealed evidence of habitual drug use dating back approximately 25,000 years. This predates agriculture and suggests humans may have been consuming psychoactive substances much earlier than previously understood.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asSpacing Out in the Pleistocene? Researchers Find Evidence of ‘Drug Use’ Among 25,000-Year-Old Hunter-Gatherers. (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Three Hong Kong activists who organized annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown are set to be sentenced Friday. They face up to 10 years in prison for inciting subversion under the national security law, a case seen as a measure of freedoms in the city.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asHong Kong Activists Who Organized Tiananmen Commemorations Face up to Seven Years in Prison. (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
AI company Anthropic has blocked researchers from using its models for work that could potentially aid biological weapons development. The company stated it could not determine if the research served a legitimate scientific purpose or malicious intent, citing attempts to circumvent restrictions and obscure research goals.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asAnthropic: Possible Attempt to Create Biological Weapons with AI Blocked (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Jimmy Kimmel announced his interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico would not air on ABC due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pressure. The interview will instead be posted on YouTube. The decision comes amid a broader dispute between ABC's parent company, Disney, and the FCC over broadcast licenses.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asTalk Show Jimmy Kimmel Cancels Interview with Democrat, Allegedly Under Pressure From Regulator FCC (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
OpenAI has announced that an internal AI model has produced a solution to the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem, one of mathematics' seven Millennium Prize Problems. The company claims approximately 10,000 AI agents worked on the problem for 88 hours. However, mathematicians have expressed skepticism due to the lack of a publicly disclosed proof.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asExcitement in Mathematics: OpenAI Solves Million-Dollar Problem – in 88 Hours (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
August 2026 was the hottest month on record globally, tying with July 2023, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The record heat was attributed to human-caused climate change and a strong El Niño event, with sea surface temperatures also reaching new highs.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asWorld's Warmest August Ever Recorded (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
The Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter-long embroidery from the 11th century, has arrived in London for an exhibition at the British Museum. Tickets have sold out for months, with the museum anticipating one million visitors before the exhibition closes in July 2027. The tapestry depicts the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
NRC Handelsblad reported it asGlory and Genocide. The Bayeux Tapestry in Eleven Extraordinary Scenes (opens NRC Handelsblad in a new tab)
Who says so
One organisation has published a rating for this outlet. Where they disagree, the disagreement is the useful part and it is left standing.
- Media Bias/Fact CheckleanLeftCheck it
How reliably it reports fact
A rating of the newsroom in general, by others, and a different thing from the Trust score we publish on each story, which judges one piece of reporting.
High factuality
- Media Bias/Fact CheckhighCheck it
Who owns it
- MediahuisMedia Conglomeratedirect owner
Where it publishes from
What we have seen ourselves
Counted across the stories this site has published, which is the only denominator a reader can check: every one of them has a page, and every page lists the reports it was written from.
- Stories
- 78
- Reports listed
- 78
- We could read
- 0
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
78 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 0 we could open, not on everything it published.
On 27 of those stories, outlets rated left were largely absent from the coverage and NRC Handelsblad ran the story anyway.
Across the 78 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, another outlet was always ahead of NRC Handelsblad: its report arrived a median of 26 hours after the earliest one we logged.
Measured 20 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 20 September 2026. Ratings pulled 5 September 2026.
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