Amsterdam mayor steps down over lung cancer battle

Amsterdam's mayor, who has been gravely ill for several months, has officially stepped down from office, prompting an outpouring of grief and admiration in the Netherlands.

Eberhard Van der Laan, who was diagnosed with metastasised lung cancer, said in a letter on Monday that all options of treatment were exhausted and that he could no longer fulfil his duties.

"Your support has helped me enormously," he said. "It was a great privilege to be the mayor of the prettiest and dearest city in the world."

He went on to thank Amsterdam's citizens for placing their trust in him for the past seven years and for working with him in times of "both agreement and objection".

Van der Laan, considered by many as the most popular Dutch politician in recent years, is known for his no-nonsense approach in local politics, which earned him an ever-increasing fan base in the Netherlands.

UCJ, UNILORIN.