The Iranian military has confirmed launching attacks against several United States military bases in the Middle East, specifically targeting facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, explosions were reported in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
Leen Prins reflects on how the football club Telstar survived the threat of closure twenty years ago to become a symbol of Velsen-Zuid. He credits the club's continued existence to essential new construction projects that transformed its future.
Hans Kaljee, Amsterdam's first city tree consultant, is retiring after a 35-year career dedicated to increasing growth space and improving maintenance for urban trees. He reflects on the shift from trees being an afterthought to becoming a vital necessity for urban cooling and climate adaptation in the city.
The number of strikes in the Netherlands remained stable last year, with an average of 23 occurrences consistent with the past 25 years. Despite unrest in sectors like education and industry, the figures reflect a continued national preference for resolving labor disputes through negotiation.
In 2025, approximately 610,000 workers in the Netherlands earned the minimum wage, accounting for 6.7% of all jobs. Data shows that minimum wage increases have outpaced average collective labor agreement (CAO) wage growth over the past five years.
A UNICEF analysis warns that Afghanistan could lose up to 20,000 female teachers and 5,400 healthcare workers by 2030 if current restrictions on girls' education and women's employment persist. This shortage is expected to have severe consequences for the health and development of women and girls, as well as the country's overall progress as a whole.