Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah, has characterized Israeli and American military actions against Iran as a "humanitarian intervention." He expressed his desire to return to the country soon to work with the Iranian people to overthrow the current regime.
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.
A report by Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization highlights that Europe faced unprecedented heatwaves and devastating wildfires last year. These extreme weather events, driven by climate change, are also contributing to a continuous decline in the continent's biodiversity.