D66 parliamentary leader Jan Paternotte has announced that the proposed reduction in benefits for women on maternity leave will be scrapped. He emphasized that policy should not discourage women from having children and that the current plan must be changed.
The historic Luilakmarkt, the oldest plant and flower market in the Netherlands, will take place in Haarlem on Friday, May 22nd, featuring over 50 vendors along the Raamvest and Raamsingel. Between 4:00 PM and 2:00 AM, visitors can browse nearly a kilometer of stalls and utilize a free boat transport service for large orders.
The Haarlem city council has approved the sale of its share of the Verweyhal national monument to the Raiola heirs to facilitate a full restoration of the historic building. The renovation, set to begin this year, will transform the site at the Grote Markt into a space featuring a shop and a public green roof terrace.
Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iraq have announced they will not follow the United Arab Emirates' decision to exit OPEC and OPEC+. The UAE's departure from the oil-producing organizations was announced on Tuesday, though other member nations have confirmed they intend to remain.
New bicycle parking spaces on the south side of Haarlem's Grote Houtstraat will be reduced in size by half after they were deemed too large. Alderman Robbert Berkhout announced the change following criticism, noting that the current layout does not align with the intended vision for the public space.
Ukraine has launched attacks on several Russian oil targets, including an oil facility in Perm located approximately 1,500 kilometers from the border. The Ukrainian security service reported that the facility's storage was destroyed by fire, while a separate attack targeted an oil tanker in the Black Sea.