The Belgian Public Prosecutor's Office has demanded five-year prison sentences on appeal for the owners of the website Funcaps for trafficking illegal medicines. This follows a previous ruling in Mechelen where the defendants were sentenced to 120 hours of community service and their company was fined 80,000 euros.
Amsterdam-based designer Joost Grootens has been selected as one of ten finalists to design the new series of euro banknotes. His proposed designs, which focus on humanizing European icons, are competing in a public vote before the new notes are expected to enter circulation in 2030.
The labor market in the Netherlands tightened slightly in the second quarter, with 95 vacancies for every 100 unemployed individuals. Meanwhile, the number of self-employed workers has declined for the sixth consecutive quarter.
Potato farmers in the southern part of North Holland are struggling with drought and rising salt levels in irrigation water, forcing them to choose between using harmful water or letting crops wither. While those in the northern region have access to fresh water from the IJsselmeer, farmers like those in Zwanenburg and Haarlemmermeer face difficult decisions to save their harvests.
In the past quarter, one in eight home sellers in the Netherlands were forced to lower their asking prices, marking the highest rate in two and a half years. On average, these sellers reduced their prices by 41,551 euros to adjust to market expectations.
The Netherlands is facing a drought crisis that has led to water usage restrictions and limited navigation on waterways. Officials are scheduled to hold a national meeting in The Hague on Thursday to discuss the consequences of the persistent water shortages.