In 2025, mobile and smartwatch payments in the Netherlands became more popular than traditional debit card use for the first time. Nearly 60% of all card-based transactions were cardless, representing a 20% increase from the previous year.
American photographer Carol Guzy has won the World Press Photo of the Year award for her image depicting a family being separated by ICE agents. The winning photograph highlights the emotional impact of immigration enforcement procedures.
A data hack on March 12 at the municipality of Epe resulted in the theft of personal information belonging to nearly all its residents. Stolen data includes names, addresses, and social security numbers (BSN), while some individuals may have also had bank details or identification copies compromised.
For the first time in five years, the number of discovered drug laboratories in the Netherlands decreased, with 142 sites identified in 2024 compared to 167 the previous year. Additionally, incidents of illegal drug waste dumping were nearly halved, falling to 117 reported cases.
Iran has reportedly received its first revenue from tolls imposed on ships passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This development was announced by a high-ranking Iranian parliamentary official and reported by several national media outlets.
Tens of thousands of Samsung employees held a protest on Thursday to demand higher wages and bonuses. Labor unions have threatened an 18-day strike starting next month if the South Korean company does not meet their demands.