Neria Leiter, son of Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, is in critical condition following a car ramming attack by Palestinian driver Mahmoud Mohammad Mahmoud Suleiman near Beit Horon on the West Bank. The driver was killed by Israeli troops, who subsequently raided his home. Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes in Gaza have resulted in multiple deaths, including the son of senior health official Munir Al-Bursh, and a building collapse caused by prior damage has left at least 20 dead and many missing.
A political dispute has arisen ahead of two Nations League football matches between Ireland and Israel, with the Irish government classifying the Gaza war as genocide. While many Irish journalists and athletes call for a boycott, citing moral objections and safety concerns, the Irish Football Association proceeds due to financial penalties and potential UEFA exclusion threats. Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson’s statement that they are “playing against genocide” drew criticism from Israel, but journalist Ken Early argues that attending does not equate to supporting Israeli actions, highlighting the team's difficult position between public protest and pragmatic survival.
Historian and author Astrid Sy, currently serving as the Children's Book Ambassador, advocates for reading aloud from infancy to establish a continuous reading line. She emphasizes starting with newborns and shares her personal experience of reading to her sons since they were two days old. Sy is also preparing two new manuscripts: one about childhood memories in Finland and another on slavery inspired by her research in South Carolina. The 72nd Children's Book Week, themed 'Spot On!', runs from September 30 to October 11, featuring the book 'Back to the Shoe Tree' by Milouska Meulens.
Writer Luc Hoogenstein and nature filmmaker Ignas van Schaick aim to introduce people to urban nature through their theater lecture Stadssafari, which starts this Thursday.
Nature writer Koos Dijksterhuis describes clearing brambles from his garden, which revealed hidden structures like trees, a bench, and a shed. He notes that while some brambles thrive on nutrient-rich soil, others like the cow bramble are rare and prefer calcareous ground. Dijksterhuis observes that brambles have become more common, often left unharvested due to fears of fox tapeworm, though he finds many rotting fruits unused by birds who prefer other berries. Chickens and humans enjoy eating the brambles, which serve as effective natural fencing.
The Moroccan women’s national hockey team, composed largely of players based in the Netherlands and Belgium, is preparing for a long-term goal of qualifying for the 2032 Olympics. Head coach Rob Haantjes notes that while South Africa dominates African competitions, the team aims to secure second place at next year’s Africa Games to earn Olympic qualification spots. Despite having no domestic infrastructure or clubs in Morocco, the squad trains weekly in Amsterdam and has already played matches against Gibraltar, Luxembourg, and Ukraine, drawing significant online support from their home country.
State Secretary for Justice and Security Claudia van Bruggen (D66) advocates for the expanded use of electronic ankle bracelets to address a prison cell shortage projected to reach 1,700 missing spots by 2031. Defending her action plan in the House of Representatives, she argues that while right-wing parties like the VVD oppose the device as a primary sentence, it effectively reduces recidivism during the final phase of imprisonment. Van Bruggen attributes the current crisis to previous administrations closing prisons due to empty cells and stricter sentencing following high-profile crimes, noting that without these measures, the system faces a "pitch-black code" situation.
The podcast 'Dead Rabbit' follows journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor, alongside Chris Packham, as they investigate gruesome discoveries of dead animals dumped near schools and shops in southern England. Initially suspecting occult rituals, the hosts uncover a widespread criminal underworld involving illegal hunting gangs terrorizing rural communities across the country. The ten-part series reveals how these groups intimidate local populations and generate significant illicit profits through ancient, banned hunting practices, offering a startling look into this hidden network of crime.
The film 'Mother,' directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska and starring Noomi Rapace, depicts a week in the life of Mother Teresa in Calcutta in 1948. Portrayed as ambitious and strict, Teresa manages her congregation like an army general while awaiting Vatican approval to found her own order. The narrative highlights her rigid stance against contraception and abortion, illustrated when she reacts harshly to Sister Agnieszka’s secret pregnancy. The review suggests the film portrays Teresa as a complex figure who may suffer from hallucinations and intense emotional turmoil.
Maternity care workers in the Netherlands are taking legal action to classify eight-hour on-call shifts as paid working time, arguing that current compensation of approximately 12 euros is far below minimum wage. Supported by Bureau Clara Wichmann and unions like FNV and CNV, the plaintiffs contend that the requirement to be immediately available restricts their personal lives and constitutes invisible labor. Although the collective agreement does not recognize this time as work, lawyers argue it must be compensated under EU law. The case aims to pressure the government to increase funding for maternity care, which faces severe staff shortages and budget constraints.
The Economist warns that climate change will transform traditional summers into longer, hotter periods, disrupting travel and traditions. Meanwhile, historian Michael Ignatieff argues that relying on AI for writing threatens mental independence and democracy by encouraging cognitive surrender. Additionally, Jason Okundaye notes that artists like Ed Sheeran face increasing pressure to separate art from politics, though streaming algorithms now allow greater autonomy for political expression.
Annemarie Jacir’s film ‘Palestine 36’ depicts the origins of Palestinian resistance starting in 1936 under British mandate rule, contrasting with the common narrative beginning in 1948. The story follows Yusuf, who witnesses British brutality and joins the resistance, while another character observes Jewish settlers replacing Arab workers in Jaffa. The film blends historical drama with archival footage to illustrate land expropriation and intergenerational trauma, concluding with a poem by Gaza-born poet Saleem al-Naffar, who was killed in 2023.
Susan Neiman’s essay in The New York Review of Books, published on September 24, explores the conflict between anthropologists and philosophers regarding universal ethics. While some view morality as local custom, others argue for underlying principles. The text notes that neither religious authorities nor biological instincts provide a definitive answer to which moral code is correct, highlighting the gap between factual practices and ethical ideals as described by David Hume and Nietzsche.
A Trimbos Institute and Utrecht University study reveals that acceptance of homosexuality among 12-to-16-year-olds has dropped significantly, particularly among boys. Trouw attributes this trend to conservative social media influences and religious views, urging educators and parents to actively promote inclusivity and defend LGBTQ+ rights against rising intolerance.
The Dutch government launched the Netherlands Agency for Disruptive Innovations (Nadi) with a five-year budget of 500 million euros to fund high-risk technological breakthroughs. Nadi has allocated 40 million euros for a competition, in partnership with Germany’s Sprind, to develop energy-efficient AI chips. The agency aims to accelerate innovation cycles from years to weeks across digitalization, security, energy, and healthcare sectors.
Defense experts heavily criticized the Dutch government's 2026 Defense Note during a parliamentary roundtable, calling it outdated and abstract. Experts argued the document fails to address risks from deteriorating US relations and relies on obsolete doctrines despite lessons from the Ukraine war. They noted the note remains techno-optimistic without concrete details on unmanned systems and criticized the military organization for being too closed off. Analysts urged greater transparency to counter naivety and better reflect current security realities in Europe.
Researchers from Leiden have developed a new dating method using oxygen isotopes to analyze construction wood, addressing limitations of traditional dendrochronology which requires many tree rings. Marta Domínguez Delmás of the Cultural Heritage Agency and Naturalis Biodiversity Center notes that nearly 40 percent of Dutch wood samples lack sufficient rings for conventional dating. Clara Rodriguez Morata explains that oxygen isotope ratios stored in tree rings reflect climatic conditions without interference from soil or human activity. This technique allows dating with as few as thirty rings, enabling the dating of a beam from the Old Jeroenskerk in Noordwijk and facilitating historical climate research.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in Miami in December, stating that both nations are interested in a partial ceasefire regarding energy and grain facilities. Meanwhile, at least six major US hospitals agreed to cease gender-affirming care for minors following pressure from the Trump administration, which threatened federal subsidies. Republican Senator John Curtis called for an investigation into whether Donald Trump’s family benefits from his presidency, citing concerns over business activities and payments by a Russian oligarch.
The author praises a letter from Amsterdam students while criticizing smartphone addiction and algorithmic social media, hoping the returning platform Hyves avoids addictive algorithms. The text also critiques Jamal Ouariachi’s columns for lacking nuance on Israel and Palestine, citing UN findings on Gaza, and argues that government regulation is necessary to control AI threats driven by tech profits.
