Good news: the lack of people on luxury | Free trains in Spain | Currently

Because of the bad news that usually dominates NU.nl, the good news sometimes gets lost. That’s why we’ll be collecting some positive and cheerful messages on Saturday. With this time: Fewer people on welfare, free trains in Spain, and an “unlucky” aura predicted in the fall.

The number of people who received welfare in nine years is not too small

The number of people receiving social assistance benefits has decreased again. At the end of June, 401 thousand people received general social assistance. That’s 22,000 less than the previous year, according to new figures from the Dutch Statistics Office. It is the smallest number in nine years. The number of people receiving social assistance benefits is decreasing, especially among young people up to age 27.

Spaniards can ride the train for free

Train passengers in Spain have been able to use free monthly tickets since Thursday. The Spanish government wants to limit the consequences of inflation in this way. Free train tickets will remain available until the end of the year. More than half a million tickets have already been ordered. Spaniards will also get a discount on other forms of public transportation for now.

As in the Netherlands, inflation in Spain is very high, which makes life more expensive. As a result, many Spaniards face financial problems.

A picture of Corona this winter is ‘not unfavorable’

It may be better this fall regarding the new wave of corona, says RIVM chief Jaap van Diesel in a conversation with de Volkskrant. “We are now at a very low level compared to the past,” Van Dissel says. In addition, a new round of injections soon began to advance the wave. New vaccines are adapted to the latest variants.

Amsterdam provides shelter for 1,000 asylum seekers on a cruise ship

The Amsterdam city council has approved the temporary accommodation of at least 1,000 additional asylum-seekers on a cruise ship at Westelijk Havengebied. Refugees can stay there for at least six months from 1 October.

Smaller news makes you happy too

Finally, a few small developments that made us smile at the editorial office:

• Despite the outbreak of bird flu, several new terns were born in Texel last spring. Discover it a lot new nests on Wadden Island. Hundreds of new chicks were born. The nature organization calls it a “special little bright spot.”
• A 10-year-old boy from Oklahoma, USA, saved his mother’s life. The woman had a stroke in the pool but her son and his grandfather were able to save her.
• Thanks to the new James Webb Space Telescope, we are learning more and more about our universe. Telescopes are increasingly mapping space. This information may help us answer the big questions. How did the universe originate? And where did we come from?

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