VDe Vector

Three perspectives

A quarter of new homes will be built in four major cities

The Land Registry also sees a sharp shift towards smaller flats.

More than a quarter of homes with planning permission or already under construction are planned for Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. That is according to an analysis by the Land Registry.

29 Oct 2026, 07:23

Three perspectives

JA21, BBB and SGP put pressure on government

The three parties are linking support for the tax plan to demands on asylum, nitrogen emissions and medical ethics.

JA21, BBB and SGP are acting together in talks with the government over the tax plan. Their demands differ, but together they could determine the majority the minority government needs.

29 Oct 2026, 07:56

Three perspectives

Judge rejects intervention in Californian ballots

A federal judge refuses to set aside thousands of votes over government suspicions about voters without US citizenship.

A federal judge in California on Wednesday rejected a request from the Trump administration to set aside the ballots of up to 20,000 voters. The administration said these people might not be US citizens; the judge warned that the measure would disrupt the midterm elections.

29 Oct 2026, 03:55

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German minister does not rule out cuts to long-term care benefits

Minister Carsten Linnemann warns of cuts as Germany’s long-term care insurance comes under financial pressure.

German Health Minister Carsten Linnemann has not ruled out reducing benefits from long-term care insurance. He says around 10% of spending must be saved.

29 Oct 2026, 08:53

Three perspectives

EU and Canada discuss closer cooperation

At the summit in Montréal, both sides will discuss a far-reaching political and economic alliance, but associated EU membership remains sensitive.

The European Union and Canada begin a summit on Thursday aimed at deepening their cooperation. Trade, defence, critical raw materials, technology and support for Ukraine are among the issues on the table.

29 Oct 2026, 08:27

Russian attack damages educational institution in Kharkiv

The mayor said an educational building was damaged in an attack on the Ukrainian city.

A Russian attack damaged an educational institution in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, mayor Ihor Terechov said. Initial reports do not yet provide a complete, fully independent picture of any casualties or the extent of the damage.

29 Oct 2026, 07:25

Three perspectives

South Korea and US practise nuclear deterrence

The allies discussed how US nuclear capabilities and South Korean conventional forces could operate together.

South Korea and the United States have held a four-day tabletop exercise on combining conventional and nuclear military capabilities. The exercise was made public on Thursday against the backdrop of new North Korean missile launches.

29 Oct 2026, 06:54

Three perspectives

El Salvador plans deployment of more than 2,000 troops in Haiti

President Bukele discussed the operation with Haiti’s prime minister after four Salvadoran technicians went missing.

El Salvador says it wants to send more than 2,000 troops to Haiti for a large-scale operation to find four missing Salvadoran military aviation technicians. President Nayib Bukele discussed the deployment with Haiti’s prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.

29 Oct 2026, 06:53

Three perspectives

North Korea fires projectile towards sea

South Korea reports a launch from the east coast, but the type of weapon remains unclear.

North Korea fired a projectile from its east coast on Thursday, the South Korean military reports. It has not yet been confirmed whether it was a ballistic missile; according to Japanese authorities, the projectile may have fallen into the sea.

29 Oct 2026, 05:24

Three perspectives

Prosecutors again seek death penalty for Yoon

South Korea’s special prosecutor considers the life sentence for the former president too lenient.

South Korea’s special prosecutor has again sought the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk-yeol. The demand was made on Thursday during the final phase of the appeal against his failed declaration of martial law in December 2024.

29 Oct 2026, 04:55

Volkswagen sees operating profit almost evaporate

The German carmaker recorded operating profit of just €100 million in the first nine months.

Volkswagen recorded operating profit of €100 million in the first nine months of 2026. In the same period last year, the figure was still €5.4 billion. The group points to US import tariffs, a shrinking Chinese market and growing competition in Europe.

29 Oct 2026, 09:25

Microsoft surges on cloud and artificial intelligence

Revenue rose 19 per cent to 92.3 billion dollars in the first quarter of the new financial year.

Microsoft generated revenue of 92.3 billion dollars in the first quarter of its 2027 financial year. Cloud revenue grew by 30 per cent and Azure revenue rose by 48 per cent. According to Microsoft, the figures reflect strong demand for computing power and AI services.

29 Oct 2026, 09:24

Three perspectives

PME sees scope for 12.6% pension rise

The increase for 2027 has not yet been decided: the final payment will depend on the fund’s financial position when it moves to the new system.

Pension fund PME expects retirees to receive an average 12.6% more pension in 2027. The fund stresses that this is an expectation and that the final increase will only be set after the transition to the new pension system.

29 Oct 2026, 08:26

ING to pay up to €1.9 billion to shareholders

The bank is launching a share buyback programme and also announcing a cash distribution.

ING wants to distribute up to €1.9 billion to shareholders. Most of this will consist of buying back its own shares; ING also says a cash payment is scheduled for January.

29 Oct 2026, 07:56

Three perspectives

South Korea to support 200 biotech companies by 2030

The government wants to support young pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with research funding, clinical guidance and guarantees.

South Korea will select and support 200 promising pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies by 2030. Fifty companies will be chosen each year, the government announced on Thursday.

29 Oct 2026, 06:24

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Hyundai cuts sales target as net profit falls

The South Korean carmaker saw net profit fall by almost a quarter in the third quarter and is cutting its sales target for 2026 as a whole.

Hyundai Motor has lowered its sales target for 2026 after net profit fell by 24.2 per cent in the third quarter. Revenue declined, while operating profit edged up.

29 Oct 2026, 06:23

Three perspectives

South Korea seeks new builder for Czech nuclear plant

KHNP ends talks with a consortium over the construction of two reactors near Dukovany.

South Korean state-owned energy producer KHNP has ended negotiations with a consortium of Daewoo Engineering & Construction and Doosan Enerbility over the construction of the new nuclear power plant near Dukovany in the Czech Republic. KHNP says it is preparing a new tender for the construction; the wider nuclear energy project will continue, according to the company.

29 Oct 2026, 05:53

Three perspectives

UN sees nature restoration on an unprecedented scale

A new UN report says 252 million hectares of land and sea are being restored in 149 countries, but the pace must increase.

A new United Nations report says that 252 million hectares of nature are undergoing restoration worldwide. The researchers see progress, but warn that restoration of freshwater, coastal and marine areas is lagging particularly far behind.

29 Oct 2026, 07:53

Three perspectives

Call of Duty under fire over footage of Itaewon disaster

Bereaved families and civil society organisations in South Korea are demanding that the footage be removed from the game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 reportedly includes several seconds of archive footage from the disaster in Seoul’s Itaewon district, according to South Korean media. Bereaved families consider the use of the footage in an entertainment product inappropriate.

29 Oct 2026, 08:56

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Belgium investigates high costs of failed police project

New reporting says the i-Police project cost far more than previously known, but current primary confirmation is lacking.

The debate over the failed i-Police digitalisation project has flared up again in Belgium. VRT NWS reports that the cost to taxpayers amounts to more than €139 million, but this new estimate has not been independently confirmed.

29 Oct 2026, 07:55

Three perspectives

Moldova investigates foreign role in cyber-attack

An attack on government services may have affected data belonging to around 750,000 residents.

Moldova is investigating whether foreign state actors were involved in a large-scale cyber-attack on digital government services. According to preliminary figures, data linked to around 750,000 personal identification numbers may have been taken.

29 Oct 2026, 06:57

Three perspectives

Shortage of primary school teachers rises again

In the first nine months of this year, an average of 40 vacancies were open per 100 primary schools.

The number of unfilled vacancies for primary school teachers rose by almost 20 per cent in a year. That is according to an analysis of vacancy data for the first nine months of 2026, while the total number of vacancies in the labour market fell.

29 Oct 2026, 09:23

Three perspectives

South Korea plans criminal action over cheating with AI glasses

Those who use smart glasses during the entrance examination could soon face a criminal investigation and a three-year ban.

South Korea’s Ministry of Education wants to take tougher action against candidates who cheat with AI glasses during the national entrance examination. The ministry has announced criminal complaints and wants to extend the exclusion of examination candidates from one year to three.

29 Oct 2026, 08:25

Director Alexander Payne sued over The Holdovers

Screenwriter Simon Stephenson accuses Payne and others of copyright infringement.

Screenwriter Simon Stephenson has filed a case in the United States against director Alexander Payne and others involved in The Holdovers. Stephenson says the film borrowed elements from his unproduced script Frisco.

29 Oct 2026, 08:55

Three perspectives

India open to concerns over controversial privacy law

Government responds to legal action by news publishers who fear for investigative journalism.

The Indian government says it is open to comments from news organisations about the digital privacy law. This follows objections filed by dozens of publishers with the Supreme Court against provisions they say could make journalistic investigations and source protection more difficult.

29 Oct 2026, 07:23