News About Asylum, Bird Flu, Apple, and Electricity (Wednesday, April 22)

The Senate rejected the emergency asylum measures law but adopted the two-tier status system. That law was supposed to criminalize illegal stay and make family reunification more difficult. The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Democrats 66 (D66) voted against it; church leaders called this a moral boundary.

The indoor confinement and shielding obligation for poultry ends in almost all of the Netherlands. Only in the Gelderse Vallei does the measure remain because the risk is higher. Visits to poultry farms are also allowed more broadly, as long as people follow the hygiene rules.

Tim Cook will step down as CEO of Apple on September 1. John Ternus will take over leadership after nearly fifteen years under Cook. Cook wants to remain chairman, and Ternus will make decisions regarding artificial intelligence.

From July 1, new electricity applications in part of Utrecht will be put on a waiting list. This also applies to people who want a heavier connection at home. The National Environmental Assessment Agency (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, abbreviated as PBL) refers to the area between Breukelen, Vianen, and Driebergen; construction projects for 35,000 homes will continue.