News about money, shops, animals and memories (Tuesday, September 15)

Trouw (a Dutch daily newspaper) spoke to people in shopping streets about their purchasing power. Some residents say they are satisfied with what they have. The Nederlands Dagblad (a Dutch Christian newspaper) also reports that one in ten municipalities in the Dutch Bible Belt is relaxing its Sunday regulations. In Schouwen-Duiveland, the SGP (Reformed Political Party) has even agreed to a fair being held on Sundays.

From Monday, shoplifters will pay the retailer 242 euros. Since 2012, the amount had been 181 euros. Self-checkout counters are being checked more often, and SODA (an organization that supports retailers in recovering compensation) saw 21 percent more compensation payments in 2025.

For her 65th birthday, Monique Hansler is getting a tattoo dedicated to her dog Sascha. On Thursday evening, a vigil will be held in Baarle-Nassau for the donkey Pleun. The animal was two weeks old, disappeared from a shelter, and was later found dead.

The government is launching a new campaign for people aged 60 and over. It is intended to help older people prepare for the future. The campaign also addresses problems associated with ageing.

De Volkskrant (a Dutch daily newspaper) writes about Van Essen, who said something in an upbeat manner. Yet, according to the newspaper, it still felt as though something was missing. Forty years after his death, Ede Staal’s music can be heard at farewells, in schools and beyond Groningen.