The Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew

A third night of rioting has shaken the Netherlands as protesters rampaged through towns and cities around the country after government introduced a night-time curfew.

More than 180 people were arrested on Monday in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, where shops were vandalised and looted and the mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, issued an emergency decree giving police broader powers of arrest.

“These people are shameless thieves, I cannot say otherwise,” Aboutaleb said.But trouble also flared in smaller centres around the country such as Den Bosch, Zwolle, Amersfoort, Alkmaar, Hoorn, Gouda – where several cars were set on fire – and Haarlem, where police were attacked with stones.

Read more at: Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew | Netherlands | The Guardian

European cities race to clean the air

Italy’s economic powerhouse hadn’t felt so clean in years. As the novel coronavirus put the country and the hard-hit region of Lombardia under lockdown, muting the human and economic buzz, it also unlocked an unlikely reality: cities with better quality. Above the Earth, satellites confirmed the slash in air pollutants, as they took snapshots of the region’s clearer skies, including Milan’s, infamous for its dangerous air pollution levels, just as many other places in the world. This March, nitrous oxide was down 38%, particulate matter 14%, and benzene 33% lower, compared to the same month between 2016-2019, data from Lombardia’s environment agency showed.

Madrid, Lisbon, and other cities in Europe also breathed fresher air through their lockdowns. But this silver lining to the global health emergency turns to be short-lived as air pollution is bouncing back once urban economies restart. Cities have been investing to become greener for decades, with mixed results; now, added concern of how dirty air could worsen the spread and fatality of diseases is giving a new push to clean up urban air quickly.

“Air quality has significantly improved since the 1970s”, says Dr. Vincent-Henri Peuch, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). “EU-level and national regulations have regulated pollutants to reduce exposure of people to substances that can harm their health, but it is not enough.” Air pollution remains the biggest environmental risk in Europe, warns the European Environment Agency (EEA), and cities, bulking millions of people, industries, and traffic, still experience levels of pollution that health experts deem harmful.

What’s in the 17kg of air we each breathe daily relies on many factors. In cities, road transport, energy production and use, industrial activities, fuel burning, and natural dust and sea salt are among the main sources loading the atmosphere with harmful pollutants such as nitrous oxide, ground-level ozone, and small particles known as particulate matter (PM).

Read more at: European cities race to clean the air | Euronews

USA: 5 Great Places to Live in the United States

Most Americans would prefer to age in place, staying in the city or town where they already live, have raised families and made friends. But our hometowns aren’t always suited for older lifestyles, structurally or socially. Many cities across the U.S. are working to change that, putting in place initiatives to make life better for older residents. The AARP Bulletin dispatched journalists to five cities that are winning acclaim for their innovative work toward increased livability, to discover what every community can learn from their efforts.

Read more at: 5 Great Places to Live in the United States