Friday 31 August 2007

Housing corporations pull out of tax talks
Housing corporation umbrella group Aedes on Friday pulled out of talks with the government on investing in urban renewal because of the cabinet's plans to subject them to corporate taxes. On Thursday, finance minister Wouter Bos said a deal was close to being agreed.

Resistance grows to redundancy plan
ChristenUnie (CU) MPs have added their voice to coalition partner Labour calls for a debate with social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner on plans to reform redundancy law. More...

Summer was warm, wet and dull
The summer was warm, very wet and had less sunshine than normal, weather bureau KNMI said on Friday. With an average temperature of 17.2 degrees, it was over half a degree warmer than normal. Over 30cm of rain fell, 10cm more than usual.

Nine million smuggled cigarettes seized
Customs officials in Rotterdam seized 9.3 million cigarettes during a routine check on cargo last week, news agency ANP reported on Friday. More...

Clamp down on driving while phoning
Some 50 police officers have been allocated to a year-long high-profile campaign to stop drivers using their mobile phones without hands-free equipment. More...

Actor Roef Ragas dies at 42
Actor Roef Ragas, known for his role as the red-haired detective in tv cop series Grijpstra & De Gier, has died of a heart attack at the age of 42. Ragas also appeared in the Pietje Bell children's films and Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.

Dutch embassy in Manilla closed
The Dutch embassy in Manilla has been closed and the foreign affairs ministry has advised Dutch nationals not to travel to the Philippines following unrest over the arrest of the country’s exiled communist leader José Maria Sison in Utrecht earlier this week. More... comments (1)

VAT to rise to 20% in 2008 (update)
The basic VAT tax rate is set to rise from 19% to 20% in the September budget, the Volkskrant and Telegraaf report on Friday. The increase is the most important element of the 2008 budget which has been leaked so far. More... comments (1)

SNS Securities takes over FBS Bankiers
SNS Reaal is taking over stockbroker FBS Bankiers from the VVAA group. Financial details have not been disclosed. More...

Koevermans replaces Koné at PSV
AZ Alkmaar's striker Danny Koevermans is joining PSV Eindhoven to replace Ivory Coast player Arouna Koné. Koné has gone to Seville for a reported €11m. AZ had wanted €6.9m for Koevermans but the final price agreed is not known.

Krajicek out of US Open tennis
Michaëlla Krajicek lost her second round match at the US Open tennis tournament in New York to Hungarian Agnes Szavay 7-6, 6-3.

Essent, Nuon merger on hold, says FD
Merger talks between the two largest Dutch energy concerns Essent and Nuon have been put on hold, reports today’s Financieele Dagblad. More...

MPs more positive on Afghan mission
Parliamentary defence experts are more positive about extending the Dutch mission to rebuild Afghanistan after the current mandate expires in August 2008, news agency ANP reports. More...

Lorry driver charged with animal abuse
German police have charged a Dutch lorry driver with animal abuse and overloading his vehicle after 127 pigs were found crammed into his vehicle. More...

Smaller rise public transport tickets
Fares on local and regional public transport are set to rise 2.5% on average next year, not 3.1% as proposed earlier, junior transport minister told MPs on Thursday. The rise means a 45-strip bus or tram ticket will cost €20.40, an increase of 30 cents.

PSV draws Inter in Champions League
PSV Eindhoven has drawn Italian champions Internazionale in the group round of the Champions League, as well as CSKA Moscow and Turkish club Fenerbahce. More...

Dutch embassy in Manilla closed
The Dutch embassy in Manilla has been closed for a week following unrest over the arrest of Philippine communist leader José Maria Sison in Utrecht earlier this week. More...

VAT to rise to 20% in 2008 say media
The basic VAT tax rate is set to rise from 19% to 20% in the September budget, the Volkskrant and Telegraaf report on Friday. The increase is the most important element of the 2008 budget which has been leaked so far. More...

French justice minister to visit tbs clinic
The French justice minister Rachida Dati is to visit the Netherlands on Friday to look at the Dutch system of the compulsory detention of convicted criminals in psychiatric hospitals (tbs). Dati will visit a tbs clinic near Rotterdam with junior justice minister Nebahat Albayrak. The trip follows a recent call by French president Nicolas Sarkozy for a similar system to be introduced in his country for paedophiles. Dati will also meet justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin to discuss the French presidency of the European Union in the second half of next year.

KPN tops unhappy customer poll
Former state-owned telecom company KPN is the most unpopular of all Dutch businesses and organisations ,according to a survey by the consumers association, reports ANP news service. More... comments (2)

Thursday 30 August 2007

Redundancy law reform in doubt (update)
The future of cabinet plans to reform redundancy laws were in doubt on Thursday after unions and employers failed to reach a joint stance on the issue. More...

Wouter Bos to star as prime minister
The ambitious finance minister Wouter Bos, is to make his acting debut in the film Captain Rob and the Secret of Professor Lupardi. Bos was persuaded to play the role of prime minister by the film’s leading lady, Kaatje Schuurman, says the Volkskrant. The film is out on November 29.

TomTom founder is most generous man
Pieter Geleen, co-founder of car navigation system maker TomTom, is the most generous man in the Netherlands according to a survey by Miljonair magazine. Geleen gives away 14% of his assets to good causes.

Asylum amnesty: 12,600 to stay so far
Around 12,600 people have so far been officially granted the right to remain in the Netherlands following the amnesty for certain categories of failed asylum seekers introduced in June. More... comments (1)

Foreign students numbers top 6,100
Some 6,315 foreign students have registered for Dutch universities and colleges this summer, up by 1,000 from the preceding year, according to figures from the immigration service IND. The increase is largely because of less stringent immigration policy for students, said the IND.

More PhD passes in 2006
The number of post graduate students working on their thesis while employed full time at universities was 6,700 last year. More than 3,100 of them successfully completed their PhD, up from 2,400 in 2000. In total 30% of those with a PhD find jobs within the universities.

Women's football premier league kicks off
The official Dutch premier league women's football kicked off on Wednesday night with SC Heerenveen beating FC Twente 3-2. Six teams are in the national league, which shows that women's football has come of age, says today’s Volkskrant. More...

Ahold launches €1bn share buy-back
Supermarket group Ahold said on Thursday that the sale of catering supply unit US Foodservice and its Polish operations had boosted second quarter net profit to €2.2bn. Net profit was €219m in the year earlier period. More...

Company Blackberry is tax-free perk
Company Blackberries and other smart phones are now included on the list of corporate tax-free perks alongside ordinary mobile phones, junior finance minister Jan Kees de Jager announced on Wednesday evening. More...

Further fall in welfare claims
The number people under the age of 65 claiming welfare benefits fell by 7,000 to 290,000 in the second quarter of this year, according to national statistics office CBS. Over the past year, the number of welfare claims has fallen by 10%.

No agreement yet on budget
Late-night talks on Wednesday between ministers failed to produce agreement on next year's budget plans, news agency ANP reports. More...

Over-50s use internet like teenagers
Some 58% of people over the age of 50 use internet at least once a day, compared with 61% of teenagers according to a poll by the government's economic policy unit CPB. More...

Rabobank attracts ABN Amro clients
Tens of thousands of ABN Amro customers have switched to Rabobank because of the ongoing takeover battle for ABN Amro, claims Rabobank. More...

Princess Mabel amends Wikipedia entry
Princess Mabel and prince Friso amended an entry about them in the English version of online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, the state information service RVD confirmed on Thursday. More...

Ajax out of Champions League
Ajax are out of the European Champions League for the second year running after their humiliating 2-1 defeat against Slavia in Prague on Wednesday night. The Dutch goal was scored by Luis Suarez in the second half. More... comments (3)

Infection scare at Brabant hospital
Some 500 patients at the Bernhoven hospital in Oss en Veghel may have been treated with equipment which had not been sterilised, reports Brabants Dagblad on Thursday. More...

Smaller hospitals more efficient: survey
The ongoing wave of mergers in the Dutch hospital sector has failed to increase efficiency and reduce costs, according to research by consultancy firm Roland Berger Strategy, reports Thursday's Volkskrant. More...

Wednesday 29 August 2007

The Hague seeks passionate mayor
The Hague is looking for an 'experienced and passionate' mayor to replace Wim Deetman, according to a draft city council job description. More...

TNT CEO pay package under fire
Shareholders lobby group VEB and the unions have criticised the pay package of TNT CEO Peter Bakker as 'totally inappropriate' considering workers are being told to accept a 30-month pay freeze. More...

Government MPs reject Afghan aid link
The coalition partners on Wednesday rejected a call by the main opposition liberal VVD party that any extension of the Dutch mission in Afghanistan should be paid for from the aid budget. More...

Rabobank earnings rise 14%
Cooperative bank Rabobank booked net profit of over €1.3bn in the first six months of this year, an increase of 14% on 2006. Pre-tax profits rose 14% to over €1.6bn. More...

More mobile phones than Dutch residents
Mobile phone connections will hit 19 million by the end of this year according to figures published on Wednesday by research firm Telecompaper. The Netherlands has a population of 16 million. More...

Price of bread to rise
The cost of a loaf of bread is set to rise between 10% and 20% because of record grain prices, according to the Dutch bakery association. More...

Renault advertising campaign backfires
Hundreds of angry women have complained to car manufacturer Renault after receiving letters purporting to come from a friend reminiscing about a trip to Paris. More...

LogicaCMG chairman to retire
LogicaCMG chairman Cor Stutterheim is to retire in November, to be replaced by deputy chairman David Tyler, the computer services group announced on Wednesday. More...

Criminal records for 5% of charity bosses
Some 5% of charity managers have criminal records, according to Wednesday’s Volkskrant. The figure comes from an investigation commissioned by the justice ministry following suspicions that three Islamic organisations were raising money for terrorists. More...

Heineken first-half sales up almost 7%
Brewing group Heineken booked sales of €6.1bn in the first six months of this year, a 6.8% rise on the 2006 first-half. Operating profit was up 24% to €906m. More...

Final approval for Wadden gas extraction
Gas company NAM can continue to drill for natural gas under the Wadden Sea, the Council of State ruled on Wednesday. The country’s highest appeal body rejected all objections to the government’s decision to allow drilling in the ecologically sensitive area. More...

Internet firms refuse to block child porn
Internet providers KPN, XS4all and Tiscali are refusing to block or remove websites which carry child pornography, De Pers reports on Wednesday. More...

Barclays bid for ABN Amro falls in value
The gap between the two rival bids for the takeover of ABN Amro bank is widening, reports the Financieele Dagblad on Wednesday. More...

Budget to keep low paid spending power
The government is considering taking steps to stop low-income pensioners and people on minimum incomes losing spending power next year, but most other income groups will have less cash in hand, cabinet sources told ANP news service. More...

Maritime group SBM raises forecast
Maritime services company SBM Offshore booked net profit of $139m in the first six months of 2007, compared with $98m in the same period last year. More...

Bosses want smaller golden handshakes
Employers’ organisations want the cabinet to revise its shake-up of redundancy law, calling for smaller compensation packages than proposed, reports Finanancieele Dagblad on Wednesday. More...

Holleeder trial faces more delays
The trial of suspected crime boss Willem Holleeder on blackmail charges may be delayed again because of his continuing poor health, reports the Telegraaf on Wednesday. More...

Krajicek in US Open tennis second round
Michaëlla Krajicek made a convincing win in the first round of the US Open tennis tournament in New York on Tuesday night. The 32nd seed beat Italy's Alberta Brianti 6-2, 6-0. . More...

Ajax last chance for Champions League
Ajax takes on Slavia Praag on Wednesday night in the Amsterdam club's last change to qualify for the main Champions League competition. Ajax lost its first match against the Czech team 0-1.

TNT staff quarantined, powder harmless
Several dozen TNT workers in Oldenzaal were confined to their offices on Tuesday night after a package containing mysterious white powder was found in a box of clothing from Bangladesh. More...

Discus thrower takes World bronze
Dutch discus thrower Rutger Smith took bronze at the World Championships in Japan with a throw of 66 metres 42 cm at the weekend. Estonian Gert Kanter took gold with almost 69 metres.

AFM reverses trading in Spyker
The financial services watchdog AFM is to reverse Tuesday's trading in luxury car maker Spyker because it was based on misleading information. More...

Tuesday 28 August 2007

Dutch arrest Philippines' communist leader
Dutch police have arrested Jose Maria 'Joma' Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines on murder charges, the public prosecution department said on Tuesday. More... comments (2)

Three arrested for internet lottery scam
Two Nigerian nationals and a man from Burundi have been arrested at an internet café in The Hague on suspicion of internet fraud. More... comments (1)

Online shopping grows despite payment fears
Online shopping is flourishing in the Netherlands, according to the latest ICT Barometer released on Tuesday by Ernst & Young. Of those questioned, nearly 60% said they had used the internet much more this year to buy goods. More...

Rail network needs €8bn, says NS boss
The government needs to spend €8bn over the next ten years to bring the railway network up to scratch and reduce traffic jams, says NS director Aad Veenman. More...

Ministers open to redundancy plan revision
Ministers are open to the idea of revising their controversial plans to reform redundancy law, finance minister Wouter Bos said on Tuesday. Unions and employers are due to present their own sharply-divided ideas to ministers on Thursday. More...

Ministers to meet corporate cream
Ministers are holding informal talks with a number of top entrepreneurs on Tuesday evening to sound them out about the Dutch business climate, reports ANP. More...

Labour may reconsider redundancy plans
The unions' rejection of cabinet plans to reform redundancy law may force the Labour party to rethink its position, PvdA MP Mariëtte Hamer told news agency ANP on Tuesday. More...

KRO campaigns to keep BBC crime shows
TV stataion KRO has launched a petition on its website to keep the BBC series Dalziel & Pascoe and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries which it has been broadcasting for several years. The BBC wants to stop making the programmes. More... comments (2)

Ex-MPs claim unemployment benefit
Of the 70 MPs who left parliament after the November election, at least 39 are still claiming wachtgeld – special unemployment benefit for former parliamentarians – according to magazine Intermediair. Ex-MPs are entitled to up to €6,200 a month for up to six years.

Co Adriaanse to coach in Qatar
Former Ajax and AZ coach Co Adriaanse has signed a one-year contract to coach Qatar league champions Al-Sadd, according to the club's website. Adriaanse, currently with Ukraine side Metallurg Donetsk, turned down both Feyenoord and FC Utrecht this summer, the Telegraaf reports.

Hospital pays for contraception mistake
The IJsselland hospital in Capelle aan de IJssel has been ordered to pay towards the raising of twins, born after their mother had been told she had gone through early menopause and did not need to be sterilised, the Telegraaf said on Tuesday. . More...

Tilburg bells keep on ringing
Tilburg vicar Harm Schilder says he is determined to keep ringing the bells of the Holy Margarita Maria church despite the threat of a €5,000 fine from the city council. Locals claim the bells are too noisy, but Schilder says the right to call the faithful to prayer is part of the right to freedom of religion.

Mecom makes bid for publisher Wegener
British media investment group Mecom has made a formal cash bid of €17.70 a share for Dutch bourse-listed publishing group Wegener. The bid values Wegener, joint owner of the AD newspaper and full owner of a number of regional titles, at €794m. More...

Spyker furious over false bankruptcy report
Luxury car maker Spyker has asked the financial services watchdog AFM to investigate after its shareprice plummeted 12% on newspaper reports that two creditors had applied to have the company declared bankcrupt. More...

Supermarket group Laurus turns corner
Supermarket group Laurus, which owns the Super de Boer chain, booked net profit of €3m over the first six months of this year, compared with a loss of €6m in the previous year. More...

Trade unions want faster job for temps
People employed on temporary contracts should be given a permanent job after their contract has been renewed once, trade unions will say during talks with employers on Thursday, reports the FD. More...

Marel to increase stake in Stork
Icelandic company Marel is to resume building up its stake in Dutch engineering group Stork and may make a bid for the company in October at the earliest, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Tuesday. More...

Mission in Uruzgan to continue, says minister
The Dutch mission in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan will continue despite the death of a tenth soldier, defence minister Eimert van Middelkoop announced on Monday evening. More...

Gangs battle it out in Den Bosch
A massive street fight broke out in a residential area of Den Bosch on Monday night between two gangs of youths, each about 30 strong. One youngster needed treatment for a head wound and was arrested. More...

Monday 27 August 2007

€28m to counteract spread of radical ideas
The cabinet is setting aside €28m over the next four years in an effort to stop youngsters turning to Muslim fundamentalist and extreme-right political groupings. Most of the money will go to city and town councils for locally-based projects, according to a home affairs ministry plan. More... comments (1)

Armed raids on Amsterdam library and zoo
Amsterdam's Artis zoo and the new main city library were hit by armed robbers within 12 hours of each other. More...

Tilburg honours Pamuk, Ignatieff and Sternberg
The University of Tilburg announced honorary degress on Monday for Turkish writer and Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk, Canadian historian, writer and politician Michael Grant Ignatieff and American psychologist Robert Sternberg. The presentation will take place in November as part of the university's 80th anniversary celebrations. comments (1)

Dutch want more attractive euros
Three out of five Dutch people think the old Dutch guilder notes were much prettier than euros, according to research by the Dutch central bank DNB. The DNB is planning to pressure the European central bank into producing more attractive, personalised cash. New notes are due to be issued in 2010. comments (2)

Unibail Rodamco books 11% profit growth
Unibail Rodamco, the biggest bourse listed property fund in Europe, booked net profit of over €1.1bn in the first six months of this year, compared with 2006. More...

Good catering vital to film-making
A commitment to good catering and an acknowledgement that acting is more important than technique are part of a 10-point film-making manifesto drawn up by murdered Dutch producer Theo van Gogh and now formally adopted by American actor and director Steve Buscemi. More...

Connexxion buses fail inspection
Ministry of Transport inspectors took seven Connexxion buses off the road in Arnhem on Saturday, mostly with faulty breaks. In total 15 vehicles were inspected. More... comments (1)

Drastic measures needed to solve jams
The Dutch road system needs drastic reorganisation or traffic jams will bring the country to a standstill, experts warn in the Telegraaf. More...

Dutch sergeant killed in Afghan attack
A 30-year-old Dutch army sergeant has been killed and another officer injured in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, army chiefs announced on Monday. More...

'Special needs education under threat'
Government plans to streamline the provision of help for special needs children will hit the quality of special education and increase waiting lists, says Ella Kalsbeek, former Labour MP and now chairman of Amsterdam organisation Altra. More...

Dutch army to help Greek fire effort
The Netherlands is sending three Cougar helicopters and 27 soldiers to Greece to help with efforts to stem the dozens of forest fires, which have so far left over 60 people dead. The helicopters, which are capable of carrying 2500 litres of water, will be put to work around Elefsis, 20 km south of Athens. comments (1)

NATO sacks two women for Muslim marriage
Two Dutch women who recently married young Muslims from Tunisia have lost their jobs at the NATO base at Gellenkirchen in Germany, close to the Dutch border. More... comments (4)

TNT calls for 30 month pay freeze
TNT wants staff to agree to a 2.5 year pay freeze and to make their own payments into the company pension scheme, according to the postal group's starting position for the latest round of pay talks. More...

ABN Amro staff back independence
A slim majority (55%) of ABN Amro staff want the bank to continue as an independent company, according to a union poll. More... comments (1)

One gold, one silver at European hockey
The Dutch men's team beat Spain 3-2 to take the European hockey title in Manchester, England on Sunday. More...

Local hopeful second in Dutch Open
England's Ross Fisher took the Dutch Open golf tournament by one stroke on Sunday, his first European tour victory. More...

Easy wins for Ajax, Feyenoord
Ajax and Feyenoord both had easy wins in Dutch premier league matches on Sunday. More...

Friday 24 August 2007

Dutch submit 3 films for Oscars
The Netherlands is submitting Buddha's Lost Children as an Oscar entry in the category for best documentary. The film looks at how monks help poor boys and orphans though boxing and meditation and has already won several international prizes. More...

Telegraaf earnings drop 25%
The Telegraaf Media group booked net profit of almost €40m in the first six months of 2007, 25% down on last year's figure. More...

Online advertising up by 10%
Dutch firms spent almost €40m on online advertising in the second quarter of this year, bringing growth in the first half of this year 10.3% compared to the same 2006 period. More...

Budget plans wine and beer tax hike
Taxes on wine and beer will go up to €0.49 and €0.11 per bottle respectively next year according to proposals leaked from the government’s budget plans, reports the Volkskrant. More...

Prawn price hits record
The wholesale price for prawns caught in the North Sea has reached a record high at around €5 a kilo. Prices have soared because of a shortage of prawns, believed to have been caused by the poor summer weather. More...

Amsterdam is a 'knowledge hub'
Amsterdam is one of 15 European cities which can be described as a 'knowledge hub' alongside places such as Barcelona and Milan, according to a report commissioned by European Commission. More...

New bulb helps birds migrate
Electronics firm Philips and oil and gas company NAM have developed a new type of bird-friendly light bulb for use on oil rigs. More...

Motorists warned: roads busy
Motoring organisation ANWB expects roads to be busy this weekend because of roadworks and a number of festivals and sporting events. Traffic around Zandvoort is expected to be particularly heavy because of the Dutch Open golf championship.

Man climbs down from palace roof
An apparently disorientated man who had climbed onto the roof of the royal palace on Amsterdam's Dam square was persuaded down by police after several hours on Friday morning. More...

Slight majority back Pronk for PvdA job
Some 53% of Labour (PvdA) voters hope that ex-aid minister Jan Pronk will become the party’s new chairman while 30% are against his candidacy, according to a poll by Maurice de Hond on Friday. More...

Handicapped care relies on untrained staff
Unqualified staff are playing an increasingly important role in providing care for the handicapped, often working in positions with a great deal of responsibility, nursing union NU'91 warned on Friday. More...

Golden Tulip to build hotels in India
The Netherlands-based Golden Tulip hotel group is planning to spend $200m to set up 30 to 50 hotels in India over the next five years, India's Economic Times website reports. More... comments (1)

TV boss calls for lower star salaries
Fons van Westerloo, head of broadcaster RTL, has called for an end to the 'out of proportion salaries' being paid to some tv personalities. More...

Dutch women's hockey qualify for Olympics
A 3-0 victory over Spain in Manchester last night gives the Dutch women's hockey squad a place in both the Olympic games and the European championship final. They take on Germany, who beat England 2-1, in Saturday's final.

Consumer confidence unchanged
Dutch consumer confidence remains virtually unchanged in August compared with last month, says national statistics office CBS. Manufacturers were slightly more confident about their prospects, the CBS said.

Schoolboy murder suspect faces 20 years
The public prosecution service has asked for a prison sentence of 20 years and psychiatric treatment for Julien Constancia who is on trial for the murder of eight-year-old Jesse Dingemans at his school in Hoogerheide in December last year. Constancia (23) denies killing the boy. A ruling is expected on September 6.

Ministers clash over housing corporations
Housing corporations are threatening to pull out of plans to spend €3bn on urban renewal projects over the next four years unless finance minister Wouter Bos drops plans to impose an extra tax on their income. More...

Youth arrested for attack on ex-Muslim
Police have arrested a 17-year-old youth from Leidschendam in connection with the attack on Labour councillor and chairman of the ex-Muslim committee Ehsan Jami earlier this month. More... comments (1)

Major cuts planned in healthcare spending
Health minister Ab Klink is planning to cut hospital budgets by a total of €400m to help bring his department’s spending under control, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday. More...

Man on palace roof in Amsterdam
Police cordoned off part of Dam square in Amsterdam this morning following the discovery of a man on the roof of the Royal Palace. The man, who appeared confused, is sitting on top of the statute on the roof. More...

Thursday 23 August 2007

Universities fear 1,100 research job losses
Universities fear that 1,100 jobs are at risk if the cabinet goes ahead with plans to cut direct funding of scientific research by €100m. More... comments (1)

Former mosque director arrested
Amsterdam police have arrested the former director of the city's still-to-be-built Western mosque in connection with an investigation into embezzlement and money laundering. More...

Customer spend 7% more in cafes
Customers spent 7% more in Holland's hotels, cafés and restaurants over the second quarter of this year, while prices rose 3%, according to national statistics office CBS on Thursday.

Beach cafes profit despite grey skies
Despite this summer’s cool and rainy weather, Dutch seaside café owners booked a combined turnover of €121m thanks to increasingly up-scale interiors, diverse menus and a longer opening season. More...

Heijmans books disappointing results
Construction group Heijmans announced disappointing first-half earnings on Thursday but maintained an earlier forecast that full-year profit would be around €95m. More...

Climate change leads to earlier eggs
Songbirds are laying their eggs a week earlier than they did in the 1980s because of global warming, according to bird protection group Vogelbescherming. More...

Hundreds attend Jos Brink funeral
Hundreds of people have said their farewells to entertainer Jos Brink as they passed his coffin at the Carré theatre in Amsterdam on Thursday morning. Brink, who died of stomach cancer last week, is to be buried this afternoon. More...

Bos wants clarity on takeover bonuses
Finance minister Wouter Bos is to force companies to make it clear how much senior managers stand to earn from a takeover, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Thursday. More...

Unions call for help on bus contracts
The CNV transport union has asked transport minister Camiel Eurlings to organise a meeting with provinces, bus firms and unions to discuss problems with putting bus services out to public tender. More...

Gambling expansion 'ok' says minister
A careful expansion of the Dutch state's gambling monopoly is necessary to maintain government policy, justice ministry Ernst Hirsch Ballin told MPs on Wednesday evening. More... comments (1)

Prosecutor to appeal on 'homo' insult
The public prosecution department in Den Bosch is to appeal a ruling by magistrates that it is not insulting to call a policeman a 'homo'. The magistrates found a 19-year-old man not guilty of insulting behaviour, saying that the word 'homo' was only an insult when used in certain contexts. comments (1)

Dredging group Boskalis doubles earnings
Dredging group Boskalis more than doubled its net profit in the first six months of this year, benefiting from a worldwide increase in demand for land reclamation. More...

Dutch lick wounds after Swiss defeat
‘Losing is never nice,’ said Dutch football coach Marco van Basten following Oranje’s 2-1defeat in the friendly in Geneva against Switzerland last night. Dirk Kuyt scored for the Netherlands in the second half. More...

Property boosts Schiphol results
The sale of an office block in Eindhoven and the rising value of property at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport boosted the first half-year net profit of the Schiphol Group 62% to €142.8m compared with a year earlier. More...

Arjen Robben to transfer to Real Madrid
The transfer of Dutch footballer Arjen Robben from the London club Chelsea to Real Madrid has finally been agreed, according to various media reports on Thursday. More...

MPs want Bos statement on ABN Amro
A majority of MPs wants finance minister Wouter Bos to explain what criteria he is using to decide whether he would allow the possible split up of ABN Amro bank, reports Thursday’s Financieele Dagblad. More...

Wednesday 22 August 2007

Oranje falls in football ranking
The Dutch national football team has been overtaken by Croatia, falling from sixth to seventh place in the latest Fifa world rankings. Brazil tops the list.

Sharp rise in extreme right-wing attacks (update)
While the overall number of racially motivated attacks fell by 10% last year, extreme right-wing violence saw a 75% increase compared to 2005, reports Wednesday's Volkskrant. More...

Almost 130 child 'kidnapping' cases
Justice ministry officials had to deal with 129 cases of child 'kidnapping' in 2006, involving a total of 176 children. Of them, 34 cases involved children brought to the Netherlands while 128 children were taken abroad. More...

Groningen HIV suspects kept in jail
Three men from Groningen who have been charged with deliberately infecting a number of other men with HIV, rape and drugs offences, were on Wednesday remanded in custody until November 5. The public prosecution department hopes their trial will begin in January.

Hospital bug epidemic at nursing home
At least 11 residents and nine members of staff at the De Weerde nursing home in Eindhoven have been infected by the MRSA bacteria – known as the 'hospital bug'. More...

Embassy worker complaint against MP
A local employee at the Dutch embassy in Jordan has made a formal complaint about Socialist Party MP Harry van Bommel, whom she claims harassed her during a parliamentary visit to the Middle East in July. More...

Young female lawyers paid more
Today's young female lawyers are better paid than their male counterparts, reports today's Financieele Dagblad. According to salary comparisons commissioned by the paper, female lawyers under the age of 30 earn €15.16 per hour while men pocket €14.63. More...

Dutch gays feel less safe on the streets
Almost half (42%) of homosexuals in the Netherlands feel less safe on the streets than they did a year ago and of these 38% claim to have been confronted by anti-gay sentiments, according to a new survey published on Tuesday. More...

Ten Cate H1 profit up 20%
Specialty textiles maker Ten Cate booked a 20% increase in first-half net profit. Turnover rose 7% to €426m. More...

Stop ABN Amro consortium, say provinces
The provinces of Noord-Holland and Flevoland have urged finance minister Wouter Bos to block a takeover of ABN Amro by the consortium of three banks led by Royal Bank of Scotland. More...

Temping popular with over 45s
Those over the age of 45 now account for 12% of the 730,000 people registered at Dutch temporary employment agencies, according to new statistics. More...

Second bidder emerges for Univar
British private equity group BC partners is considering a counter-bid for chemicals distribution company Univar, according to today's Financieele Dagblad. More...

Workers know little about pensions
Some 91% of workers have no idea how well their pension fund is performing and almost 50% do not know what percentage of their salary their pension will be based on, according to research by Zwitserleven asset management. More...

Teachers may be taught to 'spot the radical'
Teachers, social workers and school janitors may be given training in how to detect increased support for fundamentalism among young Muslims, the AD reports on Wednesday. More...

Integration course shake-up planned
Integration minister Ella Vogelaar is planning to introduce radical reforms to the previous government's policy on compulsory integration courses for immigrants, NOS Teletext reports on Wednesday. More...

Green light for flower auctions merger
The Aalsmeer and Floraholland flower auctions have been given the green light to merge by the Dutch competition authority NMA. The two are currently the biggest and second biggest flower auctions in the world. More...

Dutch happy to merge with Flanders
Some two-thirds of the Dutch population would view a merger between the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking Belgium as a positive development, according to a new TNS Nipo poll. More...

Labour dissidents call for left shift
A group of around 25 prominent Labour (PvdA) supporters will attempt to steer the party into a more left-wing direction at its October conference, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday. More...

Other people's kids are 'rude', says survey
While most parents are satisfied with the way they are bringing up their children, 75% are irritated by other people’s kids who are ‘rude, anti-social, secretive and disobedient’, according to a survey by J/M magazine. More... comments (2)

Dutch gambling policy breaks EU rules
The Dutch government is actively increasing spending on advertising state-run gambling in contravention of EU rules, according to a leaked letter from internal markets commissioner Charlie McCreevy, reports ANP news service. More...

90% councils face flooding problems
Over 90% of local councils have problems with rain water according to a survey by the Rioned Foundation which represents the country's sewage authorities. Most of the problems involve flooding of roads and buildings. More...

Sharp rise in extreme right-wing attacks
While the overall number of racially motivated attacks fell by 10% last year, extreme right-wing violence saw a 75% increase compared to 2005, reports Wednesday’s Volkskrant. More...

Tuesday 21 August 2007

Lelystad is the capital of internet trading
The people of Lelystad are the most fervent online traders in the Netherlands, reports ANP on Tuesday. According to a survey by marktplaats.nl there are a record 42,000 adverts from Flevoland city on its site. More...

Warm spring brings profit for nurseries
Tree, bush and plant growers profited from the warm spring, reporting an increase in turnover at home and in exports of 9% over last spring. More...

Gelderland threatens to fine Connexxion
Gelderland province is threatening to fine bus company Connexxion €10,000 a day from September 1 if it fails to provide a proper train service between Ede and Amersfoort, the Volkskrant website reports. More...

TomTom on target to take over Tele Atlas
Satellite navigation system-maker TomTom said on Tuesday that preparations are on track for its offer for all the outstanding shares in map maker Tele Atlas. More...

'Jobless training needs more employer imput'
Employers should be given more say in training courses for the unemployed, Arend van Wijngaarden, chairman of the CNV trade union for building workers, told ANP on Tuesday. More...

Pharming benefits from Rhucin
Shares in biotech company Pharming rose 29.3% on the Amsterdam bourse on Tuesday following the announcement of positive results from a European clinical study into the efficacy and safety of Rhucin, used in the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema. More...

More mega pig farms on the way
Over 50 plans to build enormous intensive pig farms have been logged by environmental organisation Milieudefensie since it appealed for information last week, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday. More...

Few containers checked for poison
More than half of the containers arriving in Dutch ports still contain traces of poisonous gases, according to research by the government's health and environment institute RIVM, quoted in Tuesday's Volkskrant. More...

Dutch MEPs demand more seats
The Netherlands should be demanding more seats in the European parliament, a cross section of Dutch MEPs said on Monday. The Netherlands has 27 seats in the 785-seat European parliament and should have more seats because of the size of its population, MEPs say.

Flemish dentists flood to the Netherlands
Dozens of newly-qualified Belgian dentists are setting up in the Netherlands because of better pay and working conditions, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday. More...

New arrest in shopkeeper murder
Police in Amstelveen have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the fatal stabbing of a shop assistant at the Car Check night shop on August 9. A 16-year-old youth is still in custody. The 62-year-old shop worker died during a robbery.

Krajicek placed in US open
Michäella Krjicek is the 32nd seed at the US open, her second Grand Slam tournament placing after Wimbledon. Five other Dutch players are competing for a place in the tournament which begins on Monday.

Mecom expands Wegener stake to 30%
British media group Mecom has increased its stake in Dutch publishing house Wegener to 20.5%. Mecom, owned by British newspaper man David Montgomery, plans to take over the entire company but said last week it would launch an official offer by August 28 at the latest.

Primate expert in hiding after release
Primate expert Marc van Roosmalen, sentenced to 14 years prison in Brazil for 'biopiracy', says he feels more insecure than ever since being released from jail pending the continuation of his trial. More...

Van Bommel sorry about German 'joke'
Dutch international footballer Mark van Bommel has told the Telegraaf he is very sorry about a 'joking' remark made on tv on Monday night in which he said he would like to become German. The Bayern Munich midfielder said he did not want to play for the Netherlands under coach Marco van Basten.

Dirty cars to cost more to park
The environment and transport ministries are working on plans to increase parking charges for environment-unfriendly cars such as SUVs and diesel-powered vehicles. The cabinet still has to debate the idea which could become law by 2008. comments (2)

Monday 20 August 2007

Pesticide checks to be stepped up
Containers arriving at Rotterdam port are to be checked more thoroughly in future for traces of gaseous pesticides. More...

Pressure rises as PvdA support slides
Support for the Labour party (PvdA) has fallen sharply and the gap between it and the anti-immigration PVV has narrowed to just four seats, according to the latest Maurice de Hond opinion poll. More...

CVC goes ahead with Univar offer
Venture capital group CVC has made a formal bid of €53.50 a share for chemicals distribution group Univar. CVC first said it wanted to take over the company at the beginning of July, and Univar’s biggest shareholder Hal Holding, has already agreed to tender its shares.

Danone makes formal bid for Numico
French food group Danone has made a definite offer of €55 per share for Dutch special foods group Numico. More...

Phone firm KPN buys Tele2 Belgium
Dutch telecoms group KPN has bought Tele2/Versatel Belgium from the Versatel group for €95m, Versatel said on Monday. More...

Care home bed shortage hits hospitals
Hospitals are running out of beds because patients who are ready to leave are having to wait too long for referrals to care or nursing homes, the Telegraaf reports on Monday. More...

State funds tarot card readings for jobless
Tarot card readers, astrologers and spiritually-based ‘personal development programmes’ are being given government funding as part of efforts to get people back to work, the Volkskrant reports on Monday. More... comments (3)

Minister backs online debate on new laws
Justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin wants everyone to be able to make their views known on new laws and regulations through the internet. More...

Football season kicks off
The three big Dutch football clubs - Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord - all won their opening matches of the premier division new season on Sunday. Ajax opens the season on top after a 8-1 victory over De Graafschap with Klaas Jan Huntelaar scoring four goals.

Bankruptcy rate falls in first half
The number of bankruptcies fell 17% in the first six months of this year, according to figures from the national statistics office CBS. More...

Poisonous snake warning in Zaandam
Zaandam police have issued a warning that young poisonous snakes may be loose in the town, following the discovery of 48 snakes in a building on Sunday. Police were alerted after two young snakes were sighted outside. The owner was on holiday.

Ragweed arrives in the Netherlands
The ambrosia plant (ragweed), one of the biggest causes of hay fever in the United States and southern Europe, is beginning to establish itself in the Netherlands, according to the Natuurkkalender which keeps an eye on ecological changes. The seeds are found in bird food.

Nature management costs less
The cost of managing the Dutch landscape has fallen from almost €1bn in 2001 to €880m in 2005, says national statistics office CBS. Government spending on nature management has remained just over €500m a year, the CBS

Friday 17 August 2007

Consumers will pay more for organic food
Some 80% of consumers are prepared to pay more for organic food, according to a survey by research firm Ernst & Young published on Friday. More...

Brunel books 29% rise in H1 profits
Brunel, the Amsterdam-based temp agency for professionals, on Friday announced half year net profit rose 29% to €15.1m in the first half of 2007 compared to the year-earlier period. Operational results were up 55% to €22.1m while turnover grew 13% to €274.1m. More...

Hamburg: keep away from Van der Vaart
German football club HSV has ordered FC Valencia to leave Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart alone, threatening to call in the world football authority FIFA if the Spanish club does not stop trying to poach the player. More...

Lowlands festival sold out
All 55,000 tickets for this year’s Lowlands festival for alternative music which starts on Friday have been sold out, reports ANP news service. More...

Youth beats up football ref during game
A 15-year-old youth beat up a 72-year-old referee during a football game in the village of Schipborg earlier this week, police in the eastern province of Drenthe reported on Friday. More... comments (1)

Six times more children hospitalised after drinking
The number of people admitted to hospital with alcohol poisoning doubled in the period between 2000 and 2005 while the increase in the age group 10 to 15 is six-fold, according to research by the Consumer Safety Foundation. More...

Jami attacks Labour leader
The controversial Labour councillor and founder of the ex-Muslims committee Ehsan Jami has launched a stinging attack on his party and its leader Wouter Bos in Friday’s Telegraaf. More...

Decision Afghan mission likely to be delayed
A decision on whether the Netherlands should extend its peace-keeping mission to Afghanistan is unlikely to be taken before October, says the main opposition liberal VVD. More...

Thursday 16 August 2007

'Tribunal for ex Lebanese PM in Holland'
A special tribunal to try those suspected of the murder of the former prime minister of Lebanon Rafik al-Hariri should be located in the Netherlands, said Dutch foreign affairs minister Maxime Verhagen during a radio interview on Thursday morning. More...

Recycling deal to push up supermarket prices
The price of packaged supermarket goods will go up 1% next year following a recycling agreement between the government, businesses and local councils. More...

Ajax suffer home defeat against Prague
Ajax failed to capitalise on their home advantage on Wednesday night losing 1-0 to Slavia Prague in the qualifier for the football Champions League. The Czech team won the game with a late penalty after the Amsterdam team missed one earlier in the second half. More...

Consortium now has 4.1% in ABN Amro
The consortium involved in the battle for the takeover of ABN Amro has now expanded its stake in the Dutch bnk to 4.1% at a cost of around €510m. Earlier this week it emerged that Royal Bank of Scotland, Fortis and the Spanish bank Santander had built up an interest of 3.25% in ABN Amro. More...

Defence dept pays for upkeep royal yacht
The maintenance of Queen Beatrix’s private yacht, the Groene Draeck (Green Dragon), is paid for by the defence ministry and cost at least €112,000 last year, reports today’s Nederlands Dagblad. More...

'Protect spending power of poor'
Opposition parties and trade unions are demanding that the cabinet protects the spending power of those on the lowest incomes next year, saying that it unacceptable that this group should suffer when the economy is doing so well. More...

Wednesday 15 August 2007

Ministers tight-lipped on fall in spending power (UPDATE)
Ministers were unwilling to give details about what was discussed during their meeting on Wednesday which focussed on the lower-than-expected consumer power that is forecast for next year. More...

Third youth sought for fatal stabbing
The police are looking for a third young man in connection with the fatal stabbing of an elderly shopkeeper in a late-night store in Amstelveen earlier this month. Two 16-year-old teenagers are already in custody in connection with the murder. More...

Ex-Muslim group wants religious freedom
The committee which supports ex-Muslims has sent around 50 politicians, journalists and writers a letter asking them to sign a declaration on religious freedom. More...

Flood of complaints against call to ban Koran
Police have received a flood of complaints against a call to ban the Koran made by MP Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration party PVV, last week, reports ANP news service on Wednesday. More...

Ministers discuss fall in spending power
Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende and most of his cabinet are today holding their first meeting since the summer holidays and will discuss the budget for the coming year. Their biggest problem is the fall in consumer power forecast for 2008. More...

Trade surplus rises to €3.8bn
Dutch trade surplus was up to €3.8bn in June, according to figures published by the government statistics office CBS on Wednesday. More...

Spyker may sell Formula 1 team
Racing car maker Spyker is considering selling off its Formula 1 racing team, reports ANP news service. Because he is thinking about bidding for the team, company chairman Michiel Mol has stepped down from Spyker. More...

New train punctuality record of 94.4%
Dutch Rail (NS) has achieved a new punctuality record with 94.4% of trains running on time on August 7, reports the Volkskrant on Wednesday. More...

More men need safe houses
There is a shortage of safe houses for men who fear for their safety says, reports the AD newspaper on Wednesday. More...

Nordic bank to pay almost 3bn for NIBC
Dutch merchant bank NIBC is to be taken over by the European bank Kaupthing for almost €3bn, NIBC announced on Wednesday. Kaupthing, which is based in Iceland, operates in 10 European countries and is the seventh largest bank in the Nordic region. More...

Tuesday 14 August 2007

'Reward firms that fight unemployment'
Employers who help sacked workers to find a new job should be rewarded by paying lower unemployment benefit premiums, while firms that are lax in this area should pay higher premiums, says Christian Democrat MP Eddy van Hijum in today’s Volkskrant. More...

Economy up 2.4% in Q2
The Dutch economy grew 2.4% in the second quarter compared to the same 2006 period, according to figures published by the government statistics office CBS on Tuesday.

Hamburg rejects Valencia's offer for Van der Vaart
The German football club Hamburg SV has rejected a bid for its Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart from Valencia, reports ANP news service. More...

Up to 15% financial consultants break rules, says watchdog
The financial services watchdog AFM suspects that between 5% and 15% of financial consultants are guilty of serious regulatory breaches. More...

KPN confirms interest in Tele2/Versatel Belgium
Telecoms group KPN has confirmed media speculation that it is considering the takeover of Belgian rival Tele2/Versatel Belgium for €1m. More...

Advocaat to head Australian football team
Former Dutch national football coach Dick Advocaat is to be the new trainer of the Australian national team, according to the Australian media, reports ANP news agency on Tuesday. More... comments (1)

Donald Duck favourite men's magazine
The best read magazine by men is not Panorama, Aktueel or Playboy but the Donald Duck, reports Financieele Dagblad. More...

Retired teachers could solve shortage
The social affairs ministry is to look into the possibility of asking retired teachers back to work to solve the growing shortage of teachers, reports today’s Volkskrant. More...

RBS group confirms 3% stake in ABN (UPDATE)
The consortium involved in the takeover battle for ABN Amro bank has confirmed that it has increased its stake in the Dutch bank to 3.25% since Friday. More...

Bos no objection to Barclays takeover ABN
Dutch finance minister Wouter Bos has told Barclays bank that he has no objections to the proposed takeover of ABN Amro by the British bank. Bos stressed that this does not imply his preference for Barclay’s bid for ABN Amro. More...

Aegon to takeover Merrill Lynch life insurance
Aegon is to take over part of the insurance operations of the US merchant bank Merrill Lynch, reports ANP news agency on Tuesday morning. More...

Monday 13 August 2007

Beatrix to attend World Orchestra for Peace
Queen Beatrix is to attend the concert of the World Orchestra for Peace which will perform for the first time in the Netherlands on September 8. More...

Tax office ignored tender regulations
The government is to launch an investigation into how far the tax office has ignored European Union guidelines which call for public tendering on major projects, reports today’s Volkskrant. More...

Huge shortage of after school childcare
Primary schools face a huge shortage of staff to meet the growing demand for childcare before and after official school hours, reports ANP news agency on Monday. More...

Hirsi Ali criticises Labour over Jami
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the controversial former Dutch MP who now works for a conservative American think-tank in Washington, has strongly criticised the Labour party for its attitude towards Labour councillor and chairman of the ex-Muslim committee Ehsan Jami. More...

Support for anti-immigration party grows
The number of MPs for the anti-immigration party PVV led by Geert Wilders would double to 18 if elections were held today, according to the latest internet poll by Maurice de Hond. More...

Bos expected to OK Barclays proposed takeover ABN
Finance minister Wouter Bos is expected to announce on Monday that he has no objections to the proposed takeover of Dutch bank ABN Amro by Britain’s Barclays bank, reports ANP news agency. More...

Nuon turnover down 7% in Q2
Holland’s second biggest energy concern Nuon has reported a 7% fall in turnover to €1.13bn during the second quarter as a result of warm weather. The company booked a 52% fall in net profit to €168m in the April to June period. More...

Dutch DJs remix Robbie Williams single
The club version of the latest single by British pop star Robbie Williams released at the weekend was remixed by three Dutch DJ/producers, reports ANP news agency. More...

Sneijder to Real Madrid for €27m
The transfer sum of €27m agreed for the sale of Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder to Real Madrid is the biggest ever for a 'home grown' player in the Amsterdam football club’s history. More...

Akzo Nobel makes formal bid for ICI
Dutch paints and chemical concern Akzo Nobel has made a formal bid for its British rival ICI for €11.8bn or 670 pence per share. The takeover is the biggest ever by a Dutch company, says ANP news agency. More...

Friday 10 August 2007

Clear visibility expected for falling stars
There is a good chance that weather conditions will allow the large number of falling stars expected over the Netherlands this weekend to be clearly visible, a spokeswoman from the meteorological office KNMI said on Friday. More...

Huge amount of cocaine seized
The Columbian authorities have intercepted a shipment of 4,000 kilograms of cocaine on its way from Peru to the Netherlands following a tip off from police and customs officers in Rotterdam. The cocaine, which has a street value of €180m, is one of the biggest seizures of illegal drugs in the last 10 years, says ANP news agency. A 78 year old man from Friesland is in custody in connection with smuggling the drugs and police said they do not rule out further arrests.

Dutch farms free of foot-and-mouth
None of the 150 Dutch farms investigated for foot-and-mouth disease earlier this week have any trace of the infection, the agriculture ministry announced on Friday. More...

Sportsweek: Madrid offers €24m for Sneijder
Ajax footballer Wesley Sneijder could be sold to Real Madrid according to the website Sportweek.nl on Friday which claims the Spanish club have offered €24m for the Amsterdam player. More...

Krajicek loses to Sharapova in third round
Holland’s Michäella Krajicek is out of the Los Angeles tennis championships after losing in the third round to the number one seed Maria Sharapova. More...

Candover makes offical bid for Stork
The British investment company Candover has brought out a formal bid for the Dutch industrial engineering concern Stork. Candover his prepared to pay €1.5bn (47 per share) for Stork in line with its provisional offer at the end of June. More...

Dutch population continues to grow
The growth rate of the Dutch population is rising, with 15,000 new inhabitants in the first six months of this year compared to fewer than 3,000 in the first six months of 2006, according to figures published by the government statistics office CBS on Friday. More...

Man shoots five people in Rotterdam cafe
A man shot five people in a cafe in the Rotterdam district of Spijkenisse in the early hours of this morning. A 32-year old woman is in a critical condition in hospital and three other people were seriously injured in the incident, reports ANP news agency. More...

Labour leader speaks out on Jami
The Labour party will not support Ehsan Jami’s committee for ex-Muslims if he thinks that insulting or upsetting Muslims is part of someone’s right when they give up their religion, says Labour leader Wouter Bos in today’s Volkskrant. More... comments (1)

Teacher training courses remain unpopular
The number of students signing up for training as primary school teachers continues to fall with provisional figures for the coming academic year indicating a decrease of almost 11%, reports today’s Volkskrant. More...

Europe needs single terrorism warning system
European counties must improve communication when it comes to the threat of terrorist attacks and introduce a single warning system to indicate threat levels, says the Dutch national anti-terrorism coordinator Tibbe Joustra in today’s Trouw newspaper. More...

MPs want tougher law on gay violence
Violence against homosexuals must be punished much harder, say MPs from the two main coalition parties Christian Democrats (CDA) and Labour in today’s Trouw newspaper. More...

Thursday 09 August 2007

CDA wants to find way to close radical mosques
The Christian Democrats are searching for a way to close down mosques in which radical imams preach hate, says CDA MP Madeleine van Toorenburg. The initiative is supported by the Liberals (VVD) and Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration PVV party, reports ANP news agency. More... comments (2)

Aegon to buy-back €1bn own shares
Insurer Aegon saw second quarter profit fall 24% compared to the same period last year to €655m. Announcing the results on Thursday, the company said decrease was largely due to new accounting practices. More...

Akzo Nobel given more time for ICI takeover bid
Chemical concern Akzo Nobel has been given more time to bring out an official bid to takeover its British rival ICI, the Dutch company announced on Thursday afternoon. More...

Netherlands could be power exporter by 2011
The Netherlands could change from an electricity importer to a country that exports power in four years time, according to a report published by the country's national grid operator Tennet. More...

Wilders criticised for call to ban the Koran
A call by the controversial MP Geert Wilders to ban the Koran in the Netherlands has led to a flood of negative reactions from politicians and community leaders in the Dutch media today. More...

Feyenoord to get €13m for Drenthe
The transfer of Feyenoord’s Royston Drenthe to the Spanish football club Real Madrid has finally been agreed, reports Thursday’s Telegraaf. More...

Fortis doubles expected Q2 results
Dutch-Belgian bank insurer Fortis booked better than expected results in the second quarter, announcing a net profit of €1.6bn, 16% higher than the same 2006 period. This is double what analysts expected, reports ANP news agency on Thursday. More...

Cancer charity remains most popular
The income of Dutch charities rose almost 6% last year to €541m, according to a survey by the Volkskrant published on Thursday. More...

Wednesday 08 August 2007

Minister: Wilders is damaging community relations
Integration minister Ella Vogelaar has made it clear that banning the Koran in the Netherlands is out of the question as far as the cabinet is concerned and will remain so in the future, reports ANP news agency on Wednesday afternoon. More...

'Call for Koran ban incites hatred' (UPDATE)
A lawyer from Lelystad has lodged a formal complaint against Geert Wilders, the controversial leader of the anti-immigration PVV party, who has called for a ban on the Koran. The letter was published in today’s Volkskrant newspaper. More...

Greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall
Greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands were down in 2006 for the second consecutive year, according to figures published by the government statistics office and environmental planning agency on Wednesday. More...

Dutch bioligist released in Brazil pending appeal
Dutch biologist Marc van Roosmalen has been released from prison pending an appeal against his 14 years jail sentence issued by a Brazilian court in June, reports ANP news service. More...

Krajicek through to 3rd round LA tennis tournament
Dutch tennis player Michäella Krajicek is through to the third round of the LA tennis tournament after beating the Ukranian Joeliana Fedak 6-4, 6-3. More...

ING books better than expects Q2 results
Bank insurer ING on Wednesday reported a 27% increase in net profit to €2.56bn for the second quarter. These figures include a windfall of €573m from the partial sale of interests in ABN Amro. More...

Wilders calls for Koran to be banned
Geert Wilders, the controversial leader of the anti-immigration PVV party, has called for a ban on the Koran in the Netherlands. The Islamic holy book is, he says ‘Fascist’, ‘wretched’ and encourages violence. He wants the book banned from shops, homes and mosques. More... comments (9)

Over 100 farms hit by Bluetongue disease
The Bluetongue virus has spread to the provinces of Overijssel and Utrecht with the total number of farms affected up to 117 since the new outbreak of the disease was first identified in the Netherlands less than two weeks ago, reports ANP news agency. More...

Foot-and-mouth vaccines ordered as precaution
Agriculture minister Gerda Verburg has ordered 256,000 doses of the foot-and-mouth vaccine as a precaution in case the disease spreads to the Netherlands from Britain. More...

Tuesday 07 August 2007

Irish curator to head Van Abbemuseum
Irish art curator Annie Fletcher has been appointed the new director-curator of the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. She will succeed Phillip van den Bossche who is leaving to head the modern art museum in Ostende. More...

Gorilla Bokito back in the open air
Bokito, the gorilla who escaped from his enclosure at Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam in May attacking a woman and terrorising visitors before being recaptured, has been allowed outdoors again for the first time today. More...

Amsterdam 'no longer gay capital'
Amsterdam is no longer the 'gay capital' of the world where everything is possible, but foreign homosexuals have not yet realised this, says Dennis Boutkam, chairman of the Amsterdam organisation for gay rights COC in today’s Parool newspaper. More... comments (5)

More people work overtime says survey
Working overtime on a structural basis has increased considerably in Holland over the past year, according to a survey published by temp agency Randstad on Tuesday. More...

Energy firm takes state to court
Holland’s fourth largest energy concern Delta has started legal action against the Dutch state saying that the recent government decision to force energy companies to split off their grids is ‘an illegal act’ which will cost the company ‘hundreds of millions of euros’. More...

Van Nistelrooij back in national team
Ruud van Nistelrooij is back in the selection for the Dutch national football team after an absence of over a year following disagreements with coach Marco van Basten. More...

KLM to increase fuel surcharge
Dutch airline KLM is to raise its fuel surcharge by €5 on intercontinental flights and €1 on European routes as from Wednesday. More...

Homes in Utrecht without water
Some 9,000 households in the Utrecht area are without water on Tuesday morning as a result of a fault in supply pipes, reports ANP news agency. More...

Financial services regulator resigns
A top executive of the financial services regulatory body AFM, Anne Willem Kist, has resigned. Kist says he can no longer carry out his responsibilities in light of doubts concerning the management of his personal investment portfolio. More...

Extra protection for ex-Muslim Jami
Ehsan Jami, chairman of the committee for ex-Muslims and Labour councillor in Leidschendam-Voorburg, has been placed under extra security on the orders of the national anti-terrorist coordinator. More... comments (4)

Fortis shareholders ok ABN Amro takeover
Fortis shareholders have approved the company’s proposed takeover of the Dutch banking group ABN Amro. The Dutch-Belgian financial services concern is part of a consortium embroiled in a takeover battle for ABN Amro. More...

Friday 03 August 2007

EU tender rules broken by seven ministries
At least €45m worth of contracts were not put out to competition by government ministries last year, breaking EU rules, according to figures from the national audit office. More...

'Vote no' ABN Amro boss tells Fortis
Fortis shareholders should vote against the bank's efforts to take over ABN Amro at Monday's crucial shareholders meeting, ABN Amro CEO Rijkman Groenink told journalists on Thursday. More...

World pole vault champ out of games
Dutch pole vaulter Rens Blom will not defend his world title in Osaka at the end of this month because of an Achilles heel injury. Blom, who is 30, became the first Dutch world pole vault champion two years ago in Helsinki.

Dexia 'victims' continue with legal case
Some 25,000 people who leased shares from Dexia and went on to lose large amounts of money have decided to press ahead with legal action rather than take advantage of a 'get out' scheme, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday. More...

Holiday firms overwhelmed with demand
Travel agents have been buying in extra aircraft seats and hotel beds on a massive scale as people try to book last-minute sun holidays, the Telegraaf reports on Friday. More...

Ahold second quarter sales rise 2%
Supermarket group Ahold saw sales rise 2% in the second quarter of 2007 to €6.6bn, in line with analysts' expectations. More...

Numico books record earnings
Speciality food group Numico booked record sales of €730m in the second quarter this year, a 15% increase on the year-earlier period, the company said on Friday. More...

Demoting older workers is discrimination
The practise of demoting workers to other jobs when they reach a certain age is discriminatory, the equal opportunities commission ruled on Tuesday. More...

Political advice not Council of State's job
European affairs minister Frans Timmermans was wrong to ask the Council of State to advise whether or not the Netherlands should hold a referendum on the new European treaty, according to top legal experts in Friday's Volkskrant. More...

'Insulting the queen is no crime'
The crime of lèse majesté, or insulting the monarch, should be removed from the statute books, Labour senator Peter Rehwinkel says in today's Volkskrant. More...

Thursday 02 August 2007

Unilever to cut 20,000 jobs
Unilever is to cut 20,000 of its 179,000 jobs worldwide over the next four years, CEO Patrick Cescau said on Thursday. Where the jobs will go and how the Netherlands will be affected is not yet clear. More...

Marel's stake in Stork goes over 25%
Icelandic food machinery group Marel now owns over 25% of Dutch engineering group Stork, a Stork spokesman confirmed on Thursday. More...

Shell sells assets totalling $2.5bn
Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell is selling three refineries in France and stakes in two Norwegian oil and gas fields for a total $2.5bn, the company announced on Thursday. The sales still have to be approved by the relevant competition authorities. More...

Crackdown planned on illegal gambling
A tougher approach to illegal gambling and more supervision of the gaming industry in general are the main thrusts of draft legislation on gambling, sent out for consultation by justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin on Thursday. More...

Vedior on takeover trail in China
Temporary employment agency group Vedior expects to make an announcement shortly about a takeover in China, Reuters reports on Thursday. Vedior, one of the world's biggest temps agencies, currently generates 70% of sales in Europe.

Peepshows not art, says advocate general
Peepshows, in which women are paid by the minute to perform sexual acts, can be artistic but are not art, says Cees van Ballegooijen, advocate general to the Supreme Court. Tickets are therefore subject to the standard 19% VAT rate. More...

Profit for exchange group NYSE Euronext
The merged stock exchange group NYSE Euronext, which includes the Amsterdam stock exchange, booked net profit of $161m in the second quarter of this year. It is the first time the new company has reported combined figures. Total sales reached just over $1bn.

Essent books strong H1 earnings
Dutch power firm Essent booked a sharp increase in first-half operating profit from ordinary operations, the company announced on Thursday. More...

Pressure mounts over ministry tenders
The free-market Liberal party (VVD) has called for an investigation into all the private contracts for events connected to the cabinet's 100-day tour to assess public opinion on government policy. More...

Takeovers boost Nutreco earnings
Animal and fish feed group Nutreco saw net profit from ordinary operations rise 22% to €37.1m in the second quarter of this year. Sales were up 25% to €1.68bn. The company said takeovers and a reorganisation were behind the strong figures.

Home owners attack building licence fees
The difference in levies on residential building licences have never been so wide, according to home owners lobby group Eigen Huis. More...

Vopak borrows to grow
Tank storage group Vopak has signed a €1bn loan, with the option to increase it to €1.2bn, the company said on Thursday. The money will be used to finance its growth strategy.

Dutch soldiers shoot dead Afghan driver
Dutch solders on Wednesday shot dead an Afghan minibus driver after he refused to stop several times, close to their base in southern Afghanistan. More...

Unilever books 14% earnings growth
Food to detergents group Unilever booked second quarter profit of €1.15bn, a 14% rise on 2006. Turnover was up 3% at €10.5bn. More...

ABN Amro and shareholders in court, again
ABN Amro and shareholders lobby group VEB are in court again on Thursday, this time over VEB charges of mismanagement. More...

Dutch embassies to research gay rights
Dutch embassy officials in 36 countries where the Netherlands has close aid ties have been asked to draw up an inventory of gay rights legislation. More...

Wednesday 01 August 2007

Tax demand for evacuated families
Dozens of people forced to leave their homes on Amsterdam's Bos en Lommerplein because they were unsafe have been sent tax demands over the €20 a day compensation they were given by the council, the Parool reports on Wednesday. More...

Betuwe railway line still not in use (update)
The Betuwe freight-only railway line is still only being used by test trains, over six weeks since its official opening by queen Beatrix, operating company Railon admitted on Wednesday. More...

EU backs three leading Dutch scientists
Three Dutch scientists have been award €1.2m each by the European scientific organisation ESF to allow them to focus on pure research. More...

Government lax in tendering out contracts
The government fails to meet rules on putting contracts out to tender in around 70% of cases, according to small business sector lobby group MKB. More...

Police arrest Albanian people traffickers
Police in south Limburg have arrested three Albanian nationals on suspicion of people trafficking, forced prostitution, rape, kidnapping and burglary. The arrests follow last week's rescue of a woman who sent a text message to police claiming she had been forced into prostitution.

Young reporter arrested for insulting queen
A 17-year old journalist and a cameraman from internet magazine Spunk were arrested on Dam square in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening, on charges of insulting queen Beatrix. More...

Animal groups protest at pig transports
Piglets being transported from the Netherlands to factory farms in southern Europe are often dying en route because of the lack of food and water and cramped conditions, animal welfare groups say in today's AD. More... comments (1)

Betuwe railway line still not in use
The Betuwe freight-only railway line is still only being used by test trains, over six weeks since its official opening by queen Beatrix, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday. More...

Majority oppose staying in Afghanistan
Some 54% of the population are opposed to extending the Dutch mission in Afghanistan past next summer, according to a poll for Dutch world service radio RNW. . More...

ABN bosses pay to be hiked by Barclays
Unions have reacted angrily to the news that ABN Amro's management and supervisory board members will get much bigger pay packets if the bank is taken over by Barclays. More...