Thursday 30 September 2010

Wilders' stamp all over the coalition deal, says opposition
The coalition agreement drawn up by the right-wing VVD, Christian Democrats and anti-Islam PVV, has the stamp of PVV leader Geert Wilders all over it, opposition party leaders say. More... comments (3)

Coalition plans will lead to lower economic growth: CPB
The spending cuts outlined in Thursday's coalition accord will lead to lower economic growth and an increase in unemployment, according to calculations by the government's macro-economic forecasting agency CPB. More... comments (4)

Great demand for CDA congress
Some 3,000 people have so far registered to take part in the Christian Democratic conference in Arnhem on Saturday which will vote on whether or not the party should join a right-wing coalition government. More... comments (1)

September was cool and wet
Temperatures in September were below the seasonal average and rainfall was slightly higher, the KNMI weather bureau said on Thursday. More...

Health insurer drops poor hospitals
Health Insurance company CZ is to go public with the names of six hospitals that it is dropping from its list of approved breast cancer treatment centres. More... comments (2)

Serbian not guilty of gangland attempted murder
A Serbian national has been found not guilty of the attempted murder of Amsterdam gangster Cor van Hout by judges in Haarlem. More...

PVV parliamentarian arrested for head butt
An MP for the anti-Islam PVV spent Wednesday night in a police cell after being involved in a fracas in the centre of The Hague, news agency ANP reports. More...

Océ books small profit in third quarter
Print-maker Océ announced on Thursday it made a modest profit in the third quarter of 2010. Net profit was €6m compared with a loss of €25m in the year earlier period. More...

Most Dutch positive about economy
A growing percentage of the Dutch population is happy with the economy, according to figures released on Thursday by the government's nsocio-cultural planning office SCP. The figure rose from 67% in the second quarter of 2010 to 73% in the last three months. More... comments (2)

Ahold appoints new CEO
Supermarket group Ahold announced on Thursday that Dick Boer has been appointed CEO, effective March 2011. Ahold shares opened 0.8% lower on the news and then fell again to a loss of 1.4%. More...

Dutch rider takes world dressage title
Edward Gal and his horse Moorlands Totilas won the dressage Grand Prix Special on Wednesday at the world championships in Kentucky, giving him his first individual world title. More...

25,000 motorists fined for speeding near roadworks
Some 25,000 people have been fined for speeding near roadworks over the past three months, the AD reports on Thursday. More... comments (1)

BNP Paribas to open new offices in the Netherlands
French bank BNP Paribas announced on Thursday it is to extend its activities in the Netherlands and will open two new offices, in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. More...

Freedom and responsibility is right-wing government slogan
The three parties on the verge of forming a new coalition government unveiled their coalition agreement on Thursday, under the motto 'freedom and responsibility'. More... comments (36)

Angela Merkel unhappy with make-up of new Dutch government
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a committee of MPs she will do her best to work with the new Dutch government, although she regrets its make-up, Reuters reports on Thursday. More... comments (2)

Burqa ban, immigration cuts included in coalition accord, say papers
The coalition agreement drawn up by the three right-wing parties forming a new government includes a ban on the burqa and a commitment to major cuts in immigration, the Telegraaf reports. More... comments (20)

Unidentified body is not Dutch guerrilla Tanja
The unidentified body of a Farc guerilla is not that of Dutch woman Tanja Nijmeijer, Colombia radio station Caracol announced on Wednesday. More...

Spurs too strong for FC Twente
FC Twente of Enschede lost their second match in the Champions League 4-1 against London club Tottenham Hotspur. More...

Christian Democrat MPs still divided on deal, wait for congress vote
Christian Democrat MPs are still divided on whether or not to support the coalition agreement worked out between the CDA, right-wing VVD and anti-Islam PVV. More... comments (2)

Wednesday 29 September 2010

Right-wing party MPs in closed sessions to discuss coalition deal
MPs from the three parties on the verge of forming the Netherlands' next government were in closed meetings on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the draft coalition agreement. More... comments (3)

New coalition investigated tough new controls on immigration: NRC
The three parties on the verge of forming the Netherlands' next government asked civil servants to investigate a number of far-reaching measures to curb immigration during the negotiation process, the NRC reports on Wednesday. More... comments (11)

Household assets increase, despite recession
Dutch households had total assets worth €1.3 trillion (€1,300 bn) in the first quarter of 2010, the central bank said on Wednesday. More...

Small cafes welcome end to smoking ban
Small cafes have welcomed the news that the new government is set to ditch the ban on smoking in bars with no staff. More... comments (5)

Air France-KLM faces massive claim for freight price-fixing
Several hundred companies, including giants such as Philips and Ericsson, are planning to launch a €500m claim against airlines KLM, Martinair and Air France for fixing freight shipment prices as part of a 16-airline cartel, various media report on Wednesday. More... comments (1)

'Coalition agreement will answer our problems'
The coalition agreement agreed between the right-wing VVD, Christian Democrats and anti-Islam PVV provides answers to the Netherlands' problems, VVD leader Mark Rutte is quoted as saying in Wednesday's Telegraaf. ' More... comments (6)

Crunch time looms in postal delivery dispute
Talks on a new pay and conditions agreement for postal delivery workers broke down earlier this week, opening the way for all 30,000 workers to be given a proper contract – even those working for budget firms, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday. More... comments (2)

Dutch have €255 to spend on protecting environment
The Dutch are prepared to spend €255 a year to improve the environment, according to a survey by National Geographic magazine to celebrate 10 years of its Dutch edition, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday. More...

New cabinet to spend millions on new roads
The new government has agreed to spend hundreds of millions of euros a year building new roads, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday. More... comments (8)

Citibank closes Breda office
US bank Citibank is closing one of its two Dutch offices with the loss of 50 jobs as part of a global centralisation of its share trading activities. More...

Ajax holds AC Milan to Champions League draw
Ajax held AC Milan to a 1-1 draw in their Champions' League tie in Amsterdam on Tuesday night. More...

Dutch take world dressage gold
Edward Gal and his horse Moorlands Totilas performed a 'nearly flawless' dressage routine at the world championships in Kentucky on Tuesday, giving the Netherlands the gold medal for the team eventl. More...

Tuesday 28 September 2010

The Netherlands set to get right-wing minority cabinet, with Wilders' support
Nearly four months since the general election, the Netherlands is poised to have a minority right-wing government with the anti-Islam PVV as a silent partner. More... comments (1)

Coalition hopefuls still in talks, agreement is imminent, say insiders
The leaders of the three parties hoping to form a right-wing coalition government were still locked in talks on Tuesday afternoon, as speculation mounted that an agreement is imminent. More... comments (1)

'Europe prepared to compensate Netherlands for high contributions'
The European Commission is prepared to help the Netherlands and other net payers into the EU coffers, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday, quoting budget commissioner Janusz Lewandowski. More...

ABN Amro must pay bankers agreed bonus despite nationalisation
State-owned ABN Amro bank must pay 10 senior bankers golden handshake deals agreed before the bank was nationalised Arnhem district court ruled on Tuesday. More... comments (2)

Dutch social network Hyves looks for new owner
The owners of Dutch social networking website Hyves have put the company back on the market, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Tuesday, quoting industry sources . More... comments (1)

Attempted arson on Groningen mosque
Arsonists tried to set fire to a mosque in Groningen on Monday night, and daubed the walls with the text ‘don’t make us evil’, news agency ANP reports. More... comments (3)

NS experiments with off-peak season ticket
Dutch Rail (NS) is considering introducing a new off-peak season ticket, free newspaper Spits said on Tuesday. More...

Jail for role in Culemborg riots
The 22-year-old man who drove his car at three people in the early hours of New Year’s Day, sparking weeks of disturbances between Moroccan and Moluccan youths in Culemborg, was jailed for 18 months by a court in Arnhem on Tuesday. More...

First health insurer puts up fees 10%
Health insurance company DSW has become the first to announce its 2011 price rise – a 10% annual increase to €1,194 per policy holder. More...

Shares in Spyker soar on BMW talks
Shares in Dutch luxury car maker Spyker soared nearly 65% in Amsterdam on Monday after news broke that its Saab subsidiary is in talks with German car maker BMW. More...

Creative brain behind Big Brother quits Endemol
Paul Römer, chief creative officer at the Endemol entertainment group, is stepping down to follow ´other opportunities´, the company said in a statement on Monday. More... comments (2)

Akzo Nobel snaps up top business woman
Paints and speciality chemicals group Akzo Nobel has brought in Marjan Oudeman to join the company's new nine-strong executive committee, with special responsibiity for human resources policy. More...

Louis van Gaal extends Bayern Munich contract
Dutch football coach Louis van Gaal has signed a new contract with Bayern Munich which binds him to the German club until summer 2012. More...

Drugs saliva test unreliable
The saliva tests the government plans to introduce to allow the police to check motorists for drugs are unreliable and have a wide margin of error, the AD reports on Tuesday. More... comments (2)

State institutions still pay interim managers above agreed limit
Institutions like the national insurance bank, benefit payment agency UWV and land registry group Kadaster are all still paying interim managers more than the €181,000 guideline maximum, according to tv current affairs show Nieuwsuur More...

Slash spending on sport and amusement, says public tv chief
The public broadcasting sector should reduce its sport and entertainment output to make sure quality is not affected by pending spending cuts, Henk Hagoort, head of the Dutch public broadcasting authority, says in an article in Tuesday’s Volkskrant. More... comments (1)

Tuesday or Wednesday? Coalition deal deadlines come and go
The three parties involved in talks on forming a new coalition government broke off their negotiations shortly before midnight on Monday and are set to pick up again on Tuesday. More...

Monday 27 September 2010

Coalition accord: tomorrow or next week?
Christian Democrat and VVD Liberal sources have told the NRC they expect to be able to present MPs with a draft coalition agreement on Tuesday. More...

Maxime Verhagen is a ‘political prostitute’
Christian Democratic party leader Maxime Verhagen is involved in ‘political prostitution’ by preparing to take part in a right-wing coalition government, according to the general secretary of the Netherlands council of churches. More... comments (7)

Highly-skilled migrants: problems at 25% of companies
Checks on 218 companies employing staff under the highly-skilled migrants’scheme last year turned up problems at 25% of them, the social affairs ministry said on Monday. More...

Young women in finance, education, earn more than men
Young women working in the finance and educational sectors now earn slightly more than men, the national statistics office CBS said on Monday. More...

Colombia asks for Dutch Farc guerilla Tanja's dental records
The Colombian authorities have asked the Netherlands to provide finger prints and dental records for Tanja Nijmeijer, the Twente student who joined the Farc rebel movement in 2002, the Telegraaf reports on Monday. More... comments (1)

The Netherlands is still major EU net payer
Despite a €1bn discount agreed in 2005, the Netherlands is still one of the biggest net payers to the EU, the Volkskrant reports on Monday. More...

Six pieces of bread and a microwave meal is not enough, say prisoners
An increasing number of people held in Dutch jails are going hungry, the Haarlem prison supervisory commission has told justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin. More... comments (6)

No new measures to combat ESBL chicken bacteria
The health ministry has no plans to take extra steps to combat the ESBL ‘chicken bacteria’ which scientists believe led to the death of an 85-year-old woman last week. More...

'Quotas for police fines are widespread'
Police forces all over the country are using informal quotas to make sure officers hand out enough fines, the Telegraaf reports on Monday, quoting a number of police sources. More... comments (3)

Public transport smart card not a hit with train users
Just 5% of rail users have moved over to the public transport smart card ticketing system, the Telegraaf reports on Monday. More... comments (8)

Investors want more answers over Crucell bid
Investors in Dutch biotech firm Crucell want more answers about the €24.75 a share offer made for the company by Johnson & Johnson earlier this month. More...

Editor of new broadcaster PowNed quits after less than one month
The editor-in-chief of brand new public broadcaster PowNed has resigned, less than a month after broadcasting started. More...

Corus, formally Hoogovens, to change its name to Tata Steel
The Anglo-Dutch steel group Corus is to change its name to Tata Steel to reflect the group’s global identity. More... comments (1)

Unilever becomes world leader in hair conditioners
Anglo-Dutch food to detergent group Unilever has made a $3.7bn cash offer for personal care products maker Alberto-Culver, the company said in a statement on Monday. More...

Sunday 26 September 2010

UN needs to become more proactive, says Balkenende
Sixty-five years after its foundation, the United Nations is in need of an overhaul to make it more relevant, prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende told the international organisation's general assembly at the weekend. More... comments (1)

D66 leader warns of risk of polarisation
D66 leader Alexander Pechtold has warned the three parties on the verge of forming a new cabinet to beware of the risk of polarisation in Dutch society. More... comments (1)

Democracy raises its head again within the PVV
PVV MP Martin Bosma is opposed to moves to increase democracy within the anti-Islam party which has no members and keeps its funding secret, he told various newspapers at the weekend. More... comments (1)

Former Labour leader Wouter Bos joins KPMG
Former Labour party leader Wouter Bos is to become a partner with KPMG and will head the constultancy group's public sector and health service division from October. More...

Ajax holds on to premier division lead
Amsterdam's Ajax held on to the top spot in the premier league this weekend with a 2-2 draw against FC Twente. More...

Saturday 25 September 2010

Pension age increase plan will not help government finances
Suggestions on how to increase the state pension age to 66 by 2020 drawn up by unions and employers earlier this year, will not have 'any significant effects' on the government's finances, the macro-economic forecasting agency CPB is quoted as saying in Saturday's Volkskrant. More... comments (3)

Liberals want to overhaul social security, end welfare benefits
Three-party talks on forming a new right-wing government are now focusing on reforming the social security system, Trouw reports on Saturday, quoting sources close to the negotiations. More... comments (4)

Rotterdam police face salary cuts for not meeting fine quota
Rotterdam police offers who do not hand out 120 fine in a year face a salary cut, the Telegraaf reports on Saturday, quoting from employment contracts. More... comments (5)

Friday 24 September 2010

Banks to face bonus policy checks
Financial institutions will soon be tested on their remuneration policies in a bid to reduce unease about bonus systems, the finance ministry said on Friday. More...

Oldest Dutchman found in road excavations
Archaeologists in Flevoland have uncovered what they believe may be the oldest human remains ever found in the Netherlands, news agency ANP reports. More... comments (1)

After 50 years, Martinair is to stop passenger services
Airline Martinair will stop making passenger flights from November next year after over 50 years of service, parent company KLM has confirmed. More...

Police use webcams and Skype to take crime reports
People living in the north and east of Gelderland province will be able to report crimes to the police using the Skype computer-based telephony service and a webcam from November 1, the Telegraaf reports. More...

Orthodox Dutch Muslims tend to be old, unemployed men
Some 12% of Dutch Muslims of Moroccan origin consider themselves to be orthodox, as do one in 20 Muslims with Turkish roots, according to research by the University of Amsterdam, published on Friday. More...

Online retail sales rise 10%
The Netherlands’online retailers booked combined turnover of €3.85bn in the first six months of this year, up 10% on a year ago. More...

Police officers cause crashes
Police cars were involved in 19,363 accidents last year, injuring 87 people and killing one, the AD reports on Friday. More... comments (1)

Ambassador regrets slur on PVV voters
Indonesia’s ambassador to the Netherlands Junus Effendi Habibie has told the Dutch foreign ministry he should not have said people who voted for the anti-Islam PVV may be ‘anxiety psychotic’, the Volkskrant reports on Friday. More... comments (4)

Public transport users lose €500,000 a month paying by smart card
Bus, tram and train passengers are failing to claim €500,000 a month back from public transport companies because they forgot the exit swipe for their public transport smart cards, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday. More... comments (3)

VVD Liberals overtake anti-Islam party in latest poll
The right-wing VVD Liberals have overtaken Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam PVV in the latest Synovate opinion poll, news agency Novum reports on Friday. More...

Right-wing cabinet deal presented next week, CPB mulling finances
The three parties involved in talks on forming a right-wing government hope to be able to present their plans next week, possibly as early as Tuesday, the Volkskrant reports on Friday, quoting sources close to the negotiations. More... comments (1)

Thursday 23 September 2010

College was lax about 'slow track' degrees
Higher education college InHolland made it too easy for long-term students at the media and entertainment faculty to graduate with a full diploma, a committee set up to investigate the claims said on Thursday. More...

De Friesland health insurer taken over by Achmea
Health insurance company De Friesland is being taken over by insurance giant Achmea from January 1 next year. More...

Fewer Rotterdam immigrants are suspected of crime
Fewer people of Moroccan and Antillean origin came under suspicion of committing crimes in Rotterdam last year, according to Erasmus University research for the city council. More... comments (1)

Indonesian ambassador 'unwise' to say PVV voters may be 'psychotic'
PVV leader Geert Wilders has urged the Dutch foreign minister to summon Indonesia’s ambassador to the Netherlands because of his ‘scandalous statements’ about the anti-Islam party and its supporters. More...

Register ethnic Roma, says mayor
Dutch local authority areas where Roma families are most concentrated should register their ethnicity, Nieuwegein mayor Cor de Vos, says in Thursday's Volkskrant. More... comments (2)

Village tries to tackle 'Lloret in Holland' reputation
The Zeeland seaside village of Renesse wants to shed its 'Lloret de Mar in Holland' reputation by moving dance cafes and clubs to outside the village centre, the Volkskrant reports on Thursday. More...

Economic growth reaches 2.2%
The Dutch economy grew by 2.2% last quarter, compared with the year earlier period, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday. More... comments (2)

Left-wing party efforts to write 'alternative budget' collapse
Much-heralded plans by the main centre-left parties in parliament to write an alternative budget for next year have collapsed after just one day, the Volkskrant claims on Thursday. More...

Over 100 abuse complaints made against youth services
The committee investigating child abuse in orphanages, care homes, foster homes and other institutions for young people has had more than 100 complaints so far, Trouw reports on Thursday. More...

DSM sets new targets, aims for 'next level'
Dutch chemicals group DSM said on Thursday it aims to boost core profit to between €1.4bn and €1.6bn by 2013, by targeting emerging markets exposure and acquisitions. More...

Bus firm must pay ex-director €2m
Bus firm Connexxion must pay its former director Peter Kortenhorst the almost €2m he is formally entitled to, a court in Utrecht ruled on Wednesday. More... comments (1)

Rail operator banned from raising executive pay
State owned rail operator ProRail has been banned by the transport minister from increasing the pay for senior executives above the €188,000 earned by the prime minister. More...

Maastricht councillors furious at football club bail out
The row over Maastricht city council's bail-out of local football club MVV has cost one council executive - Christian Democrat Luc Winants - his job. More...

Draft bill gives police the power to test drivers for drugs
The caretaker government is submitting legislation to parliament today which will give police the right to give drivers on-the-spot tests for drugs, the AD reports. More... comments (3)

Germany's WMF buys remaining stake in Princess
German group WMF has bought the 49% stake in Dutch kitchen equipment maker Princess that it did not already own, news agency ANP said on Thursday. More... comments (1)

Feyenoord out of Dutch Cup, loses to Roda on penalties
Rotterdam football club Feyenoord, currently 10th in the premier league, is out of the Dutch Cup after losing to JC Roda of Kerkrade on penalties. More...

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Nine public tv presenters earn more than the PM
Nine presenters on the three public tv channels are currently earning more than the prime minister’s €181,000, culture minister Ank van Bijsterveldt told MPs on Wednesday. More... comments (7)

Parliamentary chairwoman wants end to Twitter
Parliamentary chairwoman Gerdi Verbeek has called on MPs to stop using the microblogging service Twitter during parliamentary debates. More...

‘Feyenoord gets €10m loan from investor’
Rotterdam football club Feyenoord has been given access to a €10m loan by an unnamed investment company to ease its financial problems, website Voetbal International reports on Wednesday. . More...

Schiphol terror suspect released without charge
The British Somali man arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Sunday on terrorist charges has been released, news agency ANP reports. More...

Dutch wine remains a niche product
The Netherlands now has 87 vineyards, six more than a year ago, the national statistics office CBS said on Wednesday. More... comments (1)

Ministry knew of Abbott’s plans to shut Dutch R&D unit
The economic affairs ministry knew US pharmaceutical giant Abbott was planning to shut its R&D division in Weesp near Amsterdam and had tried to save the 510 jobs, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Wednesday. More...

Half of parking ticket complaints are justified
The Amsterdam city council traffic warden service Cition has had to process over 14,500 letters of complaint in the first six months of this year, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday. More... comments (4)

Central bank to ask IMF to review its performance
The Dutch central bank is to ask the International Monetary Fund to conduct a thorough review of its supervisory capabilities following the publication of a highly critical report earlier this year, news agency Reuters reports. More... comments (1)

Wilders angry at political tint to queen's speech
Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV, feels his party came under attack by references to the need for 'stable government' in the queen's speech, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday. More...

New blow to Dutch pharmaceuticals industry
Some 510 jobs are to go at the Abbott pharmaceuticals firm in Weesp with the abolition of the company's research department, news agency ANP reports. More... comments (1)

Football law widens its net
The new football law is being used in the four main cities against troublemakers, even if the disturbance has nothing to do with football, says Trouw on Wednesday. More...

Finance minister has done his job, but what happens now?
The cuts announced in Tuesday's budget have set the stage for the next government, according to most newspaper editorials on Wednesday. More...

KPN looks outside the company for a new CEO
Dutch telecoms company KPN is looking outside the company for a successor to CEO Ad Scheepbouwer, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Wednesday. More...

Banks must act fast says central bank chief
Dutch bank president Nout Wellink told a closed-door meeting of banking supervisors in Singapore on Tuesday that banks must move to meet tough new rules on capital as soon as possible. More... comments (2)

Prince and prime minister to address UN
Crown prince Willem-Alexander and princess Máxima have joined caretaker prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende on his trip to the United Nations in New York on Wednesday. More... comments (3)

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Budget is 'anti-modern' and a missed opportunity, says opposition
The holding budget presented by the outgoing government on Tuesday will hurt the poorest in society and make women more likely to stop work, as childcare soars in price, opposition MPs said. More... comments (3)

The main points of the budget
The government plans to cut spending by €3.2bnvy 2015 and has not introduced any new policy initiatives because of its caretaker status. Finance minister Jan Kees de Jager will debate the budget with MPs next week. More...

Budget reactions: employers pleased, unions unimpressed
Reactions to the budget from industry are divided. While employers' association VNO-NCW said the budget was 'sensible', union federations FNV and CNV are unimpressed. More...

2011 must not be a wasted year, says finance minister
The measures taken in the budget are necessary to make sure 2011 is not a forgotten year, caretaker finance minister Jan Kees de Jager said on Tuesday at the presentation of the government's new spending plans. More...

Coalition formation talks 'on target'
The €3.2bn in spending cuts announced in Tuesday's budget have been a 'big help' to the next government, VVD leader and possible prime minister Mark Rutte told Nos tv. More... comments (1)

Kalverstraat gets less expensive
The Kalverstraat in Amsterdam is 22nd on the list of the world's most expensive shopping streets, down from 17th in 2009. More...

Discrimination case dropped against cartoonist
The public prosecution department announced on Tuesday it is dropping its case against a cartoonist arrested in 2008 on discrimination charges. More... comments (1)

Fewer hats this year, as caretaker ministers show restraint
The traditional budget day display of extravagant hats by ministers and MPs was more muted this year, with members of the caretaker cabinet opting not to wear hats at all. More... comments (1)

Queen outlines importance of stable government in economic recovery
The Netherlands needs strong government to ensure it recovers strongly from the economic downturn, queen Beatrix said in her traditional budget day speech to parliament on Tuesday. More... comments (2)

Man arrested for throwing object at queen
Police in The Hague arrested a man who threw a heavy glass candle holder at the golden coach carrying queen Beatrix to parliament to make her traditional speech from the throne on Tuesday. More... comments (1)

Gouda police chief warns against repression-only approach
Cutting spending on youth social workers and other initiatives will backfire on efforts to reduce street crime, Gouda police chief Paul van Musscher says in Tuesday's Volkskrant. More...

Tearing up train timetable 'a fiasco'
A Dutch Rail (NS) experiment involving running peak period train services without a timetable threatens to turn into a fiasco, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday. More... comments (3)

House prices continue 18-month decline
House prices fell 0.4% in August, continuing an 18 month decline, the national statistics office CBS said on Tuesday. More... comments (1)

Nuon's new Swedish owner to cut costs, reorganise
Swedish state-owned energy firm Vattenfall, which bought Dutch power company Nuon last year, is to slash costs and investments in a major strategy revamp. More...

Spending on pets and gardens untouched by crisis
Dutch households spent €2.2bn on their pets and gardens in the first six months of this year, unchanged from a year ago, according to research by the GfK group. Spending on perennial plants in particular was up 9%.

New health clinic in Amsterdam to target Turkish patients
A new health clinic targeting mainly Turkish immigrants who are unhappy with or don't understand the Dutch healthcare system will open its doors in Amsterdam next month. More... comments (31)

Budget leaks: spending power will fall
The outgoing cabinet's 2011 financial plans will mean a cut in spending power for most people, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday, quoting the latest calculations from the government's CPB economic advisory unit. More...

Budget day: the terminology
Today is Prinsjesdag, the day the outgoing government presents its budget pending the appointment of a new cabinet. The day is as rich in traditions as it is in terminology. Here is a round-up of the main jargon. More...

FNV union federation to target 2% pay rise next year
The FNV trade union federation will call for a maximum 2% rise in next year's pay talks, the country's largest union grouping said on Monday evening. More... comments (1)

Monday 20 September 2010

Prinsjesdag budget presentations will have the pomp but not the policies
The Netherlands is gearing up for the traditional Prinsjesdag ceremonies on Tuesday, even though the current government is acting in a caretaker capacity and cannot introduce any controversial new policies. More...

VVD stalwart quits party over anti-Islam link up
A former defence minister for the right-wing Liberal party VVD has become the first prominent politician to quit over his party's decision to form a governing alliance with the anti-Islam PVV. More... comments (1)

Airline Transavia pulls out of Denmark
KLM's subsidiary airline Transavia is pulling out of the Danish market from April next year, citing overcapacity in the Danish market and poor ticket sales. More... comments (1)

Somali arrested at Schiphol did not have explosives
The Somali national arrested at Schiphol airport on Sunday morning on terror charges did not have any explosives with him, the public prosecution department said on Monday. More...

Afghanistan army hero faces drugs and weapons charges
A Dutch commando who was last year awarded the Netherlands' highest military honour for his work in Afghanistan, is to be charged with possession of hard drugs and supplying weapons. More... comments (2)

CNV union calls for pay rise up to 2%
The CNV trade union federation has set a 2011 pay rise target of between 1.5% and 2.5%, in line with inflation, news agency ANP reports on Monday. More...

PSV striker Jonathan Reis caught drink driving
PSV Eindhoven's Brazilian striker Jonathan Reis was stopped while driving with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood in the early hours of Sunday morning. More...

Foreign minister urged to explain cancelled visit by Israeli mayors
The foreign affairs ministry has recommended the cancellation of a trip to the Netherlands by 30 Israeli mayors because four are in charge of settlements in the occupied West Bank, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports on Monday. More... comments (10)

Food safety inspectors closed 23 kitchens in 2009
Food safety inspectors shut down 23 catering establishments and suppliers last year because they were so dirty there was a risk to public health. More...

Dutch roads among the world's safest
Dutch roads are the second safest in the world, with only Britain having marginally fewer traffic-related deaths, the Telegraaf reports on Monday, quoting figures from the International Traffic Forum. More... comments (2)

Fewer suspicious transactions reported last year
The number of suspicious financial transactions reported to the authorities more than halved last year to 164,000, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Monday. More...

Netherlands and Morocco sign treaty on criminal investigations
The Netherlands and Morocco will today sign a treaty designed at making it easier for the two countries to each other in criminal investigations. More...

'Domestic violence therapy largely useless'
Some 95% of domestic abusers go on to beat their wives [or husbands] after treatment for their behaviour, according to Amsterdam University researcher Fleur Kraanen. More... comments (1)

Disgraced Jack de Vries back on political radar
CDA spin doctor and former junior defence minister Jack de Vries is in the running to become leader of the party's parliamentary grouping, according to a number of reports on Monday. More...

More divisions emerge between coalition talks parties
One day before the outgoing government is due to present a holding budget for 2011, more divisions have emerged between the three parties in talks on forming a new cabinet. More... comments (6)

Sunday 19 September 2010

British 'terrorist suspect' is arrested at Schiphol
A British man of Somali origin was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Sunday morning on suspicion of having connections with a terrorist organisation. More... comments (1)

Friday 17 September 2010

Rotterdam calls for help housing Bulgarians
Rotterdam city council needs urgent assistance in housing hundreds of immigrants from central and eastern Europe, city council executive Hamit Karakus says in Friday’s NRC. More... comments (7)

VVD and CDA prepared to consider new Afghan mission
The VVD Liberals and Christian Democrats are prepared to consider joining a military training mission in Afghanistan, the NRC said on Friday, quoting sources close to the coalition formation talks. More... comments (3)

Johnson & Johnson bids for Dutch biotech firm Crucell
American pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson has made a €1.75bn cash offer for Dutch biotechnology firm Crucell. More... comments (3)

Healthcare pension fund considers raising premiums
Healthcare sector pension fund PZW will increase premiums for its 1.2 million participants if market conditions do not improve, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday. More... comments (4)

Budget leaks: lowest corporate tax rate to be cut to 20%
Caretaker finance minister Jan Kees de Jager is planning to permanently cut corporate taxes to boost small and medium-sized firms, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday, quoting a leaked finance ministry document. More... comments (4)

Princess Amalia gets €1 a week pocket money
Princess Amalia, 6, gets €1 a week pocket money and prefers to save it up rather than spend it, her mother princess Maxima told a school tv show. More... comments (7)

Cabinet negotiations: agreement reached on more police
The three parties in talks on forming a new right-wing government have agreed plans to boost police numbers by 3,000 and reduce the number of regional forces from 24 to 10, the Telegraaf reports on Friday. More... comments (1)

Two draws, one win for Dutch clubs in Europa League
A last minute goal from Balázs Dzsudzsák gave PSV Eindhoven a 1-1 draw against Samporia of Italy in its opening match of the Europa League group stage on Thursday night. More...

No Dutch universities in Times top 100
The highest ranked Dutch university in the Times Higher Educational's latest ranking of the world's 200 top institutes is Eindhoven University of Technology at 114. More... comments (3)

Onno Hoes to become Maastricht's new mayor
Maastricht city council has nominated VVD member and former Brabant provincial councillor Onno Hoes, 49, to become the city's new mayor. More...

Thursday 16 September 2010

TNT job cuts, fewer than expected
TNT Post will only have to sack some 4,500 postal delivery workers under its ongoing reorganisation, not 11,000 as originally feared, personnel chief Gerard Aben is quoted as saying by news agency ANP. More...

Budget leaks: Spending on culture to be cut 22%
The caretaker cabinet plans to cut spending on culture by 22% next year, as part of its plans to reduce the budget deficit, the Dagblad van het Noorden reports on Thursday, quoting from leaked government documents. More...

Banks to get more time to comply with their own banking code
A majority of MPs have decided to give banks more time to comply with their own code of conduct, rather than enshrine the code in law, news agency ANP reported on Thursday. More... comments (1)

Dutch prefer spending cuts to tax increases
The Dutch would rather the government tackle the budget deficit by reducing spending than by increasing taxes, according to research by ING economists. More... comments (2)

Cabinet negotiations to take two more weeks
Talks between the right-wing Liberals, Christian Democrats and anti-Islam PVV on forming a new government are likely to take a further two weeks, sources in The Hague have told news agency ANP. More...

America asks Dutch to send military trainers to Afghanistan
American general David Petraeus, who is in charge of his country’s troops in Afghanistan, has asked the Netherlands to contribute to training police officers and soldiers there, the NRC reports on Thursday. More... comments (3)

Driving test to include sat nav systems
All driving school cars must be fitted with satellite navigation systems so learner drivers can be taught how to use them properly, the driving licence authority and driving school association have decided. More... comments (5)

Unemployment continues to fall
The jobless total fell for the sixth month in a row in August and now stands at 414,000 people, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday. More...

Fewer new home permits granted in first six months
Local authorities gave planning approval for some 25,000 new homes in the first six months of this year, down 21% on the first half of 2009. More...

Achmea agrees compensation for high-cost policies
Financial services group Achmea has signed a deal on compensating clients who took out investment-based savings policies with very high costs, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Thursday. More...

More people in debt, unpaid bills total €5.6bn
Debt collectors are currently charged with collecting €5.6bn in unpaid bills, a 30% increase on a year ago, the Volkskrant reports on Thursday. More... comments (3)

Police spending cuts will not damage operations, says minister
There is 'no question' of the outgoing government damaging police operations by making irresponsible budget cuts, says justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, following a string of claims about spending on the police. More... comments (1)

MPs angry at fingerprint data base plan
MPs have reacted furiously to the rumour that the data bank to store millions of Dutch citizens' fingerprints is to be built by a 'commercial French company', the Volkskrant reports on Thursday. More...

Budget leaks: Royal family to pay more tax
Members of the royal family, excluding the queen and crown-prince, will be required to pay tax on their inheritances and gifts, including those from other family members, RTL news reports on Thursday. More... comments (2)

Budget leaks: fines for minor offences to go up 15%
The fines for minor offences such as not signaling while riding a bike or failing to clear up dog mess are to go up 15%, the Telegraaf reports on Thursday, quoting government sources. More... comments (12)

Ajax lose first Champions League match to Real Madrid
Amsterdam football club Ajax lost their opening match of the Champions League 2-0 away against Real Madrid. More...

More pupils go to pre-college education
The number of pupils attending schools where pupils are expected to go to university or hbo college has gone up from around 40% of the total school population to around 46% over the past 10 years, Nos tv reports on Thursday. More...

Budget leaks: deficit 3.9%, inflation 1.5% but growth forecast is down
The budget deficit will go down to 3.9% next year, below earlier estimates, RTL news said on Wednesday evening, quoting from a leaked government report. More...

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Dutch women retain European table tennis title
The Netherlands' women's table tennis team successfully defended their European title with a 3-1 win over Romania on Wednesday. More...

Traditional budget debate cancelled; a waste of time, say MPs
The traditional two-day debate with the prime minister about the government's spending plans will not be held this year, parliamentary chairwoman Gerdi Verbeet confirmed on Wednesday. More...

EU appoints Dutch diplomats to top foreign affairs jobs
Dutch diplomat Roeland van de Geer has been named the head of the EU's delegation to South Africa, considered one of the top jobs in the new EU foreign affairs set up. More...

Winter will be wet and possibly snowy
There will be a lot of snow or rain this winter because of La Nina, weather bureau MeteoVista/Weeronline said on the Telegraaf website on Wednesday. More... comments (4)

Slight increase in women in boardroom jobs
The number of women in the top levels of Dutch listed companies rose by just two last year, despite a number of initiatives to boost women executives, the NRC reports on Wednesday. More... comments (1)

American pilot arrested at Schipol for drinking
An American pilot was taken from a commercial airliner at Schiphol airport on Tuesday and arrested after a breath test showed he had alcohol in his blood, CNN reports on Wednesday. More... comments (2)

V&D's new owner plans major expansion
The new owner of the V&D department stores plans to double the number of outlets in the Netherlands and expand into other European countries, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Wednesday. More... comments (2)

Rabobank issues 100-year bonds
Cooperative bank Rabobank on Tuesday sold $350 million worth of bonds which are set to mature in 100 years. More...

More men reach the age of 100
The number of male centenarians in the Netherlands has risen for the first time in years, the national statistics office CBS said on Wednesday. More... comments (1)

Kilometre tax 'best option' to cut congestion
The introduction of a kilometre tax on motoring is the best way to combat traffic congestion according to a new report by the Dutch environment assessment agency PBL. More... comments (15)

FC Twente draws against Inter Milan in Champions League match
FC Twente forced defending champions Inter to a 2-2 draw in their opening match of this year's Champions League group stage. More...

Outgoing cabinet to slash spending on integration courses
The caretaker cabinet is planning to slash spending on compulsory integration courses as part of its plans to raise €3.2bn, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday, quoting political sources. More...

Health insurance cost should reflect unhealthy lifestyles: report
People who smoke and people with an unhealthy lifestyle should pay more for healthcare, the national health council RVZ is poised to recommend to the government, according to the Nederlands Dagblad. More... comments (25)

PVV will continue to vote against EU expansion: Wilders
The anti-Islam PVV will continue to vote against any expansion of the EU, party leader Geert Wilders said on Tuesday evening in reaction to claims his party is planning to abandon its opposition. More... comments (3)

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Supermarket withdraws stickers after Christian protests
The C1000 supermarket in Veenendaal has decided not to hand out stickers featuring supernatural characters called Dungans to shoppers with children following protests from Christian groups, news agency ANP reports on Tuesday. More... comments (9)

Train services between Haarlem, Amsterdam cancelled
Train services between Amsterdam and Haarlem have been cancelled until the early hours of Wednesday morning because of a defect in the overhead cables. More... comments (1)

Escaped pelican Groenerick won't be caught
Groenerick, the pelican who escaped during a flying display at a wildlife park this summer, has twice avoided efforts to recapture him, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday. More... comments (2)

Minister over-ruled on hospital spending cuts
Caretaker health minister Ab Klink may not cut hospital budgets by a structural €549m because they overspent their budgets by that amount last year, a court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday. More...

V&D, La Place sold to investment group Sun European
The V&D department store and La Place restaurant chains are to be sold to investment company Sun European, current owner Maxeda said in a statement on Tuesday. More...

Gouda Holland, Edam Holland to get protected status
Dutch Gouda and Edammer cheese are to be given protected status under EU rules on local products, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Tuesday, quoting a European Commission official. More... comments (2)

Wilders poised to end opposition to EU expansion: RNW
The anti-Islam PVV is to drop its opposition to EU expansion when it signs up to support a new right-wing cabinet, Dutch world service radio reports on Tuesday, quoting political sources. More... comments (2)

New cabinet not right wing, says CDA leader
The Christian Democratic party is a 'middle party' so a cabinet involving the CDA cannot be termed right wing, CDA leader Maxime Verhagen is quoted as saying by the Volkskrant on Tuesday. More... comments (2)

Philips sets growth target 2% above global economy
Electronics giant Philips wants to book annual sales growth 2% above growth in the global economy, the company said in a strategic update published on Tuesday. More...

Ajax player felled by heart attack mid match
Ajax midfielder Evander Sno, 23, is recovering in hospital after having a heart attack during a match between Vitesse/AGOVV and Ajax reserves on Monday night. More...

Opta is investigating postal delivery failings
Telecom watchdog Opta is investigating claims that TNT Post is failing to deliver mail properly in some parts of the country, news agency ANP reports. More... comments (1)

Plug pulled on €12m prison IT system
The justice ministry has pulled the plug on a new prison information system designed to keep track of who is in jail, for what crime and how long they must stay in prison, Trouw reports on Tuesday. More...

Thieme quits as animal party chairwoman, stays on as leader
Marianne Thieme has stood down as chairwoman of the animal rights party PvdD but will remain leader of the party and its two-woman grouping in parliament. More...

Shops say dna spray has deterred robbers
None of the Rotterdam shops which have installed special showers to spray would-be robbers with a synthetic dna code have been robbed since the sprays were introduced two years ago, the AD reports on Tuesday. More...

Demand for care workers set to slow
The home and nursing care services will need some 140,000 employees up to 2030, according to researchers at the government's social policy unit SCP. More...

Right-wing cabinet ready in one month, says Telegraaf
It will take about a month before a right-wing cabinet agreement has been finalised and ministers appointed, the Telegraaf claims on Tuesday, quoting sources in The Hague. More... comments (4)

Monday 13 September 2010

Woman arrested after 'foetus' found in rubbish bin
A 23-year-old woman has been arrested after telling police she was responsible for dumping what is being described as 'a foetus' in a rubbish container in The Hague. More...

Terrorism risk in Netherlands remains limited
The Netherlands is still seen as an anti-Islam country and therefore a 'legitimate target' for fundamentalist terrorist groups, the national counter-terrorism coordinator said on Monday. More...

Boy takes over driving as mum has epileptic attack
A 10-year-old boy averted a serious crash by taking over the steering wheel when his mother had an epileptic fit while driving on Sunday evening, news agency ANP reports. More... comments (1)

Exports rise for fourth month in a row
Dutch exports rose 13% in July, compared with the year-earlier period, the national statistics offi ce CBS said on Monday. More... comments (1)

Right-wing talks to resume, but other party support may be needed
Talks on forming a right-wing minority cabinet with support of the anti-Islam PVV can now restart, the queen's negotiator Herman Tjeenk Willink said on Monday afternoon. More... comments (1)

Two gymnastics golds for the Netherlands
Former world champion Yuri van Gelder made a successful return to gymnastics World Cup competition in Ghent, Belgium at the weekend, taking gold in the still rings event. More...

More children in therapy as parents look for help
The number of children receiving psychiatric help for fears, behavioural problems and depression has almost doubled in recent years, the Volkskrant reports on Monday. More... comments (3)

Gesink wins Montreal cycle Grand Prix
Dutch cyclist Robert Gesink has described his victory in this weekend's Montreal cycling Grand Prix as the 'finest victory' in his career. More...

Leeuwarden mayor wants to ban 'too strong' marijuana
Marijuana and hashish which is considered to be too strong could soon be banned in Leeuwarden, if local mayor Ferd Crone has his way, the Volkskrant reports on Monday. More... comments (12)

MPs decide to scrap traditional budget debate
MPs have decided to scrap this year's traditional two-day debate with the prime minister about the government's spending plans for 2011, the Volkskrant reports on Monday. More... comments (1)

'Post delivery in trouble in big cities as delivery staff sacked'
TNT Post is facing serious problems with its household delivery services, particularly in the big cities, the Telegraaf says in a front page splash on Monday. More... comments (11)

Cabinet negotiatior to queen Monday, right-wing talks set to resume
Cabinet negotiator Herman Tjeenk Willink is to meet the queen early on Monday morning to discuss the next stage in the cabinet formation process. More...

MPs halt Schiphol airport expansion over noise plans
MPs have halted transport ministry plans to expand Schiphol airport by refusing to back the implementation of a new noise monitoring system, the Telegraaf reports on Monday. More... comments (1)

Sunday 12 September 2010

Dutch women lose World Cup hockey final
Defending champions The Netherlands lost the World Cup women's field hockey title 3-1 to hosts Argentina on Saturday night. More...

Saturday 11 September 2010

Wilders' New York speech passes off without incident
Geert Wilder's 15 minute speech to several hundred people at a protest against plans to build an Islamic cultural centre close to Ground Zero in New York passed off without incident on Saturday. More...

World's oldest share found in Hoorn archive
A Dutch history student has unearthed what experts say is the world's oldest share, dating back to 1606, in the Hoorn town archives. More... comments (1)

Kidnapped Australian boy at centre of ground-breaking legal deal
The Dutch and Australian authorities are working on a deal which could mean the mother of of an abducted Australian boy, arrested in Amsterdam last week, could avoid jail, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. More...

Politicians wait, Wilders to address Ground Zero mosque protest
Anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders is expected to address a protest at plans to build an Islamic cultural centre two blocks from Ground Zero in New York at around 2200 hours this evening, Dutch time. More...

ING reduces art collection, donates to Assen museum
Financial services group ING has given 271 paintings from its art collection to the Drents Museum in Assen. More...

Silver for Dex Elmont at judo world championships
Dutchman Dex Elmont has taken the silver medal in the judo World Championships in the under 73 kg category. More...

Friday 10 September 2010

Turn of twitter, Opstelten urges people close to formation
Former cabinet negotiator Ivo Opstelten, who is expected to lead talks on forming a right-wing cabinet next week, has called on politicians to 'turn off twitter' and allow peace to return to the formation process. More... comments (1)

Cabinet plans to allow bonus claw backs
The outgoing cabinet has submitted draft legislation to parliament which would make it possible for financial service companies to claim back bonuses paid to senior executives. More...

Amsterdam scraps integration tests for some long-term residents
Amsterdam city council is to stop making obviously well-integrated foreigners who have lived in the capital for years take a compulsory integration course and language test, the Parool reports on Friday. More... comments (22)

Dutch women in world hockey final
Defending world champion, the Netherlands, will play Argentina in the women's hockey World Cup final on Saturday after beating England on penalties in the semis. More... comments (1)

Pension funds face shortfalls due to low interest rates
Civil services pension fund ABP, one of the biggest pension funds in the world, had a coverage ratio of 88% in August, well below the central bank's requirement of 105%. More... comments (1)

Dutch firms top sustainability rankings
Akzo Nobel and TNT are among the world's most sustainable companies, according to the latest Dow Jones sustainability index. More...

Wilders 'can say what he likes' at Ground Zero
PVV leader Geert Wilders is free to say whatever he likes during Saturday's protest at plans to build an Islamic cultural centre two blocks from Ground Zero in New York, CDA leader Maxime Verhagen said on Thursday evening. More... comments (13)

Labour ready to launch offensive against 'Wilders cabinet'
The Labour party (PvdA) has accepted it will be in opposition and is planning a major offensive against the expected right-wing government, the Telegraaf reports on Friday, quoting an internal party document. More... comments (8)

Sharp rise in addiction rates
The number of people addicted to alcohol has risen by 12,000 over the past 10 years while the number of problematic cannabis users has doubled to 8,800, national addiction monitor Ladis confirmed on Friday. More...

Police get tough on distracted drivers who eat and phone
Dutch police will today begin a massive campaign against motorists who 'get distracted' by their mobile phone, navigation system or even a sandwich while driving, the AD reports on Friday. More... comments (7)

Thursday 09 September 2010

Henk Grol takes silver at world judo championships
Henk Grol took the silver medal in the 100 kg category at the world judo championships in Tokyo on Thursday. More...

Banks and phone firms link up to back payment by mobile
The Netherlands three biggest banks and three biggest mobile operators have signed a letter of intent outlining plans to work on a system allowing people to pay for goods and services by mobile phone. More... comments (1)

Cabinet negotiator to meet right-wing party leaders again
Cabinet negotiator Herman Tjeenk Willink is to hold a new round of meetings with the leaders of the three right-wing parties, he told reporters on Thursday afternoon. More... comments (1)

Wilders court case to start October 4
The court case against MP Geert Wilders, who faces discrimination and inciting hatred charges, will begin on October 4 in Amsterdam district court. More... comments (1)

Rapper was shot in self-defence, says court
A 27-year-old man who faced 18 years in jail for shooting dead an Amsterdam rapper known as Rel will not go to prison, a court in Groningen ruled on Thursday. More...

Snatched Australian boy, 6, safe and well in Amsterdam
An Australian boy snatched by his mother in Australia two years ago has been found safe and well in Amsterdam, the public prosecution department confirmed on Thursday. More...

Hema high street chain up for sale
British investment fund Lion Capital has put the Hema retail group up for sale, less than three years after buying the high-street stalwart from the Maxeda retail group. More...

Inflation drops slightly
Inflation fell slightly to 1.5% in August, the national statistics office CBS said on Thursday. The decline was due to a 3% fall in the price of clothes and a drop in the cost of petrol, the CBS said. comments (1)

The Netherlands rises in WEF global ranking
The Netherlands has risen from 10th to eighth place in the latest edition of the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report. Holland was eighth in the 2008 rankings. More... comments (2)

Army needs two years to recover from Afghanistan, says chief
It will take the Dutch army two years to fully recover from the mission in Afghanistan commander Rob Bertholee says in Thursday's Volkskrant. More... comments (7)

Amsterdam VVD leader opposes anti-Islam link-up
Eric van der Burg, leader of the right-wing Liberal VVD in Amsterdam, is against his party forming a new government with Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV, local tv station AT5 reports. More... comments (3)

Compensate clients for rip-off policies, watchdog tells banks
The financial services authority AFM wants banks and insurance companies to compensate clients if it turns out that they have been sold products which are 'not in their interest', the Financieele Dagblad writes on Friday. More... comments (1)

ABP, other big pension funds, warn of need to cut payouts
A number of big Dutch pension funds, including civil service fund ABP and healthcare worker fund PGGM, fear they may have to cut payouts in 2012, the Financieele Dagblad reports, without quoting sources. More...

Wednesday 08 September 2010

Third coalition failure will hurt next prime minister, says queen's rep
A third failure in efforts to form a new government will hurt the the new prime minister, the queen's new negotiator Herman Tjeenk Willink warned on Tuesday. More...

Spending power under pressure
Dutch workers are starting to feel the pinch in their pockets because inflation is outstripping pay rises, the national statistics office CBS said on Wednesday. More...

Corneille to be buried in same cemetery as Van Gogh
Dutch avant-garde artist Corneille, who died last weekend in Paris, will be buried in the French town of Auvers-sur-Oise, the Volkskrant said on Wednesday. More...

Anne Frank tree parts to go to Jewish museums
The owner of the horse chestnut tree written about by Anne Frank in her World War II diary wants to distribute some of the remains to Jewish museums in Berlin, New York, Tel Aviv and Amsterdam, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday. More... comments (1)

Police 'spy' gets community service
A former policeman who passed on information from Dutch police files to the Moroccan embassy has been sentenced to 240 hours community service by a court in The Hague. More...

Dutch tanker carrying pig manure explodes in Germany
A Dutch tanker with 20 tonnes of pig manure on board has exploded in the German city of Cologne splattering a number of houses and cars, news agency ANP reports, quoting a German news site. More... comments (3)

Arrests as European piracy network shut down
Police in the Netherlands and 13 other European countries on Tuesday launched a series of raids against an online film pirating network, closing down 48 websites, according to media reports. More... comments (1)

Right wing cabinet will raise speed limit to 130 kph
A new right-wing government will raise the national speed limit to 130 kph, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday. More... comments (4)

450 asylum seekers lose amnesty permits to fraud
The immigration services has cancelled or withdrawn residency permits for 450 asylum seekers who made fraudulent applications under the 2007 amnesty, caretaker justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin has told MPs. More...

Heritage groups protest at royals' plans to demolish farms
Cultural heritage groups, including one which has queen Beatrix as its patron, have made formal protests about royal family plans to demolish two farms on their property in Wassenaar. More... comments (8)

Psychiatric prisons want to relax rules on leave
The Netherlands' 12 psychiatric prison units - tbs clinics - are planning to give some prisoners leave after as little as 18 months of treatment, the AD reports on Wednesday, quoting confidential documents. More...

The Netherlands slips past Finland in European qualifier
Two early goals from Klaas Jan Huntelaar gave the Netherlands a 2-1 victory over Finland in their second European Cup qualifier on Tuesday night. More...

Queen ignores right-wing party wishes, appoints new negotiator
Queen Beatrix has ignored the wishes of the three right-wing party leaders and appointed Herman Tjeenk Willink, deputy president of the government's most senior advisory body the Council of State, to lead a 'short intermediate' round of coalition talks. More... comments (2)

Tuesday 07 September 2010

Foreign visitors spend €4bn on trips to the Netherlands
Foreign tourists and business visitors spent €4bn on holidays in the Netherlands last year, the tourism board NBTC said on Tuesday, news agency Novum reports. More...

Coalition process a farce, says D66 leader
Attempts to form a new government in the Netherlands, three months after the general election, are turning into a farce, Alexander Pechtold, leader of the Liberal democratic party D66 told a parliamentary debate on Tuesday afternoon. More... comments (4)

Right-wing coalition back on the table as Wilders says 'I'm in'
Anti-Islam party leader Geert Wilders wants to resume talks on forming a right-wing coalition with the VVD Liberals and Christian Democrats, Nos tv reports on Tuesday. More... comments (11)

Philips sells remaining NXP stake to its UK pension fund
Philips has sold its remaining equity stake in chip maker NXP to its UK pension fund, the electronics giant announced on Tuesday. More...

Second new nuclear power station plan launched
The former shareholders of energy company Essent - a number of local and provincial councils - have told the environment ministry they are beginning procedures to build a new nuclear power station in the Netherlands, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Tuesday. More...

Dutch World Cup host cities want guarantees on finances
Councillors in the five Dutch candidate World Cup host cities are only willing to support the joint Dutch Belgian bid if the government gives a cast iron guarantee on costs, Nos tv reports. More...

Few church abuse claims can be taken to court
Most of the complaints about child abuse by Catholic officials made to the government committee investigating the scandal are too old to be prosecuted, the Nederlands Dagblad reports on Tuesday. More...

Heavy rain leads to record jams
Heavy rain led to traffic jams on the Dutch roads reaching 650 km on Tuesday morning - the highest total of the year so far. More...

Employers more cautious about workforce
Dutch employers are 'clearly more cautious' about employment prospects in the final three months of this year than they were in the third quarter, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, published on Tuesday. More...

Clinics agree to 'white only' condition on sperm donation
A Dutch neo nazi has been offering his sperm to sperm banks on the condition it only goes to a white couple, and at least two have agreed to his conditions, according to tv show Uitgesproken. More... comments (4)

Employers prefer native Dutch workers 'to avoid problems'
Employers are more likely to choose an ethnic Dutch worker over someone with a minority background because they believe they are the safest choice and less likely to cause problems, the government's socio-cultural planning office SCP says in a new report. More... comments (21)

Wilders holds the key, says Liberal leader Rutte after meeting queen
Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV, holds the key to a new attempt to form a right-wing government, Liberal leader Mark Rutte said on Monday evening. More... comments (6)

Monday 06 September 2010

Corneille, last of the Dutch Cobra founding artists, dies
Dutch painter Corneille, one of the founders of the avant-garde Cobra movement, died on Sunday at the age of 88. More...

Ab Klink quits parliament – resignation immediate
Christian Democrat MP Ab Klink, whose opposition to an alliance with the anti-Islam PVV precipitated the collapse of talks on forming a right-wing government, has resigned as an MP. More... comments (5)

Former Rotterdam port boss denies being bribed
The former head of the Rotterdam port authority on Monday denied in court that he had been bought by business man Joep van den Nieuwenhuyzen with a €1.2m bribe, the Financieele Dagblad reports. More...

Flevoland to overtake Groningen in jobless stakes
Flevoland will overtake Groningen as the province with the highest unemployment rate, according to ING economists. More...

One in four mayors victims of verbal abuse
Almost half of the Netherlands' 400 plus mayors have been victims of aggression, most commonly verbal abuse, according to research by the home affairs ministry. More...

Right-wing MPs want to deport 'violent' Antilleans
A narrow majority of MPs support sending Antilliean nationals convicted of violent crime back to the Caribbean islands, the AD reports on Monday. More...

More parents are refusing to pay child support
Ex husbands and wives are increasingly refusing to pay child support, LBIO, the government organisation brought in to mediate in alimony disputes said on Monday. More... comments (7)

'Public expects too much from banking supervision'
The Dutch public expects too much from the central bank and AFM as financial service regulators, the central bank says in a report into public attitudes to their work. More... comments (1)

Telegraaf tv stations kick off, public broadcaster revamped
Two new public broadcasting companies start operations on Monday as the five-yearly shake-up in the Dutch tv and radio system gets under way. More...

Joran van der Sloot admits 'getting back' at Holloway family
Joran van der Sloot has admitted getting money out of the family of Natalee Holloway, the American teenager who disappeared on the Caribbean island of Aruba a year ago, the Telegraaf reports on Monday. More...

Switch to pay per minute forces up mobile phone bills
The cost of making mobile phone calls has gone up 60% compared with a year ago, according to consumer tv show Kassa. More... comments (5)

Iran says Dutch officials may not visit Zahra Bahrami
Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is refusing to recognise that a Dutch Iranian woman in jail in Tehran has Dutch nationality, Nos tv reported at the weekend. More...

Queen starts new cabinet talks, three months after election (update)
Queen Beatrix began a new consultation round on Monday as efforts to put together a new cabinet for the Netherlands continue. More... comments (1)

Dutch women reach hockey World Cup semi final
The Dutch women's hockey team has reached the semi-final of the World Cup in Argentina, with an unbeaten record in their four matches so far in the group phase. More...

Saturday 04 September 2010

Dutch to be ‘main language’ in constitution
Dutch will be officially named as the Netherland’s main language in the constitution, the Volkskrant writes on Friday. More... comments (10)

Oranje beats San Marino 5-0 in European Cup qualifier
World Cup runners up Holland beat tiny San Marino 5-0 in its European Cup qualifier in Serravalle on Friday night. More...

DSB founder Scheringa to sue central bank and its chairman
Dick Scheringa, the man who founded independent bank DSB which collapsed last year, is also planning to take legal action against the Dutch central bank, the Telegraaf reports on Saturday. More...

Labour leader Job Cohen says he is ready to join a cabinet
Labour leader Job Cohen, whose party took 30 seats in the June general election compared with the VVD Liberals 31, says he is now willing to join a cabinet. More... comments (1)

What now? editorials speculate about the next coalition moves
The collapse of talks on a right wing government dominate Saturday's newspapers, with much analysis of what went wrong, and what will happen next. More... comments (10)

Right wing government talks collapse as Wilders pulls out
Talks on forming new right-wing government have collapsed after Geert Wilders pulled the plug, saying he had no confidence in the Christian Democrats. More... comments (6)

Friday 03 September 2010

Geert Wilders pulls plug on coalition talks with VVD and CDA
Geert Wilders has announced that he is pulling out of talks to form a coalition government. He said his anti-Islam PVV party will not support a Liberal (VVD)-Christian Democrat (CDA) cabinet because he no longer has confidence in the latter. More...

Radical Australian imam says Wilders is satan
A radical Australian imam has described Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders as a devil and satan in audio tape published on the Telegraaf newspaper's website. More...

Police save python from The Hague canal
Police in The Hague have fished a rare albino tiger python out of a city centre canal. They had been alerted by passersby who spotted the one metre snake in the water. More...

18-year-old arrested for shooting 'best friend'
An 18-year-old youth from Vlaardingen has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a 16-year-old boy in central Amsterdam on Thursday evening. More... comments (2)

Double dip recession irrelevant, says central bank chief
Central bank president Nout Wellink has told a press briefing on the fringes of a conference about regulation in Seoul that the risk of a double dip recession is irrelevant, news agency Dow Jones reports. More... comments (1)

Right wing party leaders meet on Friday afternoon
The leaders of the three parties involved in talks on forming a new right-wing cabinet met the queen's official negotiator Ivo Opstelten on Friday afternoon. More...

First mad cow case in over two years
Mad cow disease or BSE has been identified in a 10-year-old cow, the farm ministry confirmed on Friday. More...

Rotterdam Amsterdam high speed train still fails to pull in passengers
The high speed train service between Rotterdam and Amsterdam is still carrying an average of just 75 passengers per trip, train operator NS Hispeed is quoted as saying in Friday's AD. More... comments (11)

VVD and Wilders still considering cabinet talks restart
PVV leader Geert Wilders and the VVD Liberals' Mark Rutte are still in talks with MPs about restarting negotiations on forming a right-wing cabinet with the Christian Democrats. More... comments (1)

Housing corporations should sell 800,000 homes, say top economists
If the Dutch social housing sector is to survive, housing corporations should sell up to 800,000 of their 2.4 million homes to their tenants, according to three top economists in Friday's Financieele Dagblad. More... comments (4)

Flevo hospital is best in country, says the AD
The Flevo hospital in Almere is the best performing hospital in the country, the AD writes on Friday. More...

16-year-old shot dead in central Amsterdam
A 16-year-old boy has died in hospital after being shot several times in central Amsterdam. More...

Traffic fines set to increase 15%
The caretaker cabinet is planning to increase traffic fines by 15% as part of a package of measures to reduce the budget deficit, the Telegraaf reports on Friday, quoting sources in The Hague. More... comments (5)

Thursday 02 September 2010

The CDA is back in, but Wilders, Rutte are to discuss crisis with MPs
PVV leader Geert Wilders and VVD Liberal leader Mark Rutte said on Thursday they planned to discuss the crisis within the Christian Democrats with their own MPs before deciding whether to continue cabinet formation talks. More...

Persgroup takes no action on mismanagement case
Persgroep Nederland, the new owner of the PCM newspaper group, has decided not to take any legal action against former managers found guilty of maladministration earlier this year. More...

Father of sex abuse victim attacks suspect in court
The father of an alleged victim of a man on trial for making child pornography attacked the suspect in court in Zwolle, the Stentor newspaper reports on Thursday. More...

Real Madrid lost €68m selling Dutch players
Football club Real Madrid has lost €68m on the sale of its six Dutch players, news agency ANP reports on Thursday, quoting a Spanish paper. More...

Professors back student selection and scrapping grants
Some 75% of professors think universities should select students according to ability and aptitude and two out of three favour scrapping student grants, Elsevier magazine reports on Thursday. More... comments (4)

Merck puts Organon closures on hold pending talks on alternatives
US drug company Merck on Thursday said it had postponed the closure of some Dutch operations while talks continue on alternatives. More...

Not all hospitals meet government rules on birth pain relief
Fifteen Dutch hospitals are not in a position to guarantee pregnant women an epidural to relieve pain outside normal working hours, despite government guidelines introduced two year ago, the AD reports on Thursday. More...

Budget deficit set to fall to 3.5% next year
The budget deficit is set to fall to 3.5% next year, down from 6% this year, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Thursday, without quoting direct sources. More...

Reward money for tip-offs seldom paid out
The justice ministry has paid just four rewards for information leading to the capture of criminals, despite offering rewards 102 times since 2007. More...

Driver who killed four in crash in court
A 25-year-old man from Schiedam who killed four people when his pick-up truck rammed a car in Delfshaven in December will appear in court on Thursday afternoon. More...

CDA crisis over for now, coalition talks with PVV to continue
After two days of crisis, all 21 Christian Democrat MPs have agreed to press on with talks on forming a new coalition government with the right wing Liberals and Geert Wilders' anti-Islam PVV. More... comments (2)

Wednesday 01 September 2010

Top Irish criminal arrested in Amstelveen
An Irish national arrested in Amstelveen last week is a top criminal suspected of involvement in at least one murder, the Parool reports on Wednesday. More...

An alliance with Wilders is a no go, says CDA number two Ab Klink
The cabinet negotiations between the CDA, VVD and PVV were in tatters on Wednesday night following the publication of a letter from CDA negotiator Ab Klink saying he cannot be involved in a coalition with Geert Wilders. More... comments (3)

Two more baby bodies found in Geleen
Police have found the bodies of two more babies in the garden of a woman arrested last week on suspicion of murder, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday evening. More...

Schiphol terror suspects released on lack of evidence
Two men arrested at Schiphol airport on Monday on suspicion of involvement in terrorism have been released, the public prosecution department said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. More... comments (6)

Spurs confirm Van der Vaart signing
London football club Tottenham Hotspur confirmed on Wednesday afternoon it had signed Dutch midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart. More...

Mark van Bommel new Oranje captain
Mark van Bommel is the new captain of the Dutch football squad, replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst who hung up his boots after the World Cup. More...

Jesus saves on roof repainted red
An evangelist who painted Jesus Saves in huge white letters on the roof of his farmhouse has repainted them red in an effort to get round a local council ban. More... comments (4)

Colleges angry about sex worker advert
A number of Dutch colleges and universities are angry about a guide for new students which includes a page-sized advert urging them to sign up to become telephone and webcam sex workers. More...

Big accountants are not doing their job properly, says AFM
The quality of external audits by the big four accountants offices in the Netherlands must be fundamentally improved, according to the financial services sector watchdog AFM. More...

CDA meeting adjourned - Update
Just 30 minutes after the resumption of their crisis talks on the coalition negotiations, Christian Democrat MPs again adjourned their discussion, according to press reports on Wednesday afternoon. Party leader Maxime Verhagen told the press talks would now continue with individual MPs on whether or not to continue negotiating with the anti-Islam PVV. More...

Schiphol terror suspect investigation continues
The investigation into two men from Yemen, arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Monday, is continuing on Wednesday, a spokesman for the public prosecution department told news agency ANP. More...

Union pay demand set to top inflation
The FNV general workers union is set to demand a 2011 pay rise above the rate of inflation, chairman Henk van der Kolk says in the Telegraaf on Wednesday. More...

Three buyers emerge for V&D department stores
Three buyers have emerged for the 62-strong V&D department store chain and 122 La Place restaurants which are being sold by the Maxeda retail group, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Wednesday. More...

Groningen liquid gas project cancelled
Plans to build a liquid gas terminal in Eemshaven, Groningen, have been abandoned because the plan is not profitable, Nos tv reports on Wednesday. More...

Anti-hooligan law comes into force
New legislation aimed at giving mayors greater powers to deal with football hooligans and other troublemakers comes into force on Wednesday. More...

Stamps to cost more
TNT Post announced on Wednesday that the cost of a stamp will increase by 2 cents from 2011. More... comments (3)

AkzoNobel to supply Walmart with paint
Coatings and chemicals company AkzoNobel announced on Wednesday it is to become the primary paint supplier for the American company Walmart, the world's largest chain of discount department stores. More...

Man dies after being hit by falling tree
A 44-year-old man from Groningen, hit by a falling tree in last week's storm, has died of his injuries in hospital, the Telegraaf reports. More...

CDA meeting continues Wednesday, coalition talks in crisis
Christian Democrat MPs are to continue their crucial discusssions about the coalition talks on Wednesday after failing to reach agreement after seven hours of debate on Tuesday. More... comments (1)