Margreeth De Boer, who chaired the investigation into the construction failures at the Bos en Lommer shopping centre, says she was ‘shocked’ by the disregard for human safety shown by those involved in the project. She shouldn’t be. More >
Reality is sometimes stranger than fiction. Certainly if the reality is the high security prison in Vught. The media is awash today with stories about how Willem Holleeder, who is awaiting trial on charges of extortion and ordering gangland killings, managed to give an interview to the Telegraaf and a tv programme without the knowledge (let alone permission) of the prison authorities. More >
Big, big important news from the prime minister’s office late yesterday: apparently the government has managed to cut the amount it spends on communicating with the general public by €6m a year – while at the same time improving the quality of communication. More >
Who better than to help you launder your illegally-gotten gains than someone who used to be out to catch you at it? Today’s Volkskrant carries an interview with Ton Apeldoorn, an ex-tax office investigator who has set up his own company to help people clean up their illicit finances. More >
The Netherlands never ceases to amaze in the way it manages to find solutions for the strangest of problems. Until today, Sidelines had no clue that there were some 11,000 people in the country who refuse to pay towards state-run insurance schemes because they believe so passionately that God will provide. More >
Today’s Volkskrant has answers for anyone who wondered why the AEX blue chip stock market index has done so well and tipped 500 points. More >
The Volkskrant publishes four graphic photos of the last moments of Saddam Hussein on its front page. The amateur video of his death is prominently displayed on the paper’s website, complete with the warning that it contains shocking images. More >
The Telegraaf this morning has a long list of all the legal changes that came into effect yesterday. We will all have to spend more this year because of increases in child, unemployment and invalidity benefit payments plus higher pensions. More >
Amsterdam’s Parool carried an intriguing story yesterday claiming that Queen Beatrix had intervened directly in the current cabinet formation process. More >
Holland’s international reputation for tolerance has taken another knock, says today’s Volkskrant. The paper reports that only one Dutch company fares well in a survey to establish how gay-friendly America’s top 500 firms are. And it’s the US subsidiary of Dutch bank insurer ING that can hang out the pink flag in Atlanta. More >
