Once the perogative of Don Quixote, it is now the pastime of Dutch politicians. Especially when Islam is the subject of discussion. In an interview with Vrij Nederland today justice minister Piet Hein Donner says that Sharia law could be introduced in the Netherlands if there was a two-thirds majority in favour. Because that is how democracy works, said the deeply religious minister. More >
For years governments have been trying to get more students – and girls in particular – to take up science at university. But judging by today’s OECD figures, their efforts are having little effect. More >
Dutch politicians and media are still falling over themselves to express their shock and outrage at being ‘lied to’ following Bush’s admission that the Americans had indeed kept terrorist suspects locked up in secret detention centres outside the US. More >
It is not often that one feels sympathy for the Dutch energy companies – what with their never-ending cries of ‘unfair’ and ‘help, the Europeans are coming (to take us over)’ while they knock up profits that would have many companies in the real world laughing all the way to the Bahamas (Nuon reported last month that its net income for the first six months was up 70%…). More >
It looks very much as if the forthcoming debate on the Schiphol detention centre fire is going to get nasty. Various newspapers this morning said the cabinet totally disagrees with the preliminary report’s findings which claims all sorts of fire regulations were broken at the centre where 11 people last year. More >
So you come back from holiday and you check your mobile phone bill and it seems to be a bit high. So you download a detailed bill and discover you have apparently spent €33 on sending data to an unknown fax (with a 06 number) in the Netherlands. You’ve called this number 15 times, several times on one day. Strange how the number does not appear in your phone’s memory… but there you go. More >
