Amsterdam Subway Leakage Worse than Thought

The leakage problems in the walls of the Amsterdam subway are greater than originally thought. They affect not only the upper layer of sand but also the lower ones. More buildings are sinking. Among these is the 17th century building which houses the French consulate.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/1084/Home-AMSTERDAM-Dossier-Noord-Zuidlijn/index.dhtml

Schools Rot and Stink

Three-quarters of the elementary and secondary schools have very poor air quality. In 43% maintenance is inadequate. In an investigation of 600 schools it was found that some schools where uric acid has permeated the floors and there is always a bad smell in the school. In many schools facilities for the handicapped are lacking.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/article3404575.ece?cid=rss

Parliament Criticizes Itself

Parliament thinks that it is guided too much by incidents reported in newspapers and on television as well as the government’s agenda. Many members of Parliament feel that they are hostages of government bureaucracy. The Parliamentarians agree on the problems, but not on the solutions. This is reported in a document prepared by the deputy chairmen of eight of the eleven factions.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/nederland/article2048778.ece/Kamer_bekritiseert_zichzelf.html

Major Economic Loss due to Environmental Tax

Due to the Dutch environmental tax which has been imposed on air travel, 900,000 passengers have flown out from German and Belgian airports rather than Dutch ones. This was announced by KLM director Peter Hartman. Because of this the Dutch economy has lost 1.2 billion Euro in general sales. The government has collected about 250-300 million Euros from the tax. A spokesman for the Dutch employers’ organization – VNO-NCW – says that the tax is nonsensical and will impact negatively on employment.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/3384019/___Vliegtaks_kostte_veel_reizigers___.html

Bosnian Serbs Bring Court Case Against Netherlands and UN

Bosnian Serbs have brought a case to court in the Netherlands against the country and the United Nations. They claim that Dutch UN soldiers did not provide sufficient protection for Bosnian Serbs in Srebrenica during the 1992-95. The leader of the Serbian foundation Srebrenica Historical Project says that about a thousand Serbs were killed or went missing while the Dutch were supposedly protecting the enclave. www.trouw.nl/nieuws/wereld/article2045189.ece/Bosnische_Serviers_klagen_Nederland_en_VN_aan.html

More Intense Violence by Animal Activists

The government has developed a new plan to combat the extremism of animal activists. Police and the justice department will have to deal more harshly with them. While the number of incidents did not increase in the last year, they were more violent. There were 24 cases of vandalism, 17 incidents of people being threatened or attacked and three cases of arson. A special police team will be formed to deal with this problem.
www.trouw.nl/nieuws/politiek/article2045160.ece/Kabinet__harde_aanpak_dierenrechtenactivisten.html

One-Quarter of Dutchmen Considering Emigration

According to Frans van Houten, the organizer of the emigration fair, more than a quarter of Dutchmen are considering leaving the country permanently. The fair drew 40% more visitors this year than last year.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/3383281/___Ruim_kwart_overweegt_emigratie___.html