Amsterdam - Patrons visiting one of the Netherlands' red- light districts may soon find themselves on camera.

One by one, authorities in cities across the country are stepping up their efforts to regulate, scrutinize and generally clean up the country's sex business.

This week the mayors of the cities of Alkmaar and Utrecht followed moves by Amsterdam in 2007 to toughen regulation and reduce the ability of the sex trade to act as cover for and cause of other illegal activities.

Authorities have cited drug-dealing, money-laundering and the trafficking of women as crimes that are to be targeted.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance of sex districts is just one method that has been proposed.

Amsterdam - A "substantial" earthquake was felt in the north-eastern Dutch province of Groningen, the Dutch weather research centre KNMI said Thursday.

The spokesman for the KNMI, located in De Bilt in the central Netherlands, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa it was a "relatively substantial" earthquake "approaching 3.5 on the Richter scale."

The KNMI could not yet confirm the exact size of the quake.

Amsterdam - The share value of Dutch insurer Aegon dropped sharply on Tuesday to 2.92 euros (3.63 dollars), down 13.73 per cent, just before closing time.

Amsterdam - The share value of Dutch insurer Aegon increased by more than 6 per cent at the opening of the Dutch stock exchange on Tuesday.

Traders were responding to a statement released by Aegon and the Dutch Finance Ministry shortly before trading began that the company would receive 3 billion euros (3.7 billion dollars) in support from the Dutch state.

In exchange, the Dutch state receives Aegon shares at a value of 4 euros per share, above the 3.38 euros Aegon was worth at closing time on Monday.

The Dutch state is to receive 8.5 per cent interest on its investment and will also appoint two people to Aegon's board.

Amsterdam -Stocks on the Amsterdam exchange dropped dramatically Friday. By noon local time (1000 GMT) the main AEX index stood at 234 points, down 9.25 per cent on the day.

Shares of bank and insurance company ING Group, which on Sunday received 10 billion euros (12.87 billion euros) in government aid in exchange for securities, dropped the most, 14.38 per cent.

Steel manufacturer Arcelor Mittal was not far behind, down 12.96 per cent.

Similar negative developments could be seen in Amsterdam in shares across all economic sectors - from banking and insurance to electronics and construction.

Employment agency USG People dropped 12.55 per cent, while oil company Royal Dutch Shell dropped 11.85 percent.

Amsterdam- The reserves of Dutch pension funds have dropped dramatically due to investment losses in the ongoing financial crisis, Dutch media reported on Thursday.

The "cover factor" of many funds (a percentage that determines to what extent the funds can meet their obligations to pay pensions) have dropped dramatically in the third quarter of 2008.

Funds are required by law to hold in reserve a minimum of 125 per cent of obligations.