Amsterdam (dpa) - The Dutch economy will not grow, and may even shrink
in 2009, the director of the Dutch central bank DNB told journalists on
Friday.

"Depending on the level and speed of economic recovery, we will
have to assume a zero growth rate for 2009 or, possibly, a slight
minus," said Henk Brouwer, adding that he also expects limited growth
for 2010.

"The effects of the credit crisis on the real economy are now becoming visible," Brouwer said.

He added that continued problems in real estate markets in the US, Britain and Spain would have an impact on the Dutch economy.

Brouwer also said that the restructuring of the financial sector

Amsterdam - The right-wing leader of Holland's Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, on Friday slammed the upcoming appointment of Moroccan Ahmed Aboutaleb as mayor of Rotterdam.

"Appointing a Moroccan as mayor of the second largest Dutch city is just as ridiculous as appointing a Dutchman as mayor of Mecca," he said.

Instead, Wilders said, Aboutaleb "should become mayor of Rabat in Morocco."

"With him as mayor, Rotterdam will be Rabat on the banks of the river Maas. Soon we may even have an imam serving as arch bishop. This is madness."

On Friday the city council of Rotterdam determined Moroccan-born Muslim Ahmed Aboutaleb will be mayor from January 1.

Amsterdam - Rotterdam, the second largest Dutch city, will have a Moroccan-born Muslim mayor from January 1, as Ahmed Aboutaleb was presented Friday as future mayor by the city council.

The government still has to approve 47-year-old Aboutaleb's appointment, but this is considered a formality.

The Labour politician is the first mayor to be born and raised outside the Netherlands. He is also the first Muslim to become a mayor in the Netherlands.

Aboutaleb was born in Morocco and migrated to the Netherlands at the age of 14. He is currently deputy minister of social affairs, and before served as an alderman in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam  - The negative mood on the Amsterdam stock exchange persisted on Wednesday, with the main index AEX at 266 points, down 6 per cent, by mid-afternoon.

All but two companies - publisher Reed Elsevier and supermarket multinational Royal Ahold - trading at the AEX saw their share value fall.

Navigation software manufacturer TomTom dropped most (down 15.30 per cent), followed by construction giants Arcellor Mittal (down 10.94 per cent) and Royal BAM group (down 10.57 per cent).

Amsterdam - The negative mood on the Amsterdam stock exchange persisted on Wednesday. By 13:30 pm (1130 GMT) the main index AEX stood at 273.97 points (down 3.70 per cent).

Amsterdam - Fortis will disappear as a brand name from the Netherlands, the chairman of the bank's board told Dutch BNR News Radio on Tuesday.

"We will have to let go of the brand name Fortis", Jan van Rutte told the broadcaster, noting the name now has a negative association, which might affect the bank adversely.

Van Rutte did not say whether Fortis will continue under the name of ABN Amro.

Two weeks ago the Dutch government nationalized Fortis Netherlands in a joint action with the Belgian government and French bank BNP Paribas in order to prevent Fortis' collapse.