Amsterdam - A Dutch-Danish proposal to deploy European Union observers at the Egypt-Gaza Strip border has been received positively, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told parliament Friday.

Verhagen said in a letter to the parliament that the EU, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the US welcomed the proposal aimed at preventing arms-smuggling from Egypt to Hamas factions. Iran and Hamas had not responded to the proposal, he said.

Amsterdam - As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. There, many are hoping for further frigid conditions.

It's been more than 10 years since the last Elfstedentocht, an ice-skating race across 11 cities in Friesland in northwestern Netherlands.

According to Harry Geurts of the Dutch Meteorological Institute KNMI, temperatures need to be at least minus 10 degrees Celsius at night "for several weeks" before the entire 200-kilometre-track will be sufficiently frozen to hold the race's 16,000 skaters.

Early on Tuesday the temperature dropped to minus 18 degrees Celsius in some parts of the Netherlands, marking the second week of extreme frost in the country.

Amsterdam - Moroccan-Dutch politician Ahmed Aboutaleb was sworn in on Monday as mayor of Rotterdam, the second largest city of the Netherlands.

The 47-year-old Labour politician is the first mayor of a Dutch city to be born and raised outside the Netherlands. He is also the first Muslim to become a mayor in the Netherlands.

Some 45 per cent of Rotterdam's half a million citizens were born outside the Netherlands or have foreign-born parents.

The city suffers from a broad range of socio-economic problems. Crime involving the migrant community is an ongoing issue that causes tension with Dutch-born citizens.

Amsterdam  - A Belgian baby bought over the internet by a young Dutch couple in July has been handed over to Belgian authorities, the Dutch child protection service said Wednesday.

On November 27, a Dutch family court ruled that baby Jayden, as the now five-month-old child is known in the media, should be placed in foster care under Dutch state custody.

The court said the sale violated international adoption laws.

Baby Jayden was transferred from the Dutch couple to foster care in late November under the temporary custody ruling.

The Dutch child protection service and the Justice Ministry said in a joint statement that temporary custody would not be renewed because the child has a better future in his native Belgium.

Amsterdam  - Dutch Chief of Staff Peter van Uhm on Friday confirmed the death of a Dutch soldier in Afghanistan earlier on Friday.

Van Uhm said 24-year-old Sergeant Mark Weijdt probably stepped on a roadside bomb during a confrontation with Taliban fighters.

Another soldier sustained mild injuries.

The soldier was the 18th Dutch soldier to die in Afghanistan since the start of the Dutch mission.

A total of 1,200 Dutch troops have been stationed in Afghanistan as part of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF).

Amsterdam - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende says he would consider a possible US request for a new Dutch contribution to the International Security and Assistance Forces (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

Speaking in a late night Dutch television show on Thursday, Balkenende said US president-elect Barack Obama's advisors have given indications the US might ask the Dutch to maintain their military presence in Afghanistan after the current Dutch mission ends in August 2010.

Obama has already indicated on several occasions he will send more US troops to Afghanistan.

It is widely expected the US is going to request the European Union countries to strengthen their participation in ISAF as well.