Netherlands

Netherlands computer gaming sales leap

game_consolesAmsterdam- Sales of computer game consoles and other gaming hardware in the Netherlands have jumped dramatically in 2008, the umbrella organisation for the Dutch entertainment industry for audio, video and interactive products NVPI said on Monday.

Releasing its 6-month results, the NVPI said the sale of game consoles increased by 39 per cent in the first half of 2008, reaching a turnover of 115.2 million euros (164.4 million dollars).

Accompanying hardware sales increased by 62 per cent, amounting to a turnover of 118 million euros (168.4 million dollars).

Dutch stocks rise sharply after US mortgage lender bailout

Amsterdam - The main index of the Dutch stock exchange AEX rose sharply on Monday following the US government's bail-out of American largest mortgage banks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Sunday.

By 10:23 am (8:23 AM GMT) the AEX had risen by 3.89 per cent, with the financial funds gaining most.

Belgian-Dutch bank and insurance company Fortis rose 8.65 per cent and stood at 9.907 euros.

Insurer Aegon stood at 8.525 euros, up by 7.68 per cent, followed by ING Bank which rose by 7.64 per cent. Employment agency Randstad came in fourth, with shares rising 7.02 per cent.

Dutch-British food company Unilever was the only one to drop, down by 0.10 per cent.

Netherlands urged to invest billions to tackle climate change

NetherlandsThe Hague - Threats posed by global warming to large parts of the Dutch coastline and river plains are more serious than estimated and countermeasures requiring billions of euros are needed, an expert group warned Wednesday.

The findings were contained in a long-term study by the Delta Commission set up by the Dutch government under the leadership of Cees Veerman, a former agriculture minister.

Sea levels are rising even quicker than feared, Veerman said when he handed over the study to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende.

Dutch church tower that leans more than leaning Tower of Pisa!

London, Aug 29 : A 12th-century church tower in the Dutch town of Bedum is challenging the Tower of Pisa as Europe’s ‘most steeply leaning tower’.

Dutch elderly retain right of resuscitation, says health inspection

Amsterdam - Dutch homes for elderly should not implement a non-resuscitation policy for its residents who suffer cardiac arrest, the Dutch Health Care Inspection IGZ said in a statement to the press on Friday.

The IGZ also released its preliminary findings about the decision last week by of the St. Pieters en Bloklands Home in the city of Amersfoort, not to resuscitate its residents unless they had filled out a special form requesting resuscitation.

The IGZ said the home had acted properly in evaluating its resuscitation policy, but had not provided accurate information to its residents about the consequences of resuscitation.

New judge to preside over Karadzic trial

The Hague  - The trial against former Serbian leader Radovan Karadzic will be presided over by a new judge, the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) located in The Hague said on Thursday.

In a press statement ICTY president Judge Fausto Pocar said the trial was originally assigned to trial chamber one because of its assumed connection with the proceedings against Momcilo Perisic, one of the most senior generals under late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic.

The prosecution had originally planned to combine the two cases, the ICTY said, which justified the cases being brought before the same chamber.

Pages