Amsterdam - The Dutch Authority for the safety of food and consumer products (VWA) on Tuesday said between 20 and 50 per cent of Asian electronics on sale for low prices in the Netherlands are uns

Amsterdam - Profit for the Dutch electronic company Philips was higher than expected in the second quarter of 2008, the company announced on Monday.
Total profit before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA) amounted to 413 million euros (656.85 million dollars), higher than the 368 million euros (616.66 million dollars) analysts had forecast.
Primarily responsible for the good results was the lights division. Company results of Philips Lighting amounted to 202 million euros (321 million dollars), which is 40 million euros (63.59 million dollars) more than in the same quarter in 2007.
The good results were partly caused by American lights manufacturer Genlyte, which Philips took over last year.

Amsterdam - Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said on Thursday he was "extraordinarily excited" about the liberation of French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages by the Colombi

Amsterdam - The city of Amsterdam and the Dutch government plan to commemorate on Monday and Tuesday the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands 145 years ago.

Between 2,000 and 3,000 people were expected to attend the ceremony in Amsterdam on Monday.

On Tuesday, several thousand were expected to attend the national commemoration ceremony where Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende were also due to be present.

It is the first formal commemoration of the Dutch slavery epoch, that lasted until 1864 during the royal Dutch empire.

At the time the Dutch empire included, among others, the colonies of Surinam and the Antilles.

Amsterdam  - Amsterdam City Council voted in favour of a bill Friday to ban polluting cars like sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from entering the old city centre.

The opposition parties criticized the bill, which it called an "antisocial car plan, instead of a plan to improve the air quality in Amsterdam."

In several parts of Amsterdam city centre the air quality is below the acceptable level. Local politicians have been looking for ways to reduce car traffic.

By prohibiting polluting cars from entering the city, the air quality must improve within the next two years, the councillors said.

Amsterdam  - Dutch nationals and tourists visiting Amsterdam were warned that travel times in the Amsterdam metropolitan area would lengthen as maintenance is carried out this summer, a municipal spokesman told Dutch media Thursday.

The city is using the summertime, when traffic lessens, to execute multiple maintenance projects in and around the city, causing delays for people travelling by car or public transportation, he said.

On Friday, the IJ tunnel on Amsterdam's northbound ring road is to partially close until August 25 for maintenance.

The east-west road near the Central Station, which is undergoing a massive expansion and is not to be finished until 2011, is to also be closed for the summer.