Netherlands

Dutch politicians, unions, employee groups agree on economic plan

Dutch politicians, unions, employee groups agree on economic plan Amsterdam - Dutch labour unions, employee organisations and government coalition parties began deliberations Wednesday to decide if they will support a 6-billion-euro (8.10-million-dollar) government proposal designed to bolster the economy.

If each group lends its support to the plan, the government is expected to release details later Wednesday. Support from the government's so-called social partners is key to winning broader backing for the plan.

Dutch journalists arrested in Indonesia

Dutch journalists arrested in IndonesiaAmsterdam - Four Dutch journalists have been arrested in the Indonesian province of Papua, Dutch news wire ANP reported Tuesday.

The four were arrested in the city of Jayapura while reporting on a rally calling for Papua's independence.

Dutch international radio Wereldomroep confirmed that the incident involved three of its freelancers and a correspondent for the leading Dutch daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad.

Indonesian authorities said the Dutch had been arrested for allegedly violating local immigration laws and filming without permission.

Dutch may raise legal age of retirement age to 67

Dutch may raise legal age of retirement age to 67 Amsterdam - The Netherlands may raise the legal age of retirement from 65 to 67, anonymous government sources told the media on Tuesday as politicians continued talks on special measures to stimulate the economy.

The measure would be one of several proposed by the government in an attempt to free money needed to invest in the Dutch economy to fight the ongoing crisis.

The government coalition parties Christian Democrats, Labour and Christian Union have for more than three weeks been discussing special measures to stimulate the economy.

Website posts fake apologies on behalf of bankers, politicians

Amsterdam - Bank account holders who feel let down by their account managers can now turn to a Dutch website to get a belated - but also fake - apology from top financial managers and politicians.

Dutch creative web design company Category 1, the initiator of the frivolous website www. shootabanker. com, says that too many bankers who contributed to the global financial crisis have not even bothered to apologize to their customers.

"The public should have heard more of an apology," said Jonne Kuyt of Category 1, based in the central Netherlands city of Utrecht. "People are very disappointed."

Website visitors fill out their name and e-mail address and the name of the person they want an apology from.

Hague tribunal cuts sentence on Bosnian Serb war criminal

Hague tribunal cuts sentence on Bosnian Serb war criminal The Hague - The appeal chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Tuesday cut the jail sentence for convicted Bosnian Serb war criminal Momcilo Krajisnik.

Krajisnik was convicted in 2006 of various charges of persecution, extermination, murder, deportation and the forced transfer of non- Serb civilians from Bosnia during the
1992-95 conflict, and sentenced to 27 years in jail.

That was cut to 20 years on Tuesday by the ICTY appeals chamber.

Ex-Dutchbat soldier immigrates to Srebrenica to give locals "self- confidence"

Ex-Dutchbat soldier immigrates to Srebrenica to give locals "self- confidence" Amsterdam  - A former member of the Dutch UN peacekeeping battalion Dutchbat that was stationed in 1995 in the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica plans to move to the Bosnian city permanently this summer with his family.

Speaking late Monday on a Dutch television show, Rob Zomer said he wanted to move to Srebrenica because of its beautiful nature and "to boost the local population's self-confidence."

His wife, who also appeared on the show, said she found Srebrenica "a most peaceful environment."

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