Sun, 22 November 2009
Some 450 pre-Columbian pieces in Quai Branly museum.
Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
Basil Howitt on criminal investigations in the coastal resorts.
Useful information on renting accommodation in Paris.
Relocating can have a big impact on your relationship.
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The Dutch government has vowed to clamp down on Islamic extremists following the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. But what is the nature of the threat?Until a few years ago, Dutch spooks operated under the banner of the Internal Security Service (abbreviated to BVD in Dutch).
The shadow of the gun has settled over the Netherlands.
Local and foreign communists, leftist politicians and anyone else suspected of opposing the status quo, was shadowed and bugged by the BVD during the decades of the Cold War. 
Suddenly, the collapse of Russian Communism put a question mark over the BVD's future. Was it needed now that the threat from Moscow had faded away?
Re-branded as the AIVD, or General Intelligence and Security Service in English, the organisation seemed bereft of enemies of the state.
September 11 in the US and more recently the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam on 2 November has changed all that. The focus is now firmly on "Islamic terror".
Armed with the promise of "several tens of millions of euros" in increased funding, the AIVD has been given new orders in direct response to the brutal assassination of Van Gogh. The organisation has been tasked with tightening surveillance on suspected "extremists" and preventing future attacks.
With 150 Muslims currently on its list of suspect characters, AIVD spokesman Vincent van Steen was unable to confirm how many more will be added. "It depends on the risk these people pose to us," he said.
At any rate, the AIVD will recruit several hundred people and expand its surveillance net to include people moving in close proximity to anyone considered a prime suspect of carrying out an attack.
Siege
Van Steen's statement is directly linked to the 26-year-old Dutch-Moroccan, Mohammed B., who was arrested for the brutal shooting and stabbing of Van Gogh in Amsterdam on 2 November.
Our expert Steven Grover delves into the murky waters of French healthcare for expats and asks how recent changes affect them?
Tax and estate planning figure prominently in the list of priorities of many financially secure expatriate residents of France.
From Gaelic clubs to Canadian Alumni organisations, there is bound to be an English-speaking club for you in France.
This is what you need to consider when making an early choice between purchasing or renting accommodation in France.
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