Dutch news in brief, 4 September 2006 04/09/2006 00:00

Clergyman arrested over bomb threat

A 63-year-old clergyman has been arrested in Gelderland Province on suspicion of making a bogus bomb warning. He allegedly rang the police in Amsterdam to say a bomb was set to detonate in the Dutch capital. It was a false alarm and the police quickly tracked down the caller. The clergyman is in custody.

Ambulance crew threatened in Duiven

An ambulance crew were threatened in Duiven near Arnhem on Sunday night in the latest incident of aggression against the emergency services. A 40-year-old man was arrested. The crew came to the house after the suspect's wife became ill. The ambulance crew examined her and decided she did not require hospitalisation. The man and several neighbours became angry and blocked the crew from leaving. They were released after the police arrived.

Penalties cost IND thousands

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) annually pays between EUR 300,000 to EUR 400,000 in penalties to newcomers who have waited too long for a decision on their residence permit applications, newspaper 'NRC Handelsblad' reported.

Dutch nibble at healthier eating

Dutch people are eating more healthily. Fast-food outlets are being ignored, while the three-meals-a-day rule is being more closely adhered to, according to research by the Q&A bureau. The researchers found 21 percent of the respondents never visited a snack bar, compared with 4 percent in 2004. The number of people who visit a snack bar once a week fell from 17 to 14 percent during this period.

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Subject: Dutch news