Morning newspapers - 2 October 2007 02/10/2007 00:00

There was much attention in the papers for the return of Ayaan Hirsi Ali: "Unprotected Ayaan back in the Netherlands" (AD), "Ayaan returns safely" (De Telegraaf), "Hirsi Ali goes into hiding in the Netherlands" (de Volkskrant). With her return the political debate on who should pay for her protection has flared up once again, Trouw writes. The AD points out that a long stay in the Netherlands could jeopardise Hirsi Ali's US residence permit.

Work outings are more fun and exciting these days, but it is difficult to guarantee safety and insure these adventurous activities, Bert van der Stoep of the Association of Outdoor Sport Businesses of the Netherlands says in the AD. Two Kruidvat workers were killed during an outing this past weekend. Lawyer Jan Willem Koeleman says someone from the organisation should have gone along on the outing. "In daily life these girls stand behind a till. You have to take that into account."

The NS timetable should be incorporated into the TomTom navigation system. The Dutch Railways and TomTom are discussing this possibility, the Nederlands Dagblad and the AD report. President director of the NS Aad Veenman says it is a logical development. "You can drive to a train station when you see that traffic ahead of you is at a standstill. TomTom can then tell you what time you will arrive at your destination if you take the train. An integrated system."

Various newspapers report on the launch of the new television station Het Gesprek on Tuesday evening. The channel is devoted entirely to interviews. "We are taking a risk and we don't know how it will turn out," one of the people behind the new station, Derk Sauer, says in the Volkskrant. "When CNN started the whole world also shrugged its shoulders at a news channel, now we cannot imagine there not being CNN."

De Telegraaf reports on a new medication for patients with rheumatism. Abatacept reportedly puts a brake on the disease and stops it from further affecting the joints. It is primarily intended for patients who no longer respond to the medications already on the market.

The Volkskrant publishes a profile of the new PvdA chairperson Lilianne Ploumen. She is depicted as "a little woman who will be friendly and pleasant to the politicians and won't cause them any problems," says Marjan Sax of financing foundation Mama Cash. "Ha ha, that is underestimating her considerably." Sax describes a talk that Ploumen gave at the presentation of the Joke Smit Prize to Mama Cash, of which Ploumen was co-director at the time. In her acceptance speech she showed no mercy for any part of the emancipation policy of minister at the time Ad Melkert.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news