Dutch news in brief, 14 October 2004

Liz Taylor in Van Gogh legal wrangle

The heirs of a German Jewish woman who fled the Nazis in the late 1930s are suing screen legend Elizabeth Taylor for the return of a Vincent van Gogh painting they say belongs to their family. The South African and Canadian descendants of the original owner say the actress should have known when she bought the painting for USD 257,600 in 1963 that it had been stolen by the Nazis. The suit was filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday after the 72-year-old movie legend filed court papers in May seeking to be declared the rightful owner of the “View of the Asylum and Chapel at Saint-Remy” painted in 1889 by the Dutch master.

Maxima nominated for ‘dumb fur’ award

Princess Maxima, the Argentinean-born wife of Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander, has been nominated for the “dumb fur” award. Bont voor Dieren — an organisation that campaigns against the use of fur in the fashion industry — nominates 10 Dutch celebrities every year for the ignominious distinction. The nominees are singled out for wearing fur or saying “dumb things” on the subject. The organisation said people such as Maxima and other celebrities should be role models and not support the commercial fur industry.

Van Nistelrooy slots two past Finland

Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy stilled Dutch jitters on Wednesday when he scored twice in the 3-1 win against Finland in their World Cup qualifier. The Finnish took the fight to the Dutch and scored within 14 minutes of the start. In the 40th minute, Wesley Sneijder levelled for the Netherlands and Van Nistelrooy scored shortly after. He put the match beyond doubt with his second goal in the 63rd minute.

Oudkerk ‘affair’ hits Dutch porn sites

Dutch porn pay websites have suffered a significant drop in viewers in the past year, it was reported Thursday. Newspaper Algemeen Dagblad said there had also been a decline in the number of people viewing porn from their office computer. The drop in viewers was noted by magazine Dif. It said one of the main reasons was the publicity surrounding the revelations former Amsterdam Alderman Rob Oudkerk used his work computer to access porn sites and hookers.nl — a site in which men who visit prostitutes can post a review of their experiences. Oudkerk — who also admitted to a journalist he visited prostitutes — was forced to resign.

Subject: Dutch news