News in brief

14 January 2004

AMSTERDAM — About 60 percent of the Dutch public are annoyed most by the high prices charged by cafes, bars and restaurants, according to a survey conducted by motoring organisation ANWB. The runner up peeve on 55 percent was dog excrement on the streets.

Dutch peacekeeper injured in Iraq

A Dutch peacekeeper suffered a serious hand injury on Tuesday when a ‘light’ hand grenade exploded as he was unpacking his gear, a military spokesman said Wednesday. The man, who was serving with an air force detachment based in the south of Iraq, has been flown home to the Netherlands for treatment. The type of grenade involved is used to disperse demonstrators without causing fatalities.

Police join hunt in South Africa for missing woman

Two detectives of the national police force KLPD arrived in South Africa on Wednesday to help in the search for missing Dutch student Marleen Konings. A police spokesperson in Enschede confirmed that the Foreign Affairs Ministry in The Hague had requested the officers join the investigation. The 24-year-old woman’s car has been found abandoned and there are fears for her safety.

Subject: Dutch news