Dutch news in brief, 8 December 2004

Chinese PM pays last respects to Bernhard

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao paid his last respects to the late Prince Bernhard in Noordeinde Palace in The Hague on Wednesday. Jiabao was in the Netherlands for a European Union summit. The body of Prince Bernhard, 93, will lay in state at the palace chapel until his funeral on Saturday. Some 11,000 members of the public passed through the chapel on Tuesday, but Wednesday’s total is expected to top that. Meanwhile, a ban on alcohol will be in force in the centre of Delft during Bernhard’s funeral. The Delft Council included the alcohol ban in an emergency ordinance intended to guarantee public safety. Bernhard died on 1 December of cancer and will be interred in the royal family tomb next to his wife Queen Juliana.

Amsterdam fed up with canal nuisance

Amsterdam Council intends to install laser equipment along the city’s canals next year to crackdown on speeding pleasure boats. The council is currently discussing the feasibility of the plan with the public prosecutor (OM). The city is considering various methods to tackle noise pollution, speeding, illegal mooring, poor boat quality and public drunkenness on the canals. Some 440 complaints were lodged with authorities in the summer, more than one-third than the summer of 2002. A total of 430 complaints were lodged last year.

Verdonk takes Morocco to task over nationality law

Dutch Integration Minister Rita Verdonk urged Morocco on Wednesday to scrap its policy of granting the Moroccan nationality to children born in the Netherlands. Under present regulations, Moroccan immigrants cannot lose their Moroccan nationality and children of Moroccan parents automatically receive Moroccan citizenship even if they are born in the Netherlands. But the Dutch government is moving to limit dual nationality and intends in future to force immigrants to revoke their original nationality when they take on Dutch citizenship.

Cheap holidays in the making

Holiday makers could find bargain prices next year due to low US dollar and tough competition in the aviation and hotel sectors. The Netherlands’ largest travel company TUI — including Arke, Holland International and Kras — said on Wednesday long-haul destinations such as Bali, Thailand and Jamaica were especially falling in price. Some 15-day holiday packages are set to fall from EUR 144 to 450 per person. European destinations are also declining in price, such as Turkey (3 percent) and Greece and Canary Islands (9 percent). Some price reductions in Europe could amount to 20 percent.

Subject: Dutch news