A tip-off from the Dutch security service AIVD led police to stop a 16-year-old would-be jihadist leaving the country to fight in Syria, the NRC reports on Friday.

Some 18 Dutch women may have died in connection with the anti-acne drug and contraceptive Diane-35, experts in drug side-effects said on Friday.

The self-employed, known as ZZP'ers in Dutch, now account for 10% of the working population, according to the national statistics office CBS.

Killer Karaoke tv show investigated for animal abuse
A criminal investigation has begun into the abuse of animals for a new television show named Killer Karaoke in which people can win cash by singing under 'unusual' circumstances, such as in a bath of snakes.

Dutch fur farmers go to court for compensation
Dutch fur farmers are in court on Wednesday arguing their case for compensation when the industry is finally closed down in 2024.

Big cities won't meet EU targets on traffic pollution
Five of the Netherlands' biggest cities will not meet EU targets on nitrogen dioxide by 2015, opening them up to heavy fines and a ban on new building, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

ABN Amro first quarter profit down 17%, 400 more jobs to go
Nationalised financial services group ABN Amro said on Friday it had booked a 17% drop in profit in the first three months of this year and would be cutting 400 more jobs from its corporate banking arm.

A 200 guilder note sets new sale price record
The sale of a very rare 200 guilder note raised a record €44,280 at auction this week, says coin and stamp agency MPO.

Forestry commission raises €500,000 selling woodland
The forestry commission has raised €500,000 from the controversial sale of 34 hectares of woodland and meadows in Overijssel to help offset the impact of government spending cuts.

High taxes make Dutch petrol most expensive in Europe
Petrol in the Netherlands is the most expensive in Europe, thanks to high taxes, according to research by German motoring organisaation ADAC.

Hospitals, private clinics bill up to €180m in unnecessary treatment
Hospitals and private clinics are billing health insurance companies for millions of euros worth of treatment which is not medically necessary and therefore is not insured, the NRC reports.

One in seven households 'has trouble paying the bills'
One in seven households in the Netherlands is having trouble paying their bills, causing half of them sleepless nights, RTL news reports on Friday.

Farmers fail to preserve nature, despite €1bn price tag
Paying farmers to take care of nature has been a fiasco and most of the €1bn paid out over the past 20 years has been wasted, says an influential committee.

Dutch inflation rate drops but remains way above EU average
The Netherlands' inflation rate has dropped from 3.2% in March to 2.8% in April, but remains well above the eurozone average of 1.2%, according to figures from European statistics office Eurostat.

Make education more flexible: ombudsman
The education system should be made more flexible to take into account children who cannot attend school because they need extra care or attention, says the children's ombudsman.

Coalition parties to talk about 'more humane' refugee policy
The ruling coalition parties - the right-wing VVD and the Labour party - are to hold talks on amending plans to toughen up asylum policy and make it a criminal offence to live in the Netherlands without proper papers.

Social housing rents set to average €543 a month in four years
Rents in the rent-controlled housing sector are set to reach an average of €543 by 2017, boosting housing corporation income 22%, according to a report by the social housing fund WSW.

House sales down again in April
The number of houses sold in April fell by 20.4% compared with the same month in 2012, and by 26.6% compared with March.

BAM posts loss, expects improvement in second half
Construction company BAM on Thursday posted a 4% fall in turnover in the first quarter to €1.4bn, citing the winter weather as the primary reason.

Healthcare costs continue to rise
The cost of healthcare rose 3.7% to around €92bn last year, an increase on the 3.2% rise in 2011, according to figures from the central statistics agency CBS.

VVD party leader wants to scrap benefits, compensate through tax system
The benefits system should be scrapped completely and poorer people should be helped through the tax system, right-wing Liberal VVD party leader Halbe Zijlstra told the NRC.

Maastricht mayor takes on street drug dealers
Maastricht mayor Onno Hoes on Thursday declared a fight back against the growing violence caused by street drug dealers.

Teeven has no plans to change illegal immigrant plan
Junior justice minister Fred Teeven says he has no plans to amend draft legislation to make living in the Netherlands without proper papers a criminal offence, despite calls for change by coalition partner Labour.

Supermarkets shipping baby milk powder to China
Supermarkets, including Albert Heijn, have made money by shipping their stocks of baby milk powder to China, the Telegraaf reports on Thursday.

Dutch to spearhead efforts to improve Bangladesh textile factories
The cabinet is to pay particular attention to the textile industry in Bangladesh, following last month’s building collapse in which 1,100 people died.

Acceptance of homosexuality grows
The acceptance of homosexuals has grown over the past few years, with just 4% of the population disapproving last year compared with 15% in 2006.