Rhine, Western Europe’s most vital river, was polluted as a result of a fire in Switzerland. Dutch Minister Neelie Kroes complained for not properly warning neighboring countries.

Throughout history, the Rhine has been Western Europe’s most vital river, serving as both a source of inspiration and a critical strategic and commercial byway. German Composer Richard Wagner used the river as the backdrop for his monumental operatic cycle, The Ring. Otto von Bismarck boasted that the stirring song…

The wife of Dutch P.M. Lubbers saw two men trying to rip out the radio in her car. Her son and her husband chased the vandals until they cornered the pair, while waiting for the police.

At around 4 p.m. on a quiet Sunday, Ria Lubbers glanced out of her Rotterdam house and saw that two men had smashed the window of her car and were trying to rip out the radio. When Ria shouted, the burglars loosed a stream of obscenities and walked off. At…

The summit meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev on the SDI had ended in failure. In the Netherlands, the Inter-Church Peace Council deplored that a “historic chance that was missed.”

Flying home from Reykjavik at the start of last week, Ronald Reagan appeared to be winging from one debacle to another. The dejection in the President’s carriage as he walked out of Hofdi house, the disappointment etched into every line of Secretary of State George Shultz’s face as he briefed…

Professor Rybczynski of architecture at McGill University, investigated privacy and comfort. It was in the 17th century Netherlands where comfort is seen in the interiors of Vermeer.

It is strange to realize how many things that are taken for granted as natural and eternal were invented at a specific time and place. Not just objects like electrical appliances but attitudes and perceptions. Like privacy, for example. Or the need for physical comfort. What is comfort, anyway, and…

Nuclear questions played a key role in the most widely watched Dutch election in years. During the campaign, Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers eased his stance on atomic power.

$ Chernobyl. In little more than a month, the name of a once obscure Soviet plant has become a global household word, a new entry on the list of late-20th century technological disasters and a rallying cry for all those who fear and oppose nuclear power. The April 26 explosion…

In the Netherlands the Cabinet postponed debate on two new atomic plants and announced a special safety investigation, following the Chernobyl accident.

The first warning came in Sweden. At 9 a.m. on Monday, April 28, technicians at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant, 60 miles north of Stockholm, noticed disturbing signals blipping across their computer screens. Those signals revealed abnormally high levels of radiation, a sure sign of serious trouble. At first suspecting…

Dutch opposition politicians, especially those on the left, condemned the bombing raid by the U.S. on Gaddafi’s Libya.

The blow, when it finally fell, was unexpectedly jarring. Despite years of agonized Western debate about combatting terrorism, months of mostly fruitless diplomatic maneuvering, weeks of U.S. warnings and finally days of ominous public silence, the world still seemed unprepared when the bombers struck. Although Libya had felt the sting…

After 335 years of not precisely raging warfare, the Netherlands and the Scilly Islands, 28 miles off England’s southwest coast, are once again at peace.

After 335 years of not precisely raging warfare, the Netherlands and the & Scilly Islands are once again at peace. In 1651 the Dutch dispatched twelve warships to the islands, which are British territory situated 28 miles off England’s southwest coast. The islands were harboring pirates who had been menacing…

The Dutch Liberal Party seems likely to lose in upcoming elections. Its troubles only increased when Playboy showed Arnoud Cevaal exploring the bared behind of Lorette Welter.

One month before national elections, the listless Dutch Liberal Party seems likely to lose perhaps a third of its 36 seats in the 150-seat parliament. Its troubles only increased when this month’s Dutch edition of Playboy hit the newsstands. The magazine showed two Liberal Party officials partying very liberally…

Most popular source for exotic foreign flowers is the NL. which exports flowers worth about $100m. to the U.S. each year. Flowers are auctioned in Aalsmeer and flown out that night.

Valentine’s Day has always sent lovebirds flocking to the florist. Right after Cupid’s departure, though, flower sales used to shrivel up. No longer. Flowers, once an ornament reserved for special occasions, have become a year- round staple on many shopping lists. Now, no better reason for buying a bouquet is…