News in Holland

• El Hamdaoui finally signs with Ajax
  

  Striker Mounir El Hamdaoui finally signed to join Amsterdam club Ajax on Friday after days of 'will he or won't he' uncertainty.

• July was very warm and wet
  

  July was warm, wet and sunny, with an average temperature of 19.8 Celsius, the KNMI weather bureau said on Friday.

• Waiting lists for rent-controlled housing soar
  

  People applying for a rent-controlled house in Arnhem now have to wait over 10 years, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

• Discos on the decline
  

  The smoking ban, economic crisis and rise of social media are taking their toll on the traditional discotheque, according to news agency ANP.

• Silver for Sintnicolaas in European decathlon
  

  Eelco Sintnicolaas has become the Netherlands' first medal winner at the European athletics championship in Barcelona with a silver medal in the decathlon.

• Organon works council takes Merck to court over job losses
  

  The works council at drugs company Organon in Oss is going to court in protest at the decision to shut down production and move some work to the US, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday.

• Civil service pension fund switches asset managers
  

  JP Morgan, Blue Bay and Stone Harbour have been dropped as asset managers by civil service pension fund ABP, the Financieele Dagblad reports on Friday.

• Minority government 'serious option', MPs discuss progress today
  

  The chance is increasing that the Netherlands will have its first post war minority government, the Volkskrant reports on Friday, quoting sources close to the formation talks.

• Alkmaar AZ beats Swedes in Europa League qualifier
  

  Alkmaar football club AZ beat Sweden's Göteborg 2-0 at home on Thursday night in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier.

• Speed trap fines soar at roadworks
  

  The number of speeding tickets issued by police so far this year has gone up in a 'spectacular fashion,' Trouw reports on Friday.

• Randstad Q2 underlying earnings rise 79%
  

  Staffing company Randstad said on Thursday companies are continuing to hire more staff, notably in the United States, Germany and France.

• Right wing parties to discuss progress with MPs on Friday
  

  The leaders of the three right-wing parties holding exploratory talks about forming a new coalition government are to discuss progress so far with their MPs on Friday, the Volkskrant reports, quoting party sources. .

• Dutch Moroccans feel at home in Holland
  

  Some 81% of the young Moroccan Dutch fell at home in the Netherlands, compared with an average of 76% of Moroccans in other European countries, the NRC reports on Thursday.

• Advertising spend increases in first half
  

  Companies and organisations spent over €3bn on advertising in the first six months of this year, up 9.4% on a year ago and 3.5% up on the 2008 first half, according to new figures from the Nielsen research group.

• Efteling and Nos are top-ranked Dutch brands
  

  Amusement park Efteling and tv and radio news broadcaster Nos are the best ranked Dutch brands in the latest strong brand survey by bureau BrandAsset.