AMSTERDAM, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Two centre-right parties
agreed on Thursday to ban the burqa in the Netherlands as the
price for parliamentary support from the anti-Islam Freedom
party for their minority government.

The Netherlands would become the second European Union
country to ban the burqa after France, in what many see as a
shift to the right which has dented the bloc’s reputation for
tolerance and may increase security risks.

AMSTERDAM, Sept 29 (Reuters) – A right-leaning Dutch
government moved closer to reality on Wednesday when members of
parliament from the Dutch Liberals (VVD) and an anti-Islam party
approved a coalition deal.

VVD leader Mark Rutte, expected to become the first Dutch
liberal prime minister in almost a century, said on public
television his parliamentary group unanimously approved the deal
of VVD, Christian Democrats (CDA) and anti-Islam Freedom Party.

AMSTERDAM, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Leaders of three Dutch
centre-right parties sought internal endorsement on Wednesday
for a minority government with Christian Democrat unease over
support by an anti-Islam party casting a shadow over the deal.

The party leaders emerged from 111 days of talks on Tuesday
evening saying they had concluded an agreement to form a
minority government, the first since 1939 in the Netherlands, of
the VVD liberals party and the CDA Christian Democrats.

AMSTERDAM, Sept 28 (Reuters) – Two Dutch parties agreed on
Tuesday to form a coalition, with support from a far-right party
whose leader is on trial for inciting hatred against Muslims,
and its main task will be to implement austerity measures.

The parliamentary leaders of the VVD Liberal Party and CDA
Christian Democrats reached agreement to form a minority
government, the first in the Netherlands since 1939, with
support in parliament from the anti-Islam PVV Freedom Party.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Three right-leaning Dutch parties which broke off talks to form a new government last week said Tuesday they were ready to resume negotiations, after a dissident from one of the parties quit parliament.

VVD Liberals, Christian Democrats (CDA) and the Freedom Party said they wanted to reopen the talks called off by Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders Friday after a split in the CDA.

AMSTERDAM, July 29 (Reuters) – Dutch food group Nutreco
(NUTR.AS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) wants to make further acquisitions after reporting a
big jump in first-half operating profits on healthy volumes in
animal and fish feed and poultry processing.

First-half key operating profit doubled. The group predicted
that pace would slow over the full year but still make 2010 a
record year.

LONDON/PARIS, July 19 (Reuters) – France’s GDF Suez (GSZ.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
and Britain’s International Power (IPR.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) have revived tie-up
talks as GDF Suez seeks to bolster its power production clout in
emerging markets.

The deal would see GDF transfer some of its non-European
assets into International Power, which is focused on the
fast-growing markets of Asia, Australia and the Middle East, in
exchange for a majority stake.

PARIS (Reuters) – The euro zone’s $1 trillion financial rescue package could help repair battered banks’ balance sheets if needed after Europe-wide stress tests, the head of French market regulator AMF told Reuters on Friday.

The decision is ultimately political, however, and Germany in particular might resist such a move, Jean-Pierre Jouyet said in an interview.

PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) – French engineering group Alstom
<ALSO.PA> predicted its operating margin would decline over the
next two fiscal years amid a still challenging economic climate,
as it posted forecast-beating earnings for fiscal year 2009/10.

Alstom, in which France’s building to media group Bouygues
<BOUY.PA> owns a 30 percent stake, said its order backlog
remained robust despite a slight decline and vowed to continue
focusing on cost control and resist accepting lower prices.