HAPPY: The Dutch are the happiest residents of the EU after the Danes, research by the European Commission reveals. Remarkably, the Dutch have much confidence in their government and feel the safest on the streets at night - two themes about which they complain a lot. The Dutch have the most confidence in their pensions after the Finns and the Danes. The research shows that residents of Bulgaria and Romania are gloomiest.

MAXIMA: The Public Prosecutor in The Hague has demanded one year in a psychiatric hospital for a 35 year old Amsterdammer for threatening Princess Maxima. The man phoned the 112 emergency number in August and said he wanted to do something to the Crown Prince's wife and her two daughters. The court will rule on 13 March.

MURDER: The district court in Rotterdam has sentenced a 32 year old man from Rotterdam to 11 years in jail for attempted murder of his wife and murder of her unborn baby. He stabbed the woman at least 15 times with a knife. She survived, but the baby, which she had with another man, died. The Public Prosecutor had demanded 18 years in jail and argued that it was an 'honour revenge' crime, but this was not considered proven.

VAN DER LAAN: Former Media State Secretary Medy van der Laan (D66) is to become a partner at TCN Property Projects on 1 March. She will be responsible for the further development and building up of government-related property projects, a TCN spokeswoman said yesterday. TCN owns properties including the Media Park in Hilversum, the centre of the Dutch TV world.

POLICE: Annelore Roelofs is to become chief of the North and East Gelderland regional police corps. She will succeed Co Hoogendoorn on 15 March.

UNILEVER: Bart Beusmans is to succeed Ella Vogelaar as chairman of the supervisory board of Unilever Nederland, the food-to-detergents group announced. Vogelaar is leaving because she has become Minister for Living, Districts and Integration. Beusman was already a member of the company's supervisory board.

AEGON: Dutch and French insurers Aegon and Axa are the last remaining candidates in an auction of a majority stake in Italian life insurance company MPS Vita, Reuters news service reported on the basis of anonymous sources close to the negotiations. The 51 percent stake is expected to cost about 1 billion euros.

INNOVATION: The economic affairs ministry's SenterNovum agency issued 6,000 innovation vouchers last year to small and medium-sized companies. Among the applicants, 70 percent had fewer than 10 employees, according to the ministry. Companies can use the vouchers to buy in expertise from universities and colleges.

TRIODUS: The ideological Triodus Bank, which pursues sustainability in banking, is proceeding with an international share issue to strengthen its equity by at least 30 million euros. Private investors and institutions can subscribe to the issue. The bank plans to use the proceeds to open a branch in Germany. As well as the Netherlands, Triodus already operates in Belgium, France and the UK.

WOLTERS KLUWER: Wolters Kluwer saw its 2006 sales grow by 9 percent to 3.7 billion euros. Earnings before tax, interest and depreciation advanced 16 percent to 618 million euros, the publisher reported yesterday. Fourth quarter sales were up 8 percent at 1 billion euros. Pretax profit surged 17 percent to 173 million euros. Results were largely in line with analysts' forecasts.