LOWER HOUSE: The Lower House was evacuated yesterday afternoon for a short period due to a small fire on the third floor. The fire brigade speedily put out the fire. Few politicians were in the building due to the spring recess which ends Tuesday.

E-HOUSE: The Lower House will earmark 90,000 euros next year for a website aimed at youngsters aged 15 to 18. The Lower House management, on which all parties sit, has thought up the project to involve young people more with politics. Part of the site will be an online computer game in which teenagers themselves can play MP.

SPEEDING FINES: In a European campaign against speeding, police in the Netherlands imposed over 72,000 traffic fines from 23 through 29 April. Per head of the population, nowhere else was such tough action seen. Sixteen countries participated, together imposing about 370,000 fines.

ENVIRONMENT: Amsterdam wants to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2025 compared with 1990. Plans for this will be published in an Energy Outlook in the autumn, the capital city announced yesterday. Rotterdam said yesterday it is actually targeting a 50 percent reduction by 2025.

EUTHANASIA: The number of cases of euthanasia in the Netherlands fell between 2001 and 2006 from 3,500 to 2,300. The number of cases where the doctor put the patient to sleep, so-called palliative sedation, however rose in the same period from 8,500 to 9,600, according to a report from Health State Secretary Bussemaker that appeared yesterday. With palliative sedation, doctors do not have to provide extensive justification.

CAMPINA: Cooperative dairy company Campina plans to close its plant in Heiloo by end-2008. On balance, about 100 jobs will be lost in the Netherlands. Fresh dairy production will be concentrated in Rotterdam, Maasdam and Eindhoven. In Heiloo, the reorganisation will affect 178 staff, Campina said.

SPYKER: The University of Delft is to work in partnership with the Formula 1 racing team of Dutch car-maker Spyker. Spyker F1 director Michiel Mol said specific projects will be agreed in the coming months in which the university's know-how on aerodynamics and materials will be used to perfect the Spyker racing cars.

ABN AMRO: ABN Amro Bank announced yesterday it is appointing board member Huibert Boumeester to succeed CFO Hugh Scott-Barrett, who is resigning from 1 August. Scott-Barrett will hold a post in the new company to be created if the proposed merger of Barclays and ABN Amro goes ahead.

LASALLE: ABN Amro is to appeal to the Supreme Court against the Companies Chamber's verdict which froze the sale of its LaSalle subsidiary to Bank of America last week. The Dutch bank said the step is in line with the agreement with Bank of America, which bid 21 billion dollars. The Companies Chamber said the LaSalle deal was wrongly not presented to ABN Amro's shareholders.

GROENINK: Pension fund ABP plans to vote against the appointment of ABN Amro Bank CEO Rijkman Groenink to the supervisory board of Royal Dutch Shell at its shareholders meeting Tuesday. An ABP memorandum giving a negative opinion has been sent to members of sector association for institutional investors Eumedion, Het Financieele Dagblad reported yesterday. It is exceptional for an institutional investor to want to vote against the appointment of a supervisory board member. Groenink's position at ABN Amro is under pressure due to the takeover battle over the bank.