TLN: Alexander Sakkers is to be chairman of Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN). The members of the transport sector organisation still have to approve the appointment on 6 June. Sakkers is currently mayor of Eindhoven; he will stop this job on 1 September. The municipality could not yet say who will succeed him.

EU: European Affairs State Secretary Timmermans discussed the future of the EU in Hungary yesterday with Premier Gyurcsany and with opposition leader and former Foreign Minister Martonyi. On Monday, Timmermans had discussed the rejected EU Constitution in Austria with Chancellor Schussel and Austrian EU State Secretary Winkler.

INTEGRATION: Within the Dutch police forces, immigrants must be appointed to leadership functions to introduce "immigrant standards and values" in an organisation that bases its policy on "white expectations," said the National Ombudsman yesterday. He was speaking based on an investigation into alleged discrimination by Arnhem police. Evidence of discrimination was not found in any of the three cases investigated, but it is understandable that certain behaviour which is normal for whites is experienced as discrimination by persons from a culture where honour plays an important role, he said.

TURKEY: MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten (CDA) will report annually for the European Parliament to the European Commission on progress in the negotiations with Turkey on accession to the EU. She succeeds Camiel Eurlings (CDA) as Turkey rapporteur; he became Transport Minister in the Dutch cabinet.

NUCLEAR REACTOR: The nuclear research reactor in Petten has been closed down as a precaution due to a leak in an emergency cooling pipeline. There is no danger to public health, according to a spokesman. How long the investigation into the cause of the leak will take is still unclear. Repair will take at most a few days. In Putten, materials are made for the treatment of cancer patients among other things.

VERHAGEN: Foreign Minister Verhagen was presented yesterday at a primary school in Abcoude with a little book 'Will we soon all speak European?' that gives children answers to questions like 'Who thought of the euro?' and 'Who is the boss in the EU?' Schools can use it as lesson material. The book was subsidised by Verhagen's ministry. More information can be found at politiek4kids.nl.

AFGHANISTAN: Foreign Minister Verhagen and Defence Minister Van Middelkoop attended the premiere of a theatre performance about Afghanistan at a secondary school in Leiden yesterday. The performance, 'Fragile News,' is specially intended to give youngsters a picture of the daily life and culture of Afghans.

SWEETS: Consumer rights group Consumentenbond and the Netherlands Heart Foundation want all television ads for sweets, snacks and soft drinks to be banned between 7.00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m. TV programme Netwerk says it has obtained a draft of a letter in which the organisations call on the cabinet to do so.

ARCADIS: Engineering and consultancy bureau Arcadis booked first-quarter net profit up 28 percent from a year earlier at 11.6 million euros. Analysts had forecast a figure of at least 12 million. Sales expanded 16 percent to 332 million euros.

STORK: Stork has dropped the acquisitions of Standard Fasel Technische Sevices (STFS) and NEM Energy Servies (NES) following due diligence investigation of their books. The technical services company declined to say what led to this decision. Stork announced the takeover of the two companies, with combined annual sales of 38 million euros, on 12 March. A takeover price-tag was not disclosed.