Amsterdam - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende on Monday announced the establishment of an "independent committee" to investigate the previous government's "political support" for the US- led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In recent weeks opposition has mounted from opposition parties and within the government to openly question the then-government's decision making process in the weeks leading to the Iraq war.

The Dutch government did not provide military support in 2003 but did make a statement of "political support" for the Iraq war.

Amsterdam - Dutch Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg was due to sign a petition Monday calling on the United Nations to accept a Universal Declaration for Animal Welfare.

Animal rights have become an integral part of the Dutch political agenda ever since the Netherlands became the first country in the world to get a party for animal rights in parliament in 2006.

Animal welfare in the bio-industry, animal transport and slaughtering methods are discussed daily in parliament.

Amsterdam  - A Dutch company says it has developed the world's first internet search engine that guarantees users absolute privacy.

Ixquick (www. ixquick. com), established in 1998, is a so-called meta-search engine, which uses the search results of several search engines to provide its own list of results. The search is available in 17 languages.

"Ixquick is the first search engine that does not even store IP addresses temporarily," Ixquick CEO Robert Beens told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Amsterdam  - A philosophy and ethics professor at Radboud University of Nijmegen, until 2004 formally a Catholic university, has formally renounced his membership of the Catholic Church to protest the rehabilitation of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).

In an interview for Dutch Catholic internet magazine Katholiek Nederland, Belgian-born Jean-Pierre Wils said he refuses to associate himself any further with the Church's "anti-modern, anti-pluralistic and totalitarian" attitude.

Wils said he made his decision after Rome revoked on January 24 the 1988 excommunication of the four clerics, who led the breakaway, ultra-traditionalist Catholic group which accents prayer in Latin and opposition to Jewish beliefs.

New Delhi, Jan 31 : Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Frank Heemskerk will reach New Delhi on February 8 with the objective of enhancing business ties between India and The Netherlands. He will be visiting Delhi, Pune and Mumbai during his six-day visit.

Heemskerk will be accompanied by representatives of 40 companies, which will promote their expertise, particularly in the fields of IT, biotechnology, design, aeroplane maintenance and maritime logistics and educational institutes.

Amsterdam- The association for Dutch pension funds VB asked the Dutch central bank DNB on Thursday to give its members more time to restore their coverage ratio levels.

A pension fund's coverage ratio level indicates to what extent it can meet its future financial obligations.

Speaking on Dutch television, Gerard Rieman, director of the association of Dutch pension funds VB said "DNB should, if necessary, give pension funds four and a half in stead of three years to restore their coverage ratio level."