Amsterdam - Seducing a woman is an art that can be taught, and today's world and new gender roles require vigorous training. That is, at least, what David Kipping, press spokesman for the Real Man Conference, feels.

On September 20 and 21, some 500 men are due to convene in Amsterdam's RAI convention centre for a two-day-training in the art of seduction.

The so-called "Real Men Conference" is the largest and first international convention dedicated exclusively to the art of picking up women.

Among those to help the participants improve their dating skills are a total of 14 dating coaches, such as Dutch coach Tijn van Ewijk but also the internationally renowned Zan Perrion and Johnny Soporno.

The Hague  - Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov should not be allowed a visa to visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels next Monday, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told the Dutch parliament Wednesday.

Should the Netherlands persist in its position, Martynov will be blocked from visiting Brussels on Monday.

The move follows a proposed invitation to visit EU headquarters in Brussels by EU commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, an advocate of easing visa restrictions for all Belarusians.

Belarus, regarded internationally as a dictatorship, recently released a number of political prisoners.

Amsterdam  - All Dutch attorneys, including Muslims, should rise when a judge enters a court room, Dutch Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin told Dutch parliament on Tuesday.

Hirsch Ballin said the Dutch Council for Jurisprudence felt that rising for a judge is "the common way to show respect for the court and legal authority."

The minister was responding to a question posed by legislator Henk Kamp (Liberals), who inquired about a news report which said a Rotterdam court had made an agreement with a Muslim attorney that he could remain seated when a judge enters the courtroom.

Vienna  - Dutch beer brewer Heineken will consolidate its recent acquisitions in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) rather than buy more breweries, Austrian news agency APA reported Tuesday.

With earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 177 million euros (253 million dollars) in the first half of this year, the CEE division of the world's third largest brewer faced a
12-per-cent decline in operating profits.

"High production costs, the economic slowdown and unfavourable weather conditions put us to the test," Heineken president for the CEE region Nico Nusmeier said in a statement.

Amsterdam- Sales of computer game consoles and other gaming hardware in the Netherlands have jumped dramatically in 2008, the umbrella organisation for the Dutch entertainment industry for audio, video and interactive products NVPI said on Monday.

Releasing its 6-month results, the NVPI said the sale of game consoles increased by 39 per cent in the first half of 2008, reaching a turnover of 115.2 million euros (164.4 million dollars).

Accompanying hardware sales increased by 62 per cent, amounting to a turnover of 118 million euros (168.4 million dollars).

Amsterdam - The main index of the Dutch stock exchange AEX rose sharply on Monday following the US government's bail-out of American largest mortgage banks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Sunday.

By 10:23 am (8:23 AM GMT) the AEX had risen by 3.89 per cent, with the financial funds gaining most.

Belgian-Dutch bank and insurance company Fortis rose 8.65 per cent and stood at 9.907 euros.

Insurer Aegon stood at 8.525 euros, up by 7.68 per cent, followed by ING Bank which rose by 7.64 per cent. Employment agency Randstad came in fourth, with shares rising 7.02 per cent.

Dutch-British food company Unilever was the only one to drop, down by 0.10 per cent.