The Dutch government said today it is planning to draw up legislation “as soon as possible” banning burqas and other clothing that covers a person’s entire face in public places.

TWO Dutch ministers resigned yesterday after accepting blame for safety lapses in a fire that killed 11 illegal immigrants awaiting deportation in an airport jail last year.

Two months before Dutch elections, the conservative government suffered a setback today with the resignation of two ministers who accepted blame for safety faults in an airport jail that led to the deaths of 11 prisoners.

Netherlands’ caretaker Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende began forming a new minority Cabinet today, less than a week after his government collapsed.

The Dutch government quit today amid infighting over a failed attempt to strip a prominent Somali-born critic of Islam of her Dutch citizenship – setting the stage for elections likely to be dominated by immigration issues.

Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende tendered his Cabinet’s resignation to Queen Beatrix today, a move that will ultimately lead to new elections.

THE camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks on to a crowded beach.

THE Dutch government resigned yesterday amid infighting over a failed attempt to strip a prominent Somali-born critic of Islam of her Dutch citizenship — setting the stage for elections likely to be dominated by immigration issues.