June 2005 Archives

The United States will allow 27 mainly European states taking part in a visa free travel scheme more time to introduce biometric data in passports.

The United States risked losing billions of dollars in spending by tourists and business travelers if it had stuck to tight timetable because about half the countries participating in the visa waiver scheme would miss the deadline.
Reuters

The new biometric criteria would only be for new passports, issued after October 26. Older passports just need to be machine readable. All Dutch passports are so we would have had no problem.

Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht did not mean to insult Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende by comparing him to Harry Potter.

Hahahha... sure! But let's get real here. Everybody has been comparing our Prime Magician with Potter, I did so in this post. If Balkenende really doesn't like being compared with the most succesful wizard ever, the he should GET A HAICUT!

What do you think? Could Balkenende and Potter be related?

(Potter is on the right)

You can't have missed it, the Dutch rejected the proposed EU constitution.

I asked my dad if he and my mom had voted. He awnsered he had but that it was a total waste of time. "Why?", I asked. "Well, your mother voted for and I voted against the proposed contitution."