Most of the papers are still full of the developments in Libya and a Dutch drama playing out in Tripoli gets top coverage. Euthanasia causes problems for a small Dutch parish and head lice are on the radar.

Libyan fighting over?
There’s no getting away from Libya again today, with all the papers full of the rebels’ takeover of Colonel Gaddafi’s Tripoli headquarters yesterday. Trouw thinks the fight’s now decided but that Gaddafi himself probably has a sophisticated escape network set up.

The paper points to the sudden appearance in public of the dictator’s son and “heir apparent” Saif, after he was reported to have been captured by the rebels. There’s total confusion in Tripoli, says Trouw, and no one knows which stories are true or what’s really going on.

The new rulers of Libya are already talking about exporting the country’s oil reserves, de Volkskrant tells us. The rebels will be giving preference to potential customers who helped in the fight to bring down Gaddafi. “We don’t have a problem with the Italian, French or British companies,” says the rebels’ oil company spokesman, “but we’ll have to think first about China, Brazil and Russia.”

Today’s nrc.next reports that NATO is relieved and is looking towards a possible role in Libya, following the fall of Tripoli to the rebels. “Troops on the ground” was taboo from the beginning, the paper reminds us. Now, it’s up for discussion but only on the condition that any deployment is for a really short time, nrc.next believes.

Dutch drama in Tripoli chaos
Many of the papers run pictures of rebels bringing booty out of Gaddafi’s Tripoli headquarters, including a gilded bust of the dictator. In pride of place, AD has a close-up of the fallen leader’s golden face, a couple of rebels pushing it into the ground with their trainers. “Dancing on Gaddafi” is the headline.

However, the paper keeps almost half its front page for the story of a Dutch model from Rotterdam, Talitha van Zon, who is reported to be in a coma at a Tripoli hospital. The 39-year-old is a friend of Gaddafi’s son Mutassim.

A friend of Talitha can’t understand why the model travelled to Tripoli in the present situation. “She’s anything but naive,” the friend tells AD. The paper points out that although she was reported to have fallen from the balcony of her hotel room she apparently has no broken bones.

De Telegraaf is the only paper to relegate its Libya report to the inside pages. It does, however, give front-page treatment to Talitha’s story. It also says her fall from the balcony is shrouded in mystery.

The paper goes on to describe 34-year-old Mutassim as one of the “most disturbed” members of the Gaddafi family. It says he was in charge of assassinations for his father’s regime and is known for his violent character. He is described as being “women-mad and none too intelligent”. The paper says he’s channelled 1.2 billion dollars into his personal bank account. It says Talitha was desperate to get out of Libya at the weekend and asks the question: did she jump, or fall from the balcony, or was she pushed?

‘No’ to euthanasia funeral
The papers also pick up on the case of the Roman Catholic parish priest who’s refusing to allow a man’s funeral to take place in his church because the man chose to die by euthanasia. Trouw even finds space on its front page for the story.

A member of the parish board of Liempde, the small southern Dutch town where the drama is unfolding, says the man “was Catholic” and should be given a “church funeral”. She blames ambivalent Catholic policy for the present mess, explaining that, while the Church is against euthanasia, people who choose to die in this way shouldn’t lose their right to a Catholic burial.

A spokesperson for the local bishop disagrees: “The final decision is for the parish priest, not for the Church.” Liempde parishioners are not satisfied, however, and are calling for a clear ruling from the Church.

In its coverage of the story, de Volkskrant quotes the parish priest in question: “Euthanasia is against a basic principle of faith: that life is a gift from God… People shouldn’t sit in His place and decide when it’s over.” He also rejects the compromise of allowing another priest to officiate in his place at the church during the funeral.

Head lice on the radar
Today’s De Telegraaf has some good news for parents battling against head lice in their progeny. The paper explains that the parasites are mostly picked up by young children from their playmates at school, nursery and other premises. Around 250,000 Dutch children have head lice problems each year.

An internet site, Head Lice Radar (http://luizenradar.nl/), has now been launched, which gives an estimated number of head lice cases in particular areas of the country. Parents in ‘danger areas’ can begin preventative measures for their children. The site has been developed by a manufacturer of products that combat head lice.