Ghana

Eleven crew members of Dutch freighter FWN Rapide who were taken hostage by pirates off the Nigerian coast last month, have been released. They are on their way to be reunited with their families, Groningen shipping company ForestWave announced on Wednesday, RTL Nieuws reports.

Former Ajax and Vitesse footballer Abubakari Yakubu passed away at the age of 35 in a hospital in his native country of Ghana on Tuesday, NOS reports. The cause of his death is not yet clear.

Yakubu played for Ajax between 1999 and 2004. The defender also played five seasons with Vitesse, and took the field for the Ghana national team 16 times between 2002 and 2006. 

The police have identified Kehinde Gbolahan "Kenni" Salami as the man who shot and killed Kelvin Tettey (32) at the nightclub The Sand during the Afro Dance Festival in Amsterdam at the end of September last year.

At Schiphol there is a growing fear of the deadly Ebola disease among pilots, cabin crew and ground staff.

Netherlands football coach Louis van Gaal surprised many with his selection of players for a tune-up match against France next week, leaving Nigel de Jong (M) Stefan de Vrij (D) and Maarten Stekelenburg (G) off the sheet. Jean-Paul Boëtius (F), Davy Klaassen (M) and Quincy Promes (F) will get their Oranje debuts in the match.

A journalist, who wrote articles about sexual abuse by a businessman from Limburg, does not have to rectify her evidence, nor does she have to pay the fine of 10,000 euros, demanded by the businessman.

State Secretary of Finance Minister Frans Weekers said the government is assessing its double taxation treaties with developing countries to decide if they are inequitable and if they need revisions on the terms.

Netherlands has secured the fifth spot in the FIFA World Ranking even though they have not played any recent games. Spain is still at the top of the rankings with Germany, Argentina, and Croatia trailing behind.