Hostage stand-off in Dutch city

An armed man has taken four people hostage in the city hall in the Dutch city of Almelo, about 150km (100 miles) east of Amsterdam, reports say. A city council member and three others were reported to be among those being held by the owner of a restaurant. The man had recently lost his restaurant licence, the national broadcaster NOS said. According to one report, he set his car on fire in front of the city hall, then slipped in as it created a diversion.