Amsterdam  - The Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem in the Netherlands announced the discovery of another previously unknown painting by the Laughing Cavalier painter Frans Hals (1583-1666).

It is the second time within four days the museum has made such an announcement.

On Sunday, the museum confirmed that five formerly unknown paintings were also made by the Dutch master.

Pieter Biesboer, spokesman for the museum, said the sixth painting was discovered at auction house Christies in Paris.

Bierboer saw the painting first in June.

The painting is a portrait of an unknown man and dated 1655.

Frans Hals is one of the most famous masters from the Dutch Golden Age.

Amsterdam - The main index at the Amsterdam stock exchange AEX gained slightly (up 1.44 per cent) Wednesday morning. By 10:19 am (0819 GMT) the index stood at 336.21.

Amsterdam - An increasing number of Dutch nationals fear a financial crisis following the recent financial problems in the United States and with Benelux insurance and banking giant Fortis, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Polling agency Maurice de Hond said some 72 per cent of respondents said they thought these financial problems will have an impact on the Netherlands.

A total of 38 per cent said they fear the Dutch Stock Exchange may crash. Two weeks ago, a poll found 44 per cent of the Dutch feared a financial crisis while 23 feared a stock exchange crash.

The number of Dutch who fear to lose their savings deposited in Dutch banks, remained unchanged at 12 per cent, according to the poll.

Amsterdam - The Belgian-Dutch insurer and banking giant Fortis has bought all shares of British Artemis Asset Management Ltd, Fortis said Wednesday.

The 397.2-million-euro (559.27-million-dollar) transaction was the last step in the integration of Artemis.

Artemis was already 67.1-per-cent owned by ABN Amro Asset Management, which was fully taken over by Fortis in April.

The last shares were purchased from the management, which, according to Fortis, would remain involved with Artemis.

Fortis said the purchase was part of an earlier agreement.

Amsterdam - The Green Party has requested that the Dutch parliament convene an emergency session Tuesday afternoon to debate the financial crisis and government support for Belgian-Dutch insurer an

Amsterdam - ABN Amro personnel have demanded that the bank continue as an independent entity, Joop Hofland of the De Unie worker's union said on Dutch television on Tuesday.

"The call among ABN Amro employees to continue as an independent bank is very strong," Hofland said.

The Netherlands' two biggest workers unions, FNV Bondgenoten and CNV, recommended a delay of the sale of ABN Amro on Tuesday until the markets regain some stability.

De Unie's Hofland in contrast called for a quick solution for ABN Amro, the Dutch consumer banking division of troubled Belgian-Dutch financial giant Fortis.