Pirates off the coast of Somalia released 30 hostages seized aboard a French yacht a week ago following negotiations that ended the stand-off peacefully, French officials said. The hostages, including 22 French crew aboard Le Ponant, were freed ''without incident'', President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement, without providing details.
Cameroon's main opposition parties called on Tuesday for the Central African country's presidential election -- which veteran leader Paul Biya has been widely tipped to win -- to be annulled, saying it was marred by rampant fraud. One opposition presidential candidate called the vote ''a masquerade, with overt fraud throughout the country''.