Somali pirates have hijacked a Yemen cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, a regional maritime official said on Tuesday.

The Saudi owners of the <i>Sirius Star</i> are in negotiations with Somali pirates who have demanded a ransom for the supertanker.

The US Navy on Wednesday piled pressure on Somali pirates holding out for a -million ransom for a Ukrainian cargo ship.

Somalia pirates have seized a yacht with two French nationals aboard off the coast of East Africa, the French Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.