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| Crisis meeting over Somali piracy | Crisis meeting over Somali piracy |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| A spate of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia has prompted an emergency meeting between nations bordering the Red Sea to deal with the problem. | A spate of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia has prompted an emergency meeting between nations bordering the Red Sea to deal with the problem. |
| Senior officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen are meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. | Senior officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen are meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. |
| It comes amid claims that pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil tanker on Saturday are demanding a $25m (£17m) ransom. | It comes amid claims that pirates who hijacked a Saudi oil tanker on Saturday are demanding a $25m (£17m) ransom. |
| However, a spokesman for the tanker's owners has cast doubt on the demands, which were reported by AFP news agency. | However, a spokesman for the tanker's owners has cast doubt on the demands, which were reported by AFP news agency. |
| The Sirius Star, the biggest tanker ever hijacked, is carrying a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m. | The Sirius Star, the biggest tanker ever hijacked, is carrying a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m. |
| It is now anchored off the Somali coast with around 25 crew members being held as hostages. | It is now anchored off the Somali coast with around 25 crew members being held as hostages. |
| Payments for hostage-taking are only an encouragement to further hostage-taking UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7739171.stm">India praised for sinking pirates | |
| A pirate on board the vessel calling himself Mohamed Said told AFP that the owners, Vela International, had been set a 10-day deadline to hand over the ransom. | A pirate on board the vessel calling himself Mohamed Said told AFP that the owners, Vela International, had been set a 10-day deadline to hand over the ransom. |
| "The Saudis have 10 days to comply, otherwise we will take action that could be disastrous," he said, without elaborating. | "The Saudis have 10 days to comply, otherwise we will take action that could be disastrous," he said, without elaborating. |
| A spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry, Hossam Zaki, was quoted by Egypt's official Mena news agency as saying that "all options are open" in trying to solve the crisis. | A spokesman for the Egyptian foreign ministry, Hossam Zaki, was quoted by Egypt's official Mena news agency as saying that "all options are open" in trying to solve the crisis. |
| On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minsiter confirmed that the ship's owners were negotiating with the pirates. | On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia's foreign minsiter confirmed that the ship's owners were negotiating with the pirates. |
| 'Fundamental problem' | 'Fundamental problem' |
| The 25 captive crew on the Sirius Star include 19 Filipinos, two British citizens, two Poles, one Croatian, and one Saudi national. | The 25 captive crew on the Sirius Star include 19 Filipinos, two British citizens, two Poles, one Croatian, and one Saudi national. |
| UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he could not comment on negotiations. | UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he could not comment on negotiations. |
| However, he did say: "There is a strong view of the British government, and actually the international community, that payments for hostage-taking are only an encouragement to further hostage-taking and we will be approaching this issue in a very delicate way, in a way that puts the security and safety of the hostages to the fore." | However, he did say: "There is a strong view of the British government, and actually the international community, that payments for hostage-taking are only an encouragement to further hostage-taking and we will be approaching this issue in a very delicate way, in a way that puts the security and safety of the hostages to the fore." |
| With Britain's Royal Navy co-ordinating the European response to the incident, Mr Miliband said: "There is a fundamental problem in the Gulf of Aden. That is why the deployment of the European force is the right thing to do." | With Britain's Royal Navy co-ordinating the European response to the incident, Mr Miliband said: "There is a fundamental problem in the Gulf of Aden. That is why the deployment of the European force is the right thing to do." |
| Pirates 'working with Islamists'IMB piracy map The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites | Pirates 'working with Islamists'IMB piracy map The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites |
| The pirates who seized the tanker on Saturday are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says BBC Somali Service editor Yusuf Garaad. | The pirates who seized the tanker on Saturday are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says BBC Somali Service editor Yusuf Garaad. |
| Much of their ransom money from previous hijackings has been used to buy new boats and weapons as well as develop a network across the Horn of Africa, he adds. | Much of their ransom money from previous hijackings has been used to buy new boats and weapons as well as develop a network across the Horn of Africa, he adds. |
| Russia has announced it is to send more warships to the region to counter the pirates. | Russia has announced it is to send more warships to the region to counter the pirates. |
| Earlier this month, one of its destroyers, the Neustrashimy, scared away pirates who were trying to hijack ships in the Gulf of Aden. | Earlier this month, one of its destroyers, the Neustrashimy, scared away pirates who were trying to hijack ships in the Gulf of Aden. |
| "After the Neustrashimy, ships from other fleets of the Russian navy will head to the region," Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky said. | "After the Neustrashimy, ships from other fleets of the Russian navy will head to the region," Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky said. |
| There has been a surge in piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia this year. | There has been a surge in piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia this year. |
| On Tuesday, a cargo ship and a fishing vessel became the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates since January. | On Tuesday, a cargo ship and a fishing vessel became the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates since January. |
| In a rare victory against the organised gangs, the Indian navy said it had sunk a suspected pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden, several hundred kilometres north of the location where the hijackers boarded the Sirius Star. | In a rare victory against the organised gangs, the Indian navy said it had sunk a suspected pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden, several hundred kilometres north of the location where the hijackers boarded the Sirius Star. |
| INS Tabar attacked the vessel on Tuesday after it failed to stop for an inspection and opened fire, the Indian navy statement said in a statement. | INS Tabar attacked the vessel on Tuesday after it failed to stop for an inspection and opened fire, the Indian navy statement said in a statement. |
| Shipping companies are now said to be weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to and from Europe via the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. | Shipping companies are now said to be weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to and from Europe via the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. |
| However, travelling around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope would add several weeks to average journey times and substantially increase the cost of goods for consumers. | However, travelling around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope would add several weeks to average journey times and substantially increase the cost of goods for consumers. |