Pirates free UK ship for ransom

Somali pirates have released a British-owned cargo ship, the Malaspina Castle, after more than a month following the payment of an undisclosed ransom. The 32,000-tonne vessel, which has a mainly Bulgarian crew, was seized on 6 April in the Gulf of Aden while carrying a cargo of iron. A Bulgarian government official confirmed the ship’s release, saying the pirates’ demands had been met.