Somali pirates have freed an Egyptian ship they had held for more than two months, Reuters quoted a regional maritime official as saying today. Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme confirmed media reports of the release of the Blue Star, seized on Jan. 1 with a cargo of 6,000 tonnes of the fertiliser urea. "She is now under way to safe waters," he said in a statement. State-run newspapers in Egypt quoted a security official as saying the 28-member crew were expected to return home soon.
