Russians free ship held by pirates

Russian forces freed a hijacked Russian oil tanker and rescued its 23 crew in a helicopter-backed operation yesterday that killed a Somali pirate.

Investigators said that 10 captured pirates, who had seized the China-bound tanker Moscow University in the Gulf of Aden, will be brought to Moscow for prosecution. They hijacked the tanker on Wednesday with its cargo of crude oil worth $52m (£44m).

The rescue was a boost for the Kremlin, which hopes to revive Russia's naval muscle despite limited resources.