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I’m K. English from the VOA News Center in Washington.

A UN -chartered cargo ship seized by pirates of the coast Somalia has been released after nearly month in captivity. A spokesman for the Seafarers' Assistance Programme says the MV Rozen was freed on Friday and its 12 crew members are unharmed. Pirates seized controled the vessel February 25th soon after delivered more than 24,000 tons of food to the somali port A. The Rozen was chartered by the UN World Food Program. The spokesman also says pirates have released an italian cargo ship which was seized April 1st while carrying more than 700 tons of cargo, 14 person crew is also said to be unharmed. Pirates attacks and hijackings are relatively common in the waters of Somalia which has been without an effective central government since 1991.

Palestinian witnesses say Israeli helicopters have carried out an airstrike along the border with the Gaza Strip killing a Palestinian militant and wounding two others. An Israeli army spokesman says the helicopters opened fire early today after spotting militants trying to plan a bomb near the border fence. Militants identified the dead man as a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Witnesses said Israeli tanks also moved into the area near J refugee camp in northern Gaza. But the army denies it. In West Bank today, Israeli fire wounded a Palestinian militant commander in the town of G. A ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza has largely held since November. But some Palestinian militant groups have continued firing rockets into Israel.

A US funded Radio Station says its correspondent in Iraq has been killed. Radio Free Iraq said A. K. was found dead in Baghdad Thursday. She had been missing for two days made fears she had been kidnapped. More than 150 members of the news media have been killed in Iraq since the war began in 2003.

US military officials in Iraq have reduced the death toll from a suicide bombing Friday 27 to 12. Police said a suicide bomber driving a truck with chlorine gas detonated his vehicle in Ramadi. A military statement says 43 people were wounded. The military also says the Iraqi army carried an airstrike today / an armed militia man south of Baghdad one day after US and Iraqi forces detained 27 suspects and killed three insurgents in the city.

Some of the 15 British sailors and marines recently released in Iran say they were captured in isolation, / had gun’s cap behind their heads and were threatened with 7-year prison sentences. VOA correspondent Sonia Pace is in London.

“Good afternoon. My name is captain Karman Marines, myself and the genetleman on my left Lieutenant K. and …” and the story that captain /, lieutenant Karman and the others told very greatly from the photo show on Iranian television over the past two weeks of the sailors’ smiling, chating, playing chess and seemingly apologetic for allegedly having strayed into Iranian territorial waters. “Through our deal, we’ve faced constant psychological pressure.” Karman said a general consent has emerged that they would talk and to some extent go along their captors without revealing any operational details. He said toward the end of their detention they were allowed some time together in front of the Iranian media. The crew's capture on March 23rd has sparked the diplomatic standoff and high-level discussions between London and Teheran. Iran maintains the British sailors were in Iranian waters when detained. British authorities insist the crew was in Iraqi waters. Sonia Pace, VOA news, London.

Sri Lankan authorities say at least seven people were killed today when a roadside bomb hit a civilian bus in the Island's north. A military spokesman says the attack occurred outside the town of A. He said six civilians and one soldier were killed and at least 26 other people were wounded in the blast. The military blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam rebels for setting it off.

I'm K. English, VOA News. More news at voanews.com.

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