Somali pirates charged in Kenya

The pirates looked confident as they walked into court

Seven Somalis, captured at sea by German naval forces last month, have appeared in court in the Kenyan port of Mombasa accused of piracy.

They are accused of attempting to hijack a French fishing boat.

The BBC's Odhiambo Joseph says the court heard they had been armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers.

Our correspondent says the pirates strode confidently into court, looking around keenly at the crowded room and and denied the charges.

The magistrate remanded them in custody until January, when their trial is expected to begin.

Are we too soft on Somali pirates?

Our reporter says they join more than 100 other Somalis in jail in Kenya awaiting trial for piracy.

One suspected pirate has even taken up studies while he awaits his trial, sitting the first of Kenya's national primary school exams on Tuesday, our reporter says.

Despite numerous arrests and patrols by forces from around the world, the European Union says that the Somali pirates are becoming more daring in their tactics.

On Monday, Somali pirates attacked an oil tanker some 1,000 nautical miles (1,850km) off the coast.

Somalia has not a functioning national government for 18 years and the lawlessness has spread to the high seas in recent years.