Canadian government defends ship seizure

The Canadian government has defended its action in seizing an American ship, whose owners had refused to deliver a cargo of Canadian military equipment until they were paid.

Canadian troops were lowered by helicopter to board the ship, the Katie, on Thursday.

It's now being escorted by two warships to port in the province of Quebec Becancour.

There it'll unload its cargo of nearly six-hundred tanks and armoured personnel carriers returning from peacekeeping use in Kosovo.

The defence minister, Art Eggleton, said the equipment was being held hostage, and Canada was within international law in boarding the Katie.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service