German freighter freed for ransom

Pirate attacks have resumed after a brief lull caused by bad weather

Somali pirates have released a German-owned cargo ship held for nearly three months and its crew of 11 Romanians.

The pirates said a ransom of $1.8m (£1.1m) was paid. Reports say they fired in the air in jubilation when the money was delivered in a tugboat.

The ship - the MV Victoria - was captured in May in the Gulf of Aden, south of the Yemeni port of al-Mukalla.

Pirates attacked more than 130 merchant ships off the Somali coast last year, taking in millions in ransom payments.

Another German ship, the Hansa Stavanger, is still being held. It was seized in April with 24 crew members on board.

Dozens of international naval ships are patrolling the waters off the Somali coast in a bid to reduce pirate attacks in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.