The owners of a Saudi Arabian supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates are reported to be negotiating a possible ransom, according to Saudi Arabia's foreign minister.
Prince Saud al-Faisal said talks were taking place despite official reservations about negotiations with hijackers.
Saudi Arabia announced that it would join the international naval taskforce trying to protect the busy shipping lanes off Somalia. Despite the presence of multinational warships, Somali pirates have hijacked scores of merchant ships this year alone - at least three more vessels have been seized since the hijacking of the Sirius Star supertanker at the weekend.
Helen Long, Reuters
