Three Danish children and their parents have been snatched by pirates who hijacked their sailing boat in the Indian Ocean, Danish officials say.
Denmark's foreign ministry said the children were aged between 12 and 16, and that two Danish crew members were also captured during the attack.
Pirates seized the boat on 24 February and were said to be heading to Somalia.
Piracy is a highly lucrative trade in Somalia, where gangs can often demand millions of dollars in ransoms.
As of last week, the EU's anti-piracy naval force said pirates were holding a total of 31 vessels, and 688 hostages.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12600251
Note: 28 February 2011 Last updated at 16:58 GMT