Top Asian News at 8:00 a.m. GMT

MANILA, Philippines — Somali pirates freed a chemical tanker and its 23 Filipino crew members Tuesday after holding them hostage in the Gulf of Aden for more than five months, the ship owner and officials said. The release came a day after a separate group of bandits freed the Lebanese-owned food aid freighter MV Sea Horse after receiving $100,000 from Somali businessmen. At least 16 other ships with nearly 300 crew remain in the hands of Somali pirates.

Top Asian News at 7:30 a.m. GMT

MANILA, Philippines — Somali pirates freed a chemical tanker and its 23 Filipino crew members Tuesday after holding them hostage for more than five months, a spokesman for the Philippine ship owner said. Securing the safe release of the crew and the vessel was “difficult and protracted” and the company was “extremely pleased” with the result, Capt. Dexter Custodio, spokesman for Sagana Shipping Inc., said in a statement.

Top Asian News at 7:00 a.m. GMT

MANILA, Philippines — Somali pirates freed a chemical tanker and its 23 Filipino crew members Tuesday after holding them hostage for more than five months, a spokesman for the Philippine ship owner said. Securing the safe release of the crew and the vessel was “difficult and protracted” and the company was “extremely pleased” with the result, Capt. Dexter Custodio, spokesman for Sagana Shipping Inc., said in a statement.

Top Asian News at 6:30 a.m. GMT

MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine shipping company says Somali pirates have freed a tanker and its crew of 23 Filipinos after holding them hostage for more than five months. Capt. Dexter Custodio said the vessel was released Tuesday. Custodio is the spokesman for Sagana Shipping Inc., owner of the MT Stolt Strength.

Top Asian News at 6:00 a.m. GMT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Tens of thousands of civilians fled Sri Lanka’s northern war zone in a record exodus ahead of the government’s deadline Tuesday for separatist Tamil rebels there to surrender, officials said. More than 39,000 civilians arrived at military checkpoints on Monday, within hours of a military operation that saw Sri Lankan soldiers break through a barrier that the Tamil Tiger rebels had erected to defend their ever-shrinking slice of territory along the northern coast.

Olympic Council of Asia threatens legal action over allegations of football vote buying

KUWAIT CITY — The Olympic Council of Asia is threatening legal action over allegations it was attempting to buy votes for a candidate in the campaign for a seat on the executive committee of football world governing body FIFA.