WASHINGTON - THE crew of a US-flag ship seized by pirates off Somalia has retaken the vessel, American officials said on Wednesday.

Capt Joseph Murphy, an instructor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, told reporters that his son Shane, the second in command on the ship, had called him to say the crew had regained control.

LONDON - A WEEK after a Londoner's sudden death at a rally he apparently never wanted to be part of, his strange case is raising difficult questions for the capital's police.

Ian Tomlinson, a burly 47-year-old newspaper vendor, was trying to make his way home after work April 1 when he got caught up, seemingly inadvertently, in the sporadic clashes between police and protesters drawn by the Group of 20 economic summit.

CASSELBERRY (Florida) - A WOMAN who fatally shot her son then killed herself at a shooting range said she was the anti-Christ and that she needed to save her son.

In rambling, teary audio recordings left for her boyfriend and authorities, as well as shorter suicide notes, Marie Moore, 44, apologised several times and said repeatedly: 'I had to send my son to heaven and myself to Hell.'