Facing threat to tourism and fishing industries, islands plan to build special courts and jail to combat growing piracy menace

The Seychelles, promoted by tourism brochures as an untouched paradise, is building special courts and a maximum security prison to combat the growing menace of Somali pirates.

Pirate sightings or attacks were reported almost daily near the islands late last year, including the kidnapping of the British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler.

Facing a threat to its two main industries, tourism and fishing, the Seychelles cabinet last week agreed tough new anti-piracy laws. It also plans to build a £320,000 jail by the end of this year that will be capable of holding up to 40 pirates. It will make the Seychelles, along with Kenya, the main centre for the prosecution and detention of pirates in east Africa.

The move follows international frustration last year when the Seychelles repatriated 22 Somalis, claiming it had insufficient evidence to bring piracy charges against them.

It is difficult to see how gov. troops can defeat Islamist with poor morale, organisation, equipment and leadership.

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Top Somali officials are threatening to begin a military offensive against Islamist insurgents but critics - some of them demoralized soldiers - say a lack of equipment, funds and training put any ultimate success into doubt.

The offensive has been planned for months and has been postponed repeatedly, but questions remain about whether it can bring long-term security in a country suffering from almost two decades of conflict.

It is still unclear when the offensive will begin or what it will entail. Somali forces are hampered by a lack of equipment, late paychecks, and some complain they do not even have enough food.

"There is nothing the government has done but survive," said Mogadishu resident Sheik Mohamud Abdulle. "We have been hearing of late the government's threat to the rebels, but we expect little from any military action as long as its soldiers are not regularly paid."

Denmark has been operating against Somali pirates since 2008

Danish special forces serving as part of Nato's counter-piracy operation have freed the crew of a cargo ship boarded by pirates off Somalia.

They moved in after being assured by the captain that the crew had locked themselves in a safe room, a Nato spokeswoman told the BBC.

It seems the pirates escaped to their boat before the troops arrived but the 180m (590ft) vessel was being searched.

A second pirate boat in the area was seized by a Russian warship, Nato says.