Around the World: West African Sahara

Photos of hostages shown

Al-Qaida's wing in North Africa published photographs on the Internet yesterday of four of six Western hostages it says it has in its custody.

Earlier this week Al-Qaeia in the Islamic Maghreb claimed in an audio tape aired on Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera that it had a Canadian UN envoy and his aide and four Western tourists who were kidnapped in the West African Sahara in December.