Bodies of hostages found in Yemen.

At least seven foreign hostages seized in Yemen, including at least one child, have been found dead, officials say.They are thought to be from a group of nine foreigners, three of them children, who were kidnapped last week in a mountainous northern area. The group comprised seven Germans, a British national and a South Korean. One report says all nine hostages have been killed - but the deaths have not been confirmed by officials in Berlin, London and Seoul. No-one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, which Yemen blamed on a local Shia rebel group. More than 200 foreign nationals have been kidnapped in Yemen in the last 15 years, often for ransom. But most have been released unharmed.

Yemen's Interior Ministry earlier said the foreigners were kidnapped while on a picnic on Friday in the area. The authorities said the group included a German doctor, his wife and three children, and also a male British engineer and a female South Korean teacher. The kidnapped adults all worked at a hospital in Saada, the state news agency said. British and German government officials said on Monday they were investigating reports of the deaths.