KINGSTON, Jamaica A gunman described as "mentally challenged" hijacked a Canadian jet on the tarmac near the resort city of Montego Bay and was holding six members of the flight crew hostage after releasing the passengers unharmed, officials said today.

A "mentally challenged youngster" boarded the plane last Sunday in Montego Bay and demanded to be flown to Cuba, Jamaican Information Minister Daryl Vaz told CNN.

There were 159 passengers and eight crew members aboard the Boeing 737 when the gunman forced his way through security checkpoints and onto the plane, according to a statement from Jamaican police.

All the passengers were Canadian, Woodside said. The plane had arrived from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was scheduled to stop in Santa Clara, Cuba, before returning to Canada.

Police said all the passengers and two crew members were released after being held a short time.

NAIROBI, Kenya In a rare case of good news, Somali pirates quickly released a Lebanese-owned cargo ship after only a few days once they found out it was headed to pick up food aid for Africa, a U.N. spokesman said today.The Togo-flagged MV Sea Horse with 19 crew was freed Friday after being seized April 14, U.N. World Food Program spokesman Peter Smerdon said, citing the ship's operators. He had no more details and it was not known if a ransom was paid.Somali pirates still hold at least 17 other ships and around 300 crew. Most ships are held for multimillion-dollar ransoms.Somali clan elder Abdisalan Khalif Ahmed told The Associated Press from the Somali pirate haven of Harardhere that gunmen released the ship after they found out it was supposed to pick up food destined for Somalia.

JERUSALEM Thousands of Orthodox faithful, carrying torches and bundles of candles signifying the 33 years of Jesus' life, packed into Christianity's holiest shrine on Saturday to celebrate Easter Week's holy fire ritual.Christians traditionally believe Jesus was crucified and buried at the site in Jerusalem's Old City where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher now stands.The holy fire ritual, celebrated the day before the Orthodox Easter, honors the belief that a holy fire appears spontaneously from Jesus' tomb as a message that he has not forgotten his followers.About 10,000 worshippers attended the afternoon ceremony, some arriving before dawn to make sure they would be able to enter the cavernous, heavily secured church.Greek Orthodox, Armenians and other Eastern rite Christians marked Easter on Sunday, a week after observances by other Christian denominations, because they follow a different calendar.