Pirated Ship's Cook Sues Over Safety Regs

Somalis had called on antipiracy force to fend off rivals

(NEWSER) - At least three Somali pirates have been killed fighting over the biggest ransom in the history of piracy. A gun battle broke in out the pirate haven of Harardhere last night after a record $7 million was paid to secure the release of the Greek supertanker Maran Centaurus, its $150 million cargo, and 28 crewmembers. Local elders are trying to mediate between two sides disagreeing over how the loot should be divided, a pirate tells Bloomberg . More»

Maritime tradition fades amid rise in attacks

(NEWSER) - The maritime tradition of commercial shipping going unarmed is being abandoned in the face of the threat from Somali pirates. Shipping firms are hiring teams of guards—from $25,000 up—for the passage through the Gulf of Aden. Insurers are offering steep discounts to ships packing heat and security firms are doing a brisk trade, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Attempted takeover repelled by guards

(AP) - Somali pirates today attacked the Maersk Alabama for the second time in seven months, but guards on board the US-flagged cargo ship repelled the takeover attempt. When pirates attacked with automatic weapons early this morning about 350 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, guards on board the craft fired back, thwarting the attempted hijacking. A spokesman for the EU Naval Force called it "pure chance" that the Maersk Alabama had been targeted twice. More»

Mikhail Voitenko says he knows more than he can tell about Arctic Sea 's cargo

(NEWSER) - The Russian journalist who was first to report on the disappearance of the Arctic Sea cargo ship has fled the country after receiving threats, the Guardian reports. Mikhail Voitenko, who speculated that the ship may have been carrying a secret cargo of weapons or "something much more expensive and dangerous," says he received a call warning him that people were out for revenge and to leave the country. More»

(NEWSER) - The Navy is questioning the crew of the Maersk Alabama and members of its own SEAL unit about $30,000 that went missing from the hijacked cargo ship, the New York Post reports. The money was taken by the pirates during the hijacking attempt but was not recovered after they were killed or captured. “We don't comment on the details of an ongoing investigation,” said a spokesman from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. More»