Pirates Hijack Relief Ship Off of Somalia

Say the same ship had attacked a tanker

(AP) - A Russian warship has seized a vessel carrying 29 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, RIA Novosti and other agencies are reporting, citing the nation's Defense Ministry. A Russian anti-submarine vessel seized the ship yesterday along with automatic rifles, pistols, and ammunition found on board. More»

(AP) - The shipping captain held hostage by Somali pirates will return to the US with his crew tomorrow. Maersk Line said today that Richard Phillips and the crew of the Maersk Alabama are expected to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland late tomorrow, where they will reunite with loved ones in a private reception. They are taking a chartered flight from Mombasa, Kenya. More»

Paul and Rachel Chandler went missing a week ago

(NEWSER) - The British couple abducted from their yacht at gunpoint are being held for $7 million ransom, a rep for the Somali pirates who kidnapped them said today. Paul and Rachel Chandler went missing a week ago in the Indian Ocean. "NATO operations had a lot of negative impact here," the unidentified man said in a call to the BBC . "When you consider the damage and all the people affected we say the amount is not big." More»

'We are well,' Paul Chandler says by phone

(NEWSER) - A British couple taken from their yacht by Somali pirates say they’re in good condition and are being held aboard a hijacked container ship. “We are well and being looked after OK,” Paul Chandler, 59, told the BBC by phone today; he also spoke to British channel ITN, saying the pirates had come aboard early last Friday morning as he and wife Rachel, 55, slept. More»

Brits reportedly safe after yacht seized off Somalia

(NEWSER) - A British couple whose yacht went missing in the Indian Ocean four days ago is being held by Somali pirates. The couple was captured during a round-the-world trip while sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania; five international warships were searching hundreds of miles off the African coast for the pair. A pirate told the Times of London that they had "hijacked" the boat and that the couple was "healthy and in our hands." More»