Journo Who Broke Russian Pirate Story Flees Country

(AP) - Russia's navy arrested eight men accused of hijacking the Arctic Sea freighter near Sweden and forcing the crew to sail to West Africa, the defense minister said today. The suspected hijackers were detained by the naval vessel that found the Russian-crewed freighter yesterday off Cape Verde, thousands of miles from the Algerian port where it was supposed to dock two weeks ago. More»

Religious sheikhs preach against sea bandits and their un-Islamic ways

(NEWSER) - Somalia's pirates are facing an enemy on land many of them fear more than foreign warships, the New York Times reports. Sheikhs and Islamic clerics are preaching against the "burcad badeed"—Somali for sea bandits—accusing them of introducing evils like drugs and alcohol to Somali society and urging citizens to form anti-pirate militias. More»

South Koreans rescue North Korean cargo ship from pirate attack

(NEWSER) - The Gulf of Aden was the scene of a rare example of inter-Korean cooperation yesterday as the unfriendly nations joined efforts to thwart pirates, reports the Wall Street Journal. A helicopter from a South Korean warship was sent to the rescue when a North Korean cargo ship being pursued by a pirate ship sent out a distress call. The pirates fled as snipers prepared to fire and the South Koreans guided the grateful North Korean crewmen to safety. More»

Freed pirate hostage calls for tougher ships, better armed crews

(NEWSER) - Military guards or military detachments on board ships are the best way to keep American shipping safe from piracy, Capt. Richard Phillips told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday. Phillips, freed by the US Navy after being held hostage by pirates last month, said better-armed crews and tougher vessels would also help deter pirate attacks, the Hill reports. More»

Fisherman turned bandit after foreigners plundered ocean

(NEWSER) - The pirating life isn’t easy, but the rewards are many and some Somalis see the bandits as heroes, one buccaneer tells the BBC. The man, 25, says he used to be a fisherman, but he signed up with the hijackers after "illegal fishing and dumping of toxic wastes by foreign fishing vessels" emptied the local seas and deprived him of his livelihood. More»