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October 2008
- Somali Standoff Continues as Nations Move to Fight Piracy
  
  BBC | Oct 2, 08 11:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - With pirates still holding a munitions-laden ship off Somalia’s coast, the European Union plans a security force to crack down on maritime crime in the area, the BBC reports. The US Navy has surrounded the MV Faina to ensure the weapons aboard are not given to terrorists, and Somalia has authorized use of force to regain control of the ship. Meanwhile piracy in the area has netted some $30 million in ransom this year, the AP adds. More »
- Pirates Discuss Ransom for Arms Shipment
  
  BBC | Oct 1, 08 3:23 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Somali pirates who hijacked a Ukranian ship carrying a weapons shipment are in ransom negotiations with the vessel’s owners, the BBC reports. No governments are involved in the talks, sources said. The pirates seem to be flexible: They initially asked for a $35 million ransom, then $20 million, and now “it’s down to $5 million,” one source said. More »
September 2008
- Somali Pirates: Uh, Hey, We're 'Misunderstood'
  
  New York Times | Sep 30, 08 11:24 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Somali pirates currently surrounded by US warships aboard a Ukrainian weapons freighter say they didn’t mean to steal the massive heavy weaponry shipment, they tell the New York Times , calling in by satellite phone. “We just saw a big ship,” said the leader. “So we stopped it.” They promise they’re not out to sell the cargo to terrorists. “We just want the money.” More »
- 3 Pirates Killed in In-Fighting Aboard Hijacked Tanker
  
  Guardian (UK) | Sep 30, 08 4:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Three pirates were killed today as in-fighting broke out aboard a hijacked Ukranian tanker, reports the Guardian. Tensions about what to do with the tanker, its crew, and the 33 tanks aboard it rose yesterday as American destroyers and cruisers continued to move in to ensure that the weapons—bound for Sudan—didn't fall into the wrong hands, said a Navy spokesman. More »
- Islamists Eye Weapons on Pirate Ship
  
  Times (UK) | Sep 29, 08 7:26 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Islamic extremists are preparing to unload anti-aircraft guns and grenades from a Ukrainian ship captured by Somali pirates, the Times of London reports, though the ship, taken Thursday as it approached Kenya, is surrounded by US and European warships. Speaking via satellite phone, the seized vessel’s captain said one of his 21-member crew had died and the captors wanted $20 million in ransom. More »
- Talk Like a Pirate Today, Matey, Or Walk the Plank!
  
  Detroit Free Press | Sep 19, 08 4:42 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Ahoy, matey! Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, the Detroit Free Press reports—though the good fortune of falling on a Friday has some wannabe swashbucklers set for a weekend of buccaneering behavior. Initially a joke between two friends, the holiday got national exposure when Dave Barry mentioned it in his Miami Herald column—and pirate-lovers everywhere realized what they’d been missing. More »
August 2008
- 1920s Mickey May Be Public Domain
  
  Los Angeles Times | Aug 23, 08 7:44 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A trio of unlikely challengers has angered Walt Disney Co. by arguing that an early version of Mickey Mouse is no longer copyright-protected, the Los Angeles Times reports. Disney has won a $500,000 lawsuit against ex-employee Gregory Brown, who uncovered old film credits that he says invalidate Disney's claim to a 1920s version of Mickey. A law student later took up Brown's case in a class paper. More »
June 2008
- UN Boosts Members' Powers to Fight Africa Piracy
  
  CNN | Jun 3, 08 12:56 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - With piracy a growing problem off the Horn of Africa, the UN will allow its members to combat pirates using “all necessary means,” including chasing them into Somali waters, CNN reports. Somalia’s transitional government supports the move. More than two dozen pirate attacks have been reported in the area in 2008, including nine successful hijackings. More »
- Life Imitates Depp: Caribbean Piracy on Rise
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jun 2, 08 9:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Pirates of the Caribbean is becoming all too real for yachters, the Los Angeles Times reports, with crime against visiting boats on the rise—and “it's becoming more violent,” one analyst says. The attacks are prompting businesses to advise caution—but they worry that overstating the problem could cause paranoia among tourists, the backbone of the region’s economy. More »
- Theme Park Jack Sparrow Recalls Arrrduous Gig
  
  Los Angeles | Jun 1, 08 9:18 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Salacious proposals from drunken damsels and stalkers equipped with Disneyland annual passes dot the treacherous seas an actor playing Disneyland's Jack Sparrow must navigate. A pirate who had some issues with Disney's innumerable rules, including forbidding the swashbuckler to mention rum or grow the signature Johnny Depp goatee, spills to Los Angeles magazine. More »
May 2008
- Kickball 'Pirate' Busted With Sword at Macy's
  
  New York Post | May 26, 08 5:50 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A knuckle-headed player for a local "Pirates" kickball team was busted at Macy's in Manhattan yesterday for sporting an actual swashbuckler's sword, reports the New York Post . The 29-year-old player told police the sword was a "prop" he was taking to a game—but cops were not amused. "It's not a toy. It's sharp," explained an officer. More »
- Pirates Hijack Relief Ship Off of Somalia
  
  BBC | May 18, 08 10:02 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Pirates hijacked a Jordanian relief ship off the Somalia coast early yesterday, reports the BBC, and its 12-member international crew are now traveling north with its cargo of 4,000 tons of sugar. Jordan is reportedly working with the Danish embassy in Mogadishu, near where the boat was seized, to try to get the ship and crew released. More »
- US Firm Must Return Sunken Treasure: Spain
  
  Associated Press | May 8, 08 4:16 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Spain filed evidence today in support of its claim it is the rightful owner of a shipwreck loaded with $500 million in treasure discovered and looted by a US exploration firm, the AP reports. The Spanish government identifies the wreck, whose identity has been disputed over the past year, as the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, sunk by a British warship in 1804. More »
April 2008
- Spain Speeds to Save Pirate Hostages
  
  BBC | Apr 21, 08 9:26 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A Spanish naval frigate is steaming to the waters off Somalia to rescue crew members of a tuna boat seized by pirates, reports the BBC. The boat was grabbed just days after French commandos freed hostages from a luxury yacht comandeered by Somali pirates. The tuna boat's 26 crew members are "well," the captain said by radio, but the pirates are demanding a ransom. More »
- Pirates Grab French Yacht Off Somalia
  
  AFP | Apr 4, 08 8:35 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Pirates overran a French yacht off the coast of Somalia today and took 30 crew members hostage, AFP reports. Vowing a quick end to the hijacking, France has joined a US-led regional force and may use its own "relatively major military resources within this zone," Prime Minister Francois Fillon said. No passengers were on board, and, "as far as we know, no shots have been fired," a French official said. More »
February 2008
- Not So Fun to Stay on the Pirate Bay
  
  Ars Technica | Feb 18, 08 12:57 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The Village People head a list of music industry has-beens pondering legal action against file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, after the service was indicted in Sweden for copyright infringement. The artists would join Prince, who’s been on the war path against the site for some time, reports Ars Technica. More »
- UK File Pirates Could Lose Net Privileges
  
  Guardian (UK) | Feb 12, 08 12:35 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Legislation proposed in the UK would disconnect from the Internet people who illegally download or share files. Under a plan to be recommended in a paper from the government's Department of Media, Culture and Sport, file pirates will face a "three strikes" policy—the first offense gets an email, the second service suspension, and the third Internet disconnection, reports the Guardian . More »

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Stories

Somali Standoff Continues as Nations Move to Fight Piracy

Pirates Discuss Ransom for Arms Shipment

Somali Pirates: Uh, Hey, We're 'Misunderstood'

3 Pirates Killed in In-Fighting Aboard Hijacked Tanker

Islamists Eye Weapons on Pirate Ship

Talk Like a Pirate Today, Matey, Or Walk the Plank!

1920s Mickey May Be Public Domain

UN Boosts Members' Powers to Fight Africa Piracy

Life Imitates Depp: Caribbean Piracy on Rise

Theme Park Jack Sparrow Recalls Arrrduous Gig

Kickball 'Pirate' Busted With Sword at Macy's

Pirates Hijack Relief Ship Off of Somalia

US Firm Must Return Sunken Treasure: Spain

Spain Speeds to Save Pirate Hostages

Pirates Grab French Yacht Off Somalia

Not So Fun to Stay on the Pirate Bay

UK File Pirates Could Lose Net Privileges