pirates

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Danish Hostages Taken to Somali Coast

Pirates will now begin trying to get a ransom

(Newser) - A Danish family whose yacht was hijacked by pirates is now being held along the coast of Somalia, the AP reports. Jan Quist Johansen, his wife, their three teenage children, and two crew members now likely face a lengthy ransom process. They've been moved either to land or to a...

Danish Family Knew They Might Be Hijacked by Pirates

Parents, teens had prepared a 'piracy plan'

(Newser) - The Danish family that was captured by pirates in the Indian Ocean on Thursday wasn't caught unawares, reports the AP . The family—a couple with three children, ages 12 to 16—had written on a travel blog that they were in daily contact with anti-piracy forces, and had prepped a...

Children on Sailboat Hijacked by Pirates

Danish family captured in Indian Ocean

(Newser) - Somali pirates have seized child hostages for what is believed to be the first time. The three children aged 12 to 16 were aboard a Danish sailboat hijacked as it crossed the Indian Ocean, AP reports. Their parents and two Danish crew members were also captured. Danish officials say the...

Pirates Kill All 4 American Hostages

US officials have killed or captured all the pirates

(Newser) - The four Americans on a yacht captured by Somali pirates Friday have been shot and killed by their captors, NBC News reports, and US forces killed two pirates and captured the remaining 13. Phyllis Macay, Robert Riggle and the yacht’s owners Jean and Scott Adam were captured on a...

Somali Pirates Hijack 4 Americans

California couple on round-the-world mission since 2004

(Newser) - Somali pirates yesterday hijacked a yacht with four Americans aboard, in likely retaliation for the 33-year prison sentence this week of a pirate in the hijacking of the US vessel Maersk Alabama. The yacht Quest belongs to missionaries Jean and Scott Adam, who have been sailing around the world since...

US Should Treat Pirates Like Terrorists: Vice Admiral

To stop piracy, follow the money and bust the network

(Newser) - The problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden might be receiving less attention in the media these days, but it has not gone away. In fact, hostage-taking is up, from 350 people in captivity in September to 750 today. Ransoms are a million-dollar business for pirates, who are also...

South Korea Raid Frees Hijacked Ship From Pirates

Commandos free 21 hostages, kill 8 scoundrels

(Newser) - South Korean commandos stormed a chemical freighter that had been hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean last week, rescuing all 21 captives while killing eight pirates and capturing five more, according to officials in Seoul. The raiding party boarded the ship in the pre-dawn darkness this morning, systematically...

Archeologists Think They Have Blackbeard's Sword

Or at least part of it, from North Carolina shipwreck

(Newser) - Cool find from archeologists poking around Blackbeard's sunken ship off the coast of North Carolina: They've found a gilded hilt that may have belonged to the bad man himself, reports Time . There's no way to know for sure, of course, but it's ornamental and probably of French design, seemingly well-suited...

New Way to Fight Pirates: With a Laser

Weapon emits harmless but effective green light

(Newser) - Somali pirates, beware: British scientists are developing a laser that works by confusing would-be attackers from more than a mile away, the Daily Mail reports. The laser hides the ship in a veil of green light, preventing pirates from easily steering toward or aiming at their victims. “We are...

Freed Yacht Couple Opens Up About Traumatic Year

Retired Brits spent year held captive by Somali thugs

(Newser) - The retired British couple who was released yesterday after a year held hostage by pirates who seized them as they sailed the ocean in their yacht opened up about their ordeal, saying one of their most difficult parts was being severely beaten when they refused to be separated during their...

Pirates Free UK Couple After a Year

'We're very happy to be alive,' Rachel Chandler says

(Newser) - After being held captive more than a year on their 38-foot yacht in the Indian Ocean, Somali pirates have set free a British couple early today, ending one of the longest hostage situations off East Africa. Paul and Rachel Chandler appeared thin but relaxed in a small ceremony in their...

Cunning Crew Foils Pirates... by Locking Door

Aargh. They give up, go home

(Newser) - Somali pirates attempted to grab a French tanker yesterday, and failed—after the crew locked themselves in the control room. Unable to take over the vessel, the pirates gave up and returned to their ship. The attack took place about 100 miles off the coast of Tanzania on a liquefied...

US Marines Free Ship From Somali Pirates

Hijacked vessel recaptured without single shot fired

(Newser) - US Marines stormed a pirate-held freighter off the coast off Somalia yesterday and freed its crew without firing a shot. Nine heavily armed Somali pirates—who had threatened to open fire, but surrendered or fled to hiding places on the ship when the Marines boarded—were busted. It's the first...

Mexican Pirates Stalk Texas Lake

Cartel gunmen robbing fishermen

(Newser) - The best bass-fishing lake in America is being terrorized by Mexican pirates. Several American boaters on Falcon Lake, which straddles the US-Mexican border, have been robbed in recent weeks by boatloads of armed Mexicans believed to belong to the Zeta cartel. Most of the incidents have happened on the Mexican...

Captured Pirates Present Conundrum for US

Some 20 are currently languishing aboard two ships

(Newser) - The US Navy has no idea what to do with 10 alleged Somali pirates that have been languishing in the brig on one of its warships for more than a month. Though any country can jail and prosecute pirates under international law, the US only does so if they're accused...

Russia Frees Pirates Who Seized Tanker

They even got their boats back

(Newser) - The pirates seized by a Russian warship off the coast of Somalia have been released, despite initial tough talk about taking them to Russia to face trial. "Imperfections" in international law forced the change in course, a defense ministry spokesman told the AP today, declining to elaborate. Some countries...

Russians Storm Pirated Oil Tanker, Free Crew

Commandos capture pirates in raid on SS Moscow University

(Newser) - Russian commandos rappelled from helicopters to storm a hijacked oil tanker off the coast of Somalia at dawn today, freeing the ship's crew of 23 Russians and capturing the pirates. One pirate was killed in the operation, but there were no other injuries aboard the SS Moscow University, the AP...

US Navy Captures 5 Pirates, Mothership

Exchanged fire, sank skiff near Seychelles

(Newser) - US naval forces say they've captured five pirates after exchanging fire with them, sinking their skiff, and confiscating a mothership. The USS Nicholas came under fire early today from pirates in an area west of the Seychelles. The US Africa Command said the five pirates seized would remain in US...

Private Guards Kill Somali Pirate for First Time

Encounters at sea grow more violent as ships fight back

(Newser) - Private security guards shot and killed a Somali pirate yesterday during an attack on a merchant ship off the coast of East Africa in what is believed to be the first such killing by armed contractors. The guards were onboard the MV Almezaan when a pirate group approached it twice,...

US Navy Thwarts Pirate Attack on Tanzanian Ship

Eight pirates captured while trying to escape

(Newser) - A US warship stepped in to defend a Tanzanian ship that was under attack from pirates, scaring off and capturing the scallywags. When the USS Farragut got a distress call from the Tanzanians saying a gang on a skiff was attacking them, a Seahawk helicopter was dispatched to the scene....

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