France 'captures Somali pirates'

Nine suspected Somali pirates have been captured by the French navy and handed over to regional officials in northern Somalia, the authorities there say. Patrolling French marines arrested the pirates in the Gulf of Aden after intercepting two boats on Wednesday, officials in Puntland said. It comes as the International Maritime Bureau said the waters off Somalia were the world's worst for pirate attacks. Pirates believed they can act with impunity, the monitoring agency said. Nato ships are expected in the region in the coming days to escort aid ships through the dangerous waters. more..http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7686806.stm

Somali Pirate Attacks Rose Fivefold in Gulf of Aden This Year
Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Somali pirate attacks climbed fivefold in the Gulf of Aden in the first nine months of the year as ransom payments spurred raiders to step up their activities, the International Maritime Bureau said.
There were 51 boardings or attempts to board, compared with 10 in the same period last year, the bureau, which is part of the International Chamber of Commerce, said in an e-mailed report today. Nigerian attacks, the second most frequent, dropped to 24 from 26.
``Demands for ransom have increased dramatically and may have contributed to the recent increase,'' the bureau said. Incidents have become more violent, with a third of them involving firearms, it said. more..http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=azLKRnzOjobk&refer=africa

NATO Fleet Sails Toward Somalia to Guard Against Piracy

BRUSSELS (AP) — A NATO flotilla sailing toward the Somali coast will begin antipiracy operations within the next few days, but officials said Wednesday that the alliance was still working out the ships’ rules of engagement.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/world/africa/23nato.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Somali pirate attacks up 75 percent this year
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia this year have surged 75 percent, an international maritime agency said Thursday as it called for serious international action against the brigands who "operate with impunity."
The International Maritime Bureau said the waters off Somalia, including the Gulf of Aden, are the world's most dangerous, accounting for 63 — or nearly a third — of the 199 reported pirate attacks worldwide between January and September 2008. more..http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081023/ap_on_re_as/as_somalia_piracy
Russia wants to fight pirates in Somalia's waters
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia, which sent a warship to Somalia's coast to combat pirates, asked the African nation on Thursday for carte blanche to use force in its territorial waters.
Last month Moscow sent the frigate "Neustrashimy" -- or "Fearless" -- to the Gulf of Aden, and the Russian navy said at the time that its ships would regularly head to zones where there was a danger from maritime piracy.
Some observers say Russia's navy is being used by the Kremlin to project its renewed power.
"To ensure freedom of actions to fight piracy directly in Somalia's territorial waters, the Foreign Ministry of Russia has requested the agreement of the Interim Federal more..http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081023/wl_nm/us_russia_somalia_piracy
French marines hand over captured Somali pirates to local authorities http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/24/content_10241820.htm

Canadian ship leaves pirate-plagued Somali watersPirate attacks have increased by 75 per cent off the coast of Somalia, maritime officials said Thursday, even as a Canadian navy ship was finishing its patrol of the perilous waters.
HMCS Ville de Québec was deployed to the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, in August at the request of the United Nation's World Food Program. It was to provide protection for ships carrying food and other supplies through the waters off Somalia. more..http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/23/somalia-pirates.html


Talks for release of Ukrainian ship continue
NAIROBI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Negotiations for the release of the Ukrainian ship which was hijacked off the Somali coast last month with military hardware are on course and may be concluded in the next few days, a regional maritime official said on Thursday. Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program said talks have reached an advantaged stage that may lead to the release of the MV Faina which was seized on Sept. 25 with 33 T-72 tanks. more..http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/24/content_10241855.htm