Somali pirates cut ransom demand on hijacked arms ship Faina

The ransom demand for a hijacked Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and weapons has been cut to $8m, according to one of the Somali pirates on board. The pirate, who identified himself as Jama Aden, is not the usual spokesman for the gang but answered the satellite phone of the spokesman, Sugule Ali. "There are high hopes we will release the ship within hours if they pay us $8 million," Aden said. "The negotiations with the ship owners are going well." The Faina, which was hijacked late last month in the Gulf of Aden off the Horn of Africa, was being blockaded by six US warships amid fears its weapons cargo might fall into the hands of insurgents linked to al-Qaida. A Russian frigate was on its way towards the standoff. The pirates originally demanded $20 million for the release of the ship and its 20-strong Ukrainian, Latvian and Russian crew... more..http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/07/somalia

Dutch send second escort ship to Somalia The Dutch government is sending a second naval ship to Somalia. The frigate De Ruyter’s mission is to protect UN food transports against pirates. It is expected to arrive off the coast of Somalia by the end of the month.This is the second time this year that the Dutch navy has been active in the region. From April to June, the frigate Evertsen escorted ten shipments of food intended for more than one million refugees in Somalia.The waters off the Somali coast are considered the most dangerous in the world. This year alone, pirates there have seized more than 30 vessels