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Veritas News

• Hague: 'There is an opportunity' to end piracy and terrorism

  5 Feb 2012 7:53 am
  William Hague has hailed a historic opportunity to end piracy and terrorism in Somalia after a landmark visit to the war-torn nation. "Recent political and security gains in Somalia mean there is now a historic opportunity." Read more...

• Somali piracy 'boosts Puntland economy'

  5 Feb 2012 7:50 am
  Report author Anja Shortland of Chatham House says that in 2009, pirates received an estimated $70m in ransom payments - more than five times the official budget of the semi-autonomous Puntland where most pirates are based. Read more...

• Somali pirates chop off hostage captain’s arm to elicit $3m

  26 Jan 2012 10:39 am
  The horrific new tactic was used last Friday on the Vietnamese captain of a ship being held in the Somali pirate lair of Haradhere. Chao-I Wu's right arm was cut off after negotiations to pay a $3M ransom broke down. Read more...

• US special forces free pirate hostages in Somalia night raid

  25 Jan 2012 9:17 am
  US Navy Seals have staged a daring rescue of two pirate hostages being held in Somalia. The soldiers helicoptered into pirate territory in a night raid and freed an American and a Dane. Nine pirates were killed in the raid. Read more...

• Clarify 'lethal force' piracy defence rules, say MPs

  19 Jan 2012 10:27 am
  Guidelines on when British ships can use "lethal force" against Somali pirates must be clarified, MPs say. The foreign affairs select committee said ministers must spell out "what is permissible and what is not". Read more...

• US ships 'in second rescue of Iranians in Gulf'

  19 Jan 2012 10:24 am
  A US ship has picked up Iranians in trouble at sea, in the second such rescue in less than a week, the Pentagon has said. US Coast Guard cutter Monomoy rescued six Iranian mariners after their vessel broke down in the Gulf. Read more...

• Somali piracy 'boosts Puntland economy'

  19 Jan 2012 10:22 am
  New research suggests piracy has led to widespread economic development in some parts of Somalia. The study, published by British think-tank Chatham House, looked at detailed satellite imagery. Read more...

• Royal Navy captures 13 Somali pirates

  19 Jan 2012 10:21 am
  The Royal Navy has captured 13 Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Defence says. RFA Fort Victoria and a US Navy vessel intercepted the pirates' boat, which had refused to stop despite warning shots. Read more...

• Somali piracy: Armed guards to protect UK ships

  30 Oct 2011 8:42 am
  Ships sailing under a British flag will be able to carry armed guards to protect them from pirates, the prime minister has announced. No ship carrying armed security has yet been hijacked, the government claims. Read more...

• While Somalia is unstable, is Kenya safe to visit?

  29 Oct 2011 7:03 pm
  Kenya is a country whose economy and people are heavily reliant on its income from tourism. But the recent attacks on tourists by Somali pirates are casting a long shadow on its white sand beaches. Read more...

• Paul and Rachel Chandler criticise UK rescue effort

  29 Oct 2011 7:00 pm
  Paul and Rachel Chandler have criticised the gov't for putting the Foreign Office in charge of securing their release from Somali pirates, rather than police. Rachel also explained why the couple had written their memoirs. Read more...

• UK and US forces 'rescue pirate-held Italian ship'

  11 Oct 2011 5:15 pm
  British and US naval forces have rescued 23 hostages from an Italian ship hijacked by Somali pirates. The RN boarded the ship and met no resistance, before detaining 11 suspected pirates, the UK's Ministry of Defence stated. Read more...

• Britons held as 'spies' in Eritrea have been released

  18 Sep 2011 12:31 pm
  Four Britons held in Eritrea on spying and terrorism charges since December have been released, the Foreign Office (FCO) has said. The four men all worked for the security firm PVI. Read more...

• Mozambique holds 'pirate hunters'

  18 Sep 2011 12:28 pm
  Four Americans and one Briton, who say they were trying to free a boat seized by pirates, have been arrested in Mozambique and accused of possessing illegal weapons. Read more...

• Somalia pirates free Danish family seized in February

  11 Sep 2011 2:35 pm
  A Danish family of five and two crew members captured by Somali pirates in February have been freed and brought to safety, Denmark's government says.Pirates continue to hold at least 30 vessels and their crews. Read more...