A Yemeni freighter has become the 39th vessel seized by Somali pirates this year. Such hijackings have become a common occurrence off the coast of Somalia. Ship owners have called on the U.N. to police the affected waters.


BBC:

Somali pirates have hijacked a Yemeni cargo ship, reported to be the 39th successful hijacking by pirates off the Horn of Africa this year.

Head of the East African Seafarers’ Association Andrew Mwangura said the MV Amani was taken in the Gulf of Aden.

News of its capture comes 10 days after the giant Saudi super-tanker, the Sirius Star, was hijacked with $100m of oil and 25 crew members.

Read more

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig