piracy News

Hijacked Orkim Harmony Oil Tanker Released by Pirates Who Escape

The hijacked oil tanker Orkim Harmony has been released by pirates, who fled in the ship’s rescue boat, Malaysian navy and maritime officials said on Friday. The Orkim Harmony, hijacked on June 11 off the Malaysian coast by pirates reportedly …

Update: Malaysian Navy Makes Contact With Pirates on Hijacked Oil Tanker

A Malaysian naval vessel has made contact with the pirates onboard hijacked tanker Orkim Harmony and is trying to persuade them to surrender, a maritime official said on Thursday. The tanker as of noon (0400 GMT) was in Vietnamese waters …

Yemen Conflict Adds to Worries for Ships Dodging Pirates, Terror

When it comes to world trade, a 17-day shortcut trumps terror, piracy and now bombs. That’s the time a supertanker saves by using the Bab el-Mandeb waterway that skirts Yemen at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, rather than …

Shipping Losses Down in 2014 But New Threats Loom: Allianz

Shipping losses declined to 75 during 2014, a 32 percent drop from the previous year and well below the 10-year loss average of 127, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) third annual Safety and Shipping Review 2015. …

UN Security Council Debates Spread of Piracy

Centuries after piracy was recognized as the first international crime against humanity, its spread around the world has prompted the U.N. Security Council’s first debate Monday on piracy’s rise as a threat to world peace and security. In the past, …

Insurers Face Tougher Times as Somali Piracy Drops

A dramatic fall in pirate attacks off the Somali coast is forcing down the cost of piracy insurance for commercial ships, taking the shine off a fast-growing and lucrative market for London-based insurers. International navies have cracked down on pirates, …

Willis Intelligence Specialist Warns of Continued Somali Pirate Threat

Tim Holt, Head of Intelligence at Special Contingency Risks (SCR), part of the Willis Group, has warned that the piracy threat in Somalia is unlikely to abate for the following reasons: • “Piracy is the second largest generator of income …

Africa’s Pirates Have Demands for Insurers – and a Letterhead, Too

Welcome to the Pirate Action Group. Pirate commander Jamal wishes to congratulate you on being hijacked. Kindly speak to his negotiator about your ransom, bearing in mind that his demands are similar for every vessel he seizes. This is not …

EXCLUSIVE – Somali Pirate Kingpins Enjoy ‘Impunity’ Say UN Experts

Somalia’s president has shielded a top pirate leader from arrest by issuing him a diplomatic passport, according to a United Nations investigation which criticizes the “climate of impunity” enjoyed by pirate kingpins in Somalia and abroad. The U.N. Monitoring Group …

Efforts to Tackle Somali Piracy Paying Off Says IMB

Tougher action by international navies and the use of private armed guards on ships have more than halved the number of Somali pirate attacks, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Monday. Last year, Somali piracy in the busy shipping …