Pirates hijack another vessel off Somalia

Somali pirates have hijacked yet another ship, a Chinese bulk carrier with 25 crew, in the Indian Ocean, a member of the gang told Reuters by phone from a pirate stronghold north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Last week pirates hijacked a Singapore-flagged container ship 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles, days after demanding $4 million for the release of a Spanish trawler. The EU's counter-piracy force says the latest vessel was seized 550 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles and 700 nautical miles from the east coast of Somalia. Despite numerous navies patrolling the area, including those from India and China, the pirates have attacked 150 vessels so far this year, according to US Navy figures, with 29 ships seized and at least four vessels still being held for ransom. Read more: Reuters, Bloomberg, CS Monitor