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China to deploy ships off Somalia- 20 December 2008 |
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China will send two navy destroyers and a supply vessel to the Gulf of Aden to protect merchant ships from attacks by Somali pirates, state media have said. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Hu Changming told the Xinhua news agency that the three ships would set sail from the port of Sanya on 26 December. |
| World leaders have called for more action to tackle piracy |
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Iran sends ship against pirates- 20 December 2008 |
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Iran has sent a warship to the Gulf of Aden to protect its merchant shipping from attacks by Somali pirates, Iranian state media has reported. Pirates have attacked more than 100 ships, including two Iranian vessels, in the gulf in the past year and at least 15 are still being held. |
| World leaders have called for more action to tackle piracy |
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Somali pirates killed 'legally'- 19 December 2008 |
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Royal Marines who shot and killed two Somali pirates in November acted lawfully, an inquiry has found. HMS Cumberland, based in Devonport, was on deployment in the Gulf of Aden when the marine detachment intervened in an attempted hijacking of a Danish ship. |
| A number of assault rifles were seized from pirates in the gulf |
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China sailor recalls pirate fight- 19 December 2008 |
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The captain of a Chinese ship has told the BBC how he and his crew fought off a gang of armed Somali pirates with petrol bombs and water cannon. Nine pirates boarded the Zhenhua 4 on Wednesday but were forced off the ship by Capt Peng Weiyuan and his crew after they mounted an unexpected fightback. |
| Chinese media released this photo of the crew defending their ship |
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Chinese ships will fight pirates- 18 December 2008 |
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China has announced it is to send naval ships to fight rampant piracy in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. State media suggested the force could consist of two destroyers and a supply ship, although officials did not confirm the details of the deployment. |
| Seven Chinese ships or crews have been attacked off Somalia this year |
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UN chief rules out Somalia force - 17 December 2008 |
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The time is not right to send United Nations peacekeepers to Somalia, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said. On Tuesday US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for a UN force to be sent to the conflict-hit nation. But Mr Ban said the situation in Somalia was too risky and there was no peace to keep. |
| Mr Ban said the conditions were not in place for sending peacekeepers |
- 17 December 2008 |
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Somali pirates launch new attacks - 17 December 2008 |
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Four more vessels have been attacked by armed bandits off Somalia, as the UN Security Council said foreign forces could pursue the pirates on land. Maritime officials say a Chinese ship's crew held off one group of attackers until a naval patrol arrived. |
| Merchant vessels have been among targets for Somali pirates |
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Timeline: Somalia - 17 December 2008 |
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A chronology of key events:
600s - Arab tribes establish the sultanate of Adel on the Gulf of Aden coast.
1500s - Sultanate of Adel disintegrates into small states.
1875 - Egypt occupies towns on Somali coast and parts of the interior.
1860s - France acquires foothold on the Somali coast, later to become Djibouti.
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| Somali capital, Mogadishu, in more peaceful times |
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Country profile: Somalia - 17 December 2008 |
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Somalia has been without an effective central government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Years of fighting between rival warlords and an inability to deal with famine and disease have led to the deaths of up to one million people. |
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UN approves piracy land pursuit - 17 December 2008 |
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The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a US resolution allowing countries to pursue Somali pirates on land as well as at sea. It is an extension of the powers countries already have to enter Somali waters to chase pirates... |
| Merchant vessels have been among targets for Somali pirates |
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Pirate problem needs 'strategy' - 14 December 2008 |
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World leaders have to deal "properly" with piracy off the Somalian coast, UK Defence Secretary has said... |
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How do you tackle piracy? - 13 December 2008 |
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On the tranquil island state of Bahrain, home to the headquarters of the US Navy's powerful 5th Fleet... |
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Indian navy 'captures 23 pirates' - 13 December 2008 |
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The Indian navy says it has arrested 23 Somali and Yemeni pirates who tried to storm a ship in the Gulf of Aden... |
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Navy head cool on Somalia strikes - 13 December 2008 |
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The top US naval commander in the Gulf and Indian Ocean has dampened hopes that piracy off Somalia's coast... |
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US gets tough on Somali pirates - 11 December 2008 |
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Foreign troops supporting Somalia's government should be allowed to capture Somali pirates on land... |
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Pirates 'put down hostage revolt' - 9 December 2008 |
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Somali pirates say they have thwarted an apparent revolt by the crew of a hijacked Ukrainian cargo ship... |
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Rules frustrate anti-piracy efforts - 9 December 2008 |
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The international effort to stop piracy off Somalia has not worked and the effort clearly needs to be stepped up... |
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EU guards to deter Somali pirates - 9 December 2008
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European Union warships and aircraft are due to launch anti-piracy patrols off the Somali coast... |
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New catamaran ferry on home leg - 8 December 2008 |
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A catamaran ferry built to run between Caithness and Orkney is due to reach the isles on Tuesday... |
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EU to begin Somali pirate patrols - 8 December 2008 |
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European Union warships and aircraft are due to launch anti-piracy patrols off the Somali coast... |
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Regions and territories: Puntland - 4 December 2008 |
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Puntland, an arid region of north-east Somalia, declared itself an autonomous state in August 1998... |
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Sailors learn to cope with piracy - 4 December 2008 |
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A three-day course on how to survive piracy is being run for sailors in Newcastle... |
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How do you pay a pirate's ransom? - 3 December 2008 |
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Pirates in Somalia are making a fortune by hijacking ships and demanding ransoms to set them... |
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Pirates release Yemeni cargo ship - 3 December 2008 |
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Somali pirates have freed without a ransom a Yemeni cargo ship captured last week, a Somali official says... |
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UN extends anti-piracy measures - 2 December 2008 |
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The UN Security Council has extended its authorisation for countries to enter Somalia's territorial waters to stop acts... |
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Cruise ship evades pirate attack - 2 December 2008 |
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A US cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 people was targeted at the weekend by pirates off the coast of Somalia... |
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Pirates 'to release Ukraine ship' - 30 November 2008 |
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Somali pirates holding a ship full of military hardware have reached a deal with its Ukrainian owners to let it go... |
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Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia - 28 November 2008 |
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All Ethiopian troops will leave Somalia by the end of the year, a foreign ministry spokesman has announced... |
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British crew escape pirate hijack - 28 November 2008 |
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Two British security guards have jumped overboard from a chemical tanker seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf... |
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Sierra Leone navy battles pirates - 28 November 2008 |
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Four men have been killed after Sierra Leone's navy acted against a pirate attack, police say... |
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Journalists kidnapped in Somalia - 26 November 2008 |
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A British and Spanish journalist in Somalia have been kidnapped from the north-eastern Puntland region... |
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India navy defends piracy sinking - 26 November 2008 |
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The Indian navy has defended its action in sinking a ship near Somalia that maritime officials have confirmed was... |
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Indian navy 'sank Thai trawler' - 25 November 2008 |
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The owner of a Thai fishing trawler has said the Indian navy sank it off Somalia's coast last week after wrongly... |
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Pirates move ship towards hotspot - 25 November 2008 |
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The Somali pirates holding the Saudi oil tanker Sirius Star and its crew have moved the ship further north... |
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Q&A: Somali piracy - 25 November 2008 |
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A giant Saudi oil tanker has become the largest vessel ever to be hijacked by Somali pirates in what the US Navy... |
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Pirates capture Yemeni cargo ship - 25 November 2008 |
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Somali pirates have hijacked a Yemeni cargo ship, reported to be the 39th successful hijacking by pirates off... |
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Ship owners call for UN-led force - 24 November 2008 |
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A body representing 75% of the world's independent tanker fleet has called on the UN to co-ordinate naval patrols... |
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Pirate says Sirius Star crew safe - 24 November 2008 |
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One of the Somali pirates responsible for hijacking a Saudi oil tanker has told the BBC they have no intention... |
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Abducted Indian ship crew return - 24 November 2008 |
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Some members of the Indian crew of a Japanese ship who were released by Somali pirates after two months... |
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Greek ship released by pirates - 22 November 2008 |
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Pirates in Somalia have released a Greek-owned ship that was hijacked two months ago... |
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