India 'to step up piracy battle' Nov 22, 2008
India is among several countries currently patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. In recent weeks, there has been a growing demand for multinational efforts to fight the pirates, with more than 90 vessels attacked this year. (BBC News)
Great game of hunting pirates Nov 22, 2008
They may halt maritime activity from the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Insurance premiums for ships plying between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula have skyrocketed as much as 10-fold and additional costs could total US$400 million annually. (Asia Times Online)
Who are Somalia's pirates? Nov 22, 2008
Egypt hosted a Nov. 20 emergency meeting with Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Jordan to try to forge a joint strategy against piracy, which threatens a crucial international trade route through the Suez Canal in the Red Sea Egypt's key source of revenue. Get Monitor stories by e-mail. (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
Africa: The Crazy Eritrea-Djibouti Conflict Nov 22, 2008
Both countries are at the mouth of the Red Sea which has strategic military significance for the big powers and is a gateway to oil supplies from the Gulf to most industrialized countries. But, while Djibouti is open and enjoys a lot of trade, its neighbour, Eritrea, is an enigma to most of the international community. (allAfrica.com)
Anarchy in Somalia, lack of a coordinated international strategy to fight the kidnapping epidemic and a vicious ransom-weaponry cycle have resulted in rampant piracies in the waters off Somali, analysts say. • Time to get down to business with pirate scourge Nov 22, 2008
Somali pirates now look set to go on attacking vessels heading into or out of the Red Sea or passing through the Gulf of Aden into the Indian Ocean regardless of their size, affecting about 10percent of world shipping ... On Thursday, Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea promised to coordinate efforts in the fight against piracy in the region. (Xinhuanet, China)
Pirates collect $150 million in ransom Nov 22, 2008
The Gulf of Aden is a key route for ships passing from the Arabian Sea and Indian Oceans to the southern Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea by the Suez Canal ... Red Sea nations in the Arab League also agreed Thursday to coordinate a common strategy against piracy ... The communique said Arab nations around the Red Sea were principally responsible for security there and recommended establishing joint mechanisms between those countries to ensure the safety of shipping. (CNN -- World)
Piracy threat leads to higher insurance premiums Nov 21, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, is one of the busiest waterways in the world. Over 20,000 vessels pass through it each year. (MSNBC -- International)
World Struggles With Somali Piracy Solution Nov 21, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. The route is thousands of miles and many days shorter than going around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. (Fox News)
Somalia 'to become pirate magnet' Nov 21, 2008
Deputy foreign minister Wafaa Bassem, who chaired a piracy crisis meeting of Red Sea states, called for political, humanitarian and economic help. And a top African Union diplomat called on the UN to send peacekeepers to the country or risk further deterioration. (BBC News -- Africa)
India praised for sinking pirates Nov 21, 2008
India is among several countries patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. "The United Nations and international community must decide how to solve this grave problem (of piracy). They must be more forceful in their action," Mr Choong said. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Saudi foreign minister condemns piracy Nov 21, 2008
Saud and Stoere both expressed a willingness to provide ships and support for an international task force to fight piracy in the Red Sea area, where more than 80 pirate attacks have been recorded this year. Most Viewed. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
From bongs to boomers, the Bay has seen it all Nov 21, 2008
Back in those days, a long jetty speared out from Byron's main beach welcoming coastal traders and carrying offal in a pipe from the whaling station and the abattoir, sometimes turning the water out behind the surf break into a red sea. "If there were any sharks, the newspaper would foam alive," Haskew said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Arab countries meet to tackle Somali pirate threat Nov 21, 2008
But government officials and independent analysts agree that, without efforts by North American, European, and Asian countries, there is little that the Arab states that border the Red Sea can do to defend their economic interests from the lawlessness leaking out of Somalia. "To resolve the problem we are under no illusions that the Red Sea countries can solve a problem that exists outside the Red Sea," says Hossam Zaki, a spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry ... He says the meeting was... (Christian Science Monitor)
Look to Jefferson Nov 21, 2008
These lawless enclaves serve as staging bases for attacks on merchant shipping in the vital sea lanes between the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal on the Red Sea. Given these circumstances, this week's seizure of a Saudi Arabian supertanker was inevitable. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Opinion)
Pirates demand $25m Nov 21, 2008
After the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) described the situation as "out of control," Arab Red Sea states meeting in Cairo on Thursday pledged co-operation to end the threat but offered few specifics ... Egypt's economy heavily relies on revenue from tourism and maritime traffic through the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. (iAfrica.com)
Pirates send shipping firms on costly detour Nov 21, 2008
The Gulf of Aden connects to the Red Sea and leads to Egypt's Suez Canal the preferred route for shippers because it cuts several days off trips, compared with the circuitous route across the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa, dividing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The International Maritime Organization reported that a sailing from a Saudi oil port to Gibraltar could double in distance using the longer route. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
High risk on the high seas Nov 21, 2008
In the past year, Somali pirates have collected an estimated $US30 million ($48 million) in ransoms for hijacked boats and crews, mainly in the Gulf of Aden, a funnel-shaped stretch of water between Yemen and Somalia that guards the entry to the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The pirates base themselves in the poor, semi-autonomous coastal province of Puntland, in the north-eastern corner of Somalia, where more than 300 seafarers and up to 12 hijacked ships are now thought to be anchored while ransom... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
U.S. sanctions against Somalian terrorists Nov 21, 2008
CAIRO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea promised here on Thursday to coordinate efforts in the fight against piracy near the Red Sea region. During an extraordinary meeting co-chaired by Egypt and Yemen, representatives from Jordan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Djibouti and the Arab League (AL) discussed means of fighting against the growing threat of piracy, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported. (Xinhuanet, China)
Red Sea Arab countries call for more co-op to combat piracy Nov 21, 2008
Red Sea Arab countries call for more cooperation to combat piracy_English_Xinhua. Red Sea Arab countries call for more cooperation to combat piracy ... CAIRO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea promised here on Thursday to coordinate efforts in the fight against piracy near the Red Sea region. (Xinhuanet, China)
Bold Action Urged As Piracy Escalates Nov 21, 2008
Egypt hosted an emergency meeting Thursday of six Arab countries trying to forge a joint strategy against piracy in the Gulf of Aden which threatens a crucial international trade route through the Suez Canal in the Red Sea - Egypt's key source of revenue. The countries in the meeting were those who with Egypt share the Red Sea - Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Jordan ... They include setting up a piracy monitoring center, joint maneuvers by Arab navies, and a warning systems for ships navigating... (CBS News -- World)
Somali pirates demand US$25m ransom for oil tanker Nov 21, 2008
We do not want long-term discussions to resolve the matter," a pirate who identified himself as Mohamed Said said from the ship. "The Saudis have 10 days to comply, otherwise we will take action that could be disastrous," Said told AFP from the ship now anchored at the Somali pirate lair of Harardhere, without elaborating. Seized at the weekend in the Indian Ocean some 800 kilometres off the coast of Kenya, the Sirius Star tanker was loaded to capacity with two million barrels of oil and the... (Channelnewsasia.com)
'Experts' lead Saudi tanker talks Nov 21, 2008
Senior officials from countries bordering the Red Sea, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia, met in Cairo and called for political, humanitarian and economic help from the international community. Egypt's Deputy Foreign Minister, Wafaa Bassem, said Somalia had to be helped by the international community to stop it becoming a "magnet for pirates". (BBC News -- Africa)
* Dealing with Somalias pirates Nov 21, 2008
This was not lost on Egypt, which recently called upon the Red Sea states to inaugurate a similar combined effort in the Gulf of Aden. The east African coastal waters of Somalia should ideally be patrolled by the naval forces of Kenya, Tanzania and other interested littoral states. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Alwaleed Exceeds Buffett's Loss Rate as Citigroup, News Corp. Values Slump Nov 20, 2008
On Oct. 13, Kingdom Holding announced plans for the Kingdom Tower, part of the $27 billion Kingdom City real-estate project in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Such attention-grabbing projects are under review throughout the Gulf, as oil prices plunge and borrowing costs rise. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
World grapples with pirate problem Nov 20, 2008
That inability to deal with the problem risks halting maritime activity going from the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea. Already at least one major shipper, Norwegian oil and chemical tanker operator Odfjell, has announced that its 100-vessel fleet will no longer sail through the Gulf of Aden. (Los Angeles Times)
Warship shells pirates Nov 20, 2008
We will mechanically count the money and we have machines that can detect fake money," the man said on an audio tape produced by the Arab television network. Vela International, the owners of the ship, would not comment on the report. Seized in the Indian Ocean some 500 miles (800 kilometres) off the coast of Kenya, the Sirius Star is now anchored at the Somali pirate lair of Harardhere, according to local officials. The super-tanker has a 25-strong crew 19 from the Philippines, two from... (iAfrica.com)
Off Africa's coast, pirates 'out of control' Nov 20, 2008
Some shipping lines have begun avoiding the shipping corridors near Somalia and their shortcut to the West through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, which can add between five and 10 days to a trip from Asia to Europe, says David Ellis, president of Odfjell USA, a Norwegian-owned shipping company. Each extra day at sea, he says, costs about $30,000. (USA Today)
INDIA FIGHTS BACK Nov 20, 2008
The Gulf of Aden connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. The route is thousands of miles and many days shorter than going around the Cape of Good Hope off the southern tip of Africa. (USA Today)
Indian Navy Scores Rare Win Over Pirates Nov 19, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. The route is thousands of miles and many days shorter than going around the Cape of Good Hope off the southern tip of Africa. (CBS News)
Ships diverted after tanker hijacking Nov 19, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal ... Saud, speaking during a visit to Athens yesterday said Saudi Arabia would join an international initiative against piracy in the Red Sea area, where more than 80 pirate attacks have taken place this year. (Boston Globe)
India 'sinks Somali pirate ship' Nov 19, 2008
India is among several countries are already patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Indian navy said the Tabar spotted a pirate vessel while patrolling 285 nautical miles (528km) south-west of Salalah in Oman, on Tuesday evening. (BBC News)
Somalia: Pirates' Daring Attack 'Stuns' U.S. Navy Nov 19, 2008
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) of the U.S.-led military coalition which patrols the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean have recorded a reduction in successful piracy attacks from 53 percent in August to 31 percent in October. However, Mullen noted that despite the drop in the proportion of attacks that succeeded, "we've seen an extraordinary rise in the overall numbers.". (allAfrica.com)
We must submit to Mother Nature's whims Nov 19, 2008
Last winter, it seems every storm heading our way parted like the Red Sea and circled around Bismarck-Mandan, only to dump on the rest of the state. Maybe it was just our time to get nailed. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
Hijacked Saudi tanker reaches Somalia Nov 19, 2008
"This outrageous act by the pirates, I think, will only reinforce the resolve of the countries of the Red Sea and internationally to fight piracy," he said. But underlining the difficulty of containing the problem, China's official Xinhua agency said on Tuesday a Hong Kong ship loaded with grain and bound for Iran was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Saudi super-tanker taken to Somali pirate lair Nov 19, 2008
The majority of attacks have taken place in the Gulf of Aden over the past year, around the tip of Somalia which juts into the Indian Ocean and commands access to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The group which seized the Sirius Star operates further south - out of Hobyo and Harardhere - and has been more aggressive. (The Age, Australia -- World)
Hijacked Saudi oil tanker anchors off Somalia Nov 19, 2008
Speaking during a visit to Athens on Tuesday, he said Saudi Arabia would join an international initiative against piracy in the Red Sea area, where more than 80 pirate attacks have taken place this year. He did not elaborate on what steps the kingdom would take to better protect its vital oil tankers. (AZCentral -- Business)
Tanker in pirate lair Nov 19, 2008
The majority of attacks by Somali pirates have taken place in the Gulf of Aden over the past year, around the tip of Somalia which juts into the Indian Ocean and commands access to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. The group which seized the Sirius Star operates further south out of Hobyo and Harardhere and has been more aggressive. (iAfrica.com)
Pirates of the Gulf Nov 19, 2008
Seized some 450 nautical miles off the coast of Kenya, this brazen act represents a major threat to both the world's energy security as well as a growing threat to the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Yet piracy in this region is not a new story. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Thai fishing vessel hijacked off Somali coast Nov 19, 2008
In recent months, multinational taskforce based in Djibouti has been patrolling parts of Gulf of Aden and Red Sea where pirate is rife. Dozens of merchant vessels have been seized by gangs off Somalia's 3,700-km coastline in recent years, despite the presence of Western navies. (Xinhuanet, China)
Energy: Deep-Six Piracy Nov 19, 2008
It was part of the 4% of global oil exports that transport through the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. Not only is the open sea unsafe for transport, but two ocean routes through the Suez, and around the Cape of Good Hope, are now both dangerous. (Investors Business Daily)
Ships diverted after Saudi oil tanker hijacked Nov 19, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal ... Salah B. Ka'aki, president and CEO of the tanker's owner Vela International Marine Ltd., said the oil tanker's 25 crew members "are believed to be safe.'' The statement said they were awaiting further contact from the pirates controlling the vessel. With naval forces unwilling to intervene, shipowners in past piracy cases have ended up paying ransoms for their ships, cargos... (The Star Online, Malaysia -- Business)
Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker In Brazen Attack Nov 18, 2008
"Greater in size than the entire Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea combined.". To protect themselves, ship captains like Colin Darch, who was hijacked earlier this year, are now being urged to arm their crews. (CBS News)
Pirates Raise The Game, Seize Supertanker Nov 18, 2008
"Greater in size than the entire Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea combined.". Experts said the Sirius' crew may have felt a false sense of security so far from shore, even though pirates have repeatedly demonstrated their skill in taking down big prizes. (CBS News)
Gunmen seize cargo ship off Somalia Nov 18, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, has become a treacherous stretch for ships, particularly along 's coast. Don't Miss. (CNN -- International)
Saudi FM: oil supertanker hijacking 'outrageous' Nov 18, 2008
"This outrageous act by the pirates, I think, will only reinforce the resolve of the countries of the Red Sea and internationally to fight piracy," he said during a visit to Athens ... Saud said Saudi Arabia would join an international initiative against piracy in the Red Sea area, where more than 80 pirate attacks have been registered this year ... "This is an initiative in which we are going to join and so are many other countries of the Red Sea," Saud said. (International Herald Tribune -- Technology)
Obama interview draws record audience for '60 MINS'; Biggest audience in nine years... Nov 18, 2008
Maybe he parted the red sea and walked through that instead. Posted by: Kathy. (The Drudge Report)
Pirates took stolen tanker to Somalia, owner says Nov 18, 2008
A multinational naval force including vessels from the U.S., the UK and Russia has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters seas near the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, following a sharp increase in in the region. The burgeoning piracy crisis has flourished in lawless Somalia where almost two decades without a central government has left a country wracked by conflict, chaos and poverty. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- MLB)
No Justice, No Peace in Sudan Nov 18, 2008
Let Iraq sort out some of their stuff while we watch from that side of the Red Sea. Try to maake them a model for the area. (Slate)
Somali Pirates Seize Supertanker Loaded With Crude Nov 18, 2008
The 5th Fleet said it has repelled about two dozen pirate attacks since Aug. 22 in the gulf, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and is one of the world's busiest waterways with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year. 2008 Associated Press. (Newsmax)
Notes: Higgins' big return Nov 17, 2008
"I took two steps and everything just parted like the Red Sea," Higgins said. "Shoot, before you knew it, I was on the kicker. They're always messing with me about it. 'You better not let the kicker tackle you' and stuff like that. "I just tried to run my hamstrings off to get away from the kicker. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
* Gunmen seize cargo ship with 23 crew off Somalia Nov 17, 2008
It is located along the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and is one of the worlds busiest waterways with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year. Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speed boats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
We must submit to Mother Nature's whims Nov 16, 2008
Last winter, it seems every storm heading our way parted like the Red Sea and circled around Bismarck-Mandan, only to dump on the rest of the state. Maybe it was just our time to get nailed. (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
No Nintendo game this Xmas? Blame Somali pirates Nov 16, 2008
Somali pirates have been plundering ships off the Horn of Africa for years, but the recent surge in attacks has spilled out into the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, threatening access to the Suez Canal. Now big firms employed in moving everything from oil, gas and coal to toys, are urgently considering whether to travel round South Africa's Cape of Good Hope instead. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Jordan queen gets YouTube award for fighting stereotypes Nov 16, 2008
Last year, the queen told an annual economic forum in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah that Muslims should reject extremism if they want to be taken seriously by the West. "We are right to question Western governments when their actions only make it easier for radicals to recruit new followers. But our moral authority depends on our willingness to reject the voices of extremism and violence in our midst," she said. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Russia's navy repels pirate attack on Saudi ship Nov 16, 2008
It is located along the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and is one of the world's busiest waterways. . (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
Cutlass to AK-47 Nov 15, 2008
The Royal Navy this week shot dead two Somali pirates after intercepting a boat in the mouth of the Red Sea ... This is almost exactly the situation facing the international maritime community today, in the waters of the Red Sea. (BBC News -- UK)
Are you as wise as a pharaoh? Nov 15, 2008
Are you as wise as a pharaoh. Are you as wise as a pharaoh. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
Religion Calendar Nov 15, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008. Services - WESLEYVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH: Sunday services, contemporary style worship, 8:30 a.m., and traditional style worship, 11 a.m., 3509 Buffalo Road. (Erie Times-News, PA)
OVL makes 2nd strike in Egypt Nov 14, 2008
The latest discovery was made off the North Ramadan concession in the Gulf of Suez in partnership with Cairo-based explorer IPR Red Sea Inc. The find in well North Ramadan-2 (NR-2), the second oil discovery in the block, is located on a separate block north of the first oil discovery NR-1A, which produced about 3,000 barrels of oil per day and 15 million cubic feet per day of gas during the testing phase. NR-2 was drilled to a total depth of 11,700 feet and struck 113 feet of oil-bearing sands. (India Times, India -- Intl Business)
Political leaders leaning left Nov 14, 2008
MORE MAIL: Speaking of the Holy Land, Rhea Markowitz and Bill Dynan send a postcard from Israel, where they are "visiting ... where our 16-year-old son, Ben Dynan, is studying for 10 weeks. We have seen Roman ruins in Tiberias, floated in the Dead Sea, prayed at the Kotel (The Wall), explored Safed and Jerusalem and took a side trip through the desert to Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea. Amazing land.". GAS GUESSES: Don't forget to send me an e-mail on how low you think the price of gas will fall... (The Augusta Chronicle)
British and Russia warships repel pirates Nov 14, 2008
The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, has become a treacherous stretch for ships, particularly along the Somali coast. There have been 84 attacks and 33 successful hijackings off Somalia's coast this year. (CNN -- World)
Oceans exploits Nov 13, 2008
On our Red Sea and Indian Ocean expedition, we observed how coral is being grown in nurseries as a way of helping damaged reefs ... You will see also on our Red Sea programme how some coral can possibly adapt to relatively high water temperatures ... In the Red Sea, we were the first ever to film the fluorescence in Eritrean corals. (BBC News)
Egyptians Protest Doctor's 1,500-Lash Saudi Sentence Nov 12, 2008
El-Arabi is in a jail in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah and is believed to have received at least one of his weekly installments of 70 lashes so far. Share. (Fox News)
No. 8 Duke starts fast, rolls in hoops opener Nov 11, 2008
When they drive the middle, its like opening the Red Sea, Nibert said. They are awesome either dunking or kicking out. (MSNBC -- Sports)
Israeli outgoing Prime Minister Olmert: Israel must cede parts of Jerusalem for peace Nov 11, 2008
We must not ignore acts of vandalism and damage, as they were a state within a state," said the president. On Saturday night, tens of thousands of people gathered at Tel Aviv's Yitzhak Rabin Square for the main memorial service marking the 13th assassination anniversary of Rabin. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 before being shot dead in 1995 by the right-wing radical who opposed to his signing of the Oslo Accords which recognize Palestinians' right to their own statehood in exchange for... (Xinhuanet, China)
