Japanese ship seized off Somalia
Dozens of heavily armed pirates have seized a Japanese freighter off the Somali coast. The Stella Maris, which sails under the Panamanian flag, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden north of Somalia.
The area is notorious for its many pirate attacks. There has been no news about the fate of the 18 crew members. The pirates have not yet made a ransom demand.
The authorities have also announced that a private yacht carrying a German family and their French captain was hijacked off the Somali coast a month ago.
Source:Radio Netherlands Wordwide