Greek tanker missing off Ghana; Thai tanker confirmed hijacked/released; Video Vietnamese boat sinking; Sewol ferry body found -
Another tanker reported missing, this time off Ghana, believed hijacked. Thai tanker reported missing in Indonesian waters last week was confirmed hijacked for its cargo, say released crew; reported as a trend, another tanker was boarded but the pirates asked for crew and cargo details, leaving with stolen belongs instead. A video alleges that a Chinese ship attacked and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat in disputed waters near Paracel Islands; all crew were rescued. The death toll for the Sewol ferry reaches 290 as another body is found 25 miles away from the original accident. The failure to find wreckage from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane and slow release of official information has created uncertainty and spawned sightings and conspiracy theories. NATO Defence Ministers have decided to extend NATO's counter piracy operation, Ocean Shield, until the end of 2016 whilst a high-level meeting at IMO Headquarters agreed a resolution on the future work under the Djibouti Code of Conduct to become a regional structure. Following on from these decision, the Japanese government plans to extend its anti- piracy mission for another year. After the deadly pirate raid on a Bahraini fishing dhow, a surge of reports of similar incidents have appeared in the Gulf of Oman, suggesting such attacks were 'routine'. The Iranian navy says it repelled two attacks in the Gulf of Aden, thwarting first 8 skiffs, then 15 skiffs hours later. The President of Puntland declares illegal fishing by foreign trawlers a 'national disaster' and stressed those violating TTW will be dealt with firmly. The USA is planning to re-set its embassy in Mogadishu and appoint the first ambassador since the early 90s.
Al Shabaab directive to its members to change mobile phone numbers to avoid interception shows they are tech-savvy, a key to their survival. Ethiopian media reports Al Shabaab plans to bomb targets in Addis were foiled when security captured a bomber.
Maritime security should be regulated through an EU-wide policy to avoid a costly plethora of national standards, says UK security company.
Nigerian Navy advocates total overhaul of laws to prosecute oil thieves. Experts expect kidnapping of seafarers in West Africa to rise. Former Guinea-Bissau navy chief secretly pleads ahead of a trial on drugs charges.
Following an article stating Indonesia was 'heading the piracy stakes', the yachting fraternity claims the report did not draw a true picture of cruising safety in Indonesia.
The US will strengthen its presence in the Black Sea region as promised to NATO allies.
The South Korean businessman wanted on charges tied to the ferry disaster sought and was refused asylum in a foreign embassy in Seoul. Korean shipping officials are arrested for alleged careless checks on the capsized ferry.
Australian authorities have taken the first steps to hand over missing plane search operations to a private contractor, whilst the families of the missing passengers set up a fund to continue investigations.
The italian Navy continues to rescue thousand of migrants coming from North Africa and calls for help from the EU. Sixty African migrants and two Yemeni crew perish in the waters off Yemen.
Three aid workers, kidnapped in Somalia in July 2012 have been released and are now reunited with their families.
Warnings of Big Brother comes home to roost.?