Current Event: Somali Pirates

On January 31, Malaysian Police took custody of seven pirates captured in the Gulf of Aden and brought to Malaysia. It is possible that they will be put on trial by Malaysian authorities for their role in the hijacking of a chemical tanker belonging to a Malaysian shipping corporation. The pirates hijacked the MT Bunga Laurel on Jan. 20, holding 23 Filipino crew members hostage for several hours, until Malaysian naval commandoes arrived and recaptured the ship. Malaysia is not the only Southeast Asian country prosecuting Somali pirates. South Korea is charging five Somalis with piracy after they hijacked the South Korean-operated Samho Jewelry in mid-January. South Korean commandoes stormed the ship on Jan. 21, rescuing all the crew and killing eight pirates. The five pirates who were arrested could face life imprisonment charges. Piracy has been a major problem off the eastern coast of Africa ever since the government of Somalia collapsed in 1991. Somalia descended into anarchy, and pirates and criminal gangs have taken advantage of the chaos, trying to turn a profit off the crews and ships that sail one the world's busiest shipping lanes. An international endeavor has been made to stop piracy in this area, and currently there is a flotilla that patrols the shipping lanes, trying to discourage would-be pirates, but while the piracy industry remains lucrative, people will continue to hijack ships and kidnap sailors for money.

Shark attacks

Statistics: In the world, there have been 715 shark attacks since 2000. Of those 715, 268 have occurred in the waters of the coast of Florida, 120 attacks have occurred in Australia