Italian Cruise Ship Fires on Somali Pirates: ROME -- An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private-security forces exchanged fire with the bandits and drove them away, the commander said Sunday.

Cmdr. Ciro Pinto told Italian state radio that six men in a small white boat approached the Msc Melody and opened fire Saturday night, but retreated after the Israeli security officers aboard the cruise ship returned shots.

"It felt like we were in war," Cmdr. Pinto said.

Live Piracy Report: (03:10.8N - 105:28.5E) Off Pulau Mangkai, South China Sea: Five pirates armed with long knives in a boat boarded a container ship underway. They attacked the master and stole ship's cash and escaped. No injuries to crew.