Somali pirates hijack second British-flagged ship

Somali pirates have seized another British-flagged ship, this time deep in the Indian Ocean, only days after a British chemical tanker was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

Two other vessels have also been hijacked in the past week despite the presence of dozens of international warships and the heavy seas and high winds of the current monsoon season which usually bring a lull in piracy.

The 14,000-tonne Asian Glory was hijacked in the Indian Ocean 620 miles off the coast of Somalia on Friday evening.

It marked a difficult start to the year for Zodiac Maritime Agencies, the London-based shipping company that owns Asian Glory and St James Park, the British tanker seized on December 28. More!