PENTAGON officials said yesterday that the American crew of a US-flagged cargo ship had retaken control from Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel far off the Horn of Africa.

The American crew of a hijacked US-flagged ship retook control of the vessel from Somali pirates today, but the captain was still being held hostage in a lifeboat, according three people on board.

A NEW international force to battle pirates off the Somali coast is being formed under American command in an attempt to focus more military resources to protect one of the world’s key shipping lanes, the US Navy said yesterday.

An Indian warship sank a pirate boat after it refused to stop and be searched in the latest encoutner in the Gulf of Aden where piracy has been described as 'out of control'.

THE Junior Certificate science papers gave students plenty of topics to choose from, according to Gerry King from the Teachers’ Union of Ireland.

DO you not think it outrageous that the Taoiseach is asking us to vote for something which he hasn’t even bothered to read and therefore is incapable of understanding.

THE first of two technical drawing papers was faced by almost 6,000 Leaving Certificate students yesterday morning.

President Bush put all American military forces overseas on high alert tonight.

Nine people are missing after a Japanese fishing research vessel was hit by a surfacing US Navy submarine off Hawaii.