Pirate killings hit decade-long high

Pirates slaughtered 30 seafarers worldwide in the first six months of this year – the highest toll in more than a decade – and governments need to boost patrols in hotspots at sea to curb the violence, a maritime group said.

The 30 killings reported globally from January through June compared to 16 during the same months last year and came despite a decline overall in pirate attacks, the British-based International Maritime Bureau said in a report released in Kuala Lumpur.