Sea piracy hits record high

Sea piracy worldwide has hit a record high of 142 attacks in the first quarter this year as Somali pirates become more violent and aggressive, a global maritime watchdog says.

Nearly 70 % or 97 of the attacks occurred off the coast of Somalia, up sharply from 35 in the same period last year, the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur said in a statement.