Pirates board Norwegian vessel, abduct nine crew members off West Africa

Nine crew members on a Norwegian-owned cargo ship were kidnapped Saturday when a group of pirates stormed the vessel off the coast of Benin in West Africa, the shipping firm said. The MV Bonita was anchored offshore as it awaited berth at Cotonou Port to unload a shipment of gypsum, a mineral commonly used as fertilizer, when the pirates boarded, J.J. Ugland said in a statement Sunday.-- More...