We begin with news that will raise a couple of eyebrows, as a merchant ship comes under attack by armed men in skiffs in the Somali Basin. It's been  some time since the last attack by Somali pirates, and this incident comes in the same week that the Combined Maritime Forces completed a Focused Counter Piracy Operation in the Indian Ocean, designed to suppress piracy. 
Staying in the region, Mozambique's Navy has received a handy gift from Portugal; 10 speed boats. This will further aid security in the region, particularly useful given the somewhat sporadic patrols currently conducted in the Mozambique Channel.
Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, the government has finally voted to allow private armed security teams to embark on transits with Dutch-flagged vessels. 
In West Africa, there are new concerns that the huge Nigerian maritime security contract to further protect the nation's waters with new assets and a private security firm has been stalled by politicians and “people making money from water”. Hmm. This comes at a time when the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has warned of increased threats to the oil and gas industries in the Niger Delta. 
In Southeast Asia, the Abu Sayyaf Group, who have been quiet in recent weeks, attempted to board a ship off Basilan last Friday. They were met with a furious response from the crew, who threw boiling water on the attackers. Happily, the tactic worked and stalled the attackers until the vessel could be reached by patrol boats. 
 
Regards,
David Rider                  
Editor