2 killed in Nigeria pirate attackFebruary 13, 2012 - 21:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A piracy monitoring official says pirates off Nigeria's coast have attacked a cargo ship and shot dead its captain and chief engineer, The Guardian reported. Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau said the attack happened early on Monday, February 13 morning about 125 miles south of Lagos. Mody said the ship tried to escape but both the captain and chief engineer were shot dead during a gun battle. He offered no other details. Nigerian officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has escalated from low-level armed robberies to hijackings and cargo thefts. West African pirates also have been more willing to use violence – beating crew members and shooting and stabbing those who get in the way. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |