How many times did Somali pirates successfully hijack vessels in 2009?

A maritime watchdog said the number of attacks off the coast of Somalia doubled in 2009 from 111 to 217. Pirates successfully hijacked 47 of those vessels and took 867 crew members hostage , earning them untold millions in ransom payments. Although the number of attacks was significantly higher, the number of successful hijackings was proportionately lower than the previous year.

A wave of cold and snowy weather continues to grip Europe, grounding airplanes, trains and cars, and causing dozens of deaths. Europeans are taking precautions to survive the cold snap. The German government has urged residents to stock up on food and medicines. Britain is cutting down on its industrial gas use to save supplies. But others are taking advantage of the wintry weather. In the Netherlands, thousands of people laced up their skates and headed out to skate on frozen lakes.