OVERBOARD

Pirates' Triumphant Return

Two ships seized in two days.

Pirates off the coast of Africa are really taking it up a notch. Not only have they captured two tankers—with a total of 46 crew members on board—they've also been spotted pursuing various small boats, successfully hijacking a two-person yacht—all within the past day. Last year, Somali pirates reaped $50 million from their activities, but NATO seems intent on curbing that income, and has dispatched an anti-piracy flotilla to the area. Five ships will reach the waters off of Somalia within days, where they will back up the anti-piracy patrols there before moving on to Southeast Asia. Piracy has dwindled slightly in the last two months but is expected to pick up again now that the monsoon season is over.