Pirates Receive Record Ransom

“We are now counting our cash," a pirate who gave his name as Hussein told Reuters. That could take awhile, as Somali pirates have just received a record ransom of $12.3 million in exchange for a South Korean oil tanker and a Singaporean ship. BBC News says the size of the payment will likely change the rules of engagement with Somali pirates, who currently are holding at least 25 vessels hostage. The Korean ship, the Samho Dream, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean in April while carrying $170 million in crude oil from Iraq to the U.S.