The question then for the countries with warships in the region is this: Do they have the long-term commitment to keep funding a force that is at best a sticking plaster for the problem?

BBC: Somali pirate patrol: Day five

This has been a major sticking point, with Baghdad previously maintaining that it was not able to force scientists to consent to private interviews.

BBC: UN weapons inspectors search site in Iraq

Instead of sticking panels on the sides of an architect-led building, the photovoltaic technology has itself been the driving force behind the structure's cheesy shape.

ECONOMIST: The power of the sun