These are the amazing pictures of British and U. S. special forces who staged a daring raid to free an Italian cargo ship that had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

英美特种部队上演大胆突袭，解救在索马里海域被海盗劫持的意大利货船。

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In a separate incident, on Monday pirates opened fire on a Hong-Kong registered ship some 1,000 nautical miles off Somalia's coast.

VOA: standard.2009.11.10

U.S.prosecutors say Muse is the sole survivor of a hijacking attempt on a U.S.-flagged ship off the coast of Somalia on April 8.

VOA: standard.2009.04.22

Only this was no robbery -- the ship's interior fittings were auctioned off in the '80s.

CNN: Sending out an SOS for 'America's flagship'

In the biggest high-profile incident in the U.S. in recent years, more than 3, 000 passengers aboard the Carnival Splendor were towed to shore in 2010 by a Mexican tugboat after an engine-room fire cut off the ship's electricity.

WSJ: Cruise Operators See Shares Fall, Defend Safety

Given the gloom, continued ship-building will only put off the day when the world's lines make serious money again.

ECONOMIST: Shipping