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Global

Russian destroyer heads for Somali waters


    ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - The Russian destroyer Neustrashimy passed south through the Suez Canal Tuesday on its way to tackle piracy in the waters off Somalia, sources at the Suez Canal Authority said.

    Somali pirates have been causing havoc in the Arabian Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping channels, taking millions in ransoms, hiking insurance costs and threatening humanitarian supplies.

    They have hijacked more than 30 ships so far this year and received ransoms totalling $18 million to $30 million (10.6 million to 17.6 million pounds), making the waters off Somalia the world's most dangerous.

    Seven NATO warships -- from Italy, Germany, Greece, Turkey and Britain -- passed through the Suez Canal last week on a similar mission off the Somali coast. India will also deploy a warship to the area.

    (Reporting by Yusri Mohamed, Writing by Jonathan Wright; Editing by Charles Dick)