Actions always have consequences and this is especially true in politics. Putting a cross on an electoral symbol has consequences, and make decisions while you are in the government has other, much larger ones. Today reading the testimony of the eritrean girl who survived, miraculously, the policies implemented by Europe and Italy against immigration, people should understand that these are the consequences.Actions always have consequences and this is especially true in politics. Putting a... more
Le azioni hanno sempre conseguenze e questo è particolarmente vero in politica. Mettere una crocetta su un simbolo elettorale ha delle conseguenze, e prendere delle decisioni generali mentre si è al governo ne ha altre, molto più grandi. Oggi leggendo la testimonianza della ragazza eritrea sopravvissuta, per miracolo, alle politiche attuate dall'Europa e dall'Italia contro l'immigrazione, la gente dovrebbe capire che queste sono le conseguenze.Le azioni hanno sempre conseguenze e questo è particolarmente vero in politica.... more
73 migrants died of starvation in the channel of Sicily, after 20 days adrift in one of the most watched sea of the world. The five survivors, a woman, two men and two minors, say they had sighted several fishing boats that didn't help them. Only the last one gave them a little food and water. Humanitarian organizations consider the story true for the simple fact that is not the first episode of migrants who die at sea in the mediterranean.73 migrants died of starvation in the channel of Sicily, after 20 days adrift in one... more
Morti nel canale di Sicilia in 73, dopo 20 giorni alla deriva in uno dei tratti di mare più sorvegliati e trafficati del mondo. I cinque superstiti, una donna, due uomini e due minorenni, dicono di aver avvistato diversi pescherecci che non hanno prestato soccorso. Solo l'ultimo avrebbe dato loro un pò di acqua e cibo. Le organizzazioni umanitarie considerano il racconto veritiero per il semplice fatto che non è certo il primo episodio di migranti che muoiono in mare.Morti nel canale di Sicilia in 73, dopo 20 giorni alla deriva in uno dei tratti di... more
Russia says it has found a missing cargo vessel near the Cape Verde islands and retrieved its Russian crew.
Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that the 15-member crew had been taken on board a Russian navy vessel. They were in good condition, he said.
Speculation over the cause of its disappearance had ranged from pirates to a mafia dispute to a commercial row.
The Arctic Sea was found at 0100 Monday (2100 GMT Sunday) 300 miles (480 km) off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean, Tass news agency quoted Mr Serdyukov as telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.Russia says it has found a missing cargo vessel near the Cape Verde islands and... more
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian officials on Monday located a Russian cargo ship that has been missing for more than two weeks after it was believed to have been hijacked, a top official said.
The Arctic Sea was located 300 miles (483 km) from Cape Verde, an island nation a few hundred miles from the coast of western Africa, said Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.
The crew "is alive and well," he said.
"The crew members have been moved to our anti-submarine warfare ship Ladny where they are answering questions," Serdyukov said.MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian officials on Monday located a Russian cargo ship that... more
(CNN) -- Whether or not it has anything more dangerous than a cargo of timber on board, vanished ship Arctic Sea certainly now carries the answers to one of the most intriguing maritime mysteries to emerge in recent times.
Since it disappeared off the charts more than two weeks ago, rumors and conspiracy theories have stirred in the Russian-crewed vessel's wake, with a fog of conflicting sightings and reports doing little to help separate fact from fiction.
Conjuring plots worthy of "Hunt for Red October" author Tom Clancy, online chatter has thrown up numerous theories about the fate of the Arctic Sea, casting the ship variously as a covert weapons transporter, a drug courier or the booty in a mutinous crime venture.
An apparent ransom demand, which Finnish police say has been issued to shipping company Solchart Management suggests some motive for abducting the vessel, but has done little to clarify the events since the ship was reportedly boarded by hijackers on July 24.
After that incident off the coast of Sweden, according to a confusing array of sightings and reports, the Arctic Sea sailed through the English Channel, was possibly hijacked a second time off Portugal, vanished on July 31, was sighted off the Cape Verde islands on Friday and then blipped back onto computer screens in the Bay of Biscay for a fleeting moment on Saturday.(CNN) -- Whether or not it has anything more dangerous than a cargo of timber on... more
Finnish police say a ransom demand has been made for a missing Russian-manned cargo vessel, the Arctic Sea.
The demand - which has not been confirmed as genuine - was put to the ship's Finnish owners, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation said.
A Finnish radio station said it had been told the 15 crew members' lives would be at risk if it was not paid.
There has been huge speculation over the reason for the ship's disappearance, ranging from pirates to a mafia dispute to a commercial quarrel.
The matter is being jointly investigated by Finnish, Maltese and Swedish police.Finnish police say a ransom demand has been made for a missing Russian-manned cargo... more
(CNN) -- A ransom has been demanded for a missing Russian cargo ship which vanished two weeks ago after being involved in a suspected hijacking off the coast of Sweden last month, Finnish police told CNN Saturday.
"There has been a demand for ransom and the subject is the shipping company, Solchart Management," Jan Olof Nyholm with the Finnish police told CNN.
An international criminal investigation is under way into the alleged hijacking of the vessel, the Arctic Sea. The last known communication with the vessel was July 31(CNN) -- A ransom has been demanded for a missing Russian cargo ship which vanished... more
A missing ship with 15 Russian crew members on board has been spotted more than two weeks after it disappeared, unconfirmed reports say.
It had now been seen some 400 nautical miles from the Cape Verde islands, off West Africa, the local coastguard said, according to reports.
Observers have suggested the ship was hijacked, possibly because of a Russian commercial dispute.
There was no immediate confirmation of the reported Cape Verde sighting from Russian authorities.A missing ship with 15 Russian crew members on board has been spotted more than two... more
MOSCOW – A Russian-manned cargo ship that vanished last month in the Atlantic was found Friday near Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, according to French and Russian officials.
The Arctic Sea — carrying a load of timber and 15 Russian sailors — disappeared after passing through the English Channel on July 28. The Maltese-flagged freighter sent radio messages as it sailed along the coasts of France and Portugal, but then all contact was lost.MOSCOW – A Russian-manned cargo ship that vanished last month in the Atlantic was... more
Russian navy ships are hunting in the Atlantic for a 4,000-tonne cargo ship that vanished more than two weeks ago, triggering an international mystery.
Observers have suggested the ship was hijacked, possibly because of a Russian commercial dispute.
There were reports that the ship may have been spotted subsequently by a Portuguese coastal patrol aircraft, but a navy spokesman in Portugal said it had not passed through Portuguese waters.
Russian navy chief Adm Vladimir Vysotsky said there were five Russian warships and other vessels searching in the Atlantic.
"We have no concrete data on the location of the vessel as of the moment," he told Russian news agency Itar-Tass.Russian navy ships are hunting in the Atlantic for a 4,000-tonne cargo ship that... more
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The mystery surrounding a missing merchant ship deepened Thursday with the vessel's operator suggesting piracy and maritime experts suspecting foul play or even a secret cargo.
The Kremlin ordered Russian warships to join the hunt for the 4,000-tonne, 98-meter bulk carrier Arctic Sea, whose fate has baffled maritime authorities across Europe and North Africa.
Mikhail Boytenko, editor of Russia's respected Sovfracht maritime journal, said that the ship may have been carrying a secret cargo unknown to the vessel's owners or operators.
"I think there was probably some sort of secret cargo on this vessel, not criminal but secret, and a third party of some sort did not want the cargo to get to another party so this highly sophisticated operation was cooked up," he told Reuters.
"I don't think that it was pirates who took this vessel but it really smells of some sort of state involvement. This is real cloak and dagger stuff, like a (John) le Carre novel."MOSCOW (Reuters) – The mystery surrounding a missing merchant ship deepened Thursday... more
Russia's navy has been deployed to find a ship reportedly hijacked three weeks ago in the Baltic Sea.
It has a 15-strong Russian crew and was reportedly taking timber worth $1.5m (£900,000) from Finland to Algeria when it was boarded by gunmen on 24 July.
Maltese authorities have said it has not passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, suggesting the vessel remains in the Atlantic.Russia's navy has been deployed to find a ship reportedly hijacked three weeks ago in... more
LONDON, England (CNN) -- An international search operation was underway Wednesday for a cargo ship which vanished after being involved in what is feared to be an unprecedented incident of piracy in European waters.
The Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea is claimed to have been briefly hijacked off Sweden when raiders posing as drug enforcement officers tied up, gagged and blindfolded the crew, causing several injuries, and searched the vessel.
It then apparently vanished after a last known contact on July 31, failing to make its scheduled arrival in north Africa on August 4.LONDON, England (CNN) -- An international search operation was underway Wednesday for... more
LONDON – First the ship reported it had been attacked in waters off Sweden. Then it sailed with no apparent problems through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. And then it disappeared.
The Arctic Sea, a Maltese-flagged cargo ship, was supposed to make port in Algeria with its cargo of timber on Aug. 4. More than a week later, there's no sign of the ship or its Russian crew.LONDON – First the ship reported it had been attacked in waters off Sweden. Then it... more
The decision taken by Jack Straw to change the law to now be able to prosecute those living in the UK and suspected of committing war crimes and acts of genocide as far back as 1991, has caused quite a stir in British media.
As Kate Allen explains in her piece on Independent Minds the expected change in law would apply only to those who are actually legally resident in the UK. That excludes anyone living here on spousal or student visas, work permits, or who are simply visiting. This is a major gap in the newly proposed changes and a loophole which possibly dozens of suspects can easily fall into.The decision taken by Jack Straw to change the law to now be able to prosecute those... more
Since 1945, by deed and by example, the US has overthrown 50 governments, including democracies, crushed some 30 liberation movements and supported tyrannies from Egypt to Guatemala (see William Blum's histories). Bombing is apple pie. Having stacked his government with warmongers, Wall Street cronies and polluters from the Bush and Clinton eras, the 45th president is merely upholding tradition. The hearts and minds farce I witnessed in Vietnam is today repeated in villages in Afghanistan and, by proxy, Pakistan, which are Obama's wars.
Liberals say that the United States is once again a "nation of moral ideals", but behind the façade little has changed. With his government of warmongers, Wall Street cronies and polluters from the Bush and Clinton eras, Barack Obama is merely upholding the myths of a divine America.
Mourn On The 4th of July
By John PilgerSince 1945, by deed and by example, the US has overthrown 50 governments, including... more