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Russian Soldiers Families to Russian Government: “Give Us Back Our Children” Killed in Undeclared War [with video]

The Speaker — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 02:22:50 +0000

The families of the Russian soldiers recently captured in Ukraine are pleading with the Russian government to return their children from what Russians are increasingly referring to as an “undeclared war” in Eastern Ukraine. The families appealed directly to the Russian president and military leaders to return the soldiers alive and well, and asked for those in power to “help them.” “Dear President, Minister of Defense, military commanders, my child, Yegor Potchoyev, is now a captive of the territory of Ukraine,” said the mother of the soldier in a plea to the Russian government. “In the name of Christ, I beg you: give me back my child, return him alive, and all the other boys who are with him in captivity. “Son, boys, we are with you. Whatever happens, we’ll get you out of this fix. If the military leaders won’t do it, then we will, your mothers.” Read more: Head of Russian Soldiers’ Mothers Group Denounces Putin for Sending Soldiers to “the Bloody Battlefields” in Undeclared War Although Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Russia’s involvement in Ukraine since its military mission in Crimea in late February and March, the first news of the deaths of Russian soldiers’ has reached the Russian public. The news reached Russians through Russian independent media and Ukrainian channels. The Ukrainian government televised the capture of 10 regular Russian soldiers, paratroopers apprehended in Eastern Ukraine. Other Russian soldiers were missing and some killed, reportedly. The prominent Russian group Soldiers’ Mothers has been loudly declaiming Putin and the government for its actions in Ukraine–which the group has called an “undeclared war.” “Two days ago everything was different,” said another captured soldier’s family member. “I’m a patriot of my country and if the president and the minister of foreign affairs say none of our troops are in Ukraine, they’re only at the border, how can we not believe him? I love our president, honestly. “But now we’ve all changed our opinion, because of this case. Now, of course, I believe our troops are taking part in a war.” The families of the captured soldiers asked for the safe return of their children, and pled, “Save them. Help us. Return them home alive and well.” By Day Blakely Donaldson Russian soldiers families in video published by Telegraph.uk

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4,000 Migrants Picked Up in One Weekend by Italian Navy

The Speaker — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 01:09:17 +0000

Over the weekend, the Italian Navy picked up nearly 4,000 migrants trying to reach Italian shores from North Africa. The Italian Navy uses helicopters, patrol boats and frigates in its Mare Nostrum operation, which was launched last October after 360 migrants drowned off the coasts of Sicily, and is reported to cost $12.5 million per month. The purpose of the operation is to rescue would-be refugees while arresting human traffickers. Refugees travelling to Italy by boat continue to increase. The refugees come from Syria, Iraq and the Middle East, in addition to North African nations, and are often fleeing conflict areas. In 2014, so far nearly 110,000 would-be refugees have been rescued, according to the UN’s refugee agency, but nearly 2,000 migrants have died making the journey. Many of the human traffickers’ boats are launched from Libya, where an ongoing civil war continues to rage between Islamist forces and their opponents. Mare Nostrum is being considered for expansion to an international level. By Sid Douglas.

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Works of Art Created by Nature Cannot be Claimed For Ownership by Humans – US Copyright Office Rules

The Speaker — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:53:26 +0000

Works created by nature, animals or plants cannot be claimed by humans, according to the new US Copyright Office rules compendium. Humans cannot claim rights to works such as monkey selfies, murals painted by elephants, driftwood formed by the ocean, or stones shaped by their environment. The ruling came about as a result of a conflict over selfie photos taken by a monkey that had stolen the camera of a nature photographer. In 2011, the camera of British photographer David Slater was stolen by a macaque, and the monkey took a photo that went viral on the internet. When the macaque’s selfie was uploaded to Wikipedia, Slater requested the online encyclopedia take down the image, claiming copyright. Wikipedia denied the request, and claimed that the photo was un-copyrightable because it was not taken by a human. Slater argued that he did in fact own copyright to the image because he owned the equipment and was responsible for setting the equipment up. In the latest copyright law compendium, the US Copyright Office specified that works created by animals or other nature as well as works purportedly or stated to have been created by divine or supernatural beings could not be registered. The publication included a section called “The Human Authorship Requirement,” which provided that the US Copyright Office would only register original works created by human beings. The basis of the ruling lies in copyright law protection for “the fruits of intellectual labor” that are “founded in the creative powers of the mind.” The copyright office noted that only “original conceptions of the author” could be granted copyright. “The Office will not register works produced by nature, animals, or plants,” the publication stated. “Likewise, the Office cannot register a work purportedly created by divine or supernatural beings, although the Office may register a work where the application or the deposit copy(ies) state that the work was inspired by a divine spirit.” The publication explicitly mentioned photographs taken by monkeys, murals painted by elephants, claims based on the appearance of actual animal skin, claims based on driftwood formed by the ocean, claims based by the features of stone created by nature, and songs naming the Holy Spirit as the author or the work. By Sid Douglas

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EU May File Lawsuit Against Russia for Russian Trade Embargo

The Speaker — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 22:53:32 +0000

Warsaw has asked the European Commission to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding Russia’s ban on EU food imports. The impact of the Russian embargo is being analyzed by the EU and preliminary EU consultations about the case are already underway. “Regarding the WTO, the Commissioner informed the minister (Poland’s Marek Sawicki) that the Commission is actively preparing a procedure for a possible launching of a request for consultations under the WTO dispute settlement procedure,” European Commission spokesman Peter Stano stated. The Russian ban has affected the Polish market in particularly. Poland’s exports to Russia amounted to $1.5bn last year. The Polish minister of economy sent a request to the European Trade Commissioner, who represents EU members in all WTO cases. Preliminary EU consultations were already underway in the lawsuit, according to Polish officials, who also have stated that the US, Australia and Canada will also be important to the case, and that Polish Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski is expected to engage those nations. The Russian ban was ordered as a response to economic sanctions imposed on Russia as punishment for Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and further incursions in Ukraine over the past months. The EU Commission is carefully analyzing the impact of the Russian embargo, according to Stano, and the first decisions about the lawsuit could be made around September 12, according to the Polish agriculture minister. Russia would be liable to pay fines for violating regulations in open markets, should the WTO find for the Polish cause. The case is uncertain however. Although the EU justifies its sanctions against Russia as a response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and arming, advising and promoting conflict in Easter Ukraine, Russia argues that it has acted legally and is not aiding pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. By Day Blakely Donaldson

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Russia Offers USA “Guarantee” for Russia’s Humanitarian Convoy

The Speaker — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 06:22:22 +0000

Russia’s Defense Minister, Sergey Shoygo, offered the US a “guarantee” that Russia’s humanitarian convoy–feared by Ukraine to be a “Trojan horse” and currently being held at the Ukrainian border–is carrying no military personnel. Shoygo made the guarantee to US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in a phone call Friday night, and the information was released in a Pentagon statement. Hagel also said that Shoygo guaranteed that the convoy would not be used as a pretext for further intervention in Ukraine. “Minister Shoygu assured Secretary Hagel that Russia was meeting Ukraine’s conditions,” the Pentagon statement said. “He acknowledged that the goods would be delivered and distributed under the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Russian Defense Ministry also recently dismissed Ukrainian claims that Russia had sent a convoy of military vehicles into Ukraine already, which, Kiev had announced, Ukrainian forces had attacked and partially destroyed. “There was no Russian military column, which allegedly crossed Russian-Ukrainian border, not in the night, not during the day, it just doesn’t exist,” said Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov. By Day Blakely Donaldson

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FAA Bans Planesharing in America, Illegalizes Airpooler and Flytenow

The Speaker — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 05:48:30 +0000

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stuck a blow to planesharing startups such as AirPooler and Flytenow with a recent ruling prohibiting private pilots from offering seats to the public in exchange for compensation. Planesharing startup AirPooler, already operating in the market, recently formally requested a clarification from the FAA on the issue, which was considered a legal grey area. “With regard to pilots using the AirPooler website,” ruled the FAA, “all four elements of common carriage are present. By posting specific flights to the AirPooler website, a pilot participating in the AirPooler service would be holding out to transport persons or property from place to place for compensation or hire. Although the pilots participating in the AirPooler website have chosen the destination, they are holding out to the public to transport passengers for compensation in the form of a reduction of the operating expenses, they would have paid for the flight.” The customary practice of advertising for shared flights on message boards will also now be illegal. Only pilots certified by the US government as air carriers are permitted to receive compensation for flying, according to the FAA ruling. Most pilots do not have air carrier licences, which are relatively difficult to obtain. The ruling will prevent pilots from cutting expenses by sharing costs, and will reduce travel options, but may prevent travelers from mistakenly booking flights with insufficiently qualified pilots. AirPooler is not quite finished, however. AirPooler intends to ask for further clarification on the FAA ruling. The recent ruling was based on an unofficial draft for a 1963 proposal for planesharing, but a 1964 regulation allows pilots to privately ask potential passengers if they would share costs if the pilot have already planned the flight, pay a pro-rata share, and adhere to other restrictions. By Sid Douglas

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Russia’s Humanitarian Force Changes Direction, Russia Refuses Inspection, Red Cross States “We’re Not in Charge of This Convoy at the Moment”

The Speaker — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 20:14:24 +0000

Russia has sent a humanitarian convoy toward Ukraine. The convoy was to cross the border Wednesday, but has unexpectedly changed course. Currently, no Russian convoy is at the planned border crossing. The current course of the convoy is unknown. The Red Cross, reported to be acting with Russia on the humanitarian mission, has stated that they are “not in charge of this convoy at the moment,” and Ukrainian forces have been dispatched toward another border crossing near Krasnodon, where, Ukrainian officials have stated, the Russian convoy attempted to cross during the night. Russia’s convoy was announced to be in participation with the Red Cross, but the Red Cross said that only that they “could be on board” but “needed to have some clarification first regarding modalities, practical steps that have to be implemented prior to a launch of such an operation. The Red Cross also stated that it would participate only “according to our own principles, according to our own modalities.” Russia has refused, however, to allow inspection of their large column of almost three hundred freight trucks. The Red Cross later announced that they no were not in control of Russia’s convoy. “We’ve been told by Russian authorities that an aid convoy is heading to #Ukraine border. We’re not in charge of this convoy at the moment,” tweeted the ICRC. Nothing has approached the planned border crossing. The convoy has switched direction toward the border near Krasnodon, Luhansk, Ukraine, according to Ukrainian sources. Ukrinform published a report that the convoy was expected to arrive at a checkpoint in Kharkiv Wednesday but had bypassed the planned route, and that it was not clear what route the convoy would take. Instead, the Russian convoy attempted to enter Ukraine over night by a different crossing, according to Ukrainian Presidential Administration Deputy Head Valery Chaly. “Wednesday night… [there] was in fact an attempt to break through the Kharkiv region… It did not involve the Red Cross,” said Chaly. Several units of the Ukrainian forces have been dispatched from Luhansk Airport to the road leading to Krasnodon, where a fierce battle is currently raging between Ukrainian forces and separatists, reportedly. The fighting involved shelling over Peremozhne village fired by separatists in Krasnodon. Numerous civilians have been reported killed. Krasnodon and Sukhodilsk have also been used over the past months to transfer armored vehicles, including tanks, to Luhansk and Sverdlovsk. These tanks were not used, but kept hidden in abandoned factories, restorations and forested areas. If Russia enters Ukraine by a different route, and continues to refuse inspection of its convoys, Russia may be considered to have invaded Ukraine. Read more: Ukraine Agrees to Let Russians, Americans, Europeans Enter Ukraine for Humanitarian Mission Led by Red Cross Monday, US President Barack Obama held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Poroshenko, in which the leaders agreed that “any Russian intervention in Ukraine without the formal, express consent and authorization of the Ukraine government would be unacceptable and a violation of international law.” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also warned Moscow against any unilateral military action in Ukraine, even if it took place in the context of humanitarian circumstances. By Day Blakely Donaldson

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Ukraine Agrees to Let Russians, Americans, Europeans Enter Ukraine for Humanitarian Mission Led by Red Cross

The Speaker — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:45:52 +0000

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has agreed to an international humanitarian mission to be participated in by Russia, the US and the EU. The mission is to be led by the Red Cross, which stated that the ICRC would be involved in the operation so long as it was “according to our own principles, according to our own modalities.” US President Barack Obama held a telephone conversation with Poroshenko Monday, in which the leaders agreed that “any Russian intervention in Ukraine without the formal, express consent and authorization of the Ukraine government would be unacceptable and a violation of international law.” The Russian government also announced its intention to send a humanitarian convoy into Ukraine with Red Cross support. Moscow said that there would not be a Russian military escort for the convoy. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned Putin against any unilateral military action in Ukraine, even if it took place in the context of humanitarian circumstances. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Monday that he thought there was a “high probability” of Russian military intervention in Ukraine, however. Rasmussen said that Moscow was “developing the narrative and the pretext” for military action in Ukraine, noting that Russia had re-amassed 20,000 troops and other military equipment along the Ukraine border. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Monday, however, that Russia has currently amassed 45,000 troops at the border, along with thousands of pieces of military equipment, including tanks, missile systems, warplanes and attack helicopters. By Sid Douglas

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