Divers searching sunken Russian tourist boat find up to 50 bodies in a recreation room – most of them children Divers searching a tourist boat that sank in Russia’s Volga river discovered the bodies of 50 people, most of them children, in a recreation room on Tuesday, an emergencies ministry official said. The news will deepen anguish over a disaster that tore families apart, killing up to 129 people and underscoring concerns about the negligence, corner-cutting and corruption that troubles Russia. The official death toll rose to 72. The Bulgaria, an overcrowded riverboat on a weekend Volga cruise, sank 3km (1.85 miles) from shore on Sunday after listing on to its right side in a thunderstorm. Authorities said 79 of the 208 people on board were rescued. Emergencies ministry spokeswoman Yelena Smirnykh said divers working their way through the wreck saw the bodies when they reached the recreation area, where survivors had said about 30 children had gathered shortly before the boat sank. “By their visual estimates, the bodies of about 50 people are there. Most of them are children,” Smirnykh said. She said psychologists who were sent to counsel grieving relatives of the dead had also been helping some of the divers, who by Tuesday had recovered 71 bodies from the riverboat that one survivor said had fast become a “metal coffin”. One woman was found on Sunday, making the official death toll 72, and officials said there was almost no chance of finding anyone else alive. Emergency officials said the boat was meant for up to 140 people but was carrying 208, including 25 unregistered passengers. Most survivors were picked up by a passing riverboat after two commercial vessels passed without aiding them. Prosecutors said the boat lacked a licence to carry passengers and had a problem with its left engine when it set out for Kazan, capital of the Tatarstan region, after taking passengers to a town downriver on Saturday. Russia observed familiar grieving rituals on Tuesday, which was declared a day of mourning by the president, Dmitry Medvedev. Flags flew at half-staff nationwide and entertainment programmes and advertising were restricted on television. Russia Europe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Divers searching sunken Russian tourist boat find up to 50 bodies in a recreation room – most of them children Divers searching a tourist boat that sank in Russia’s Volga river discovered the bodies of 50 people, most of them children, in a recreation room on Tuesday, an emergencies ministry official said. The news will deepen anguish over a disaster that tore families apart, killing up to 129 people and underscoring concerns about the negligence, corner-cutting and corruption that troubles Russia. The official death toll rose to 72. The Bulgaria, an overcrowded riverboat on a weekend Volga cruise, sank 3km (1.85 miles) from shore on Sunday after listing on to its right side in a thunderstorm. Authorities said 79 of the 208 people on board were rescued. Emergencies ministry spokeswoman Yelena Smirnykh said divers working their way through the wreck saw the bodies when they reached the recreation area, where survivors had said about 30 children had gathered shortly before the boat sank. “By their visual estimates, the bodies of about 50 people are there. Most of them are children,” Smirnykh said. She said psychologists who were sent to counsel grieving relatives of the dead had also been helping some of the divers, who by Tuesday had recovered 71 bodies from the riverboat that one survivor said had fast become a “metal coffin”. One woman was found on Sunday, making the official death toll 72, and officials said there was almost no chance of finding anyone else alive. Emergency officials said the boat was meant for up to 140 people but was carrying 208, including 25 unregistered passengers. Most survivors were picked up by a passing riverboat after two commercial vessels passed without aiding them. Prosecutors said the boat lacked a licence to carry passengers and had a problem with its left engine when it set out for Kazan, capital of the Tatarstan region, after taking passengers to a town downriver on Saturday. Russia observed familiar grieving rituals on Tuesday, which was declared a day of mourning by the president, Dmitry Medvedev. Flags flew at half-staff nationwide and entertainment programmes and advertising were restricted on television. Russia Europe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Divers searching sunken Russian tourist boat find up to 50 bodies in a recreation room – most of them children Divers searching a tourist boat that sank in Russia’s Volga river discovered the bodies of 50 people, most of them children, in a recreation room on Tuesday, an emergencies ministry official said. The news will deepen anguish over a disaster that tore families apart, killing up to 129 people and underscoring concerns about the negligence, corner-cutting and corruption that troubles Russia. The official death toll rose to 72. The Bulgaria, an overcrowded riverboat on a weekend Volga cruise, sank 3km (1.85 miles) from shore on Sunday after listing on to its right side in a thunderstorm. Authorities said 79 of the 208 people on board were rescued. Emergencies ministry spokeswoman Yelena Smirnykh said divers working their way through the wreck saw the bodies when they reached the recreation area, where survivors had said about 30 children had gathered shortly before the boat sank. “By their visual estimates, the bodies of about 50 people are there. Most of them are children,” Smirnykh said. She said psychologists who were sent to counsel grieving relatives of the dead had also been helping some of the divers, who by Tuesday had recovered 71 bodies from the riverboat that one survivor said had fast become a “metal coffin”. One woman was found on Sunday, making the official death toll 72, and officials said there was almost no chance of finding anyone else alive. Emergency officials said the boat was meant for up to 140 people but was carrying 208, including 25 unregistered passengers. Most survivors were picked up by a passing riverboat after two commercial vessels passed without aiding them. Prosecutors said the boat lacked a licence to carry passengers and had a problem with its left engine when it set out for Kazan, capital of the Tatarstan region, after taking passengers to a town downriver on Saturday. Russia observed familiar grieving rituals on Tuesday, which was declared a day of mourning by the president, Dmitry Medvedev. Flags flew at half-staff nationwide and entertainment programmes and advertising were restricted on television. Russia Europe guardian.co.uk
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The unusually heavy barrage suggests the US has no intention of halting its drone programme despite tensions with Pakistan Three suspected US missile strikes in north-western Pakistan in less than 12 hours have killed at least 38 alleged militants, an unusually heavy barrage at a time when relations between the two countries are badly strained, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The strikes follow the Obama administration’s announcement that it is suspending more than one-third of US military aid to Pakistan until disagreements are worked out. The attacks indicate the White House has no intention of stopping the unmanned drone programme even though the attacks have increasingly caused tension with Pakistan. In the latest strike, suspected US missiles hit a house in Dremala village in the South Waziristan tribal area early on Tuesday, killing at least eight alleged militants, according to two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other Pakistani intelligence officials put the death toll from the strike at 13. The village is located close to the border with North Waziristan. Before dawn on Tuesday, suspected US missiles hit a house in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, killing 10 alleged militants, said Pakistani intelligence officials. Late on Monday, suspected US missiles hit a house in Gorvak village in North Waziristan, killing at least 20 alleged militants, said two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other Pakistani intelligence officials put the death toll at 23. The village is located very close to the Afghan border and is often used as a route for militants to cross into Afghanistan. The US refuses to publicly acknowledge the covert CIA drone programme in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that the strikes have killed senior Taliban and al-Qaida officials. Pakistan is widely believed to have supported the strikes in the past, even though officials often criticise them publicly as a violation of the country’s sovereignty. But that support has become less certain in recent months, especially following the covert US raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Pakistan Unmanned drones United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The unusually heavy barrage suggests the US has no intention of halting its drone programme despite tensions with Pakistan Three suspected US missile strikes in north-western Pakistan in less than 12 hours have killed at least 38 alleged militants, an unusually heavy barrage at a time when relations between the two countries are badly strained, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The strikes follow the Obama administration’s announcement that it is suspending more than one-third of US military aid to Pakistan until disagreements are worked out. The attacks indicate the White House has no intention of stopping the unmanned drone programme even though the attacks have increasingly caused tension with Pakistan. In the latest strike, suspected US missiles hit a house in Dremala village in the South Waziristan tribal area early on Tuesday, killing at least eight alleged militants, according to two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other Pakistani intelligence officials put the death toll from the strike at 13. The village is located close to the border with North Waziristan. Before dawn on Tuesday, suspected US missiles hit a house in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, killing 10 alleged militants, said Pakistani intelligence officials. Late on Monday, suspected US missiles hit a house in Gorvak village in North Waziristan, killing at least 20 alleged militants, said two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other Pakistani intelligence officials put the death toll at 23. The village is located very close to the Afghan border and is often used as a route for militants to cross into Afghanistan. The US refuses to publicly acknowledge the covert CIA drone programme in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that the strikes have killed senior Taliban and al-Qaida officials. Pakistan is widely believed to have supported the strikes in the past, even though officials often criticise them publicly as a violation of the country’s sovereignty. But that support has become less certain in recent months, especially following the covert US raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Pakistan Unmanned drones United States guardian.co.uk
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The unusually heavy barrage suggests the US has no intention of halting its drone programme despite tensions with Pakistan Three suspected US missile strikes in north-western Pakistan in less than 12 hours have killed at least 38 alleged militants, an unusually heavy barrage at a time when relations between the two countries are badly strained, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The strikes follow the Obama administration’s announcement that it is suspending more than one-third of US military aid to Pakistan until disagreements are worked out. The attacks indicate the White House has no intention of stopping the unmanned drone programme even though the attacks have increasingly caused tension with Pakistan. In the latest strike, suspected US missiles hit a house in Dremala village in the South Waziristan tribal area early on Tuesday, killing at least eight alleged militants, according to two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other Pakistani intelligence officials put the death toll from the strike at 13. The village is located close to the border with North Waziristan. Before dawn on Tuesday, suspected US missiles hit a house in the Shawal area of North Waziristan, killing 10 alleged militants, said Pakistani intelligence officials. Late on Monday, suspected US missiles hit a house in Gorvak village in North Waziristan, killing at least 20 alleged militants, said two Pakistani intelligence officials. Two other Pakistani intelligence officials put the death toll at 23. The village is located very close to the Afghan border and is often used as a route for militants to cross into Afghanistan. The US refuses to publicly acknowledge the covert CIA drone programme in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that the strikes have killed senior Taliban and al-Qaida officials. Pakistan is widely believed to have supported the strikes in the past, even though officials often criticise them publicly as a violation of the country’s sovereignty. But that support has become less certain in recent months, especially following the covert US raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Pakistan Unmanned drones United States guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Date of Birth : 29 May 1987 (24 years old) Place of Birth : Palo Alto, California, USA Alessandra Torresani is an American actress. She´s been on TV-series like “Newton”, “JAG”, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”, and “CSI” and “The War at Home”. She has also been on the Disney Channel Original Movie “Going to the Mat”. Alessandra Torresani Photo’s :
Continue reading …Date of Birth : 29 May 1987 (24 years old) Place of Birth : Palo Alto, California, USA Alessandra Torresani is an American actress. She´s been on TV-series like “Newton”, “JAG”, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”, and “CSI” and “The War at Home”. She has also been on the Disney Channel Original Movie “Going to the Mat”. Alessandra Torresani Photo’s :
Continue reading …Date of Birth : 29 May 1987 (24 years old) Place of Birth : Palo Alto, California, USA Alessandra Torresani is an American actress. She´s been on TV-series like “Newton”, “JAG”, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”, and “CSI” and “The War at Home”. She has also been on the Disney Channel Original Movie “Going to the Mat”. Alessandra Torresani Photo’s :
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Ahmed Wali Karzai, half brother to the Afghan president and one of the most powerful men in the country, has been killed by one of his own bodyguards. “I confirm that Ahmad Wali was killed inside his house,” Zalmay Ayoubi, a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province, told the Reuters news agency. Wali Karzai was shot dead by Sardar Mohammad, a bodyguard who regularly visited him, another member of the security team told Al Jazeera. Mohammad shot…
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