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14 Nov 2010 10:33

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World: Rachel & Paul Chandler: Huge ransom needed to set them free

  • 387 days pirates held Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage source
  • » It wasn’t cheap to set them free: Why did it take so long to get them free? Well, there were some ransom issues. First the pirates asked for £4 million in ransom, around $6.45 million dollars. The amount was too much, but they still wanted something. A later ransom, for around £350,000 ($565,000) was intercepted by intermediaries who wanted a cut of the action. Finally, a third ransom, also in the hundreds of thousands range, was accepted, and the Chandlers were let go – but not after being separated and physically abused by their captors.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Feb 2010 21:39

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U.S.: Richard Shelby released those Obama nominee holds. Why?

  • shelby The Alabama senator says that his demands were met, so he released most of the 70+ holds, barring a few unnamed ones.
  • obama The president’s staff says that none of Shelby’s demands were met, so somebody is lying here. We wonder who that might be. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Jan 2010 11:32

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World: Brits captured by Somalian pirates: We desperately need help

  • The pirates want $7 million. The British government won’t pay. Despite pleading from Paul and Rachel Chandler, they’re still not getting any help. Part of it is a longstanding British policy not to play nice with pirates. As a result, they’ve been captured since October. “Please help us, these people are not treating us well,” Rachel Chandler said in a video filmed by AFP. “I’m old, I’m 56 and my husband is 60 years old. We need to be together because we have not much time left.” Yikes. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Oct 2009 20:25

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World: Anyone got a lot of money sitting around to give to some pirates?

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Sep 2009 13:53

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Sports: Who’s Matt Carson? The biggest jerk ever doesn’t know or care

  • Does he know who I am? Exactly-he shouldn’t! My mom doesn’t even know I’m in the major leagues, and my dad still confuses me with my older brother at Thanksgiving dinner. To tell the truth, I’m pretty sure the ball was worth more before I hit it. I’m Matt Carson, for God’s sake!
  • Oakland A’s outfielder Matt Carson • Exclaiming dismay that some jerkwad caught the career minor leaguer’s first home run ball and wants $10,000 for it. Carson’s long been in the minors and probably isn’t in a position to pay that much money for a ball which probably means sentimental value to just him. (via Jeff Greco) • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Apr 2009 08:46

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World: African pirates ransack yet another ship, this one American

  • 20 U.S. nationals are likely on the ship; it’s the 9th hijacking this week source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jan 2009 09:43

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World: More on the recent history of piracy in Somalia

  • 100+ reported pirate attacks off the eastern coast of Africa in 2008
  • 25 crew members on the Sirius Star, the largest ship hijacked; a Ukranian cargo ship remains hijacked source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 

10 Jan 2009 09:33

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World: The ransom paid to the pirates

  • $3 million was given to the pirates, says their negotiator source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

10 Jan 2009 09:30

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World: Somali pirates let go of one of their ships

The Somali pirates got their ransom, so they released the Sirius Star. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 
 
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