News of the World

[kyonides]

Taiwan charges Chinese captain over killing of Somali pirates

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54619728

Prosecutors in Taiwan have charged the captain of a fishing boat with ordering the killing of four suspected Somali pirates eight years ago.
The four were shot dead in the Indian Ocean in September 2012.
The killings came to light after mobile phone footage of the incident was posted online.
Prosecutors say the suspect, a Chinese national, admitted ordering the killings while captaining the Taiwanese vessel.

Well, we all know how difficult it's been for Taiwanese to deal with Chinese tantrums on a daily basis.
Now Taiwanese prosecutors charged a Chinese national with killing pirates in the Indian Ocean.

Why would they care so much about some  pirates?

Despite knowing the men had no way of defending themselves at this point, the suspect told officials he ordered his Pakistani security guards to shoot them so that they could not get away and ask other pirates to hijack his vessel, prosecutors said.
The suspect has been indicted on homicide and gun control charges, according to local media reports.
The killings were exposed after a mobile phone containing footage of the incident was left in a taxi in Fiji, and found by someone who posted the video on YouTube in 2014.

So they weren't armed any longer, and Pakistani guards shot them down.
What I couldn't finish to understand is how there's always somebody recording such events. In this case they used a cellphone...

Nuclear arms treaty: Hopes rise for breakthrough on US-Russia deal

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54619751

There is hope that the last remaining nuclear arms pact between the US and Russia can be extended after Washington said it wanted to immediately finalise an agreement.
The New Start treaty, signed in 2010, limits the number of long-range nuclear warheads that each side can possess.
A statement from Russia on Tuesday said it was proposing to extend New Start - which expires in February - by one year, with both countries making a commitment to "freeze" the number of warheads held over that period.
In Washington, the US state department welcomed the fresh offer, saying it appreciated Russia's "willingness to make progress on the issue of nuclear arms control".

I don't mind if they manage to extend it but it's hard to imagine how both countries would let their counterparts supervise their arsenals.  

German Alpine region goes into lockdown

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54618827
WHO already advised against implementing new lockdowns but that's exactly what Germany is undergoing right now.

The 105,000 people of Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, bordering Austria, will only be allowed to leave home for essential reasons for the next two weeks.
Last Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed to Germans to reduce their social contacts to bring down transmission rates.

Other European countries are heading in the same direction. In the Greater Manchester Region, UK will be locking down as well as the only way they could save people's lives according to PM Boris Johnson.

Robert Redford: Retired actor mourns the death of his son James aged 58

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54611712

She told the Salt Lake Tribune that James had discovered the cancer diagnosis late last year while awaiting a liver transplant.
Activist and filmmaker James Redford died on Friday after being diagnosed with liver cancer, his wife Kyle confirmed via Twitter.
His liver disease had returned two years ago, she added.

So far Robert Redford refused to speak on this issue for it had hit his family really hard. By the way, Robert also has another three children, including Amy Redford, an actress.