News Stories

[Haruka_Kitten]

I would like to see the look on the face of the person who was waiting for that ship.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

Don't worry, there'll be a lot more to come. Seriously though, maybe it's time for some Q-ships? Hell, just countries putting some soldiers on their ships to protect them might work.

Simply to be put, I opine "insufficient personnel" and "unrealistic" to that notion. *sarcastic*

I know that some ships do hire mercenaries (aptly called contracted security detail) armed with CQB-type assault weapons to protect their cargo. But most shipping companies want their profit margin, and the price of life of a shipboard personnel is grossly undermined as compared to their overall shipping profits.

But considering the fact that Singaporean males go through National Service and are trained in armed combat, any Singaporean flagged ship COULD be said to, in a small extent, a Q-ship. But that hardly counts against a group of pirates well-versed in counterterror tactics and armed to the teeth.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

Don't worry, there'll be a lot more to come. Seriously though, maybe it's time for some Q-ships? Hell, just countries putting some soldiers on their ships to protect them might work.

This would at least solve one of the problems the german navy has. They are not allowed to engage in fighting. They are only allowed to self-defend. That means to actively protect a vessel they'ld need to somehow get invlolved into an attack that makes it look like they were attacked, then they are allowed to "defend" themselves. Usually pirates do not engage frigates. So, being a Q-ship would be a nice thing, because then it is way easier to be the selfdefending vessel.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Simply to be put, I opine "insufficient personnel" and "unrealistic" to that notion. *sarcastic*

I know that some ships do hire mercenaries (aptly called contracted security detail) armed with CQB-type assault weapons to protect their cargo. But most shipping companies want their profit margin, and the price of life of a shipboard personnel is grossly undermined as compared to their overall shipping profits.

But considering the fact that Singaporean males go through National Service and are trained in armed combat, any Singaporean flagged ship COULD be said to, in a small extent, a Q-ship. But that hardly counts against a group of pirates well-versed in counterterror tactics and armed to the teeth.

How about Singapore ships usually go UNARMED!? I'm serious, I went on a Star Cruise and asked about security - then I was told that there are absolutely no firearms onboard for protection.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by ShimatheKat

How about Singapore ships usually go UNARMED!? I'm serious, I went on a Star Cruise and asked about security - then I was told that there are absolutely no firearms onboard for protection.

Star Cruise usually travel in safe waters.....they tend to stick to the less dangerous routes so they do not have to pay insurance.

Shipping routes usually for speed, cutting through places like the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, which we already know that are highly dangerous due to the "mud cities" surrounding them.

But if you want to be armed, you can always fashion a ballistic knife out of pens and rubber bands.

[ZephyrLeanne]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Star Cruise usually travel in safe waters.....they tend to stick to the less dangerous routes so they do not have to pay insurance.

Shipping routes usually for speed, cutting through places like the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, which we already know that are highly dangerous due to the "mud cities" surrounding them.

But if you want to be armed, you can always fashion a ballistic knife out of pens and rubber bands.

A few years ago, the straits of Malacca and Singapore were the most dangerous after Somalia...

[ZephyrLeanne]

Moving on...

Errant Chinese smoker stops world's fastest train

BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - The world's fastest train hit its first speed bump in the form of a disobedient smoker less than a week after it began running in southern China.

A cigarette triggered an alarm that forced a two-and-a-half hour stoppage, nearly as long as the train takes to cover the 1,100 kilometer (684 mile) distance between Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, and the central city of Wuhan.

Managers of the bullet train, which debuted on Saturday, were unable to catch the smoker who fled the scene before the alarm sounded, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

"Smoking is strictly forbidden on the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed train, even in the toilet," a spokesman with the Guangzhou Railway Group Corporation was quoted as saying. "It could trigger the alarm and even cause equipment failures."

In 40 years of Shinkansen operations in Japan, this hasn't happened... Or even the 3 in Taiwan...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by ShimatheKat

A few years ago, the straits of Malacca and Singapore were the most dangerous after Somalia...

True.....but due to the heavy patrolling by joint SEA navies, it is difficult for pirates to run raids. Smugglers and illegal immigrants are the norm in this area, but not exactly pirates. This is due to (I hate geography) :

1. Difference in area

The Gulf is significantly larger than the Straits, approximately 1000-1200km long and more than 500m wide whereas the Straits is 800km long and less than 400km wide. This means that the Straits can be more easily covered by patrols than the Gulf itself.

2. Regional Stability

The Strait is home to countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia with stable political structures and modernised navies. Coupled with regional coordination (under the "Let's all earn money together!" incentive) and the narrow length of the straits, it allows quicker reaction to any hijack attempt and increases the difficulty pirate operations.

The Gulf, however is home to many unstable countries like Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia. Where poverty rules, political instability is rife, especially in Somalia after the Islamic Crap Underdogs Courts Union seized power in 2006. It led to the collapse of the transitional government installed by US (not UN). It led to Somalia being a safe haven for terrorists who use piracy to fund their attacks. There is too much enmity in the area, particularly between Ethiopia and Eritrea, in which the former started the mess in 1991 by ousting Prez Barre and the latter messing it up again in 2006 by helping the ICU.

Yemen, on the other hand, is fighting a civil war between Shiite rebels and the army (Saddah Insurgency). As we all know that Iran wants a ruling hegemony over in ME, resources are diverted from the already poverty stricken country to fight insurgents armed by another state. As a result, black marketeers and bandits thrive due to internal insecurity. Having 2 states bordering the Gulf in turmoil, it is not surprising that the Gulf is in such a mess.

Originally Posted by ShimatheKat

Moving on...

In 40 years of Shinkansen operations in Japan, this hasn't happened... Or even the 3 in Taiwan...

Blame bad governance. Too much control over the people until all the laws they set become seemingly harmless to the ordinary citizen, who can fork out a roll of bills to keep even the most on-the-ball policeman's mouth shut.

[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Simply to be put, I opine "insufficient personnel" and "unrealistic" to that notion. *sarcastic*

It's possible to do by a navy of a sufficiently strong country, but very few of those with the capability would want to do it, IMHO. There isn't much to gain since both the people who would be pirates and the boats (and a "mother ship" to carry them) are cheap to come by.

There is also the question of what you do with the pirates once you capture them. Do you try them in court in the same way the one who got captured by the U.S. in early 2009? You can't exactly punish them in the same way back in the 17th/18th century - i.e., death by hanging before wrapping the body in chains to keep the corpse from falling apart.

The current anti-piracy operation, IMHO, is not sustainable. The underlying problem is not being solved, and any punishment (or threat of punishment) being imposed isn't a big enough deterrence on its own.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I know that some ships do hire mercenaries (aptly called contracted security detail) armed with CQB-type assault weapons to protect their cargo. But most shipping companies want their profit margin, and the price of life of a shipboard personnel is grossly undermined as compared to their overall shipping profits.

It's also much easier for the shipping company to buy insurance and then pass the costs to the people doing the shipping. In turn, that cost gets passed over to (1) the consumers or (2) any factory owner too weak to say no to the store buyers. So long as no one gets killed, there is no problem, right?

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by LynnieS

It's possible to do by a navy of a sufficiently strong country, but very few of those with the capability would want to do it, IMHO. There isn't much to gain since both the people who would be pirates and the boats (and a "mother ship" to carry them) are cheap to come by.

There is also the question of what you do with the pirates once you capture them. Do you try them in court in the same way the one who got captured by the U.S. in early 2009? You can't exactly punish them in the same way back in the 17th/18th century - i.e., death by hanging before wrapping the body in chains to keep the corpse from falling apart.

The current anti-piracy operation, IMHO, is not sustainable. The underlying problem is not being solved, and any punishment (or threat of punishment) being imposed isn't a big enough deterrence on its own.

It's also much easier for the shipping company to buy insurance and then pass the costs to the people doing the shipping. In turn, that cost gets passed over to (1) the consumers or (2) any factory owner too weak to say no to the store buyers. So long as no one gets killed, there is no problem, right?

i don't beleived anyone actually got around to re-writing marinetime law which is "Pirates Hang"

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by LynnieS

It's possible to do by a navy of a sufficiently strong country, but very few of those with the capability would want to do it, IMHO. There isn't much to gain since both the people who would be pirates and the boats (and a "mother ship" to carry them) are cheap to come by.

There is also the question of what you do with the pirates once you capture them. Do you try them in court in the same way the one who got captured by the U.S. in early 2009? You can't exactly punish them in the same way back in the 17th/18th century - i.e., death by hanging before wrapping the body in chains to keep the corpse from falling apart.

Under the UN law, they are USUALLY sent back to their home country to be tried. But if there is no legit state for their homeland, they get tried in the home country of whoever catches them, or the country of the ship they tried to hijack.

Pretty lame way of dealing with prisoners IMO. Each boarding personnel, assuming they are armed with MP5s only, carry 180-240 rounds of 9mm each. Each round costs only US$0.20 to make, why not use them? The SAS peppered one terrorist with over 50 rounds during the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1981.

The current anti-piracy operation, IMHO, is not sustainable. The underlying problem is not being solved, and any punishment (or threat of punishment) being imposed isn't a big enough deterrence on its own.

It's also much easier for the shipping company to buy insurance and then pass the costs to the people doing the shipping. In turn, that cost gets passed over to (1) the consumers or (2) any factory owner too weak to say no to the store buyers. So long as no one gets killed, there is no problem, right?

Economics knowledge : In the shipping industry, speedruns generate large profits, which is stalled by piracy. Sometimes, the company has to pay a default for late shipments and screwed schedules, piracy or not, which can amount to millions.

Insurance doesn't really work. Shipping is all about taking risks.....between the net profit and extra-services costs. Also, when it comes to defence, how are you exactly going to get an insurer to cover T-72 tanks being sent to a political ally? Denial is never credible and is hardly believed.

I had a friend who worked as a shipboard engineer, and he is a pretty optimistic person so I refused to tell him the difference between his sailing pay and the piracy insurance. He'd quit his job.

[Tiberium Wolf]

Why not give the fish some food? I don't think they will mind. As long nothing comes up from the sea again no one will miss a few pirates.

[ZephyrLeanne]

For all the awards that Changi, Narita and Incheon get, I'd like them to see this.

An Invitation to Fly Local

I mean, as a frequent flyer, I do notice that the logjams are pretty terrible at Narita and Incheon especially since their security is RIGHT AFTER CUSTOMS. Really, that's just stupid - I mean, if you know you have that problem, then Changi it by taijiquanning your check to the gates...

Really, someone should focus on Haneda especially since it's infinitely expandable as it faces the sea and we can reclaim more land outwards (come on, Changi is sitting on 100% reclaimed land - no problems there - just that Kansai was a failed example...) and it'd solve Hatoyama's problems of "not enough jobs".

Then we can close pork-barrel Narita and convert it into some government facility. Shift the administration there, everyone knows Chiyoda's a security loophole in itself (Aum Shinrikyo proved that to us.)

Or better still, a Gundam research facility (OK I'm joking here.)

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Under the UN law, they are USUALLY sent back to their home country to be tried. But if there is no legit state for their homeland, they get tried in the home country of whoever catches them, or the country of the ship they tried to hijack.

that is not really UN law, that is just what the socially civilize countries of Europe like to do because it is easier then doing the prosecuting and Imprisonment themselves.

and it is also cheaper which has never enter into the minds of politicians.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

that is not really UN law, that is just what the socially civilize countries of Europe like to do because it is easier then doing the prosecuting and Imprisonment themselves.

and it is also cheaper which has never enter into the minds of politicians.

Convention on Law of the Sea, Part 7, Section 1, Article 105

Seizure of a pirate ship or aircraft

On the high seas, or in any other place outside the jurisdiction of any State, every State may seize a pirate ship or aircraft, or a ship or aircraft taken by piracy and under the control of pirates, and arrest the persons and seize the property on board. The courts of the State which carried out the seizure may decide upon the penalties to be imposed, and may also determine the action to be taken with regard to the ships, aircraft or property, subject to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.

Those politicians are supposed to dispense justice, but apparently the bolded red line allows them to shirk responsibility by "repatriating" the hijackers "to maintain good diplomatic relations".

I remember someone here saying about UN being an over-funded talkshop. He is right.

[mg1942]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

Five words that have help back progress since the dawn of man.

Another great example..... the guy who founded Greenpeace saw the light and has come out in direct opposition to them on the subject of nuclear power. n00ks would have dramatically reduced the pollution being spewed into the air by power plants, and he realizes it but the organization (of which he's no longer a member as a result of his views) continues to push the anti-n00k BS


environmentalists fighting the greenies

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by mg1942

Another great example..... the guy who founded Greenpeace saw the light and has come out in direct opposition to them on the subject of nuclear power. n00ks would have dramatically reduced the pollution being spewed into the air by power plants, and he realizes it but the organization (of which he's no longer a member as a result of his views) continues to push the anti-n00k BS


environmentalists fighting the greenies

The main problem remains, noone wants to have the radioactive waste in their backyards.

[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Convention on Law of the Sea, Part 7, Section 1, Article 105

Those politicians are supposed to dispense justice, but apparently the bolded red line allows them to shirk responsibility by "repatriating" the hijackers "to maintain good diplomatic relations".

I remember someone here saying about UN being an over-funded talkshop. He is right.

Very few countries want to deal with the problem, IMHO, since it's risky. If you get aggressive (and/or actually apply any legacy laws that may still be in effect and not having been superseded), there will be people, if not from your own country then from some others, raising a fuss. If you do nothing, people will, among other things, say that you're not fulfilling your responsibilities - not to mention risking your ships and people. Letting someone else take the responsibility of punishing any captured pirates - even if they get a slap on the wrist in some "revolving door" policy - the problem is sidestepped, if not solved.

[FDW]

Originally Posted by Harufox

Yes, our troubled state government has decided to avoid political suicide by rolling out Myki, a controversial new smartcard ticketing system that has been delayed by over 2 years and blown to a whopping AU$1.3 billion in cost. It was promised that It'd be running by the end of 2009 and so they decided instead of roll it out when it would be fully working, they decided to roll out the system while it's still in "Alpha" stages

The system has been in use in Regional Victoria (where there are no zones) and has already drawn criticism for its overcharging, its cumbersomeness and the fact that the customer is liable for all failures whether or not it is in their control.



He's right...rolling it out like this is much like giving a customer a half-baked cake. I'd much prefer to have a proper rollout rather than this atrocity. Our former Metcard system allowed us to pride ourselves on having a multi-modal ticket (buy a metcard on a set duration, and you can travel on all forms of public transport in the specified zone until expiry). By all means, Bowen has urged all Melburnians to keep using Metcards until myki is actually working. As for me, I'm one of the 14000 who ordered a card on its release to the public....now I'm waiting for it to arrive in the mail. I still won't be using it for 6 months, but at least I got it for its promotional price of $0 (and at this point, that's all its worth).

EDIT: Scratch that, there's an even better story

'Miracle': Mum, bub back from the dead

Here in the Bay Area it's taken a decade to roll our smartcard system, Translink, because we have somewhere along the lines of thirty transit agencies, and none of them are on the same page as one another, despite the fact that our three largest agencies now carry it, most of the transit agencies in the region still don't accept it.
In other news here's a list of the What's going on with public transit in the United States and Canada:
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2...ed-for-2010-2/

[Haruka_Kitten]

Originally Posted by FDW

Here in the Bay Area it's taken a decade to roll our smartcard system, Translink, because we have somewhere along the lines of thirty transit agencies, and none of them are on the same page as one another, despite the fact that our three largest agencies now carry it, most of the transit agencies in the region still don't accept it.
In other news here's a list of the What's going on with public transit in the United States and Canada:
http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2...ed-for-2010-2/

Woah, 10 years is a long wait, but have there been stories of system failures? Delays? Vandalism? Myki has attracted all 3 and more of these issues with it.

Melbourne has 1 private train operator (Metro), 1 private tram operator (Keolis Downer) and over 50 private bus operators. There a bus routes that range from having a bus every 15 minutes, to buses every 40 minutes. Routes that are long, short and in some cases repetitive of another route (411 and 412 are a perfect example, anyone living in Altona).

Our old system, Metcard (thankfully still in use), was a simple paper/cardboard based ticket that worked similarly to a flat-rate fee (for example, $3.70 gets you 2hour travel in Zone 2 on all trains, trams and buses running in that zone). Myki's initial release has buses and trams out of the loop because of problems with the mobile software, hence why it "makes a mockery of our multi-modal transport system".

I guess no government likes looking red-faced. In response to a story regarding hijacking of ships, there's a few ships that will be transporting some new X-Trapolis trains from Europe to Australia. I just want to see the look on the premier's face when one goes missing.