Pirate Hostages Freed
This in from the BBC: Pirates in northern Somalia have freed a Ukrainian ship and its 14-member crew for a ransom of $800,000 (£400,000), officials in the region say. As the vessel’s release was secured, another ship was taken in Puntland off the most northerly tip of the country. Read the original story here.
Training in DRC
Steve Ritchie and Chris Allen are currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo, working with client partner, Action Aid, to upgrade their safety and security processes and understanding, so that Action Aid can continue to deliver high quality programmes to its beneficiaries in the unstable and potentially hostile environment found in that region.
Armadillo in Afghanistan
Armadillo delivered training courses in humanitarian safety and security in Kabul in June 2008, with over 40 participants from 12 agencies represented. The team including Steve Ritchie and Jaffar Nadeem have now moved on to Kunduz where they are working with client partner Merlin on improving organisational and individual safety and security.
Fiji – Australian Diplomatic Staff Being Repatriated
Australian diplomatic staff and their families have been offered free flights home after the Fijian government made no assurances as to the security of the Australian High Commissioner. James Batley has received death threats that have been rumoured to have originated in the Fijian military. The Fijian government denied requests for extra Australian Federal Police [...]
Introduction to the Countries of the World
Before travelling to any country it is sensible to find out a little about the place you are going to. History, geography and current politics can have quite a bearing on how you are received. Not only that, but local etiquette can be a marked contrast to your home habits. Look up your destination on [...]