Biram blog

Pirates hijack U.S.-bound oil tanker off Oman

LONDON/ATHENS (Reuters) – Suspected Somali pirates captured a U.S.-bound tanker carrying around $200 million worth of crude oil in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday in one of the biggest hijackings in the area so far.

The Irene SL, the length of three soccer pitches and with 25 crew members on board, was carrying about 2 million barrels of oil, or nearly one fifth of daily U.S. crude imports.

The hijacking came a day after an Italian tanker carrying oil worth more than $60 million was snatched by Somali pirates, reinforcing industry fears that the piracy scourge is "spinning out of control".

"This morning the vessel was attacked by armed men," the Irene SL's Greece-based manager Enesel said. "For the moment there is no communication with the vessel."

Commander Susie Thomson, spokeswoman for the multinational Combined Maritime Forces fighting piracy in the area, said the 333-meter tanker was hijacked 220 miles off Oman and was likely to have been attacked by Somali pirates. "We can only speculate as to where the ship is being taken."

Shipping industry associations have warned that over 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil supply passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea is at risk from Somali pirates, who are able to operate ever further out to sea and for longer periods, using mother ships.

John Drake, a senior risk consultant with security firm AKE Ltd, said pirate activity off Oman first emerged in 2009.

"This is a strategic area of concern because it implicates shipping traveling to and from the Persian/Arabian Gulf," he said. "This area also does not have a significant naval presence like the Gulf of Aden."

On Tuesday, pirates firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades hijacked an Italian oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and diverted the vessel toward Somalia.

The Irene SL is only the fourth very large crude carrier to have been hijacked by Somali gangs since piracy escalated in 2008, the International Maritime Bureau said.

PIRATE CRISIS

Joe Angelo, managing director of INTERTANKO, an association whose members own the majority of the world's tanker fleet, said the hijacking of the Irene SL marked "a significant shift in the impact of the piracy crisis in the Indian Ocean."

Angelo said the Irene SL's cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil represented nearly 20 percent of total U.S. daily crude oil imports and urged governments to step up anti-piracy efforts.

"The piracy situation is now spinning out of control into the entire Indian Ocean," he told Reuters.

"If piracy in the Indian Ocean is left unabated, it will strangle these crucial shipping lanes with the potential to severely disrupt oil flows to the U.S. and to the rest of the world."

Pirate gangs are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms, and despite successful efforts to quell attacks in the Gulf of Aden, international navies have struggled to contain piracy in the Indian Ocean owing to the vast distances involved.

"The situation is only going to worsen. With rising ransoms pirates are able to hire more men, bribe more officials and wait longer periods to negotiate," said AKE's Drake.

"Pirates may not set out into the Indian Ocean with specific intent to capture oil tankers but if they see one they will likely attack it with more determination and ferocity than other vessel types, simply because of the potential ransom sum they could secure through holding such a vessel."

Pirates last year received a record $9.5 million ransom for the release of the Samho Dream South Korean oil tanker. A study showed maritime piracy costs the global economy between $7 and $12 billion a year.

The European Union Naval Force said a South Korean fishing vessel, the Golden Wave, and its 43 crew had been released from pirate control. The ship was hijacked off the Kenyan coast last October. EU NAVFOR did not say if a ransom had been paid.

(Additional reporting by Frederik Richter in Manama and Yaw Yanchong in Singapore; editing by Amran Abocar and Keiron Henderson)

'Finding Neverland,' Directed and Choreographed by Rob Ashford, Will Premiere at La Jolla Playhouse

Finding Neverland, the musical about the children who inspired J.M. Barrie to create Peter Pan, will get its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in the 2011-12 season. Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics), the songwriting team of Grey Gardens, will write the score.

As previously reported, Tony Award winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cry-Baby, Promises, Promises, How to Succeed…) will direct and choreograph.

The libretto is by Allan Knee, whose play "The Man Who Was Peter Pan" inspired the Academy Award-winning film "Finding Neverland," wrote the musical's libretto. Knee wrote the book to Broadway's Little Women musical.

No production dates, casting or creative team were announced. La Jolla will boast three world premieres in its coming season.

According to the La Jolla, CA, not-for-profit, "In Finding Neverland, the pressure is on for Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie — his last play was an abysmal failure and his career is threatened by crippling writers block. With his deadline fast approaching and an impertinent producer hounding him, a chance meeting in a London park with a woman and her spirited young boys provides just the inspiration he needs. Based on the 2004 Academy Award-nominated film, this world premiere musical tells the enchanting story of the real boys who inspired a literary masterpiece."

Frankel and Korie were nominated for the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for their score to the musical Grey Gardens. They also wrote the musical Happiness, produced by Lincoln Center Theater. They are also working on a musical version of the film "Far From Heaven."

Playhouse artistic director Christopher Ashley said in a statement, "We're delighted to bring back to the Playhouse Rob Ashford, one of the most sought-after directors on Broadway, as well as welcome this new, award-winning creative team to the Playhouse family. It gives us great pride to serve as a home for these acclaimed artists, offering the resources, support and freedom to go wherever their passion leads them, as part of our steadfast commitment to the development of new work."

Subscriptions to La Jolla Playhouse's 2011-12 season are available at www.lajollaplayhouse.org.

Q&A with CNN Worldwide president

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – As president of CNN Worldwide, Jim Walton oversees the news operation's television, online and mobile businesses around the world.

A day after CNN's parent company Time Warner reported its latest earnings, Walton spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the cable network's 2010 financials, the early performance of Piers Morgan Tonight and the importance of U.S. primetime show.

The Hollywood Reporter: CNN had a record operating profit in 2009, and I hear you brought in another record profit for 2010. Is that true, and how big was it?

Jim Walton: We had a really good year in 2010. We had a fantastic year, and yes, we grew up profits over 2009. It was another earnings record, so we are really pleased...I am speaking about the worldwide business of CNN.

THR: How big a profit?

Walton: As you know, Time Warner doesn't break out our earnings, so I am not allowed to either. I can't.

THR: That is several record years in a row, isn't it?

Walton: That is seven years in a row of profit growth. That's pretty good. While the journalism industry is under siege, we continue to grow.

THR: What were the main drivers of your growth?

Walton: There are a lot of men and women here who work really hard. We have a pretty diverse business that is spread out around the world. And we got multiple revenue streams - television, the Web and mobile. It's not one television network. It's a big old honking news machine.

THR: The continued profit growth seems to be in some contrast with your continued U.S. primetime ratings challenges that are often in focus. Is that just not as important a factor?

Walton: I don't want to minimize it. The primetime programming on CNN U.S. is very, very important, and those ratings are important to us. But the ad revenue generated by our primetime programming on CNN U.S. is only about 10% of our total revenues. We have other parts of our business that are as big or bigger than that.

THR: What were some of the growth drivers for CNN last year?

Walton: Over the years, as various economies go up and down around the world, we are in so many different economies that we have a lot of touch points and are not weighed down by any one thing. We also have television, Web and mobile. Advertising is a huge component of our business domestically and internationally, but the distribution business is big for us. The Web business is big for us, mobile is growing, and we are in the syndication business as well.

THR: What do you predict for your business for this year?

Walton: I'm not allowed to give forward-leaning statements on financials. What I can tell you is that I am confident that we are going to have another great year. We have some new programs on CNN. We will be launching a new primetime program on HLN. We have some digital additions that we are going to make over the next four, five months. And the international business continues to evolve. So, I am very confident that we are going to have another strong year.

THR: You mentioned new programs. How do you feel about the performance of Piers Morgan so far?

Walton: It's spectacular. I'm really pleased. He is so clever, he is really smart, he is a big personality. And he works hard and does his homework. He's been stepping into the Egypt story now. We couldn't be happier.

THR: What about ratings? Have you noticed what kind of guests and topics do better for him or whether the show does better when he steps into breaking news versus has celebrity guests?

Walton: It's really too early to put a stamp on it. Piers and his producers and Ken Jautz who runs CNN U.S. will work together and look at what happens each day, review and always try to make it better each day. I can assure you that Piers will be every bit a part of the conversation, and the interview will be the basis of what that program is. But I think it is in its early days. He has tried all sorts of different types of shows in the two and a half weeks he has been on the air. Maybe that's what it will always be like.

THR: Parker Spitzer has been on the air longer, and you have tweaked that a bit. How happy are you with it now?

Walton: Much has been said and much has been written about the program. If you look at it just on its merits, it's one of the smartest programs on television - whether cable or broadcast. It fits very much within the brand of CNN and what it stands for. And if you look at the last 10 days or so, its performance has gotten a lot better and the past couple of nights it has beaten MSNBC. It's got some momentum right now.

THR: How do you explain that?

Walton: We had a couple of folks who weren't television professionals, and now they have got some time under their belts. They are performing, and the show just gets better and better.

THR: Anything you can say about the chatter that it will be just Spitzer one day?

Walton: I have got a little saying here at CNN internally that you can't burp without somebody somewhere writing. CNN commands a lot of attention, which is great. What you can count on is that we have Dr. Drew coming on HLN in primetime soon. That's the talent focus for our company right now.

THR: You have added personalities to primetime since Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes joked last year that some time CNN may be a bit boring. Do you feel you have made real progress?

Walton: It's in the eye of the beholder. What is funny to somebody is not funny to somebody else. What is exciting to one person might be boring to somebody else. But everybody who performs at CNN in an anchor role needs to be very, very smart and be able to relate to and be relevant to their audiences. We are not trying to be funny necessarily.

(Editing by Jill Serjeant)

CCA's William F. Andrews Honored by Outstanding Directors Exchange

William F. Andrews, a member of the Board of Directors for CCA, the nation's largest and oldest partnership corrections company, has been named as a 2011 Outstanding Director by The Outstanding Directors Exchange.

Nashville, TN (Vocus/PRWEB) February 01, 2011

William F. Andrews, a member of the Board of Directors for CCA, the nation's largest and oldest partnership corrections company, has been named as a 2011 Outstanding Director by The Outstanding Directors Exchange. Andrews is one of only six corporate directors to receive the honor from a pool of more than 50 peer-nominated candidates.

“We believe there is no higher praise than to be singled out by your boardroom peers for going above and beyond the call of duty,” said Heather Wolf, director of the Outstanding Directors Program. "Bill Andrews helped CCA achieve a remarkable turnaround, safeguarding jobs, the provision of an important service and shareholder value."

The Outstanding Directors Exchange since 1998 has recognized more than 100 corporate board leaders for their commitment to corporate governance, with achievement and leadership exemplified during a crisis, business transformation or company turnaround.

"Bill embodies the best of the commitment, discipline, savvy and integrity demanded of Board leaders. He has served our company – our stakeholders and our shareholders – with unwavering accountability and high standards," said John Ferguson, Chairman of the CCA Board of Directors.

Andrews' record of Board leadership and involvement is extensive. He assumed the role of director and chairman of Executive Committee on CCA's Board of Directors in July 2008, after serving as CCA's Chairman of the Board since August 2000. He was a member of CCA's Board from 1986 until 1998, prior to the company's merger with Prison Realty Trust.

As a principal at Kohlberg & Company since 1995, Andrews has significant experience in financial markets and finance. Andrews was former chairman, president and CEO of Scovill Manufacturing. He also served as chairman, president and CEO of Singer Sewing Machine Company; president and CEO of UNR Industries, Inc.; chairman, president and CEO of Amdura Corporation; and chairman of Katy Industries.

Most recently, he served as chairman of Northwestern Steel and Wire Company and was a director of Juvenile and Jail Facility Management Services, Inc. He has also served as chairman of several privately held companies: Utica Corporation, Schrader Bridgeport International, Inc., Scovill Fastners, Inc. and Allied Aerospace Corp.

Andrews is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a master's degree in business administration from Seton Hall University.

About CCACCA is the nation’s largest provider of partnership corrections to federal, state and local government, operating more than 60 facilities, including more than 40 company-owned facilities, with approximately 90,000 beds, in 19 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to providing the residential services for inmates, CCA facilities offer rehabilitation and educational programs, including education, vocation, religious services, life skills and employment training and substance abuse treatment. For more, visitand .

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Louise GrantCCA(615) 263-3106Email Information

Koch Brothers v. the Left in Palm Springs

-- There’s a good chance that readers of this page already have some idea who David and Charles Koch are, andthis weekend, as the sugar daddies of the Tea Party throw a little party of their own in Palm Springs. Invitees include a pack of their billionaire friends, plus prominent pundits,and lawmakers, a number of whom benefited fromthis last campaign cycle.

Together they’ll strategize how to get rid of every regulation or politician that stands in the way of wealthy people becoming wealthier; namely, taxes, healthcare reform, environmental and financial protections, Obama and what little remains of the social safety net. Citizens United will undoubtedly energize the annual end-of-weekend ritual when all the donors——whip out their checkbooks to underwrite these adventures in subverting democracy with an eye to their bottom line.

But there will also be, for the first time in the soiree’s eight year history, , including a fair number of prominent bloggers, aincluding such luminaries as Robert Reich and Van Jones and a demonstration organized by . That’s actually pretty great, as , Director of Research for , reminded me. For years one of the Koch brothers’ greatest achievements was the fact that no one knew who they were or what influence they had in DC.

Now, thanks to some fine investigative reporting, we know that the brothers—the -richest folks in the United States—are radical right-wingers whose dad served on the John Birch Society’s governing body. Lee Fang oftagged them early on asfor the allegedly populist Tea Party, whose coast-to-coast “spontaneous” uprisings against Obama and taxation, were carefully orchestrated by staff. A March 2010uncloaked Koch Industries as a “financial kingpin of climate science denial and clean energy opposition,” and unveiled their underwriting of organizations like the Mercatus Center, Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute, whose pseudo-academic “research” and “reports” lobby for the wealthy and powerful from behind the protection of tax-exempt, nonprofit status. Jane Mayer’s August 2010 New Yorker portrait, “” finished ripping the mask off of the brothers mostly known on the East Coast as generous patrons of the arts, and directly connected them to what was happening in DC. (Note: for the uninitiated,fabulous timeline cartoon provides the least painful account of the Koch family’s political history from the ’30s through today.)

What worries me is that the left’s response in Palm Springs may still be too “insider baseball,” the kind of stuff that riles up the already converted but has no discernible effect on a public still in thrall to the simple us-versus-them mentality of the Tea Party—a dynamic in which one is always, simultaneously, right and wronged. So I turned to some of the journalists and advocates who have been covering the Kochs, energy and the Tea Party for their views.

Greenpeace’s Davies, though cautious, felt buoyed by the momentum on the left’s side: “I think it’s possible to keep drawing scrutiny to the Tea Party Congress by teaching voters to look for the corporate billionaire-backed tentacles behind the scenes. We can also put pressure on those congressmen by finding ways to ask them, very publicly, what they owe the Kochs. And I think it’s huge that Cato and other front groups are now being talked about as ‘Koch funded’ think tanks which should diminish their power in the media.” , who reports on the environment and energy issues for Mother Jones, also believes that the left has a winning issue with the Kochs: “Most Americans understand that we probably shouldn’t keep depending on oil, even if it’s just that they don’t like what they’re paying at the pump.”  

Fang shared some of my concerns, noting the Tea Party’s power as a catch-all. “In the wake of the war and the financial crisis in these last few years, people who are disillusioned by big institutions are drawn to the Tea Party as intrinsically anti-institution. Democrats and the left haven’t caught on to this psychological shift.”

But John Amato offelt less concerned about having a complete picture, or a message that could rival the Tea Party’s. “Let’s just get through the day,” he said. “Info that Supreme Court Justices Anthony Scalia and Clarence Thomas are attending meetings like this is pretty good for now in terms of challenging the impartiality of the court. Why kind of activist judges speak behind closed doors at secret political meetings? We’re raising awareness, saying billionaires are actively lobbying and pouring money in to change legislation to make money for themselves.”

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