World Vision Offers Help In Russian Hostage Drama

Relief needs are expected to be "enormous" in the wake of the hostage drama at a Russian school in Beslan, which ended Saturday with hundreds wounded. As many as 200 people are feared dead. World Vision, which has an office 20 kilometres from the site of the tragedy, has allocated US$25,000 as an initial response.

"We do not know yet what the needs are, but offering care to so many people at once is an enormous task for the local health services, so we are ready to assist them," said David Womble, programme manager for World Vision in the Russian Federation. Womble will visit Beslan this weekend to coordinate relief aid with local officials and other aid organisations.

Local officials reported more than 700 people hospitalised, including 259 children. World Vision has medical supplies in its warehouse in Nazran, which will be sent immediately if needed.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>