Putin threatens to declare Greenpeace activists guilty of "piracy" and imprison them for 15 years.

The excuse for this charge, that Russian troops chose to imagine that the Greenpeace protesters carried a bomb, is ridiculous, but it is also irrelevant. Under Putin, show trials issue whatever verdict Putin tells them to.

I expect Putin will try to use the threat to negotiate for some sort of concession from Greenpeace which would corrupt its spirit for the long term. That would be a much bigger victory for him than putting some activists in prison. I hope Greenpeace has the firmness to refuse any long-term concession.

The Greenpeace protesters were nonviolent, but when a tyrant puts nonviolent protesters in prison, violent action against the tyrant ceases to be wrong.

Although Rouhani refused to talk with Obama at the UN, his speech was a move towards future negotiation, which will begin between foreign ministers.

UK border thugs interrogated a Yemeni human rights activist who was coming to give a speech at a conference. This is apparently because he helps to represent victims of drone attacks.

The supposed reason for the interrogation was suspicion of terrorism, but what they actually asked him about were the plans of the British human rights organization Reprieve that he works for. This is prima facie evidence that the UK government dishonestly abuses this power.

The Israeli army destroyed a Bedouin camp; previously it had destroyed the village that they lived in before 1967.

In negotiations about chemical weapons in Syria and possible future Iranian nuclear weapons, the US must recognize chemical weapons in Israel and Egypt, and real Israeli nuclear weapons.