Russia commandeers ships leased to B.C.-based Arctic tour company
(World News Russia)

The Russian government has abruptly ordered two ice-strengthened ships to remain at home just four weeks before they were contracted to begin the Arctic season under lease to B.C.-based One Ocean Expeditions. The two ships — Vavilov and Ioffe — are owned by a Russian scientific institute, which has been under contract with One Ocean since 2011. “We followed the standard practice and had legal contracts,” general manager Cathy Lawton said Tuesday....