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☆ Fujian: China’s newest aircraft carrier heads to sea for first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —China’s newest, largest and most-advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, took a big step to joining the world’s largest naval fleet on Wednesday as it set out from Shanghai for its first sea trials. “The sea trials will primarily test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems,” read an announcement from the state-run Xinhua news agency on Wednesday. The warship was launched in 2022 and has “completed its mooring trials, outfitting work and equipment adjustments” working up to the latest sea trials, Xinhua said. A tugboat tows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, away from a dock in east China's Shanghai on May 1, 2024. The American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is seen from the air anchored in Italy in the Gulf of Trieste on September 18, 2023.

Persons: Li Tang, ”, John Bradford, Carl Schuster, Gerald R Ford, ” Bradford, Gerald R, Ford, Andrej Tarfila, Schuster, ” Schuster, Brian Hart, Yuan Huazhi, John F Kennedy, Doris Miller Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Jiangnan Shipyard, Maritime Safety Administration, Xinhua, Liberation Army, United States Navy, PLAN, Foreign Relations International Affairs, US, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence, Nimitz, Ford, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Analysts, American, Chinese Defense Ministry, China Power, CSIS, Times, US Navy, Enterprise Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Fujian, Shanghai, East China, Jiangnan, Shandong, Liaoning, Italy, Gulf of Trieste, China

☆ Nine Rescued in Atlantic After Days on Wreckage of Migrant Boat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a migrant boat sank and about 50 of its passengers went missing in the Atlantic Ocean off northwestern Africa, nine survivors endured two days on the semi-submerged wreck before they were found, according to Spanish rescuers. The rescue happened on Monday near the coast of the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago and a destination along a migration route on which, experts say, many other shipwrecks are likely to have gone unreported. The rescue occurred after a merchant ship reported a sinking vessel 60 nautical miles south of El Hierro, an island in the far west Canaries, said Carmen Lorente Sánchez, a spokeswoman for the Spanish maritime safety and rescue organization. She said rescuers found nine people on board and took them to the island’s airport. The survivors later told the authorities that the shipwreck had occurred two days earlier and that around 60 people were on board when they departed from Senegal, Ms. Sanchez added.

Persons: Carmen Lorente Sánchez, Sanchez Locations: Africa, Spanish, El Hierro, Senegal

☆ Live updates: Baltimore Key Bridge collapse news and rescue efforts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Ships managed by the Synergy Marine Group — the company that managed the vessel that hit Baltimore's Key Bridge — have been involved in at least three deadly incidents since 2018, according to investigations and statements from officials in Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines. In 2018, a person onboard a vessel managed by Synergy in Australia was killed in an accident involving the ship’s personnel elevator, according to a report from the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau. “Many of these accidents involve the failure to apply existing safety management procedures and/or identified safety barriers that have proven effective in reducing the risks associated with elevator maintenance," the safety board's director, Stuart Macleod, was quoted saying in the report. In 2019, an officer on a Synergy-registered vessel in Singapore was reported missing after “likely fallen overboard while performing inspection or cleaning jobs at the outboard side,” according to a report by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau. The tanker referenced in the Philippine Coast Guard report, Petite Soeur, has been managed by Synergy since October 2022, according to the Electronic Quality Shipping Information System (Equasis) — a global tool promoting maritime safety.

Persons: Stuart Macleod, ” Organizations: Synergy, —, Australian Transportation Safety Bureau, Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation, Philippines Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Electronic Quality Shipping Locations: Australia, Singapore, Philippines

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday approved a nearly $4 billion sale of drones and military equipment to India that are meant to be used to improve its maritime safety and surveillance. The approval comes at a time when Washington is courting New Delhi to increase its cooperation with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, which is largely focused on countering China’s influence in the region. The State Department notified Congress of the $3.99 billion sale that will include 31 Sky Guardian drones, 170 Hellfire missiles, 310 small-diameter bombs and related support material. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defense partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region,” the department said in a statement. It "will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation,” it said, adding that India “has demonstrated a commitment to modernizing its military and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”Photos You Should See View All 45 Images

Persons: —, Biden, India “ Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, The State Department, Guardian Locations: India, Washington, New Delhi, United States, U.S, South Asia

☆ This unmanned lifeboat could rescue drowning people on its own
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | Hazel Pfeifer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Accidents are all too common, and often deadly, says Sam Mayall, a lifelong sailor and former maritime transport deck officer. “A lot of the technologies employed offshore now are the same technologies that have been there for the last 40 or 50 years,” says Mayall. Spotting people is just one part of search and rescue — getting them out of the water rapidly is also critical. Zelim’s “Swift” conveyor belt is adapted to the maritime environment to get people out of the water quickly. The maritime industry is slow to innovate, says Phillips, and the industry-standard rescue winches have been the same for decades.

Persons: Sam Mayall, ”, Mayall, “, ” Zelim, isn’t, “ Swift, —, Laura Tognarelli, Swift, “ It’s, ” Sam Mayall, Gareth Phillips, Phillips, Phillips — Organizations: CNN, coastguard, UK’s, Guardian, US Coastguard, Mariners, CNN Guardian, Zelim, Milford Haven Port Authority, Swift, Marine Locations: Scottish, Milford Haven, MHPA

☆ With a trove of declassified images, the US is shining a light on risky Chinese maneuvers it says could lead to war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US has released a trove of declassified photos and videos of Chinese intercepts of US aircraft. Risky intercepts have caused accidents before, and there's growing fear an accident now could lead to war. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese jet during "a coercive and risky" intercept of US plane over the East China Sea in April 2022. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese jet during "a coercive and risky" intercept of a US plane over the South China Sea in June 2022. A Chinese jet conducting "a coercive and risky" intercept of a US plane over the South China Sea in January 2022.

Persons: —, Ely Ratner, That's, Ratner, Iain Huddleston, John Aquilino, Aquilino, Liu Pengyu, Liu, Lloyd Austin, I've, Michael Chase, Chase, Amanda Hsiao, Hsiao, Xi Jinping Organizations: US, Service, US Defense Department, US Air Force, Pacific Command, Pentagon, PLA, Canadian, Canadian Air Division, Canadian NORAD, People's Liberation Army, Embassy, Washington DC, Southern Theater, Maritime, US Defense Department Experts, China, Crisis, US Defense Department China, South China Locations: China, East China, North Korea, South, East, Washington, Beijing

☆ Botany Bay: One dead, one in hospital after breaching whale capsizes boat in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Akanksha Sharma | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —One man is dead and another in hospital after a boat reportedly struck by a whale capsized in waters off Sydney, Australia, early Saturday morning local time. The vessel has been recovered and will undergo forensic testing, Munro added. The incident occurred on the first day of National Safe Boating Week in Australia, which runs from September 30 to October 6. A key focus of the initiative by Australia & New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group is lifejackets. “It’s a stark reminder about the boating season and how dangerous it can be on our waterways,” Munro said.

Persons: Siobhan Munro, “, ” Munro, ” “, Munro Organizations: CNN, Police, New South Wales Water Police, Australia & New, Safe Boating Education, Channel, Australian Maritime Safety Authority Locations: Sydney, Australia, Botany, New South

☆ Cookiecutter sharks sink inflatable catamaran in Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The attacks left their inflatable boat partly sunken – prompting them to issue a distress call to nearby vessels in the early hours of Wednesday. Shark attacks damaged the catamaran's inflatable hull, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. Unlike great whites or hammerheads, cookiecutter sharks are not usually associated with attacks in the open ocean. Cookiecutter sharks have only been involved in four confirmed, unprovoked bites, which all happened in Hawaii, it said, citing the International Shark Attack File. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement Wednesday that “a large section” of the inflatable vessel’s hull was missing when it was found.

Persons: it’s, –, “, Evgeny Kovalevskiy, Kovalevskiy, ”, Joe Zeller Organizations: CNN, Nine, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Maritime Safety, Florida Museum Locations: Australian, Cairns, Vanuatu, Brisbane, Hawaii

☆ Three rescued after sharks attack inflatable yacht off Australian coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Vincent Thomas Etienne, Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin, the three people rescued after sharks attacked a yacht off the Australian coast, pose for a photo in Vanua Levu Island, Fiji July 31, 2023. Satellite photos and a video on the AMSA website showed a large part of the stern of the yacht torn away. Rescue crews responded to an emergency positioning beacon registered to the Tion, a nine-metre inflatable catamaran on a round-the-world expedition, early on Wednesday morning. "The only thing is that the balloons of the inflatable catamaran were blown away." The crew continued the expedition on an inflatable catamaran by the same manufacturer that had been stored on the island for several years.

Persons: Vincent Thomas Etienne, Evgeny Kovalevsky, Stanislav Berezkin, AMSA, Anna Kosikhina, Kosikhina, Renju Jose, Wang Jiawei, Mahezabin Sayed, Alasdair Pal, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Thomson Locations: Vanua Levu, Fiji, Australia, Vanuatu, Cairns, Panama, Brisbane, Russia, Siberia, Chile, Easter, Sydney

☆ Three men rescued from waters off Australia after sharks attack inflatable catamaran
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Three men on board an inflatable catamaran were pulled from the sea in the early hours of Wednesday after “several shark attacks” left their vessel partially sunken off the Australian northeastern coast. The 9-meter (30-foot) Russian-registered vessel appeared to run into trouble when sharks attacked its inflatable hulls. “Both hulls of the vessel have been damaged following several shark attacks,” AMSA said in the statement. AMSA duty manager Joe Zeller said “a large section” of the vessel’s hull was missing when it was found. “The three males were very happy to be rescued and they are all healthy and well,” Zeller said.

Persons: ”, ” AMSA, AMSA, Joe Zeller, “, Zeller, ” Zeller Organizations: CNN, Australian Maritime Safety Authority Locations: Vanuatu, Cairns, Panama, Brisbane

That risk has been put under the spotlight by the burning car carrier drifting off the Dutch coast. While all logistics companies deal with the risk of EV lithium-ion batteries burning with twice the energy of a normal fire, the maritime industry hasn't kept up with the developing technology and how it creates greater risk, maritime officials and insurers said. There were 209 ship fires reported during 2022, the highest number in a decade and 17% more than in 2021, according to a report from insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) (ALVG.DE). The European Maritime Safety Agency said in a March report the main cargo types identified as responsible for "a large share of cargo fire accidents included ... lithium-ion batteries." Firemen typically put out EV battery fires on roadsides by clearing the area around the burning vehicle and flooding the underside with water, something difficult to do on a RoRo, Dillon said.

Persons: hasn't, EVs, Shoei, Nathan Habers, Douglas Dillon, John Frazee, Marsh, Dillon, Frazee, KVNR's Habers, Joe Biden's, Lisa Baertlein, Anthony Deutsch, Victoria Waldersee, Ben Klayman, Diane Craft Organizations: Allianz, ANGELES, Dutch coastguard, RTL, Allianz Global Corporate, Specialty, Maritime Safety Agency, Royal Association of Netherlands, Tri, Maritime Safety Association, Auto, Firemen, EV, International Maritime Organization, Reuters, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Dutch, EVs, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, China, Europe, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Berlin

☆ Modern day pirate hunters operate in the 'wild, wild West' as they track countless vessels smuggling 'arms, drugs, and people' on the open seas, former Naval admiral says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Modern day piracy is alive and well on the open seas. A recent Navy seizure notice shed light on the litany of illegal goods being trafficked. "As long as ships go to sea, there's gonna be piracy," a retired Navy admiral told Insider. "Somewhere in the world today, there's a pirate event," Terry McKnight, a retired Rear Admiral in the US Navy, told Insider. But the moment they exit territorial waters and make for the open seas, maritime officials are ready to apprehend them, he said.

Persons: Terry McKnight, McKnight, Matthew Bash Organizations: Service, US Navy, United States Naval Forces Central Command, International Maritime Bureau, Combined, Force, Getty, U.S . Coast Guard Maritime Safety, U.S . Navy, Warfare Locations: Wall, Silicon, yesteryear, Gulf of Oman, Yemen Republic, West, Somalia, Gulf, Aden, Yemen, Africa, U.S

☆ China holds live-fire drills in East China Sea north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) - China began military exercises in the East China sea to the north of Taiwan on Tuesday, including live-fire exercises from warships, as the U.S and its allies conduct their drills in the Western Pacific. China routinely conducts exercises along its coast, though the ones near Chinese-claimed Taiwan often attract the most attention. The drills are near the Dachen islands, which Taiwan controlled until 1955 until being evacuated after other nearby islands were seized by Chinese forces in a bloody battle. China will hold separate exercises in another northern part of the East China Sea until late Wednesday afternoon, the maritime safety agency said. China's East China Sea exercises coincide with a quadrilateral naval exercise in the Philippine Sea that started on Friday involving the United States, Japan, Canada and France.

Persons: Mao Zedong's, Ronald Reagan, Ryan Woo, Albee Zhang, Ben Blanchard, Robert Birsel Organizations: U.S, Safety Administration, East China, China, U.S . 7th Fleet, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, East China, Taiwan, Western Pacific, Zhejiang, China's Fujian, Republic of China, Taipei, East, Philippine, United States, Japan, Canada, France

☆ Ports in China's oil hub Shandong scrutinizing old tankers -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qingdao and Lanshan are two of the top five biggest Chinese oil importing ports, according to data from Kpler. Shandong is home to numerous independent refineries known as teapots that account for up to one-fifth of China's processing capacity. Port authorities could detain ships for days to rectify any issues, prompting shippers to divert cargoes to other Chinese ports, the sources said. Almost all tankers hauling crude to Qingdao for independent refiners are more than 10 years old, said Vortexa analyst Emma Li. In April, tankers calling at Shandong ports experienced delays after customs authorities stepped up checks on diluted bitumen cargoes.

Persons: Seapalm, Emma Li, Eikon, Muyu Xu, Florence Tan Organizations: Kpler, Shandong Maritime Safety Administration, Reuters, Seapalm Shipping, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China's Shandong, Qingdao, Rizhao, Lanshan, Shandong, Tokyo, Cameroon, Seychelles, Jiangsu, Hebei, Liaoning, Beijing

☆ Biden to reassure Philippines' Marcos as China tensions flare
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden listens during the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, U.S., April 29, 2023. Marcos, who became president last year, has sought warm relations with both the United States and China, who are vying for influence in the Asia-Pacific region. "Some of the steps that China have taken have concerned (Marcos), probably even surprised him," said one senior Biden administration official. Experts say the United States considers the Philippines a potential location for rockets, missiles and artillery systems to counter a Chinese amphibious assault. "We're standing shoulder to shoulder in the South China Sea, where our alignment has never been stronger," said one U.S. official.

Sydney, Australia CNN —Eleven Indonesian fishermen were rescued by Australian maritime authorities from a tiny island after being stranded for six days without food or water, but there are fears nine others may have drowned. The second vessel, believed to have been carrying at least 10 others, sunk in the powerful storm, AMSA said. One survivor spent 30 hours in the water before reaching Bedwell Island. Pictures released by AMSA showed a group of stranded fishermen waving to the rescue helicopter above, silhouetted by a barren white beach. CNN affiliate Nine News Australia reported that the survivors were taken to Broome Hospital for treatment.

☆ China denies imposing no-fly zone north of Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 14 (Reuters) - China denied on Friday that it had imposed a no-fly zone in the seas north of Taiwan for Sunday, even though Taipei said it was told by Beijing that China would impose one. "I have noticed that there were previous reports pointing out that the no-fly zone was set up by the Chinese side, which is inaccurate. China's civil aviation authority will forewarn and issue notices in advance for any space activities, Wang said. The area covers busy flight routes between Taiwan and China and Taiwan and South Korea, among others. "Relevant parties in the mainland have issued advance notices and announcements of space activities affecting the airspace," said China's Taiwan Affairs Office in a statement on Friday.

☆ China to ban vessels from area near Taiwan over rocket debris
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jameson Wu/File PhotoBEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - China will ban vessels from an area near Taiwan on Sunday because of the possibility of falling rocket debris, its maritime safety agency said on Thursday, as Japan sought details from Beijing on a reported no-fly zone in the same location. China has not commented on the no-fly zone but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said it was due to a falling object related to a launch vehicle. China regards Taiwan as its own territory and objects to any interactions between the Taiwanese leadership and foreign officials. The coordinates correspond to a rectangular area to Taiwan's northeast, with the closest point 118 km (73 miles) from Taiwan, illustrated on a map that Taiwan's transport ministry released late on Wednesday. China's foreign ministry declined to comment.

☆ China’s Military Greets Return of Taiwan’s President With Live-Fire Drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Joyu Wang | Frances Yoon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI—China’s military launched exercises around Taiwan in an apparent escalation of its response to an international tour by the self-governing island’s president that included highly scrutinized stops in the U.S. Hours after President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taiwan on Friday night, Chinese maritime safety authorities said the country’s navy planned to conduct seven live-fire exercises over the course of 12 days off the coast of Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, starting Saturday morning.

TAIPEI, April 6 (Reuters) - Taiwan officials and defence analysts are bracing for intensifying pressure on the "median line" that has for decades helped keep the peace in the Taiwan Strait as China begins inspecting civilian shipping across the waterway. "As long as they are ships hoisting our country's flag they are all a part of our territory," he said. Taiwan's military will not allow China to "unilaterally" board Taiwanese ships, he said. A senior Taiwan official familiar with security planning said Taiwan would not allow China to board ships in the Taiwan Strait and that Taiwan's coast guard and military would jointly respond if China made a move to do so. Chinese state television broadcast live pictures of the Haixun 6 on patrol, including shaky footage of a Taiwanese coast guard ship shadowing it in the distance.

TAIPEI/BEIJING, April 6 (Reuters) - Taiwan was keeping a close watch on a Chinese aircraft carrier and threats to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday after Beijing condemned a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The meeting took place at a low ebb of U.S.-China relations and despite threats of retaliation from Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own. In March of last year, the Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait, just hours before the Chinese and U.S. presidents were due to talk. However, Taiwan is also concerned about China's announcement late Wednesday that its maritime safety administration is to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait, including possibly boarding them. Defence Minister Chiu said Taiwan will react if Chinese patrol ships cross the Taiwan Strait's median line, which normally serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides.

☆ China to inspect ships in Taiwan Strait, Taiwan says won't cooperate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, April 6 (Reuters) - China's Fujian maritime safety administration launched a three-day special joint patrol and inspection operation in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait that includes moves to board ships, it said on its WeChat account. Taiwan's Transport Ministry's Maritime and Ports Bureau said in a statement late Wednesday said it has lodged a strong protest with China about the move. Areas covered by the operation include the Pingtan Taiwan direct container route, the "small three links" passenger route, the Taiwan Strait vessel customary route, the densely navigable areas of commercial and fishing vessels, and areas with frequent illegal sand mining activities. The "small three links" passenger route refers to boat routes between Taiwan's Kinmen and Matsu islands which sit opposite China and Chinese cities. The fleet, a joint special operation with East China Sea Rescue Bureau and the East China Sea Navigation Support Center, will continue to carry out cruise inspections in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait over the next two days.

☆ Fire on passenger ferry in Philippines kills 10 - coast guard
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Philippine Coast Guard respond to the fire incident onboard M/V LADY MARY JOY 3 at the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, Philippines, March 29, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSMANILA, March 30 (Reuters) - Ten people have died and 230 have been rescued after a passenger ferry caught fire on Wednesday evening in the seas off the southern Philippine province of Basilan, a coast guard official said. Nine people were injured in the fire that started in air-conditioned cabins, Commodore Rejard Marfe, coast guard chief in southern Mindanao, told the DZMM radio station. Photographs shared by the Coast Guard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 ship being sprayed with water, while rescued passengers were brought to the shore. The Coast Guard said it will assist in an investigation and safety assessment, as well check for any signs of an oil spill.

But U.S. and Canadian authorities also announced they had called off searches for three unidentified objects shot down over last weekend, without locating any debris. The last of the debris from the Chinese balloon, which was downed by a Sidewinder missile, is heading to an FBI laboratory in Virginia for analysis, the U.S. military's Northern Command said. Reuters was first to report the conclusion of the recovery efforts for the suspected Chinese spy balloon, which were halted on Thursday. Kirby said the United States had already learned a lot about the balloon by observing it as it flew over the United States. "We will maintain the perspective that we have in terms of what should be the relationship between China and the United States," she said.

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