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☆ Philippines urges fishermen to keep up presence at China-held shoal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Neil Jerome Morales | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MANILA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The coastguard of the Philippines urged the country's fishermen on Wednesday to keep operating at the disputed Scarborough Shoal and other sites in the South China Sea, pledging to step up patrols there despite an imposing Chinese presence. Philippine vessels were unable to maintain a constant presence but were committed to protecting the rights of fishermen inside the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), coastguard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said. China's response has been measured, with its foreign ministry advising Manila on Tuesday to avoid provocations and not cause trouble. Close to shipping lanes that transport an estimated $3.4 trillion of annual commerce, control of the shoal is strategic for Beijing, which claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. "The Scarborough Shoal is closer to the Philippines," said fisherman Pepito Fabros who had come ashore in the province of Zambales between trips to sea.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, Gilbert Teodoro, Tarriela, Pepito Fabros, Neil Jerome Morales, Adrian Portugal, Enrico dela Cruz, Martin Petty, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: coastguard, Beijing's, China's coastguard, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Scarborough, South China, Bajo de Masinloc, Philippine, China, Beijing, Manila, Hainan, United States, Zambales

☆ What is Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and why are China and the Philippines disputing it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Martin Petty | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Philippines coastguard said the mission, approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, showed its determination to maintain a presence at the shoal. Located in the middle of the South China Sea and near shipping lanes carrying an estimated $3.4 trillion of annual commerce, its position is strategic for Beijing. A landmark 2016 ruling on the South China Sea by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which went largely in favour of the Philippines, was not tasked with establishing sovereignty. China has not acknowledged the presence of militia in the South China Sea. The Pentagon stated mutual defence commitments would be invoked over an attack "anywhere in the South China Sea" and that coastguard vessels are among those protected.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Thomas, Marcos, Martin Petty, Sharon Singleton Organizations: SCARBOROUGH, coastguard, China's coastguard, Philippines coastguard, Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS, WHO, China's, Mutual, Treaty, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Philippines, South China, Beijing, Manila, China, Scarborough, Philippine, British, South, Spratly, China's, United States, Washington

☆ Philippines says no standoff with China after removal of floating barrier in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese Coast Guard boats close to the floating barrier are pictured on September 20, 2023, near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, in this handout image released by the Philippine Coast Guard on September 24, 2023. The Philippines coastguard, posing as regular fishermen aboard a small boat, later cut the ball-buoy barrier and took away the anchor, Tarriela told DWPM radio and ANC news channel. He said four China coastguard vessels were in the area and were "not that aggressive" after seeing media on board a Philippine ship. China claims ownership of almost all of the South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, despite an arbitration ruling in 2016 that said that was baseless. Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, speaking to reporters about the removal of the barrier, on Tuesday said the move was consistent with the country's stance on the South China Sea.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, Tarriela, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Enrique Manalo, Neil Jerome Morales, Martin Petty Organizations: Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, China's coastguard, Scarborough, coastguard, Philippines coastguard, ANC, China coastguard, Philippine, Thomson Locations: Scarborough, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, China, Philippine, Manila, United States

☆ Philippines Removes Chinese Barrier at Disputed Shoal in 'Special Operation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Enrico Dela CruzMANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines said on Monday it executed a "special operation" to remove a floating barrier installed by China at a prime fishing patch in the South China Sea, a move that could stoke tension after a years-long detente in Asia's most disputed waters. Hours after the national security adviser had vowed to take action, the Philippine coastguard said it had removed the floating cordon, at the behest of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his special task force on the South China Sea. Japan's government urged calm and said the South China Sea was central to regional stability. "Our country strongly opposes any conduct that heightens tension in the South China Sea," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular press conference. China on Monday said the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Island, was "China's inherent territory", over which it had indisputable sovereignty.

Persons: Enrico Dela Cruz, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Hirokazu Matsuno, Huangyan, Wang Wenbin, Enrico dela Cruz, Liz Lee, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Alex Richardson Organizations: stoke, coastguard, Philippine coastguard, Philippine, China, South China, Chinese coastguard Locations: Philippines, China, South China, Asia's, Scarborough, Philippine, Manila, Washington, Beijing, British, South, Hague, Tokyo

☆ South China Sea: Philippines accuses Chinese maritime militia of destroying coral reefs near Palawan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Philippine Coast Guard/FacebookTarriela said between August 9 and September 11, the coast guard monitored 33 Chinese vessels within the vicinity of Rozul Reef and around 15 Chinese ships near Escoda Shoal. The UP Marine Science Institute found vibrant corals in the Rozul (Iroquios) Reef in the South China Sea in May 2021. At least two foreign ambassadors in Manila have expressed alarm over reports of destruction of marine resources in the South China Sea. The grounded Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre, which Manila uses to stake its territorial claims at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, as pictured on April 23, 2023. Under current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the country’s National Security Team began to publicize its findings about what was actually happening in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea more regularly, Powell said.

Persons: Jay Tarriela, ” Tarriela, Facebook Tarriela, Tarriela, Mao Ning, “, ”, Gerry Arances, Arances, Ray Powell, SeaLight, Powell, Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Rodrigo Duterte, Shoal, Ted Aljibe, Thomas Shoal, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia, Facebook, Philippine, Spratly Islands, Philippine coastguard, University of, Philippines Marine Science Institute, country’s National Security Council, Scientific, UP Marine Science Institute, Marine Science, CNN Philippines, Center for Energy, coastguard, National Security, Stanford University, The, United, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, Asia, Transparency Initiative, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, National Security Team, West Philippine, South China Locations: South, Philippines, China, Sabina, South China, Palawan, Beijing, Philippine, Rozul, Escoda Shoal, ” Beijing, China’s, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, The Hague, West Philippine, United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Manila, Sierra, Spratly, AFP, BRP Sierra, Sierra Madre, West

☆ EU chief pledges migrant action plan in Italy's Lampedusa
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Yara Nardi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yara Nardi Acquire Licensing RightsLAMPEDUSA, Italy Sept 17 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals, and promised a 10-point EU action plan to help Italy deal with the situation. Nearly 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, almost double the figure by the same date in 2022. Von der Leyen was accompanied by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the car carrying them to Lampedusa's migrant reception centre was briefly blocked by locals protesting over the burden facing the island. The plan includes using the EU's external borders agency Frontex to identify migrants arriving in Italy and repatriate those not eligible for asylum. Frontex would also step up sea and aerial surveillance of migrant boats and help crack down on people-smugglers, von der Leyen said, adding that she had already spoken to several EU leaders about the plan and was confident of their support.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni's, Yara, Von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, von der Leyen, Frontex, Tony Colapinto, Gavin Jones, Louise Heavens Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Sunday, Meloni, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, European, Tunisia, Tunis, Europe

The mainland port city of Volos, the surrounding mountainous Pelion area and the cities of Karditsa and Trikala were among the worst-hit areas. Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said during a press briefing on Thursday that six people had been reported missing in the area of Karditsa. A senior fire brigade official told Reuters that the body of a man was found in the town of Domokos. [1/5]Locals are evacuated on a boat by volunteers, as storm Daniel hits central Greece, in Farkadona, Greece, September 7. Flash floods in Greece in 2017 killed 25 people and left hundreds homeless.

Persons: Daniel, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Pavlos Marinakis, Marinakis, Vassilis Kikilias, Kostas Mantziaris, Palamas, Giorgos Sakellariou, Vasilios Vathrakogiannis, Lefteris Papadimas, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Alex Richardson Organizations: Civil, Reuters, REUTERS, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Greece, Volos, Karditsa, Trikala, Thessaly, Domokos, Farkadona, Palamas, Agia Triada, Skiathos

☆ Algeria says it fired warnings at jet skiers who strayed into its sea from Morocco
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

CAIRO, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Algeria's defence ministry said on Sunday its coastguard fired warning shots before firing directly at a man on a jet ski who entered Algerian waters, in an incident that a survivor said left two dead. "After multiple attempts, shots were fired on a jet ski," the ministry said. Another member of their group, Smail Snabi, was detained by the Algerian authorities, Kissi said. "Given that the maritime border area is witnessing intense activity by drug smuggling gangs and organized crime, Coast Guard members fired warning shots," the Algerian statement added. "I did not hear any warning shots.

Persons: Mohamed Kissi, Morocco's, Bilal, Abdelali Mchiouer, Smail Snabi, Kissi, Mchiouer's, Mohamed, Bilal Kissi, Bilal Kissi's, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Eljechtimi, Adam Makary, Ros Russell Organizations: coastguard, Rabat, Coast Guard, Reuters, Sunday, Human Rights, Ministry, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Moroccan, Saidia, Algeria's, Algerian, Algeria, Morocco, Algiers, Oujda

CNN —A French Moroccan national has died and another was detained by Algerian authorities after an incident off the coast of Algeria, according to a French diplomatic source. A family member who says he witnessed the incident told local Moroccan media that two men had been shot dead Tuesday by Algerian authorities and one was arrested. Mohamed Kaisi was found in the water by the Moroccan security forces after the incident, he told local media. The source added that French authorities are in contact with the families of those affected and in communication with Moroccan and Algerian authorities. Moroccan media said both men killed are French Moroccan.

Persons: Bilal Kaisi, Abdelali Meshawer, Ismail Snaby, Kaisi, Mohamed Kaisi, Le360 Organizations: CNN, Moroccan, Polisario Locations: Algeria, Moroccan, Morocco, Algerian, Sahara

☆ Offshore wind turbine catches fire off east coast of Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view shows wind turbines at RWE's Scroby Sands Wind Farm, off the coast of Great Yarmouth, eastern England, on February 15, 2023. LONDON — An offshore wind turbine in the North Sea caught fire Tuesday, with all personnel evacuated and accounted for. The turbine is part of the Scroby Sands Offshore Wind Farm, which has a capacity of 60 megawatts. It is owned and operated by RWE Offshore Wind. In a statement sent to CNBC Tuesday, a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: "HM Coastguard has been monitoring a wind turbine on fire at the Scroby Sands Wind Farm today … off the coast of Great Yarmouth."

Organizations: RWE, CNBC, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Coastguard Locations: Great Yarmouth, England

☆ Migrant boat crossing Channel from France capsizes, at least six dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Pascal Rossignol | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] "Notre Dame du Risban", an SNSM lifeboat, enters the port of Calais following a rescue operation after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized, in Calais, France, August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolCALAIS, France, Aug 12 (Reuters) - At least six people died and more than 50 were rescued after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized early on Saturday, local authorities said. "There were too many of them on the (migrant) boat," she told Reuters by phone as she returned to the shore. Thorel, who shared a picture of migrants on the rescue boat, wrapped in survival blankets, said no one died on the boat she was involved with rescuing. UK government figures show that the number of migrant Channel crossings since the start of 2018 exceeded 100,000 this week.

Persons: du Risban, Pascal Rossignol, Franck Dhersin, Sangatte, Anne Thorel, Elisabeth Borne, Herve Berville, Rishi Sunak's, Suella Braverman, Ingrid Melander, Tangi Salaun, Christian Hartmann, David Miliken, Helen Popper, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Local, Reuters, Maritime Affairs, Britain's coastguard, coastguard, Border Force, British coastguard, Conservative Party, Thomson Locations: Calais, France, Britain, Thorel, Dover, Paris, London

☆ Biden says he will visit Vietnam 'shortly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leah... Read moreALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he would be traveling to Vietnam "shortly" because the country wanted to elevate its relationship with the United States and become a major partner. Biden made the remarks while speaking at a political fundraiser in New Mexico. Asked about Biden's announcement, a White House spokesperson said there was "nothing further to share at this time." Officials have not said what the closer relationship might entail, but experts say it could include increased military cooperation and U.S. weapons supplies. Reporting by Nandita Bose; additional reporting by Jeff Mason and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Sandra Maler and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Leah, Read, Biden, Pham Minh Chinh, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Vietnam's, Nguyen Phu Trong, Nandita Bose, Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Sandra Maler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Infrastructure Law, White, REUTERS, Washington, Communist, Officials, coastguard, Military, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Vietnam, United States, Asia, China, Washington, Hanoi, Russia, Maine, India, New Delhi, U.S

☆ Fact Check-Fire extinguished on car carrier off Dutch coast and ship moved to port, not sunk
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A fire on a car carrier sailing off the coast of the Netherlands on July 25 was extinguished, according to Dutch authorities and “K” Line, the ship’s charter company. The Dutch coastguard (here), ministry of infrastructure and water management (here) and “K” Line (here) have all said the fire was successfully extinguished and that the boat was towed to the Dutch port of Eemshaven. A “K” Line spokesperson told Reuters via email that at no point was there any intention to sink the ship. The Fremantle Highway is now at a berth in Eemshaven where she arrived yesterday afternoon (Aug. 3) under tow,” the spokesperson said. The fire on the Fremantle Highway was extinguished and there was never a plan to sink the vessel, which has been pictured at port in Eemshaven.

Persons: “, salvors, Read Organizations: Fremantle, Twitter, Facebook, Dutch coastguard, ”, Reuters Locations: Netherlands, Eemshaven

Tensions have soared between the two neighbours over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. China's embassy in Manila criticised Washington for "gathering" its allies to continue "hyping up" the South China Sea issue and the boat incident. "South China Sea is not a 'safari park' for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord," the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, is home to a handful of troops living aboard the former warship Sierra Madre. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Rommel Ong, Ong, Collin Koh, There's, Koh, Jonathan Malaya, Lloyd Austin, Gilbert Teodoro, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: South China, coastguard, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Philippines National Security Council, China, U.S . Defense, Philippines Defense, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, Manila, South, Philippine, United States, China's, Washington, Sierra Madre, BRP Sierra, Spratly, Beijing, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, U.S, Japan, France

☆ Two dead, 57 rescued from migrant shipwrecks off Italy's Lampedusa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Migrants on board of NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat looks at boat Guardia Costiera heading to Lampedusa island, in central Mediterranean Sea, close to Lampedusa island, Italy, August 19, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File PhotoROME, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italy's coastguard said on Sunday it had recovered two bodies and rescued 57 people off the southern island of Lampedusa, amid reports that more than 30 people were missing following two shipwrecks. A coastguard spokesperson said he could only confirm the number of survivors and the recovery of two bodies. Italy's right-wing government has adopted a policy of assigning far-away ports to charity ships, rather than letting them disembark rescued migrants in nearer Lampedusa or Sicily, with the aim of spreading arrivals across the country. Reporting by Angelo Amante and Alvise Armellini; Editing by Toby Chopra and Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Juan Medina, Ansa, Angelo Amante, Toby Chopra, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Migrants, Uno, Guardia, REUTERS, Italy's coastguard, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, Sfax, Europe, Ivory Coast, Brindisi, Sicily

☆ Rights groups seek 'credible' probe into Greece migrant shipwreck that killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A undated handout photo provided by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows migrants onboard a boat during a rescue operation, before their boat capsized on the open sea, off Greece, June 14, 2023. Hellenic Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSATHENS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for a "credible" probe into a migrant shipwreck off Greece in June in which hundreds died, saying that contrasting accounts by the Greek coastguard and survivors "were extremely concerning". Survivors have recounted a doomed attempt by the Greek coast guard to tow the trawler that caused the vessel to capsize, according to interviews and evidence seen by Reuters. The Greek coastguard and government have said no attempt was made to tow the boat and that it overturned when the coastguard was about 70 metres away. The acts of the coast guard are also under investigation.

Persons: Adriana, Judith Sunderland, Karolina Tagaris, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Amnesty, Human Rights, Greek coastguard, Reuters, coastguard, HRW, UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Europe, Central Asia, EU, Thomson Locations: Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Libya

☆ Burning car carrier towed to temporary location off Dutch coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 31 (Reuters) - A burning car carrier off the Dutch coast has been towed to a new location away from shipping lanes as part of an operation to salvage the ship, the Dutch public works and water management ministry and local media said on Monday. The freighter, which was travelling from Germany to Egypt when the blaze broke out on July 26, was towed to a location north of the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, the Rijkswaterstaat ministry said in a statement. A Rijkswaterstaat spokeswoman told the Dutch ANP press agency that at the new temporary location, the ship would be further removed from shipping routes and more sheltered from wind. Dutch Coastguard/Handout via REUTERSThe relocation is an intermediate step in the difficult salvage operation, the spokeswoman said. The company declined to say anything about the car brands, including whether they included any cars from Japanese manufacturers.

Persons: Shoei, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Robert Birsel, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, Dutch ANP, Dutch Coastguard, Ship, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Germany, Egypt, Dutch, Netherlands

☆ Carrier ablaze off Dutch coast carrying almost 500 electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The car carrier burning off the Dutch coast since Tuesday night is carrying nearly 500 electric vehicles, ship charter company "K" Line said on Friday, significantly more than the 25 initially reported by the coastguard. There were 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 battery electric vehicles, a Tokyo-based spokesperson for K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), which had chartered the vessel, said. He declined to say anything about the car brands, including whether or not it included any cars from Japanese manufacturers. An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The 199-metre (653 ft) Fremantle, which is still burning, is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said.

Persons: Miranda Murry, Daniel Leussink, Marine Strauss, Anthony Deutsch, Tassilo Hummel, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: coastguard, Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, K Line, Kawasaki, RTL, Panama Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, Fremantle, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Tokyo, Dutch, Netherlands, Germany, Egypt, Wadden, Denmark

☆ Fire on car carrier ablaze off Dutch coast now less intense
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The fire which has been burning on a car carrier off the Dutch coast has lessened in intensity and salvagers have been able to board the ship to secure stronger tow lines, authorities said on Friday. Smoke rises as a fire broke out on the cargo ship Fremantle Highway, at sea on July 26, 2023. The Dutch coastguard said on its website on Thursday that the cause of the fire was unknown, but an emergency responder is heard in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL saying, "The fire started in the battery of an electric car". An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The 199-metre (653-ft) Fremantle is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said.

Persons: Miranda Murry, Daniel Leussink, Geert De Clercq, Marine Strauss, Anthony Deutsch, Tassilo Hummel, Philippa Fletcher, Leslie Adler Organizations: Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, Fremantle, Ship, Coastguard, REUTERS, K Line, Kawasaki, Dutch coastguard, RTL, Panama Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, coastguard, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Coastguard Netherlands, Dutch, Netherlands, Fremantle, Germany, Egypt, Wadden, Denmark

☆ Typhoon Doksuri (Egay) lashes China's Fujian province after leaving 39 dead in the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in China’s southeastern coast on Friday, state weather agencies said, after the storm battered parts of the Philippines and killed at least 39 people, including dozens on an overcrowded boat that capsized in strong winds. The typhoon slammed into the coastal county of Jinjiang in Fujian province at 9:55 a.m. local time, the National Meteorological Center said. The winds around the time of landfall were approaching 175 kilometers per hour (108 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center but the storm’s interaction with land has likely lowered the wind speeds slightly. Another 13 people were killed elsewhere in the country from Typhoon Doksuri, known as Egay in the Philippines, the the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday. The storm brought floods to five regions and triggered more than a dozen rain-induced landslides, the agency added.

Persons: Doksuri, –, Armand Balilo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Meteorological Center, Typhoon, Philippine Coast Guard, AP, coastguard, PNP, Philippine National Police, CNN, CNN Philippines, Management Locations: Hong Kong, Philippines, Jinjiang, Fujian province, Taiwan, Luzon, Talim, Manila

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

☆ EU probes border agency's rescue role after migrant shipwreck killed hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummaryCompanies Rights watchdog probes Europe's deadliest shipwreck in yearsO'Reilly to also look into EU's migration deal with TunisiaMigration politically sensitive in EU ahead of 2024 electionBRUSSELS, July 26 (Reuters) - The EU rights watchdog on Wednesday announced a probe into Europe's deadliest shipwreck in years and whether the bloc's Frontex border agency fulfilled its rescue duties when the boat sank off Greece last month killing hundreds of migrants. Islamabad said the boat was carrying over 700 people, including at least 350 Pakistanis. The Greek coastguard rescued 104 people but hundreds drowned in one of Europe's deadliest shipwrecks in recent years. Fewer than 160,000 people made it across the sea last year, according to U.N. data. O'Reilly also said she would look into a recent EU deal with Tunisia to stem migration to Europe.

Persons: O'Reilly, Emily O'Reilly, Adriana, Frontex, Gabriela Baczynska, Nick Macfie Organizations: Companies, EU, Wednesday, Greek coastguard, Thomson Locations: Tunisia, BRUSSELS, Greece, Europe, Islamabad, East, Africa, Syria, Italy, Netherlands, Poland

The fire began on Tuesday night on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway, which was en route from Germany to Egypt, forcing several crew members to jump overboard. Rescue ships sprayed water onto the burning boat to cool it down, but using too much water risked its sinking, the Dutch coastguard said. The coastguard said on its website that the cause of the fire was unknown, but a coastguard spokesperson had earlier told Reuters it began near an electric car. Coastguard spokesperson Edwin Granneman said salvage experts were trying to work out next steps for the burning boat. A fire destroyed thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands in February last year.

Persons: Edwin Versteeg, Willard Molenaar, Molenaar, Edwin Granneman, Shoei Kisen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Rishabh, Anthony Deutsch, Alison Williams, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: coastguard, Fremantle Highway, Dutch coastguard, Dutch Department of Waterways, Public, Reuters, Fremantle, Royal Dutch Rescue Company, Coastguard, Thomson Locations: Germany, Egypt, AMSTERDAM, Panama, Bremerhaven, Ameland, Dutch, Jersey, Portugal's Azores

☆ One dead in cargo ship fire, electric car suspected source - Dutch coastguard
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Panama-registered Fremantle Highway was transporting 2,857 cars from Germany to Egypt, 25 of them electric. An electric car was the suspected source of the blaze, a coastguard spokesperson said, adding that the ship was still burning. The crew had tried, but failed, to extinguish the fire, the coastguard statement said. The injured crew were taken by helicopter to medical facilities on the mainland. A fire destroyed thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands in February last year.

Persons: Shoei Kisen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Rishabh, Anthony Deutsch, Edmund Klamann, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry, Alison Williams Organizations: Dutch coastguard, Fremantle Highway, coastguard, NOS, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Panama, Germany, Egypt, Bermenhaven, Dutch, Ameland, Jersey, Portugal's Azores

ATHENS, July 23 (Reuters) - A wildfire raging on the Greek island of Rhodes forced thousands of tourists and island residents to shelter in schools and indoor stadiums on Sunday after they were evacuated from coastal villages and resorts. One government official told Reuters 19,000 people had been moved away from their homes and hotels, 3,000 of them by boat. Large groups gathered in the streets under a red sky waiting to be taken to safety. "We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures," Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes told Mega television on Sunday, calling for donations of essentials such as mattresses and bedclothes. "Customers currently in Rhodes will return on their intended flight home", it sad in a statement.

Persons: Amy Leyden, Leyden, Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios, Jet2, TUI, Renee Maltezou, Elizabeth Piper, Frank Jack Daniel, Frances Kerry Organizations: Correndon, Reuters, Sky News, Volunteers, Mega, Firefighters, World Meteorological Organization, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, TUI, Greece, Kiotari, Lindos, Southern Europe

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