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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

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

☆ 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

☆ Tourists flee Greek island Rhodes wildfire, thousands evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A wildfire which has raged on the Greek island of Rhodes for six days 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. Many fled their hotels when huge flames reached the seaside villages of Kiotari, Gennadi, Pefki, Lindos, Lardos and Kalathos. "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. Climate change means heatwaves will become more frequent, an advisor to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Saturday. The fire has scorched swathes of forest and several buildings since breaking out in a mountainous area on Tuesday.

Persons: Rhodes, Ioannis Artopoios Organizations: Coastguard, Mega, Reuters, World Meteorological Organization, Firefighters Locations: Rhodes, Kiotari, Lindos, Greece, Southern Europe

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

☆ Rhodes wildfire forces mass evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said an operation was ongoing to evacuate about 600 people from beaches in Kiotari and Gennadi towards Plimmiri. Firefighters, backed by air water bombers and reinforcements by Slovakia, struggled with new outbreaks of the wildfire, which was fanned by strong winds. [1/18]A wildfire burns in a forest near Lardos, on the island of Rhodes, Greece, July 22, 2023. It damaged at least three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency. Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years.

Persons: Nikos Alexiou, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, Konstantinos Taraslias, Rhodes, Taraslias, Angeliki Koutantou, Frances Kerry, Mike Harrison, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Coastguard, coastguard, Authorities, Firefighters, REUTERS, Athens News Agency, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Rhodes, Kiotari, Plimmiri, Pefki, Slovakia, Lardos, Greece, Laerma

☆ Wildfire on Greek island of Rhodes forces hundreds to evacuate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Smoke rises from a wildfire in Rhodes Island, Greece, July 22, 2023 in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Tiktok/@blairsbrainiacs/via REUTERSATHENS, July 22 (Reuters) - A wildfire raged uncontrolled on the Greek island of Rhodes on Saturday, forcing hundreds of people to flee affected villages and beaches, authorities said. It damaged three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency. Fires are common in Greece but hotter, drier and windy summers have turned the country into a wildfire hotspot in recent years. Meteorologists have warned that the current sweltering temperatures are expected to last until the end of the month.

Persons: Angeliki, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Coastguard, coastguard, Firefighters, Athens News Agency, Thomson Locations: Rhodes Island, Greece, REUTERS ATHENS, Rhodes, Kiotari, Slovakia

☆ Spanish coastguard rescues two Nigerian migrants from ship's rudder
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Polic?a... Read moreMADRID, July 11 (Reuters) - The Spanish coastguard rescued two Nigerian migrants who stowed away on the rudder of a ship that arrived in the Canary Islands from Togo, a coastguard spokesperson and the police said on Tuesday. After being rescued on Monday night in the port of Las Palmas, the migrants were taken to a hospital. The container ship's last stop before reaching the Spanish archipelago off the African coast was Lome, Togo's capital, said the coastguard spokesperson without elaborating. In a similar case in November last year, the Spanish coastguard rescued three African stowaways who had arrived in the Canary Islands after enduring 11 days on the rudder of a fuel tanker from Nigeria. The Spanish-owned Canary Islands are a popular but dangerous gateway for African migrants attempting to reach Europe.

Persons: Read, Joan Faus, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Spanish coastguard, Las Palmas de, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, coastguard, Twitter, MSC, Guardia Civil, La Provincia, Thomson Locations: Canary, Togo, Las Palmas, Las Palmas de Gran, Spain, MADRID, Palmas, Spanish, Lome, Togo's, Lagos, Nigeria

☆ Boat sinking off Tunisia leaves one dead, at least 10 migrants missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TUNIS, July 9 (Reuters) - At least 10 Tunisian migrants were missing and one died after their boat sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said on Sunday. The latest tragedy raises the number of dead and missing off the North African country's coasts to more than 600 in the first half of 2023, far more than in any previous year, according to figures compiled by Reuters. Tunisia's coastguard rescued 11 people from the boat, which set off from the coast off the town of Zarzis, Faouzi Masmoudi, a judge in the city of Sfax, told Reuters. Tunisia is under pressure from European countries to stop large numbers of people departing from its coasts. Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Alison Williams and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Faouzi, Kais Saied, Tarek Amara, Alison Williams, Alexander Smith Organizations: Reuters . Tunisia's coastguard, Reuters, Tunisian, Economic, Social Rights, coastguard, Thomson Locations: TUNIS, Tunisia, Italy, Libya, Africa, Europe, African, Zarzis, Sfax, sinkings, Tunisia's

Some also said the tragic end, when it came, was precipitated by the actions of the Greek coastguard. after a Greek coastguard vessel attached a rope to the bow of the trawler and began to pull it while picking up speed. The shipping ministry, which oversees the coastguard, told Reuters it couldn't comment on issues that were the subject of a confidential and ongoing investigation by prosecutors. Nikos Spanos, a retired admiral in the Greek coastguard, told Reuters it was unlikely that a coastguard vessel would have attempted such a dangerous manoeuvre as towing the stricken trawler. Three survivors told authorities they paid anywhere from 50 to 200 euros ($55-220) extra for places on the outer deck, considered safer.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, Adriana, haven't, Mohamed, Nikos Spanos, Renee Maltezou, Jonathan Saul, Riham, Rachel Armstrong, Pravin Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Greek coastguard, coastguard, Reuters, GO, Thomson Locations: Greece, Kalamata, KALAMATA, North Africa, Italy, Greek, GO ITALY, Pylos, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Tobruk, Europe, Tunisia, Libya, Athens, London, Berlin

EUROPE'S FAR-RIGHT RESURGENCEGains by the far right in Greece mirror a trend in several other European countries. Support for Germany's anti-immigrant AfD party is at its highest since the wake of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2018, in Italy a former far-right activist is prime minister and in Sweden a far-right party has joined the government. Some analysts said Mitsotakis's hard line on migration gave licence to a more xenophobic narrative from the far right. However, some said ultra-nationalists had claimed the turf on the far right because Mitsotakis was shifting to the centre. The Spartans party are led by businessman Vassilios Stigas.

Persons: Ilias Kasidiaris, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Akritas Kaidatzis, Mitsotakis, Akis Georgakellos, Vassilios Stigas, Golden Dawn, Golden, Kasidiaris, Michele Kambas, Renee Maltezou, Edmund Blair, Christina Fincher Organizations: Spartans, Greek coastguard, New Democracy, Aristotle University, EUROPE'S, SPARTA, Twitter, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Europe, Greece, Thessaloniki, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Athens, Golden, Greece's, Kasidiaris, Golden Dawn

☆ Suspected smugglers deny charges over migrant shipwreck off Greece
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The coast guard retrieved three more bodies on Monday, six days after the disaster, and one on Tuesday, revising the death toll to 82. The suspected smugglers, all from Egypt and aged between 20 and 40 years, appeared before a prosecutor on Tuesday to respond to charges that included manslaughter, setting up a criminal organisation, migrant smuggling and causing a shipwreck. But the exact circumstances of the vessel sinking despite the presence of the coast guard were still unclear. Kathimerini newspaper reported that survivors, who were summoned for additional testimonies over the weekend, said for the first time that the coast guard tried to tow their vessel. "It is horrible what happened and the more urgent it is that we act", von der Leyen said when asked about the shipwreck.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Renee Maltezou, Tassilo Hummel, Grant McCool Organizations: European Union, ERT, Reuters, Greek coastguard, coastguard, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Libya, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Europe, Tobruk, Kathimerini, Brussels

☆ Russia says one of its warships rescued 68 passengers from boat in Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW, June 19 (Reuters) - A Russian warship and cargo ship rescued 68 people overnight from a boat in the Mediterranean Sea, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday. It said in a statement that the Admiral Gorshkov warship had been the first to receive a distress call from the Avalon, which it described as a "yacht-type vessel" flying the Greek and German flags. The Admiral Gorshkov is one of Russia's leading warships and has been used in the past to test and deploy hypersonic missiles. Hundreds of people, mostly from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, are feared to have drowned in a boat capsize off Greece last week. Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Andrew OsbornOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gorshkov, Mark Trevelyan, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russia's Defence, Greek coastguard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Kalymnos, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Greece

☆ Emotional reunion amid despair as Greece searches for shipwreck survivors
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Lefteris Papadimas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster 104 survivors and 78 people who drowned were brought to shore by Greek authorities, but nothing has been found since. They wept and hugged through metal barricades, erected by Greek police around a warehouse in Kalamata where survivors had been sleeping for the past two days. Survivors who spoke to Greek authorities said they paid $4,500 each to go to Italy. The group, Alarm Phone, said it had alerted Greek authorities and aid agencies hours before the disaster unfolded. Greek authorities denied accounts that surfaced late on Thursday that the boat flipped after the coastguard attempted to tow it.

Persons: Mohammad, Fadi, Fedi, Stelios Misinas, Nikos Alexiou, Renee Maltezou, Michele Kambas, Alex Richardson Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Greek coastguard, coastguard, ERT, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Greece, Syrian, KALAMATA, Greek, Kalamata, Pylos, Syria, Netherlands, Italy, Egypt, Tobruk, Malakasa, Athens

TOKYO, June 15 (Reuters) - The Pacific island nation of Palau has asked the United States to step up patrols of its waters after several recent incursions by Chinese vessels into its exclusive economic zone, President Surangel Whipps Jr. told Reuters in an interview. Palau identified Chinese vessels in its waters as recently as last month, when a ship appeared to be surveying an area near fibre optic cables vital to the country's communications, Whipps Jr. said. He said he would raise the issue of the incursions at the regional Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in November. The plan has been criticised by some local fishermen and neighbouring countries, including South Korea, China, and some Pacific island nations. But Whipps Jr. said he was not opposed to the plan and that he sensed regional resistance was also waning.

Persons: Surangel Whipps Jr, Whipps Jr, Whipps, Lloyd Austin, We've, Sakura Murakami, John Geddie, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Pentagon, Pacific Islands Forum, U.S . Defense, U.S, ichi, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Palau, United States, Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, Micronesia, Marshall, China, Solomon, U.S, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Japan, South Korea

At least 78 people died when the fishing vessel flipped and capsized in international waters south-west of Greece early on Wednesday. A migrant charity says a person they were in contact with on the boat said it was in distress, but Greek authorities say it repeatedly refused offers of help. Passengers paid $4,500 for passage to Italy, the two Greek sources said. Aerial photos of the vessel taken by the Greek coastguard hours before the tragedy unfolded showed a vessel crammed with people on its exposed decks. When the boat reported engine failure and stalled, a coastguard vessel shadowing them came closer.

Persons: Stelios Misinas, Nikos Alexiou, Adriana Tidona, Tidona, Karolina Tagaris, Michele Kambas, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hellenic Coast Guard, REUTERS, Greek coastguard, . Authorities, Greece's coastguard, EU, Amnesty International, coastguard, Thomson Locations: Greece, Kalamata, Stelios Misinas KALAMATA, LIBYA, Tobruk, Libya, Italy

☆ China's latest addition to its disputed South China Sea outpost: a hot pot restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Laura Zhou | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The restaurant opened in late April and can seat 120 at once, the local government says. Woody Island, known as Yongxing in China, is the largest outcrop in the group of about 30 islands making up the Paracels. The government, headquartered on Woody Island, administers both the Paracels and the also hotly contested Spratly island chain, which China calls the Nansha Islands. A satellite photo of Woody Island in March 2018. The centre is also seen as a way to demonstrate Beijing's sovereignty in the region by linking underwater artefacts from the South China Sea — "an important section of the Maritime Silk Road" — to Chinese cultural heritage.

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