The Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, which was hijacked by Somali pirates, is running out of food. However, the hostage have nothing to worry even if the food is reduced. Because the pirates from the shore are bringing food to the ship. The Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, an organization of ship's owners and sailors, said this on Wednesday (March 27). Mizanul Islam, media consultant of KSRM Group, told the media that the hostage sailors are healthy. There is nothing to worry about. Because the pirates are bringing food from the shore to the ship. The pirates usually bring food to the hijacked ship in their own interest. Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association, said the pirates bring food for their own interests. I have also received reports of Tehari-like foods being brought on board MV Abdullah.

A Bangladeshi-flagged ship named 'MV Abdullah' has been caught by pirates in the Indian Ocean. Pirates captured 23 sailors and crew hostage on the ship.  KSRM Group, the owner of the ship came to know about the ship being caught by pirates at 1pm on Tuesday.  However, KSRM Group said that all the members of sailors and crew hostage are safe.  The ship 'MV Abdullah' was previously known as 'Golden Hawk'  which was built in 2016, the 190 metre long ship was added to KSRM Group's fleet last year. After that, the ship was transporting general goods.  

The fire on a freighter loaded with thousands of cars appears to have burnt itself out. Although the vessel seems stable, there are still concerns over potential risks. The Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management on Tuesday said the fire on board the Freemantle Highway cargo ship appeared to no longer be burning.  Salvagers say the freighter's hull, which caught alight almost a week ago, appears to be intact below water. What we now know about the ship "There are no visible signs any longer that the fire is still burning," the spokeswoman said, adding it was too early to sound the all-clear. There are still concerns that it might break up and pollute a nearby archipelago of ecologically sensitive islands in the Wadden Sea. The Panama-registered Fremantle Highway carried 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric cars, from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore.  The vessel was towed 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland to keep it away from busy shipping lanes. Firefighters had decided not to douse the freighter with flames with water for fear of making it unstable. The Fremantle Highway will now be towed to a port to be unloaded and have its hazardous contents removed before being broken up. However, no port has yet been identified where that will take place. "The recovery companies are working on a plan of action for towing the freighter to its final location and salvaging it," the ministry said. It's thought that the decision on a location partly depends on the condition of the vessel. The options are thought to be Eemshaven, a Dutch port on the German border, and the German port of Wilhelmshaven.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked nine Chinese military aircraft and eight naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Sunday (June 18) and 6 a.m. on Monday (June 19). Of the nine People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, two Harbin Z-9 anti-submarine warfare helicopters were monitored in the southeast corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. No PLA aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line during that time. In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships, and used land-based missiles to monitor PLA activity. So far this month, Beijing has sent 192 military aircraft and 91 naval ships around Taiwan. Since September 2020, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by incrementally increasing the number of military aircraft and naval ships operating around Taiwan. Gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.” Source: Taiwan News

The 6-ton vessel Jin Tian was manned by a crew from China and Myanmar. Only five of the 13 found have survived, Chinese media reported. A cargo ship which sank off the coast of Japan on Tuesday, amid poor weather conditions, has left eight people dead according to Chinese media. Six of the dead were Chinese nationals, a government official told state broadcaster CGTN on Thursday. The incident took place some 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of the remote and uninhabited Danjo Islands in southwestern Japan. The ship named Jin Tian, had a crew from China and Myanmar. The 6,651-ton vessel was registered in Hong Kong, Japan's coast guard said. Crew forced to abandon ship The ship's captain sent a distress signal to South Korea's coast guard on Tuesday evening, saying the crew would abandon ship. The vessel then sank at approximately 2:46am local time (5:46pm UTC on Tuesday). No immediate cause for the sinking has been determined, but a South Korean coast guard spokesperson said the area was experiencing strong winds at the time of the incident. A cold snap hit much of Asia this week, with daytime temperatures in some Japanese islands nearest the rescue site reaching just 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit). Hundreds of flights to South Korea's Jeju island were cancelled on Tuesday due to extreme weather. Five crew members survive Some 13 crew members were rescued from the scene, with Japan's coast guard and military, and also three private ships from the area, joining in the search. China's Consul General in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, Lu Guijun, told Chinese media that a search operation for the 13 missing individuals had retrieved five individuals alive, with non-life threatening conditions. "We express our deepest condolences to the unfortunate victims," Lu said of the remaining eight crew members who perished. Japanese authorities have yet to confirm the figures cited by Lu, saying they could only attest to two people found dead and nine that remain missing.

The Russian ship, carrying Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project materials, finally got the approval from India to dock at the Haldia port of West Bengal after it had been deterred to anchor at Mongla due to US sanctions on the vessel. The consignment, which had to be turned away from Bangladesh, may be sent to its destination by road from India, said officials. India is assisting Bangladesh in constructing the NPP under the India-Russia partnership for projects in third countries. The Russian ship, instead of returning, hovered in the Bay of Bengal since late December. All Indian ports are open to Russia-flagged vessels and India has been accepting consignments from Russia over the past year, with bilateral trade surging 300%. The Russian-flagged ship arrived at Bangladesh's Mongla port at the end of December 2022 with goods destined for the Rooppur NPP, Mongla Port Authority Secretary Kalachand Singh told media in Dhaka. "We have learned that the cargo from the vessel can be unloaded at the Haldia port in India's West Bengal. From there, another vessel could carry the consignment for the Rooppur power plant," said Singh. Sadhan Kumar, operations officer of Khulna Conveyor Shipping Lines, told Bangladeshi media, "In the past shipments for Rooppur NPP were delivered by Russian and neutral, foreign-flagged, vessels at the Mongla port. After the unloading of the cargoes at the port, they would be taken to Rooppur."

The UK Royal Navy's offshore patrol vessel, HMS Tamar, sailed to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands today as part of its permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific, the British High Commission in New Delhi said on Friday. "Over the next five days, the ship and her crew will undertake capability demonstrations and maritime exercises with the Indian Navy," the British High Commission (BHC) said in a statement. HMS Tamar is one of two Royal Navy vessels on permanent deployment in the Indo-Pacific, as set out in the UK's Integrated Review. The ship's visit to India is an opportunity to further strengthen the shared maritime domain awareness effort, and underlines the UK's and India's intent to collaborate in the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific. First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said: "I am delighted that HMS Tamar is visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands this week. The opportunity to engage with the local community and conduct training and exercises with the Indian Navy is hugely valuable." "The work HMS Tamar and her crew are doing with allies, partners and friends across the Indo-Pacific is crucial. As threats to global peace and stability mount, the Royal Navy values deeply its relationship with the Indian Navy in a shared endeavour to confront those who challenge the rules-based system and ensure peace and prosperity on and from the sea," Admiral Key added. Acting British High Commissioner to India, Christina Scott, said: "HMS Tamar's deployment is the UK's Indo-Pacific tilt in action; its visit, further evidence of the importance we attach to our defence and security relationship with India." "The Indo-Pacific, and indeed India, will drive future growth and prosperity for the world. It is imperative that it remains free and open to all in support of trade, shared security and values," Scott added.

A Thai navy vessel sank off the southeastern coast after running into strong winds. Authorities said about 75 out of the 106 personnel have been found. According to a navy spokesperson, the HTMS Sukhothai ran into strong winds and tides while patrolling the Gulf of Thailand, roughly 20 nautical miles (32 kilometers) from Bang Saphan pier in southern Prachuap Khiri Khan Sunday night. Seawater flowed into the vessel, causing it to sink. Rescue underway "We are still looking for 31 missing. The ship's operating systems stopped working, causing the ship to lose control," said navy spokesperson Admiral Pogkrong Montradpalin, adding that the ship sank shortly after midnight. The vessel's electronic system was damaged, and a rescue mission was launched around 7 a.m. local time (0000 UTC). The navy shared pictures showing the ship heeling to one side. So far, 75 of 106 personnel have been rescued from the waters using two Seahawk helicopters with mobile pumping machines, two frigates and one amphibious ship. About 11 of them were admitted to the Bang Saphan hospital. Southern Thailand has been experiencing frequent storms and flooding recently. Ships had been warned to stay ashore.

Sri Lanka on Monday confirmed that it has communicated to China to defer the visit of Chinese vessel Yuang Wang 5 to Hambantota port. In a statement, the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said the Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5 was scheduled to dock at Chinese-leased Hambantota port on August 11 for refuelling and leave on August 17. “The Ministry has communicated to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port,” it read. The Foreign Ministry further stated it wishes to reaffirm the enduring friendship and excellent relations between Sri Lanka and China which remain on a solid foundation, as reiterated most recently by the two Foreign Ministers Ali Sabry and Wang Yi at a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh on August 4. “At this first meeting between the two Foreign Ministers, Minister Sabry referred to Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to the one-China policy which has been a consistent principle in the country’s foreign policy,” the statement read further. Meanwhile, reacting to the media reports over the vessel, the Chinese foreign ministry said that Beijing “always exercises freedom of the high seas in accordance with law and fully respects coastal countries’ jurisdiction over scientific research activities in waters under their jurisdiction.” China also urged “relevant parties” to see its marine scientific research activities in a rational light and stop disrupting normal exchange and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka. “It is completely unjustified for certain countries to cite the so-called “security concerns” to pressure Sri Lanka,” it said. India had expressed its security concerns over the docking of the vessel at Hambantota as it was shown as a research vessel while the spy ship can map the ocean bed which is critical to anti-submarine operations of the Chinese Navy. Designated as a research and survey vessel, Yuan Wang 5 was built in 2007 and has a carrying capacity of 11,000 tonnes. During this significant visit to the key Sri Lankan port, it could conduct satellite research in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean region, prompting security concerns for India. Hambantota port, located around 250 kms from Colombo was built with high-interest Chinese loans. The Sri Lankan government struggled to repay the debt they had taken from China following which the port was handed over to the Chinese on a 99-year lease.  Source:ANI

India could resume deliveries of COVID-19 shots to global vaccine-sharing platform Covax in a few weeks for the first time since April, two health industry sources said, ending a suspension of supplies that has hurt poor countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO), which co-leads Covax, has been urging India to restart supplies for the programme, especially after it sent about 4 million doses to its neighbours and partners in October. Based on an informal approval from India, Covax officials have started planning allocations of the Covishield shot for various countries, said one of the sources, both of whom declining to be identified pending a final agreement. Covishield is a licensed version of the AstraZeneca shot made by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine maker. SII has nearly quadrupled its output of Covishield to up to 240 million doses a month since April, when India stopped all exports in order to inoculate its own people during a surge of cases. “There will need to be purchase orders confirmed to SII, labelling and packing, export authorisation granted for each of these shipments,” said the source. “So the first deliveries, assuming the Indian government grants export authorisation, won’t happen until a few weeks from now.” SII, the health ministry and the WHO did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ministry said in a statement earlier in the day that Indian states had more than 159 million unutilised doses of various vaccines, as inoculations have slowed after 79% of the country’s 944 million adults got one dose and 37% got two doses. SII CEO Adar Poonawalla told Reuters last month that the company could send 20 million to 30 million doses a month to COVAX in November and December, which would increase to “large volumes” from January once India’s own needs were met. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that COVAX had the money and the contracts to buy vaccines for low-income countries but “manufacturers have not played their part”. Covax in September cut its 2021 delivery target by nearly 30% to 1.425 billion doses. Source: Gulf News