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The death toll is expected to reach dozens after a passenger ship sinks off the coast of Guyana
Authorities feared that dozens of people may have died after a 'ferry carrying 133 passengers capsized late Saturday night off the coast Guyana. They suggested an incorrect passenger list or drug use on the part of the crew could have been responsible. Guyana's authorities have not found any survivors since Sunday afternoon, when they announced that they had rescued 15 children and 67 adults. At a late-night press conference on Sunday, Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works, said that the captain and several members of his crew are in police custody. Edghill stated that search and rescue was still ongoing. "We are doing all that we can to locate the loved ones of those families who are searching for them." Authorities said that the MV Barima capsized while travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma village, with 116 passengers on board and 17 crew. The ship was approximately?seven mile from shore. Around 11 pm on Saturday night, air traffic control received distress calls from the ferry. This triggered a search-and-rescue operation. Edghill stated that early response was hampered due to the darkness, and the lack of vessels equipped with scanners?that could search and find survivors. Rescuers were left relying on their eyesight and sounds. Edghill stated that the oil and gas industry has deployed scanners, and the government has sent divers to the ferry in order to search for the bodies. The authorities have expanded the search area from 400 square kilometers to 1,040 sq km (401 sq?miles). Edghill first insisted on Sunday afternoon, that the ferry operator had not shown any signs of "neglect". On Sunday evening, Edghill said that the captain and other crew members tested positive for marijuana. A number of the people who were saved were not on the manifest for the ferry, which suggests that the passenger list was inaccurate. The minister stated that the boat was in need of maintenance and would be dry docked - the process whereby a ship is temporarily taken out of the water to inspect or repair problems - this year. Families have been torn apart by the disaster. Leon Murray, who was on the ferry at the time, told the local news outlet Ignite News, that someone shouted about four hours after the boat left Georgetown that it was sinking. Murray was able to swim up to the surface and use a life jacket in order to stay afloat. He floated and shouted for help, and then found his son holding onto a box floating in the water. Murray claimed that he and son were still alive, but his daughter, wife and four grandchildren had not been found. "Six of the six are gone." Mark Phillips, the Guyananese prime minister, said in a press release that the vessel had a cargo weight of 286, out of its capacity of 284, tons. He stated that the ferry had a license to carry 300 passengers and was equipped with 250 'life jackets', six inflatable liferafts and 2 'rigid liferafts. Phillips announced at a press conference on Sunday night that an investigation was underway into allegations of wrongdoing by members of the maritime administration, police, and defense forces. Let me be clear. If negligence, misconduct, or criminal wrongdoing is proven, the responsible parties will be held accountable to the full extent of the law. Reporting by Kemol and DeisyBuitrago, Writing by Emily Green, Editing by Chizu and Thomas Derpinghaus
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Data shows that few tankers are entering the port of Hormuz for oil loading, but LNG floating storage is increasing.
Shipping data revealed on Monday that the number of ships transiting?Strait?of Hormuz remained low over the weekend, as Iran and the United States intensified their attacks in the Middle East. Data from LSEG shows that four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday, compared to eight the day before. The data showed that at least three oil product tankers and a Very Large Crude Carrier entered the strait to load oil since Friday. LSEG data includes transit of container ships, bulkers and vehicle carriers as well as tankers carrying oil, gas, and chemicals. The U.S. announced on Sunday that it had carried out an eighth night of attacks against Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. Allies Kuwait and Bahrain also reported further Iranian attacks. Both sides have targeted shipping traffic in recent days. The U.S. has said it enforces a naval blocade against Iranian ports. Iran says it targets vessels that violate its rules for navigating the Strait of Hormuz which handles about one-fifth of the global oil trade. The 'United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Agency' said on Monday that it received a report indicating a vessel on fire eight nautical miles (14.8km) northwest of Oman’s Kumzar. UKMTO stated that the cause of fire has not been confirmed. Since Thursday, no liquefied gas tankers were visible in the Strait. Transponders are sometimes turned off by tankers and other vessels to hide their passage. S&P Global Energy's vessel tracking data showed that the combined 10-day average for laden LNG transits in the Strait fell to 0.2 cargoes a day on July 15, down from 0.8 cargoes a day at late June. The data revealed that only one LNG cargo has been 'known' to have left the Gulf in the last week. S&P Global analysts stated in a report that despite the disruptions to shipping outbound, LNG production at Qatar and the United Arab Emirates has continued at a fairly robust pace. This has led to an "increasing inventory" of LNG on tankers awaiting inside the Gulf. S&P Global estimates that seven laden Qatari LNG ships held around 0.57 million metric tonnes of LNG by mid-July, while nearly 1.9 millions tons of LNG tanker capacities are currently positioned inside the Gulf. This is the equivalent to around eight days worth of pre-war peak exports. The report added that "Should an effective blockage of Strait of Hormuz in the next few weeks ease, these vessels would be able to enable a relatively quick increase in exports by releasing LNG which has already been loaded and produced." Reporting by Florence Tan, Editing by Sonali and Lincoln Feast.
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Data shows that few tankers load oil in Hormuz.
Shipping data revealed on Monday that the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz was low over the weekend, as both the United States and Iran intensified their attacks in the Middle East. Data from LSEG showed that only four vessels crossed the strait on Sunday, compared to eight the day before. Data from LSEG shows that at least three oil product tankers and one Very Large Crude Carrier entered the Strait since Friday to load up on oil. Since Thursday, there haven't been any liquefied gas tankers visible passing through the Strait. LSEG data includes transit of container ships, bulkers and vehicle carriers as well as tankers carrying oil, gas, and chemicals. The U.S. announced on Sunday that it had completed an eighth night of attacks against Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. ally Kuwait and Bahrain also reported further Iranian attacks. Both sides have been targeting shipping traffic in recent days. The U.S. has said it will enforce a naval blockade against Iranian ports. Iran says it will target vessels that violate its rules on navigating the Strait of Hormuz. This is the area where one-fifth of the global oil trade usually takes place.
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West Africa's ECOWAS group signss agreement supporting Nigeria-Morocco atlantic Gas Pipeline, reports a statement
According to a Moroccan-Nigerian statement, member states of the Economic Community of West African States signed an intergovernmental agreement in 'Freetown on Sunday backing the 'Nigeria - Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline. According to a joint?statement?by Morocco’s hydrocarbons & mining agency ONHYM & Nigeria’s state oil firm NNPC, the pipeline will transport up to 30 billion cube metres (bcms) of natural gases a year through 13?West African nations to Morocco. The statement stated that 15 bcm of that capacity will be?available for Moroccan and European markets via an?existing pipe that links 'Morocco with Spain. The pipeline was agreed upon a decade earlier between the Moroccan King, and the Nigerian President. It would cover 6,900 km along a hybrid off-shore-onshore route, and cost an estimated $25 billion. The project has completed the feasibility study and front end engineering design (FEED). OnHYM told the public in April that the pipeline would help spur "economic integration" across West Africa, by facilitating industrial development and increasing electricity generation, while helping Morocco establish itself as an energy bridge between Africa, and Europe. According to the statement, the next step is the?signing a deal 'between Morocco and the gas-rich Mauritania.
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Infrastructure targets achieved as EU charging network exceeds EV sales
According to a report published by the advocacy group Transport & Environment on Monday, the charging infrastructure in 'the European Union' has outpaced the e-car sales. All member states, except Malta, have already met the public charging requirements of the bloc based on the size their EV?"fleets. The findings contradict 'arguments made by some carmakers, that insufficient charging networks and soft demand justifies a slower shift away from internal-combustion engines. T&E’s analysis shows that charging capacity is increasing faster than battery-electric vehicles. T&E reports that the EU has exceeded the AFIR fleet-based charging goal by 180%.
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Boeing to deliver Air Force One by 2028, but costs will rise
Boeing announced on Sunday that it is still on track to deliver the two new Air Force One aircraft in 2028. However, achieving this target will require more'spending' on a program which was already many years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget. Boeing won a $3.9billion contract to build the aircraft in 2018, but costs have since risen to over $5billion. The aircraft will replace the Air Force One planes that entered service in 1990. Steve Parker, CEO of Defense, Space & Security, said to reporters in advance of the Farnborough Airshow, that the 'first aircraft will begin testing next year. "I expect some cost increases as we complete the wiring, the structures and our own certifications." In May 2025, the United States accepted from Qatar a luxury Boeing 747-8 for temporary use as a presidential aircraft. Since then, the jet has been used as a bridge aircraft. 'Security concerns caused President Donald Trump not to fly the Qatari Jet home from Turkey and instead chose to return aboard a?older Air Force One. Air Force One is a program that involves the conversion of two Boeing 747-8 aircraft to highly specialized jets,?equipped? with advanced communication and?defensive?systems. The program will still be four years behind schedule even if it is delivered in 2028. (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton; Joe Brock)
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The passenger ship that sank off the coast of Guyana is believed to have taken dozens of people with it.
Guyana authorities report that a ferry with 116 passengers, including 15 children, has sunk off the coast of Guyana, in South America, late Saturday night. 67 people, including those who were rescued, have been rescued. According to local media, an air traffic control tower received the distress call from the MV Barima at 11:01 pm on Saturday night, which triggered a search and rescue mission. The ferry capsized, along with?17 other crew members,?off of the North 'Atlantic Coast on its way to Port Kaituma. The ferry's departure point was not known. At a Sunday morning press conference, Prime Minister Mark Phillips stated that the operation will continue until 'all efforts have been exhausted. Deodat indar, Guyana's Minister for Public Utilities and Aviation?said that emergency family support centers had been set up?to give families information and assistance. Reporting by Kemol King, Deisy Bugtrago and Emily Green. Editing by Chizu Nimiyama.
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Boeing focuses on production at Farnborough Airshow, not new orders
Boeing's head of commercial aircraft unit announced on?Sunday that the company is examining a?new?round of _production increases? for its best-selling 737 MAX, after it received regulator approval in may to increase production to 47 a monthly. Boeing was given an unprecedented production limit by the Federal Aviation Administration after a mid-air accident in 2024 revealed widespread safety and quality lapses. Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters during a roundtable before the Farnborough Airshow that the company uses its safety management system to determine when it is stable enough to move to the next rating. "I have the team focused on stabilising 47." We'll move to 52 once we reach 47. Then we'll continue to study that. She said that the company's focus at the show is on increasing and improving aircraft production. "Not order announcement," she added. The backlog is extremely strong. The demand is not a problem. Pope said that if we announced some orders along with the process, we would 'celebrate' with our customers depending on whether they wanted to. She said that the priority of 'the planemaker is to listen' to its customers and suppliers at this biennial event, which brings together executives of many of the industry's biggest companies. She said, "We will?understand what their challenges are and then update them on our product," (Reporting and editing by Sharon Singleton in London, with David Shepardson reporting from London)
Canada to enhance Arctic cooperation with United States, mentions Russia hazard
Canada plans to work more closely with the United States in the Arctic to ensure local security in the face of an increasingly aggressive Russia, Ottawa said on Friday.
As part of a renewed method, Canada will appoint an Arctic ambassador and open brand-new consulates in Anchorage, Alaska and Nuuk, Greenland.
Canada's Arctic covers more than 4.4 million square km and is nearly deserted, conserve for a couple of neighborhoods and ports. Less than 16% of the waters have been properly surveyed.
The 37-page technique file points out Russian aggressiveness, Chinese aspirations in the region in addition to the effects of global warming, which might open shipping channels.
The North American Arctic is no longer free from stress. Canada needs to work even closer with its closest ally, the United States, to preserve a protected North American homeland, it said.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump satisfied Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week and stated they had actually talked about the Arctic to name a few topics.
Canada will check out new avenues of cooperation with the United States in locations such as energy security, supply chains, climate change and vital minerals, the file said.
(source: Reuters)