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Search for 22 people after Bulker sinks off India
India's Coast Guard &?Navy conducted search and rescue operations on Sunday off the east coast of India after a cargo vessel?flagged by Panama sank with a crew of?24. Two Chinese nationals were rescued. Shyam Jagannathan is the director general of India’s Maritime Administration. He told reporters that two Chinese seafarers were rescued. They said their vessel began to list and sank in eight minutes. This forced crews to abandon ship. Jagannathan stated that the chances of finding survivors usually fall sharply after 12 hour, but rescuers are continuing their search. According to the Indian Coast Guard, 22 crew members are still'missing' from Ocean Winner. These include 18 Chinese nationals, 3 Myanmar?nationals, and 1 Bangladeshi. In a recent post, the Navy stated that the Indian Navy was working closely with the Coast Guard in order to locate the rest of the crew. A Coast Guard spokesperson said that two vessels were sent from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) to help with the search and rescue operation. According to an initial report from India's Maritime Administration, the Ocean 'Winner' was carrying iron ore bound towards China when it left India's eastern 'Paradip' port on Friday. According to government sources, the cargo ship sank 240 nautical miles away from the port. It was not known what caused the sinking. (Disha Mishra, Bengaluru, contributed additional reporting; Mayank Bhardwaj wrote the article; Raju Gopalakrishnan edited it)
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India launches rescue operations after bulk carrier sinks near east coast
The Indian Coast Guard reported that India's maritime rescue agency had lost contact with a cargo vessel flying the Panamanian flag, which sank near the eastern coast of India. According to Commandant Amit?Uniyal?, a spokesperson for Coast Guard, the vessel was manned by 24 people, 20 of whom were Chinese, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi. Uniyal reported that the Coast Guard dispatched?two vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly known as Port Blair) for a search and rescue mission. The Coast Guard has rescued two people from life rafts. The agency reported that a search and rescue mission was underway for seafarers aboard the vessel. According to government sources the Ocean Winner was carrying ore from India to Singapore after leaving India's eastern Paradip Port on Thursday. They added that 240 nautical mile away, the ship sank. The cause of the sinking is unknown. Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo said that he hoped for the best and prayed for the safety of all the crew on board. Reporting by Nidhi verma, Saurabh sharma, Jatindra dash, and Disha mishra from Bengaluru. Editing by Sharon Singleton, Rod Nickel, and Rod Nickel.
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Two US tanker planes leave Bulgaria one month after their deployment infuriated Iran
Bulgaria's defence ministry announced on Saturday that two U.S. aircraft, tankers, had departed the Bezmer base in Bulgaria. This comes nearly a month after their deployment angered Iran. The United States has been at war against Iran since February 28 and requested that their temporary deployment be made under an agreement governing the?joint use of military installations. Sofia rejected the charge made by Iran that their deployment would be complicity in "aggression" and "war crimes". Defense Minister?Dimitar?Stoyanov informed reporters that two U.S. KC-135 aircraft left Bulgaria 'on Friday. It was not possible to reach the U.S. authorities for comment immediately. Residents in the area protested the deployment of the aircraft approved by Bulgarian parliament on July 22. They feared that the planes could be attacked by Iranian missiles and drones. Stoyanov stated that all of the aircraft's flights during their temporary deployment were training missions over other countries, and that Bulgaria had "no direct threats to our national safety." He said: "We work in full coordination with the U.S. Government?and have prior?information. This is why our decisions are well-founded." (Reporting and editing by Timothy Heritage, Aleksandar Vasovic)
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Seven people killed in UK when vehicle traveling the wrong way strikes police car
The local police said that seven people, including two police officers, died in a crash on Saturday in the?northeast of England after a vehicle driving 'the wrong way' down a major highway hit a marked police vehicle. The incident took place around 3:39 am (0239 GMT), near the South Bank area, east of Middlesbrough. All occupants of both vehicles died on the spot. Cleveland Police Chief Constable, Victoria Fuller said: "This tragic incident will be felt throughout Cleveland and our communities as well as the entire policing community." The police force said that it was still investigating and working to identify all of the victims. As is standard in these cases, the Independent Office for Police Conduct will review the incident. Ireland's chief of police warned this week that following two recent head on crashes near Dublin in which five people died, some young drivers were driving wrong way on the motorway "for social network likes". A?parliamentary committee in Ireland has asked TikTok how it removes "content that appears to glorify dangerous and illegal behavior?on our streets". Ireland's media regulator issued a similar demand on Tuesday. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson, Joe Bavier, and David Milliken)
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South Korea ships test Arctic commercial route amid Western concern
On Saturday, a South Korean container vessel set sail?for Europe via arctic in the nation's first commercial trip on the route. The?nation is testing its viability and hopes to turn the southeastern port of Busan into a maritime hub. The PanStar Acro is expected to sail north hugging the eastern Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, crossing the Bering Sea and taking the Northern Sea Route. It will stop in Felixstowe, Britain, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Poland's Gdansk before returning in a trip that should take between 40 and 45 days. President Lee 'Jae Myung made Arctic shipping for South Korea a priority, making it a "shipping powerhouse". Officials claim that this could transform Busan, and make the Arctic a regular trading route by 2030. The project could cause friction with Western allies who want to?keep Russia isolated? during its war in Ukraine. Seoul has spoken to Moscow about the trip, including whether or not the ship needs help if it gets stuck in the ice. The Oceans Ministry of South Korea and the Foreign Ministry of Russia did not respond when asked for comments. According to Norway's Center?for High-North Logistics, last year?88 ships made 103 transits along the route. This is up from 97 vessels in 2024 and 42 in 2022. These vessels were primarily from countries such as Russia and China. Scientists say that melting Arctic ice makes it easier to travel through the north, and the increased shipping speeds up global warming. PanStar, a South Korean container ship operator, has secured 837 TEU cargo on the government-backed trip. This includes auto parts and chemical products as well as 100 empty containers. A government official stated that the PanStar?Acro will flag off at around 8 pm (1100 GMT), depending on loading and other preparations.
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Muslim group condemns Texas's request for federal investigation of airport wash facilities
Texas Governor Greg Abbott?on Friday requested a federal probe into airport facilities to determine if ritual washing was performed before islamic prayers. A Muslim advocacy group referred to this as an "anti-Muslim" political stunt. Abbott, in a letter sent to the Department of Justice urging it to review immediately the ablution stations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFWIA) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (GWIA), criticized them for being discriminatory. Abbott's office stated that because airports receive federal funding, they are required to adhere to a number of conditions. This includes complying with all applicable laws against discrimination. Before daily prayers, many Muslims wash their arms, legs and faces. The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (an advocacy group) said that these?are not spaces for Muslims only, any more than nursing rooms or interfaith prayer rooms are 'Christian-only.' "These are accommodations that are open to all travelers, but are primarily used by the Muslim community." This is not discrimination. This is how accessible public infrastructure should look," CAIR Texas said in a press release. Abbott threatened to revoke funding for the state airports last week after referring them to Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Abbott stated that DFW has abandoned its plans to build more ablution stations as a result of this referral. The airport announced?this past week that it had determined the benefit originally expected may not be realized if more ablution stations are built. World Population Review reports that there are 4.5 million Muslims living in the United States, including more than 300,000. U.S. rights activists?say Islamophobia is on the rise since September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and recently due to anti-immigration policy, white supremacy, and?the aftermath of Israel's Gaza war. Rights advocates have also documented a spike in anti Muslim messaging and rhetoric during U.S. campaigning, as Muslim American politicians rose to high office. Republican governors of Florida and Texas have branded CAIR as a terrorist organization. The group has opposed Republican President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations. CAIR and civil rights groups denounced these claims, and claimed that Republicans were trying to incite fear towards Muslims.
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If the court approves, US Postal Service will issue rules to tighten up mail-in voting.
The U.S. The U.S. USPS stated that it was issuing the 95-page rule so it could be implemented for the next election if a judge lifted their injunctions. USPS will not deliver ballots to states that don't comply with the new rules. USPS final rule requires that states provide a list of voters who have received mailed ballots. The U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani of Boston has blocked USPS from adopting the rules that President Donald Trump ordered ahead of November's elections, which will determine control of Congressional seats. Trump, who is a Republican and a member of the Republican Party, signed the executive order on March 1, after calling for stricter voting rules by mail. He also claimed that the reason behind his defeat in the 2020 elections was widespread voter fraud. The order, which was published late Friday night, will be officially published on 26 August. However, USPS will not take any action to implement it unless the court lifts its injunction. USPS directed questions to the White House. If the rule is implemented, USPS won't collect or record party membership, nor will it inspect the ballot content. Postal workers will also not be authorized to open mail that has been sealed against inspection. USPS will keep data on the outside of the envelope including the address and barcode information. USPS Postmaster-General David Steiner defended this plan in June. He said that the Postal Service is making sure "we match what a state thinks they are sending to what gets sent." Democrats and many states have said that USPS has no authority to change the rules of elections. It is also too close to an election for any major changes. The new rule, announced on Friday, would require that states provide the USPS with the names and barcodes associated with their mail-in votes for federal elections. USPS stated earlier that it "will assist in determining adherence to federal laws and facilitate law enforcement." (Reporting and editing by William Mallard, Muralikumar Aantharaman and David Shepardson)
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Costs of transmission constraints on the largest US grid will reach $6 billion by 2026
The grid's independent monitor said that congestion costs for PJM, America's largest power grid, jumped 43% in the first half of the year to $6 billion as a result of escalating high-voltage transmission line overloads. According to Monitoring Analytics' independent market monitor, PJM, transmission bottlenecks during stressful events such as storms are the main cause of the rise in wholesale electricity prices. According to the report of the Market Monitor, price adjustments for transmission restrictions were $6 billion. This is up from $2.1 in the previous year. The report stated that the $3.9 billion increase in the cost of natural gas fuels was dwarfed by the $2 billion increase. Costs will eventually be reflected in monthly bills for consumers as the PJM'market' struggles to keep up with the booming demand of power from data centers and electric vehicles, heat pumps and heat pumping stations. According to the market monitor, PJM "often" assumes that transmission lines are less capable than they actually are and, as a?result, charges penalty fees incorrectly 94% of time. PJM disagreed with the analysis of the watchdog. PJM issued a statement saying that the (market monitor) was wrong to claim that PJM reduced transmission line ratings in order to trigger penalties. "PJM was unable to reproduce and/or verify the assertions made by the (market monitor)." PJM provides electricity to 67 million customers in a region that stretches between Washington,?D.C. and Chicago. PJM's wholesale real-time cost to meet electricity demand during the first half of this year was $29.4 Billion, compared with $20.4 Billion in the first half of 2025. During the first six months of 2026, the number of 'five-minute periods during which PJM high-voltage transmission lines of 500-kilovolts exceeded or hit operating limits jumped to 8,920 from just 1,865 the previous year. The violations occurred primarily during a winterstorm, according to the market monitor. According to PJM market data, other impacted?areas include metro Baltimore and Delaware. According to PJM data, other impacted 'areas' include the metro Baltimore area and Delaware. The report stated that the average real-time wholesale 'electricity cost across PJM increased to $72.54 per Megawatt Hour in the first half 2026 from $51.75 a megawatt hour a previous year, an increase by $20.79 per MWh.
BP types offshore wind joint venture in renewables pull away
BP and Japanese power generator JERA have agreed to sign up with forces to form one of the world's biggest overseas wind operators, a major step in CEO Murray Auchincloss' efforts to reduce BP's focus on renewables.
BP's retreat from overseas wind shows a similar trend at competitors Shell and Equinor, which are trying to boost near-term earnings by investing more on higher-return oil and gas operations.
The 50-50 endeavor, called JERA Nex bp, will pool together operating properties and advancement projects with a potential generation capability of 13 gigawatts (GW), the two companies stated in a statement.
The partners have agreed to provide as much as $5.8 billion in funding for tasks approved by the joint venture by 2030, with BP contributing up to $3.25 billion and JERA paying up to $2.55. billion as BP's properties in the JV have yet to be developed.
The JV will rank among the world's five largest offshore. wind operators behind Orsted, Iberdrola and. RWE, JERA Chief Renewable Energy Officer Satoshi. Yajima told reporters.
BP's Auchincloss has been under pressure considering that taking over. as CEO in January as the business's shares have actually underperformed. rivals amid issues over its energy transition method.
BP shares were up 3.4% at 1307 GMT, outperforming the sector. on Monday. BP shares have declined 16% so far this year,. compared with a 2.1% drop for rival Shell.
Jefferies analyst Giacomo Romeo stated the JV verifies his. view that BP will have the ability to lower its annual capital spending. below $16 billion and divest over $3 billion of possessions.
Offshore wind was a pillar of previous CEO Bernard Looney's. strategy to minimize BP's greenhouse emissions by rapidly constructing. up renewables capacity and slowing financial investments in oil.
Surging development costs, supply chain issues and greater. inflation have actually greatly weighed on the overseas wind sector in. recent years.
Auchincloss has stated he will take a practical technique by. concentrating on the most profitable operations.
This will be an extremely strong automobile to turn into an. electrifying world, while keeping a capital-light model for. our shareholders, Auchincloss stated in Monday's statement.
BP likewise prepares to sell its U.S. onshore wind service and a. stake in its solar company Lightsource BP.
Reuters reported in October that BP was thinking about selling. a minority stake in its overseas wind business, pointing out sources. with knowledge of the matter. In June Reuters reported, mentioning. sources, that the company had actually paused investments in brand-new offshore. wind jobs.
Last week, Shell indicated it was slowing down costs on. new offshore wind projects.
BP and JERA will contribute interests comprising around 1 GW. of net generating capability from operating wind farms and a. pipeline of projects with around 7.5 GW of capability, and even more. secured leases with around 4.5 GW of potential capability.
JERA, which is owned by Tokyo Electric Power Business (TEPCO). and Chubu Electric Power, first entered overseas wind in 2019. It later drew out its renewables possessions into JERA Nex, which. owns and runs wind farms in Europe, Asia and Australia.
We can't grow just by ourselves. We require scale, we require a. more diversified portfolio, we need a fuller set of. capabilities, and BP is the very best choice for us, JERA CEO Yukio. Kani told Reuters.
BP went into the offshore wind market in 2019. It has actually a. advancement pipeline with a generation capability of 9.7 GW. focused in the British North Sea, Germany and the U.S. East. Coast. It currently does not have any overseas wind farms in. operation.
JERA Nex bp will be based in London. Its CEO will be. nominated by JERA and the primary financial officer by BP. Kani. stated JERA will suggest existing Jera Nex CEO Nathalie. Oosterlinck to lead the JV.
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the third. quarter of 2025.
Bank of America is functioning as financial advisor to BP and. Rothschild for JERA.
(source: Reuters)