Latest News
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Iran claims foreign tanker smuggled fuel was seized in Gulf
State media reported that Iran had seized an oil tanker from a foreign country near the Iranian island of 'Qeshm, in the Gulf. The tanker was said to be carrying 4,000,000 litres of fuel smuggled, the report stated. The authorities did not name the vessel nor disclose its nationality. The authorities alleged that 16 foreign crew were?detained for criminal charges. State TV reported that the tanker had been seized on Wednesday. Iranian news sites published photos and video footage of the tanker they claimed to have seized. Iran announced last week that it had seized a foreign tanker carrying smuggled fuel in the Gulf of Oman. It did not identify the vessel, nor its nationality. Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world due to heavy subsidies and the sharp fall of its currency. It is now trying to stop fuel smuggling to neighboring countries by land and to Gulf States by sea. (Editing by Joe Bavier).
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Ukraine claims that Russian drones have damaged foreign-flagged ships in southern ports.
Ukraine's deputy premier said that overnight Russian drone attacks damaged vessels with flags of Liberia, Palau, and Slovakia in the ports of Odesa, Ukraine. Russian officials have said that Moscow has intensified its attacks in recent weeks on the southern Odesa region, while Ukrainian officials claim Moscow is attempting to cut Ukraine from the Black Sea and sow chaos among civilians. Oleksiy Kulba, in a Telegram message, said that there were no casualties in Friday's strikes. However, the attacks damaged elevators, civilian warehouses, and caused power outages in the Odesa area. Kuleba also said that drones had damaged a locomotive at the Kovel railway station in northwestern Poland, which is a distance of?about 60 kilometers (37.28miles) away. Kuleba stated that "despite Russia's deliberate terror against Ukraine, the logistics system continues to function." Russia has not commented on this matter. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier, Muralikumar Anantharaman, and Yuliia dysa)
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Iran claims foreign tanker smuggled fuel was seized in Gulf
State media reported that Iran had seized an oil tanker from a foreign country near the Iranian island of Qeshm, in 'the Gulf. It said it was carrying smuggled fuel of 4 million litres. The authorities did not disclose the name of the vessel, its nationality or when it was seized. The authorities said that 16 foreign crew members had been arrested on criminal charges. Iranian news sites?published video and photos?of the tanker they claimed to have seized. Last week, Iran announced that it had intercepted another foreign tanker in the Gulf of Oman carrying 6,000,000 litres of diesel it described as smuggled. It did not identify the vessel or its nation. Iran has been trying to stop fuel smuggling to Gulf States and neighbouring countries by land and sea. This is due to the heavy'subsidies it receives and the sharp fall in its currency. (Editing by Joe Bavier).
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Families question credibility of investigation after delay in Jeju Air crash report
Two officials have said that the South Korean investigation into the crash of Jeju Air, which killed 179 people, is likely to miss the deadline for releasing a progress report. This comes as the relatives of victims are still demanding answers to what went wrong. Two board officials confirmed that the country's accident investigation board will not be able to release an interim update on the Monday, first anniversary of the worst plane accident in South Korea. The two officials declined to give their names due to the sensitive nature of the issue. The Boeing 737-800, which was on a flight from Hong Kong to Muan, made an emergency belly land at the airport. It overshot the runway, then slammed against a concrete embankment, exploding into a fiery ball, killing 181 passengers. In a January preliminary report, the government-led Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board stated that both engines of the plane had been damaged by bird strikes. Investigators stated in a report from July that the pilots turned off the engine with less damage after?the bird struck. The report was not made public due to objections by families of victims. Families of victims are frustrated Some family members claimed that investigators seemed to blame the pilots, without investigating other factors such as the concrete structures beyond the end runway which likely made the accident far more deadly. It feels like doubts keep growing. "It feels like frustration has only increased over the past year," said Ryu, Kum-Ji. She lost both her parents in the accident. She stood with other members of her family who also shaved off their hair and protested in front of the presidential office. They demanded an independent and transparent investigation. Ryu stated that mistakes by the Transport Ministry, which supervises the investigation board could have also been a factor. This month, a transport ministry official assured bereaved families that they would look into their concerns. The second vice-minister of the Transport Ministry said: "We take your concerns seriously that the government's effort was not enough in the process (of finding the truth)." The government will support the families who have lost loved ones and look into it more closely. The South Korean parliament will launch an investigation into the crash on February 2. REPORT DELAYED According to the rules of the U.N. Aviation body, a report should be issued within one year after an accident. If that's not possible, then an interim statement detailing the progress of the investigation and any safety concerns raised, should be released on each anniversary. The two officials said that the investigation board does not plan to publish a?update yet due to pending legislation intended to ensure its independence. The lawmakers have proposed that the board be replaced and the oversight transferred from the Transport Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office. One of the board members said, "We will respect the decision of the newly-formed committee regarding the timing for the publication of the interim report." In a report published this week, South Korea's anti-corruption agency found that the concrete embankment of Muan Airport violated both local and international standards which require such structures to be "frangible", so that they can give way in the event of an impact. This meant that it could "cause deadly damage to aircraft and their occupants." On the request of legislators and the families of the victims, the board delayed the public hearings originally scheduled for early December. The police are also investigating. "All we ask is that the authorities admit their mistakes and apologize. Ryu stated that he wanted an apology and the disclosure of truth. (Reporting and editing by Ed Davies, Jamie Freed and Joyce Lee. Additional reporting by Hyunjoo Ryu and Jungminryu.
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Vingroup shares fall on withdrawal of rail project, weighing Vietnam index
Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate and its affiliated companies saw their shares fall?sharply? on Friday. This dragged down the index of Vietnam's main stock exchange. Vingroup's shares fell by 7%, their daily limit to 147,000 dong. This follows a 7% drop on Thursday after the company announced it would withdraw the investment proposal for?nation?s $67 billion North-South high speed railway project. Vingroup's affiliated firms, including Vinhomes Retail, Vincom Retail, and Vinpearl also saw their shares fall 7% on Friday. According to LSEG, Vingroup and 'its affiliates' account for nearly a quarter of the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange total?market capitulation. Vingroup shares are up 625% in this year despite the fact that one of its biggest foreign shareholders, SK Group from South Korea, has divested its stake. Vietnam's stock fell 2.5% to 1,699 in the morning trading on Friday. Vietnam's efforts to boost its economic growth include a number of infrastructure projects, including the 958-mile (1.540-km) railway that links capital Hanoi with business hub Ho Chi Minh City. Vingroup's high debt and lack of expertise in rail infrastructure had previously been a concern to the?country's Central Bank.
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Poland intercepts Russian aircraft over Baltic and reports airspace violations from Belarus
Poland sent fighter jets over the Baltic Sea to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft. They also said that dozens of objects had entered overnight from Belarus, warning the incidents could be a sign of provocation. Polish fighter jets intercepted and visually identified a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near the borders of Polish airspace this morning. They then escorted it out of their area. The Polish army announced on Thursday that a Russian reconnaissance plane was flying near the borders of Polish airspace. Since September, countries on NATO's eastern flank have been on alert for possible airspace incursions. Three Russian military jets violated Estonian airspace for twelve minutes just days after over 20 russian drones entered Polish airspace. The National Security Bureau of Poland said that'several dozen objects' entered Polish airspace from Belarusian territory. Four of the objects discovered to date were likely smuggling smuggling helium balloons. "...the violation of Polish airspace was of a mass scale, it occurred during a special holiday period, and the Russian aircraft activity in the Baltic Sea has been assessed. The Belarusian and Russian embassies at Warsaw have not responded to our requests for comment. Vilnius Airport was closed because of smugglers' balloons that were originating from Belarus. Lithuania claims that the balloons were sent by smugglers who are transporting cigarettes, and they constitute a hybrid attack by Belarus, an ally of Russia. Belarus has denied responsibility. According to the Polish army, a part of the airspace above northeast Poland's Podlaskie area, which borders Belarus was temporarily closed for civilian traffic in order to ensure security. (Reporting and editing by Emelia Sithole Matarise and Howard Goller;
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Gazprom, a Russian company, will supply 38 billion cubic meters of gas to China through the Power of Siberia Pipeline in 2025
Alexei Miller said that Gazprom, the Russian gas corporation, supplied 38.8 billion cubic meters of gas to China through the Power 'of Siberia' pipeline this year. This is an increase of nearly a fifth compared to the previous year. Miller stated that by the end of 2025, the company will have exceeded its contractual obligations to China in terms of gas supply. Sources familiar with data said on Monday that Russia’s pipeline exports to China of?natural?gas were expected to hit around 38.6-38.7 bcm this year. This is up from 31 bcm by 2024 and exceed the pipeline's annual capacity of about 38 bcm. Miller stated?in October? that the Power of Siberia will supply more than 38 bcm of fuel this year. The Power of Siberia 1 gas pipeline began transporting Russian gas to China late in 2019. Barbara Lewis, Barbara Lewis (Reporting)
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Five people killed in helicopter crash on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Aviation authority reports
The civil aviation authority reported on Thursday that a helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, killing five people. Local media said the aircraft was on an 'emergency medical rescue mission. The Tanzania National Parks issued a statement identifying the victims as a guide, a doctor (both Tanzanians), a pilot from Zimbabwe and two tourists from the Czech Republic. In a press release, the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that a helicopter had crashed on Wednesday near Barafu Camp in the mountains. According to the?Mwananchi and East Africa TV, which cited Kilimanjaro's regional chief of police, the helicopter was on a?medical rescue mission. Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, ?is nearly 6,000 metres (20,000 ?ft) above sea level. Mwananchi said that the crash occurred between?4,670 to 4,700 metres. Kilimanjaro is climbed by around 50,000 tourists each year. (Written by George Obulutsa, edited by Saad sayeed and Emelia Matarise Sithole)
Biya is set to serve his eighth term in Cameroon despite calls for him to step down.
Paul Biya announced his bid for an eight-term in July. He said that he was listening to "numerous, insistent" requests to remain in office. However, this year's elections have also seen a number of striking calls for him to step down.
The first was Catholic Archbishop Samuel Kleda who, on French radio at Christmas last year, said that it wasn't "realistic" for Biya continue in his job.
Two cabinet members, from Cameroon’s northern regions with a high voter turnout, openly questioned Biya’s leadership ability.
Brenda Biya (27), the daughter of the president, stated on TikTok that her father had "made too many people suffer". She urged Cameroonians, therefore, to vote him out.
The post has been widely circulated among Biya detractors.
The world's oldest leader of state, despite these criticisms and a number of economic and security challenges, stands a good chance of winning when the country that produces cocoa and oil in Central Africa goes to polls on 12 October.
Analysts claim that he has been supported by factors which have kept him in power for over four decades. These include a patronage system entrenched, flawed electoral institutions and a loyal military.
"The President has been able to enforce loyalty towards him and to the system... "Very few people within the system are willing" to challenge him. Arrey Ntui is a senior analyst at International Crisis Group.
"When it's about the president, independent thinking is gone." It's just a single-line story. The president is in office, he can run again. That's all.
Health Fears Overshadow Campaign
Since he took over the presidency in 1982, he has maintained a tight hold on power. He replaced his former mentor Ahmadou Ahidjo who he forced into exile.
He was able to survive a coup in 1984, and the first multi-party election in 1992 when he only won 3 points over the second-place candidate.
Biya signed in 2008 a constitutional change that removed the two-term limitation for the presidency.
In 2011, he won by large margins, and in 2018, he did the same. He dismissed his opponents' claims of intimidation and ballot stuffing.
Biya could face a major obstacle in his health this time, as it has been for years. Last year, he was absent from the public eye for 42 days.
Last year, the government banned the public discussion on the subject.
Cameroonians are still struggling to access basic services, from water and roads to electricity and waste management.
DOUBTS RAISED ABOUT THE FAIRNESS OF VOTES
The ability of his government to influence the outcome of the elections could offset these vulnerabilities.
A court declared ineligible in July the candidature of Maurice Kamto - Biya's main opponent who came second in 2018 - stating that the party he was registered to represent already supported another candidate.
Human Rights Watch stated that the move "raises concern about the credibility of electoral processes."
Kamto, who had denounced the results of the 2018 elections as fraudulent, was arrested by security forces in January 2019, after he led protests that were dispersed using live bullets.
He was charged with insurrection before a military tribunal, which according to his lawyers could have resulted in the death penalty. However, he was freed in October 2019.
The threat or actual arrest of an opposition member has been used to keep them weak for a long time. Officials in Cameroon claim they are only enforcing laws.
Raoul Sumo Tayo is a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. He says that the fear of being sued for speaking up goes beyond the political classes.
"When you get into a taxi in Cameroon you never know who the driver is." He said that people are afraid to talk because of the perception of the ubiquity and power intelligence agents have.
The regime is empowered by the fact that many people in Cameroon want to see their kids grow. Reporting by Robbie Corey Boulet in Dakar, and Amindeh Atabong in Yaounde
(source: Reuters)