QUEEN OF CUMBERLAND

Two bulk carriers, one sailing under the Singaporean flag and other under Japan’s, have collided in Changjiang River in China.Singapore-registered bulk carrier, YANGZE 22, and a Japan-registered bulk carrier, VEGA DREAM, collided on December 30, 2024.Both carriers are in stable condition and no injuries to the crew have been reported on either of the vessels.YANGZE 22 suffered damage to its hull and is currently anchored at Hengsha East Anchorage for damage assessment.The bulk carrier also reported that about 9 metric tonnes of fuel oil spilled due to the collision, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) informed.

President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100.President Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 with distinction, after which he was assigned to USS Wyoming (E-AG 17) as an ensign. After completing two years of surface ship duty, Carter applied for submarine duty. He served as executive officer, engineering officer, and electronics repair officer on the submarine SSK-1. When Admiral Hyman G. Rickover (then a captain) started his program to create nuclear-powered submarines, Carter wanted to join the program and was interviewed and selected by Rickover.

Finnish police said on Sunday they had found tracks that drag on for dozens of kilometres along the bottom of the Baltic Sea where a tanker carrying Russian oil is suspected of breaking a power line and four telecoms cables with its anchor.The Cook Islands-registered Eagle S was boarded by Finnish police and coast guard officials on Thursday and sailed into Finnish waters where the crew of the impounded tanker is being questioned.Baltic Sea nations have been on high alert after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. NATO said on Friday it would boost its presence in the region.

A Norwegian shipping company rejected an accusation from Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, that it refused to rescue sailors from a sinking Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea.Medvedev accused the Norwegian-flagged Oslo Carrier 3 of not coming to the aid of sailors on board the Ursa Major cargo ship, which carries out missions for the Russian Defence Ministry's military construction arm.  The Ursa Major ran into trouble on Monday and then sank between Spain and Algeria with 14 of its crew of 16 taking to a lifeboat.

NATO will boost its presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage this week of an undersea power cable and four internet lines, while alliance member Estonia launched a naval operation to guard a parallel electricity link. Finland on Thursday seized a ship carrying Russian oil on suspicion the vessel had caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable linking it with Estonia and fibre optic lines, and on Friday said it had asked NATO for support.Baltic Sea nations are on high alert for acts of sabotage after a string of outages of power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022