The CG 'Midgett', while crossing the Tasman Sea as part of maritime security cooperation with Australia and New Zealand knew Chinese naval ships were in the area but had no interaction with them, its commanding officer said on Feb 25, 2025. China's navy held live-fire exercises on Feb 21 and Feb 22 in international waters between Australia and New Zealand that Australian officials have described as unprecedented. It was the furthest south the Chinese navy had held exercises, and showed China did not need a naval base in the South Pacific to project power. A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said on Feb 21 the ship had been conducting exercises and training in distant waters and upheld safety standards in accordance with international laws and practices. The drills forced airlines to change the paths of 49 commercial flights for safety reasons. The movements of the People's Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and refueling vessel involved were being monitored by Australian and New Zealand defence forces. The 'Midgett' arrived in port in Sydney on Feb 22 en route from New Zealand and will proceed to Papua New Guinea on an illegal fishing patrol.
News
KBV 047
The work of identifying and preparing equipment for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is ongoing. The Swedish Coast Guard has also initiated cooperation with its Ukrainian counterpart on civil maritime security. Initially,the two environmental protection vessels 'KBV 047' and 'KBV 048', as well as vehicles, are included in the assignment to donate equipment. The vessels and vehicles have already been decommissioned. Earlier in 2024, the Coast Guard donated jet skis. Additional equipment may be donated on more occasions in the future. A second part of the assignment from the government involves strengthening and deepening cooperation with Ukraine in the areas of civil protection and national resilience. In the government's supplementary budget amendment of Jan 30, 2025, the Coast Guard has received an increase in the appropriation for 2025 by 24 million to cover the costs that arise.
EURODAM
The 'Euroda' has been allowed to dock in Curaçao on Feb 25, after a norovirus outbreak was brought under control. Health officials had initially blocked passengers from leaving the cruise ship due to the highly contagious stomach virus. The outbreak, had caused nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain among passengers and crew. An investigation by GMN and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the presence of the highly contagious virus. To stop the spread, the ship implemented strict cleaning and hygiene measures. Passengers who were sick were isolated. These actions significantly reduced the number of new cases. The 'Eurodam' now met all international sanitation standards. The number of people with symptoms was now low enough that the ship was no longer considered a public health risk. The authorities will keep a close watch to ensure the virus doesn't spread again.
KBV 048
The work of identifying and preparing equipment for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is ongoing. The Swedish Coast Guard has also initiated cooperation with its Ukrainian counterpart on civil maritime security. Initially,the two environmental protection vessels 'KBV 047' and 'KBV 048', as well as vehicles, are included in the assignment to donate equipment. The vessels and vehicles have already been decommissioned. Earlier in 2024, the Coast Guard donated jet skis. Additional equipment may be donated on more occasions in the future. A second part of the assignment from the government involves strengthening and deepening cooperation with Ukraine in the areas of civil protection and national resilience. In the government's supplementary budget amendment of Jan 30, 2025, the Coast Guard has received an increase in the appropriation for 2025 by 24 million to cover the costs that arise.
STENA NORDICA
A woman was found dead in suspicious circumstances in the bathroom of the 'stena Nordica', when it arrived at Rosslare Europort on the evening of Feb 24, 2025. A violent brawl broke out on the ship, between a group of people, following the discovery. The captain had made an emergency call for assistance after the violent incident on board as the ferry approached Rosslare at 5.30 p.m., en route from Fishguard. Armed gardaí and the public order unit attended the scene when the ship docked. A man was discovered inside the toilets with the woman and was arrested at the scene under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. The fight broke out as a reaction to the discovery, and that gardai were still questioning witnesses to ascertain what exactly had occurred last night. There were no public safety issues, but that a crime scene had been declared. The woman’s body remained at the scene which has been preserved for technical and forensic examination. The local councillor Ger Carthy attended the scene as an ambulance officer with the National Ambulance Service. A man has been arrested in connection with the investigation and was being held at a local garda station. The Gardaí continued to question a man in connection with the death of the woman and were investigating the circumstances around the death, awaiting the results of the post-mortem to determine the cause of death. A Senior Investigating Officer has been appointed to lead the investigation and a Family Liaison Officer has been assigned to provide support and information to the deceased’s family. The next scheduled sailings of the ferry have been cancelled. Affected were the 7.30 p.m. departure from Rosslare and the sailing on Feb 26 at 01:30 a.m. from Fishguard were cancelled as a result. The passengers were accommodated by Irish ferries on the 8:45 p.m. sailing from Rosslare to Pembroke. Report with photo: https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/man-arrested-following-death-of-woman-on-ferry-at-rosslare-brawl-erupts-causing-serious-incident-on-board/a1440679049.html