Indonesia Rescues Hijacked Tug Boat

Indonesian authorities vital to region in pirate suppression, Australia especially benefits from Indonesian interdiction, disposal of pirates

Agency France-Presse

01/02/2012

Indonesian authorities have rescued a tug boat with nine crew believed to have been hijacked in the Straits of Singapore, a sea lane seeing a rise in attacks, an official said Monday.

The boat was recovered on Saturday off Indonesia, said Noel Choong, head of the piracy reporting centre of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

It had been towing a barge laden with heavy machinery and piling materials which an Indonesian aircraft and three warships found in the same area a day later, he added.

The tug and barge, heading from peninsular Malaysia to Borneo island, last made contact on December 27 off southern Malaysia near the Straits of Singapore before it was hijacked, Choong said.

"IMB is very pleased with the Indonesian authorities' quick response because of which we managed to recover the tug and barge," he told AFP.

Choong urged authorities to step up patrols and ships to be vigilant in the Straits of Singapore, which saw 11 attacks last year, up from three in 2010.

Malaysian maritime authorities in October rescued a tanker they said was also hijacked in the straits, which runs between Singapore and Indonesia.

In September, a Malaysian court sentenced six Indonesians to 10 years in jail and caning for trying to rob a merchant ship near the same area.

The nearby Strait of Malacca -- running between Indonesia and Malaysia and once the most hazardous shipping channel -- has seen a lull in attacks in recent years following cooperation by the surrounding countries to rein in piracy.

Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia increased patrols two years ago amid concerns that pirates planned to attack oil tankers.

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The 5^th Estate.

Images:  Google royalty free unless otherwise attributed.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Read more »

MDC-T senator dies of bird flu; New "novel" H5N1 made at Kobe University, Japan by Kawaoka and Ernala already being used on selective targets

It certainly didn't take them long; Kobe University, Kawaoka under intense scrutiny, investigation for engineering super "novel" H5N1 virus capable of jumping species, going airborne

Nehanda Radio

Zimbabwe News

By Pindai Dube

12/30/2011

BULAWAYO – 

Gladys Gombami-Dube the mainstream MDC senator for Mabutweni died of bird flu, a family spokesperson told journalists at her house in Mpopoma high density suburb on Wednesday.

    Family spokesperson Samuel Gombami who is brother to Gladys’ husband Fanuel said that postmortem results released on Tuesday in Harare shows that she died of bird flu.

“We were finally given postmortem results and they show that she was taken away by bird flu. We still can’t believe this as a family, we are in still shock,” said Fanuel Gombami.

 Bird flu also known as avian influenza is a contagious disease of birds, caused by influenza (A) viruses. The outbreak of avian influenza of most concern began in poultry in South Korea in mid-December 2003.

    The Mabutweni senator was buried at Lady Stanley Cemetery in Bulawayo. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and dozens of MPs and senators attended the funeral.

    Gombami-Dube, 48, died after complaining of disorientation and dizziness while travelling home to Bulawayo from a funeral in Gokwe on Boxing Day. She was rushed to a hospital in Kadoma where she died. The senator was the deputy chairperson for the parliamentary select committee (Copac).

MDC deputy chairperson for Bulawayo province Dorcas Sibanda said the party was shocked with the sudden death of Gombami-Dube and will give all the assistance needed to the family.

    “We are shocked and worried about the death of our respected senator for Mabutweni because this doesn’t usually happen. We are still running around to give our mother a descent burial,” said Sibanda who is also the legislator for Bulawayo Central.

    Gombami Dube’s Mabutweni constituency covers Mpopoma, Pelandaba, Njube and Lobengula. Above that she has for the past two-and-a-half years been an active member of Copac.

     Gombami who is also one of the founding members of the MDC in 1999 was born on November 21, 1963 in Bulawayo. She did her primary education at Lukhanyiso Primary School in Mpopoma before going to Mzilikazi High School for her secondary education.

    She was married to Fanuel Gombami in 1983. She is survived by three children, two girls and a boy.

Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The 5^th Estate.

Images:  Google royalty free unless otherwise attributed.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Read more »